Rebel

Foster and Larsson were already leaving Birmingham anyway - as is Bowyer by the looks of things! They are running at a loss and in debt. Also sounds like McLeish is going to quit. Their better players will jump ship in the summer. To me they look like a club in freefall. It will take them at least a season to get things straightened out - but with 4 years of parachute payments they will be contenders the season after next. Blackpool will lose Adams and Vaughan and maybe one or two others. Its also possible we could swap Puncheon for Phillips now although its more likely they will lose both players. As we saw in the cup game they have no strength in depth - there second string was abysmal. I think they will struggle in the Championship at best! Oh and welcome back to St Mary's Mr Holloway - you're not quite as big as you think you are now are you!? One lucky play-off campaign and one season in the top flight doesn't make a big club. Try 27 years! As for West Ham they will be in a worse state than Brum and B'pool financially! Although they at least have a good academy and a lot of good young players coming through. But I think they are looking at mid table and long stay in the Championship. I'm just glad Wolves and Blackburn didn't get relegated as I think they would have been much stronger contenders in the Championship than any of the others. It's just a shame Wigan weren't relegated though.

Looks like Palace are hoping to be contenders this coming season - I had them down as also rand or relegation fodder!

that's alright we've already got a striker called Hoskins - Sam Hoskins from the youth team - there just playing catch-up! anyway Sam's the way to go as we are supposedly interested in Sam Baldock at MK Dons

It does hurt watching former youth players at Saints doing well for other teams in the nPC as you can't help feeling they should still be with us! Harry Redknapp has to take some of the blame for this for throwing the young players to the wolves in a cup game against lower league clubs and then dancing on their graves when they lost. He did his best to make sure they would lose by playing too many of them and playing them alongside the useless players who couldn't make the first team. He also played them out of position when he could as well. Bring them into a losing team was never going to help. Redknapp has his own agenda and used the youth players to make a point and score points against Lowe. Burley also has to take the blame for not playing them - or playing them out of position when he did. But the real culprit was Rupert Lowe for wanting them played before they were ready and then only giving them year long contracts instead of long term contracts that tied them to the club and gave them time to develop. Quite a few of them left Saints when there contracts ran out or we were forced to sell as they only had a year left. Right now a Saints team including Martin Cranie at righback, Matt Mills and Gary Monk at centreback, Nathan Dyer at right midfield/forward, Andrew Surman at left/centre midfield, Simon Gillett as holding midfielder, Adam Lallana as attacking midfielder, Dexter Blackstock up front with Leon Best and David McGoldrick and Lloyd James on the bench doesn't look too bad does it! Although you can see why they let Nile Ranger move on.

I think they will always sell season tickets - and I for one like sitting in the same seat every week as its in a great position and all the season ticket holders who sit around us a great bunch - we all have a favourite player and loathed players - and a lot of banter about such things! But I do think they should sell batches of tickets before the season starts - the should be a number of packagaes availabel, 4 games for the price price of and or 7 games for the price of 5 or something like that - which should include membership. People can then choose which exact games they go to during the season with priority on seats until a month before the game.

that's what I was saying! maybe should have said it a bit blunter! I'd love to see us sign players like Nicky Maynard and Scott Sinclair this summer - but I just cant see it - I think we'll end up spending nearer £5 million in total with £1.5 million to £2 million at a push being the most we spend on one player!

Shane Long's price has been qouted as £6 million - but I think it will be more like £3 million in the end. I'm not sure we will splash that much cash on one player! If he does go anywhere from Reading it will be a premiership team like Wolves - if they stay up. Nicky Maynard at Bristol City who has a year left on his contract and was top scorer in the nPC last season would be a better bet at that kind of price. He's valued at about £3 million and I get the impression he wants to move on from Bristol City to a bigger more ambitious club.

From a hard nosed business viewpoint you would probably release Jaidi, Connolly, Butterfield and Harding and bring in younger, possibly cheaper players and free up some space on the wage bill. I can see us recalling Joseph Mills for this reason to provide cover and competition at left back alongside Luke Shaw. I am not sure Jaidi will last the pace in the Championship - and who knows he may choose to retire on a high anyway! Connolly although undoubtedly talent is on the seasoned side and injury prone. The club may decide to go for someone who is less of an injury risk. Butterfield and Harding are probably good enough to keep - but it might just come down to budget! Gobern and Martin would probably be retained on two year deals with an option on a third year as both show the potential to make the grade at a higher level, have resale values and could be loaned out to gain experience. We shouldn't forget that any or all of these players might be offered more money and/or guaranteed first team football elsewhere! In regards to Oxlade-Chamberlain you would probably sell him whilst his value is high - but get him back on loan for next season as part of the deal - along with two other young top class players - and invest the money in building the team. For example if we sold Oxlade-Chamberlain to Arsenal for £10 million - £5 million up front and the rest in staged payments (say £3 million in January and £2 million next summer) and got him back on loan for next season along with Craig Eastmond and Frimpong it would make business sense. Eastmond would provide cover at right back and Frimpong in the middle. We could then use the £5/10 million to bring in other players. Say £2 million for Jack Cork, £3 million for Nicky Maynard and £3 million for Scott Sinclair for example. The rest on wages. We are in a strong position when it comes to Oxlade-Chamberlain - we don't need to sell and he seems to want to stay for another year to get more first team experience under his belt at the next level. However his parents and advisers will also want to sign a deal with a big club that guarantees his financial future whilst he's still a wanted man. In effect we can drive a hard bargain - but I think they will want us to do a deal on his future. But if the money we can raise takes us to the top of the Championship and into the Premiership surely we'd all be happy with that! From a business point of view I'd also look to exchange Jason Puncheon for Matt Phillips from Blackpool.

