Bucks Saint

When the stadium was built there was a lot of talk in the papers about Southampton City Councils stipulation that there HAD to be room for a running track within the (multi use) stadium! was looking for a link to prove this but I KNOW and probably most of the less juvenile posters will too.

Got to be some weird kind of race for the "track" we have then. I am no athletics expert but not sure I recall too many competitive tracks with right angles in

I GUARANTEE that none of our players will leave in this January window.

Phew! can relax now, thanks sfc4p

No - for one the first choice players deserve the chance to play Utd.

 

Secondly - a heavy defeat would be bad for morale.

A defeat to Utd, even a heavy one, would not be the biggest shock in the world so I dont agree. I dont want us to lose at all, but Tuesday is vital. Falling further behind from automatic promotion would be much worse for morale

I would lose so much respect for NA if he put out a reserve team because it shows a lack of respect for the competition. FWIW I don't think he will because he understands that the FA Cup can still regain its former glory as the greatest cup competition in the world.

NA knows what he has to do, for his job as much as anything. Yes, if we pull off a terrific win, and then progress to say the quarter finals before bowing out, it will be a great run and NA will be hugely popular with fans for many years for beating UTD. But his mission, laid down by the boss, is promotion. Nothing else counts to NC. Witness how much winning the JPT meant to him. So dont beat up NA if he chooses to mix the team up ahead of Tuesday's much more important game

Can't believe the amount of apathy being shown towards this game. It's a cup tie against Man Utd for crying out loud. The most exciting game of the season by far.

The most exciting game of the season so far was at Oldham. I could not believe the apathy towards that one, compared to the floods of enthusiasm being shown towards the Blackpool match a few days before. But then most people have not heard of any Oldham players and it was cold and dark

Seriously? If we beat Man Utd you'd be moaning about having a midweek League fixture to deal with? I just hope it goes as badly as that grim midweek trip up North we had after the Blackpool cup game.

We changed 8 players for Blackpool and reverted to the first team against Oldham. If we do that on Sat then thats great. But plenty on here insisting we should do otherwise (because they have paid for tickets etc etc. FFS. Since when did a Manager need to take account of the ticket sales when selecting his team. Rant over)

Many thanks, we're staying in Putney so'll check your suggestions against location. Cheers!

 

Up the Saints

Given you are in Putney, suggest The Sports Bar & Grill at Victoria station. Up the stairs, plenty of signs. Its the same as the one at Marylebone that many use on the way to Wembley and on FA Cup final days etc. Loads of big screens, all HD, can see them no matter how busy it is etc. OK so its not a tradtional type pub but if you want a Sports bar it is well worth it

I just hope Berbatov doesn't play - he would rip a new one in our defence. Otherwise who cares - we're going to lose - just hope it's not a complete humiliation. Need to score early because they will be so much fitter than our players who will fade in the 2nd half.

I would say zero chance. They will play Hernandez and Owen (SO much easier for us, like what have they ever done?)

Surely it's the company that is liable not the indidual, in this case Brad Friedel?

All sorts of possibilities but probably:

- he invested his own money to start it up

- he maybe invested more when it was making losses, to keep it afloat

- the company borrowed money from Banks and the Banks took security over his personal assets (property etc)

he played against us at St Marys the other week.

Of course. I missed that one so forgot. thanks

Our former player has been made Bankrupt apparently. Lost his cash in a property deal. Been playing professionally something like 14 years (Wimbledon, Charlton, Boro, us of course). Believe he is injured but still with Blackpool. Hmmm

Get in - very happy with that. Improved significantly and think there is quite a bit more to come from him. Good work NC

I absolutely agree Steve, you beat me to it. Goal scorers cost money, he regularly gets 20 a season player in teams not as good as WR or DD, so that plus him being English means he comes at premium.

Agreed, except for the "comes at a premium" bit. With his record, while not playing in top 4 teams, I dont think he is expensive! Rooney was being talked about as worth £50m+ What price Tevez now (despite risk he will be homesick)? And so on. Bent = proven quality, 26 years old.

I certainly haven't forgotten the Great Escape - that's what I meant by Dellhurst - in fact, I still have my Fez! Pahars role was crucial no doubt.

 

Don't get me wrong, Pahars was a legend in the early years at Saints, but for me it was soured by the last five years where, by all accounts he was a sick note.

 

Read Strachan's opinions - "Pahars has also caught every virus going except a computer virus and he is probably working on that even now.", "Pahars has another bug. I'm sure he goes round all the local hospitals trying to find them. I've never known anyone like him."

 

Although he did have some genuine injuries (hernia, ankle etc.) the view seems to be he was a bit of a shirker.

