franniesTache

We will pass it around a lot at the back, look pretty good for the first 30mins but create no real chances. Somewhere around the 31minute mark we will give the ball to one of their strikers who will score. We will then come out after the second half and continue to make 3million passes across the midfield and defence that go absolutely nowhere, and our strikers will be permanently bound to the wings and create nothing. Some time mid second half we will concede goals 2 and 3. It's at this point i'll leave for the pub. The full time whistle will sometime around the point we're reaching the pub, we will have had 70% possession and zero shots on goal. Martin will come out after the game and say how well we played, how he's learned a lot, and how we were the best side for 30mins which counts for a lot.

To be honest the club should've been brutal and got rid of him in the close season and got in someone who would've given us a fighting chance. His style of football has absolutely no chance with the squad we have, and all we're really doing is acting as an advert for Martin to take a job somewhere else. But instead of doing that SR gave him a new contract, and have basically repeated exactly the same mistake they made with Ralph where it was clear we should've got rid of him sooner. I also think this squad doesn't necessarily have to get relegated, it's got a fighting chance if we change our style based on who we're playing (and get a bit nastier). Even in terms of goals that's arguably of Martin's own making, if you're strikers are pushed out wide you're not going to score goals, and our midfielders don't push on enough to make up for their position. That's tactics and on the manager. As for citing the "unbeaten run", we did it in the championship against worse teams and were effectively flat track bullies. It also made no measurable impact on our league position. Anyway this is all moot as i don't see SR getting rid of him until it's far too late (if at all)

You say that but that was definitely sung, as was live round the corner, in between songs about pompey. And it's exactly crap like that that means i'm not going to be able to stick it out in the "wall"

I'd be interested to know where you sit/sat in St Mary's because i'd say it was fairly equally split for those that wanted the away fans moved vs those that didn't. Certainly no one around me, and no one i knew, wanted the away fans moved. I personally still think the club's big mistake wasn't creating the single home end, but instead it was taking away the choice of others standing elsewhere. Had they done the big "end" but also had say the back five rows of the Chapel standing too it would've improved massively, but instead they lumped everyone into one place. Obviously though i'm not naive enough to think the purpose was about atmosphere, I think the bigger reason (which the club won't publicly say) is that it was about moving what they saw were "problem areas" like the Itchen North so they could open up more blocks and bring in more revenue. Saying that we are where we are now, and if we're going to have an improvement then people need to stop singing about the Skates all the time and actually "support" the saints instead. Because one thing i noticed was that there was very little actual support of the team (outside of OWTS)

It's just so fucking dull, feels like every song is either about them or mentions them. Makes us look small time and obsessed. Because the club haven't put in proper rail seats and instead just hooked in some scaff they got on the cheap from Trants you lose space infront of you, that means that it feels really claustrophobic, and i'm not entirely sure how safe it's gong to be if we score a big goal. Can see a lot of people going over the barriers as they're at a really weird height. Also, and i'm not sure why because it's still one person one seat, it feels like you're all ontop of each other, it's a completely different experience to somewhere like the new spurs stadium where the seats going back into the "rail" giving everyone more room

Yesterday was my first game in the new "wall" as i was away for Forest and my take aways with are that I knew within about 3 minutes i was going to need to move out, it's considerably worse than the Itchen North was and weirdly obsessed with the blue few (i counted four different songs about them in 6minutes in the first half). Moving the away fans was one of the biggest mistakes the club has made to be honest. To think we'd have 6k people who want to stand and make noise all game is naive at best, to think they don't need the away fans to interact with is just dumb. Also the layout of the "rails" means it feels way too cramped and i feel for the nippers in there because there's no way they can see if people are all stood, and if they stand on the seats to get a view then it's actually more dangerous for them

Just want to say a massive thanks to all those that joined in yesterday, Nick and Sam Elijah’s parents were absolutely moved by it, and it really was touching to see the ground (including United) pay their respects. Was a properly hard day all round, and the football felt completely back seat to me (thankfully as the score was crap). I think the moment that hit me the most was Saints brass outside the ground playing his favourite song. https://x.com/saintsbrass/status/1834916337514123529?s=46 RIP top boy miss you mate

For those of you getting to the ground early Saints Brass will be playing a version of Don't Stop Me Now by Queen before the game in tribute as it was Elijah's favourite song

We will start ok, pass the ball around a lot but not really threaten their goal, sometime late in the first half we'll pass the ball to one of their strikers who will score, we will then continue to pass the ball around a lot in completely inconsequential areas of the pitch before they get their second and third in quick succession. The whole game our strikers will be too far apart so there will be absolutely no direct threat, and we'll finish the game with 70% possession, zero shots on goal and 3-0 down. Martin will come out afterwards and say that he learned a lot from the game, thought we played some great football and that he believes in his system.

