Burleys Slow Delivery
Wednesday, 14th Nov 2007 13:47

Perhaps George Burley should have been a county cricketer ?

Rather than a Scottish International full back/club manager - the latter being the guise in which we find him these days at Saints.

My reason for suggesting this is the amazing amount of spin he puts on his after match comments This is as well as the barrage of excuses he always has at the ready for any number of ignominious Saints cock ups since his much heralded arrival at SFC.

I too was initially delighted at Burley's appointment, thinking it one of Rupert Lowe's better moments (there really weren't too many of those and anyone thinking otherwise please keep taking the tablets for your own sake). Mind you if Lowe had looked after "Strach" properly (manager of the fittest Saints outfit I myself have EVER seen - also rivalling itself in "professional quality" to Lawrie's golden age and Hoddle's short stint) .... then Lowe wouldn't have been having to appoint another team boss YET AGAIN !!! in any case.

However, in truth, George Burley hasn't produced the goods in the amount of time he has been here. Yes of course he's had his hands tied by the total financial mismanagement of our ONCE proud club - and "YES" .. ACTUALLY .. that particular balls up DID all start with "Greedy Guy" (Askham) and "Ludicrous Lowe".

This club was NEVER EVER BIG ENOUGH to travel down stock market avenue in the first place and the flotation WASN'T carried out for footballing reasons - never in the slightest.

As far as I'm concerned it's IMPERATIVE to get the football side right first and foremost - the rest should then follow. NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND as that bunch of lip service paying parasites seemed to think. This is why I reckon the greedy self interest of the few - has ever since - slowly but surely sucked the very lifeblood out of our club. So well done chaps .... NOT !!!!!! !!!!!!

!!!!!!

Anyway back to George "Gale" .... er sorry my mistake .... I meant George Burley (honest). Apparently, he was,"satisfied" with a battling home point v Wolves.

Well I don't know about you, fellow "Ugly Insiders" - but I bloody well wasn't. It wasn't a battling performance whatsoever for my money (unlike the Cardiff game, which WAS).

What the Wolves match was in reality - was one of the most lacking in team spirit, drab, boring, soulless, uninspiring load of cods I've had the misfortune to witness at St Mary's ... since ... since ...since ... well since the last time. Seriously though that really was "Dire" (not the Nathan type of course) wasn't it? Meanwhile Burley continues to outspin Phil Tufnell in his heyday as a charismatic England bowler.

Another good example of this is Burley's insistence (you've already told us once George - now twice, how about going for your hat trick) about Youssef Safri being our best performer so far this season? Yes I would agree that Safri is a good "passing" midfielder.

However a particular game has to suit passing midfielders - and not every game will. Certainly not in this bruising division. I DO though like Safri and he does have quality in the holding role, digging in as well when needed. But all this rubbish George spouts about Youssef NEVER giving the ball away isn't entirely accurate. One recent home game saw quite a few of his passes go awry. I'm certainly not knocking the player, because as I say, I DO think he is generally accurate and an asset to the side.Giving the likes of Jhon Viafara - ACTUALLY currently our best player in my humble opinion and Idiakez (playing really well but staying injury free in the veteran years is never easy, as knocks take longer to shake off) .... more scope, freedom, flexibility (ditto Drew Surman). There is also less pressure on them.

However what I am saying - is that more than a pinch of spice needs to be taken at times with the haggis you serve George.

Football is though, as is oft' repeated within footy circles - and also within these pages - including the now defunct old hard copy U.I. ..... "a game of opinions".

Versus Wolves, Saints were poor. So though were Wolves. These type of games happen in any case from time to time but I actually thought the Charlton game WAS a bit of an old fashioned blood and thunderer - in the way of no quarter asked or given. "The Addicks" probably had just that bit more about them on the day, with Andy Reid outstanding. But Saints did battle on that occasion and had an equal share of an encounter that at least kept me interested until the ... er ... er ... oh no, not THAT !! ending again Saints.

Does this God forsaken club of ours hold the record for goals conceded in either the last minute or the added on time of a game? We can in fact go right back with this one to the "Chrissie Nicholl" era of management until the present. Saints aren't fussy which half of the game they do it in either - just as long as it's a late, late, show. Yes this is always going to happen sometimes but with Saints it's far too often to be forgiven - or just a coincidence. The word "hopeless" springs to mind.

I do though, as I always would, give Charlton full marks for claiming all three points on an away ground - having been reduced to ten men. Charlton will surely be there abouts at the end of the season. Quite frankly I'll be more than a little surprised if WE are ... if the consistency I called for last time I submitted a U.I. item (and the atrocious defending) - continues to evade and haunt our side.

When I think what could have been. They are - that lot - you know who I'm referring too - grinning down on us from their lofty Premiership perch - from a recent 4th spot. Whilst we ... SFC ... not too long ago ... occupied that self same position before spiralling madly - seemingly unstoppable - down into role reversal disaster. It was always traditionally that lot down the road struggling both ON AND OFF THE FIELD. Now it's us. Feels good doesn't it?

NO actually IT DAMN WELL DOESN'T ! !

ALL THAT WAS NEEDED to prevent this, was for "Rupert The Wretched" to invest in more playing quality (back to my putting football "first" argument) ... at that screamingly obvious moment in time - after the Cup Final at the "Mill Stad" - going on the following season to fourth position in the top div.

The status quo would either then have been maintained or we could have entered a chapter when the SFC & PFC rivalry may have entered a tremendous, never seen before age, of BOTH sides regularly maintaining a high position in the Premiership.

What an incredible period in local football history that would have been. Mind you, don't know if the old Newman ticker could have coped with it or not? However the good news from the local hospital treadmill, is that I'm fine in that dept anyway at the moment - following a purely routine check (age and stuff). Mind you it's flipping hot in there, stepping it out on that belt 'til nearly a canter. Now I know what a bloody hamster feels like. In fact the other morning I woke to find that in my sleep I'd torn up a copy of the previous evening's Echo into small pieces - and curled up in that.

As for SAINTS way forward financially off the field. Here's the answer. Grab some DNA from every genius history ever coughed up .... mix it all together in a medicinal concoction .... get a willing volunteer to consume it .... "Ah yes step right this way young man. What did you say your name was .... Henry what .... Jekyll ** did you say?

Then get the mixture all nice and frothy and steaming - just like in the old style black n' white mad doctor horror flicks - and get our would be guinea pig to knock it back. After which - just sit and watch the various gurgling, throat clutching gyrations, throes of agony, falling to the knees, head falling forward into the hands - before finally morphing into significant face and personality changes with maniacal laughter to the fore. This amid lashings of delicious over acting and the peculiar wailing of "Theremin" sound effects. After all this our problems will of course be over as our subject is transformed into a super genius able to fathom his way around the financial labyrinth and layers of political armour a certain previous chairman built around himself.

In reality things do look pretty damn desperate at this moment in time giving myself and thousands other Saints fans no real solution we can even ponder at present.

** Musical footnote: (On a more cheerful "note" .. no pun intended). Check out an old B side/album track by "The Who" .... the late John Entwistle's "Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde".

Theremin? (pronounced thair - a - min) ... Look for - "Beach Boys", "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" or "Good Vibrations". Failing that, one or two creaky (sometimes low budget) old sci fi films and you'll hear the Theremin.

Bye fer now, kickers, pop pickers, movie lookers and Ugly Insiders. CHRIS NEWMAN ... "ooh and a ... not arf !