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I agree, that is what the stats show and so I am going to have to believe. I will keep this table and update it in a few games time and see what we get. LOL at Bristol Rovers? LOVL at Charlton ...

... seems to have posted already! I must have touches the wrong button? Anyway, the end column is the points scored and I have left a decimal point in place to reflect a notional reflect goal difference. I have to say I amazed we make it to 5th and have Yeovil to play in the play-off semis with the crunch against our old adversaries, Norwich (or possibly Millwall). Our ups and downs are inextricably linked with Norwich!

Not sure how you did your table S_Clarke but I had a go and this is what I get. Take the average points per game over the last 6 games and multiply by the games to be played (currently 32) and you get the points that would be earned if the current form rate was maintained unchanged to the end of the season. Add to this the points scored so far and you end up with: 1 Colchester 102.7 2 Leeds 91.7 3 Norwich 91.3 4 Yeovil 12 64.0 18 82.0 5 Southampton 13 69.3 11 80.3 6 Millwall 11 58.7 21 79.7 7 Oldham 11 58.7 20 78.7 8 Hartlepool 11 58.7 19 77.7 9 Charlton 9 48.0 29 77.0 10 MK Dons 9 48.0 26 74.0 11 Leyton 9 48.0 15 63.0 12 Huddersfield 7 37.3 21 58.3 13 Walsall 7 37.3 17 54.3 14 Brentford 7 37.3 17 54.3 15 Swindon 6 32.0 19 51.0 16 Southend 6 32.0 17 49.0 17 Tranmere 7 37.3 10 47.3 18 Carlisle 6 32.0 14 46.0 19 Bristol R 4 21.3 22 43.3 20 Gillingham 5 26.7 15 41.7 21 Exeter 5 26.7 14 40.7 22 Stockport 5 26.7 14 40.7 23 Brighton 5 26.7 13 39.7 24 Wycombe 3 16.0 8 24.0

OK I'll bite! We started the season 10 points off the play-offs, we are currently 11 points away, one point worse despite 14 games played. 30% (nearly a third) of the games have gone and we are in a worse position. At the start of the season we needed to catch up.22 points every game to get us to 6th place, we now need .34 so things are substantially worse. However, whilst our position re the play-offs is currently worse, our form has been much better over the last seven games. We have wiped out the negative points, we are off the bottom, within three weeks we may be out of the relegation places (possibly sooner if poor Southend succumb to the same fate as us), then the target must surely be to get in to the top half of the table. At the moment we are 7 points away from the top half, now that might be achievable by Christmas if we maintain our current form, early in the new year if we slip up a couple of times or other results go against us. Once in the top half then it gets much harder because we are up with the better teams and they have a ten point advantage, that is, over the season, we will need to win three and draw one whilst they lose four and the teams near the top are not unlikely to do that. So, realistically, a top half finish could (should) be expected but the play-offs is a much bigger ask so I will not believe (re OP) until we are within touching distance of it at Easter! Who knows, that why we are football addicts, its never the same on the pitch as it is on paper. It's the oldest football cliché in the world but it is also the truest, take one game at a time.

Who's afraid of Bristol Rovers. They have been in decline since there freak win at SMS and are losing 3-0 at home to Leeds tonight. We are in the ascendency and are the form team, winning 3-1 home or away every time we play so its 3-1 to us and sweet revenge!

Gosh, was that only thirty years ago? It is a dim and distant memory now but what a night!!! One of about ten brilliant occasions with the Saints (plus lots of fantastic ones too of course!)

Gutted at the news. Thoughts are now for Ron. Please keep us informed on how he is coping and if there is anything we can do. Thanks. [PS guys, some of you have missed the point. We are VERY concerned about our 60's legend at not playing silly b*gg*rs trying to out smart each other on stupid nominations for the 00 legend - do that on another post if you want to.]

Good salesmanship to get the fans in. Talk up the opposition, set the scene that is going to be a game worth coming to. Who do you really think has reservations about this game? Are we really more apprehensive about playing the Dons at St Mary's than they are about having to come here to play one of the divisions in form teams? The web site has to build the game up as part of the marketing strategy, it's all words!

If you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem. Time to move on Saga ..... BiBi

That is very sad news. I remember Dave with some affection as one of my boyhood heroes back in the mid 60's. Not only a great ball juggler, but a really good 'inside left' and a really nice guy too. R.I.P.Dave, thanks for your contribution to my life.

Shame ...

This will not make me popular but my joy of Saints winning AGAIN and Pimpey losing AGAIN is made even sweeter by Bournemouth winning AGAIN and being top of League 2 - after all they have endured, even worse than us. (I do live in Wareham so forgive me, Bournemouth are my nearest team whereas Saints are my dearest team and have been for over fifty years).

