It's a joke? An appeal to the board

[hampshire canary 0]

I am really upset at the moment with all the negative comments coming from within the camp. Worthy seems like a desperate man at the moment (with a depleted squad like ours who would blame him) and then Green calls the board all sorts of strange things. I for one am hoping it is all a smokescreen but I have my doubts. From day 1 the board always said'' we hope... Come on lets get Crouch who was fantastic on loan. Yeas I agree the ground is full and we needed a corner stand infill, but this building work needs to go alongside the team building, otherwise it''s a total waste of money. I personally think the signings of Docherty, Jonson and Safri were showing real promise before injuries. Come on board, support Worthy and take a gamble.

[Old Boy 0]

This transfer window arrangement creates a crisis-type atmosphere, because it makes it seem like we''ve only got the next four weeks to rescue a disastrous season. But really, it hasn''t been a disaster, it''s been exactly how most of us thought it would be - we''ve only won a couple of games, we''re in the relegation zone, we aren''t scoring. The worst part has started now, with the injuries taking out most of our first eleven. And there''s no way we could afford, or even find, the players we need to give the cover for them. The best thing we can do is make one or two quality acquisitions for the long-term, and (in spite of all the noises from FCR) I think that''s what we''ll do. I don''t think it''s a joke, I think it''s a tactical ploy to try to avoid paying silly money for transfers, and it''s very sensible.

Also very sensible is increasing the capacity of the ground, because that''s the best long-term income stream. Provided, of course, that people will continue to come and watch the team... And that''s the balancing act for the board - increase the ground capacity but don''t invest in the team, and punters won''t pay to watch; or improve the squad by buying more and better players, without increasing the income to pay for them, and you''ll jeopardise the long-term survival of the club. The least we as fans can do is to accept how difficult that balancing act is.

Buying Huckerby was without doubt the key to getting us promoted last season. But he hasn''t been anywhere near as effective in the Premiership, and to buy someone who could do a similar job for us this season would cost - what - £10 million minimum? It ain''t gonna happen. This year, if we survive in the Prem it will be down to teamwork and sticking together as a club - players, management and fans.