Chap in the Chapel

Just leaving the game. We deserved a win tonight, no doubt, and were far better than Yeovil. Guly very unlucky at the end, really good goal though. Hammond man of the match, tireless and drove us on. We've moved from clueless and getting beaten to about where we were at the start of last season. We do need more options up front but we defend well and moved the ball nicely at times. We will get there with Adkins, whether it's this season depends on reinforcing the forward line. 37 games to go - don't chuck it in yet.

I don't think I've been as angry about a result since the Forest defeat in December '08. It is quite unbelievable how frequently Southampton Football Club manages to lock, load, and then aim vertically downwards. Rochdale were absolutely hopeless - we easily carved through them when we got the ball down on the ground and passed through them, only to blow the one-on-one chances. There was a moment in the first half when Schneiderlin had the chance to send Hammond in on goal with a simple pass, and proceeded to smash it at him as if clearing off his own goal line. That typified us today. We are, quite simply, rudderless with Wilkins in charge and lacking in sufficient attacking options. The latter is probably Pardew's fault, but I don't think that with him in charge we'd have had a 5-0 aggregate defeat this week. What a waste of a cup run; what a waste of a league game. I hope that Mr Cortese is a faster learner than his unlamented predecessor as far as managerial turnover is concerned. Simply appointing a "name" manager this week is not enough - the results must follow. Choose wisely, signor.

Every single win, every single goal, every single point gained this, next and every season from now on is for Markus Liebherr, as without him we quite literally would have no Southampton Football Club. From now on, LET'S DO IT FOR MARKUS. RIP to the man who saved the Saints.

Great lad - very talented at several sports. Well liked at Locks Heath CC.

Quite right. Last night was a very good football match indeed against a Rovers side that is obviously the real deal. Williams' winner was just one of those things - he'd shown no inclination to use his left foot all the time he was on, and then he sticks in a shot like that having been shown onto it, as I would want our defenders to do. Further thoughts: Kelvin made a mistake for their first goal, but how many times has he saved us since his last mistake? Lloyd James is not, and never will be, good enough to play at full-back. Harding was not given enough support defensively by Mellis, who had a fairly good game against Carlisle but is rapidly creating the impression that he's a big-time Charlie who doesn't fancy League One. Lallana is playing extremely well at the moment. Finally, although I'd've thought we'd be into positive points now, Pardew's team still needs time. Replacing him would be a move of utter insanity and fans calling for his head don't want what they're asking for. You can't turn an oil tanker round as if it's a skateboard.

We certainly weren't disgraced. For 75 minutes we were absolutely in the game and two similar goals (midfielder sneaking into the box not picked up) scuppered us. Man of the match for me was Lambert, who won everything in the air and didn't give them a minute's peace. To give him credit, Lloyd James had a decent game when in the centre of midfield, but he'll be shoved in at full-back, alas, if Murty is as badly hurt as feared. That injury is by far the worst part of this evening's game. If we can take tonight's performance forward to Saturday though, we'll probably win.

Quite right. Too many players stuck in last season's losing mindset as well. Pardew's had four games to try and change an absolute disaster into a cohesive unit, although his lack of substitutions tonight until the last 10 minutes was absolutely bemusing. I would hope that this defeat and the nature of it will focus a few minds, especially those holding the purse strings. That the team contained Oliver Lancashire, who appears no better than a Sunday League footballer, shows how urgently we need at least one more centre-back. Hammond must not be the last new player we bring in.

That's the second apology he's obtained from a national newspaper in two weeks. Obviously Rupert still feels he has a reputation in football that needs protecting. I bet the consultancy work is just rolling in...

I noticed no difference at all at the Millwall game and I've been an ST holder there since day one. The area where I sit is virtually all season-ticket holders anyway and they've nearly all renewed, it seems, so I'm not anticipating being invaded by hordes of kids this season. Block 20 seems to be largely kid-free and whenever there have been kids for a quid days they've tended to be allocated seats up towards the back of the Chapel end.

