NickG

Apparently Brighton have 'put one over their south coast rivals'. http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/albion/9397412.Albion_snatch_talent_spotter_from_Saints/ http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?220822-David-Burke...from-Southampton&

Know its early days, that is one reason I looked at this - how do teams starting as we do usually finish - answer is not many start as well as we do and teams top after 19 usually go up. Still optimistic rather than expecting!

codes of practice for strike (both sides) says should be no more than 6 picketing at any one site

lets enjoy an impressive points total after 19 ffs, previous seasons give perspective to how well we are doing. pretty clear what thread was from title

11/12, after 19 games we are top on 42 points, finishing....? 10/11, after 19 games QPR were top with 41 points, finishing top with 88. 9/10, after 19 games, Newcastle were top with 42 points (not as good GD as us tho!), finishing top with 102. 08/09 after 19 games, Wolves were top with 46 points, finishing top with 90 points. (Birmingham were 2nd on 40 points and finished 2nd with 83 points) 07/08 after 19 games, Watford were top with 36 points, finishing 6th with 70 points, (WBA finished top, after 19 games were 2nd on 35 points, finishing with 81 points) 06/07 after 19 games, three teams were on 37 points (Birmingham, Cardiff and PNE) B'ham finished 2nd on 86, Sunderland won the league after being 16th, 24 points after 19 games. 05/06 after 19 games top two were Reading and Sheff U on 44 and 45 points - same two finished top two on 106 and 90 points. 04/05 after 19 games Wigan were top with 39 points finishing 2nd with 87. So in last 7 seasons our point score after 19 games has only been bettered twice - both times teams were promoted. The team top after 19 games usually goes up. We are clearly ahead of schedule for automatic promotion. Looking at the last few years, something around 80 points is likely to be the requirement for promotion. That leaves us 38 points to gain. 13 homes games, 14 away games left. Something like : H W9 D2 L2 = 29 A W2 D3 L9 = 10 total 39 points - should be enough.

look don't want to patronise, or drag this out as appreciate you are not the quickest, but there is a genuine football point in my op - not trolling. I genuinely believe, that if we go up this season, it will be because we achieve the required points pretty much from St Marys. if you want a more recent classic from you.. [Richard Chaplow] just a little sore, optimistic not out long

expectations have risen, think people expect something from each game as we go into it, but we can't be surprised that we are dropping odd points. The only other teams who are better in current form than yesterday's game are West Ham and Cardiff. In this division when so many teams take points off top teams, dropping points away from home against one of the form teams is not too surprising, or a disaster. Reckon our home performances will carry us, and if we are going to be a promotion side - think it will be because our home games give us almost enough points, as above,

agree, but reckon winning every home game (having comfortably beaten Leeds, West Ham, Brighton and Middlesborough and being most consistent home side in the country) is a lot more likely than us losing every away game. current away form is showing us with point per away game. Carry on like that and we will need about 28 points from the remaining 14 home games - 9 wins, 1 draw and 4 defeats - not impossible by any means. just as we can't guarantee losing all away! we appreciate you are not the sharpest tool in the box so thanks for at least trying to join in the debate! Shame we didn't take your advice and settle for play offs last season with our weak squad! this season is even exceeding my expectations so doubt it will finish with me disappointed. not blase at all (did you miss winky thing?) Away form is point per game, sure we would all have taken that at the beginning of the season. In fact dead middle of table current away form. Personally think our season form away from home will end up improving more than our home form drops. We will not lose every away game, I am 100% sure of that. reckon we will cause at least a couple of our rival to drop home points. Was bit tongue in cheek (hence winky thing) but people should appreciate how few points we have dropped 2nd play 4th in mid week so rivals will be dropping more points. 6 points clear of 3 with game in hand

With points we have earned so far, if we win all home games we will have enough points to go up (based on last few seasons). Odd away point would be nice to allow a bit of slippage at home

he wasn't a forward.

quite relaxed about away games at the moment. if we continue winning all of our home games we will probably have enough points for automatic promotion (would have been for last 3 years) even if we don't get a single more point away. not seen anything to suggest, so far, that this is impossible - but likely to drop a few points at home but equally likely to gain a few away. any game we win away, in all likelihood means we can lose a home game and go up

RL was a CM until well into his career - as soon as played upfront started scoring for fun.

Sorry to hear this mate. Do what feels right about going to game - you will make the right choice. Hopefully saints will do him proud today.

