St Louis

Harry Redknapp Ruper Lowe Nicola Cortese Jeremy Corbyn Ronald Macdonald

Sorry I wasn't directing that solely at you, yours was just the most recent post to quote However.... - You seem to think Les holds all of the power and thats simply not true. The owners/financial board decide what bids to accept (with some input from Les). - You say he lost the best manager in the league in Poch!? Again, how was that his fault? Im sorry, but look at Spurs now... Poch knew that the opportunity was bigger there and resigned from the club. - He got lucky with Koeman!? Did he really? Looks a shrewd appointment to me and a great judgement that he would fit well with Saints, as he hadnt been great in his last role. And FWIW I know of a few senior members of staff at the club who have all told me that Koeman fell out with most at the club. - You didnt say you 'expected' him to stay, but you clearly think VVD 'should' be staying and that Les is just "stripping the first team of star players and fan favourites every year purely to make dosh and weaken the team" - otherwise what exactly are you blaming Les for? The point Im trying to make is that the club is a lot bigger than Les Reed, there are people higher up the food chain who make the big financial decisions, trust me. The club are able to attract players of this calibre and potential, because we do allow them to use us as a stepping stone. Its a win-win as we get to use these great talents, get unbelievable league finishes (6th, 7th & 8th is superb for a club as small as us) and also reap the financial benefits when they move on. Its a bit cr*p I know, as we keep seeing our favourite players leave, but I cant see it changing. Spain have it with their Top 2 and we have it with our Top 6 or 7 - there is a pecking order. P.S I have a Mrs and kids at home, so I have no need to come here for an argument. I just wanted to point out that this is not Les Reed's fault, as easy as it his to blame him.

And im sorry but no Director of Football (or whatever Les is) in the world could keep a player of that class with those ambitions at a club like Saints for the long term. Its always going to be inevitable and a matter of 'when' they leave, with every superstar we grow/develop (unless we get investment the size of Man City one day).

I love Saints as much as the next man, but please can we get some perspective here.... - Firstly, of course VVD would want to leave for a club that are far bigger than us, will triple his wages and offer him CL football. He is not a Hampshire boy, he's been here 5 minutes. - VVD probably does love it here at Saints, but its impossible to turn down such a great opportunity, so it saddens me to say it, but I do understand his motives. - How is this Les Reed's fault? I am sure he rates VVD as much as we do and would love for him to stay, but if the player wants to go we all know how this ends. - And if it is a financial decision solely (and nothing to do with VVD's head being turned) then those decisions sit with Kat, the CFO, potential new investors, etc. Football is sadly not as it was 10-20 years ago, when Le Tiss says he turned down the big boys as they were only offering £200 a week more than he got at Saints. He admits himself that the story would probably be different between him and Saints in the modern era. I'd be gutted to see VVD go as I think he is genuinely 'world class', I'd be even more gutted if its to Liverpool (as I despise the club and their deluded fans) but lets not throw all the blame at Les Reed! He just seems an easy target to vent our anger at, when the reality is that he probably wants him here a lot more than the money men/women at the club....

I think Caceres may be annoyed to have been released, as he's just deleted all Saints related pics from his social media, very strange.

I appreciate that the style of our football has been pretty dour this season, but I just cant shake this 'be careful what you wish for' feeling at the moment. I may be completely wrong, but talk of more change (manager and ownership) makes me feel nervous, as I just have a horrible feeling that over the next few seasons we could be wishing for the days of top half finishes and cup finals. We may have the occasional peak season like last year where we finish 6th, but lets be realistic... most seasons will see Chelsea, Spurs, Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool and probably Everton finish above us, so finishing 8th is a great achievement and not one I think we can better regularly. The 'best of the rest' clubs probably look at us enviously. I also cant see us having a squad as strong as we've had over the last few years for some time, we had a great crop that came through the divisions (Lallana, Schneiderlin, Fonte, etc) and we added to it brilliantly (Mane, Pelle, Wanyama, Clyne, etc) and im not so sure thats going to be easy to replicate. Losing your best players every year will catch up wth you eventually, the law of averages tells you that we will sign a few duffs as replacements (some may say thats happened in the last 12 months) A new manager may inject some much needed life into the squad/club, but please dont assume it will... traditionally, regular manager changes usually sees a club head downwards (unless you are Chelsea!). So I'm not a Puel In or a Puel Out man right now.... I'm just bloody confused and undecided! Anyone else in that camp? *Puts on tin hat*

Is that his mother or wife?

I think the point GITR was making is that he's not got the job, but is the early front runner. Odds on leader with all bookies currently, not just the Moose

+ 1 - It's just so Chelsea, and a nod to their roots. No need to always move with the times

Liverpool with no losses and sitting on top.... Zzzzzz

Done - good luck.