This is very good news. For once, we've invested some real money in a first-team rather than squad player.

He sounds like he's going to do his part. I hope he does. We in the stands can do ours by showing up and supporting the team.

Let the new era begin.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is former England winger Mark Chamberlain's son.

They'll all be available on frees and our own wage bill has been cut back substantially. Although we won't offer them silly cash in League 1, we're not far from Reading geographically speaking and there might be some appeal for them in going somewhere where their ex-teammates are also headed. I don't think the wad required is all that big, to be honest - they've all got to make a living so they'll want to sign for someone.

Reading released Marcus Hahnemann, Michael Duberry, Leroy Lita and Alan Bennett as well as Murty this summer. Although Hahnemann's gone to Wolves, we should try and get the rest of them as a job lot.

We had a 10-match unbeaten run in 2002/3 that began with the 3-2 win against Arsenal and, including that game, featured three of my favourite Saints games ever, so it's more a memory of a lengthy period when we were playing extremely well. The 3-2 over Arsenal was made all the more enjoyable because it was so unexpected. Although we hadn't lost at home in the league that season, Arsenal were the defending champions and the first of the top sides to visit. We didn't have anyone below nine out of ten though and incredible performances from Niemi (including the astounding triple save from Viera) and Beattie hauled us over the line. I'd never felt prouder. About three weeks later we played Newcastle, and a superb match with both teams going absolutely hammer and tongs at each other ended in a totally fair 1-1. Just into the new year we had the famous 4-0 win over Spurs, one of the few occasions when it honestly looked like we were going to score almost every time we went forward. I've got plenty more but this run as a whole hasn't been mentioned yet and I always smile when I think about it.

Statement from Fry: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1703627,00.html

'We will be buying the club, make no mistake about this.' I love how unequivocal this statement is.

Back to you then Mr Lynam. Please don't pull the plug.

If true, then good luck to him. Nowhere near good enough a manager for Saints, but his dignity and professionalism in recent weeks have shown him in a good light.

My all-time favourite sending-off is from April 2003 when we beat Leeds. We'd won the FA Cup semi-final the week before, I think, and you could have been forgiven for thinking that our boys were going to take it easy for the last few games to make sure they made Cardiff. Not a bit of it. We won 3-2 and Peter Reid, Leeds' boss at the time, admitted that they had been hoplessly outplayed and the scoreline was ridiculously flattering. Anders Svensson scored our third, one of my favourite ever Saints goals as it started from a Leeds corner and a sweeping break from us ended with Anders thrashing the ball past Robinson having run 80 yards from his own penalty area to support James Beattie. It triggered something in Alan Smith's brain too, as he mowed into Killer and got the red card he'd been heading for the whole game, and the crowd let him know it as he flounced off. I always did hate Smith. Second favourite would be Alan Thompson, another Leeds player, when we beat them in the play-off season at home. Leeds were phenomenally dirty that day and should have had at least three sent off. We battered them for the remainder of the game and it was inevitable that we would score a late goal and win.

I've always liked Dowie. He's got a good track record at our level of football and the one above, is an intelligent and articulate man, a former SFC player and is experienced in British football. He'd be a very good choice. His Crystal Palace team was perfectly set up to gain promotion to the Premier League as it was based around a fast attack with width, playing off a solid targetman, and had an experienced and physically powerful defence. I don't expect miracles next season, whoever is the manager, as 10 points will take some making up, but the season after that, a second-season team managed by Dowie could take some stopping.

Wonderful news. Now then - can they finish the job and (hopefully) draw the line in the sand that we really, really need?

I see where you're going, but the City Council offered the club the land on which St Mary's is now built. Lowe was groping in the dark after Stoneham fell through until someone offered him a candle. Saying he 'masterminded' St Mary's is a bit inaccurate - he pushed it through but to be a mastermind you've got to think of something first!

It's been going downhill since Graham Hiley left. 'Hiley Controversial' was a breath of fresh air compared to most other clubs' Pravda-esque website writing. Sad news, really.