ant

Quite interesting how many loans have gone through for our young players after Les Reed explicitly said that's not how we develop players. Not a criticism, merely an observation.

All the best to Jake for the season.

Hold on, you seriously think the club would just demote Boruc to 5th choice? If he wants to push for a move, done in the right way while professionally carrying out his role at the club, then no-one would have a problem with that.

Of course I don't, thus I remarked that it can't be possible or productive. Still an odd thing to come out with though.

What on earth do you mean a "fair fight"? He has been superseded by what the club consider a better keeper. What is unfair about that? It's harsh but do you think that the club should hold itself back so not to upset one player? How have things suddenly become an "unfair fight" or different from what goes on at any other club? Is it unfair because he isn't considered to be #1 any more by the new goalkeeping coach and manager - is that it?

I don't doubt Forster is the better 'keeper. However the impression I get is that there was no 'fight' to be had. Fraser's gone straight to the top of the pecking order without opposition and Boruc is claiming he's been told there's no way back. I agree that it would be daft to only listen to Artur's side of the story but if that's true then arguably knuckling down is futile.

I suspect AB was told he is number two - AB then had a melt down, and after RK had stopping dodging teddies, promptly told him he was now number 5 until his attitude changed.

 

I have no issue with that.

Sounds reasonably plausible - and fair.

I think we need to give him a bit of space.

Easier said than done when he's actively fishing for controversy!

FWIW, Friedel was still Spurs' #1 at the age of 41. Van der Sar retired at the top level at 41. Schwarzer's 41 and looked solid enough when called upon by Chelsea last season. All this decade.

Artur Boruc,

He's having a barney,

Bring your Pampers,

Bring your Barbie.

I jest of course. Love the big man for all his foibles. I can sort of see where he's coming from - shame he's not concentrating his efforts on knuckling down to impress Koeman rather than posting these wet 'inspirational' quotes.

That said, I saw Artur reply to one fan's message with a comment along the lines of him having been told that he's 5th choice. Surely that's neither constructive of the club nor possible for him to be so far down the pecking order? If you believe everything he's said then it was never going to be a fair fight for the '#1' spot anyway.

Good to see the pitch is sorted. Don't think I've ever played at BTC before.

Feeling pretty fit after a decent pre-season - well up for this!

This 'new' Southampton plays some bloody nice football. The chemistry in the build-up for Clyne's goal (among other moments) was breathtaking.

I'm seeing a potentially more creative team that hasn't lost the ability to get in the opponents' faces and make life hard for them. Deliver us one more CB and I don't anticipate needing until 'September One' to judge our Summer, Mr Krueger.

This 'new' Southampton plays some bloody nice football. The chemistry in the build-up for Clyne's goal (among other moments) was breathtaking.

I'm seeing a potentially more creative team that hasn't lost the ability to get in the opponents' faces and make life hard for them. Deliver us one more CB and I don't anticipate needing until 'September One' to judge our Summer, Mr Krueger.

Blimey, I'd forgotten about the little old club shop. My uncle used to take me there to buy assorted bits of club tat with my pocket money. Can't have been very old the last time I went - was it actually situated at the ground?

Probably nicked it off the thread on here a few weeks ago to which the lyrics were

 

"Kissed the badge then he left

Clattenburg was right

Adam Lallana

He changed overnight".

Probably... That was mine. Close enough anyway. I know it's another Sloop John B chant but it's closely based on what we sang for him, maintaining the 'left' and 'right'. As a bonus it actually scans syllable for syllable.

...and yes, we should concentrate on supporting our own players, Lallana won't be playing, blah blah. I don't see the harm in interspering a few cheap digs amongst that.

https://twitter.com/PrincessKafah

http://instagram.com/princess1905gs

Actually looks like she's literally been running through #saintsfc favouriting everything.

Tidy. Industrious. Good distribution. Agree that he looks in the Schneiderlin mould.

His girlfriend keeps favouriting my tweets/Instagram posts which is a bit weird.

Last year only 10,000 turned up at St Mary's for the final big pre season game. Hope tomorrow we have half that number to send out a strong message the supporters aren't fools and expect the club pull their finger out. The squad is beginning to look like the remnants of an illegal European immigrant team.

Not cool.

Well I'm going and looking forward to it the end of the day I go to watch 11 vs 11 on the pitch who ever those 11 are wearing saints shirts they get my support....

Indeed, heaven forbid we enjoy watching Saints play.

Reasonably-priced tickets, strong opposition and the first opportunity to welcome the new lads to St. Mary's. I'm looking forward to a decent evening.

When Krueger stated that every penny generated from player sales would be re-invested, he didn't give a timescale.

