Gordon Mockles

I'd agree with that. I'm over the moon with Cork and how we've conducted ourselves in the transfer market and bought in a small number of players but key players. However, despite Lallana and Lambert being 2 of our better players who I am hopeful with do well this season, whether they're PL calibre is yet to be seen. Certainly Lambert has a decent header on him, deft touch and great passing ability (not to mention shooting and penalty taking prowess) but he is unproven even at Championship level. He may well step up to the mark if we were lucky enough to do a Norwich. Who can tell? Lallana is one of our better players (and it is noticable in our performances when he is absent) but I personally rate him as a good Championship player. I'm not so sure PL standard. Certainly his lack of pace on the flanks would be a hindrance at PL standard whereas Lambert being a forward would be a slightly different prospect. That's the gulf in quality we are talking about between leagues. The PL is so competitive now and such a high standard. Our time away from the top flight may have made us all lose touch. Just a theory, I'm not implying we have all lost touch but I pay attention to our league much more than the persistent press focus on the PL and the big 5.....ZZZZZZ

My son's first game was Leeds last year. We won 1-0. He was 4 (turned 5 last week). He got a bit scared sat on my lap when we all jumped up on the goal & lost attention second half but it didn't go badly. Had to read Thomas The Tank Engine at half time & the warm up ball bounced off his head! I hope you & your son have a wonderful day. It's so special, that first match. I hope your son is old enough to maintain the attention for 90mins. My son often recited the "Pompey going down with no money in the bank..." chant which he picked up from nursery. I knew the few quid extra for that nursery was money well spent!

I'm not entirely disagreeing with you but I think you're missing my point. I think a top ten finish this season would be good but the goal is to strive for the best. Like Saints didn't do in the Premierhsip - where was our ambition? Hardly very inspirational, let's just survive! WOW! Adkins had the right idea last season...giving us goals, step by step, but not mounting too much pressure on the team (i.e. top 10 aim, then play offs, then auto promotion...etc.) You mention adequate ambition but that phrase almost sounds contradictory, oxymoronic. Ambition in itself is to strive for the best results possible. Adequate suggests falling short of that mark. Capping that ambition. Not necessarily doing badly but also not pushing quite far enough, settling for second best. I'm always on the side of realistic but ambition and realism arent mutually exclusive.

That's a very good point. Big Brother...I rest my case in agreement with you. In the sporting world, if fan opinion is all shouting the same, maybe there's some sense in it. However, football fans are fickle and you only need to sit in St Mary's for an afternoon to hear the shouts and jaunts and realise how f*ckin clueless and stupid some fans really are. The mean intellect of 10 idiots will be poor. Throw in a few high scoring Mensa academics and the average will increase...although I can't see that happening on this forum anytime soon! ;o)

That is true. A cyber world of loners, trolls, sh*t stirrers, wind up merchants, compulsive liars, attention seekers, sporting agents, prevaricating businessmen, axe grinders...plus a few more "every day" types certainly isn't atypical to a cross section of a football club's fan base.

That's a very astute post & echoes my sentiments exactly. We have a strong spine but need a few vital, key additions which most fans seem to rightly identify (Oxo back up/replacement, CF & CB minimum). We could then (hopefully) compete, galvanise our squad & push for the play offs. Step by step marching forwards. Slowly but steadily. Sadly, too many of our fans seem to settle for adequate. In some ways, I can't blame such fans for lack of ambition since it's been the mantra of every single board that's run the club in my lifetime up until now. That attitude has clearly permeated through to certain fans. Possibly "make do" osmosis leeched from the old wooden Dell seats! ;0)

OMFG That line is so tedious & unfunny. Yet, the crazy TSW Beatniks still peddle the quip more cringily than Paul McCartney performs on stage (please retire Paul, you've had your days in the sun). Not one to cast dispersions or stereotype, but I bet these same potential Perrier Award Winners from our forum also laugh extra loud at the bosses unfunny quips & think getting a tiny bit squiffy on alcohol makes them ruddy faced, crazy, care-free lunatics! ;0)

Have you ever considered why the popular opinion is in fact popular, not taking the p*ss? It's likely that it's popular because the general consensus is correct or the collective opinion more balanced. Having said that, everyone in the 80s seemed to love Good Morning Vietnam & I thought it was utter cr*p. IMHO: You started off well, then walked straight off the cliff edge!

