gio1saints

Where do you get off repeatedly calling me a clown an idiot and an arsehole Because I say support the team and get off Jacks back?? Your inability to construct a sentence without turning it into a personal stream of nasty abuse is laughable. Yiu and I support the same team. Give it a rest with the insults.

RM said in interview THB was taken off cos was on a yellow. To avoid a red and us being down to ten. JS has been the go to CB since return from injury. No mystery.

Yeah great pride mate. 21 unbeaten. Never again. Carry on hating on Jack and being obnoxious to fellow saints instead though. 🤯.

Shock horror- Captain plays a semi duff match saints web forum condemns him to death. He’s our captain. He’s a human not a perfect machine. He has played well for us other times. Not so much today. Get over it with the overreaction and snide comments. SUPPORT YOUR SKIPPER you faithless lot. Alternately send SR a stern letter saying never pick him again you fickle football geniuses. 😕

My view on why we looked a bit dodgy second half was because that is literally the first time we’ve had the opportunity to “ manage” the game from a position of strength half time. Im not buying that the main reason is that Jack Stephens is shit - as some above would, ridiculously, have you believe. We did not fail the test. They did not score. We managed the match from that perspective. Am I happy at that bad playing especially latter stages- no- but all this outrage about what a shit captain we have. Get a grip of yerselves. A team 21 unbeaten best in all our history and all you got is our captain is shit - I literally cannot believe the lack of grace and class in our fanbase sometimes. Be grateful for once you entitled so an sos. You ain’t never gonna see this record beaten again in your lifetime - and you cannot just say “ well done team?” Yiu got to hate on the captain? With support like that who needs opponents. Pathetic really. You don't deserve this record breaking team.

There is a Lord! Finally someone gets it!!!

Interesting comments from RM in the DE about Joe. In particular about “ frying his brain”. This intensive training technique is what caused brain farts in the team early season - but I’m guessing with only 19 league matches to go RM doesn’t feel he’s got much choice if Joe is to get up to speed. All the same it suggests there is no chance he will be starting any time soon and unlikely to come on unless it’s dire straits or easy streets in a match last quarter. That RM has publicly ( almost gleefully, it seemed to me) noted how red faced Joe was after training suggested that the reaction and level of physical fitness evident in our team is high - because J had to work very hard to keep up. RM seemed to take that as a compliment. Combined with Flynn comments about how Joes presence had something of a galvanising effect on the squad in training ( by which I think he meant tackles were being put in extra speed extra urgency to show why Joe should not be taking there position in team/squad) and I can see the value of this recuitment even before Joe touches a ball in anger on the pitch. It’s a ( hopefully clever - proofs in the pudding) use of psychology to help extract that extra one or two per cent from the starting 11 today and rest of season. At low cost too.

There’s a weak connection to Stade Rennes and Jan B via Mercato.com on the interweb. Looks nothing but froth.

100% with you. The attitude on display is why I will always support saints. Sometimes it’s suppressed but like cream it eventually floats to the top. For me it’s more important than the results.

I am not extrapolating it. Stats are not a guarantee of future performance but it’s better than nothing - or pure opinion.

@Jack @Weston Super Saint Were Saints to achieve 96 points from all the matches bar Leeds, Ipswich, LCFC and WBA away it is not guaranteed automatic promotion - true. I simply pointed out that IF we had achieved that then the four matches were essentially freebies. Worst case 96 - best case 108. What number of points before points from playing those four do you think you could say - ah I see what Gio is getting at here - is it 98? 100 points 104? IF we won every match bar those four ( total points 100) do you still think 100 is not enough and that the matches are must win or not lose than than essentially freebies. It’s just a hypothetical discussion nothing to get too worried about. I personally feel 96/97 will be enough irrelevant where they come from but we shall see. Let’s hope we do get at least that! 😇

here we are c/o the Athletic: In the last ten years 96 points was going to get you second place. There was no surely about it. This year is a ridiculous outlier for top teams points hence my use of term “ surely” . “If we get 96 points this season surely it will be enough “ is not crazy logic. Second place finishes, 2014-2023 SEASON TEAM FINAL TALLY 2013-14 Burnley 93 2014-15 Watford 89 2015-16 Middlesbrough 89 2016-17 Brighton 93 2017-18 Cardiff City 90 2018-19 Sheffield United 89 2019-20 West Brom 83 2020-21 Watford 91 2021-22 Bournemouth 88 2022-23 Sheffield United 91