 

When we were relegated Pahars had a real chance against weaker opposition to spring us back again. Instead he went missing. Missing when we needed him most.

 

So my view is that he sucked wages out of the club for five years with little return (at a time when we couldn't afford it), all the while we were hoping he'd come back this time; no this time; no definitely this time....

 

Save the Pompey goal in 2003, basically Pahars was great in 1999 - 2001. From then until 2006 though, he was absent.

 

Like I say, I disagree with him being a legend because for me, he didn't try hard enough.

Pahars not great after 2001? WTF. This guy cared more about Saints than 5 other players put together (with very few exceptions in the past 20 years). Sucked wages out? Definitely his fault that he got scythed down in pre-season. The club has insurance to cover long term injuries. Pahars wanted to carry on on a pay as you play deal (he might have struggled to eat) but our far-sighted manager at the time did not want to even discuss it.

Scored at the Bridge, Anfield, Old Trafford...... Not a legend? Idiot

I felt sorry for Wimbledon when we relegated them from the Premier League at the Dell. Neil Ardley was crying on the pitch after we scored our second.

Spot on. The sight of what relegation meant to Ardley and their fans left me feeling sorry - particularly relevant at the time when we had sailed so close to it so often. Ardley's genuine emotion about his club is all too rare

Tough game. Although after a 6-0 away win I think any game you're then expected to win will prove tough. I hope we haven't peaked, but you'd imagine your performance won't be as good. I think we might have to deal with going a goal down, maybe early on. Really hope they have it in them to win this one too and keep the run going. It's not easy to keep winning week after week but if we play our normal game we'll create plenty of chances again.

 

Does help that we have many goalscorers. Just need the full backs and Schneiderlin to start chipping in with a couple! Morgan should be aiming for 5-10 goals at this level himself, it's fairly pathetic he has 1 in his career for someone who gets into a lot of shooting positions.

Spider played very well last night, putting in some robust challenges, but was clearly playing the holding / breaking up play / distributing role. Chappers was more advanced so if plays the same role regularly its a little harsh to talk about the number of shooting positions he gets into. Someone has to hold the fort when everyone else is getting on the scoresheet!

Although he did make some good comments about us I found he had a general attitude regarding covering a L1 game especially with us involved.

 

I have always liked the guy but last night I found him f*cking irratating.

Ditto - like him normally because he can be funny - not always intentionally, but he was the same last weekend when they got the whole panel to cover lower league games - he had the same (poor) attitude

I am on the top deck of said bus and am loving the view

Just woken up, with sore head, forgot to post amid the beers last night, but fantastic night and one of the best performances in many years. Great to be able to say I was there. Thought we might struggle last night but we are simply playing at a gear above where we were even in the good run last season. Brilliant. Nigel - take a bow son. (actually, learn how to bow and wave, but thats another story...)

Star quality - it was as simple as that. One of the best away trips I have made in many years. Too busy celebrating into the night to remember to post on here sorry, but the whole team were magnificent with no weak links at all as has been said. Great support, great songs, hilarious Utd keeper playing in front of Fergie - does not get much better!

Just keep your poaching mits off Oxo. thank you

Twice as many posts and views as the Oldham build up thread.

oh, I have increased them

Pub choice anyone? Some years since I was last there and it was not a match involving Saints!

Just decided to go to this one with a mate, looking forward to it.

Top man!

Good shout there mate. I had looked into the buses but this might be easier. Looking on Google maps it is a fairly straight forward walk, not sure if this link will work http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

 

2 miles exactly, Haigh Lane, which turns into Chadderton Hall road, follow round to Burnley Lane, then at the Broadway roundabout turn onto Chadderton Way which leads down to the ground. 37 mins walk.

 

10 mins journey manchester victoria to Mills Hill , trains depart about every 15mins going out to Oldham in the evening, wont make the 10pm going back so will have to be the 11pm.

 

Are you getting the train up?

Am going to be working in Manchester tomorrow and Weds so will be in Manchester already. I found a bus departing after the game at 10.18 (bus 181, leaves from Garforth St, 9 mins walk from the ground, takes 22 mins)

But depending on weather and my mood (if we win !) etc etc I might just grab a cab back to centre of Manc. Got one sorted at £15 if you want?

For anyone who needs to get back to Mnachester there are trains running from Manchester Victoria to Mills Hill two miles from ground before and after gain

 

Trains are every half hour before game and at 10 and 11pm afterwards journey takes 15 mins return fare £2.80

Buses are also frequent and the bus stops are much closer than this particular train station. Some go from Boundary Park Hospital, virtually next door