saints_is_the_south

United beating Liverpool to keep us out of the relegation zone for the weekend. More importantly two direct relegation rivals playing today, QPR at Spurs KO at 4 and Norwich at Newcastle playing now, and the geordies have just taken the lead which bumps us up a place to 16th.

Boruc Butterfield Hooiveld (if fit) Stephens Fox Cork JWP Mayuka Guly Chaplow Rodriguez 5 all Prem ties in this round, and 2 Prem teams already out so there is a genuine chance of having a run in this competition. Lets beat Sheff Weds and then draw the winner of the Bradford v Burton tie at home in the 4th Round!

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/southampton-manager-nigel-adkins-relaxed-despite-sack-speculation-8160511.html Decent interview, very positive about his relationship with Cortese in particular.

Looks like a decent sized away following from Swindon, and I'm assuming it's fancy dress for the bestest with the theme being 'come along as a blue seat'.

+1. Interested to see how many would still go and who wouldn't.

Just out of interest, who here would refuse to go to St Mary's if Redknapp was appointed? I could not go out of principle. It's not the fact he took us down, but as adrainsfc has posted earlier in the thread, it was the manner it happened and the way he conducted himself whilst Saints manager. Oh, and of course the leaving us to return to the Skates bit too.

If I were Nigel Adkins I'd be on the phone to Gary Neville asking him if he'd come down to Staplewood for a bit of defensive coaching. Even if it was only for a week. Would help us no bounds IMO. Got nothing to lose by asking either, he can only say no.

Didn't look to woeful to me when they were spanking a decent Fulham side just before the international break. They'll get enough points at home to keep them away from trouble, and whilst injured at the moment they have somebody in Carroll who will score goals in this league and suits their style of play down to the ground. West Ham will comfortably survive IMO. Main rivals for us IMO are Reading, Wigan and Norwich. Villa could be dragged into it, got a very young team and a bad run of results could see them struggle for confidence. They do have a proven Prem goalscorer up front though. Swansea have looked very good so far up til yesterday, lost a few good players in the summer but replaced them with the bargain of the summer. If Michu were to get injured I could see them being down there, but think they'll be alright. If asked to predict now I'd have Saints, Reading and Norwich going down with Wigan again surviving by the skin of their teeth.

When do we think we can expect these to be announced? I ask as advance rail fares have just gone on sale for Liverpool on 1st Decemer. Unlikey to be on TV I'd have thought so worth the risk to go ahead, or wait and watch the fares gradually rise?

Asier del Horno (former Chelsea LB) is also available on a free following his release in the summer from Levante. Another player who could probably do a short term job and add experience to the back line. Like the 2 players mentioned above, he's over 30 but you are not going to get many decent freebie options that are below that age. Regardless, I'm sure somebody who has played for teams such as Bilbao, Chelsea & Valencia CDAJFU. Him and Fox would be good competition at LB, and we could loan Shaw out to a Championship to get him some much needed 1st team match experience. Fabio Grosso is another left sided defender who is currently a free agent following his release from Juventus in the summer. World Cup winner and played over 220 games in Serie A and 50+ in Ligue 1. Plenty of options out there around Europe.

Two that I mentioned a few weeks back, and both still without clubs. Per Kroldrup - CB - 33, ex Udinese, Everton and most recently Fiorentina (where he played over 100 games). Also has over 30 caps for Denmark. Fernando Meira - CB/DM - 34, ex Benfica, Stuttgart, Galatasaray, Zenit St Petersburg & most recently Real Zaragoza. Also has over 50 caps for Portugal. Both getting on a bit now, but both have loads of experience across many top European leagues, and ex international regulars for their respective countries. 1 of them could definitely come in and do a job for us until January at least when we can then go and purchase a longer term solution.

A "couple of hundred" sold as of 2pm according to the nipper at the TO.

