It's not their fans I'm worried about (they'll be heavily outnumbered and stuck in a corner like they were in 1996); it's their team. Admittedly, they've had some easy pre-season games, but they haven't conceded a single goal in any of them. They won 4-0 at Reading. 

On 30/07/2025 at 11:31, die Mannyschaft said:

Saints won't in first as we don't have enough players to make a starting 11. Then 2nd half 7 subs. I really can't see Brighton putting a decent team out it's not like they will struggle against Saints. 

They'll put out a strong team. It's not as if they need to rest players. Brighton's pre-season:

21 July 2025Friendly	Brighton & Hove Albion	2–0	Las Palmas	Marbella, Spain

9 August 2025Friendly

Brighton & Hove Albion

v

VfL Wolfsburg

On 29/07/2025 at 22:39, Badger said:

What’s stopping a few just turning up for the day by other means ? Won’t have tickets for the match but could just still spend a day here 

Fear.

They were attacked the last time they walked to St Mary's in a large group, even with a police escort. So, they certainly wouldn't risk walking around unescorted in a small group,

1 minute ago, coalman said:

Speaking of depressing. Smallbone is strolling around with his trademark intensity. We're getting overrun in midfield.

Yes, he's another one who should have been released by now. Smallbone appearing on the pitch usually means goals for the opposition.

Just now, coalman said:

McCarthy is already giving me the heebie jeebies with that rushed clearance.

It's so depressing seeing him still apppearing on the pitch for us. I know no other club would take him, but he should have been released a long time ago.

5 minutes ago, HarvSFC said:

The front four is just where it's lacking for me.

Princewill Ehibhatiomhan scored a good solo goal in the Saints' XI's win against Crawley yesterday. He averages a goal every 2 games and should be given some time on the pitch for the first team this pre-season. He may turn out to be the pick of the strikers in our squad.

19 hours ago, DT said:

We are still playing McCarthy. Hilariously shit. Club has absolutely no clue. 

I agree - I expect most fans do - and I'd say the same about Smallbone. We've had years with this rotten core of players in the squad and until they're cleared out, things won't improve much. When you see them lining up yet again, it really makes you feel that we're just sleepwalking towards disaster. 

On 26/06/2025 at 20:23, ErwinK1961 said:

Is it me or does Alex McCarthy always looked a bit surprised by his surroundings?

I mean, we’re all a bit surprised you’re still here Alex as well, but at least try and look like you belong.

I'm not just surprised; I'm shocked that he's still here. At any other professional club, they'd have got rid of him a long time ago.  

53 minutes ago, OttawaSaint said:

We won this 9-0 last season and had the worst season in our club's history.

Smart of Still to put the stiffs in to throw this game so that we can win an historic treble of Championship, FA Cup, and League Cup.

It looks like that record won't last for long. 

On 23/03/2025 at 18:37, TheAlehouseBrawlers said:

That always seemed the obvious outcome but looks like it's still possible for new industrial units could replace it, according to this

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/24982144.southampton-warehouse-devastated-fire-demolished/

And there's also the possibility that a new asphalt processing plant could be built on the riverside in front of the stadium that would scupper plans the club and city council recently talked of about opening up the waterfront.

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/25023559.plans-new-asphalt-processing-plant-next-st-marys/#comments-anchor

Surely, this little company that wants to build an asphalt processing plant on the waterfont doesn't have more influence than SFC? 

Axtell Limited is an active company incorporated on 5 June 2014 with the registered office located in Godalming, Surrey.

Employees 71

Net Assets £890K

Cash in Bank
£187K
Decreased by £47K (-20%)

3 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

He has barely played in the Championship! 

Exactly, and at his age, that tells you a lot. He's a lower league player. The Scots saw plenty of him over the years. and if he'd been any good, one of the bigger clubs, like Rangers, Celtic or even Aberdeen, would have given him a chance. He might even have got a Scottish cap if they'd thought he was good enough.

Ross Stewart - Player profile 24/25 | Transfermarkt

Get Vasco Matos in now with Jose Fonte as his assistant so he can take over when a big club eventually poaches Matos. 

"Vasco Matos led Santa Clara to the best defensive record in the top ten European leagues, conceding only 19 goals in a season. This remarkable achievement, along with their promotion and current performance in the Primeira Liga, highlights Matos's ability to build a strong and organized backline."

13 minutes ago, Eric The Red said:

He certainly looked sharper (and faster) yesterday. Loads of promise for next season, if he stays fit

He showed us just how bad his finishing is, which is why he's never scored a goal in the Premier League and only 10 ever in the Championship. That header was the easiest chance any player from either side had all day. He's 29 this year and most of his career has been spent in the lower leagues, both here and in Scotland, and that's his level, even when he's not injured.

