BallBoy

One of the best days of my life.

I am already in isolation (as my location shows) but I really miss my football. This is the best part of any season as we approach the end and everybody is doing their permutations. Each game becomes crucial including those of other teams as they affect us. I miss the agony and ecstasy on each match day. Suspension is the right thing to do at the moment. I just don't see an end to it though. I would hate for us to be in the bottom 3 at the moment but my best guess is that this season will be voided unless games are played behind closed doors. But that would assume all players being fit and available. I can't see the FA Cup Final ever being played so thank you Sin Heung Min.

Why are wingers all stupid? I know. Stereotyping but mostly true.

Why are wingers all stupid? I know. Stereotyping but mostly true.

This one looks like a draw to me although, obviously, I hope for better. I can see us crawling over the line rather than pushing on. Saint-Maximin worries me. If he gets into his stride we have no-one to stop him.

Fabulous 2nd goal for us. Great work from Redmond and excellent finish by Ings. Agree with comments that it still wasn't enough though. We lost. Marginal (if any) contact for the penalty. Fed up being unlucky losers in games like this.

Can't get too upset after the run we have been on but..... how many times have we seen this? When we get a chance to really push on, we blow it.

The question is how will we perform with the pressure off? Experience says not so well. Prove me wrong Saints. (please)

This felt good. Really good.

This one felt good. Very good.

Adrian f.....g Heath by a country mile. FA cup semi final(when the cup meant something). Watford waiting in the final. Last minute. Horrible, bobbly, pathetic effort. Total injustice.

I appreciate the need to win but not enough in midfield IMO. Hope I'm wrong.

What a day! I was in my office. My mum actually phoned me. "You'll never guess who saints have just signed". She is not a football fan but even she had heard of Kevin Keegan. My boss, a season ticket holder, was sitting at his desk in a stupor. He had just heard from his son. My mother's call was taken as reliable validation. I started wandering around the office (300 people) but news had spread like lightning. I never saw so many bewildered but happy faces. This was in the days way before 24 hour news or instant access so I needed to go home and see for myself. There it was. Leading item on the 6 o'clock news. It was barmy. Saints already had a great team but now we had arrived in the big time.

I know we should be looking up, not down, but I predict Bournemouth (v Norwich) will not do us any favours tomorrow.

I think Ralph has been dealt a poor hand and clearly wasn't able to do all of the business he would have liked in the transfer window. Problems in defence and midfield have not been addressed. He is a strong and capable manager. I really do think he is a good appointment. Far better than the previous two incumbents. However, I had hoped for better this season and, sometimes his selections a substitutions have really puzzled me. What does he have against full backs?

I just worry about Redmond spending so much time with players from other "better" clubs who could easily turn his head. They will inevitably talk about how much they earn and how many trophies they can win.

I am just proud that the Champions League final will be contested by so many players and managers with Saints connections. It was the same last year. An incredible achievement for us.

Saints just don't do friendlies. Never have. I know. Technically it wasn't a friendly but if we had still needed points to be safe then this would not have been the result. IMHO

That's scary!

So frustrating and too predictable. "Would have taken a point" is our mantra. Having said that we are much, much better under Ralph. Seemed to be a bit of arguing going on there at the end. Stephens and Hojberg. Good to see passion though. Hoj is the right man for captain.

I am posting on this one just to get it back up the list of threads. I love this time of the season when every game, every goal, every dodgy decision, every booking and every injury can have serious repercussions. I think we will be safe because we are better than the rest and will pick both expected and unexpected points. That does not mean I don't worry. It is tense. I hope we will rise up the table but a couple of bad results will see us sweating to the end. it's all about Cardiff really. Those 6 points we dropped to them could be crucial but they have a horrendous run in. They are either playing top 6 sides or other relegation candidates, excluding Fulham who are already down. Not sure what to hope for when they play Burnley next weekend. Bournemouth will play a part as they play Palace, Brighton and us. They never do us any favours.

I think we will be safe but Bournemouth NEVER help us.

It seemed to me that JWP was being played too far forward last night. Strange. Much as I love to see any Saints player in an England shirt I do think it unlikely that he will be a regular. The competition is very tough in his position.

This was shaping up to be one of those absolutely awful Saturdays where everyone else won and we lost. Cardiff, Brighton and Newcastle were not supposed to win but they all did. This was a fantastic win for us. We really needed it. We suffered the depths and the pinnacle today but nobody is doing us any favours and we are still in a real dogfight. Many pluses today, particularly Sims showing RH what he can do. Could be a great impact player for the run in.

I don't think life will ever be dull with Ralph.