Thetownend.com

... when we could do with a few more goals, why are we pissing about with some no-mark at Crawley when the likes of Lee Barnard are available if the price is right? Can't imagine Saints are any more flush than we are.

Sorry if mentioned elsewhere but it's 5am and I've been right on the sauce.

They may be in the same league as us but seriously there the comparison ends.

Does the name Charlie Austin from non-league poole ring a bell with you Dave? And I wasn't aware that we have a goal scoring problem from our current strikers.

I guess you missed the bit where Southampton got taken over by a billionaire who payed off all their debt and is happy to plough his own money in.

Added to that Southampton are averaging about 20k. They own St. Marys which also has the facilities to make money outside of football.

Their wage bill will dwarf ours.

On top of all of that Barnard is crap and over rated and wouldn't even get in our first XI

Saints are absolutely loaded since the takeover, for now.

Could quite easily go tits up if this guy decides he's had enough. I'd rather be in our situation to be honest. We're surely one of the best ran clubs in the country at the moment.

Pretty certain the new owner isn't throwing money at the club and that he's taking the same approach as Fitton. But even without that their income is massive compared to ours, which means they can spend more money on players and pay them higher wages.

He's paid off the mortgage of the stadium and is paying for a new state of the art training ground.

Not cheap one suspects

Thats spot on Jonny I have a lot of Saints supporting mates and they arent buying players but are paying some of the best wages in the division, they are owned by a seriously loaded owner now.

Some of the earlier comments are a bit like when we complain about other forums saying that we are in the financial shit, Saints are very much a loaded club much like us but offering much more wages wise than we could due to their much higher fan base and larger attendances.

good post till the last line!

Southampton are doing what most of the other 'big' clubs have done...

Jaidi, Dan Harding, Rickie Lambert, Dean Hammond, Danny Seaborne, Jon Otsemobor and Lee Barnard who provide enough quality to eventually get them out of the division. However, they are also easy to get rid of once they return to the Championship and need a better standard.

Danny Seaborne aside, they're not building for the long term. That's fair enough.

would you split up the Paynter Austin partnership right now for Lee Barnard?

I wouldnt.

I would, Barnard is mint

I wouldnt disagree,my point is that Bernard isnt crap.....and its only a matter of time before injuries play a part...thats why Pericard has been signed.

Lee Barnard isn't 'crap' as Dave typed. But there are plenty of players who can match and beat his ability.

True Mr Pullen but how many of those are available for transfer?

I hope we find a couple!

That's up to Danny Wilson and co to find out :)

do we need a forward anyway?
we should be going after a quality centre mid

Name them...hes got 17 goals before Xmas in a struggling team....and as i keep saying Dave seems to think hes crap...hes not.

...and I agreed that he wasn't crap. Calm yourself leefer ;)

Ime cool Rich.....but i agree with DMR on this..i would have liked to see him here.

Good.

Had Lee Barnard signed, the overwhelming majority of Town fans would have been happy.

He was worth a bid, but when teams like Southampton come in with their wages, new stadium that still attracts big attendances... we don't stand a chance.

All good points...but the fact is weve got players here like Douglas and Pericard who were both offered deals by Championship clubs...the fact is we have a real good team at the moment only lacking in abit of flair...he would have braught that and along with it maybe a few doubters back onto the County Ground seats.

That is down to Danny Wilson and players who like a good challenge. While still at Hartlepool, Wilson proved to me that he could sell a club when he took Ritchie Jones from Manchester United when there were plenty of 'bigger' suitors.

Jonathan Douglas played loads of games for Leeds and liked idea of being a major cog in a minor team (compared to Leeds) and so far that has worked.

Pericard was marooned up in Carlisle... We learn about Championship clubs showing interest but that could be Plymouth Argyle who are in a right old mess so why would you want to be involved in that?

I could be wrong. But Lee Barnard has spent a few years at a club like Southend (which did include a season in the Championship) - moving to Swindon would be a definate side-step.

Again Rich..all good points...my main point really was that 35 goals in 73 appearances for Southend suggests he aint crap!...you agree so there we go,lets hope when we go to Southampton Dave is saying i told you so.

yeah he's good but who gives a shit.we dont need him, and the money is better spent elsewhere in the team.

