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He's also been getting a lot of abuse from West Ham fans for being a 'cheat' (didn't realise he had grabbed Taylor's hand and slapped himself with it). Hopefully the lads on Twitter are sensible enough to ignore the bile, but you do have to wonder whether any of them let it get to them - especially when it's as vehement and sickening as the highlighted example. It's a great platform but does put you in a prime position for a verbal kicking. Not quite so easy to shrug off as a bit of chanting from opposition fans during a game.

I think there's a very important distinction there - which one is generally used in a derogatory manner? Really? Are we really?! Or is it just that we've (hopefully) moved beyond needless, wanton segregation of minorities but can be a little over-sensitive in how we've managed to do so? And is that not a worthy price to pay? Since I first heard this Stewart Lee clip I've used it to counter the "PC'S GONE MAAAAAAAD!" argument (that's the 84% he refers to at the start of the video), because he does so eloquently and rationally. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmkHLiZMJeU In reality 'political correctness' (if you must call it that) should be a non-pervasive ideology that's really just a fancy way of instilling common decency and politeness. Yet the concept is objectified and attacked with venom, usually to fit an agenda that has little or nothing to do with 'PC'. Anyway, we're really going off on a tangent now. Fair enough on the point that this may have been a one-time, regretted comment; it's hardly time to call a witch-hunt - I just find it strange that the content of what was said could be defended.

I find it faintly ridiculous that the OP has been chastised for raising the issue - it's hardly an event you want to be privy to. Seriously, if you're just a football match to enjoy Saints ripping the oppostion a new one, I think it's pretty natural not to want to enter conflict. I've been threatened with a lot more than strong words for challenging somebody in the crowd for less. Sure, there's little can be done after the event, but that doesn't make the issue go away. It's a natural reaction to be taken aback and not pipe up instantly. Perhaps next time that person decides to make a similar remark there'll now be more people in the area aware and willing to challenge? Don't we have a text service for reporting racist abuse and so on? Give that a buzz if it happens next time and see how the club wishes to deal with it. It's one thing for the crowd nearby not to speak against racist abuse, but surely nobody's going to deny hearing it if it comes to that.

That's exactly how it felt in the ground too. Purely a coincidence that the return to 3pm Saturday matches sees us back ripping it up? Obviously we've got some very key players back fit (and in-form, taking Lallana as a case in point) but the 'normal' schedule may suit us better. We controlled the game today in a manner not seen at home in 2012, almost a complete team performance. Burnley were very lucky not to concede more and had a few strange decisions go their way. The most important part for me is that we appear to have the ability to play our best players in their strongest roles - long may it continue. Not to mention a bench full of people that seem to slot in snugly when called upon - and that's even without Punch or Chappers!

Filled it in, but Q13 really ought to be established from the word go! I'm a season ticket holder and couldn't imagine not having one, I expect many are the same. Had to fluff my way through a few questions so the answers may be less valid.

They should get the same treatment to the letter as our fans, surely? Just common sense, they can't have expected anything else. Oh, the common sense bit...

When I saw the thread title I was trying to think how to articulate my thoughts and that's it, as quoted above. In my opinion Hammond's been fairly anonymous of late. Obviously a lot more teams have worked out the way that we like to play, but also because he's simply not getting into the games, giving possession away very cheaply and being bossed by his opposite number. That said I agree with consensus - all of our midfielders have a part to play in different scenarios. My main worry about that central unit is that we can look decidedly lightweight for this division.

Likewise. Whatever you were trying to convey, it was a ridiculous 'correlation' to bring up. If all teams are doomed to settle back to the same level, or if they have defined characteristics that can't be broken no matter who's on the pitch then why even bother going for promotion?!

This sentence and logic are not bedfellows. Form has dipped because few teams could sustain the run that we were on, not because of events that occurred before half of our current team was born.

Tehe, I remember almost exactly the same thread cropping up weekly towards the end of last season It's certainly true that 3 or 4 points from the next couple of fixtures would do us a great service, but if it doesn't work out we (as in the club as an entity; staff, players, fans) can only stay positive until it becomes mathematically difficult or impossible to achieve the goal of automatic promotion. There's a lot to be said for digging deep and staying behind the team. It's amazing how quickly years of support through adversity are forgotten, with unrealistic or ruthlessly demanding expectations rising to take their place.

If he knuckles down for his place and puts in some of his 'contract earning' performances it can only be a good thing for us. The squad's just so thin and I'd rather have him available for selection than not, even if he bench-warms and acts as backup. Whatever's been said and done, Punch has a lot to offer on the pitch. If the management are willing to give him a second chance I think it's important to actually give Punch a last opportunity to shine, if he's still capable of it. Booing the first moment he makes a mistake (or, er... walks on the pitch) certainly won't help. Whether he's truly sorry or simply wants a chance to get to the Prem is quite another issue, but I say we're better off using him as necessary and dumping him later on if it doesn't work out than to continue to struggle with makeshift players in the right mid position.

Given that criteria I'd go for the Kingsland North corner, so anywhere in upper half of Block 37, 38 or 39 would do the job. Last few games that's been the first (and sometimes only) pocket of fans to pipe up. I sit halfway up Block 42 and last night was moribund.