LMAO I’m still scarred by the Panini sticker album photo (or maybe it was in ‘SHOOT’ – no pun intended) of Barry Venison with a woody clearly visible through the obscenely short Liverpool shorts…wrong but very funny. He was able to play on a football pitch at one time then, work shy Geordie t*sser! I think that photo was more disturbing than the Vinnie Jones/Gasgoigne snap or the Beardsley b*llock shot…ouch!. One was pain, Venison was actually…No, I don’t want to know! LOL

I reckoned we'd signed someone! LOL ECSTATIC! If there's one position I wanted more than any other, it was midfield. He was great before & I feel will blossom even further under Adkins. So chuffed. I'd seriously thought we'd missed the boat but I am seriously impressed with the professional & discrete manner our club now operate, even if it does unsettle some of the more inpatient & fickle types. Even better, it should give Morgan a more advanced role and/or hopefully push out the over-rated Hammond. This position is so key. With Sharp being announced hopefully tomorrow, this could go from being a good week to an amazing week! Just in time for Fri & aboard the bus...to the airport...to Switzerland! I think we could be smiling even more tomorrow. Overjoyed! 4 years too. :0) Onwards & upwards Saints.

Well said. I believe Duncan was of the same opinion in that Burley was probably the worst manager we’d had in years for his sheer incompetency and lack lustre approach and destructive manner. Worst than Branfoot in many ways due to the sheer complacency and disregard to management/his squad, his alleged drinking and demotivating players and bizarre tactical and training decisions (and terrible physios under his reign). Many other alleged misdemenaours although this is not the place to discuss those. Branfoot was just p*ss poor. Burley was a disgrace to football and certainly our club. I digress. Oh, and for the record, in case some of the points were aimed at me (for which I agree in part), I also get slightly frustrated by people expressing opinions and being berated for them (dependent on context). In fact, if you read my past posts, the ‘Is Adkins able to attract the calibre of players we require’ question was a point I have been banging on about for some time. I am not panicking about it although I was more concerned last week. It is a reasoned view worth considering and, until we sign a player of enough class (which I believe we already have but yet to announce), it is still pertenant. The point I made which a few have either not understood or misinterpeted is that as a town, or county even, there is a significant concensus of people with a bizarre attitude and certainly a chip on the shoulder. It’s significant enough to notice when meeting natives from different areas of the country but that’s a another tangent. This is not aimed at Wade or the content of the original post whatsoever. Far from it, I hold the same view as I mentioned myself. I was highlighting that many Southampton fans (and particularly some of the over-reactions and obscure views on this forum) recently have banged on re: Adkins tenure, the sheer impatience in signing players and, I felt, entirely unfair criticism of a solid and rapidly improving board that run the club. By the end of this month I believe fans will be smiling and even one signing, the mood on this board will shift significantly. That's the changing tide and nature of football fans, change like the wind (that's not meant to be an arrogant intonation I must add, a mere observation). Over and out.

When did I complain about the quality of the board? Re-read my posts. The past board and the low days (I won't type his proper name as it offends me typing it, the destructive t*sser!) yes but not now. Football fans are always fickle and we have more than our fair share but my comments are my opinion and I will agree, disagree or possible berate stupid views....it's called debate. It happens in every day life, politics and, dare I say it, football forums. I considered my view fairly balanced and sensible, you may disagree but if you or others are so sensitive you can't handle a respite, then maybe the well known cliché involving "heat" and "kitchens" (with unrivalled catering facilities) should apply. I like the posts from reasoned posters shouting day nonsense opinions. After all, many are sensationlist, ill thought out and stupid. CB Fry is the chief of smart arsed chastisement but he often has a point if not saturated in sarcasm and pomposity. It's a forum, it makes me laugh hearing some debates...others get tedious but that's life. I have confidence in our club and some should stop frothing at the mouth at being challenged on meaningless views. That's life...and it's the internet. Home of insidious trolls, sh*t stirrers and attention seekers! Just use your proverbial sieve to weed out the dross.

