OH, DEAR

Saints` new manager, Alan Pardew, looked distinctly grumpy as he prowled the sidelines at Huddersfield`s Galpharm Stadium yesterday. The home team were simply too good, too strong, too powerful for a Saints team yet to come to terms with so many things, not least learning quickly from the 3-1 hammering which saw us remain firmly rooted at the bottom of League One (really Division 3) and still anchored on minus nine points.

I had hoped for a more encouraging result in the depths of Yorkshire, where I wrongly assumed that the locals would be more concerned with whippet racing and pigeon fancying than growling encouragement to their football team. Wrong again, for Saints` shortcomings were cruelly exposed. Pardew`s response has been to call them in for extra training today in the build up to Tuesday evening`s encounter with the Robins of Swindon Town.

After only two league games, it is already perfectly clear that if, in 44 games time, we find ourselves buried in mid table obscurity, then that will represent a job well done. Another `nice thing` about being in the lower leagues is the almost total absence of any media interest in our progress or lack of it. So, we can accept defeat these days knowing that it truly is not the end of the world and that, mercifully, hardly anyone else knows about it or cares. I`ve always known there`s something to be said for mediocrity....and I should know!