You are absolutely entitled to your opinion you're correct. In the same way i'm entitled to say my opinion is that France doesn't exist. But that doesn't make it factually correct, it just means i can hold an incorrect opinion. As for saying something is "university challenge", it's not, it's an explanation of the fact. That you don't understand it doesn't mean it's wrong, it just means you don't understand it. Starmer and Harris are far more in the Adam Smith tradition than Marxist, as anyone with any factual knowledge of political philosophy and economics would know. You might not like their principles, that's absolutely fine, but saying they're Marxist is just wrong. I don't like Portsmouth, but that doesn't immediately mean i can say Portsmouth isn't part of England, because despite me wanting it to be true, it's unfortunately wrong (though if i ever get into power i'd make it true, cut the bridge to Portsea and install a hard border)

Yeah so neither of those are what you'd count as the traditional western world, and neither of them are starmer or harris. So instead of changing the subject how about answering the first part of the question? I'll re-share it for you incase you missed it. OK so please tell me how Kamala Harris or Keir Starmer are trying to nationalise the entire means of production, create permanent revolution that includes direct democracy, the eradication of class structure and hierarchy, and remove private ownership and capital. Also if you could highlight how they are removing commodities and bringing them into value based structure that disowns the creation of passive capital in the system?

OK so please tell me how Kamala Harris or Keir Starmer are trying to nationalise the entire means of production, create permanent revolution that includes direct democracy, the eradication of class structure and hierarchy, and remove private ownership and capital. Also if you could highlight how they are removing commodities and bringing them into value based structure that disowns the creation of passive capital in the system? Because it seems to me that if you actually think about it in any depth at all you'd realise there is literally no such thing as a marxist politician in any position of power or evene close to it in the western world.

Hi there can you explain to me what Marxism is, because i'm pretty sure you don't know. Just the central tenants please, they're fairly well documented you know so it should be easy.

It was devastating news when i heard, and somehow felt even worse because it was the night before fathers day. I still can't believe he's gone and I don't think going to games will ever feel the same to be honest. That's brilliant to see, really hope the fans turn out for him now and give him the send off he deserves

We've been in contact with the club about it but i think it depends on how much engagement it gets, hopefully if people share this on facebook, twitter, instagram etc. the club will get behind it and have his picture on screen on the 20th minute. Obviously i'm hugely biased here because he was my mate, but i can't think of someone that deserves it more, there was barely a game - home and away - he'd miss and he ref'd games for ex saints countless times, plus Jason Dodd came to his funeral.

I know this would mean the world to @Noodles34 and both him and Elijah's mum will be there for the game, the reason for the 20th minute is because that was the age he was when he passed.

There's been a high (or low depending on how you look at it) bar this season for the worst possible chant our fans can come up with, from stealing that bloody Allez, Allez, Allez crap from liverpool to nicking songs from United, but this one surely must win the @Turkish award for completely and utterly shit chant of the year. It mentions the skates, it over uses the term scummer (seriously we need to stop doing that) and it doesn't come close to scanning as a tune. In fact things like this make me want to stand in silence (and nowhere near our own fans) https://x.com/SargetheSaint/status/1830932936574525505

I don't think the OP's point is as stupid as some people make it. Obviously time will tell but the initial sense is that Martin is as out of his depth at this level as Jones was. His refusal to adapt his style when it's clearly suicidal at the top level (unless you have the backing of an oil nation) screams of a manager way out of his depth. Also Jones was accused of arrogance but Martin seems equally as arrogant to me. The only difference is Martin is deemed to be great by our posh/middle class fans who think there's a "right" way to play football, when the truth is the only right way to play football is to win games. I'd have no issue with Saints playing long ball, shit house football, where the players dived to win penalties and we time wasted from the first minute, if it meant we won every game 1-0. This idea that there's some kind of morally better thing about passing a lot is such pretentious, stuck up bollocks.

Looks like he's off too Forest, and personally I'm glad the skate isn't coming back to be honest. Not sure he'd have offered that much and he'd make Russball even more turgid than it already is. I mean our style is slow enough already, adding him to the mix and we'd be playing walking football

A lot higher than i expected but i should still be ok for a ticket, wonder how many are in the 18+ group? Can't imagine a massive amount as you tend to recognise people when you do aways and I doubt there's much more than 200 odd that do most games

caviar blinis or nothing for me

CHAMPAGNE BAR - Coming soon! We will be converting six of the executive boxes on the top floor of the Itchen North end of the stadium into a new Champagne Bar. This lounge will be available for matchdays and can also be used on non-matchdays as a celebration space for birthdays, anniversaries and much more. More details and the full launch will come later in 2024. https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/whats-changed-at-st-marys-this-season-everything-you-need-to-know-so-far It's what the people are clamouring for, at a time of a cost of living crisis, when people are moaning about the atmosphere, and football has lost it's edge, the only sensible answer is a champagne bar. Live. Love. Laugh everyone, it's bubbles o'clock!

I think the corporate boxes at the back of the Itchen North are being turned into a champagne bar aren't they? Hence why they're closed (and no this really isn't a joke, it's true! God alone knows what's happened to football that we're now having champagne bars pop up)

I didn't go saturday because the trains were a bloody rip off (plus i've done newcastle away loads), but have we finally binned off that god awful library bollocks? I think we sung that at every single away ground last season, which just goes to prove how fucking dumb it is

Looking at the fixture list and based roughly on other seasons, i reckon the "flip" this season will be the fulham away game on 21st December