Matthew Le God

Promotion will be achieved in March 2011 and Alpine will implode.

He played four Premier League games in Leeds last season in the top flight. Including a match against Saints. He was then their right back and later captain for a number of seasons including their playoff season in the Championship.

Not going to have 7 subs then SNSUN? Or David Connolly?

I think Dickson will be first choice left back. Why have you left out Jason Puncheon? He was the first choice right midfielder last season and I see little reason why that will change.

I can't believe you seriously thought they wouldn't be signing players.

They have huge debts. They now have a tiny squad with out of contract players leaving and have also sold Shelvey to Liverpool and Bailey to Boro. Desperately trying to avoid administration. They won't be anywhere near as strong as they were last season.

A deal "upto £450k" according to Charlton http://www.cafc.co.uk/newsview.ink?nid=36238 Undisclosed according to Saints. Cortese won't be a happy bunny with Charlton! I'd guess £300k upfront and £150k if Saints are promoted.

Of course he won't ffs He has come here as first choice right back. Harding is a left back and a makeshift right back.

Not a good signing, an excellent signing.

Why on earth would it be a couple of weeks away if a fee has been agreed?

If his figures are wrong can you please show where Nick is wrong with a few examples and links to the clubs official websites with the correct figures. Even if Nick is wrong and Saints are the most or one of the most expensive that still doesn't answer my point... 1) You can't compare 23 games stood for example in the Exeter, Yeovil etc terrace at the bottom of the league with 23 games sat at St Mary's and a title challenge with a wage budget and overheads to match. Prices rise if the product(quality of football) and the facilities (the stadium) are better. St Mary's will likely be top of both of these next season and this of course will be reflected in prices. Do you agree YES/NO 2) Do you expect watching Arsenal to be the same price and experience as watching Fulham?

I wonder where Stu got his prices from?

I think Nick got his reply in before you posted Stu. You can't compare 23 games stood for example in the Exeter, Yeovil etc terrace at the bottom of the league with 23 games sat at St Mary's and a title challenge. Prices rise if the product(quality of football) and the facilities (the stadium) are better. St Mary's will likely be top of both of these next season and this of course will be reflected in prices. Do you expect watching Arsenal to be the same price and experience as watching Fulham?

Why have you just picked out Morgan for not having a photo? Quite a few players don't have a new profile picture on the site yet. Including both Puncheon and Hammond. Both of whom were at the photo shoot and advertising campaign for the new kit.

It will take quite some work to turn this into a Cortese basher thread. The evidence above is quite compelling.

If ever a thread summed you up, this is it.

So you work 6 days a week?

No one can be sure if the TBT has been cancelled. The email Stu got doesn't rule it out, just says they have no news atm. There is a big gap in preseason for the weekend of the 24th, maybe they are waiting until the Reading game has sold more tickets because it may put people off if a bigger game is announced on the 24th.

Just because an annual tradition is started doesn't mean it can't be reviewed to see if it is actually a good idea to continue with. If the manager feels it has a negative influence on his pre season then that should be a good enough reason to stop it. I'm sure Ted wouldn't want a memorial to him having a negative impact on the club he loved. He has a statue as a fitting tribute.

It has not been confirmed that it has been stopped. That email Stu has received doesn't rule it out. I don't really see why it needs a public explanation for every decision the club makes. It would be polite if they privately informed the Bates family of the reason.

I have already answered that. Questions to you - Ted already has a fitting tribute in the form of a statue as do many other clubs for their legands. Can you many name other clubs that influence and dictate to the manager his pre season by having a high profile annual memorial game for a club legend? Do you not think it is better that the manager decides what is best rather for his group of players than the fans?

Because Pardew might think it is not good preparation for the season to be tonked by a big side. I'm sure Ted wouldn't want a memorial game for him to have a negative influence on the club he loved preparations for the up coming season. He has a fitting tribute in the form of a statue. Which is what the majority of clubs do. I'd ask you name some other clubs that have an annual memorial game against a top side though I reckon you'd struggle to name more than a handful if that.

Do you not know what the phrase "I don't think that should take preference or influence over the managers plans for pre season" means? As I said, Ted has a fitting tribute in the form of a statue outside the stadium, I doubt he'd want a game to remember him having a negative influence on the club he loved preparations for the upcoming season.

I can understand that some might. However as I stated I don't think that should take preference or influence over the pre season of the current season. I'm sure Ted wouldn't want a game to remember him having a negative influence on Southampton's preparations for the upcoming season. Thus it should be at the managers discretion who the team play. Ted has a fitting tribute to him already in the form of the statue in a prominent position outside the main stand of the stadium.

I would actually like them to have a high profile friendly at St Mary's every year. But... I also think it should be at the discretion of the manager of the club at the time and how he feels he wants to organise his preseason so the team is ready for the season ahead. You don't "need" a trophy match to remember the great work Ted Bates did. Remembering Ted can be done in many different ways(he has a stature outside the Itchen Stand for a start) and certainly shouldn't influence the managers plans for preseason or dictate to them.