CB Fry

Why should they spend their own money and why shouldn't we try and turn a profit each year? That's exactly what we should be doing.

Perfect summary, brilliant stuff. I'm not going to bother reading FF's opening post as I can see from the couple of quoted bits that will be the usual drivel.

Ha! fair enough, I only saw it when I was googling Tony Xia's name. Clearly they should have invested in the Blades first then it would all be fine.

The worst ITK of all time with yet more solid gold based on what is already in the papers and forums. Keep it coming.

If by very good you mean entirely speculation then yeah, great.

You're being obtuse to the point of not saying anything now. Not aware that Tony Xia and the West Brom guy have followed up their purchases with announcement of infrastructure investment into Birmingham/the Black Country but I am not an expert so let me know. Elsewhere, China have invested big style into Sheffield https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/21/sheffield-lands-billion-pound-china-deal-to-create-hundreds-of-jobs Total football clubs purchased to make this happen: zero.

Our transfer business is going beyond parody. Please just sign anyone with a track record of actually scoring.

Would interesting to see how it felt coming to replace a pretty popular/competent keeper in Maik Taylor, especially as he was the new managers pet signing, along with poor old Lee Todd.

Am I right in thinking that buying a football club is really a completely pointless exercise for potential property developers, Chinese or otherwise? If a billionaire property magnate wants to sit down with Southampton City council to propose a multimillion opportunity to develop some real estate in the city, why do they need to buy the football club first? We're hardly going to turn them away. Plus surely you get more leverage with the council by doing things that actually help them out, like sponsoring civic events or whisking councillors off on fact-finding jollies to grease the wheels. The people running the city don't really care who owns SFC. So personally I don't buy it.

Agree with this - and if we don't see affirmative action in the next week or so I will place Goa and co into the "worse than current" column. I'm expecting them to drive action to protect their investment.

Personally I think it is not a bad thing that the Chinese haven't made huge drastic changes - we don't want to be unveiling Gianfranco Zola anytime soon - and I am pleased they haven't come out with outlandish promises that ultimately wouldn't be fulfilled. My expectation was that Goa would be equal or worse than the Leibherrs in terms of investment/dedication so on that score I can't say I am disappointed because I've never for a minute thought they were going to "take us to the next level" (ie come in and pi ss a load of money away on fees and wages and make "statement" signing all over the shop). Goa hasn't done anything to disappoint me yet. The issues are all more immediate and operational - we have a dreadful manager and we are listing into the Championship. The current leadership team, not just the new owners, should be acting and being seen to act. Which in the first instance is sack that useless pri ck Pellegrino immediately.

The VVD tune is "Achy Breaky Heart" by William Raymond Cyrus.

I never rated him.

Well, I've got "asset strip" and "pheonix club" so I just need "Les wants to relegate us to spite the fans" and I've got a full house. Come on, people. .

Krugeur's interview yesterday was a bit Lowe-esque in a "we still have great catering" kind of way. Delusional nonsense. That said, I still think that everyone involved wants us to remain in this division, and they are allowed to believe that sticking with Pellegrino is the best way to achieve that. They're wrong but they are allowed to believe it. So, much like the lunatic paranoid torment from four years ago (asset strip! asset strip!) turned out to be utter bol locks the same applies now. There's no asset strip that was planned all along. The manager and team are just more sh it that was planned. And lastly we are allowed to just be relegated. Lots of clubs get relegated and none of them instantly go bust and require bucket rattling formation of a bloody pheonix club. We are allowed just be relegated and be championship club like Ipswich and Leeds and Forest and the rest. Seems to me some fans are more excited by the prospect of meetings in Social Clubs to discuss potential crest designs for Pheonix AFC Southampton than they are about us qualifying for Europe.

I refuse to accept we are in a relegation battle until we sign Nigel Quashie.

Well, that escalated quickly.

Have no doubt that Hughes would keep us up no problem. He's just been at Stoke too long and has been a bit unlucky with injuries and Saido not working out. On basic competence he's Alf Ramsay compared to our bloke.

I'd like to think that in Ralph's masterplan we are currently at minute 9 of the TED talk Ralph is planning to give on "triumph in adversity". Minute 17 and 18 will be dedicated to us winning the Europa League 2019 after our shock FA Cup win this season. He'll be made for life on the motivational speakers circuit. #gopackers

The Black-out bounce will be any game now.

...

Hiddink, Van Gaal someone like that with a bit of nous/experience, get them in get them to sort it. You know, the kind of manager the current board would never ever recruit.

It's looking like Derby are going to get promoted which will be an absolute hammer blow to me if we go down.

Puel was proven to be a perfectly competent manager and is proving it again this season. We may not have been spectacular with him this season but we certainly wouldn't be this utter sack of sh it.

West Brom, Swansea.....and us. Unless something changes now.