eelpie

So the quality of play is meaningless? Don't you want to be entertained?

A sad suggestion, not worthy of reply,chivvy. Go back to the 1664.

Were you at the game last night, Mr X? Because it was certainly not rubbish. It was a very entertaining match and for much of it the young Saints team played some outstanding skillful passing football - the like that Burley's flops rarely achieved. True their heads went down after Ipswich's goals. But they rallied and levelled, good entertainment. And the vastly more experienced and increasingly frustrated Ipswich side could not roll Saints over. For much of the game - something I have not witnessed at St Mary's before - prolonged appreciative clapping by several thousand supporters in recognition of the quality of Saints football. But yes, it is true the stands other than the Northern were relatively subdued, but there was certainly a lot of noise when we scored. Don't believe what you read. No, it is not the young players who are to blame for the poor attendance, Mr X. It is people like you who don't attend and pass the word around by advertising the negatives. If so-called fans gave as much as these kids are doing, we might have a few extra points.

Me. Leaving london at 4pm. COYR

Despite the results there IS something compelling in actually being AT the matches because the lads do play exciting football at times.

There's only one Colemanballs!

Well said!

Our parlous situation is more to do with the material that PV has to work with than his policies imo. His style of play is very attractive and exciting, and if time was on our side - which it isn't - in a year's time with much of this squad, we probably could match other teams in muscle and more than outplay them in skill. Unfortunately Lowe and Wilde will sell off anyone they can as soon as they can. So next season we will probably be fielding the under 16's at the bottom of League 1. So don't blame PV. He ain't no Pearson, but he is doing the best he can in the circumstances. Blame Lowe and Wilde's indiscriminate selling policy.

I was in the lower tier beside the goal and time and time again QPR's back four wrestled and tugged Saints players when they were threatening. So we rarely got a sight of goal. Lallana's was an exceptional bit of play which outwitted and wrong-footed the heavies. At the other end Saints were crowded out in goalmouth scrambles. Sadly it was men against boys again. One striker up front doesn't work.

Most are good enough, but just not experienced yet. But I agree with you about Kelvin

We conceded today within 30 seconds! We let in soft goals. The fourth in injury time. And but for the offside flag and some heroic saves by Kelvin they would have won by considerably more. WE could have score more, but were muscled off the ball by a resolute and ruthless defence. Hypochondriac, Itchen and NickH - sadly, I have to I rest my case.

Well Itchen and hypochondriac, we will find out this afternoon. I hope I am wrong.

Of course he wasn't going to turn that down. But other clubs have said no to payers in similar situations if they haven't had adequate cover. We had already significantly reduced our wage bill, and indeed have been bringing other players into the club. It is all a question of priorities. Lowe has not understood where our weaknesses are. Davies was under contract to Saints and none can deny his worth to us.

That is the other issue.

No I didn't say that. This time last year our whole team was in disarray, and sure we conceded goals horribly (although scoring freely). I am comparing our current defence with what we had at the end of last season. We also had Andrew Davies recuperating in the wings. Had Lowe refused to release Davies we would now be reasonably well provided. He gambled on Killer being fit for the season. He did not have to release Davies. He was not man enough to say no. He has not been able to replace him with a comparable force. But he has been bringing in lesser players which add to the wage bill. We need quality, not more 'might be ok's'. I am not dissing our youngsters. But they are not yet quite tough enough for 95 minutes of football twice a week. Blackpool proved that.

I have been pretty unimpressed by Lowe. Our current desperate league position and our dwindling attendances say it all. He has failed to provide a good enough back four to avoid relegation, despite our squad remaining large.

But the last regime overspent so much they had to cash in for substantially less.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing how Dexter compares with David McGoldrick up front, and Fitz Hall and the QPR defence with ours. These are the key areas imo. If Saints can play like they did against Birmingham we could shade it. But we don't have Thomas who was a rock in that game, so I fear 2-1 to QPR. Should be a cracking game. Can't wait.

There has ben a chorus of concern on Saints fans forums ever since Lowe did not renew Pearson's contract that the club was failing to address our defensive weaknesses - for whatever reason. I believe that Killer's miraculous return was one reason that the club acquiesced to Andrew Davies's transfer. (Lowe could have just said no.) Lowe has been clutching at straws. We will be relegated sure thing if he continues to believe that our promising but lightweight and inexperienced youngsters plus a few crocked older players are good enough to defend against tough Championship opposition. Sure, Davies would not have been fit until later in the season but he is a colossus and he would have been there to take over if Svensson's knee finally gave way. Bad luck, Michael. I hope it is not bad news for you. AS for Rupes, I am generally excited in the way the youngsters are playing, but his tunnel vision in relying too much on them to provide a solid defence is going to be his and our nemesis.

Lowe out!

But how did Skacel do?

A female steward behind the goal said to us at the end of the match that we were the best group of visiting fans she had seen. It was a great atmosphere, notwithstanding the death before the match of a young QPR player and QPR were in a state of shock (I can't remember his name). There was good respectful banter between the fans. We were picking up our performances then. Now it is QPR's turn.

Good points on this thread. My feeling is that in the past youngsters like Wayne Bridge were brilliantly mentored by top quality professionals in the team. With respect, Perry, Thomas and Wotton are not in that class, so our promising youngsters are currently disadvantaged in not playing alongside enough players of the calibre of say Marsden who did much to inspire Bridge's progress.

Around 5,000 less ST's sold this season?

Reductions for fans living over 60 miles away would bring in a few more ie from London. Reductions for evening matches and televised matches too would bring in a few more.