CB Fry

Absolutely this. You'd think that was fair enough but not for internet nutcases. Only today I was told how difficult it would be for me to support the club on the back of expressing some reservations about Cortese. There are people so boss eyed in their adoration of our CEO that they truly believe he is the club. Mental, but sadly true. Oh, and don't offer any critique or opposing view without expecting some forum bellend asking you to form a protest group, write a letter to the Leibherrs or take up arms against Cortese. Any reservation, any questioning, any query expressed means you simply must want to overthrow Cortese and chuck out the Leibherrs. Otherwise you are without conviction. Its either unquestioning love or sworn enemy. No middle ground for our mentalists.

What a cop out. Get behind pointless narrow argument FFS.

I don't think he would get the Villa job. The other two, yeah, no problem. Of all the Prem clubs, Wigan is by far the best fit, as he was there as a player. If they stay up (actually even if they go down) and Martinez finally decides to go (to, say, Villa) then he'd be an absolute shoo-in to go there. Dave would look after him.

From you, yes I do. I talked about finishing mid table as being my expectation, and am being told by you that your vision is for faster and quicker success and how you and Nicola want so much more tham me and my unambitious vision of doing about as well as West Brom or Stoke. "Having a go at Europe" next season might involve ending up finishing 11th or 12th, like WBA or Stoke. Is that good enough for you, because it would be great for me, and I'm a loser. Because if it good enough for you, it turns out that you are actually just full of "bluster" (to use your phrase) after all. Where does our "have a go" get us to next season in your fast, quicker success world? Just an afterthought: If I am honest the very phrase "have a go" is intrinsically lame. The kind of thing you hear on FA Cup third round day. Or from the likes of West Brom when discussing their European ambitions. It's fascinating you've used a phrase like this now when previously you have been so bullish about how fantastically successful Cortese's New Saints are going to be.

I think two areas where we differ the most then is a) I am far from convinced that the Liebherrs have the will to bank roll the club to the Champions League. I think they expect us to wash our own face in the biggest league in the world. This years loan tells me that, and the investment in developing youth, and the fact that we don't look anything like doing a QPR any time soon. b) I am not inflating an argument you're doing a decent job yourself. A European spot requires us to finish sixth next season in all reasonable likelihood, or win the league cup or get to the FA Cup final. Next season. That is not exactly demonstrating patience. Is a League Cup win and a 14th place finish acceptable to you? Or is that too much like one of those loser clubs that you and Cortese would never want us to be like?

Blimey. Bizarre reply. Neither WBA or Stoke have been anywhere near a relegation battle for some time. You want better than that, fine. We need to beat a cup final, Europe and consistent top ten/twelve finishes. Good. Not match it. Beat it. I have no idea what you are blathering about me writing to the Leibherrs, you either take this forum far too seriously or you are getting deranged in you rabid defence if anyone saying anything against them. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say it is the latter. Lastly, glad you like the vision. Personally I think it does look like "sustained success". I worry how upset you'll be if we don't make the Champions League because you are ranting like a desperate child on Christmas Eve. I'm happy to scrape up this year. And next? I dunno. Thirteenth'll do me....could you handle that?

Err. So have I. Read the thread again before reverting to "so wot you gonna do abaat it" petulance.

Rather that than doe eyed fantasist going goey at the thought of the Champions League. You haven't demonstrated any conviction here either. Except to narrowing the debate to black/white wafer thin meaninglessness.

Err. No. "You might as well say" is you equating what I said with something that is nothing at all like I said. Hiliarious you've dug your own quote to mug yourself off. Nice try from a feeble, feeble forum contributor. Pathetic.

If you describe supporting a football team as "falling into line" then yes. You win. Bizarre phrase. We'll fall in line with you forever more.

No, why on earth should I do that. A masterclass in "narrowing the debate" though. Well done.

You seem to think some Italian bloke is Saints. He isn't.

That's right I am narrowing the debate. In other news your response to me is "you love Stoke go and support Stoke". Such debating panache, oh great understander of the project.

