smarmy

I agree with this 100%. He has loads of talent. Against Ajax he did this brilliant little trick to lay the ball off, then backheeled it back when he received it again. But this was just outside his own area, so it's kinda pointless at best, dangerous at worst. He has to be further up the pitch, and in the centre. But maybe midfield at home, behind the striker in a 4-4-1-1 away.

We were playing Ajax! That is Ajax Amsterdam, you know, in the Champion's League and all that. We are a League 1 side, with a squad in severe need of a bit of rebuilding. Basically, we started well, then they got into their stride and started dominating more and more. They were winning all the 1 on 1s, and so of course you start to get sucked backwards to help out other players or cover for them. It wasn't intentional! And what is the obsession with 442, which can be extremely defensive or attacking depending on the personnel and how it's played. I don't think the formation we played worked that well, but that is because Wotton was swamped and thus looked bad. IMO we should have played him AND Gillet as defensive midfielders, then played Mills and James out wide and Lallana behind Rasiak, if we were going to start with those 11 players. Real lack of pace and no proper wingers, though.

Superb. I'd completely forgotten him, but he is ideal. A premier league manager, who has achieved promotions from both League 1 and the Championship. Better than any of the touted options imo. But then I have a problem with Coppell, a serial quitter and a charisma vacuum, and Curbishley also lacks any kind of charisma and hasn't been able to succeed out of his element in Charlton, where he was superb, admittedly. I like Pearson, but he lacks the experience that Pardew has and plays stodgy football. I like Keegan, but I don't think he would have had it in him to do it all one more time, and for Strachan's own sake, I'm glad he hasn't come back (and why would he? From Celtic surely a top prem or foreign side is the step up?) Just wish he'd been appointed two months ago! Gonna be a tough season.

Nah, I just don't think Keegan or Hoddle are remotely realistic, Strachan was very successful here, but the football was actually quite tedious. The jokes were good, but Celtic seems to have sucked the life out of him. Just think it would be a bad move for him. Pearson would be OK, but won't come, and is overrated. Don't know much about Tisdale. Coppell is just SO BORING. I can't stand him. Same goes for Curbishley. To be honest, any of them would be fine, and if the money is there, we will "walk this league" anyway. I'd just like someone with a bit of flair or something.

Rather have someone else, but he would be fine. Like his attitude, but suspect the football would be dull. He's not going to leave Leicester, though, is he, so it's all a bit pointless.

None of the above.

What I don't understand is why Aviva wouldn't take possession of the stadium and then rent it back to whatever SFC entity emerged. That would make the sale easier, which would guarantee them an income stream at least, and the value of the land can only go up from here, post credit crunch/recession etc, should they have to tear it down and develop. They could put the rent up as and when we got promoted and/or sell the ground to a sale/leaseback company who specialise in these sorts of things. Sadly, the training ground/facilities could just be sold to Portsmouth, wooden lockers and all. Trousers' avatar is a picture of Orbital, by the way.

In MLT we trust

I have to say, I actually admire the blind optimism of some people on here. It has been obvious for at least five days, and a lot longer than that in hindsight, that this bunch of clowns/crooks had 0% chance of buying the club. But to have such faith that you, still, think there might be a bright side, amazing. In all sincerity, I wish I wasn't so cynical. Anyway, with any luck Lynam may be facing some serious time in jail! I still can't believe some people are blaming the FL or banging on about an extra 15 points. We *know* what happened. We *know* that was all a ruse to buy more time and find another backer after the original group pulled out (presumably because they sensed Lynam was a delusional, paranoid, self-obsessed small-time charlatan). Questions do remain as to how Fry was strung along for so long, and even more so, tragically, why Matty even yesterday was still trotting out the party line. He must feel so let down, but really, could he not see that it had all fallen apart?

That would make sense, but lots of things on here "make sense" (the Pinnacle bid not being one of them). Do you have any evidence garnered from your muddy field? Is the ""a highly speculative gamble" quote from the horse's mouth? And are BT and Mark Fry up for any negotiation on this?

"Tomorrow is Wednesday" (Romeo and Juliet) Well at least it's apt. Anyway, I have to do some work. Can someone summarise what's going on? Fry will hold press conference at 2pm? Echo reporting Fry not confident in Pinnacle bid? But Solent say Pinnacle met Fry this morning? Surman, McG and Davis all out, but no statement as to who made decision, what it means, or where the money goes? By the way, that thread where everyone went on about doing heroin post-SFC demise, was IMO, classic. Well done. More gallows humour please!

That's why I'm pinning my hopes on the Swiss, who I know nothing at all about. Better the devil you don't know in this case. It's a farce, the whole thing. So depressed.

You seriously think the Pinnacle deal will happen? After all we know now? You still WANT the Pinnacle deal to happen, after all we know now? Jesus wept. I'm praying for the Swiss to come through now. Just for a moment if we pretend that they could somehow get 14m together over the weekend, can you imagine how this clown would carry out transfer negotiations? Jesus wept. I despair.

All I know is that I don't want Tony Lynam within a country mile of our club. If they somehow do manage to cobble the money together, please god, let the Swiss do the deal first! Whoever they are!

Whats wrong with mirrorshades ?? It's all a bit william gibson, innit?

I think we're FUBAR. Either the League thing is about an extra -15 and the CVA etc, and we're screwed every which way, or, and this seems more likely, there was no money man, or he pulled out, and TL has been using this to play for time to line up someone else, who he paraded as soon as he could. He's not been very straight with us. If it was just about -10, it doesn't make the slightest bit of sense. I think the mirrorshades were the last straw.

This is a farce.

I read it somewhere, probably on here, that Barclay's thought we wouldn't get -10, so maybe they, like most people, thought Lowe's continued control was untenable, but that we would still be in the Championship, so they could just force a change in ownership. Or something. Or maybe the credit crunch just meant them applying stricter criteria without thinking it through.

Leftfield sort of thought: If Barclays want their money back (or as much of as possible), shouldn't they hang on till the credit crunch/economic apocalypse etc is over and there are more billionaires in search of playthings? West Ham are now actually owned by a bank, aren't they? Will there come a point where Barclays just appoint someone to run the club for next season and try to sell it next summer? Surely better than liquidation, from their point of view, plus the PR of having put a club out of business would be terrible.

It seems to me this could all be a tactic to drive down the price? Surely the longer this goes on, the cheaper we get. Not being in the League this season IS NOT in the interest of Barclays/Aviva etc. If that is it, it's a dangerous game, though, 'cos there'll come a point when Fry just says enough is enough, and sells all the players, the training ground to Pompey, and the stadium to Paul Allen to build a marina development ...

His points per game was actually pretty similar to Pearson, who had a MUCH stronger squad. I've got no problem if he goes - if we can replace him with someone better - but no bitterness. There are lots of reasons to keep him - knows the academy players, lots of experience (and the Eredivisie IS better than League 1), don't have to pay him off, already started planning for next season whereas a new guy would be starting cold. It all depends on who we could get otherwise, and we're not THAT attractive. We're going to have small crowds (although not for the division), -10 points, no transfer budget (my guess). Change for change's sake would seem a bit thick, imo, and hopefully the new owners will be smart and only change if they can get the right man, and quickly. (First post! Hello! I like the muffins!)