CB Fry

Now Spurs are way ahead of us in the league, any chance you will finally admit the obvious that they were, are and will more than likely remain a significantly bigger club than us?

Agree. No idea how Saints fans or Saints as a club benefit from getting rid of the League Cup. I like to understand from people on here what is in it for us. The "fatigue" thing is bulls hit - the minute a winter break and more free weeks turn up then the biggest clubs clubs will be off to China/Australia/Qatar to play exhibition matches before you can say 10million camels. And England ain't going to win the world cup and the Premier League couldn't give two sh its if we did. I like Saints playing as many matches as they can and I'd like us to win a cup.

Man City are finishing seventh now? Wowsers.

Why is it very galling? Last time I looked we're sixth in the Premier League doing perfectly well without any need for Gaston Ramirez, and that's been the case for three years now. Quite frankly he could score six goals a game for Boro for all I care.

Les Reed got lucky in summer 2014 but he's got found out this time and no mistake. The chickens of our summer business have come home to roost. Quite frankly if Katharina has go no interest in seeing us progress she should sell up to someone who is. After all Sunderland have had a positive net spend for five straight seasons. That's how you back a manager, that's how you succeed on the pitch, that's how you invest in the team. But bumbling, clueless Les won't pay attention to that.

Nah. We've had an amazing run but we've still got enough losses in us to stop us from being good enough for top four - plus seven points is a lot to make up in 12 games. If we end the season exactly where we are now that's plenty for me and well beyond my expectations.

Just a shame Sherwood wasn't there a bit longer. Would have been nice to see his reputation ground into dust a little more.

We're only a few weeks away from this season being described as a yet another Les Reed fluke and just like I said last summer we won't do it again and I never liked Les Reed he hasn't got a clue and look what he did at Charlton and everything and why can't we be Stoke I wish we were Stoke or Everton or Watford or Palace whichever club it is that buys the first player in the first week of June.

What is your point? Rons "not doing us any favours" - in what way?

How good would our form be if Koeman did "do us any favours"?

Nice to see some more Vectis gold.

They will have to go some to overturn a seven point lead (8 with GD) in just twelve games. I have no doubt they will have a late season flurry but only enough to make about eighth. I guess they will be more focused on winning the FA Cup, not least for Hiddink to maintain his perfect record in the competition.

From what I've seen, sponsoring shows is a poor use of spend. The brand I worked on a couple of years ago sponsored ITV Saturday nights for six months (we had a contract for a lot longer but bailed when we saw the ROI was awful). There's an inbuilt narrowness of tying yourself to the viewers of one particular programme or strand, and there are annoying things about what you can or can't say in those bumpers which makes for poor copy. Standard ads still the most effective, aired consistently to the widest possible reach within the buyers of the category. In most categories TV ad spend (and, by extension all trad advertising) isn't really about driving immediate action or conversion. The desire to see immediate returns are what drives weak marketing departments to pull ad spend, or, much worse, keep changing their ad copy. Generally, advertising is about growing awareness and building memory structures that can hang about for a long time. If you are the first deodorant/pasta sauce/hairspray/family saloon/insurance website most people think of, then that's half the battle won, and that's what trad advertising can do. Mental availability. It's not all the battle and I was thinking about your booking.com example and I think it's wrong to compare it to advertising as such. it's actually more like something I am more familiar with - securing space on supermarket shelves, which is something that works in much the same way as being the first item searched for online. Being physically available, making it as easy as possible for the shopper to purchase. My current and previous employers will lob just as much if not more cash on that as they do TV spots. Be top of mind when you're not shopping, be the first thing you see when you are. That's the core of marketing most brands from my perspective. Anyway. Match of the Day.

"Can Newcastle win 3 more than us in the remainder of the season? You bet your life they can." Thanks for being you.

I wonder if 40 points will be enough? I wonder if we have won more than one game since these posts?

Not a must win game but great to win it anyway.

Or, his contract running down. That's why.

Imbula has scored. I wish we were Stoke.

I believe the only view permitted is "Super Saints are going to win come on Saints you can do it".

Will be sacked the second it becomes mathematically impossible for them to finish fourth. Saves on compensation. That's how they did it with Moyes.

Not familiar with that case study, but I do know Booking.com spend a fair old amount on TV too. The bottom up growth of social media/other sites are interesting exceptions and not really my area of knowledge (I'm not pretending to be an authority on much but know what I know from many years in Brand at a high spending global FMCG business whose entire existence is founded on building core brands through year long TV support.) TV advertising still delivers the highest reach, most effectively than any other medium which is why the biggest brands in the world would or should always maximise that part of their advertising budget first. It's not as exciting as click throughs or search engines but I've seen plenty of data that shows it to be the case. The world will continue to evolve but "TV" (in whatever form) will reign supreme for a while yet.

Pelle will score today.

Not sure you understand the word "must". I'd like us to win every game, as would the manager and players but that's not quite the same.

I think we can all agree that it is definitely not a must win match.

No, knowledge from what the trade would call client side.