Cabrone

I wouldn't be so sure, I've always thought that O'Neill is a bit of a maverick so maybe he could be tempted. From O'Neill's POV it would be a chance to run an underperforming club that has has big resources and become a hero into the bargain. It just might be something that would get his juices going - much more exciting than premiership mediocrity. That all said, I don't think it will happen and I'm quite happy to stick with AP anyway, I think he'll get us out of lge 1 this season.

From what I saw in the 2nd half we didn't look like we wanted it enough. Doesn't matter who we have in the team if we are not sharp and alert in every game this will happen many more times over the next 9 months. We really missed Lambert too. If we want to get promotion we'd better develop some real hunger.

I reckon a determined Plymouth will pin us back for a 1-1 today. We'll still be top 2 by seasons end though.

I think we'll get auto promotion because I believe we have the strongest team in the division. One of the best keepers, top scorer (by a margin) + 2nd best scorer (now Holt has gone) + David Connoly, one of the best CHs - Fonte, strong full backs and a solid midfield with Schneiderlin, Hammond, Puncheon and poss Holmes. Sure we can always strengthen (and we may yet) but just about every other team would swap their players for ours in a heartbeat if they could. Fortunately the journos don't have any hand in running the club or playing\picking the team. They know no more than the rest of us and their opinions (good or bad) should be taken with a very large handful of salt. I reckon 95 points this season and an auto place.

If he could get back to anywhere near his England form (I always liked him in an England shirt, much better than the tarts that played for England this summer) he'd be a revelation in league 1. It would IMO be the lge 1 transfer of the season (but only if he can get his mojo back).

Irresistable

LOL at all the bile on here.....calm down folks, it was only a friendly. A sense of perspective please. I'm just glad no injuries were picked up. Its Barnet next as we continue on our journey to automatic promotion .

Agree with AP, we have a decent team now and we should only be looking to sign if we can improve playing staff. If that means it gets more tricky bringing in new players then so be it, give me quality over quantity any day of the week. Still hoping that we can get another quality CM before the season starts though.

I like LH and I'd like to see him take a big role this season. He has a very decent cross on him and is a smarter player than Papa\Antonio IMO - he does lack their pace and physical strength though. Maybe a lot more time spent in the gym? If - and it's a big if - he can stay fit I can see him being regularly selected. With Ricky on the other end of his crosses the goals would flow.

I'm quite happy with what we've got tbh. The only area I think we could do with strengthening is CM, I'd love to see Danns or someone similar in that role. Don't forget we already have a very decent team so we are not going to be buying any old tom, **** or harry. We'll be looking for quality additions and they can afford to be choosy so we all need to be patient. I'd rather wait longer for quality than buy instant mediocrity.

I don't agree with the idea of paying clubs if they leave the premier league full stop as it reduces competitiveness and simply closes that league up. That said, if the payments must persist then why not pay clubs as they get promoted - not relegated. That way they get a chance to compete in the prem straight away and Coke teams are not disadvantaged when prem teams come down.

Home W=17 ; D=4 ; L=2 Away W=11 ; D=6 ; L=6 Points=94 ; 1st place finish.

Neil Danns would be an excellant signing - good strong box to box CM who would add a huge amount to the team. As for Tyson..........I think he's a bit hyped up TBH.

We finished just 3 points off an auto place last season (if you add the 10 points back) and that was after starting with an incomplete team that had a terrible 10 game start. League 1 has lost Norwich, Leeds and Millwall - the best 3 teams in the league last year - and replaced them with arguably lesser teams. The players have now gelled into a team that knows how to win in this league and which has added some very good signings so far. We also have a chairman who is amenable to investing in the team if we need to strengthen further. We have a decent manager with top flight experience. That's why the bookies are putting us down as nailed on certs - and I agree with them!

Rupert Lowe to be hired as half time entertainment. Apparently he's going to be wheeled around the perimeter in stocks and supporters can throw rotten fruit at him.

Good news, if he stays fit he'll score a load this season. I can see a super sub\rotation role with Lee Barnard.

Might need to add a GK to the list of wanted positions if KD rumours turn out to be true?? Far too early to panic besides which we can't do anything anyway. I'm sure the club know exactly what they want and are making plans to acquire it.

I think it's because: 1. Being as the PL is awash with money the clubs would rather buy in proven talent than take the time and effort - not to mention the gamble - of nurturing their own. 2. Football is competitive, clubs want the best players and therefore the clubs with the most money will compete for the best players. Being as the PL is one of the richest leagues in the world it's almost inevitable that the clubs will go for the best players, which, in most part are not british. It's effectivley an arms race. I would think a cap on number of non UK players per team would open things up for English, Scottish, Welsh, N.Irish (and maybe S.Irish) players. Would force clubs to take on homegrown players and develop them more. If possible I'd also be interested in a wage cap with clubs encouraged to use all money saved to cut ticket prices. If these rules were brought in i) The dominance of the giants would be reduced - leading to a more competitive PL (which is desperately needed IMO) and also ii) Cheaper tickets would hopefully encourage more fans to fill stadiums. Some of the crowds at places like Wigan and Blackburn have been poor. Isn't that the basic way the Bundeslige operates and aren't they filling up their grounds? Whatever happens it will be no quick fix but we really really do need to look at the moneyed bloatfest that the PL has become.

My prediction: Saints 4 England 1 Saints: Lambert * 2 Connolly Upson O.G England: Defoe Expect the FA to come to SMS and beg Saints to represent England ...

I'd imagine that these sentences will make a lot of wannabe thugs think twice before wanting to cause trouble and I guess that is exactly why these idiots got the sentences that they did. No sympathy for them, they weren't kids and they knew what they were doing. If they didn't want to go to jail then maybe they should have behaved themselves in the first place, something that really isn't difficult for the vast majority of fans.

Interesting idea but I wouldn't be keen to sit in a stand that is as far from the pitch as that one is. I like the game to be as close to the fans as possible - really adds to the atmosphere (thats why I loved the Dell). I'm struggling with the point of building yet another stadium out of Southampton just 10 short years after building the last one. It would be out of town - affecting attendances (IMO) and as someone said earlier it would have a massive carbon impact too. Surely if SMS can be expanded then why not upgrade it to a 40-45K stadium and maybe make some cosmetic changes to make it look a bit more interesting? If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Can't agree with that - Lambert\Connolly\Fonte are better and several others in the team are at least as good IMO. He's a decent midfielder at this level and may go on to become decent at a higher level but I won't be losing any sleep if he goes. I've seen much better players than Schneiderlin go and we survived OK.

Millwall because they are the best of the 4. That said we'll beat all of them next season anyway.

TBH the vast majority are perfectly satisfied if the latest poll is anything to go by. Link

AP should definitely stay, looking at the final table I'd say he's done a good job. We finished on 73 points but remove the -10 and we are on 83 = mid playoff position, 3 points off automatic. If we'd have beaten say Brentford at home and Stockport away last August we'd be up now. However the delayed team rebuild due to the takeover shenanigins + our idiot of an ex chairman torpedo'd us this season. Our form after those first 10 games was automatic promotion form and we'll only get better next season. I fully expect AP to automatically promote us next season.