OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint

Reckon you're right. Us Saints Plus members didn't get a look in, so tickets were nowhere near going on general sale. Pity, because some clubs could do with extra revenue from visiting fans (extra 1,000 fans @ £25 per ticket is £25k on ticket sales alone).

And what nations are these? Most of Latin America runs their football season similar to Europe, African leagues run from September to June but yes, we'd cock up the Australian season! The only reason they won't play the World Cup in the the Middle East in summer is it's too hot. So we all have to kow tow to the Middle East because they have the cash. Sod that.

What it needs is for the English, Spanish, Italian, German & French leagues to get together and say 'you're not going to cock up our winter leagues again, we're not going'....but sadly, that won't happen.

Think we paid about £10m. That's quite a gamble. Given we forked out £22m for Sulemana, a fully fit Stewart would probably still have been in our price range. Problem is, now SR have spent that money, I can't see them buying another striker until Che goes.

Guess you meant November/December, but Stewart bears all the hallmarks of a Jay Rodriguez. Jay was never the same after his injury and the crystal ball is saying Stewart will start by playing sub for a few games then get injured again. I'm more annoyed with SR paying a relative fortune for someone who is crocked. Being too clever for their own good. Surely the scouts could have identified a couple of lower league players who have ability and the physiology to be trained up to the fitness required in the Championship and Premiership. Sell Che in January and there's still time to find them.

And can't see RM changing that stat. His ego suggests he is always looking for a bigger and better club so if we do well, he'll be off and if we don't get promoted he will probably also be out.

Like you and Turkish have said, we're definitely improving. That's not entirely down to RM. There's understanding all over the pitch, there's confidence in keeping a lead and there's that eagerness to find a winner/equaliser. RM's style, which initially seemed to be interpreted as building from the back and then when nothing was on, pass sideways or backwards, has morphed. He seems to have twigged we have the fastest wingers in the League and they're being used to good effect. With more speed, there's also more intent and looking for the through ball. And his subs make an impact.

And as a Saints Plus member living near London, I could get tickets to Chelsea when they allocated 3,000 for away fans, but I can't get tickets to Millwall when they allocate 3,000 seats to away fans.

One of my most depressing football memories was League 1 Saints losing 4:1 to Premiership Portsmouth in the FA Cup around 2010. Like Toussaint has said, we've had some great thrills this year, but the novelty will die off if we stay in the Championship. I'd always prefer to be bottom of the top class and look for improvement than be top of the second class.

Must admit, thought Manning, Smallbone & AA were the first names on RM's teamsheets, so fair play to RM in keeping with Bree after his Preston performance. After today, Manning should find it even harder to get back in to the team.

Always disliked Richarlison but him and Maddison are playing really good stuff this evening. Glad to see Hojbjerg is as crap as ever.

Manning has been pretty awful for us in a lot of games this season, so there's a bit of irony in him being suspended then weakens the team. I'd prefer to keep KWP where he is because he's been playing really well at right back, so don't change it. Bree has played left back for Luton so surely he can do a job there. At the pre-season match at Reading, the lads next to us had the chant: "James Bree, his name is a cheese; James Bree his name is a cheese"...which must be up there as one of the most moronic chants ever...but could we hear it again at Preston?

Yeah, fair play to those who got there. From all accounts, the trains were crap, the roads were blocked and yet on the stream, you could hear our fans well before we scored the second.

Without not wanting to sound too melodramatic, that's the first game in many years that I felt the team truly believed in themselves and that they could find a winner. Yes we got lucky a couple of times, but those subs were spot on and the way we played those last 15/20 minutes was brilliant.

Anyone know how the lower tier tickets are selling? They don't go on sale to Saints Plus members until the 23rd October. Thought I'd get to see more games around London in the Championship, but if anything, it's harder to get away tickets than in the premiership. Guess there's always Preston in midweek 😏

You're right Charlie. These stats are just guff. Surely Challenger's is the point. RM was brought in because this is the style of football the higher echelons want us to play. The best outcome I can see is we play a couple of Leeds type games where the direct approach pays dividends and it dawns on the manager and more important, the board, that is the style that wins games and not the passing sideways at the back hoping for an opening. The first 20 minutes of the second half against Rotherham was criminal.

There was a time when the Saints players were one of the best pub darts teams in Southampton. Then, they'd mix with the fans, give as good as they got and would take a little criticism. Nowadays, players/managers are cosseted and in many respects divorced from the fanbase. Martin no doubt tells them they smashed the possession stats and they believe their own hype. Downes was probably genuinely surprised that a sub standard, lethargic display got a booing because they don't see it that way and understand what us fans want.

Must be up there as one of the vilest runts that ever played for us. There must be a book in the boardroom of rules to follow on how to do smart arse purchases of players which they all pick up because it's true, we regularly sign crocks hoping they're not truly crocked. Only Danny boy did the business. I remember the phase when we brought in the ageing stars (eg Kevin Keegan) and that worked better.

One poster wrote that with a couple of wins behind him, RM probably felt it a chance to re-establish his brand of possession football. After we went ahead, it certainly looked like we were holding on to the ball and asking Rotherham to chase it. Why can't he see that's a recipe for failure? Apart from the fact that you don't change a winning team, I'm concerned he keeps making the wrong substitutions. Stop talking about being "brave", RM. Talk about being "passing with intent" We can still easily make the play-offs. We've got the fastest players in the League. Use them. Positive, direct football. That's what we need.

I never buy in to this 'they're fine tuned machines' who can't play midweek and then again on the weekend. Anyhow, they've two weeks to recover after Rotherham.

And prior to that day, he played for a 0-0 at Everton and almost completely fucked that up and then we had to rely on a Gabba special to save us. Awful manager for us. We stayed us despite him not because of him.

Gareth Ainsworth, in one of his motivational talks, said there are no little clubs in the Championship....well, except Rotherham! Can't see them doing anything else but sitting everyone behind the ball, so we need to move with speed. Keep same team and Sule to score a brace.

After the first four games, I mentioned that our position in the League was because of some late goals and actually we were playing pretty crap football. The ensuing nosedive down the table when we played some 'better' teams was all too predictable. After last night's game, I feel much more comfortable. There's a wealth of talent at the club. Martin, possibly more by luck than judgement, has found a defence and midfield that's working. Still think there's room for Charles to start as a defensive midfielder but we're looking good. We were in total charge from mid way in the first half until the second half when Martin took off Sulemana and Alcaraz. Up to then, we looked like scoring again. Not convinced Martin has got his substitutions right. Sitting back, we invited trouble. I'd like to see Edozie and SAA on the pitch some time.

Thought Sule was getting too much bad press from the commentary for his defensive mistakes given he looked our most likely person to create something in that first half. Central defense has been excellent. Midfield looks stronger and Alcaraz having a good game. Just stay positive second half and don't go in to the shell.

Wasn't sure about those subs. Bringing on Che in the 70th minute did nothing. Still had mini heart failure when he brought on Bree & Aribo albeit with only 5 + 5 minutes to go. Is his building from the back/possession style football so completely different from the more direct stuff we played yesterday? Hopefully, he'll realise you can build from the back but just do it quicker and with purpose.