I think what you say holds absolute credence. I've lived here all my life & whilst I have many good, life long friends here, every time I travel elsewhere (bar B'mouth), the general (not all, but significant enough to notice) attitude of people seems friendlier & less hostile. Certainly not as big a chip on the shoulder. Is it a Hampshire thing? It's like with all the cruise liners & a new shopping centre, Sotonites think they're in Monaco (Oxford St has similar prices without any of the prestige) & have developed an attitude like those tedious upper middle class snobs or the worst denominator of society, the noveau riche. Sadly, So'ton is quite chavy & it's great potential as a city will likely never be met whilst constantly ruined by inept town planners & a consensus of arrogance & superiority. I'm not anti So'ton as I love my home town but the attitude of many, including some Saints fans, stinks. Just read the more level headed forums from other clubs (bar the Skates) & you'll here much reasoned debate & a more understanding, coherent consensus. Many of our fans think we have a god given right to success & Adkins isn't good enough. Same people arrogantly slating & complanning before a ball has so much been kicked in anger. We got promoted & have the busiest transfer month or 2 ahead. Our board are shrewd, we have a solid backing, we have lost no players of discernible quality, we are keeping our youth starlets (Oxo may go but that won't be our fault) & FINALLY we have a board who care about the FOOTBALL (not the dividends for themselves or their piers) & a board that have done so much right & barely put a foot wrong AND with an up & coming manager yet still you f**kin complain. Spoilt brats springs to mind. Be thankful. Some have short memories! I have faith & fans should be grateful & show more support. If we've signed no-one come Aug, then perhaps it's acceptable to be concerned but until then, have some patience & be f*ckin thankful. Plymouth fans must think we're a bunch of whining, ungrateful tossers! We will bolster & we will progress. Get behind your club!

I agree. This board have shown some well considered actions & act subtly & decisively. I have no evidence to see that manner changing overnight despite initial concerns over a "purported" comment.

What makes you so sure we haven't? Don't use the internet (& certainly this forum) as a barometer for clarity. I'd take the recent transfer comments by the club with a large pinch of salt!

No, I think the board are shrewd enough to know what they are doing. They would not announce or release info. for fun. They're up to something and know what they are doing. I’ve had a change of attitude over the weekend having had time to think. I hate to say the hysteria from fickle fans may have tainted my opinion slightly but I am more patient and relaxed having digested all the info. learned over the past few weeks combined with chatting to some contacts over the weekend. Regardless of who we know, I think Saints are playing a shrewd game. Purely by my judgment, I believe we will wait until the exact moment is right to bring in the quality, rather than the quantity. Adkins talking about transfer speculation is a first but he is a clever guy and our board now seem a far cry from the absolute senseless carnage of past boards managed by idiotic chairmen. The key contract renewals of Lambert and Lallana (no doubt Fonte will be top of our agenda when necessary and rewarded for his commitment and performance) show our foresight and ambition. Martin too is good news for an up and coming squad player. I was cynical at the initial club comments last week, thinking in an Alpine manner (i.e. the club have announced this to appease a lack of transfer activity prior to boost season ticket sales). That attitude is wrong. I believe we are bedding our foundations, showing to the entire squad performance and quality will be rewarded with good contracts and the new players hopefully coming in will re-enforce our push for promotion and striving to achieve the shared goal, promotion whilst not upsetting the great level of spirit Adkins has worked his socks off to achieve (esp. with the promotion pride). I think (or hope) we will bring in at least 3 quality (EPC/PL standard) players. CB, CM and CF. That will be costly but it makes much more sense in revitalizing the entire squad with top quality rather than 6 fringe (or worse, inadequate) players akin to the tricky January transfer window of last season. Why replace “adequate” players in other positions when we could get promotion with 3 (I think 4) key additions combined with the current squad. After all, if we look top 5 come Jan, the fringe players then could be replaced with much higher value/quality for the next phase (EPC/PL standard) while the existing contracts run down. Makes perfect sense to me. I think we are all giving the club less credit than they deserve. They have not made many mistakes yet and are learning every day. Have faith. I do despite being dubious last week. When they make a horrendous decision, then moan but until they do, count yourself lucky we have backing and a board than actually care about how we play football and support the manager.

