CB Fry

In the US if you want a firearm you can get one from Wal-Mart. In the UK if you want a firearm you can get one from Asda. Except of course, you can't. You and Jack Frost are doing a cracking job of maintaining this forum's high standards of fu cking idiocy in 2015. Well done.

League 1 standard, I believe he is.

I haven't yet got over the pain of us "tumbling back to mediocrity". It could have been so different.

The real effing deal. Brilliant.

Solid, solid gold. ............... Well, I thought I better give my opinion and tell you all also what I've heard over the past few months. Some of this is truth, some of this just my opinion. Some of it is me reading between the lines. Irrespective, it's not great reading and I think I'll be proven correct shortly that since Cortese left, we're on a huge downward curve. Here's what I know. - There was a huge upturn in atmosphere when Cortese left. The day-to-day (non-football) staff were initially a lot happier as NC could be a very difficult taskmaster at times. - RK and KL set about repairing links and friendships with important businesses and former employees/players. - Contractors and others Cortese had working for him via the club were a lot happier. However, over time, this has changed somewhat and most importantly, the footballing side has been somewhat neglected. It soon became apparent that our objectives and ambitions had shifted and the players/staff were left completely in the dark. They bought into Cortese's long-term strategy/vision and it was him who was the glue who held everything together, despite his obvious shortcomings in other areas of running the club. When Cortese left, so did all the aspirations of pushing on and progressing as a club. In the meantime, we've had; - fan-pandering letters from the new setup - mixed messages regarding the sale of players - Reed "not for sale" Krueger "will talk to clubs about our players" - unprofessional snipes at Cortese's handling of the club with reference to the comment about our financial situation and the adidas kit debacle - continued non-communication in this new "era of transparency" Now, cast your mind back. In the early part of the season when we were riding high, remember all the talk of Champions League? This wasn't just from the players (Boruc, Wanyama, Lallana, Schneiderlin) but from the manager as well. This was Cortese's objective and the playing staff were 100% committed to delivering it; maybe not this season, but with future investment and the retention of the better players and the manager this was seen as potentially achievable. Now, fast-forward a few months later - uncertainty reigns, no-one dared uttered a word about it and the new leadership's policy is sustainability and nothing else. From February to the present day, we've had Schneiderlin, Lallana, Fonte and others all drop huge hints in the press about being happy here but only the proviso we kick on and improve. If just one of those "big" players had the assurances they required to stay and committed so would the rest. Now, the opposite is in action; all it'll take is one or two to leave and it could lead to an exodus. The first and most important person is Pochettino, but I don't think he's too enamoured with the new "mid-table" project and having to face replacing key members of his squad. Surely some of you must have heard the alarm bells ringing the moment the new board started even entertaining players sales and mentioned that we were in a difficult financial situation? If that isn't greasing us up for a potential firesale of 2, 3 maybe 4 of our best players I don't know what is. Sure, no sales have been confirmed yet but I've absolutely no doubt that they will, very soon. We're water-treaders now at best, unfortunately. If people are happy with that then that's their prerogative but I can almost certainly guarantee you that from reading between the lines and hearing what I've heard that we're in for a pretty sh1tty summer. It's genuinely galling to watch this unfold as like many of you, I was finally excited by the fact we were THAT close to having a thoroughly decent, competitive Premier League side that could challenge the big 'uns not off the pitch but most definitely on it. With a couple of solid acquisitions as a statement of intent and retention of our best players, we could have had a real go next year. That's what the players wanted, the manager wanted and that's what Cortese wanted. That dream died to moment he was turfed out of SMS for good. Don't worry though - the pain of tumbling back into mediocrity will surely be offset by a nicely worded club statement. ........... A message to the Saints team today. Currently fourth in the league. Stop treading water, you mediocre deadbeats.

Finishing eighth. So magical.

Make a movie about it then sweetheart. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_to_a_King_–_The_Swansea_Story Happy new year.

The one thing we didn't do with Billy Sharp was "persist" with him. We signed him in January for five months work to get us promoted then basically never played him again for the rest of his contract.

It's worth pointing out for one last time that no one is saying NBC should make a documentary about Swansea City rather than Saints. I brought up Swansea when someone described the SFC Leibherr story as a "phenomenal rags to riches story" which it quite frankly ain't. Other clubs can lay claim to that - one in South Wales springs to mind - but really not us. And I was addressing the bonkers assertion that the SFC sold-everyone-but-turned-out-great-in-the-end story has been ignored by the media in the UK. Apparently Football Focus have never, ever mentioned it. So nowt to do with NBC anyway. Anyway, I'd like to see the documentary so if anyone is planning on stashing on the Internet then let us know.

Can you let us know who on this thread has complained that NBC have made a programme about Saints and not Swansea?

I am hoping one of our transatlantic contributors/stream geek experts will get hold of this and bung it up somewhere we can all watch it. What are the chances?

And that's the bingo card complete, everyone.

Absolutely this. Cheers. Let's enjoy our success on its merits. I sure am.

LOL. Okay then. Saints 100% rags to riches then. Help me out and define "rags" for me. And, err, just so we're clear - we'd be better off if the council owned our ground yes? I mean Swansea have such an advantage over poor old rag-ridden paupers Saints, yes?

That's right. The Swansea City story would be told entirely through the perspective of a Southampton fan. Love the breathtaking myopia on this forum. Face facts, Swansea have a true rags to riches story. We don't. Get over it.

Me neither, and he could well be a Steve Bull/Billy Sharp style lower division goal machine unsuited to the top flight. But he represents the kind of player were going to be looking at is all. Youngish, not finished articles. I think the lack of current Prem interest could be as much to do with his big contract and previous fee - he probably hasn't exceeded his worth/value yet, making him an expensive gamble.

It's arguable that, overall, the Championship is a higher standard than, say, the Dutch league. If he was called Giodan Van Rodes it would be fever pitch on here.

Swansea have a far more phenomenal story than we do. They've got silverware to their name which kinda outranks "look, we're doing well halfway through a season". Clear the fu cking schedules. Football team on same number of points as Arsenal after half the games have been played. It's up there with My Left Foot as the feelgood story of the year. We've done great but it is not rags to riches and it isn't phenomenal. Who are the "kids that became world stars?" Bale (several years at Spurs pre world stardom)? Walcott? (when are you starting this story?) The world stars Shaw and Lallana? Our they've-sold-everyone-but-it's-turned-out-okay-after-all has been flogged to death in every media outlet in the country. Almost to a sickening amount. But sure, lets pretend Football Focus have ignored it. Boo hoo.

It's really not that much of an "amazing rags to riches story" is it? We didn't start with rags, we started with a Premier league stadium and already strong academy/training facilities. And we got bought by a billionaire and shot up two divisions like Norwich did the season before. And then we finished in eighth place in the league like WBA did the season before. If you want rags to riches try Swansea City.

He's no Mayuka, I grant you.

Don't ask if Morgan would have definitely stayed, ask how.

Is the correct answer.

I agree. We should only sign sh it players we know that no other club would ever want to sign.

Looks like there's a job going at WBA now too.

Looks like it's on then. Good luck Pards - did a good job at Newcastle and can walk away from those ungrateful, deluded sense-of-entitlement northern tw ats with his head held high. Let's hope they get someone who has "affinity with the fans" and they fu ck it up royally.