SaintBobby

Top thread. Thanks for starting it, bowers. And thanks for all the useful ancillary evidence, people.

You're not really worrying for them, are you? I hate the way MotD pundits use the term "I worry for them" (as if to show empathy)....when what they really mean is "I reckon they're f**ked".

Never visited Ugly Iniside. What's the origin of the name, btw? Is it just random or am I missing something? It used to be a (printed and published) fanzine right?

Mayuka was indeed a disappointment last season. I think he managed, effectively, one "assist" (for being taken down for a penalty, converted by Lambert, at home to Villa). I agree with Turkish that Sharp as a "supersub" would probably have notched a goal or two. However, I would have played Mayuka rather than Sharp, basically because Mayuka has better long-term potential for the club.

Quoted for truth.

I'd abolish international football. It's of a feeble standard compared to club football and doesn't pay the wages. Go back to the national teams being amateurs, not pros. I don't want people to take England call ups seriously. And I don't want Saints players to get them at all, really.

No, that's not what I said. I was clear it was "feasibly". Clearly there are only 2-3 strikers in the world who are the very best - but being world class just means that you could be in the team (e.g. Messi is injured, but it's okay let's put on Neymar....) and obviously it's contestable who you'd put in the team. I'm just saying it has to be credible that you'd put them in the team. Robin van Persie is world class, as is Neymar, as is Messi. Probably also Suarez. Maybe Rooney at a stretch. But Rickie Lambert - much as I love him - just clearly isn't. So, we're maybe looking at 10 or so strikers, 15 or so attacking midfielders, 15 or so "defensive midfielders", 8 or ten full backs, 15 or so centre backs and 3 or 4 goalkeepers. So, about 65-70 world class players all in all. (obviously the positions "bleed" a bit...but this is a broad tally) Same basic priciple goes for managers IMO. Could this man feasibly manage the best team in the world? Mourinho = yes, Ferguson = yes, Wenger = probably yes. Pochettino = definitely not at the moment, no way. Adkins = no. Again, we're probably only looking at 10 or 12 managers. Only a few nutters would argue beyond that list of 10-12 and throw in a different name that they would ideally want to manage their team. (no doubt, someone somewhere names Harry Redknapp as their absolutely ideal first chocie manager...but they are clearly mental).

I've always taken "world class" to mean that the individual could feasibly be in position at any club in the world. A "world class" striker could play for Barcelona, Spain or Brazil, for example. So, in terms of players, I'd say that it means you could make it into the World XI against the Martians. (or at least into the squad)

Any chance they may put him out on loan again?

If by "being honest", you mean heralding a bunch of people chanting the same thing endlessly without giving a toss about what's happening in the match, I'd agree. It was a bit like watching football, whilst listening to an unimaginative, disinterested one-note black gospel choir wandering around within hearing distance.

Pretty dismal performance to be honest. Astonishing that we won that. Mind you, Besiktas were even less interested than we were. Hey ho.

You do realise that Sun story is 4 months old?

We'll probably be relegated then. The first handful of games are quite easy. If you "can't see Saints being top 10 at then end of Sept", then you must be pretty certain we'll be relegated.

Well, this thread turned out well...

It's just you. HTH.

The ridiculously tacky red home shirt with gold transfers is a cheap knock off for the Maltese market. I feel confident I will find a proper, closer to home, high quality Saints shirt in the English megastore in August. Right?

I still reckon Stoke could be in all sorts of bother. A declining team who have just appointed a pretty terrible manager.

Our official attendance was 44,000 and chump change. God knows how you account for virtually all corporate areas being bought up by Saints fans. Prob more like 50,000, but tricky to verify.

The strategy under Strachan (according to WGS) was to only add players better than what we had - e.g. players expected to be in the starting XI. After the FA Cup Final and WGS departure, the strategy seemed to be "we can fall backwards without actually getting relegated". When that strategy went t1ts up, the strategy seemed to be panic/gamble/ignore reality. When the new Swiss owners came in, the strategy was to be to spend big and accelerate up the leagues pretty quick. When this was achieved ahead of schedule, it now seems to be to push up into the top half/towards a Europa place PDQ. We've probably shown less of a "stabilsie where we are" approach than virtually any other team in English football over the last decade or so.

Many ways to describe Saints' strategy/ies since the turn of the century. "Staying roughly where we are" ain't really one of them though.

Yep. Have yet to see a club unveil their "we want to hang about roughly where we are now" strategy.

More such cutting analysis, please...

At the moment, I'd go for TOP Chelsea Man City Arsenal RELEGATED Norwich Stoke Palace Saints about 10-14th, say 12th

Nah, not really. Clearly, Man Utd concede less goals than Saints because they have a better defence. But the difference isn't simply "defensive errors"

My own expectations for the season are for a top half finish and never to really get involved in the relegation fight at any time of the season. If we go on a really decent cup run, I'd settle for 10th. And I wouldn't be mortified if we end up 12th-ish. I don't think top 7 is realistiic unless another £40m+ of talent arrives (which does seem just about possible tbh)