For me its forget the stats and think about steps. We have positive points now, we could get of the bottom of the table this weekend, then its on to getting out of the relegation zone bu the end of November and so on. If football was just about stats then it would take the excitement and unpredictability away. Promotion? Let's think about that once we have passed a few more milestones.

But we have spent real money on one player and have a completely new team. Ok £1m is a lot of money, far, far more than I have but it is not BIG money in football terms. Agreed a lot of the teams in L1 would like to be able to have that to spend but real 'big money' would be doing what Man City have done in the PL. If we had spent £5m then you could ask for more. My point is that AP has actually done this on very little money given we have a wealthy owner.

I am struggling with all this 'the amount of money we have spent' in a couple of the posts above. Can someone help me here. Lambert £1m, Hammond how much? Murty free. Harding free. Connolly free. Jahdi free. Trotman loan. Melis loan. Papa loan. Antonio loan. Add to that we stopped Davis leaving and we have a complete new team for just over £1m. That is big spending? AP has done what he said he would do when he first came and was widely abused for saying it. He said he would look at the players out of contract for some bargains and get in some loans. It seems to be working to me ...

Next milestone for me is to get off the bottom of the table, then out of the relegation zone. I would look to be off the bottom within another five games maximum. Neither Wycombe or Tranmere are looking good!

"Saga ... a STRIKER .... Goes ??? ... BEFORE we get a Replacement CRAZY" Saga leaving for Notts County is a RUMOUR. Wait for confirmation of anything before passing comment.

Actually, one of them plays on their right, the other on their left!!!!

You know, it is the take over threads I really miss ... we have not a had a really good take over for over a month now and it is just not the same somehow thinking about, talking about and watching football. I liked the thrust of political debate, the taking sides, the name calling, the smart ITKers, the subtle use of irony, etc

Lots of votes for Norwich here yet Norwich 1 Colchester 7! How about Colchester and Millwall for automatic promotion? Play off places - no idea!

"My concern though is whether such an appointment would sit comfortably with AP.Would he not feel uneasy at having a high profile person sitting between him and the board ?" If you read Phil's post again he not suggesting someone between AP and the board but someone to advise the board on footballing issues - ie work with/train the board, a very different scenario than some DoF positions. AP may find it hard going trying to get his points across to the new ownership/management. Perhaps Gordon can do that for him? A translator from football in to business? Trouble is Marcus and Nicola would need a translator between Scottish and English too! That could lead to some complex conversations. Personally, I think he was just there to watch the match with no undercover agenda, just as Matt was there with Sky Sports and not for any other reason we might like to read in to it.

Grief! And you people complained every time Rupert made a TV appearance! Now you complain Marcus or Nicola never do. Now we are even commenting on Nicola's name as not being suitable. What next I wonder ...

What is it with this 'let's sign a load of new players quick'? There was a good thread on here last week showing what changes other teams have made. Sure, Norwich have brought in five new faces but they have let a good number go and did you recognise any of the names they have signed? They have cut their cloth to suit the position they are in - expensive players out, a few 'prospects' in. Just because they have signed five players does not mean they are stronger and does not mean they will automatically walk the league.

Top down planning is in progress at SMS. First a new owner; then a new executive team; then a new team manager; then a management support team; next, improve the team. Classic business 'top down' restructure. We are still within the first month of ML taking over. He has to put right the wrongs of the past, create a new today, and then start on a long term process of building success. Just because we have not signed every player agents have phoned us about does not mean we have no money. May be the ones offered have not been good enough! AP working top down too here. He has taken a week or two to find out what he has to work with, make some fundamental changes to the fitness levels, systems, etc., resolve some outstanding contract issues with current players, establish exactly what he has available to work with and then start to integrate a few new faces slowly and as required. This is a 'long haul' job and if they take it in steps we will be all right, if we rush it we might just end up no better off than we used to be under GB with lots of money spent but in the wrong places. Despite our new owner, our wonderful facilities and great fans (see some above posts and ask if this is the case?) playing catchup in League 1 is not going to be the first choice of many talented players, they will have better options. AP really has to make progress with what he has plus a couple of new older heads to then start to change the perspective of better quality players so that they can see coming here really is a good career move. If you think this can all be done in three weeks then you need to wake up, forget the coffee (and other drugs), and take a long hard look at the reality! Otherwise I suggest you visit your GP and get some medication because one or two around here are showing clear signs of clinical depression and truly need help.

From my perspective I am happy to wait for a better view of the big picture as it develops. The owners have been in, what, three weeks? the new manager less than two weeks? There is all sorts of rubbish and history to sort out let alone plan and implement a new future. Maybe, as an older supporter, I have learned to be a bit more patient and bit more realistic than some of you 'youngsters' who want everything now. Why not just give the guys a bit of time to sort things out before telling them if they are right or wrong?