suewhistle

Normally it's us older people who are miserable gits, but on here the younger ones are taking over. The advantage of a bit of experience is that we can put things into a slightly wider perspective. So home performances have been disappointing and we haven't made, and more particularly, taken enough chances, but it's all getting a bit overwrought and exaggerated here. A change after one year isn't going to resolve issues, will cost and be disruptive. Just like some of the players we need to allow a bit of time. A season without Europe and the rotation that involved, important players back from injury, some stability and a judicious signing could all make a big difference. That will be a truer test to see if we can get to a final, finish higher than eighth AND play sparkling, scoring football.

They may be nibbles but I don't think many get hooked mind. It'll be interesting to see the approach next season when we don't have all the extra games and some of our overseas players have bedded in a bit more and know what to expect. Remember that we can't afford to buy the finished article so would hope to benefit from improvement in our young players. Two more wins to see off this season would be nice..

That's about it, I feel; he's responding to the questioners. I'd be disappointed if he didn't continue, and disappointed if that extra experience didn't help us improve.

Hmm. Don't think Brighton is much easier than Southampton, plus it's Southern if you're going by train! Best join London Saints if you aren't already a member as they might help on ticket availability?

I have to say I'm confused. Rotation is bad, but some players need to be dropped because they're not playing well. But other players need to have a good long run in the side or they'll be 'rusty' and won't perform adequately. We shouldn't drop our best players, but others need to be given a chance. But we don't want rotation.. Is that a fair summary? Shane Long fairly sums up the position the club are in. Somebody with his speed who could also finish would be beyond our pocket. As it is, it's a team game and he worked hard, made an assist, made a penalty and the rest of the story we know, and it's a pretty fair metaphor for the wider situation. Tadic, one of our more creative players missed a penalty the other day, and didn't we all know that would happen? I hope we score a few on Wednesday, as it would be satisfying against a club who buy our player and then drop him following injury and lack of form. I mean, what's £30m, they'll just go and buy someone else. That's what we're competing against.

They've always helped us with our perspective from our dizzy heights, so have been most useful. I thought you were going to have Eastleigh as your local point of reference at one stage. Disparaging opinions of Portsmouth will always be welcome, from whatever level!

Wednesday may be interesting. We gave some of our better players a bit of a rest yesterday and hopefully Manchester will rest some of their better players on Wednesday. Frankly anybody moaning about the absence of Gabbiadini needs to have a second look at the situation (to put it politely). From what I saw of the game we never looked in trouble, and there was none of that real stress about whether they'd get an equaliser. Gone are the days as a Saints fan when you couldn't relax even with a 3-0 lead!

I've renewed mine. Biggest hit of the year on my credit card, but with good timing won't have to pay until July. I'm not sure I really debated the issue with myself, but as next season is likely to be my last actually playing on a Sunday afternoon I'm just hoping for not too many date changes and better football. We're about where we should be for the stature of the club - it's just that I want to be on my feet a few more times a season..

I'm semi-retired so had my normal Friday, up a bit slowly after the first football training session for _next_ season! The day enlivened by the delivery of a wood-fired pizza oven and trying it out. Soon got stuffed with my experimental pizzas and am still suffering from indigestion. Did one language lesson earning valuable foreign currency and another student postponed. My squeeze didn't come round tonight due to other commitments so here I am, still sober. Still wondering mind, how I coped when I worked full time.

As far as I can see Pluto has an agenda against the whole club.Best ignore, I'm going back to my pre match pint.

Crikey. That's going to make running the channels difficult. Perhaps they're designed to prevent Long going offside by curving his runs?

Yeah. On Southsea Common. That would be exciting!

Good mix of goals: striker's tap ins, powerful runs and shots and some cracking headers, as you would hope. Worth a look at in a better team at a better level!

Well, I didn't see the game, due to family duties, but that doesn't stop other people commenting and wibbling on. Seems like a disciplined performance, with the players undertaking their disciplinary duties well. (I saw some of Palace's defending the other day, which was a complete contrast!) Our lack of bite up front is a worry. We know Gabbi has the ability but we don't appear to be supporting him well enough. Tadic and Boufal can both be exciting players, and from the latter I'm sure there's a lot more to come as he realises what this league requires and his decision making improves, but on the pitch together it's not happening. Don't know about you lot but I still look forward to games as I prefer a more optimistic view on life, so roll on Wednesday and a game under lights. I'm also going to take the optimistic view that Southern won't cancel the last train home, as in spite of my outlook I still find a mild liquid sedative beforehand helps... And surely Ken Dodd's dad's dog's dead.

Carrying too many passengers??

I heard it was one in each hand. I wasn't told what though..

Fifteen miles? As the crow flies one presumes. Ground share anyone?

I would have thought the close season is when they'd spend the money on maintenance? I do hope anybody engaged to work on the ground gets their money upfront. Perhaps no need for finance "in the next few months" is because that's _at least_ how long it will take them to get round to paying..

Some people on here need that as a tattoo..

I still blame my poor results in my Southampton University finals on the day and its aftermath!

They seem to have a vague understanding that a budget is a list of spending categorised under different headings. The active part of budgeting and monitoring seem always to have escaped them.

That pic made I laff.

S**t. They've obviously go e somewhere cheaper!

Anybody know Ben Winslade? He's left his ticket and sunnies on a table at shamrock Quay.

Me too: just miss a statement date, it'll appear on the June one and pay at the beginning of July after my end of the month income. There's obviously not the attraction of European football and it would be interesting to know how many bought for that reason.