Pulis has signed!!

[the_barmy_saints_army]

could be interesting

[SuperSAINT]

Not a superstar signing, but with us playing with 2 holding midfielders, it's not a bad option for cover. Gillet & Spiderman are 1st picks, with Wotton & Pulis as 2nd choice.

 

When you consider the fact that Spiderman's our best option 'in the hole' if Lallana has to play out wide & add the fact that Wotton can cover at centre half, I can see Pulis getting his fair share of games.

[saintjay77]

I just laughed out loud at the first ten or so posts on this thread, hanging the guy before he's even done his boots up. The same people that are praising Jan Poortvliet on his work so far.....well pardon me, but did any of you stop to think that maybe...just maybe, Jan might just have done his homework here. Shame on you.

 

If anyone else had signed Pullis would you be happy about it?

 

I think people have got a right to not be impressed by this signing but agree that they should at least give the guy a chance. Im sure he has been brought in for a reason and if that is a missing piece of our squad that we need then great.

 

I look forward to finding out what missing piece that is though and Like bennet last year the guy needs a few games at least before we judge him.

[sotonist]

I just laughed out loud at the first ten or so posts on this thread, hanging the guy before he's even done his boots up. The same people that are praising Jan Poortvliet on his work so far.....well pardon me, but did any of you stop to think that maybe...just maybe, Jan might just have done his homework here. Shame on you.

 

probably had to badger stoke for months to get them to accept davies in exchange, such was his determination to sign this young prodigy

[saintjay77]

anyone got any ideas on who may be out of the door to make way though?

 

Not heard of any interest in Euell or Skacel which would be the 2 I think most of us would accept to leave.

[wightman35]

Agreed, Dubai Phil, you have said it right there.

Welcome Anthony and hope your career flourishes at last under the sublime influence of Jan, Mark and company.

[thefuriousb]

Crouch had done well at other clubs before signing for us and always looked Premiership class IMO. Marsden was always a very good championship player who clearly had something about him.

 

Funny - cos Dion Dublin, who was keeping him out of the Villa side at the time, said only last week that Crouchie was no ready to pay regularly in the prem as he was very rough around the edges. Previous to Villa he had done well at CCC sides.

 

His subsequent form for us was far greater than we could ever had expected.

 

Marsden was a player that was a "Dave Jones man", much the same way as say.... Anthony Pulis is of his old man. Again, amusing that, eh?

[Thedelldays]

I thought saints fans had learned their lesson about judging a player before we saw him play a few times....

 

LOL....I remember when the signing of lee holmes was met with disgust on here.."ffs, we dont want a derby hoofball reject"

 

then before that, we had the appointment of jan portvlieet.....lol

 

this place astounds me at times..

[saintkiptanui]

I thought saints fans had learned their lesson about judging a player before we saw him play a few times....

 

LOL....I remember when the signing of lee holmes was met with disgust on here.."ffs, we dont want a derby hoofball reject"

 

then before that, we had the appointment of jan portvlieet.....lol

 

this place astounds me at times..

Thought you'd be busy giving my missus one up the gary?

[Thedelldays]

Thought you'd be busy giving my missus one up the gary?

she is peeling some grapes for me as we speak...shouldnt be long

[Toadhall Saint]

Foot in mouth is alive and well on this forum

[eurosaint]

Perhaps the fact that he no longer plays for a team managed by his dad will be the making of him? (Nigel Clough didn't do badly when he left Forest for Liverpool !)

Time will tell, but whatever happens, let's all give the lad a chance !!!

[Papa Shango]

Funny - cos Dion Dublin, who was keeping him out of the Villa side at the time, said only last week that Crouchie was no ready to pay regularly in the prem as he was very rough around the edges. Previous to Villa he had done well at CCC sides.

 

His subsequent form for us was far greater than we could ever had expected.

 

Marsden was a player that was a "Dave Jones man", much the same way as say.... Anthony Pulis is of his old man. Again, amusing that, eh?