The whole academy and youth system in England needs an overhaul! Two things need to happen - the first being an end to the poaching of the best youth players by the big clubs and the second and end to the dumping of young players before they have been given a real chance and with no qualifications or training. Firstly clubs should be allowed to recruit scholars/schoolboys from anywhere - dump the 90 mins travel rule! Once a club has a boy registered as a scholar they should have first refusal on offering him an apprenticeship at 18 and the right to his registration meaning another club can't simply snatch him away. Apprenticeships should be for 5 years - from the age of 18 until 23 - giving all young players the time to develop properly. An U21 academy league should be introduced as well as U23/B teams playing in the lower leagues for the bigger clubs. And any player that doesn't make the grade by 23 should come out of it as a fully qualified football coach, fitness coach, physio or something like that. Any player sold before they are 23 should incur an automatic sell on clause or substantial development fee for the original club in the player registration.

I've heard a whisper that David Nugent is set to sign for us on a free transfer - supposedly becuase he's settled on the South Coast and doesn't want to move away - but doesn't want to play for Pompey anymore. I imagine that its possible we've sounded him out about wages and that stuff - at 27 he's a good age for a free transfer - and he's more than capable of scoring goals in the Championship - he can also play left wing as well as upfront - and he has pace. To be honest I thought he would head back up to the North West - Burnley or Blackpool most likely. Would he be a good signing though - given his Skate past? I'm never keen on signing ex-Pompey players. What do people think?

We've been linked with Jan Hable on one of the rumours sites - he's a Czech defensive midfielder and U21 international player joint owned by Fiorentina and Ascoli - currently on loan to a Greek side.

I wonder how many people who went on Saturday have been season ticket holders in the past - but wives, kids and finances got in the way of having one this season. I know of 3 myself - and a couple of others in the same boat who couldn't get tickets! I've only had a season ticket for 2 years but have been going to 80% or more of home games for over 15 years - and been going to Saints games for over 30 years! For me if your a Saint your a Saint - it's that simple!

I was born in Chandlers Ford in Eastleigh and grew up there - but have lived in Winchester for over 10 years now. I've always supported Saints and I am the third generation of my family to do so. My dad also played youth football for Saints back in the day. And I'm always bumping into my cousins in and around St Marys on matchdays so for me it's a family thing. I was born to it! I have a soft spot for both Eastleigh and Winchester City though. My brother-in-law is a Pompey fan but he now lives on Botley - he son was born in Southampton much to his disgust! Does that make him a Saints fan? Saying that my nephew does have a season ticket at St Marys with me and my Dad! He also goes to games at Fratton Park with his dad. He's got both Pompey kits and Saints kits - a Pompey duvet cover and Saints pyjamas!

For the most part we should be looking to sign younger players who have the ability to step up to the Premiership. In Lallana, Morgan and Oxlade we already have 3 that can do so - but we need to add some more. Jack Cork and James Vaughan are two players that could do this - and both are available - Vaughan on a free - and would be realistic signings. Matt Phillips from Blackpool would be another if they get relegated. Fabio Borini from Chelsea and Guidetti from Man City are both available on free transfers for another example of the type of player we should be looking at. Jacob Mellis is another. We also have a core of players in Chaplow, Fonte, Davis, Butterfield, Harding, Do Prado and Connolly who are definately of Championship standard. And another group including Hammond, Dickson, Richardson, Barnard and Lambert who can probably step up a level. We definately need another striker with real pace, a left winger with pace, a first choice centre back to partner Fonte and a central midfielder/playmaker. I'd like to see someone like Brian Howard - again a realistic signing - to add some experience and leadership in the middle of the pitch. He would certainly give us commitment. I'd also like to see Matt Mills make a return to partner Fonte at the back. It would all depend on Reading not going promoted though. We should also look at loan signings from the premier league - young players from clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs - players like Lansbury, Frimpong, Eastmond would add some qaulity to the team. Hopefully we will see one or two more players from the youth team step up to the first team next season as well - Ward-Prowse, Sinclair and Hoskins perhaps. If we do sell Oxlade-Chamberlain I would want £10 million a loan back for the season - as well as two other young players on loan as part of the deal! I'd love to see us sign players like Nicky Maynard and Scott Sinclair this summer - it would be a real statment of intent - but I'm not sure I can see us doing that as we would have to compete with premiership clubs on transfer fees and wages.

