The Kraken

I imagine the supporters of a lot of them do, yes. Especially clubs that have just been promoted and are yet to find their feet in the top division. Last season City had Swansea on opening day, and mullered them 4-0. I doubt there were any Swansea fans who expected anything from the game. Then they got on with the rest of the season; just as we will.

Would you care to show us just one post that mentions relegation in this thread? Other than your own, of course. Just one post would be great. Thanks.

This. I do keep having to remind myself that Chelsea are down to 10 men, but even so its scary viewing.

OK, you still haven't answered my question about the "I told you so" part and that's after a few efforts, so perhaps best we leave it.

Frank, I've read that twice and apart from it sounding like a complete rant I'm not sure I undertsand what you're getting at. What "told you so" ego are you talking about? Surely the vast majority of posters on here agree with Nigel Adkins that we need to bring in a centre back or two and inject some pace into the side with a winger, such as Phillips? And that the team will struggle in the Premier League without those additions. Would that be afair assumption to make? If so, as I believe its a fair representation, where is the "told you so" line, if the majority of people agree?

It was quite funny actually. He was being pressed by Andy Goldstein on who the club was and he didn't want to say. "We've reported a club and an agent, I'm not saying which club." "Is it Southampton?" "I'm not saying which club it was, but we've reported a club and an agent." "It's being reported that its Southampton you've reported though, is that correct?" "I'm not saying which club......oh it's going to come out anyway. Yes, it's southampton we've reported, and an agent." To be fair he did at the end insinuate it was more the fault of the agent than the club.

Karl Oyston, Blackpool's chairman, was just on TalkSport. He confirmed its Southampton that he's reported for an illegal approach, as well as an agent.

Well there's a couple of conflicting reports!!

Lambert isn't mobile or quick enough to play in the hole. He just isn't that player at all. He's a target man with a great touch and great awareness, but that role would just negate him totally. I don't like the idea of us shelling out £7M on Rodriguez and playing him out of position. We know we need a new RM. We know we need a new CB or two. Formations IMO are not even the half of our problems, we need better players than we have. And fast.

I didn't say it was ground-breaking!! We all know what we need to do, just that with 8 days to go its all getting a bit critical.

I can see why he is trying to change it; 4-4-2 is becoming a bit of an outdated system at the highest level, its all about having a stronger midfield. Also it should play to Lallana's strengths of having a more central and integral role. That said, I don't think we have the right personnel for it. Lambert isn't the most mobile of players and is often most effective with players around him; as the sole striker he gets isolated. Guly just isn't the right man for me on the right side, and neither is Puncheon; on the other side J-Rod looks and sounds out of sorts as opposed to a central striking role. Sounds like JWP had a torrid evening, hopefully Davis can get fit soon. And we all know about our centre back problem, that needs resolving asap.

Do you have the attendance figures and ticket prices?

Well for starters, in 2 of the past 3 pre-seasons we've played more than one game at home, so I guess I got lost in the confusing mathematics of it all.

Even by your ridiculous aggregate scenario, we didn't sell half a ground's worth of tickets. If you think that's decent then that's your opinion; I see this as an error on a few counts and a missed opportunity to get families and kids buying in to the Saints. that 55,000 seater stadium of yours is going to need filling somehow.

That's entirely my point, balls. These games should be much cheaper, should be targetted at families bringing the kids along (not on a Saturday evening FFS), and should be marketed properly so that non-hardcore Saints fans are encouraged to attend.

You have to admire the dedication to the justification of it all though.

Erm, no MLG. I don't think I'll do that, thanks. That would be silly.

Well in Dan. Some people can't bear to hear any criticism of the club, no matter how trivial. I even went to one of the friendlies, value for money at £15 was hard to justify! No more than a tenner for friendlies and a kid a quid IMO.

Pompey fans not athletics fans then?

I'll repeat. The skates got more than we did. And we knoe that their support is notoriously awful. I don't blame anything other than the pricing and lack of marketing of the games. These are the ones that families should be being targetted for.

Attendance of 3744. Friendly attendances this time round have been nothing short of abject. Utterly rubbish, even the Skates got more than that against Bolton. Completely unsurprising given the pricing structure too. You'd think/hope the club would learn, but I very much doubt it.

Man City last season were ridiculous at home. 18 wins and 1 draw. 55 goals scored (nearly 3 a game), 12 against. So they had an average score of a 3-1, except for 6 games which were 3-0. That's just an average. If this is anything to go by they could run up a cricket score against us. Definitely a shot in the arm for where we actually are as a team, and how far we have to go.

Amen.