 

The point is both those players had some level of success before they joined us. Pulis has done absolutely nothing in his career. No one apart from his dad has anything good to say about him. I'll give him all my support and hope he's a success, but I can't say I'm too optimistic about him doing much.

[Papa Shango]

Perhaps the fact that he no longer plays for a team managed by his dad will be the making of him? (Nigel Clough didn't do badly when he left Forest for Liverpool !)

Time will tell, but whatever happens, let's all give the lad a chance !!!

 

Pretty sure N Clough was a disappointment everywhere other than Forest.

[eurosaint]

Pretty sure N Clough was a disappointment everywhere other than Forest.

 

Played for England but maybe that's not such a big deal either !

[Long Shot]

probably had to badger stoke for months to get them to accept davies in exchange, such was his determination to sign this young prodigy

 

 

I hear Davies really did not want to leave Saints - he was settling in nicely and had just "moved" his girlfriend down but Lowe was determined to move him on. Needs must I suppose. Not overwhelmed by Pulis's signing but let's give him a chance or at least wait until we have seen what he can do.

[St Chalet]

I just laughed out loud at the first ten or so posts on this thread, hanging the guy before he's even done his boots up. The same people that are praising Jan Poortvliet on his work so far.....well pardon me, but did any of you stop to think that maybe...just maybe, Jan might just have done his homework here. Shame on you.

 

Would have seen him play for Stoke against us.

[washsaint]

If Davies didn't want to leave why was his agent desperately trying to get him a move away (as per JPs comments)? And Davies' remarks about how he wants to play in the Prem (for one season mush then you'e back)?

[Minsk]

Again, the first post in this thread shows we still do not understand what is happening with JP.

 

We do not sign "EXCITING" players. We have already got 9 or 10 EXCITING players of our own who WANT to play football and be with THEIR MATES that they have grown up with while in the academy.

 

We only have the bare bones of a squad. We NEED to keep bringing in youngsters like Mills OCCASSIONALLY, but at the same time we need to keep as many of our EXCITING players in the team as we can.

 

What we ARE short of are players who can come in and fill any one of a number of positions, who are happy to maybe get 10 or 12 full games in a year and maybe 5 or 6 trips off the bench. Exciting players want to be out there everyday (look at Lallana vs Brum when JP said he was being rested)

 

Pulis will not be exciting but he will come in and provide cover, giving TIME for the likes of Gobern, Mills, Racine, Patterson to be introduced carefully and without buring out the other youngsters.

 

Rather a SQUAD player who WANTS to be here and is NOT expensive than a Euell or a Skacel sulking around because they can't get Holmes/Schneiderlin out of the team and costing us 750k a year that we don't have.

 

And like others have said. If you are SO sure he will be rubbish for us, can you post tomorrow's winning lottery numbers for the rest of us. We'd appreciate the insight.

thanks

 

Having read through the thread I have noticed there a number of people who agree wholeheartedly with this post. However, whilst I do fully support 90% of your posts (it would be more but I know nothing about the drinking holes in Dubai ) I do see some flaws here:

 

Firstly, are you sure that Pulis can come in and fill 'any number of posisitons'? From what I have seen, read and heard he is a CM and not the next Nick Holmes, but I might be wrong.

 

Secondly, who do you think is better - Pulis or Drew Surman? Personally (again, from all I have seen, read and heard) I would rather have Drew playing in our midfield than Pulis. If this means playing a relatively inexperienced, but promising, Mills at LB then so be it. But then again of courwe could always play Rudi at LB to allow this (until he goes).

 

Thirdly, if he only wants to play 10 or so games a season or to come off of the bench OCCASIONALLY then this hardly fits in with JP's mantra of wanting players who want to play every game.

 

Fourthly, how is Pulis (CM) going to give the likes of Gobern (LM/LB/AM), Mills (LB), Racine (CB) and Paterson (CF) time to be ready to play for the first team? (Unless, of course, you are claiming - as above - that he is able to play in all of these positions to a better ability than those mentioned?)

