Rebel

It is - sorry - should have said at £1million it just about starts to make sense as part of a £10 million marketing budget - within that budget you got salaries, advertising, direct marketing, digital marketing, events, corporate hospitality and PR costs etc

That's good if your a consumer brand with access to all those people in all those markets - and the ability to produce enough product to satisfy that demand But not if your a b2b recruitment company in the IT industry - sponsoring the industry awards for £50K would have a much greater ROI How many IT directors/managers or recruitment managers will watch Saints on TV - and then come away with an idea of who aaap3 are and what their product or service is? Sponsorship generally is a very ineffective marketing tool - it only works as part if an integrated marketing campaign when you have a full story to tell and use the other channels to do it FlyBe's sponsorship on the other hand made a lot of sense - a consumer brand with a local target market and a business link with Southampton as a place

Average marketing spend is 10% of revenue - so to budget for £1 million sponsorship aap3's revenue should be at least £100 million plus - but I don't think it is

Tell them to check their spam inbox - that's where mine was!

For a company of their size thats got to be most if their marketing budget gone for next year! Plus I can't really see a return on thevinvestment given their business

I don't think aap3 budgeted for promotion - I expect they'd be happy to be replaced and drop to a second tier sponsor - maybe of the academy or something like that

Thank god its not saggy chops they are talking too - perhaps the delusion he builds around himself is starting to collapse

Gary Hooper Jay Rodriguez Scott Sutter Lewis Holtby Scott Dann

I'd go for Cardiff - the Cardiff Swansea rivalry in the premiership would be interesting! Also they've never been in the premier league -,Brum, Blackpool and WestvHam have all had their days in the sunshine! Plus I'd like to see us sign Ince and Phillips from Blackpool and Danny and Davies from Brum City.

We need to bring in 6 or 7 new players without a doubt - plus 4 or 5 loans. I would expect Gary Hooper and Jay Rodriguez to be on the shopping list along with players Like Scott Dann and Curtis Davies if Brum City don't make it up. We should also look at Matt Phillips and Tom Ince if Blackpool don't make it up either. I'd have Martin Cranie and Andrew Surman back as well. We should also look to get 4 or 5 young players in on loan from the premier league big boys - players with real potential like Josh McCreachan from Chelsea, John Guidetti from Man City, Riyo Miyachi from Arsenal and Jonjo Shelvey from Liverpool. I think we'll also see one or two players from the Dutch first division and the Italian Serie A join us.

all the 'going down' stuff will be directed at Portsmouth!

No Guly and no De Ridder - keep them on the bench. Davis Fraser. Fonte. Hooiveld. Fox. Cork. Morgan. Hammond. Lallana. Sharp. Lambert. With Butterfield, Guly, De Ridder, Harding and Barnard on the bench. The defence needs protecting at the moment - both the full backs and the centre backs. We should play the diamond with Lallana in the whole and Hammond at the base. Hammond can protect the centre backs and Cork and Morgan the full backs. If Fraser and Fox get froward and overlap, giving us some width both Cork and Morgan will have to drop back and cover the wholes. Lambert can drift left leaving space for Lallana to run at them. De Ridder has pace but no end product and seems to run out of steam after 10 minutes so he's much better from the bench. Guly fails to track back or close down so can really only play upfront - so we should only bring him on to replace one of the front two - and make use of his height. Although Barnard would be ahead of him in the queue for me. Butterfield and Harding can both play in midfield if needed. I hope we don't bring Guly on in midfield or Harding on at left back as that always seems to turn a victory into a draw or loss. We really lack strength in depth with Chaplow and Tandanari injured - And apart from De Ridder we have no real pace in the team. We are short of 2 if not 3 wingers and a big centre forward to lead the line and/or provide cover for Lambert. If the opposition defence get the measure of Lambert in the air we seembto run out of ideas - and when under pressure we have no out ball as we dont really have any other players up front who are good in the air or wingers who hug the touchline.

I think Hooper wants to come South - but only in the summer - he was on track for the treble in Scotland during the January transfer window. I also think he'll only move to a Premiership team - he's already proved himself in the Championship Now if we do make it up the Adkins connection should seal the deal - if we're still interested.

Maybe if we'd won the Championship

We will need those players whether we go up or not - although I would make it 2 fast wingers and a tall centre forward as well a fast strker

Today's result was all too predictable!

Cortese should ban the TV cameras from St Marys

New rule - never bring Guly on as sub unless we arev 3 goals or more to the good - and only play him upfront!

Whether we go up or not we need to replace 5 or 6 of the players. We were a bit of a surprise package this season - and had the momentum at the start of the season. I'm not sure this same team would make it to the play-offs next season. We need two fullbacks that can defend - at least one new first choice centre back - wingers with pace - a centre forward with pace, power and physical presence to lead the line - and more strength in depth. I still think we should have bought Juktiewitz in January to lead the line and to provide cover for Lambert - as well as giving us two tall players upfront to grind out results.

Boro wanted it more! Our fullbacks cannott defend! We can't grind out a draw! We lack real pace! And it seems our players lack the desire!

I'm not sure our layers can take the pressure - or have the desire! Why oh why can't our players close down other teams on the edge of he box - we let players run at us - give them time and space - and give goals away!

I'm not laughing right now I have to say!

I think Fonte has reached his level - whether we go up or not he needs to be dropped to the bench next season and we need to bring in one if not two first choice centre backs.

Riyo Miyachi, Jonjo Shelvey, Josh McCreachan, Henri Lansbury - any of those on loan could be good!

Whichever division we are in next season I think we'll make bids for Hooper and Jay Rod, possibly Matt Phillips, and probably Upson and Scott Dann. Signing them is another matter though as other clubs will be interested in them - obviously if we do get promoted we'll have a much better chance of doing so!