St Louis

For me, it 100% comes down to what the playing squad think…. If (and it’s a big if, and I’d assume not likely) they want him to stay, and feel they want to give it another go next season with a siege mentality and all stick together, then I would be happy for him to stay (the football played and the results he got, make him a better option than the risk and upheaval of a new manager) But… If (and I assume it’s most likely) they are disgusted by it all and want him gone and can’t forgive him for taking their chance away, then I want him gone. Bielsa did the same remember (it was only the punishment was lesser) and he was forgiven and loved again (like a god) by the Leeds fans (and media!)

Saturday's Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final between Hull City and Middlesbrough will kick-off at 15:30. Should the outcome of the ongoing appeal process result in the Final being contested by Hull City and Southampton, the kick-off time for the fixture will remain at 16:30.

EFL Update:

Never been to Portsmouth? (Or Middlesbrough?)

SPYGATE LIVE 🤪 For those interested in wasting another day hitting refresh.... https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/26118726.spygate-live---middlesbrough-southampton-play-off-verdict/

No, they don’t. They have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that we were attempting to cheat (on that occasion and potentially more). I think we all know there’s truth in it, just not the severity (and how much it’s been exaggerated hopefully by the sensationalist media). So we just await what they think is fair punishment for that.

This is genuinely true... my best mate just bumped into a Saints attacking midfielder (who might be Irish) in a department store in London (he sent me photo evidence) and had a quick chat. When asked, the unnamed player said 'Weve been told it will be a fine and we expect to play the final'. I know that he cant really say much to a random fan, and its just a useless snippet, but thought worth sharing 🤭 I'm hoping he might have said 'we dont know anything yet' if they werent confident... or am I clutching at straws!?

Excuse the ChatGPT, but I couldn't remember myself Southampton F.C. were initially allocated 35,667 tickets for the 2024 Championship Play-off Final against Leeds United at Wembley Stadium. A few days later, Wembley released an additional 1,233 tickets to Southampton after the initial allocation sold out, taking the total Saints allocation to approximately 36,900 tickets. The total attendance for the final was 85,862, which was actually the best-attended Championship play-off final in about a decade.

I know we don't have long to wait to find out, but the last few years have been... Year Kick-off time 2025 3:01pm 2024 3:00pm 2023 4:45pm 2022 4:30pm 2021 3:00pm (Covid restrictions) 2020 7:45pm (Covid restrictions, behind closed doors) 2019 3:00pm 2018 3:00pm

Team bus is due to arrive 90 mins before KO, so 6.30pm (but against WBA the coaches were running late due to the crowds lining the streets and the red smoke filling the skies!) So I guess people will congregate around 6.20'ish at the Ted Bates Statue. There are a few fan zones around the stadium now (with the Northam Fan Zone the largest) and beer trucks dotted around too (no charge to get into them, just wander in). There will be fans everywhere around the stadium tonight, as people will be arriving a few hours earlier than normal to greet the bus (and maybe 'welcome' the Boro one too!), so plenty of fans to have a natter with. Enjoy the game, and here's hoping we can all celebrate after the game too

I couldn't see a thread yet discussing the Home Leg of the Playoff games, so here we are.... Tickets secured today, didnt seem to be too many left and quite a wait in the waiting room before having the option to purchase. Let's hope we are still well in the tie following the 1st leg this Saturday. COYS!

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I dont think its a tricky question, and the answer is No, it wouldn't/shouldn't be seen as failure (despite any disappointment). He can only make a difference in the part of the season he has managed, and we've scored more than anyone else and have more points than anyone else, and had a cup run to the semi-final (beating 2 Prem teams along the way... and nearly a 3rd). So his achievement has been incredible, whether we lose out in the lottery of the playoffs or not. To even get us to the Playoffs was unthinkable when he took over the sinking ship.

Not being pedantic, just questioning Luggy's memory... as he was never in our Youth Team, we signed him at 20 and straight into the Premier League first team. He'd just scored 39 goals in 42 games as a striker for his previous two clubs. I don't think he was ever a defender?

Firstly, I'm not defending Still for one second.... But statements like this are just ridiculous. You have no idea what was said behind closed doors!? Maybe Still was also telling the board that Bazunu wasnt good enough, maybe they listened and started looking at Peretz who wasnt available at that time, etc and told him they would work on bringing one in for him in January, but make do for now and see how it goes (which they did). You have no idea either that Tonda didn't rate Bazunu and demanded a quick change, as others have said, the managers have less say than ever in these things.