Obviously we need to bring personnel in, but do we really need to spend all of it this Summer (if we even can)? Last year Spurs spunked all of the Bale money in one go and really didn't get a great return. We're clearly going to be quoted silly transfer fees at present too. It wouldn't hurt to keep some funds aside for January and beyond.

That seems more in line with a sustainable approach to me.

I don't see the problem with this statement. Look, we're a 'provincial' club who was batting above its weight for 27 years in the top flight. Finishing 2nd once in an era where football was so different it was unreal; I mean, signing Keegan is like us signing Messi, Ronaldo or Bale now, right? It's mental!

 

We have never and will never have the fanbase of Man Utd, Liverpool or Arsenal. They are the 3 defacto top clubs by power of revenue alone. Chelsea and Man City have joined them by ridiculous injections of cash and in the case of Man City, have fallen foul of the FFP rules.

 

Even when we had the Dell with "unlimited" standing, 30,000 people was our max. Sure, for a big game we could pull 45/50000, but in these times of austerity, that would be once or twice a season. 30/35000 is about right for us and we're about the right size for a mid-table club who occasionally gets some amazing players (last season) that could propel us higher. Many would argue Pochettino should have done better with these players ......

 

But, why should we expect her to pump in her own cash? She has a self-sustaining, mid-table Prem side who make fluke the odd appearance in Europe and that keeps producing top class talent.

 

The trouble with a lot of Saints fans is Sky; the Sky generation.

A version of this post ought to be displayed after signing up for the forum!

As well as the 'Sky generation' I blame the age of entitlement. "Oh, we've signed some quality players? Give us more! More expensive ones, with higher ratings on FIFA."

"Oh, you've opened up channels of communication via social media and the like? We want statements - nauseatingly endless statements just to put our fragile little impatient minds to rest. We won't believe a word of what you say, but we want it all the same."

Another article in a similar vein here: http://www.footyplace.com/features/ffp-to-blame-for-southampton-exodus-0730298110

Key assertions:

• Our wage cap is essentially set for us due to FFP - we cannot match £60k+/w without bringing the whole house of cards down
  
• Raising Shaw's wage to United's level would use half of our allotted 4% annual wage increase in one fell swoop
  
• Satellite/franchised academies are an intriguing option to sell our youth reputation and increase financial clout (I believe this has already been alluded to elsewhere)
  

My name is Rudy Kraft... hmm, RK?

We never actually employed Ronald Koeman, it's Ralph Krueger in a mask - thus his recent disappearance. Man gets about.

Rickie was never likely to reach a testimonial with us (short of doing a 'Sheringham') but I did dream that he'd finish his career at Saints. I get the whole thing of signing for your boyhood club and taking his family 'home'... It appears ever more likely that it'll end his career on a sour note though.

Would still welcome him back as a bit-part player if it was guaranteed we'd be his final club.

I don't yet qualify for Liverpool tix

Nobody does until 9am tomorrow!

No-one would have known if you hadn't said!

Well you sort of need to know in order to log in

Also it says this on the login page, which sort of gives the game away:

If you have never used this website before, your password is your postcode, with no space and all in capital letters e.g. AB15CD.

Assumed that it would class me as having used the site before - thought it was a simple redesign before noticing the domain change/full new system.

Yeah, aside from the fact that they've reset everyone's password to their postcode. Top security nous there!

Given that the only details required to access an account are now your email address and postcode, I'd suggest logging in and updating it quick-sharp.

Certainly a great goal last night - his first for the club at senior level.

Nope. JWP scored for us in the FA Cup, 2012. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/16371777.stm

Do I get a MLG point?

And let our commercial revenues suffer even more...surely not. How much do you think the club actually got from our 40 quid a year or whatever it was/is.

Very little. In fact they probably get as much revenue from allowing Youtube ads before our vids.

Player was invaluable whilst we were in the Football League but doesn't offer much you can't get elsewhere these days.

Wasn't there last night, but at Bournemouth both the 'Lallana'/Sloop John B chant and the FC Twente ones were sung - the latter more often, as it should ideally be.

So who's calling this the 'Ronald Revolution' then? Never seen that term used on here!

What is the point? Same as its always been. Go along, have a few beers and a laugh with your mates, cheer on the team and hope for a win. Same as most fans/clubs.

Exactly my philosophy. I generally try to be balanced and pragmatic but hold my hands up as having become too wrapped up in the minutiae of modern football. Sometimes you've got to step back and recall why we do this. What got us into football in the first place? Not the politics, that's for sure.

Sod giving up my season ticket (or the away games I can afford to go to); the chance to watch Saints - in whatever state - is too important to miss.