Super_Uwe

I think in the grand scheme of things David Prutton turned out to be a bit of a flop. He never did a bad job for us by any means - and he will always be remembered fondly for his post-match laps of appreciation - but I remember the media coverage at the time bursting with praise about him as an England U21 international, full of potential etc. Never quite worked out for him really given that he's been trawling around the lower leagues since his mid-twenties.

Indeed you are right. Have a look at the description here, ouch! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/4382912.stm His game was all about pace and bursting down the line, but I'd be amazed if his ankle is anyway near 70-80% of the strength it used to be. I think he's had a good career, the timing of the injury and the subsequent signing of Ashley Cole at Chelsea probably didn't help him personally, but good on him. Let's not forget he burst onto the scene with Saints and pretty much disappeared for a year before being reverted to left-back. I reckon if you'd told him back in '99 he'd play for Chelsea, win the Premier League and get 36 England caps, he'd have been happy!

Jonah was a good solid keeper for us and was indeed a great servant over the years. His shot-shopping was IMHO up there with the very best keepers in the world at the time, and I genuinely mean that. His reactions were just unbelievable at times. What let him down though was his distribution and overall command of the box. He never seemed to communicate particularly well with his back four either, and as a result that is why he never got "hero" status during his time with us. One of the things I always remember about him was his insistence on putting the ball back on the same divot to kick it! Always used to make me chuckle, he wasn't the best kicker in the first place so putting the ball on a divot (which got bigger as the game went on) seemed a bit bizarre. But each to their own hey!

Amazing that there's only one defender on that list and not a single goalie either.

Oops, just spotted the earlier thread on this one. What a plonker. Sorry everyone!

Yes, I am not making this up! http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13729276.stm Of course Uwe is the inspiration for my user name, so I was rather amused to hear this yesterday. Random as hell! He's come a long way since being with us, having battled cancer and managed in Norway as well. Good luck to him - not the most profilic Saints striker:lol: but let's see what he does for the mighty Bees!

I don't always agree with what Dave Whelan says, but to be fair to him it's clear that he's got a great relationship with Roberto Martinez and he made that clear in the press. I think the way he has conducted himself is an example to any chairman across the country. He's said that he won't stand in his way in future because he knows that it is likely he will manage at a higher level, which I think is a very dignified statement. Is it a lack of ambition? I don't think so personally. He is only 37 or 38 and has a long, long time ahead of him to manage, plus he is working somewhere where he appears to be happy as well.

Quite right. We should have momentum on our side and that will count for a lot. The gulf in class between League One and the Championship is, in my opinion, nowhere near as big as the gap between the Champ and the Premier League. It will be difficult next season but with a couple of additions to add to what is, quite frankly, a very settled and committed squad, we may surprise a few people.

I think given all the flak DJ got during his fight against child abuse charges that he is anything but a bottler. If others see him as a bottler, good luck to you. Having lived in Cardiff for ages, I know how much of a bitter blow this season has turned out to be, not least with Swansea getting promoted. That is the ultimate kick in the teeth for Bluebirds fans. I think what has probably done for him this time is not so much the failure to get promoted, but rather the manner in which they failed to get promoted. They actually started the season on fire, but once again this year they fell away when it mattered most. In that respect you could argue they failed to learn the lessons from previous years, although it is by no means a travesty to finish 4th again this year. Overall though I think he has done a good job there when you look at where they have come over the past six years, it's just a shame that he couldn't get them promoted. As a result it's probably best for all parties that he left.

What a complete overreaction on this thread after having listened to it. Seriously, LISTEN to the interview! He said himself that people in football have different opinions, but he also went on to say that he "loved the dressing room and the players". For whatever reason, his face doesn't fit at the club with management. It's a shame but at the end of the day I have 100% faith in NA and NC that they will do what is best for the club.

I agree with your views on the general excitement, but there should be some sort of benefit for the team finishing 3rd other than playing the 6th team. I personally would like to see some sort of handicap applied for the semi-final; maybe a goal awarded in your favour for every 5 points higher up the league you are. Under that sort of system Bournemouth would have been 3-0 down before their tie began, but they would certainly not have been dead and buried. If nothing else it would encourage an open tie. Appreciate though that there is no way in hell that this will ever come into fruition!

Love that shot. Paul Wotton and Lloyd James couldn't look more disinterested if they tried!

This one's going to run and run isn't it....dear me. I do like the last paragraph of that piece; I bet Charles Sale is really proud of that one. An executive manager earning a shedload of cash - what a scoop! Next you'll be telling me that bears s*** in the woods too!

Quite. Funnily enough I went to an Argyle game around Christmas, and there was a feature interview with him in the programme where he said that he felt he'd missed out not being part of any sort of organised youth setup. At 21 there is still room for improvement, so we may be able to get more out of him. However I would much prefer us to make a move for someone like Keith Treacy (if available) who is much more proven at a higher level and is still young as well.

I think more than anything else he wants the players to put on a show in front of what will be a full house. He has to try and make Saturday's game sound as if it matters.

With his now not so new boots with any luck.

Everyone really hates us nowadays don't they?

Spot on. Has blown a bit hot and cold but has genuine quality. I'd have him signed up in a flash if we could; he can play both left or right and is two-footed as well.

Looks like being an interesting week to come. I've said all along that it would go down to the last weekend, although I'm pleased we will have the opportunity to put this one to bed a week early. My in-laws are Argyle fans so it's either them or me who are going to be disappointed after tomorrow's game! You have to give credit to Huddersfield as well; they could well end up with 89 points and not go up automatically. Their form has been magnificent and goes to show how well we have actually done. I really hope we can do the job tomorrow, but if we don't then it's all down to the last day. Not great for the nerves but in some ways wouldn't it be great if we can finish the job off on our own turf?

Sorry, I meant moan about his fellow B&B owners!

Chris Marsden is now a B&B owner! http://twitter.com/#!/Chrismarsden4 Wonder if he'll end up on "Three/Four in a Bed" on Channel 4 and ***** about his fellow B&B owners...

Nathan Dyer. Has really come on leaps and bounds playing for Swansea. Not a Premier League star yet but he has all the attributes to go a long way. Shame it all ended on a sour note at Saints really.

A disappointing result but one which doesn't affect our position. Everything is still within our grasp and all we can do is hope that the players hold their nerves now. Who'd have thought Rochdale would do the league double over us this season? Cripes!

I would imagine it was probably a mix of us being two goals in the lead and the fact he hadn't scored against us! We usually succumb to ex-players finding the net against us....

I think overall it wasn't a bad year compared to recent times (not hard you might say!), but I couldn't really say it was one of the best. It can't ever be in my eyes as it was the start of us almost getting liquidated... That team reminds me a lot of the Cardiff team this season; plenty of talent but just unable to get any real consistency when it matters.