eelpie

Brilliant

I like that

But which one is it? From dear old Wikepedia, there is quite a selection: The names of the Seven Dwarfs ("Bashful," "Doc," "Dopey," "Grumpy," "Happy," "Sleepy" and "Sneezy") were created for this production, chosen from a pool of about fifty potentials. The one name he always had in mind from the start was Grumpy, or something similar. Blabby, Jumpy, Shifty, and Snoopy were among those that were rejected, along with Awful, Baldy, Biggo-Ego, Biggy, Biggy-Wiggy, Burpy, Busy, Chesty, Cranky, Daffy, Dippy, Dirty, Dizzy, Doleful, Flabby, Gabby, Gloomy, Goopy, Graceful, Helpful, Hoppy, Hotsy, Hungrey, Jaunty, Lazy, Neurtsy, Nifty, Puffy, Sappy, Sneezy-Wheezy, Sniffy, Scrappy, Silly, Soulful, Strutty, Stuffy, Sleazy, Tearful, Thrifty, Tipsy, Titsy, Tubby, Weepy, Wistful, and Woeful.

Ambitions and the elements of competition are crucial. Without them we will deteriorate. Things never stay the same. Either we progress or we go backwards (like Crewe). If we should be promoted (which is not impossible if we could ever achieve a few years of relative stability) we get at least one year's financial security. It may be our only long term hope of survival. And we might enjoy seeing our local talent stay longer with Saints. But yes, I am enjoying most of the Championship matches much of the time - meanwhile!

Our average home Championship attendance so far this season is c 17,277, not 20,000 Birmingham home 18,925 Blackpool home 15,629 (also Saints v Brum cup match only 11,331 which lowers the average further) Worryingly a lot down on last season Brum came with loads of supporters, Blackpool with few, which probably averages out. Only improved home results will up the attendances to an average of 20,000.

This is a good resume. Clearly appearance payments need to be sorted out. (I am still amazed that players on a very high wage for doing nothing can get even more for actually walking onto the pitch - what a crazy world). The fact is that we need the experienced players, and they need to rebuild their careers. They are going nowhere while they are perceived by the rest of the footballing world as under-performers. Nor are Saints.

Thanks for that. It is as near to clarifying the gate situation as possible, I guess.

Are you saying that we can survive on gates of around 17,000 then?

Where is the evidence that Strasbourg are paying Gasmi's wages until he recovers?

I thought the intention of the new era of financial reality was to get rid of injured players, not ship them in.

Then he has first to get real. Lowe is living in a day dream. The priority this season (again) is to avoid relegation. In a year's time we have a real chance of doing well with many of the current squad when they will have become older, more experienced and tougher combatants. He is gambling by spending vital money on two players who are yet more 'might be's'. I can't see Barclays being impressed.

Is 1742 the year or the time?

But the results aren't good enough, and so the gates are terrible. Lowe must surely have realised that selling the players the fans wanted to see, attendances would tumble.

Well said. But I am amazed that Lowe signed the indifferent Pullis and crocked Gasmi. Which begs the question. Has Lowe lost the plot?

This is one of the several combinations that I think would work well.. On last week's showing, Cork would do better in the centre than Gillett, and Skacel would revel between Surman and Holmes. At the back, Thomas was a towering rock on Tuesday against Brum, and would be good support for Killer - - - - - - - - - Davis - - - - - - - - - Killer - Thomas - Perry - Surman - - Schneiderlin - - Cork - - Skacel - - - - - -Lallana - - - - - - - -Holmes - - - - - - - - - - McGoldrick - - - - - - - Bench: Bart, Dyer, Euell, Wotton, Peckart Skacel isn't going anywhere before January, and he is an asset we should use. From centre left he could easily move into the hole and be devestating.

Ok - I know the unhelpful knee-jerk response from some will be 'because he's crap/**** etc', but I don't believe he is. I rate Skacel as a very versatile and experienced skilled, creative central left player, who is a better left back than Surman and better in midfield than either the promising Schneiderlin and certainly Gillett (who had a terrible day on Saturday). I would like to see him play in midfield instead of Gillett behind MCG. He would slot in well between Surman and Holmes, and bolster both defence and attack. His past records of assists have been pretty good and he should be able to fit into the new style and score a few. We seriously need experience in midfield as Saturday's second half showed. We already have it in Skacel. So why doesn't Poortvliet play him?

Because their Board said 'yes'.

Which is what many of us have been complaining about all summer. Had the emphasis been on bringing in experienced specialist players for the defence, the youth would be freed up to do what they do best -play decent attacking football in front of a sold back four.

John was disinterested. Pekhart could be the answer alongside DMG. The facts are - we aren't getting them into the net!

Lowe is chicken

Why on earth would we want to sign another crocked player? I thought we had got rid of them.

Whatever happened to Lowe's promise of a small squad, dictated by financial realities? We are in danger of amassing another over-large squad of middling-quality additions to supplement our young players. If we are to bring in more players they must be of proven quality, otherwise there simply is no point.

He held up play too often which suited Blackpool's game plan. Poor refereeing.