Now now T, when you are wrong yiu are wrong. Here, you are wrong. Put it this way, if it makes it clearer for you to understand, I wrote that 96 is SURELY enough for automatic. If your response to that is NO then your refutation ( though not inference regarding my state of mind) is valid. But if your response is YES or even probably or possibly yes then my post is entirely logical. And your retorts missing the point rather badly. surely yes to 96 means points from the 4 tough aways are essentially freebies. surely no to 96 means points from the 4 tough aways are not essentially freebies. IF 96 points is enough to get automatic it is irrelevant who we get them from. Please don’t get upset that you overlooked that simple logic. I know you take great care over the accuracy of your posts - especially the pictures which are often very pretty 😍

Bit sloppy for you T. Out of context you are 100% correct in saying the 4 matches away are essentially free hits. Of course they cannot be. What you sloppily missed, or deliberately ignored, is that I had prepared that comment with a specific context. That specific context was on the basis that we would achieve 96 points from the other matches, and that surely 96 points equals automatic. I’n which case the four away matches could be essentially free hits if we have 96. Perhaps you thought getting 96 from those other matches was crazy too? Ambitious but not crazy I’d say. Hope that’s cleared it up for you. Wouldn’t want you to be under the misapprehension that crazy logic was being used because I know how carefully you ( usually. ) construct your posts. 😁😇

Made me feel all emotional. Lovely fella. Great attitude. Proud he’s at Southampton. If he carries on playing scoring and assisting until end of season , ( helped by if Che & Stu stay til the end, ) I can see the Scotland Manager not having to do much thinking to realise Ryans experience, goals and assists make his inclusion in the euro squad an easy decision.

TBH I’m still a little perplexed at the implications of this signing. On first impression it’s a solid squad signing. But I’m still not convinced that’s all it means. I’m probably wrong but my radar is tingling.. It’s been in the works several weeks, apparently, according to Joe. The position he plays we already, arguably, have plenty strength in depth. He does not appear to have outstanding characteristics not already evident in current squad. That being the case, why is he here unless, I guess, there is an outgoing planned? And that outgoing is in the position Joe plays? Of the candidates: Joe Aribo is at Afcon and on a big wage ( like Stu). He’s been hinted at elsewhere on forum as a possible leaver but it’s hard to see that happening unless and until he gets back to UK - in which case it’s very last minute. He’d be my favourite to be the one going atm though ( IF anyone is outgoing that is) . Stu is prob leaving in six months - but would he be sold in this window if a good offer came in? The total absence of rumour is suspicious in itself given his status is exactly same as Che - for whom there’s loads of gossip. Second favourite for me to leave. Cant be Flynn. or Shea. Might be Will - but I very doubt Will would leave us having just got his mojo in the first team. Could be Charlie. Could be Charlie. Love Charlie but it could be him. I hopes not. please not. Anyhow, if nobody leaves it just means strength in depth for the last 19 plus cup games run in..hoping that’s what it is!

Which was the gist of my post. Nothing has changed. Real Madrid cannot go broke because they are backed by the Spanish government. Man City are 81% owned by the UAE. Paris SG etc etc etc. What has changed is that no new upstarts can join the club - which is I think your -and my - point. Give you example: In Italy there’s been a bunch of bribery scandals over the years. Juve got double demoted for it years back. Players get banned, key Directors disallowed and owners get sanctioned. But guess who are the top four clubs in Italy , still, despite “ crackdowns” on bribery? Now guess who the top four clubs in all the top European leagues are x years after FFP came into practice? All FFP has done, arguably, is fund holiday homes for lawyers and crystallise decades of corruptly funded inequality in football club ownership.

