nick1579

I normally hate transfer speculation but this story has got my interest this Summer for a few different reasons. For what it’s worth, my thoughts are:

1. Saints fans (or to be more specific people on this board) by and large seem to have an inability to form a balanced opinion. If you look at it subjectively, Heisenberg is right. I can see both sides to this story, but to say VVD has nothing to be frustrated about is inaccurate to say the least

2. Until this all started I thought VVD was a decent guy, and perhaps he still is. Clearly the poison in the game is the agent, as has been the case for a long time now. How they can sleep at night I don’t know. Yes VVD shouldn’t have signed a long contract last year if he always had the intention to leave, and yes his statement yesterday probably won’t do him any favours but he is just trying to look after his career or, more to the point his bank balance. It’s been said countless times before but who on here wouldn’t risk upsetting his current employers for triple the salary?

3. I hate LFC with a passion (I live in Ireland and it is swarming with plastic “fans”) and the very worst case scenarios is selling to them. Somebody earlier made a good point about selling to the weakest team in the next “category” and I completely agree with that

4. It will be interesting if nothing gives once the transfer window is shut. On the plus side, we have his words about him being “professional” so we may just end up getting that season (or at least Autumn) out of him knowing he’s effectively in the proverbial shop window. As for “scoring own goals” grow up lads this isn’t Roy of The Rovers

5. We are a selling club. Get over it. We just hope players stick with us long enough (and the very top ones happen to overlap service) to enhance our league position each year. More to the point though and my main frustration with Saints over recent years (fully accepting that in the grand scheme of things we are in a good place) is that the focus is on the “business” not the team. Yes we are financially stable but that doesn’t get the fans’ blood pumping on a Saturday afternoon! Clearly that is a watch this space with the potential sale/takeover

6. In terms of what Carragher et al. have come out and said, I have mixed feeling about this. Some of what they say is true, but some of the people on here go straight onto the back foot and get defensive. They are just looking out for their club no different to how MLT would/does. Generally though I refer you back to (3)..

7. Assuming he never pulls on a Saints shirt again, I do fear clean sheets will be a rarity this season which is my main and most tangible worry

Sorry nothing ground breaking to announce there, just my humble opinion.

I've never rated Long (and I live in Dublin so have to regularly defend this view!). Yes he's busy and harrasses well but to my mind he's not a natural finisher, which is what he's (predominantly) paid to do. It may or may not be true, but it feels to me over the years like we've had lots of Tadic-esque midfielders; great on their day but too often go missing for long periods - I suspect Boufal may ultimately end up in this category as well. I would always leave JWP on when you need a goal simply for his dead ball ability. I like many above am unconvinced by Puel. I'm also not convinced to what extent we can pat ourselves on the back for the clean sheet given the Beckham-style freak penalty miss. What was most worrying for me was seeing a team like Bournemouth all over us for the last quarter of the game.

As a cyclist that observes the highway code I will have at least one incident per week where I will be nearly flattened by an unobservant driver. Loving the vitriolic anti cyclist spiel on this thread. There are idiots using every type of vehicle.

But in my experience the proportion of cyclists who think they are above the law is significantly higher than their car-driving counterparts. Like Saint1977, (good birth year...) I saw it at its worst in London. Those that commit such acts also tend to be overly aggressive/defensive (if you can be both at the same time...)

website just this second switched to sold out all areas

I can imagine anyone buying a membership at the start of the season is bloody ****ed off that they could have waited until they actually needed it. Genuine question: Why did you buy a membership?

To get priority over the man on the street over seat selection (and attendance alone at more popular matches). In the grand scheme of things, £25 isn't a big deal over the course of a season. I'll be doing the same next season (and I'm not getting to the final...)

Hold on, so those with just the one home (like me and my mate) clinging onto a faint hope of it going that far are waiting it out for virtually no reason? i.e. if it doesn't sell out to 2+ homes it then goes straight to a complete free-for-all? Surely they'll be intermediate "members + 1 home" and then "members" before going on general sale?

Thanks; that's about as definitive as it gets!

Potentially a stupid question, but does purchasing tickets to future home matches (i.e. falling after 26th Feb) count or do you have to have physically (as far as the club knows) "attended" them (rather than just purchased them)? I know there was talk of West Ham / Arsenal (trick I clearly missed), but wasn't sure if that was simply down to the price.

Play the best team. Keep playing the best team.

This.

Well this is a mature post.

 

So we aren't allowed to be pessimistic about a game then? Or if you ever doubt that saints will win a game you should delete your forum account, tear up your season ticket and never come back. Southampton are not for you.

 

Opens a post attacking its maturity with sarcasm. How ironic.

It's the general pessimism without any substance that riles me, not a realistic doubt that we might lose. Things like "Can't be bothered to even watch it", "we'll do well to lose 3-0". Forums just don't need those kinds of posts. Do I think we'll lose tonight? Not sure. Over the two legs? Probably. But as ever I hope Saints surprise me as they have done many times in the past (for better or worse). If it's all the same to you I'll stick with Southampton who I've supported my entire life, all the time being optimistic (and realistic) about any given match.

I really hope there are a lot of people on here eating humble pie in the morning. Should be ashamed of yourselves with all the negativity. If you don't want to get behind the team get off this forum and be miserable alone.

Hi folks - just bumping this as I have precisely the same question/circumstances as Poolesaint. Anyone any ideas? if not I'll get in touch with the ticket office.

McQueen is playing way further forward than Bertrand normally does so VVD looks more like a covering left back. Think the change in position is affecting his game. I've said for the last 2 years Long is poor, but when Jenas describes Austin as a "big gun" I do have to laugh!!

Is it me or does VVD look a bit complacent tonight? Must have been reading the tabloids.

Only Saints fans could use a great occasion like tonight as a reason for another argument amongst themselves.

So insanely jealous of the Saints fans out there now.

 

 

I'm drawing a blank, what's the history?

I bet big KD would love to get on that blonde presenter

We need a strong team in the league so we can qualify for the Europ...hang on a sec...

THIS

No, alcohol is banned for everybody.

Well played Sir.

To my mind still doesn't mask the fact that our strikers just aren't good enough to get us anywhere near the top 6 this season. We just aren't going to score enough goals.

They played us off the park that night at St. Mary's, and City have just stuffed them away. How depressing.

I was at the Dundalk match last night. c. 25,000 I'd say. plenty of room for Saints fans. Legia had a small but loud little corner. Looking like Europa for them for sure now.

I was at the Dundalk match last night. c. 25,000 I'd say. plenty of room for Saints fans. Legia had a small but loud little corner. Looking like Europa for them for sure now.

How many people who voted out treated the referendum as a protest vote -as much against Westminster as the EU?

Yeah people can react badly to bigotry, deception and stupidity.

Oh do behave. The public have spoken. End of story. Get over it. Had remain won and the leavers reacted like that (and today asked for a 2nd referendum!) the remainers would have been absolutely outraged. And of course had there been a remain vote hey would have said "I knew we could trust the public's common sense". As it is all of a sudden the public are "stupid". It's been pathetic.

I have to say the behaviour/reaction of the remain voters day has been nothing short of disgraceful.