mikee

Exactly what a lot of us were saying as we left the stadium after the last game - "how the feck did we just finish 8th!" it was laughable. We can't keep relying on everyone else being shyte to scrape by. Surely we should be trying to be as good as we possibly can?

Depends what formation we play, but assuming 4-2-3-1 then I would say CB, DM & AM (No10) which is really the spine of the team.

I wouldn't judge it purely based on last seasons performances - hopefully this season will be much more entertaining!

Agreed. That was the performance that made me question Puel's capabilities.

Do you think we would have had this problem if Poch was still in charge - because I don't. He would have ensured that the players are fit enough to do their jobs, twice a week if necessary. Puel did not get the team fit and instead gave the players a ready made excuse by saying they couldn't possibly play 2 games a week. The players have been allowed to get lazy - which is the reason we have not seen any real pressing this season. Puel then proceeded to play a deliberately weakened side game after game. By the time we were out of all competitions, the players couldn't even manage 1 game a week! The first job of a manager is to get the best out of the team at his disposal and Puel has failed miserably at this and deserves to be sacked as a result.

I am renewing mine today. With all the reminder letters, emails and texts it might have been easier for the club to phone those who hadn't renewed yet to find out why. Would have given many of us the opportunity to make our feelings on Puel known at the time of renewal. In reality my protest of waiting to the last minute has been completely pointless!

My expectation is for a manager that tries to win every game and doesn't give already molly coddled and lazy players more excuses such as not being capable of playing 2 games a week or being able to press for long periods of a game. Until that changes we will never achieve anything and the football will be as dire as it has been this season.

to be honest, even in the Northam the singing has got a lot worse over the past 5 years. Every song sung as fast as possible. The fact that Spurs sing our song better than us says it all really. If we could slow it down it would also give other stands a chance to join in.

If you get a chance, go to Mike's Place right next door to the American embassy on the beachfront. It is the best bar in Tel Aviv for sports and tends to be the meeting place for ex-pat sports fans generally. Also does wicked chicken wings!!

My backup plan for a ticket is to get one via the hotel concierge and is the main reason I booked into a decent hotel. Phone the concierge and ask for a ticket with your extra blanket.

relieved to get a ticket having already booked hotel and flights - reckon there could be around 1,000 tickets left for non season ticket holders

personally i think winning the Euros has changed Fonte's outlook and ambition. He has had a taste of the glory of a major trophy and desperately wants more but realises that this will not happen at Saints. Can't really blame him but it is a real kick in the teeth for us fans who have to stick with the club regardless of ambitions!!

The difference is that those teams still manage to win things every now and then despite selling their best players whereas for Saints it is stopping us from winning anything.

It depends what our ambitions are: if we are happy to keep rebuilding every 2 years and be seen as a stepping stone to bigger things then the current strategy is fine; if we want to try to establish ourselves as a contender then we need a manager who sees SFC as a long term plan - like the boards 5 year plan - and will sell that vision to players rather than "come here for a season or 2 and put yourself in the shop window for a big move". It would be interesting to know which approach the club favours.

Very true.... Koeman saw us as a stepping stone and I am sure that he has sold the same strategy to the players he has signed as well. Any replacement big name manager will be the same. Perhaps this makes someone like Eddie Howe a better option as he would see us as a long term project?

So when your old man said be a pompey fan - what did you say?

2 that immediately spring to mind are Wijnaldum & Shaqiri who would have been affordable but have instead strengthened our rivals. Particularly Wijnaldum as he is the goal scoring attacking midfielder our side is screaming out for. I was shocked that we didn't go in for him given our dutch connections.

Personally i applaud the attempt to be more attacking with a 4-1-3-2 formation rather than a 4-2-3-1 and this is perhaps where we need to go longer term to be more offensive. The issue is we do not have a good enough defence as it stands to play this way and I suspect the formation change is more about Clasie being injured than anything else. I am sure that we will now see a consistent 4-2-3-1 with Wanyama and Romeu as the 2 holding players and Davis as part of the forward 3 as this helps us to press and defend better. But I look forward to seeing a successful 4-1-3-2 formation in the future as it will be a sign of progress.

nothing about the game or ticketing arrangements that I can see on the website. anyone have any info on tickets?

this is the problem with the amount of money in the game now - it overrides the principles of a football club in most cases. It is a shame we let money cover up what would in any other walk of life be considered gross misconduct and an instant dismissal. Is it any wonder that players are in the main a bunch of ***** and see themselves above the law. I was a bit shocked when we let Gaston go on loan last season as we didn't have anyone like him in our squad - and still don't have a no10 type of player - but he didn't seem to do anything at Hull or even force himself into a struggling team so unlikely to come back to us and be a world beater.

ridiculous that a 50 year old man gets a lump in his throat reading that...but there you go.

I have to agree with this. He also had several great chances to put a ball over the top for Mane to create a 1 on 1 with the keeper but failed to get any of them over the centre backs. You have to admire his attitude and commitment but in the premiership you also need skill and composure.

Strange to think that in the same timeframe Spurs have made even more money from our academy than we have!!

Top post! This inspired me to burn all of my MLT videos / DVD's and my old saints shirts - particularly satisfying seeing the '76, '84 and '03 shirts go up in flames. Might even boo the team tomorrow now I am a proper fan.

Contrary to many posts on here I would have thought Koeman will be delighted with the current situation and the opportunity to bring in his own players. The fact he seems to be OK with it - based on what he has said so far - leads me to believe he feels that we need better players to improve on last seasons position. All very exciting if that is the case. I accept that things look bad right now and play into the hands of the pessimists but we are only half way through the turnaround. It would be good though if the club could give us some reassurance that this is the plan as this would stop a lot of the negative feeling that is dominant at the moment.