Victor

But surely this is the arguement that supports the decision to put him on 'gardening leave' - his personal circumstances (which he was obviously aware of before they became public) were affecting his ability to job. As for another poster calling him 'dull', I think Saints could have prospered better over the last few years if things had been just a little 'duller'.

Walter Tull's story is an interesting one (there is a biography by Phil Vasili). Raised in a children's home he became one of the very first black professional footballers, was commissioned as an officer leading white troops into battle on the Western front and died at the Second battle of the Somme in 1918.

A. No we don't. B. They get the armaments because we sell them to them. It helps reduce your taxes (unless you're a billionaire, in which case you don't pay any). C. I think you'll find it's the Americans that kill the 'Brit' hostages.

Lee Barnard an idol??!! You cannot be serious.

Question for Viking Warrior: Would you make it into the ugliest 11 posters on the Saints Web? Personally, I reckon your mind would qualify you.

Don't worry, I knew what you meant. Those who criticised are being a tad sanctimonious and are obviously not familiar with your other postings over the years.

After all, we've never done that before have we.

For Christ's sake, most of you have proved that he had a point - and how many of you would have said "**** off, we don't want that mouthy **** here" if you heard he was joining Saints. His scoring record stands up against any one's and football is far richer for characters like him. Nothing against Michael Owen, but who would you prefer to listen to talking about the game? Of course you don't agree with everything he says; how boring would that be? And if you haven't yet realised that contributors to Talksport are primed to be 'controversial' you're thicker than you claim IW to be.

Not quite all, although I seem to be in a minority of one. Perhaps I didn't see enough of him but he ran around like a headless (yes, headless, not hairless) chicken when I saw him. On the positive side I suppose that might add a spark of life to the side.

Seems more a total lack of style by NC. A pattern is emerging; prefers to hide in his fortress feigning contempt and tossing banning orders over the parapet rather than face anyone who's upset him. Surely better to invite him in and then have a 'chat' with him where all can hear what is said. Everyone has their own agenda and version of the truth. What is fact, though, is that Bournemouth are doing so much better than us having had an even bigger points deduction, far, far less money,a squad so inadequate that school commitments of one of them meant they could not always have enough subs on the bench. Maybe NC was not up to facing someone whose club was doing so much better on a borrowed shoestring. Despite all our alleged millions we are looking increasingly small-time and adopting small-time attitudes.

No it isn't. Not if you analyse it and do the maths; it equates to a final total of 64 points, 16 short of last season's 6th place. After the expectation created by a win at Sheff W a draw at Yeovil was a disappointment although actually beating SW at present wasn't exactly amazing given the run of form they are in (which continued last night). Results have got to improve and, whatever the performance, 4 points from those 2 away games was undeniably NOT good, particularly when home form continues to be so poor. However, what matters is how things develop from now, and the statistics of what has happened so far are meaningless.

Well, "everyone" except Alan Pardew, Wally Downes and Stuart Murdoch. And whoever else upsets Il Duce.

And the ex-player with his tales from the dressing room and training sessions etc. Forgotten his name.

Bring back The Windmill Diaries.

You clearly didn't get my point. Once we were something special so we expected things to be good. Now we are just another club, hiring and firing at will in a desperate search for some magic formula that will get us to the Premiership. Clubs from the 'outposts' of football have their time when a particular set of circumstances come together. Blackpool are having their time in the sun again but, sadly, it won't last. There is nothing special about us any more, we are out there fighting with the majority of the 92 clubs. Nothing special about starting slowly, nothing special about changing managers, nothing special about our squad. Stupid? Stop gazing at your navel and get real. We are ordinary- and at the moment plain dull. Get used to it; it is the lot of the majority I'm afraid.

It was all going so well until we left the Dell. Then there was an air of excitement as you approached the ground, anticipation of some exciting, attacking football with players who were characters and who actually wanted to play for the club, a feeling that we and our ground were unique and an expectancy that we would beat whoever the opposition was - Man Ure preferably. And switch on Match of The Day to see us beat them all over again. Now it's an air of despondency as we approach the off-the-peg shed to watch off-the-peg football from journeymen players and certainly can't be arsed to watch the humiliation again at some God-forsaken dog-end of the television schedules. And I actually believe it was easier to get a ticket in those days; and it probably won't be any easier when we are down to 9.000 crowds in League 2 (as they laughingly call it). Guess we just had ideas above our station.

I seem to be being slow again but: a) can't see that you made any previous response to my post so do not understand why you included yourself in, and b) even if you are talking about the response that I commented on, no, it did NOT talk about what I asked which was what was known about NC/s football experience. However, I infer from the response that mentioned historic characters with no football experience that NC has none.

Ooops! Sorry. I thought we were talking about whether or not NC had significant football contacts in Italy. Silly me; my sincerest apologies for intruding on your research into the ancient history of the Southampton FC board of directors. Carry on.

Article refers to Cortese's CLAIM to have contacts in Italy. No source quoted for Guardian's claim AC Milan were after him; my guess is this was also a claim by NC. Can't imagine AC M would be after him unless he had a track record in football; what is on record about his football experience? Is there anything on record or is he just a guy who likes to big himself up?

Well they should never have let Hammond's wife on the training ground. I blame Cortese.

Of course, we are SO unlucky to be so near the bottom of the league!

But I can't help feeling that, if asked, you would give your opinion and feel a more than a little chuffed at your opinion being quoted as representative of the fans. It almost certainly would not be representative of mine.

Really funny, a load of people with disparate views most of them based on hearsay or absolutely nothing and who claim that Cortese does not worry about fans views getting worked up about a minor article in a paper they consider worthless and never read! Personally I wouldn't want to be a member of any organisation that would have me as a member (apologies to Groucho) and I certainly would not want this forum to claim they spoke on my behalf. I suspect the animosity towards SISA is more to do with personalities. If you think it contemptuous, treat it with contempt - ignore it instead of bringing it to everyone's attention. Otherwise get off your backsides and organise a representative organisation that can legitimately claim to speak for "the fans" but even if that can be done it will always be possible to claim "it doesn't represent ME".

Sorry, were you joking then, or did you just not understand my point? How do we compare with Norwich on all matters other than points? You tell me because I do not know and cannot, therefore make a proper comparison. You, apparently, can.

Ridiculous! You can argue anything with statistics at this stage of the season. What about form, spirit, fitness, right players for right position, depth of squad etc. - how do you reckon these compare with Norwich at the same stage?