James Vaughan, Sam Vokes, Lukas Juktiewitz, Nicky Maynard - any 2 of those would do

Gobern is one of the few players we've got - along with Morgan, Lallana and one or two others - who can actually play one touch football - he just needs more games under his belt to get the first team experience needed. He also has pace and power - we would be stupid to let him go. The higher up the league we go the better he will be.

what about Reto Ziegler - he's out of contract at Sampdoria, he plays in Italy, he's Swiss and he's played in England! Versatile as well as he can play left back or left midfield - not that we probably need another player like that wth Joesph Mills, Ryan Dickson and Dan Harding in the squad already!

There are some good young players from the premier league who are out contract this summer - strikers Borini from Chelsea and Guidetti from Man City - not too mention Vaughan from Everton. We should also be looking at getting players on loan like Mellis from Chelse, Eastmond and Frimpong from Arsenal - maybe even Vokes from Wolves if they stay up. Possibly Surman from Norwich.

Nicky Maynard has a year to run on his contract at Bristol City and seems keen to move on - he's not signed a new contract and Bristol City have gone from contenders to also rans. Wasn't he top scorer in the Championship last season - but just come back from injury and to form now. I could see Saints signing him - and it would give us the pace and proven NPC goalscorer we'll need if we go up. James Vaughan from Everton/Crystal Palace on a free would be a good signing in a similar mould. Young and pacey - and good value. Nathan Tyson will also be available on a free I believe. I'd like to see someone like Beattie or Vokes to lead the line and give us another option upfront. A lot of the stuff around who is available and who is not will depend on who goes up and down. If Wolves stay up Sam Vokes would probably be available - if they get relegated they will probably look to keep him. Similarly if Reading stay in the NPC players like Brian Howard and Matt Mills might be available. If they go up Antonio might well be instead. Again if Burnley stay in the NPC Jack Cork might be available. Again if Swansea dont go up Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer might look to move on. If we sell AOC I'd like to see him come back on loan for the season - maybe with a couple of friends - any from Frimpong, Lansbury and Eastmond at Arsenal would do!

The cr*p coming out of Bournemouth and Brighton this season has been amazing! Bournemouth really do have a chip on their shoulder about being the small club down the road that we used to lend players too and play friendlies against - but I think its mostly because half of the people in Bournemouth support Saints just like Adam Lallana and his family. They really don't like being a second club - which they were for a lot of our fans until this season! Brighton I don't get at all - I think a lot of its to do with hating Alan Pardew for his Palace connections and then the rumpus over the summer about Calderon supposedly been offered a better contract by Saints. Something which was not even true according to Cortese and was spouted out by Poyet! Its Calderon they should have an issue with not us! They also seem to forget they came to St Mary's earlier this season playing for a draw from the very first minute - not something to be proud of even if you've won the title. They left a bad taste in the mouth just like Billy Davies Derby County - but you had to admire both teams for their professionalism! If Saints had a little bit more of that street smart attitude - and maybe kept a bit of managerial stability - I think we'd still be fighting them for the title this season rather than trailing behind them in second place! Or first loser as some like to say!

I have to say Umbro do produce the nicest football kits by a long lomg way at the moment - take a look at footballshirtculturte and you'll see what I mean! Looking at the latest Umbro shirts I have a feeling our away kit will be a blue and yellow version of the Ireland away shirt. And I am sure our home kit will be simple red and white stripes. Personally I'd like to see one similar to the early 80s kit with the thick and thin stripes and then the year after one similar to the classic Air Florida Keegan era shirt.

The play-offs are a lottery - and we've never had any luck with them before! We need automatic promotion in second place. I can't see us beating Brighton at the Withdean but hopefully we can squeeze a draw and scrape wins in the rest of our games and we might just make it - otherwise we are going to be relying on goal difference to carry us up!

One problem - Huddersfield and Peterborough are quite likely to win all of their remaining games - so we need to win all but one of ours now as well!

You think he'd of realized by now that we can't play the diamond - we don't have the right players for it - or they are simply not good enough! 4-4-2 from now on please!

The Saints Trust was against the SISU deal if I remember it correctly. The deal would have been very good for Dulieu and the Executive directors - Hone, Oldknow and (the American bloke) - but not the fans or the club as a whole. Coventry are exactly where we predicted Saints would be after 2 years under SISU control. Watch the asset stripping and administration take place before you're eyes!