 

Fifthly, what evidence do you have that Euell and Skacel are sulking because they cannot get into the team? JP himself said quite clearly at the fan's forum that he could not use them unless they were still here after the transfer window shut. Indeed, on what are you basing your opinion that Pulis is a better than either/both of them?

 

Now, I am not saying that he is rubbish and that he will never play well for us (and I haven't seen anyone else post this either) but the fact that he has only played about 20 full games at the age of 24 does show that he has never previously set the footballing world on fire (unlike Holmes did in his early days, for example).

 

What I will say is that I hope JP can turn him into a great player for us. And I am sure he will be needed at some time during the season. But I am about excited by his signing as I was about Viafara's (no, it's not a Skate thing - it is based on all that I have seen, read and heard as it was with JVF) and the latter has not been any great loss to us.

 

Personally if we had the money for a signing such as this (which we obviously have/had) I would rather seen a LB signed so that Drew could have been moved back into midfield when needed. It would seem that Pulis has been signed as a 4th choice midfield player (behind Spiderman, Gillett and Wotton - or maybe even 5th seeing as Cork could play at RB allowing James to move forward) and he doesn't seem to offer anything much in any other position. So, I would have preferred a signing who just offered more.

 

That said, I will reiterate, he will get my full support and no slagging until he shown what he can/cannot do.

[washsaint]

I don't get it....the lad has not played a game for us yet but he's been consigned to the 'hes crap' pile. By the same people who said Gillett was no good because he wasn't being picked by the drunken Scot and went on loan and struggled to get a game.

 

And no doubt said the same about Strachan (I know I did!) and players like Marsden et al.

 

Perhaps JP can get the best out of him - I hope so, and if he does, he'll be a good addition to the squad.

[Bald Headed Jesus]

If he's a combatitive type, that gives us another string to the bow when it is required.

 

I think you've just invented a word. Yes, I am one of those dictionary fascists.

[Bald Headed Jesus]

It was only really a few dinlows who decided he was a "skate" - after all of one season or so at Pompey.

 

I am loving the wordage! What the feck is a dinlow?

[Minsk]

I don't get it....the lad has not played a game for us yet but he's been consigned to the 'hes crap' pile. By the same people who said Gillett was no good because he wasn't being picked by the drunken Scot and went on loan and struggled to get a game.

 

And no doubt said the same about Strachan (I know I did!) and players like Marsden et al.

 

Perhaps JP can get the best out of him - I hope so, and if he does, he'll be a good addition to the squad.

 

I don't think I've seen anyone say 'he's crap', I know I certainly haven't. What some people are saying is that there is less than a 'wow' factor about his signing (admittedly, probably like most felt about the Marsden signing - and many others who proved to be not so good as CMFG) and that they are airing their concerns about our signing a 24 year old, who has been a professional player for 5 years, and who has only made 12 full appearances and another 13 as sub, and most of those for the footballing Mecca of Grimsby Town!

 

Would you be happy for him to take Spiderman's or Gillett's place in the starting 11? Do you think he is better than Wotton as next best back-up? If not he is 4th choice CM at best; did we need to sign a 4th choice CM when we have the likes of Surmand, James and Thomson who can play there? Is Pulis better than all three of those?

 

There again, are you happy with our LB options? Personally I would have preferred us to sign a LB (or at least cover for the LB position) allowing Drew to move up into CM if need be.

 

This is not slating the guy, just airing personal opinions - which is what this site is for is it not?

 

And again, I really do hope Pulis proves to be an excellent player and a great asset to SFC; but AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME I am not doing cartwheels about his signing. And I will freely hold my hands up and praise the club for his signing if he goes on to become a great midfield general.

[harvey]

Sorry but I just don't see the point in this signing whatsoever. I hope that he hasn't been bought to replace someone (ie Gillet), who has possibly been earmarked for moving on come January.

Can I just say, that is my personal opinion and I am really exicited with the way things are as they stand, but............I'm cynical by nature and I really don't trust the rosey cheeked one.