Dont agree arriba,,,two good keepers...good defence,even Morrison cant get in..the midfield is as good as it gets in lge 1.....Timlin and Easton not to mention the youngsters havnt  got a lookin.
Paynter and Austin have done well.....but the facts and stats show another goalscorer is what we could do with.....especially if Paynter goes which is a good possibility.

pericard.

going on the two players for every position rule

Lucas/Smith

Amankwaah/Thompson

Cuthbert/Morrison
Greer/LFJ

Sheehan/Kennedy

JPM/Macklin

Ferry/Timlin
Douglas/Easton

Ward/O'Brien

Austin/Pericard
Paynter/Peacock


Weak links in my opinion are

Thompson, LJF (as a 4th cb) Timlin, Easton, O'Brien (because of injury) and Peacock.

Thompson is hard to judge, I still think Easton and Timlin could do a job and I dont think Peacock will get a look in regardless.

So maybe a CB but I generally think our squad isnt too bad.

Sheehan/Kennedy



[/quote]isnt sheehan injured now so we will be needing a left back aswell as i dont think LJF is good enough there we dont need cover in the middle of midfield we have 4 capable players we need a winger that can play both sides

I know...but the fact is we need another quality striker arriba..we got three.thats not enough if we get injuries...ware as in other departments weve got cover.

I tried to keep it as basic as possible.

LJF can play as CB or as a LB.

JPM has played wide right, wide left and in the middle this season.

Timlin has played in the middle, wide left and left back in his time here.

Macklin has played either side

Mark Marshall wasnt even included.

Danny Ward can play upfront.

 if we went for a player of barnards ilk,they wouldn't want to come and sit on the bench.at the moment we have pericard trying to get in the side,as austin and paynter deserve to start.
if we were unlucky with injuries i'd look to get a loan in as cover.
if we do have money to spend as i've already mentioned i'd look for a goalscoring centre mid as a priority.
we lack goals from midfield.

Whilst 99.99% of people in Swindon realise that Hutchinson is shit, unfortunately the one person who doesn't also happens to be the manager. But he's surely be on his way at the end of the month so someone else will come in.

You have to have four strikers, three means one injury or suspension and you're in trouble.

With regards to the left back, Wilson has said we don't need another left so he must be happy with JFL. Though if JFL got injured or sent off, we'd be in trouble as there isn't any natural cover - I guess Cuthbert would cover.

timlin played some of his worst games at left back thanks to malpas. mcgovern is gd at all those positions fact is he cant play them all at the same time can he. o'brien looks to be a sick note and sheehan is injured and macca is gone so we need a left winger who can also switch to the right.

Timlin also played some of his best games at left back to.

I assume this Paul Caddis (if/when) ge gets here will offer cover to the wings and right back.

If you discount Sheehan and O'Brien we still have JPM, Macklin, Ward, Marshall and at a push Timlin & Easton who could occupy the two wide positions.

i did mention JPM timlin and easton arnt wingers were talking about wingers with speed which timlin and easton dont have now lets be serious macklin can cover both left and right wing. but we need a natural left winger that isnt going to get injured after 5mins of running around. i wudnt even consider starting marshall so why even mention him.

I mentioned Marshall because he is part of our squad.

JPM is a winger because he plays on the wing and a winger doesnt have to have speed to be any good. Although with JPM on one side a pacey player on the other offers something different.

Macklin is probably the quickest player the club and he doesnt get injured every 5 minutes?

sorry but you misread me i meant i DID MENTION JPM AS A WINGER, but not easton or timlin who so obviously arnt. macklin might not get injured every 5mins but he aint some one who can take that role at this point in time. hes played one good game as far as im concerned. but hes gd enough for cover until he starts to proove his worth.

yes but not on your first list  :D

Easton and Timlin arent wingers, I never said they were.

What I did say, or rather imply was - if we get a few injuries and suspensions and are desperate for wingers both Easton and Timlin could do a job. They have both played wide for us in there time here. Infact Easton went on a decent scoring run wide right a few years back.

I think Macklin is good enough, although thats only opinion at the moment till he gets a run to prove himself

easton did play well as a wide midfielder yes but not as a winger, i think if it came down to having to many injuries he would play with wing backs and 3 in the midfield. HRK was someone who could switch sides and cause some trouble for the defence which is what i was hoping o'brien could do hopefully he recovers from his injury and starts stringing some games together.

His debut at left back was impresssive and then he got the biggest shitting on I've seen a Town player get in many a year by Pilkington of Stockport. I can't remember him playing left back other than bit parts after that. Timlin is not the naswer on the left either at full back or midfield - or anywhere in fact. 

Timlin is rubbish

Jesus Christ - did you even read what I typed? Or did you just see the name Timlin and decide you had to post that he's shite?

Easton is rubbish

Dave is rubbish.

Tofu is rubbish.

...started off like a house on fire for Southampton!