If you had watched Saints carefully enough over the past 4 or 5 seasons, you should identify midfield is an area of the pitch which needs urgent surgery (I'm not suggesting you don't watch matches but that comment strikes me as bizarre to even the fickle fan) and under Pardew, questions often came up re: the partnership between Morgan and Hammond, inconsistent and hugely varied to say the least. Also, why does our CB have to be pacey? As long as the defender reads the game as well as Jaidi or Fonte (as any self-respecting centre half should), we will be fine. We do need a replacement akin to Jaidi. I don't think many would beat Jaidi's heading prowess but someone solid in the air and slightly more mobile would be ideal. There are a few out there available. CM has been an issue which needed addressing long, long ago. Chaplow arriving helped but he lost form slightly. Hammond is a weak link and poor. I don't want to sound patronising because your opinion is your opinion (im my eyes, completely wrong but that's my opinion which you would likely think wrong! LOL) but I equally don't understand the hysteria on this forum which praises Hammond so often. I watch Saints continually and have seen his decent performances but I find him a weak leak and I have seen games where he too often lunges in and gets frustrated (red card risk) and his frist touch is so poor twinned with his passing (misguided more often than not). It annoys me how often Hammond has sloppily passed to oncoming attackers or wingers. He's also painfully slow. He's neither attacking or defensive which nulls his use imho. He's not terrible and he has served a purpose but he's nothing more than a squad player and he is certainly not captain material as his former club preferred. I agree on the spine of the team comments. If we are not bringing in too many new transfers, stick to the utmost quality in the core 3/4 players. I think this is what we plan to do but it's a waiting game. We need to be patient... A rock solid bruiser of a [CB], A classy midfield marshall that leads by example [CM] and a pacey, quality forward to compliment Lambert [CF] and vice-versa.

Or, fence sitting fans with low ambition & low standards. Maybe even Lowe standards! Perhaps ineptitude, complacency & just a tragic lack of ambition, (& a board that were not football fans) & that inherent "let's just stay up & survive" has permeated to many fans. I don't know about you but my memory is still decent. I remember the youth team, relegation & how the past boards decimated our club. The difference between you & I, I have that burning hunger of ambition for us to rekindle our PL strength & go one better & watch the club (along with my son) win top level trophies...or at least seriously compete. All that & within a short a time frame as possible. I bought into Nicola & Markus' vision because I shared it already. Shame some of you have a proclivity for mediocrity. Agreed, some fans are unrealistic but I think the average, coherent Saints fan would agree that we definitely need key additions to improve our team. We were in the third tier & I wouldn't class our squad as a top Championship line up. Decent, but with the frailties addressed (we all know which positions : CM, CB, CF poss RW) & some much needed pace, 6 - 8 million quid could release millions if promotion was achieved. Look at the bigger picture.