[saintwarwick]

I hear Davies really did not want to leave Saints - he was settling in nicely and had just "moved" his girlfriend down but Lowe was determined to move him on. Needs must I suppose. Not overwhelmed by Pulis's signing but let's give him a chance or at least wait until we have seen what he can do.

 

Really, was it Lowe that determined that Davies moved, or maybe his contract that had a sell on clause? As for Pulis, you may not be overwhelmed like the rest of us but as you say give him a chance.

[SaintSparky]

Welcome Anthony, good luck.

[musesaint]

I thought saints fans had learned their lesson about judging a player before we saw him play a few times....

 

LOL....I remember when the signing of lee holmes was met with disgust on here.."ffs, we dont want a derby hoofball reject"

 

then before that, we had the appointment of jan portvlieet.....lol

 

this place astounds me at times..

 

Totally agree with all that

 

People were quick to judge Lee Holmes before he'd kicked a ball for us ...how wrong they seem to have been

 

In JP we trust

 

I will make a judgment AFTER he has played a few games .... I don't think people should slag him off before he's even pulled a Saints shirt on FFS!

[saintwarwick]

Sorry but I just don't see the point in this signing whatsoever. I hope that he hasn't been bought to replace someone (ie Gillet), who has possibly been earmarked for moving on come January.

Can I just say, that is my personal opinion and I am really exicited with the way things are as they stand, but............I'm cynical by nature and I really don't trust the rosey cheeked one.

 

Ever thought that he could be brought in as a cover for someone like (Gillet), just my opinion.

[CougarSaint]

Spoke to a Blackpool fan recently (at a Rugby League game, eclectic or what?!!!) who thought Gillet was ok off the subs bench but nothing special. And now he's making an impression at Saints. DMG was being written off after loan periods at League 1 clubs.

Some players show early promise and then need the right environment to develop fully. We might just provide that, and he'll wear our shirt.

He has my support and best wishes.

Good luck Anthony, and may you take your chance.

[harvey]

Ever thought that he could be brought in as a cover for someone like (Gillet), just my opinion.

 

Not really, no =;......I did say that I'm cynical by nature

[saintjinksie]

poor singing IMo, its just making a buy for the sake of it. We need a decent striker not another midfielder, and he's a skate...

[benjii]

I am loving the wordage! What the feck is a dinlow?

 

If you look around this site you will find plenty!

[Saint_clark]

Waste of space. He has only ever been signed by his old man, and is another midfielder.

 

This is exactly why i'm not excited - however, I will still give this Pulis a chance.

[Chez]

FFS the bloke hasnt kicked a ball yet and you are slagging him. How many so called numpties have we signed and then they have turned into crowd favourites. Crouchie was pilloried, Marsden as well, just give him a chance and then if he doesnt do well all well and good.

IMO he hasnt a chance as the fans already have condemned him

 

I raved about Marsden long before he ever signed for Saints. I struggle to find anyone singing Pulis jr's praises.

 

I welcome him to the club and hope he can blossom here. No idea why we signed another midfielder though.

[tedmaul]

He's a cheap buy for squad depth, so lets not get our knickers in a twist. And a Portvliet sanctioned buy too, he liked his energy in the pre season Stoke game apparantly and who am I to argue.

[saintjinksie]

http://www.brfcforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=79169&st=0&gopid=1021395entry1021395

 

not highly rated!

[dubai_phil]

Having read through the thread I have noticed there a number of people who agree wholeheartedly with this post. However, whilst I do fully support 90% of your posts (it would be more but I know nothing about the drinking holes in Dubai ) I do see some flaws here:

 

Firstly, are you sure that Pulis can come in and fill 'any number of posisitons'? From what I have seen, read and heard he is a CM and not the next Nick Holmes, but I might be wrong.

 

I actually have no idea, but then I didn't sign him, the scouting system, JP & the Board will have done. But if you look at our system he could play in 4 or 5 positions in the midfield

 

Secondly, who do you think is better - Pulis or Drew Surman? Personally (again, from all I have seen, read and heard) I would rather have Drew playing in our midfield than Pulis. If this means playing a relatively inexperienced, but promising, Mills at LB then so be it. But then again of courwe could always play Rudi at LB to allow this (until he goes).