It’s just my rather cynical view on the corruption that is modern football ownership and the facilitating role the governing bodies have played. You only have to look at how Worlds Cups were ( and are) awarded. Fish rot from the head down. FFP was one of those “ look we are not as corrupt as all that” ideas that helped mask the reality - when in fact it’s been manipulated endlessly and has not achieved anything.

Exactly right, all of it. One KWP team re-jig implication of your post is that it might also open the door a little bit more for our mini KWP - Meg. He‘s being groomed for that and in the case of KWP going - and perhaps injury to either JB or RM, that may be accelerated. Silver linings etc I’ve never liked trying to convert tricky wingers into FB’s - only Ashley Young has done it to a high level as far as I’m aware but a wild thought 1% chance may be Sam Edozie. Despite his defensive naivety latterly he’s shown more nous ( one tracking back sliding challenge late on I recall was potentially goal saving) so wild as it may be, his trialling as a wing-back may also be enabled. He certainly has the attacking ability. Overall the most likely scenario were KWP sold aside from Plan A you describe above with JB ( and apart from the obvious borrowing a Chelsea / EPL FB on 6mth loan)is the use of JS or at a push MH at RB and a greater responsibility / reliance on Charlie, Stu, Aribo, Jo , Amo and KS for offensive take-on actions. The latter two most likely. NB and if the new RW comes in it would help if they know how to play/ defend in a PB system. With that context it makes Benson multiple boxes ticked so one can clearly understand our strong interest.

You may be right. But it’s a guess isn’t it so I don’t really know what’s your point on a thread dedicated to future next match possibilities?

Why ?

Ah those happy happy joyful and innocent times when Dell attendees up the Archers could sing “ you’re going home in a Hampshire ambulance “ or as a contrast but in the same vein : “ you’re gonna get your f@ckin heads kicked in” at full blast, gleefully, playfully, menacingly. indeed the Dell song sheets were long and glorious back then. Who could forget “Hullo, Hullo, Southampton Aggro Southampton Aggro hullo” or “ get into them” - a short but sweet ode revered as a comfort and joy bringer to the boot boys on the terraces. Ah halcyon times. Footballs got far too violent these days😂

To amuse myself I did a little breakdown on how many points I think we make this season. We have 10 away fixtures and 9 home fixtures left in this league. Of the 9 home fixtures none are against ITFC, LCFC, WBA or Leeds. The hardest seems to be Coventry, on current form. We’d be favourites to win every single one with the bookies but I might begrudgingly accept a draw or two - max . That’s 23-27 points from home matches that I think we are high probability to achieve. Running total using the median number of points (25) + 55 ( currently) = 80 points achieved from our remaining home fixtures. Of the 10 away fixtures we still need play ITFC, LCFC, WBA and Leeds. Those aside, there are six matches against teams like Swansea that, once again, I expect us to be favoyrites with the bookies to win but would begrudgingly accept a draw or two. Points from those six aways should be at least 14 -18. Running total using median number of points (16) + 80 ( from above) = 96 points. Would 96 be enough to go up automatically? Reasonsble argument to say it is. But I have not accounted for the four tough away matches. One win one draw and two defeats from those matches would see us on 100points. Surely you don’t get third on 100points? The point I’m making is that if Southampton take care of the home form and deal with the weaker teams away from home then those four harder fixtures are essentially free hits. Of course if Leeds or Ipswich go on a ridiculous run of form then it’s possible both they and LCFC get more than, say, 96 points but , of the two, Leeds look more likely. NB. I know we don’t get to play all the home matches in a row - have just made an assumption we retain our home form until end of season that’s all I will do the same prediction assessment for Leeds and Ipswich and add it here see what we get to…😁

I suspect that FFP was brought in to counter the accusation that buying and selling football clubs had become a giant international money laundering scheme. And that FIFA UEFA the EPL etc were not only allowing it but complicit. It’s all corrupt as hell.

Thing is, a team that has already got Reece James at RB hardly needs KWP. And he’s surely not a loan while Reece repairs?