That comment concerns me. Comments like that and the long delay in moving in for players which I previously left lee way to the club for (this patience will expire next week if no new announcements take place) brings up questions. It contradicts the rumours we've bid for Sharp and Cork but can these be substantiated? That "improving the squad" (old) line peddled out last season and was acceptable then but not now. I hope it was merely a throw away comment. We clearly DO need new faces if we're to compete with only the spine of the team (Lambert, Fonte, Lallana, Oxo & Harding) of the quality to progress, the rest our squad players. Certainly nowhere near a PL side, miles off. If we were to do a Norwich which is what I was lead to believe Cortese and Adkins wanted to do, then we need to bring in a much stronger calibre of player like Sharp, Cork, Pilkington and players of that Ilk. Young, untested (or unlucky) players with potential (i.e. Seaborne, Dale Stephens, Martin, etc.) is a decent transfer policy regarding addition to the squad (& when we pick up injuries over our arduous season) and we just "may" develop another Oxo but they shouldn't be first choice, starting 11 players. I hope we do sign some quality as making do was a sign of the old times and I hoped we were pushing for promotion or at least a top 10 finish this season. The current squad were ok for League One but West Ham, Leicester, Hull, Notts Forest, Birmingham...even the Skates, won't be easy games and we really need to bolster our squad (like we didn't do under Strachan when we were on the platform to success and just "made do"). Let's hope Cortese does have ambition and the financial support to realise that. The new Lambert contract and particularly the holding onto youth actions (with Lallana and possibly Oxo) show a huge shift in management and club attitude. The reassuring comments about the sense in developing the squad and holding onto young talent when we can (can't keep Oxo if he wants to leave) is great and welcomed but I truly hope we have the sense to push on as a whole....either that or my biggest concern from day one (and I may just be worrying like Alpine for the sake of it but I like to think I'm more realistic rather than pessimistic) was how good is Adkins and the club at actually attracting the players. Pardew could. Can Adkins, forget the fan talk that money & facilities brings in any player, it doesn't. It just helps. Some players have higher morals and integrity (not many! LOL) rather than a mercenary hunger for the big bucks (but who can blame them!) Let's hope a decent signing comes in soon...today? Cork would reassure me greatly. That would be superb as our midfield is my biggest concern. It wins and loses matches and our central players/play are constantly the biggest weakness in our weaker games. I hope we can bring in a replacement for Hammond and a reliable starter for the times Morgan goes absent. That and the back up striker and some injection of pace. Just 2 or 3 shrewd signings could galvanise our squad. Gwannnn!!!!!

How about stumbling onto the pitch clumsily to the tromboned theme tune of Johnny Briggs? Target audience! Lol

I heard some rumours too but they were only unsubstantiated rumours so just kept them at the back of my mind. However, I need to be careful about how I comment as Hypo gets a bit sensitive about challenging negative rumours despite him starting one here himself.

Very true. Hadn't considered that. Agreed. Long gone are those days of utter incompetence & questionable, divisive power & ego struggles at the expense of our club. However, on a lighter note, with the SFA's past appointment of Burley & now Wotte involved, it appears evident that the drink problem in Scotland is worse than government stats first indicated.

Well, 5 pages of complete, unsubstantiated b*llocks in response to some unproven nonsense typed by someone who may or may not be an agent on Twitter...the home of all solid news stories! Some troll must be sat under his bridge laughing his hairy a*se off!! This thread should be sponsored by Wikipedia!

Both inexperienced muppets way too inferior for our level & the results echoed that but hey, Rupes knew best!! Forget the wise words intimated by Alan Ball! Sack Pearson who salvaged something despite the inherited mess and that clueless numpty Manji thought, appoint 2 clueless Dutch jokers to get us relegated and then put us into administration when it's clear we will be relegated and have -10 the following season in League One...nice work! Thank f*ck we have someone running the club with a modicum of intelligence and logic now!

Oh PUH-LEASE! Wasn't the inane comment on the other thread enough? More attention needed here? I'll repeat what I said again. It's not very worrying in the slightest when you consider matters. It's more likely to be complete b*llocks & sh*t stirring from someone who has had their nose put out of joint. Possibly emanating from one of the ex Saints disgruntled gang or the more likely scenario of an agent not being able to bullsh*t a rude but shrewd financial man in Cortese. We do have money so are you telling me parasitic agents are going all moral & principled against a few hard words in lieu of earning a fat pay off for a few phone calls & " demanding" agent work? I think not! Money talks. B*llsh*t walks! I do chuckle how any rumour written online is taken as truth. 90% are actually trolls, lies or ridiculously distorted Chinese whispers leaving a small puddle of truth but is it visible in those muddied waters?! I wish kids would stop using the internet as a muck spreader. Twitter -more like sh*tter!