 

No brainer. Drew by a long stretch. I also believe that Mills will play a role for us this season. But, I go on the likes of Nayred who think that Mills and some others have the quality but MAY struggle to play 45+ games in a season. So IF we had problems in CM then Drew could cover for some games and Mills could come in, BUT, remember that for a couple of months last season Drew lost his form badly. That COULD happen to any in our midfield this year so cover is "Wise"

 

Thirdly, if he only wants to play 10 or so games a season or to come off of the bench OCCASIONALLY then this hardly fits in with JP's mantra of wanting players who want to play every game.

 

Again, of course, but HOW many players will we have in the squad this year? Gillett has been a sensation, if we lost him for a couple of games then Wotton is an automatic choice, but then we look at pulling Drew in if we lose Schneiderlin. My point is that in the past we have players who were NEVER first choice but came in and did a good job. The problem with thise was hen we came to rely on them as a first choice, the one who springs to mind is Malcolm Waldron, did a great job for us when he was cover for Nicholl & Watson but then when it came to playing every week we started to groan.

 

Fourthly, how is Pulis (CM) going to give the likes of Gobern (LM/LB/AM), Mills (LB), Racine (CB) and Paterson (CF) time to be ready to play for the first team? (Unless, of course, you are claiming - as above - that he is able to play in all of these positions to a better ability than those mentioned?)

 

Again, Lallana has already played RM, others have moved around. JP himself has stated clearly that he believes midfielders should play outside centre halfs (ie no full-backs). Not sure I agree, but... Anyway, when we start getting injuries or suspensions, an older player for 6 weeks in CM with Lallana on right and DMG on left or say Gobern???

 

Fifthly, what evidence do you have that Euell and Skacel are sulking because they cannot get into the team? JP himself said quite clearly at the fan's forum that he could not use them unless they were still here after the transfer window shut. Indeed, on what are you basing your opinion that Pulis is a better than either/both of them?

I honestly do not believe either will be here after the laon window shuts. If they don't get a club before 1st Sept then I expect them to be loaned out. IF nobody wants to pay their wages I would STILL expect them to go, and we pay half their wages simply because it is LESS than ALL of their wages, which we cannot afford. I would LOVE to be wrong and have Rudi come in at LM or LB, but I really don't see it happening

 

Now, I am not saying that he is rubbish and that he will never play well for us (and I haven't seen anyone else post this either) but the fact that he has only played about 20 full games at the age of 24 does show that he has never previously set the footballing world on fire (unlike Holmes did in his early days, for example).

Don't expect him to Ronaldinho either. BUT JP has seen what he needs and I said in another thread, IF JP wants him OR the "scouts" have suggested him then I back THEIR decision, NOT the internet. JP knows how little money we have, he didn't need to sign him (and we can't use the Davies deal arguement because we would have simply taken less cash,,)

 

What I will say is that I hope JP can turn him into a great player for us. And I am sure he will be needed at some time during the season. But I am about excited by his signing as I was about Viafara's (no, it's not a Skate thing - it is based on all that I have seen, read and heard as it was with JVF) and the latter has not been any great loss to us.I agree. But then JV only ACTUALLY gave us "potential". He was never a right winger (which is where GB played him most of the time). I am excited by the signing as I think it means the KIDS will get more games. Sure as Sh*t would not want another "big name in the past" or "proven international" coming in and takinga way the TEAM ethic.

 

Personally if we had the money for a signing such as this (which we obviously have/had) I would rather seen a LB signed so that Drew could have been moved back into midfield when needed. It would seem that Pulis has been signed as a 4th choice midfield player (behind Spiderman, Gillett and Wotton - or maybe even 5th seeing as Cork could play at RB allowing James to move forward) and he doesn't seem to offer anything much in any other position. So, I would have preferred a signing who just offered more.

