The9

Not 100% sure but it's usually a few hours before the draw, maybe 9am-ish.

My biggest problem with the whole "booking flights" is that at the point when we're probably finding out who we're playing, next week, I'm going to be in Rotterdam at De Kuip.

Here we go ^^^^^^^ Re: tonight's scores, Apollon Limassol are 4 up after their home leg so they look a safe bet for the next round. Cyprus would be alright...

Nobody, given that when I looked up flights to Kazakhstan on the possible dates of the tie a month ago the only way to do it was a 10 hour stopover in Moscow or Latvia and you had to leave lunchtime on Wednesday even to get there in time... on the bright side, they are a lot nearer than the other Kazakh sides who are out already. Oh no, wait, they're not. They're on the Kyrgyzstan border. Rest assured that would be one of the few games I'd be waiting to see what Saints offered.

Quite. As I mentioned, assuming we add a CB we'll be one player up, and I expect the club will take a view re: loan players dependent on Group Stage qualification - or possibly we might just give the kids a run in the matches where we think we can get away with it. It'll be interesting to see where our priorities lie.

Completely disagree about the bit in bold, the "loss of form" was completely aligned with the opposition's final league position for the teams we lost to in Nov/Dec (with Sheff U and Burnley as collateral damage) and with injuries to key players in March/April. If you'd actually read my point, I was saying that we won't have that kind of depth as well. Though your "2 out 3 in" theory kind of ignores the whole massive gap at CB which will be far more costly to us anyway.

ST gives priority on buying away tickets, and you get every home ticket automatically, and at a discount. Without home priority there's literally no reason to have a membership.

As a ST holder I think it's perfectly fair that Members get priority over ST holders (who don't have membership) for available home tickets - ST holders already have a home ticket and members have paid extra to ensure they get first shout on those remaining. If ST holders want additional tickets they are by definition not for themselves, so there's no reason they should get priority over someone who has specifically paid for that priority. If they want to get that priority too, they have the option to pay for membership. Your ST entitles you to discount on matches and priority on away games, it has nothing to do with the ability to buy home tickets for other people without STs. That is the very definition of what Membership entails. Re: the 10% discount: All ST holders get 10% off the home shirt before July 31st, PLUS a 10% off voucher to be used as a one-off during the season (which most people presumably will use on the away kit). If you want money off your training kit too, either buy it before July 31st or wait til you use your voucher.

We didn't have enough depth to cope with the loss of any three of Schneiderlin/Wanyama/Alderweireld/Forster/Pelle at any point without a significant drop in results. That says to me we didn't have enough depth - though I readily accept that there's a trade off between regular starters' wages and squad depth in a sustainable model like Saints'. Just because other teams are not good at managing their players doesn't mean that we wouldn't be able to. Liverpool's failure was down to four things - Suarez leaving, Sturridge being injured most of the time, Gerrard getting picked for reasons other than ability and dragging their performances down, and Lovren not being able to play alongside Skrtel. The only element of that which is squad management related is Sturridge getting injured, and that is solved by not letting Suarez go without a replacement - so one player.

This thread is all kinds of childish mental point-scoring. Didn't even get an ITK Sticky either, disappointing. However, MLG's dummy spitting has amused me. I also quite liked the excessive use of "can't reveal my sources" which was almost certainly tongue-in-cheek.

Hmm, only just found out they've signed McGurk - he's a good lower league player - they must be forking out a wedge to get some of this lot in. Frankly I'm SHOCKED to see them spunking money at players they probably can't afford in order to mortgage their success... again. On the flipside, I do expect them to get promoted this season. As do all of their fans, obviously. It'll take a little while to work out that getting themselves into L1 isn't going to pay off the debts they accrue overspending in L2. And getting themselves into the Championship isn't going to pay off the debts they accrue overspending in L1. Because they'll just keep spending money they don't have. By that point they'll be forfeiting on payments all over the place again anyway, if they haven't been nailed for not paying NI/VAT/other clubs... Who thinks they'll be spending on their infrastructure? The stupid bit being they should be more than capable of getting out of L2 within a reasonable budget, they've surely got at least double the income of most down there. But they just can't help themselves.

We'll have about the same number as we had last season, and assuming we sign another CB, we'll have maybe one more, easily covered by just not having an U21 sitting on the bench never getting used. I expect that if we get through the EL Qualifiers into the Group Stages we'll have a couple of loans lined up, and if we don't, we won't bother. We have a couple of days after the PlayOff Round to sort that before the transfer window closes.

Actually I've just realised the bloke getting doused in the pic above is also the one I took a photo of doing a nazi salute during the german national anthem before the Final... it wasn't all fun, but it was only him.

Thought I'd share a few random as hell pics I took from Salzburg to get people up for this:

It is a dilemma indeed. I'd say get one under your belt early, if we get through, miss the PlayOff round, then if we get through that you've got 3 away group stage matches to pick from and a bit more planning time. If we get to the knockout stages on 18/25 Feb and then last 16 on 10/17 March it's going to be an absolute batch of randomness for everyone, especially people running out of annual leave like me - luckily my leave year clicks over before the QF in April.

Yup, just went back to check whether they'd already served it. Bit of a logistical nightmare cross-referencing the dates of the verdicts (and appeals) with the dates of any further matches they might have played in either Champions League or Europa League and then working out whether the ban may still be in place by the time we could potentially play them. Worth keeping an eye on the UEFA Disciplinary Pages, though with 6 days' notice at this stage I'd be surprised if they were able to rule on anything in time!

