Who would have been the same regardless of who we played in pre-season. So it is hardly the most important determinant of success in a season...
A good pre-season can make a good season, just like it did last season. The teams we play are a big part of that.
Not really. What it does support, albeit feebly, was that Sturrock wasn't a half bad manager, and that Lowe shouldn't have sacked him in favour of Steve Wigley, and then Harry Redknapp. One could say it was Redknapp who relegated Saints, but really it was the moment that Sturrock was allowed to go, without a proper manager in waiting, that relegated Saints. Hindsight maybe 20/20, but that just means anyone is able to look back and judge the situation fairly accurately. And the fact that several players went to Lowe to voice their disrespect of Sturrock is neither here nor there. Under him, Saints would not have been relegated, in my opinion. Mind you, we wouldn't be in this position now, if the whole sorry saga hadn't taken place, so I'm not regretting the train of events, these days.