I know I only have half a story here sorry, but... I had lunch with the Sponsorship Manager a couple of weeks back, and he said he saw the 17/18 kits back in November and liked them both a lot. Unfortunately he wouldn't give me any indication of the designs or even away colours (despite me begging!) But it is all done and signed off and ready to go, so it does make you wonder why we always have to wait until June/July!?

Just out of interest (as I'd rather drink with majority Saints fans) why do you think this pub will be full of Mancs? Am I missing something?

Thanks all! Feedback I've had on here and elsewhere is that a few Saints fans are heading for The Globe in Marylebone for midday, before heading nearer the stadium (maybe The Green Man) as kickoff approaches: http://www.taylor-walker.co.uk/pub/globe-marylebone/c1018/ Its opposite 'Baker Street Tube', so only 2 stops from Wembley Park on the Metropolitan Line: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf For those that fancy it, see you in there! COYS! Address: 43 to 47 Marylebone Road, Marylebone, London, NW1 5JY

For those going to Wembley this weekend, where are people planning on drinking pre-match? Somewhere central but on the Wembley line? Or somewhere near the stadium? Any recommendations? Cant wait!

Yep and he's probably right, but as MLT has stated, he is being disruptive and apparently a new level of arrogance surrounds him since the Euros.

Le Tissier isn't wrong, this is from a senior Director.... Jose has been a nightmare and the club have had enough. Undermining the manager, not training well, wants to be on £100k a week because he feels he is the best player. Wrote a formal letter to the board stating the midfield is not good enough. Getting others like Bertrand to undermine. The club feel he has influenced poor performances because of his attitude and negativity, some other players are complaining about him.

Thanks Whitey, at least that means there are still tickets at the minute then.

Does anyone have any idea how well this match is selling? I understand we've been given around 5,650 tickets, and the club are selling to STH's first who have attended so many away games, and if any are left their will be an announcement next week. https://southamptonfc.com/matches/2016-17/efl-cup/liverpool-v-saints-2017-01-25/ticket-info I'm a Member who has been to 2 of the 3 EFL games so far, but am unsure whether I have any hope of getting a ticket or not. I happen to be in the North West on business that week, so would love to go along to the game. (If there is a STH who can't go and would like to help me out, I'd happily pay above the odds for a ticket and be eternally grateful)

I dont get on here enough to know which people are the jokers, who is being sarcastic, etc so sorry if Ive bitten here..... Are you talking about the same Alan Pardew who has guided Crystal Palace's most expensively ever assembled squad to the lowest points total of all 92 league teams in 2016? With just 6 wins? Against our new manager who has had to pick up a squad who had lost Mane, Pelle and Wanyama and has guided us to 7th at Christmas and in our first proper Semi Final for years!!? Given there is an obvious 'Big 6' in the Premier League, is 7th not a massive achievement and basically puts us top of our league?

Thanks all. A quick complaint to eBay and I got a refund (and to keep the unoffical programme). Ive been to a few La Liga and Bundesliga games and never found a programme, maybe its more of a British thing?

Thanks, but I already have your fanzine Its help with the official matchday programme I need.

Random question.... but did any of my fellow Saints happen to buy an official matchday programme whilst at the San Siro? I bought one on eBay (for £13.95 inc P&P) and its turned up looking very fake! Its only got 8 flimsy pages and is really bad print quality (feels shiny, but a poor print and not all aligned). The (Dutch) guy I have bought it off is adamant its legit and that he bought it at the stadium, but i'm not convinced. I have raised it as an issue with eBay, but he is asking for me to send proof in a picture that his isnt real, but showing him what it should look like. So I wondered if anyone would be so kind as to confirm if there's is similar or even upload a pic on here of there San Siro programme? Thanks so much in advance! This is a link to the cover that ive been sent: http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/images/g/jjwAAOSwpLNYBIHJ/s-l225.jpg

Its a weird one right now, it feels like a big transition season (Puel will do great given time) but I do really think our defence is too good for us to go down. The bottom 4 have all conceded 20+ and we've only conceded 12 so far. But because we dont score enough, we will continue to lose the odd game against the likes of Hull, as we will get punished from time to time (we've only scored more than 6 teams) for not taking chances or making possession count. I dont think the original poster deserved to be shot down like he was either, as we are nearly a third of the way through the season, and like it or not we are only 3 points above the drop zone. So although I think we will be fine and finish mid-table, we do need to watch ourselves and go on another little run (having won only 1 in our last 5).

Personally it felt a little weird that we had lost a game, even against one of the 'big boys', so I think this shows how far we have come as a club. We have been on a fantastic run, the whole squad have been playing well, the manager has us playing a great style of football... can we just brush this one under the carpet and move on for now, no need to panic