Here's the latest UEFA Disciplinary page http://www.uefa.org/disciplinary/ I've tried to sift out the current rulings against teams we might play: FC Dnipro Dnipetrovsk : This will only affect us if we get to Group Stages and draw them away in our first group match. The CEDB has ordered FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk to play their next UEFA competition match as host club behind closed doors, as well as to fine the Ukranian club €50,000 for the racist behaviour of their supporters. One additional match behind closed doors suspended. SSC Napoli : This will only affect us if we get to Group Stages and draw them away in our first group match. Decision: The CEDB has ordered the partial closure of the SSC Napoli Stadium during the next (1) UEFA competition match in which SSC Napoli would play as the host club, and, in particular SSC Napoli shall closed Curvca A and B of the SSC Napoli Stadium. The Italian club have also been fined €80,000. FC Steaua București: Ban will be served in 2nd QR and 3rd QR of CL, i.e. by the time we could play them so won't affect us. Charges: Racist banner – Art. 14 of UEFA Disciplinary Regulations; Setting off of fireworks – Art. 16 (2 c) DR; Use of laser pointer – Art. 16 (2 d) DR Sanctions:FC Steaua București have been ordered to play their next two (2) UEFA competition matches as host club behind closed doors. The Romanian club have also been fined €20,000 for the use of laser pointers and the setting off of fireworks. Legia Warsaw: They entered in 2nd Qual Round and they're seeded so we can't play them in the 3rd QR, no impact on Saints. Sanctions: - The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has ordered Legia Warszawa to play its next two (2) UEFA competition matches as host club behind closed doors for the racist behaviour of its supporters (as of 2 Dec 2014) - The club has also been banned from selling tickets to its supporters for the next UEFA Europa League competition matches (2014/15 season), which the club will play as the visiting team. Ferencvárosi TC: They've already served the ban as they entered in the 1st Qualifying Round. The UEFA Appeals Body also made a decision yesterday on the appeal lodged by Ferencvárosi TC against the decision taken by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body on 17 July (2014). The appeal of Ferencváros has partially been admitted. Consequently the original decision of the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body is modified as follows: The partial closure of the Ferencváros stadium and the fine of €4,500 for improper conduct of the team are confirmed. The fine of €20,000 imposed on the club is overturned. The sanction has been imposed for the racist behaviour of their supporters at the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round first and second-leg matches against Sliema Wanderers FC, played on 1 and 10 July 2014 in Malta and Hungary respectively. (Original Ruling: Competition: 2014/2015 UEFA Europa League 1st qualifying round, both legs Match: Sliema Wanderers FC vs. Ferencvárosi TC (1:1) played on 1 July 2014 in Malta and Ferencvárosi TC vs. Sliema Wanderers FC (2:1) played on 10 July 2014 in Hungary Incident: Racist behaviour (monkey chants) and racist banners - Art. 14 DR Sanction: The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has ordered the partial closure of Ferencvárosi TC Stadium during the next (1) UEFA competition match in which Ferencvárosi TC would play as a host club, and, in particular, the sector N of the Stadium and to fine Ferencvárosi TC 20´000€ for the racist behaviour of their supporters.)

I heard a rumour yesterday that they have a pending European ban with their next match to be behind closed doors, so I'm going to check that, but worth being aware. EDIT: They did have, they've already served it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Saints-Southampton-programme-Valencia-Red-Bull-Salzburg-Werder-Bremen-11-July-15-/261968708695?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cfe8d4457 Saints pre-season programme from Salzburg - 32 pages, all colour, in German, some player profiles, not for sale anywhere... except this eBay account. 9 hours left on it, though I have a few more I can get hold of if people are interested and want to PM me with an offer (sold one yesterday for £6 inc P&P).

I'd be furious if Cuco Martina had a 5 year deal based on what I've seen so far.

Fairly sure it's already been said, but the unseeded teams for the third qualifying round are (with teams in bold already in the hat). We have to be playing one of these 50: • Vitesse • Astra Giurgiu/Inverness Caledonian Thistle • Dinamo Minsk/Cherno More Varna • Jablonec • Slovan Bratislava/UCD • Sturm Graz • AIK/Shirak • Mladá Boleslav/Strømsgodset • Ślask Wroclaw/IFK Göteborg • Žilina/Dacia Chisinau • AEK Larnaca • Debrecen/Skonto • Brøndby/Beroe Stara Zagora • Charleroi/Beitar Jerusalem • Ironi Kiryat Shmona • Shakhtyor Soligorsk/Wolfsberger AC • Istanbul Basaksehir • Vojvodina/Spartaks Jürmala • Spartak Trnava/Linfield • FH/Inter Baku • Željezničar/Ferencváros • Târgu Mures • Shamrock Rovers/Odd • Rheindorf Altach • Rabotnički/Jelgava • Vaduz/Nōmme Kalju • Čukarički/Gabala • Kukësi/Mladost Podgorica • Kairat/Alashkert Nightmare scenario is that we get the last pair. Kazakhstan or Armenia...

Update about 3rd Round Draw on OS: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20150715-europa-league-third-qualifying-round-draw-details-2548885.aspx Pleased to say there's nothing on there you can't already find on this thread.

Good stats. Very interesting to see them claiming Benteke doesn't run in behind much, I thought that was one of his key strengths.

My hypothesis would be that the reason he didn't get more help (in whatever form) is because we had a side primarily concerned with not conceding rather than scoring, due to the figures about clean sheets and goals I've already mentioned. As it happens I read another article last night which showed that clean sheets are more valuable than the scoring the first TWO goals of a game, and nearly as productive in terms of points as scoring three goals. With that kind of bias it's clear why we are more bothered about not conceding than scoring. Of course, there must be a tipping point somewhere where over-defending at the expense of scoring reduces the likelihood of maximising the points from a clean sheet - for example there are a lot more 0-0s in Italy than the Premier League and as a result the value of a clean sheet is fewer points overall.