That link didn't work for me. Pretty irrelevant now and may be splitting hairs but they didn't sack Williams, Goodman and Finn, they negotiated their own departures after what happened to Allardyce.

I think the badly advised argument initially arose in opposition to the stupid accusations in the early days that they weren't the real owners or that there was some form of criminality or money laundering going on on behalf of either themselves or someone else. After ten years and in excess of £200m losses and counting I'm of the view they are well intentioned. That doesn't however mean they are or have been good owners. You can engage whoever you like to run the Club on your behalf but you have to be savvy and engaged enough to realise when things are going wrong and step in quickly and decisively to nip things in the bud.

It surely isn't in dispute that they HAVE been badly advised over the years by people just out for their own ends. The current situation is worse than it's ever been for me with the charlatans running operations on the ground and the Club into the ground. It's up to Venky's as owners to keep a close enough eye on it to realise when things are going wrong and take swift and decisive action whenever needed and in general they have never done this. Mowbray's record last season, conduct and demeanour spoke for themselves. Abysmal. What does Waggott have to do to get sacked as well? Raises the season ticket prices during a pandemic and decimates the fan base by 75%, the underhanded Brockhall scheme they had to do a U turn on, the contractual situation with the players, promising a brand new pitch and not delivering, no kit to start the season with. The Coventrio should have been gone long ago. Until the owners start dealing with nonsense like this decisively then they won't get and don't deserve much sympathy but let's not pretend they haven't been and still aren't being badly advised.

Was just wondering who my starting X1 would be today and I came up with Kaminski Nyambe Lenihan Ayala/Wharton Pickering Davenport Travis A N Other Dolan Armstrong Brereton Not too bad in terms of that particular line up but I think we desperately need a creative midfielder, I think we'll be screwed if Armstrong goes and todays subs show what a catastrophic mess we're in in terms of the squad.

Think it's extremely optimistic to think we could make three or four quality signings out of any Armstrong money at the sort of levels being mentioned and that's even if all the net proceeds were reinvested. I hope the owners hold firm and he goes nowhere unless the bidding gets somewhere near the £20m they want.

"Here's how recruitment works at this Club John". "Give a player an offer for a fraction of what he wants at the start of the window which has no chance whatsoever of being accepted. Then after a while leak our purported interest in him to make it look like we're doing something. Then wait until we eventually get gazumped by a Club offering the player what he wants then go public with a sob story about how we "did all we could" but couldn't compete with a bigger Club etc etc". "Then wait until right at the end of the transfer window and see what crumbs are left on the cheap from the Premier League loan table irrespective of whether they are the players we need the most in the positions that need filling the most". "Easiest 100k p.a. you'll ever earn mate. Should do you a treat for the next 2-3 years until retirement".

It does feel very different this time round though. The end of a cycle caused by Mowbray's calamitous mismanagement of (as you say) very generous backing. Yet for some reason they won't can the guy that's fooked everything up for us.

You have to admire Southampton's front I suppose. Word must have got round in footballing circles about what a soft touch we are.

Absolutely. However - injury prone - been at Middlesbrough - ticks all our boxes. Expect a 5 Yr deal on 20k p.w. to be announced this week. Even if he didn't have a disastrous fitness record, why would we need another LB having signed Pickering anyway?

Those managers were involved in improving the facilities, not selling off part of them.

Think you're being contrary just for the sake of it now Gav, you yourself said you didn't believe a word that Waggott said on the matter at the time. Those involved haven't tried to do the same thing twice at two different Clubs for no reason have they? There must be some point or benefit to it somewhere for someone. And even if you accept Mowbray wouldn't have benefitted directly from the scheme then he's gone along with it when as manager he should have been standing up and fiercely guarding our facilities and infrastructure. Anyhow, back to Park......... How old is he BTW?

"Hatred"? - Yes probably fair. "Insane"? - Well, no other manager has ever been complicit in a corrupt and underhanded scheme to sell off our infrastructure before. Or been devious enough to install their own immediate boss to protect them. So not insane or irrational in my book. If he was only incompetent at the job I could just about handle that.

As you apparently think the distinction between a HOR and DOF is so significant have you explained what the difference between the two is yet?

Insult me all you like but you have no evidence to the contrary do you?

I almost agree with that but I would substitute the word "only" with "latest". The buck stops with them as it's their name over the door. Their overall record since taking over is horrendous. However I feel the reason for that is placing undue faith in the people they engage to run the Club on their behalf and who win their trust. They've (eventually) dispensed with numerous of the above in past, I'm at a complete loss to understand why the current miscreants are still in situ. Perhaps they like lemon drizzle cake.

Well, if they ever appointed a top manager it might. £280?m "invested" and they still don't appear to have grasped this basic fact yet.

When Williams was here an overall budget was agreed with the Walker Trust for the season and the manager and Board had complete autonomy within that budget. I very much doubt the situation is any different now. I expect it's only when Tony ***** up for the umpteenth time and they go over budget. they have to go back cap in hand for an extra body in or another loan or whatever. Failure to get deals over the line will be nothing to do with Venky's.

Absolute nonsense Gav. What have they done since relegation to the 1st Division that would cause a half competent manager to fail?

It depends whether you think the Club can succeed with Mowbray in charge really doesn't it? If like me you don't think that, then unfortunately everything else is virtually irrelevant and we're not going to particularly benefit from the appointment of a new HOR or by signing player X Y or Z. Unfortunately all roads DO lead back to him hence the need to mention it all the time. If this guy can transform our fortunes with Mowbray in charge then he really will be a genius. However, on the specific area of recruitment, I'd wager that even if he is unbelievable at finding hidden gems there's a fair chance it wouldn't make that much difference because we'd still have Venus trying (and failing) to get the deals over the line and/or Tony giving it his "You'll have to wait your turn" spiel. Venus is another Mowbray appointment - all roads lead back to Mowbray sadly.

Not aimed at you in particular chaddy but When we tank "let's give him until the end of the season and see where we are then" When it doesn't improve "let's see who he brings in in the summer" when there's no sign of activity "let's see where we are by the end of the window" when we start badly "let's give him until Christmas and see where we are then" When the congested Christmas period goes badly "let's give him the chance to see what we can do in the January window" When the season is dead by February "No point getting rid of him with only ---- games to go" And on and on it goes.

Never stopped you in the past! 🙂

Petulant reply from you - Mowbray and Waggott have done nothing whatsoever to justify their continued employment at the Club in recent seasons. In fact quite the opposite. Anyone else coming in with past connections to Mowbray is therefore bound to be regarded with extreme suspicion. But as far as recruitment goes he will get a clean slate and if it improves beyond all recognition after he arrives then he will quite rightly be lauded. And you know it. But hey, don't let facts get in the way of your "brfcs is a cesspit of negativity" type agenda.

I've no desire to research Stuart Weber although I did read an online article on him a while ago after you were banging on about him. He seems an impressive enough individual, but that doesn't mean to say the role of a HOR/DOF will be successful everywhere with everyone. I thought my original question was a simple enough one to answer if you're into all those kinds of technicalities. In real terms is there no difference then?

Like it!

Irrelevant. Souness didn't recommend and install an out of work CEO he had worked under before.