You know what was more stupid...you saying what I said was the same as saying WHU were as likely to win the league as united. So even on your own retarded, literal terms you managed to say something more spectacularly, moronically "wrong" than I did. So you said something more stupid than me which makes what I said less stupid. Thanks for helping out.

So your list is basically random clubs that haven't been promoted. And Stoke who have performed very well in the Prem including a cup final and Europe who apparently are not a success. Lets hope your boy does so much better than rubbish old useless Stoke. Great. Well I am pleased with my contribution to this particular thread and I am going to leave it here as I am not going to pointlessly bicker with you. Especially as your post here yet again positions yourself as "the great understander" of the project. Jolly well done you. Sheesh.

^ Total garbage. Might be true in Dubai but not here in civilisation. Straight out of the scooby doo book of baseless caricature. No wonder Trousers lapped it up. I know CEOs of businesses far bigger than Southampton piffling Football Club and they are completely the opposite to what you describe.

Unless you are actually going to stand up and say you think WHU are going down, I really don't care. But you won't do that. WHU aren't going down. Just the same as Man U aren't. The two clubs are as likely as each other to go down. The only crass stupidity on that thread was from the divs doing statistical analysis on the maths behind Manchester United getting relegated. Fu ck me.

No mention of WBA, Stoke, Swansea which get the results but manage it with none of the bluster? And when have Forest "blustered" anyway? Must have missed that. And Leicester are on track to go up in year two of their "project". Not bad and I think counts as "results". Notts County was L2 and silly from day one so a stupid comparison. Anyone else on your list?

I'll own up to it if it makes you feel better. You lot can repeat it after every West Ham result for the rest of the season for all I care. West Ham United and Manchester United will both be Premier League teams next season. Together. Dig up the old thread and reread the spanners doing their maffs and odds and numbers and stuff to "prove me wrong". Effing hilarious. West Ham as likely to go down as Man United. ie they aint going down. See you in May.

Yes indeed. The one phrase I think I said repeatedly to my two brothers and my friends I talk Saints with last Friday was "he could have been our Tony Pulis". And that is all I wanted. Solid, regular mid table Prem football. A cup run. A euro adventure. A bumpy relegation scrap. Occasionally beating Arsenal. Youngsters coming through. Unearthing bargains from lower divisions and abroad. The reputation, well earned, of playing "lovely stuff". A manager, not glam enough to ever leave but too bloody good to ever fail. I think we had that in the palm of our hand. Now I am not so sure.

Top top post.

I wouldn't pat yourself on the back too much for "understanding it from the beginning". We all understand it. What Cortese wants to do is not complex or difficult to grasp, and is remarkably similar to the visions of leaders of many other clubs, our relegation stablemates Aston Villa for a start, and there are distinct echos of the Steve Gibson model in everything Cortese wants to do. It aint rocket science and the Cortese plan/model/vision/project is nothing that no one else has already thought of. And fine, we can all talk down at people about not seeing the "bigger picture", but let's not forget we are some way off resolving the smaller picture of staying in this division. And lastly, there are other elements to the "big picture", like the benefits of steady, incremental growth, the benefits of stability under a proven manager, the feeling that success is not chased at absolutely any cost, and so on. These are all just as relevent to a "big picture" as the Cortese attitude of "I will do what I want and to hell with everyone else". I also like the bigger picture that clubs like Stoke, or West Brom, or Swansea are doing very nicely in this division with their own "projects", which have slight differences to the Cortese project, but personally I find their visions far more engaging than that of our current chairman. To echo your workplace analogy, what I have learnt is bringing others along with you is a vital element of any project, and it is something that is currently lacking. So don't worry about people not "understanding" the "project" like you. We all understand it.

Just to confirm, no one on earth thinks this. Only one person fantasising here son.

We need a high profile Liverpool legend to come out and say he won't sign for us. I'd like it to be Phil Thompson because I ****ing hate him anyway.

Think of the inspiration a Swansea v Bradford cup final will give the deluded phew. L2 "sleeping giant" built on shoestring vs fan- owned club shooting up the divisions from the fourth tier a decade ago. I already feel ill. Nothing against those two teams, you understand. But I can already see the article forming in Neil Allen's tiny mind.