 

Up until a couple of days ago I would have agreed 150%, but JP has said in his total football interviews he doesn't see FB's he wants midfielders there. So I (and you) can scream out for more FB cover, but then we are disagreeing with the man so SO FAR seems to have his ideas being "inspired" or simply "lucky"

 

 

That said, I will reiterate, he will get my full support and no slagging until he shown what he can/cannot do.

 

ditto - welcome to the crazy carousel ride Anthony

Edited 30 August, 2008 by dubai_phil

[itchen]

poor singing IMo, its just making a buy for the sake of it. We need a decent striker not another midfielder, and he's a skate...

 

Don't care about his singing - this isn't X-factor. Of course, in our present state, we are very likely to buy for the sake of it - it's that Lowe being profligate with cash again.

[austsaint]

Don't care about his singing - this isn't X-factor. Of course, in our present state, we are very likely to buy for the sake of it - it's that Lowe being profligate with cash again.

 

Is his talent in this area the reason he's with us?

[tawani]

what in football terms is low wages ???? a small fortunr for me i suspect

[StubbSaint]

I hear Davies really did not want to leave Saints - he was settling in nicely and had just "moved" his girlfriend down but Lowe was determined to move him on. Needs must I suppose. Not overwhelmed by Pulis's signing but let's give him a chance or at least wait until we have seen what he can do.

give the guy a chance , i thought that if simon gillit was getting in our team then we would be ****ed , but ive seen the first 4 games and he has been outstanding , shows how much i know

[Elmore]

Looking purely at his stats, it does seem an odd move - if Saints liked the look of him when we played Stoke, they could have gone for a loan first. However he was on a free and he may be seen as a player to take over from Wotton in the longer term.

[up and away]

He's a cheap buy for squad depth, so lets not get our knickers in a twist. And a Portvliet sanctioned buy too, he liked his energy in the pre season Stoke game apparantly and who am I to argue.

 

I get the feeling this may be Jan's first pick. Perry and Holmes were down to Henderson and Hockaday. Schneiderlin came via Prost, with a nod on from the Dutch. But lets not kid ourselves here, he looks like back up for Wotton or filling in at one of the back slots. I hope the lad does well and as long as any player is picked on merit, I don't see there being a problem with the fans. There is no messing around with Jan, it's his way or the highway and his focus has been exemplorary, when considering everything that has been going on around him.

[Torrent Of Abuse]

Wasn't it Lawrie McMenemy who talked about a team being mostly made up of hod-carriers complemented by a few violinists? I'm more than happy if we have signed another (free) hod-carrier given that the youngsters seem to be doing a good job of being the violinists.

 

It's a long season. We need a few more players to make a decent-sized squad. It's clear that people like Skacel and Euell (whilst they can still contribute while they're in the shop window) are too expensive to be here long-term, so we're building a cheaper, leaner squad. If he really is a "safe passer" as someone put it, then I think he'll fit in perfectly. Welcome Anthony!

 

Saints always were a side who picked out exciting young players, older experienced players and players who others had cast aside. We're not focussing on older players now (see how it bit us in the behind in the last few seasons) but aside from that nothing is particularly new. What is different from recent seasons is that we finally seem to be making the right choices again! Long may it continue!

[Toomer]

Lets give the lad a chance and judge him on how he plays for us and not the opinions of fans from other clubs.

[OldNick]

What a lovely friendly club we are

[itchen]

Is his talent in this area the reason he's with us?

 

Whoosh.

[eelpie]

Seems an odd signing - we're not short of midfielders with Gillett, Schniederlin, Holmes, Lallana, White, Wotton, Thomson and Dyer competing for 5 places. Not to mention James, Surman, Euell and Skacel!

 

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.

[Hatch]

I have no idea if he is any good or not, but usually when someone is described as combative, that is press talk for 'can't pass, no pace'

[Whitey Grandad]

I'm prepared to give him a chance but I'm hardly excited and I don't think that he will be pulling in the crowds. What we really need is a couple of full-backs!