Crowd was an absolute disgrace last night. Not just after we conceded, there was a palpable sense of complacency and lack of passion from the word go. Expectations have shifted incredibly rapidly to unrealistically high levels and the moment things weren't going perfectly the crowd got on the players' backs. Never conducive to a good atmosphere. You see time and again that a loud, supportive crowd can lift a struggling team, yet we get booing at half time (I missed the part where we fell into the relegation places) and an incredible flow of people leaving with bloody quarter of an hour left. 21k is a poor enough attendance in itself but for two-thirds of that to be halfway home by the final whistle is pathetic. You can roll out the clichés such as "We could've stayed here all night and they still wouldnt have scored" but the fact of the matter is that despite playing awfully we still had 4 or 5 great chances that could've changed the game at any point.

I remember a large percentage of the people on here writing off our automatic promotion chances last year too, when there was even fewer games remaining and an even bigger uphill struggle than we currently face. Our best players will return from injury and we have a fairly kind run-in. If we can get through the next half dozen league games with pride intact (and ideally 10-12 points) we'll still be able to have a fair go at it. Management of expectations is bloody important at this stage. Realistically we've never had the strength in depth to challenge for the league in the event of injuries/suspensions to our best players. Our squad players lack the presence and ability to step into some very big shoes. Come on - we've been relatively spoilt for the last couple of years and we're still in an amazing position, you've got to be realistic. With our best XI on the pitch we can match any team in this division, but it's not always going to go our way. The hissy fit that some 'supporters' threw at St. Mary's last night was plain embarassing. Fickle fans that have been spoilt and are forgetting what real hardship is. Get behind the lads and let's see where this ride's taking us.

The best business is almost certainly already listed, but buying Crouch for £2m and sending him on his way for £7m only 12 months later must rank pretty highly.

Daft thread but agree that the sash deserves more outings. Apart from the fact that I stupidly got "Farewell League 1" on the back of mine which guaranteed it'll age horribly. D'oh! Good job, the aap3 logo on mine is half-peeled off...

It's just called The Cellar now. Well yes, I guess I opened it up to 'drinking establishments', but Wahoo's hardly a pub, now is it?

The Firehouse, The Cellar, Goblets, whatever Hamptons is called now... There's still a few worthwhile options.

What I've taken from Saturday's game is the overwhelmingly positive feeling that we aren't really becoming a one-dimensional team. In these past two seasons the times we've ripped opposition teams a new one is when we've played composed possession football. During our December lull there appeared to be an increasing frustration and nervousness pervading the squad. That impatience appeared to be causing us to spend more time playing the sort of direct football which many teams in this league are able to stifle. The performance against Forest reminded me of the Southampton team we saw at the start of the campaign - sure, it was against a poor Forest side but the signs were there and we didn't let up that intensity until the final whistle. Obviously I understand that at times you have to 'win ugly' (West Ham have got that down to a tee), but it helps if that's plan C, D or E. Lambert is a large cog in our strongest line-up and fits into the 'Southampton way' brilliantly, demonstrating hold-up and lay-off play as strong as his goal-scoring. However with him on the pitch there will always be the option of endlessly hoofing the ball which is just too basic if it's the sole tactic. Though I admit I've not made it to many away games of late, the most recent matches at St. Mary's were less pleasing to my eye and there was a very real danger of us going stale. Hopefully it's not a false dawn, but this could now act as a reboot to our season; a reminder that despite no team in this division being a walkover, on our day we have the ability to tear any of them a new one. Forest may be in a precarious league position, but the players proved yet again that they've got it in them. It was a comprehensive performance and you could say tactically sound too - credit to Nige and his staff since they've come under some criticism of late. Plus (as mentioned above) DC links brilliantly with Lallana It comes as little surprise to me that Adam looked more confident and dangerous than he has done since his return from injury. Even when Lambert has served his suspension, even if we sign another striker etc. etc. I believe that Connolly can still play a vital role in our promotion push. There's an abundance of what ifs and maybes, but perhaps this is now a case of the little details coming together at the right time...?

My girlfriend is an absolute 'saint' - converted mind. Apparently supported Liverpool when she was younger but in the past few years has been completely won over. She knows all of the players' names, can put most of them to faces and could probably run through most of our common chants as well. Spouts a lot less ****e about football than most on here actually

Muse. The band I've likely listened to most over the last few years is Bring Me The Horizon, but I can't imagine they'll be anything like so timeless!

Have followed you both as well (sounds a bit ominous when you put it like that!) Completely agree on the worth of being on there - Twitter's exactly what you make of it, as in-depth or hands-off as you like.

The same humour generated by 'his' OTT opinions. That he has to a deadline every week. For money. Oh dear, false prophets and all that... Sincerely, A. N. Top Gear Fan P.S. Misleading thread title that - most of the money came from his own investment in the Top Gear brand, not the BBC. So I really can't imagine anybody getting up in arms about the figure.

I'm http://www.twitter.com/antonydjames Followed a few of you lot, feel free to do the same. I generally follow back, always good to have more Saints fans on the feed for banter and such Seems to be an ever-increasing number of first team players tweeting, worth being on there for that alone IMO.

£25k is a pretty small figure given that he's probably earned that in 3 or 4 weeks whilst not even making the bench... I really like Dickson and would prefer him to be the back-up LB than cast out. Thought he gave a very good account of himself during last season's run-in. Yeah, League One opposition blah blah... Still, don't feel he's had a fair crack at it this season but looks like his fate may be sealed regardless. Great lad too, if that still counts for anything.