The9

I'd be fine with us sticking with red/white stripes but re-introducing navy shorts instead of the black we switched to circa 1950. It actually looks really good.

I thought the previous lot had it right with 3 kits in rotation, a new home kit one year, new away and third the next, with (in the "away" year) one coming out right as the season finished and the other just before the start of the season, but we're now in the era of 2 new kits every year so we can forget the wonder of 2 year home kits (and indeed 3 year home shorts and socks). Usual daft thoughtless nonsense, launch the bloody thing at the end of the season, that way you get some enthusiasm off the back of the previous season as WELL as all the excited people for the new season who aren't so bothered about the kit that they're hanging on for a launch. About the only thought they put into last year was the launch date being staggered to make the West Quay store look really busy on launch day, when actually they only shifted about a thousand shirts.

They have quite a few decent footballers in that team, Crouch for a start. Just because they've been told to play in a certain way doesn't mean that's all they can do - no-one thought Delap was a hoofball merchant when he was here (of course his Prem time has passed, but just an example), or Nzonzi when he was at Blackburn, and the likes of Shotton, Shawcross and Huth can pass a ball if they need to. They won't lose their defensive solidity overnight either (especially if Hughes comes in). Agreed that Hughes would be a terrible option for a side that wants more flair though, he's always built his sides on solid defence first, and they already have that.

To be expected when your remit is not to keep them up but to build a side to get them back up, as it clearly was from the comments when he took over. He wouldn't be wasting his time picking players likely to leave.

The point being they're all in the Championship, we know he can get a Championship job, Adkins would have been better off waiting and getting into a club at the level he was at when he left Saints. I suggested Stoke at the time as Pulis was under fire and they're the sort of club he'd be alright at, with no pretensions of glory like, say, Sunderland, who were also looking like they might need a new manager at that time.

Certainly didn't help people take my concerns about our lack of attacking options seriously the following season...

I felt like that until this season, but I dislike the current ones so much I've only got one home shirt which I bought from a mate, not the club - the white kit was a stupid idea so I decided not to bother on that one even though I liked it better than the red - but if they don't cut the price of the home or away stuff in the next few weeks I'm probably just not going to spend that other £100, and once I've broken the chain, where's my incentive to buy a new one (especially one I don't like) after that ? I have a ten quid gift voucher at home from Christmas - i.e. I've sat on it for nearly 6 months. That is completely unprecedented, and entirely down to Cortese's short-sightedness on the kit design and the stupid parking charges. I'll say it again, they're just throwing money away by doing things people don't want to see.

From what I've seen on here you're in a significant minority in preferring the red to stripes, we had a poll last season. I think most people will accept it for one season for "a change" but to go away from stripes altogether is a change in the club's identity, and that's not something people want or have asked for. To be honest if it is plain red again it's another sign of Cortese's contempt for the club's traditions and fans, and another sign that he just doesn't get, or doesn't care, about the way people feel about it. One season is a one-off, two in a row ? Just changing things we like and are comfortable with for no good reason.

Need to find out if it's genuinely a problem and people are actually bothered before making any plans for that kind of stuff - a few "We are Southampton, we play in stripes" chants might be a good start.

So.... anyone prepared to actually campaign against it if it is, as we suspect, plain red again ?

Cheeky fooker. I'm not playing in goal, and my calf's much worse than my knee at the moment, so either it's fine, I'm there and able to play outfield, or I'm not there at all. Spazzed out my calf due to playing a six a side tournament and then 5-a-side a couple of hours later, but it feels more like a bad cramp than a muscle pull, though I couldn't walk at all on Tuesday, I'm almost back to normal now. FWIW, yesterday's MRI results found that there were no problems with my ACL or PCL any more (presumably fixed by the last op), but I do have a load of cartilage missing from the back of my kneecap which is why I keep getting stabbing pains, as the tendon can't run smoothly behind the knee. Also some cartilage missing from the top of the tibia. Getting a surgeon's opinion but looks like they're not going to need to operate, and step exercises to build up my quad will manage it as well as possible - which means I can play as much as I want as long as I don't go months on end without doing exercise like I did around Xmas, because then the knee loses supporting muscle and will hurt more.

I'd be very surprised if the Megastore and West Quay store managers weren't getting told precisely what they can do regards pricing directly from the top. They always reduced shirts at the same time every season before the current ownership, and I don't doubt that was Chairman-led too. I agree they're "doing it wrong" as well - but then I would, I'm just waiting for the opportunity to mop up the home shorts, socks and away kit and spend about £50-£60 in the process, but if they don't reduce it, there's literally no chance I'm paying full price for stuff the team is never wearing again and which is being replaced in a few weeks. Of course, the need to shift stock before rebranding the stores makes me think there will be a flash sale of kit before adidas take over.

Incidentally, on the subject of the ground staff kit, unless they weren't doing the lap of the pitch on Sunday, they were wearing Umbro, because everyone doing the lap was in Umbro kit of some sort (except the red/white No 1 Supporter t-shirt wearers). I have found a pic of them not wearing all Umbro though, so there's obviously some areas not provided for :

Have a look through the thread. Posts 390-481 in particular.

Not the first time we've heard this, but not really the f'cking point, is it ?

Me too, not so much the collar style though I like the nacvy with the stripes - but this was also their 2012 shirt, so it's already out of date. Plus rumours are we're not getting stripes. I actually have a Chivas Guadalajara shirt from their parent club circa 2008, made by Reebok, has a massive navy panel, big chunk of red as well as the stripes, and BIMBO advert on the front, always good for a laugh.

English players only, please.

But... the Mirror are always wrong.

Oh God no, nowhere near.

Suspect they don't think we're at the level where excitement has dropped off quite yet, give us another season of sameyness and another 5% hike and we'll see how many people aren't bothered any more. I think our demand has become a LOT more elastic since the last time we were in the Prem, a lot of people found a lot of other things to do over the previous 7 years.

You're going to have to clarify if that's a good or bad thing.

I can find one of a 37 year old, he was a free though. http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1342326/carlo-ancelotti-confirms-david-beckham-to-wait-for-psg-debut-?cc=5739 How about Hugo Lloris ? 26, signed for £8m admittedly, in August transfer window, Prem debut 7th October (ok only 5 weeks), 2nd Prem match 17th November (2.5 months after signing). He played a few Europa League games, but he wasn't first choice or starting until that second game.

We're not going to know that until the first game of next season for sure.

Unfortunately he's going to be signing for a CURRENT top 6 side if he leaves, not a potential one. It's not Bent's fault that they spent all their money on him and Benteke and none on the rest of the team !

I think Darren Bent would give us something different and would give Ramirez the outlet he's looking for and has good pace and aerial presence. The downside is that he's probably not involved enough in the build up play to suit our current system, is a LITTLE one-dimensional, he's English and therefore likely to be overpriced and he's 29 so there would be nothing much in terms of sell-on fee (and he cost Villa £24m). However, despite being out of favour at Villa, he still scores goals in the Prem when he gets the chance, and at the moment he's a lot better than what Mayuka has shown. Whether he'd block Mayuka's development is a valid question though, but then it's about whether we want to spend to get the improvement now or wait and see, and potentially get nothing anyway. He's certainly the sort of player we need to bolster our attacking options, whether specifically him or not, I don't know. But not Carlton Cole, definitely a promoted side signing.