4 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

Good to see Pep shut him down straight away saying he didn’t agree. Fair play for that.

Pep went on the pitch after the game and patted Jack Stephens and a few other Saints players on the back. That was good sportsmanship from him.

5 minutes ago, Nolan said:

how much does the average employee know about how the top people who work in their company deal with their contracts or finances? he was an employee. 

Well as their sport director he must surely have been aware what was happening at the football clubs he was supposedly directing?

"Sevilla, are currently rock bottom of LaLiga. Meanwhile, Standard Liege are protesting against 777, who took over the club in March 2022.

'Your Galaxy shouldn’t damage our future!' their banners read, calling out their owners lack of investment and ambition shown in this summer's transfer window as they went six games without a win earlier this month.

Hertha Berlin were relegated last season, finishing bottom of the league after 777 had taken control in November.

Vasco da Gama are also in the relegation zone in Serie A."

Protests, relegation and rock bottom: Everton's new owners have grim track record in football | talkSPORT

Just now, Nolan said:

I think Spors' job as "Global Sports Director" probably didn't intersect with 777 Partners Lawyers or Bankers.

You mean that in the 4 years he was there as 777's sports director he didn't know what was going on? Isn't he very bright? The fans of the teams he was directing seemed to know. 777 were a bigger disaster for the football clubs they owned than Sport Republic.

34 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Other than the synergies 😉 the trajectory of how Spors is assembling his footballing related team with ex-777 people would suggest that he’s all in for Rohl - the final piece of the jigsaw? Makes so much sense and who knows, it might be the heaven-made match we’ve been crying out for? 🤞

You mean crashing downwards disastrously? 

"777 Partners have been sued by multiple organizations for unpaid debts and contract breaches with lawsuits describing their financial practices as a "house of cards" and a "sprawling fraudulent enterprise"

777 Partners - Wikipedia

Standard Liège game off after fans block team bus in protest against 777 Partners | Standard Liege | The Guardian

Vasco Matos, especially if we could also attract José Fonte to be his assistant,  or Kjetil Knutsen. 

2 hours ago, benjii said:

You organise and press aggressively, and fight for everything, giving the opponent no time. Or you sit off, pack the defence and focus on rapid counters.

 

Teams like Forest recruit athletes who are capable of doing this; we don't. You only have to look at the likes of Will Smallbone and Ross Stewart on a football pitch for 5 minutes, to see that they just don't have the physical attributes to press aggressively, fight for everything, or take part in rapid counters. We are stuck with a bunch of misfits who lack the basic physical attributes of strength and speed. Most of them can't even jump. I remember when Bournemouth played at St Mary's, for example,  thinking how much more athletic their players looked than ours. They were clearly stronger and faster.

7 minutes ago, Saint Billy said:

I see Rohl's name mentioned alot despite the fact that his Sheffield Wednesday side are mid table in the championship. I must be missing something.

You're missing the fact that they're 13th, 31 points off the automatic promotion places and they've got the 3rd worst defensive record in the Championship.

That sort of a managerial profile is highly attractive to Sport Republic.

30 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

Anyone got the stats for the worst three promoted teams? 

All three are absolute shite. McKennas reputation has fallen through the floor.

As things stand, Leicester, Ipswich & Saints are on course for the lowest all-time combined points total for a bottom 3, so they are the worst. To be fair to McKenna, half of his current team were with him in League One the season before last, finishing 2nd to Plymouth.

3 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

And regularly turns up to watch them…

“This is a very exciting time for Sholing Football Club being supported by Levi Colwill.  We are really proud to be working alongside Levi.  His family values echo the history of Sholing FC and, taking these values forward, Levi wants to give something back."

Sholing Football Club announce next stages in Levi Colwill partnership! – Sholing FC

8 hours ago, Saint Shady said:

The best thing about our club is and has always been the fans. We are as good a bunch of football supporters as you can get and whatever happens next we’ll still be here. 

Up the saints 🔴⚪️

Ramsdale gets it. Did you see him telling the other players to come and applaud the fans at the end? If only we had 10 other players like him.

(Yes, I know someone's going to say it: if we had 11 goalkeepers, it might help keep the score down).

5 minutes ago, Andrew Watson said:

Lost 2 - 1, and out of the youth cup.

At least it was only 2. 

29 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

As we've heard since, Rohl was our top choice but we weren't prepared to pay the compo that Sheff Wednesday wanted. 

Rohl's Sheffield Wednesday team have only won 1 of their 10 games since then. The way they're going, he could be sacked at the end of the season, so no compo will be required.