Colinjb

Money is no certainty of success, Cortese delivered quicker then anyone could have possibly expected even considering the resources at his disposal. He rubbed up a lot of people the wrong way but was undeniably succesful. Was he worth that wage? I don't begrudge him it, let's put it that way.

The away have essentially sold out now. You are laughing if you want a home shirt, all sizes available but sadly the aways are a no.

So infuriating when children repeat the mistakes of their parents. Pray that her daughter breaks this terrible cycle.

The vegetables. .. alongside the obvious chicken. Chicken is also damn good if pan fried or grilled. For more information consult your nearest KFC.

I'm going to suggest Coleman from the weekend. Rather then a fumbling stretch or slice it was simply a perfectly placed downward header into the far corner of his own net. Truly incredible.

No. It's demeaning if you do roll over, let the players go cheaply. Aside from our spell in administration we have not at any point done that. Under Lowe Walcott commanded a world record fee for a player of his age. Under Cortese AOC went for a massive up front fee for a player who had only ever performed in League 1. How else are we meant to progress to any kind of parity with the bigger teams unless we generate these players in the first place? It's not like they are being handed to bigger clubs on a silver platter. They must pay. Equally to have the players of this type in the first place we couldn't afford to have them unless they are self generated. The Academy is the jewel in our crown and our best hope to gain ground on the bigger sides. Similar to how Atletico Madrid have made strides in Spain, If we must sell then the not inconsiderable resources recouped can be intelligently invested. (Which is where for me Lowe eventually failed.) Again, I think this may be a mentality difference between us, your glass half empty approach clashing with the glass half full of others.

In the lower leagues it helped us progress, in the premier league the team hasn't been dismantled yet. Even then it helps to full the gaps should they become apparent. There is a certain degree of cyclic reasoning with it but in our case it is clear that in a playing, reputational and financial sense it is extremely beneficial to us. There are reasons why other clubs envy it. If the main frustration is that the players coming through are of such good quality then bigger names want to buy them then as crosses to bare go it's an extremely complimentary one. We are doing something very right and should cherish it.

Would we be better off or even in the same position without it?

Any negativity will come from those who are afraid that the things that have made this season so good will be taken away.

Always book priority boarding and reserved seating for the extra money, means you can get on and off as quickly as possible.... worth every penny. I hate to say it, but for the example set above it was their fault for not planning their journey properly. Traffic on the M25? Never..... I've heard examples of that kind of f**king around from other airlines too, Aer Lingus made a magnificent pig's ear of some colleagues recent trips to Ireland, all due to inconsistent behaviour from their staff. Do hate Ryanair in particular but as long as plenty of time is given they are at least functional. However, I always laugh when I hear the 'thank-you for choosing to fly Ryanair,' announcement after the flights. What choice? You're the only f**kers that do regular flights to Malta from Birmingham now

I'm glad I do not share your gloomy view of the world. Am I naive to the vulgarities of modern football? No. But I will enjoy the good things when they occur and enjoy watching my team even if the better times do not last.

Enjoyment when you score? Win a game? Outperform a more reputable side? See a youngster successfully come through? See a particularly excellent tackle? See your young right back skin a man with 100 England caps? When you see your midfield three dominate and grind down the opposition? When your centre-back puts in yet another imperious performance to stymie the opponents? You really gain that little enjoyment from watching us!? Astonishing! Particularly when we really have had to put up with a great deal that could be truly perceived as un-enjoyable only a short time ago.

Indeed, and enjoy the really rather excellent football we have been producing. It's a good time to be a Saint, yes, things may change but please; if you cannot enjoy the good things when they are here then really, what is the point of following any club?

What does eight place mean in practice? As a fan it has meant I've had a wonderful season of watching entertaining, competitive football from my club and the position of being able to approach each game with confidence that we can put up a good fight. Even when there has been nothing to play for the games in isolation have still been encouraging to watch and entertaining, the Everton performance on Saturday was one of the best games I've seen all season, determined, physical but still with some genuinely excellent play in all areas. What it means for the future of the club? It can go many ways and are all conjecture. From an individual point of view all I can say is that I have greatly enjoyed the last 8 months.

The Pompey lottery? I thought that was another name for a night out at Gunwharf Keys.

It is very good. Steven Levitan has a good track record with comedy though, Just Shoot Me, one of his prior shows was also extremely funny until the US networks started manipulating it to their own ends.

The consequences of that particular player repeatedly playing for West Ham were a little more severe on Sheffield United then Sunderland's actions on ourselves.

Pretty much a three way tie, can't remember a poll like this ever being this close. Expected a few more votes for Victor though, a great reflection of the team performance mind.

To get through our academy it's clear that you need more then talent alone, a work ethic and team mentality, an unselfish nature. I would suggest that youngsters who fundamentally lack these qualities wouldn't get in in the first place.

How long does Boruc's contract run for?

Bugger. Wanyama, Cork, Davis it is then?

But to ensure you are likely to have these cup runs you will surely need to have as strong a squad as possible anyway? It's no mistake that the cups are generally won by the bigger teams and that cup runs by smaller clubs retain a certain magical air, they are rare events. The only true measure of squad strength is league position... Get the league position right and the other should follow as a bi-product.

7.5 It's been an excellent year. We have well and truly stabilised ourselves in the middle of the league in a way that is rare for clubs who have made such quick progress. We have a squad teeming with exciting young talent and the academy is continuing to fuel it. In conversation with people away from the club we are spoken about in really quite glowing terms and the fact our players are being linked to moves away is entirely to the credit of the club as a whole. I genuinely feel proud to be a Southampton fan. The icing on the cake would have been a cup run, but that has been done to death. The season has become something of an anticlimax but the sub-plot of our players chasing world cup spots keeps things interesting. As a specific highlight winning at Liverpool now seems to be a truly wonderful achievement. I'm looking forward to the future with hope that Ralph Krueger and Katharina Liebherr follow up their encouraging words with appropriate action, keeping us competitive while embracing some of the more traditional aspects of the club. In my living memory Saints have never been as strong as we are now.

The cynic in me is taking his words with a pinch of salt but i'm not going to let that cloud what is a clear, emphatic and encouraging statement. Interesting that it clarifies Reed's role in the transfer market, he does the legwork.

For example two there is no certainty he would get tickets as those who have been to more games have further priority. If the son has managed to come back for leave earlier in the season and ventured to a game he would be in the same position..... Considering that the Man Utd game (which seems to be the biggest draw of the year) went to general sale then he could have got a ticket anyway if he was really that hyped for it.