Finally being given a clean/repainting. Crane outside the Northam end when I went down this afternoon doing the work, looking much better on the outside of the stadium now, the structures are actually white again as opposed to a horrible dirty green mould colour! About time imo as the stadium was starting to look a bit tired and grubby on the exterior!

7.30am train to Waterloo followed by breakfast in the spoons at Leicester Square. From there it will be off to The Lamb & Flag and The Nags Head at Covent Garden, along to The Cross Keys on Endell Street and then up the road to the White Hart on Drury Lane. Tube from Holborn to Kings Cross, swift one in the Dolphin before train to Finsbury Park. One more in the Twelve Pins and then off to the ground.

Cheers, will buy for Lower Bullens then. And yes full allocation would be about 3K I think which would include upper tier. Would be a good effort if we can get close to selling this allocation out though. Considering that it will be a new ground for a lot of the younger generation (myself included) I expect we'll take between 1,200-1,500 for this.

Those who have been to Everton before - If you buy a ticket for the 'Lower Bullens' is it possible to move down to the 'Paddock' when you're there if the view from the latter is cr*p? Or are they separate sections with different entrances? From the photos of the away end I've seen online it looks like it's all the same stand, but thought I'd check. Just thinking I expect there will be plenty of spare seats going, so if I can save a couple of quid then I will, if not I'll buy for the Paddock.

Not a chance. We'll take about 1K max to this one I'd have thought. Certainly never used to take many to Everton in the past. £35 for the lower paddock, £32 for the upper part of the lower tier. That is confirmed (by Everton's OS). Be nice if Saints could have the courtesy to inform us though, and of how many tickets we have been allocated. Guess that is asking a little too much.

Jos the boss does it for us now.

Depends on how you look at it I guess, I don't consider any competition pointless and want us to win every game we play. £15 is fair for this game IMO, anymore would be too much. Decent CCC opposition, 3rd Round. I agree that the club have got pricing wrong for many cup games though, certainly when it's been League 1 or 2 oppo. I do think the club should look at putting on special deals for games like this though. For example, if a family of 4 with 2 over 11's want to go it's £50. Make it £40 when buying as a family of 4 (over 11's) or £30 (two under 11's) instead. Stick the kids in one section away from the Northam & Kingsland/Itchen North's though please! Another example of a possible deal could be bring a mate/relative for a fiver, so it would end up working out a tenner each that way. Deals like this = fuller stadium, more spent on the concourses and in the mega store before hand. And then those who don't take part in any of the deals still pay the full price, so the club don't lose out that way.

Hate to admit it but Skates 2-2 last season. Felt physically sick after that, couldn't even my post match pint.

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?38914-Premier-League-Away-Matches-Ticket-Prices Rough guide to what away match ticket prices should be this season. I'd have thought we'll only have the bottom tier at Everton so £32 or £35. http://www.evertonfc.com/tickets/prices-seating-plan.html - confirmed here that ticket prices in the same stand we'll be in are £32/£35 for category D game (which we are classed as).

I was another who was sceptical, but he has been fantastic. By far the best football pundit Sky or anybody else has on the TV IMO. As has already been said here, him and Ed Chamberlain are a huge upgrade on Keys & Gray. Pretty sure he said when appointed as a coach for England by Hodgson that he had no interest in becoming a manager, which is a shame as he'd make a fantastic one I think. Good work by Roy getting him involved in the England set up though.

2 current free agents who are both CB. Both getting on a bit, but both have an abundance of experience and could surely help us out until January: Per Kroldrup (33yr old former Danish international and ex-Udinese, Everton & Fiorentina) Fernando Meira (34yr old former Portugese international and ex-Benfica, Stuttgart, Galatasaray, Zenit St Petersburg & most recently Zaragoza)

1st game was against Torquay when we got 9,319. In the next round we played Charlton which was live on Sky and we had 13,906. Then 15,453 against Norwich, and 29,901 against MK Dons.

For any of those currently at home, this started 5 minutes ago. Sky channel 425.