The flag thing seems strange. I haven't seen it despite going to all competitive home games - although didn't contribute so not overly fussed. I think if you paid into it you deserve to know what happens with it. Don't have an opinion on away ticketing, no longer generally do away games so not aware of the policy - even if it is wrong, rather than just not suiting some, fans forums / fan on the board etc are not likely to influence a strong leader like Nicola. Most, pretty close to all fans, will say Nicola is pretty faultless at the moment. Big crowds, entertaining football, top of the league, good club atmosphere - all stemming from the leadership of the club. I am sure he could be more the fans' mate, providing lots of cheap tickets etc, spending his time talking with fans - nice if it was the case but as long as he is excelling in the important stuff must are extremely happy with his actions.

think its hard for some to appreciate quite how well we have been doing for the last 13 months - several posters kept saying it must come to an end, we aren't playing well enough to go up etc. Suppose that comes from years of disappointment. think it was pretty clear to most that Adkins was a good appointment and promotion was fairly likely. even in this close season I was mocked for saying we could well be above West Ham and Leicester were signing players worse than ours - think some find it hard to appreciate our team, - we have players who are better, in many positions, than Leicester, West Ham and Brighton so being above them shouldn't be a shock. glad we didn't give up on automatic promotion to save our players for the play offs!

forums were an interesting chance to hear from the club but you could pretty much guess what the answers would be - can't remember anything particularly earth shattering to come out of them, these meals seem a positive gesture. reckon the vast majority of fans have no gripes at the moment, or unanswered questions.

http://twitter.com/#!/AndyNaylorArgus Poyet aiming a bit high imho.

this is what I find strange about likes of Brighton / Poyet - moaning about budgets, how much has he spent?

http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?219253-Comments-from-Saints-Fans-on-local-paper-site.../page11 some interesting views on here now! post 205 someone genuinely surprised that anyone doesn't realise Brighton is a bigger club than us. post 226 about how we won't keep up! I know we all are blinkered towards their club, but amazing that people there aren't expecting more from the league 1 champions, with the great manager who has spent loads more than us but they still can't play decent football or keep up with many teams who have spent less!

didn't Calderon choose them for extra money? All those players listed above would cost more than most in championship spent. Would put them with Big Sam's WHU as two teams who can't play fast technical play with skillful dribbling / passing etc - both rely on physical play, cynical play and percentages

Think their forum is a very good one, not just for football, interesting stuff about news, other teams etc But, they seem to always have about 3 threads on their first page linked to how bad Nigel is??!! They seem to still be upset over the 'if they keep up with us' comment. If I could be bothered to register on there, would explain the context of that comment - local Southampton radio reporter, asking if he thought the promotion race would be between the two of us - he replied if they can keep up with us, i.e. confident we would be there, and if Brighton carried on so would they. Considering he took over when we were well off the pace, something like 6 points and worse goal difference - and finished 3 points behind with better goal difference, proved to be a reasonable comment. If you carry any Poyet v Adkins comparison into this season....Poyet added CMS, Buckley, LuaLua, Harley, Rodriguez - all decent names for this league - surely significantly higher net spend than Adkins and have been on awful run, after 16 games fallen 13 points behind - know who I think is the manager who plays better football with more success! http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?219236-Nigel-Adkins-Song http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?219328-Do-you-think-you-d-like-Gus-if-he-was-the-manager-of-Southampton http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?219327-Do-you-think-you-d-like-Gus-if-he-was-the-manager-of-Southampton http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?219185-Bring-a-scarf-to-Southampton http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?219215-If-we-beat-southapton-away http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?219253-Comments-from-Saints-Fans-on-local-paper-site...

agree, its a hobby - I enjoy watching Saints as much as possible

interesting comparson (not sure you have the 2nd CB round the right way though) This is probably the best squad we have ever had - we have never had such competition for places.

after 16 games we have 36 points. last year, QPR were top with 34 points. Finished top, 8 points clear of 3rd. year before Newcastle were top with 33 points. Finished top, 23 points clear of 3rd year before Wolves were top with 37 points. Finished top, 10 points clear of 3rd. year before Watford were top with 36 points. Finished 6th. year before Cardiff were top with 33 points. Finished 13th. In last 5 years only once has a team had a better start than us - wolves, by one point and they walked it. Watford and Cardiff show this is still too early to take it for granted but odds are we will go up. Cardiff lost their top place after 20 games, Watford at Christmas.(held iy up to 23 games). I think (but not checked this bit sorry) team top at Christmas has gone up for quite a while.

Didn't think we would be points clear at this stage - thought we would be in the top few. I couldn't see us being below Leicester and West Ham - although some were in awe of the big name managers and signings, none of Leicester's signings scared me as signing players how would get in our team. People moan about outsiders not recognising how far we have come - but think there were quite a few on here like that. Great times and can't see us being out of top 6 all season - reckon most likely finish is......1st. Early days and bad little run or amazing run by others can soon change that.