Miltonaggro

Traditionally the football was used as a social safety valve, a place where you could escape the drudge of hard work and express yourself, say what you like, with likeminded people for a couple of hours a week. I get that the modern game has been corporatised, sanitised and watered down over the past 25 to 30 years but for a great many supporters it’s still tribal, it still matters, it’s about personal and cultural identity. If it wasn’t I doubt many people in our city would ‘choose’ to support Southampton, with much better, more reliable ‘service providers’ available. The comparison to other services just doesn’t work, and I personally I couldn’t give a shit as to how those around me get their bang for buck paying an extortionate amount to watch second rate tripe, a broad church doesn’t have to be evangelical!

I think those kind of numbers would take an entire season, but I admire your passion and optimism

A few years back I often used to bump into Dave and his missus shopping. He would always give a nod of the head and she would smile, seemed a close couple and very genuine people. Age wont be a comfort here, and he'll be devastated, I hope he has close family and friends for support. Sincere condolences and all positivity to him, old school Saints through and through.

We conceded 73 last year, so a real chance to improve exponentially under Russ!

By Christmas he’ll look like Bob Geldoff!

Whist being the most zen man in Europe...

When we went down I posted that Sport Republic needed to avoid trying to ‘think outside the box’ in the championship. There is an existing template. Bring in a manager who can galvanise support and focus on power and experience through the spine of the team. Don’t overthink, Luton got promoted from this league FFS! Essentially replicate what Leibherr and Cortese did via Pardew and Adkins the last time we hit the buffers. Build confidence in the punch-drunk fanbase and actually get back to the prem before trying to revolutionise it. Most of the traditional fanbase seemed to want this in one form or another. Instead, it seems that the Board are pushing a version of what we saw last year, and the fanbase is currently seeing what they are not. The atmosphere at St Mary’s was pretty decent v Norwich and QPR compared to recent seasons, but it’s apparent to the watching public that there are more problems than players ‘getting used to the system’. I like Martin, he seems a good man, but he was a punt after Maresca turned us down. Unless things resolve relatively quickly it feels like the atmosphere is going to get toxic much quicker than it did last season.

If Sports Replublic go for an ex Brighton manager he’ll need the goldmine effect and to intellectually exist well outside the box, my money would be on Sami Hyypia (23%).

Martin’s renowned close control, primarily in terms of hairstyling, should provide inspiration for Walker-Peters who has lost his way recently.

The plot thickens 😂

Alternatively, if we are going down the Miss Marple route, maybe Wilcox and Board didn’t want to back his judgment beyond Manning - this season’s Bree? Guess is Piroe and Grimes would have put a big dent in the recoup!

More like Mrs Slocombe!

His mind seems elsewhere, may improve once the lawsuit against Tony & Guy is settled in his favour.

Jason Wilcox needs to rein it in a bit!

I think with Wilcox in the senior overseeing role it’s a case of actions speak louder than words. I like the cut of his jib so far, decent summer window for a punch-drunk relegated championship club, and think he buys into the realist football as a ‘results driven business’ ethic. He’s seeing what we are seeing and if it continues to the detriment of the club then he’s either going to intervene or double down - I think it will be the former when it happens. When RM was appointed it was a punt, not clear whether he’s the Board’s man or JW’s and doesn’t really matter now, here we are. At the time I thought they’d likely give Martin until December even if we were off pace. Jones had 14 games, Selles 17, Martin has had 7. Would be surprised at an intervention until the end of this year but heigh ho!

Back in May I would have gone for Veira, and likely he would have chosen us over Strasbourg. Think he would have been tailor made for us in this league - c’est la vie!

The trolleys at Asda Pontypridd beckon.

Is he a DJ now?

Were you watching his positioning and the way he was marshalling defenders at set pieces, also presence when Saints were attacking? I thought he looked like a solid all round pro. Our ‘forwards’ seemed to get fuck all change out of him!

Thanks for that, was going from the programme. Your keeper looked a fucking unit last night.

Conceding at home after twenty seconds is a disgrace. Doing so after being torn apart by also rans in the last game exacerbates that. Vardy ‘celebrated’ by running towards the family section goading and laughing at the home fans. How do you think other large provincial clubs should or would react to those two variables? How would Leeds or Boro or Sunderland fans react per se? If that little rat Vardy had tried that the last time we were in this division he would have got a more ‘traditional’ reaction. I thought that the home crowd stayed loyal and onside until the debacle developed in the second half. The Leicester fans were extremely quiet at 2-1 and only came to life when it was clear they were playing men v boys. How much shit should saints fans take before they’ve had enough humiliation to complain. Our fans are not difficult. They are nervous, passive and cynical because they are bloody punch drunk.

You have to say for play to Maresca as his side were everything Saints were supposed to be last night. Positioning, nous, pace, and desire. If ever you want a textbook illustration of men versus boys this was it, watching the rat faced fuck Vardy bullying Taylor-Bellis and laughing at our defenders and fans off the ball was the icing on the cake. Every time we threatened there were two ranks of defenders and a keeper in Hermandsen who looked like a brick shithouse, organising and resetting what was in front of him. Last night we looked like a league one team who had drawn a Premier League side in the cup. Another point was that it seems that Leicester have managed to galvanise their remaining‘prem quality’ players post transfer window whereas ours, Adams, KWP, Alcaraz and Sulemana (aside from his 20 min showreel) looked like they’d rather be anywhere else than at st Mary’s. Martin should be able to get a tune out of this lot in this league, and a genuine rocket and reaction against Ipswich is a minimum to indicate competence and signal hope!

Quite, quite beautiful. This sonnet could easily extend to several verses: Fuck off Westwood you inbred nonce God bless Chris Marsden, star baldy bonce Bernie Terrapin level at least.

Agree, and looking forward to it, even after Sunderland. Think we will win 2-1.

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