redorwhitelion

Bugger

Good atmosphere yesterday, but I think numbers were inflated by a few Reading fans in the home end. Doesn't bother me much, tons of space and we might as well take their money off them if they sit there quietly. I was just puzzled by the guy next to me that brought his nipper along in club scarf and hat. To be fair they were pretty well behaved (and he was just a kid), but hardly inconspicuous. Having been on the other side of that particular fence I think I might have made more effort to appear neutral, especially if I wanted to be sure of getting through the turnstile and not atrracting the attention of some 18 stone idiot when Reading inevitably score a late goal.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/dec/28/southampton-reading-championship-football. Not just Modern Matron and David Armstrong, put members of the national media with no previous conceptions of any of our players I assume. Some of your points are bang on, why Holmes kept coming inside I really don't know. Perhaps he wasn't fit enough to run up and down the touch line all afternoon yet, but please stay wide. We looked much stronger with BWP and McClaggon. Time to take the blinkers off when you're watching McGoldrick though, some games he hasn't been great, certainly when put out wide, but I actually think he quite strong (compare against Robertson at Charlton) and he does come and link play up. He'll never be a headless Ormerod type player and nor should he try to be. He's got a lot to learn I just hope he learns quickly enough and takes confidence from the praise he's recived from almost all quarters today. BTW - I would give the FA coach/fan thing a rest, it is a touch patronising to the 95% of the people who read this board (and don't necessarilly post) and know the game backtofront.

Have Stoke played at Fratton Park yet? That would be brilliant, on an otherwise depressing weekend, Danny Guthrie did provide me with a little smile.

Surely the question isn't JP, Billy Davies or Nigel Pearson. A more pressing issue is stability or change. I was against Pearson being removed (I'm with Berkhamstead 80% - but Pearson was clearly pushed), but equally I'm against the removal of JP. We've chosen a course and to have to follow it for more than 5 months to have any chance of success in the long term. We all knew that the best we could hope this season was to tread water and stay out of administration. Achieve 50 points, which we seem capable of (Jan transfer window depending) and we then look for gradual year on year growth, both on the pitch and on the balance sheets. Davies is an arse and I'm prepared to chance it slightly, rather than welcome Davies' ultra aggressive version of the game, not that I think any degree of success is guaranteed under his stewardship. Its easily overlooked that NP win ratio wasn't actually very high and he only keep us up by the skin of his teeth, the mistake there was not to allow him to develop what he started. Lets not be guilty of starting that cycle all over again (unless Lowe gets bought out and we start again with billions in the bank - not bloody likely).

As it was a foul the FA were always going to "repsect" the referee's judgement at the time. I kind of see why, as it starts to become a matter of opinion on how severe the foul was rather than a matter of fact. The real injustice was the behaviour of Saturday's ref, his eagerness to get his red card out and a seeming desire to be the most important person on the park. A trap that a certain personality types, that are seemingly attracted to minor positions of power, regularly fall into.

Seen it for a second time now. Free-kick to Wolves a quick word will Euell was all that was needed. Both players slid in for a lose ball and Euell got there second. Well done ref, you made sure you became the centre of attention and got all the dissent decisions right, you can go home to your wife and bore her with your insights into rule 47(b) sub-clase 1 and why technically you we spot-on and that the rest of the world doesn't and couldn't possibly understand the rules as well as you. I bet you're dead proud of yourself. Luckily you can't book me for calling you an obnoxious **** with dictator's complex. The kind of pompus moron who's style of referring thatgives all those poor sods that pull on the black polyester every weekend a bad name.

Harvey - read my post again. I'm not expecting miracles or even any extra points due to the Pulis signing, merely making more general point about the reactions to transfers over the years. I'm resisting hard to enter personal arguments on a mere web-site, but its that kind of repsonse that doesn't seek to engage or reason (rather just put down a belittle any opininion even appraoching or toying with a minority position) that probably deters many, myself included, from posting regularly on this board.

If Saints losing ruins one Saints fans weekend then I'm against it. If someone has travelled from overseas to see their one game a season or a six year old is going to their first game who are we to hope our own team get beat.

To be fair to the original poster I don't think he was directly comparing Marsden to Pulis. Personally, I don't expect Pulis to make much impact, but I do remember people questioning why Dave Jones was signing a fringe player from Birmingham City. I was living in Brum at the time and remember some blue-noses rubbing their hands with glee at the £800,000 Saints shelled out for him. The rest, as they say, is history. Heres hoping Pulis exceeds expectations, mine included, its nice to see just a glimmer of hope here from some contributors.

He doesn't do himself with all the crap he talks. Yo-yoing between Pompey and Saints and then referring to Fratton Park as his spiratual home, before hot-footing it off to Spurs, proclaiming them to be his childhood team. This comes after previously stating he was a Gunner as a kid and playing up to ****ney stereotypes whilst at West Ham. His management record stands up, but as a person I wouldn't trust anyone with such a suspiciously saggy face. He's inherited a golden egg at Spurs, a good squad in need of a bit of love and attention. Had Spurs been in Saints position with a threadbare squad, this year's equivalent of Olivier Bernard wouldn't have saved Spurs.

In a way it'll mean more to those lucky enough to receive a shirt that the players knowingly copped a relatively small fee by their standards (although for the likes of Gobern £45 may still be a fair amount) to show their gratitude. Out of curisity I wonder how many times shirts get recycled for match day duty, or if it gets reused as training kit?

Unfortunately that looks like very solid logic to me.

What a lark, chuffed for the kids who played today, chuffed for the lads and lasses that bothered to haul their arses up the M6 this morning. See you in the Championship next season fish ****ers. (Sorry couldn't resist it - I'd forgotten this buzz existed!)

Not great news, but how many league goals has SJ got this season? Hardly the nail in Saints coffin this season.

What stood out tonight is the ongoing assumption that Cole is a better leftback than Bridge. Considering he has only played a few minutes of league football and didn't have a recognised left midfielder in front of him I though he did a sterling job at the back. And while the plaudits go to Gerrard and Rooney his role in the third goal shouldn't be overlooked. Bridge for England (and if I was a Chelsea fan I might be asking some questions as well)!!!

Thanks for the patronising reply.

Ian Holloway jumps up and down like a ****, but I wouldn't want him at St Mary's.

To quote Kipling ""Success and failure are the same impostor". The point being with a team of 20 year olds we are going to go from short winning streaks to a good thumping. We'll probably dish out two or three ourselves at some point. We all know its going to be a long old season, but however disapointing it is to be beaten 4-1 at Coventry I don't see it as the death knell. To the same extent that wins against Doncaster and Norwich are no indication of a renaissance. A true test may well be at home to Watford in two weeks, but having said that to win, lose or draw that fixture will not condemn or secure either club.

Sounds good to me, maybe minus Wise. Although having heard some Spanish commentators the signings Newcastle made are thought very highly of. Newcastle fans are responsible for 90% of the problems there, unrealistic expectations and an insular outlook on the world. I'd welcome a man with money to clear our debts and significant amounts left to spend on playing staff in the next window. Can't see it happening though.

I don't recall any foreign players in the team in the late 80s early 90s, when we had the likes of Le Tiss, Rod Wallace, Dodd, Flowers and Ruddock.

McGoldrick ain't no wide player that's for sure. BWP, was equally crap in that position, but at least gave the impression he was giving his best in a position that's not his own. McGoldrick just seemed to give up after a while (quite a short while), in both an attacking and a defensive sense. I felt sorry for Mills early on, with the complete lack of protection he was offerd by McGoldrick on his debut.