angelman

Next season, I am going to wake up on a Saturday morning, have a cup of coffee, some toast, do what I have to do and tootle along to SMS to watch Saints. My life will not really change at all over what division Saints are in. Football is not a matter of life and death, nor is it more serious than that. So then it is a question of entertainment. We had 7 good years, and the last 2 have been pretty devoid of entertainment. And that's the problem. Once accepting relegation, you could compare what is likely to be served up (more goals, more wins etc) against the dire **** we have been served for the past 2 years. But the Koeman seasons, they were fun. We could and did beat the big boys, so that compared to the Championship is not really comparable. Which leads to the question about the Premier League. Finishing 8th, 7th, 6th was fantastic. Leicester winning it was incredible. But things seem to have moved on. Yes everyone has more money, but the big 6 are consolidating their places at the top. I suspect that the top 6 this season, will be the same next season, the season after that, and after that etc etc etc. Burnley have done superbly well and really good luck to them. A shame that they couldn't do top 6. So what really is the point of being in a competition that you cannot realistically win or even finish top 4? Is it better to make up the numbers in mid-lower table mediocrity of the PL, or be in with a chance of winning the Championship? And of course, getting promoted from Championship can lead you straight back into the struggles of the PL. Oh we are told how wonderful the PL is, that it is the most open top league around. And sure, unlike Spain/Italy where you have 2 sometimes 3 teams, Germany/France with its 1 sometimes 2 teams that battle it out, there are 6 big players that might be able to win the competition. But all I see with the top echelons of football is a competition on who can spend the most. We are not innocent from that either.

OR....Saints survive, Liverpool lose the CL final and finish outside of the top 4

What ifs...... Sh*t ref decision in the last minute at Watford, and p*ss poor decision to give a foul against Redmond when the assistant ref was 25cm away and saw no wrong.

Definitely time to stop watching and start drinking instead

The problem comes down to an ineffective manager. The manager is their to manage the players - allowing cliques to form that are at each other is just rank poor management. Some may see the sacking of Puel as the problem, but I think that we can all agree that his replacement was an ever bigger problem. Maybe the real problem was appointing Puel in the first place. But whatever, that is in the past.

Happy birthday

There are currently three players who have been voted for by 66 people - Tadic, McCarthy, Lemina. IMO that is my top 3 in that order. For once in his playing career at Saints, Tadic actually pulled the trigger at the right time, rather than off load to someone else to **** it up. McCarthy kept us in it, and Lemina gave us some backbone in midfield. Just wish he would push up a little more, esp when PEH came on.

Maybe a tad harsh on Cedric and Gabbi. But really, that is the problem with a club of our size and (past) ambition. We get the players who to move to a big club but aren't good enough or are unproven to get them. Their ego says they should get one, and as consolation, they take the ridiculously high wages that we can offer. Long may be ****, but he gives it his all the whole time and I'd take that over someone who has flashes of great ability. In footballing terms, relegation will of course be bad. But it might give a chance for a clear out and start again with a different ethos.

My stream conked out and I couldn't be arsed to find a working one.

Just looked out the window and seen 7 fallow deer munching away. They were rather beautiful.

Oh no. I've managed to find a stream. means I'm going to have to watch it

You're right. She loaned the club some money so that her investment could be nurtured. She's been repaid those loans and sold the club at a good profit, while selling all our best players along the way so that we could be self financed. Do that and the Championship is about where you should be unfortunately. Its the way that football has gone. She was clever though as the old maxim - "How do you make a small fortune in football? Start with a big one." - doesn't apply to her.

Pompey?

Mullet, I agree with you that it was bought as a "toy" but.....with more than half an eye on it being an investment. With the stadium/infrastructure in place, a bit of nurturing of the investment, it was a bit of a steal. OK, TV deals weren't finalised, and there was no guarantee of getting out of the Champ, but t worked out well for Kat. And boy, she timed her exit well, so fair does to her there. I did say this all some months/years ago, and was basically told not to be so ungrateful and all sorts of bol.locks about ML's legacy. I said then that his legacy was to his daughter not us Saints's supporters.

Now life has lots in it to keep me occupied other than football. I don't really like going to the games any more, haven't for 2 years now. Coupled to that my dislike for the business model of the PL, and I have drifted away from football. But tonight, I am in a bad mood. Having thought that I didn't really mind too much (of course I don't want Saints to either lose or get relegated), I seem to be in a bit of a bad mood. I can only put it down to the abject performance today, rather than the loss per se. No doubt the usual platitudes will be trotted out, how they are hurting, how they have to pull together, how they can survive, but frankly I am bored of hearing this tosh week after week for the past 2 years. Anyway, we've had a good several years. Onwards.

Rather regret spending over £100 on a couple of tickets for Wembley.

I told my lad we were going to win 5-2!

Sorted. Bit of a pain because 1 ST had 2 qualifying matches, but the other only had 1 as for the Watford FA Cup game I left it to the last minute (and my ST seats had gone) so put it on my son's customer number. Bloody expensive, stupidly so.

The idea that Abramovich is going to write off £1bn is somewhat fanciful. Fordstam owes him £1.053bn. These are for interest free loans. If he sold the club, I imagine he would have to be pragmatic about repayment terms.

I want to see what Chelsea will do when their owner gets into troubled waters and asks for his money back!

a) I'd be surprised as he is not here for his footballing knowledge b) the decision rests with the owner, who of course takes things on advice

It seems that the majority of the media are desperate for him to fail, and have labelled him as another failed manager doing the managerial merry go round.

Cos it would have been nice to see him play and how he fitted in. Is that really that difficult to understand?

Crazy decision by the board to spunk £20m on the player. Should have sacked the manager, got in MH and given him the £20m.

Just a shame that Sims didn't get on the pitch.