Rebel

people want to see good attacking football - neither kick and rush or pass and pass again Under Poortvliet the midfield was good in possession of the ball, but there was no final ball and we had nothing upfront - and no real defence none of the youth palyers had been brought up to play total football - the youth team played 4-4-2 possibly 4-4-3 at times they just didn't understand the system - and we didn't have the players to play it anyway it left us vulnerable at the back and blunt upfront what we want to see is a solid defence with two fullback that get forward to support two attacking wingers, a centre forward and a second striker up front, a midfield ball winner and a player maker in the middle with the option to switch to 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 if the game demands it we want to see the ball played out from the back not lumped forward, we want to see movement off the ball, the wingers and second striker running at the opposition defence, crosses and through balls to the strikers stuff the youth team of 3 to 5 years ago was very very good at!

Lowe and Cowan were allowed into the club by Askham, Withers, etc as it made a lot of money for them - and that was as far as they looked Lowe was/is certainly a case of a man promoted above and beyond his level of competence he studied land management at Cirencester college or something like that - and then went to work in the City well the first place and the subject matter is where thick people from the upper middle classes go the second teaches people nothing about real business - just about gambling with other people's money both produce people who think they are far cleverer than than they are but his type have been getting away with it for generations - and they still are

The real problem is the expectations of Saints fans I think most of us expected to walk this league just because we're a bug club - forgetting that the squad is woefully short of real first team players and until recently just a bunch of old timers and kids AP knows this hence signing Hardy, Hammond and Lambert I just hope Corteses and Liebherr see this as well it's going to take another 6 or 7 players and probably £5 million to make us competitive in this league

Lallana is an attacking central midfielder or a second striker not a winger Joseph Mills and Holmes can do it for us on the left we do need a winger and some pace desperately

when you think about it £5 million on transfer fees, loan fees,signing fees, wages, agents fees and bonuese is not that much in today's game we need 5 or 6 players - not just to stay up but lay the foundations for a promotion push next season and we need to spend that much because the current squad has got massive gaping holes in it I wish I was being ridiculous - but I'm not I'm being realistic we are 9 points (count them) behind every other team other 3 games! can you actually pick a winning team from the current squad - I'm not sure I can! Davis!?! !?!? !?!? !?!? Harding !?!?! Gillett Hammond? Holmes/Mills Lambert !?!?! With Schneiderlin, Paterson and Lallana on the bench maybe!?!

and you were saying!

its not AP's fault we don't have the players in the squad to put out a decent team - give him a chance we have no CBs in their 20's, no right midfielder or winger, no 20 something right back, only one striker in his peak years we need players between the age of 23 and 29 for each and every position Andrew Davies, Chris Baird, David Pruttpn, Chris Hackett, Phil Ifil, Craig Bryson, Craddock, Eastwood off the top of my head I not saying we should sign them all but there is no reason why we can't get most if not some of them!

the kids aren't that good - at least no where near as good as some peole thought they were - well not the ones that are left anyway Matt Mills, Walcott, Bale and Cranie were the pick of them - but they've been gone for a while lets not forget Best, Blackstock, McGoldrick, Dyer and Surman has also left James, Lallana, Thomson, Paterson, Lancashire simply aren't as good they've also been all but destroyed by being thrown into the first team far too much and far too soon - with for the most part a few old has beens for support unless they are a Rooney or an Owen they should not be playing week in week out until they are 22/23 at 19/20 players have still got a lot to learn, and a lot of growing to do both physically and mentally - not to mention tactically and technically

its simple really we need to spend about £5 million (fees and wages) or so on another 5 or 6 genuine first team players if we are going to stay in this league that's not Pardews fault - or Cortese or Liebherrs - its Burley's and Lowe's

Yet another goal conceded from a corner - bo**ox or not!

Perry is 36 and past it so we don't need 2 new centrebacks then or a right winger and some pace upfront most of all though we need a keeper that can defend corners and dominate the box there can be no 'there top of the table' or promotion contenders this time unlike Saturday Swindon were nearly relegated last season and they've lost their star striker since then lets hope Lambert can keep his scoring record going and we can pull a win out if the hat

We are all unbelievably happy that the club had been saved as a few weeks agoosy of thought we'd have to start again at the very bottom as Southampton AFC or something but lets not ignore the wood for the trees eh! Even wihout a 10 point deduction the team that got us relegated from the CCC would struggle in League 1 (or are we forgetting all those cup games) it needs major surgery on the deadwood and some new branches grafting on Harding, Lambert and Hammond are an excellent start but we still need a RW 2CBs and some pace upfront I'm also not convinced that James and/or Murty will fill the gap at right back plus we are going to have to compensate for conceding at least one goal every game to corners or free kicks into the box

Looks like AP agrees with me - signing Hammond a 26 year old midfielder is the next step forward it seems I never said I expected AP, NC or ML to spend all the money in the next 2 weeks and bringing in the wrong players will do more harm than good - we should know that more than anyone - but we are going to need a considerably stronger team to pull or way up the table to the safety of the middle - let alone push for a play-off place as it is if the team stays as it is we are going to struggle - as proved against Huddersfield on Saturday. lets not fool ourselves it was just an off-day at the office or its just because we were playing promotion contenders they just picked up on our weaknesses as every other team will now do

the Bart of a couple of years ago - yes the Bart of now - probably not no seriously you are kidding about his distribution aren't you - it bl**dy awful. The fat bloke from accounts who always ends up in goal is better at distributing the ball at our Monday night five a side than Kelvin kicking long to the forwards with a 50% chance of keeping posession is not distributing the ball properly how often does he throw it out to a full back or midfielder to start a quick counter attack - maybe once a game if we are lucky

I guess your talking about Kelvin! It's a good question - I doubt we'd be able to replace him with a better shot stopper that's for sure - but I find myself wondering every time we concede from a corner or free kick into the box if we'd be better of with a journeyman keeper who can actuall deal with balls into the box at this level of football there are certainly a lot more crosses and long balls into the box than shots if Bialkowski was anywhere near as good as he used to be before his injury - there would be no question - he'd be first choice keeper as he was way better than Kelvin then. Unfortunatley his nerve/confidence or whatever seems to have gone

I'd have to agree with most of that - although we should leave James on the bench and player Lallana as an inside forward/second striker Gillett is a good midfielder and we should play him - he can tackle and pass, keep posession and get from box-to-box - he's just a bit small. maybe Hammond and Gillett will be the way to go in the middle mayeb we can give Colchester Wotton and Pulis in part exchange - or loan them to Bournemouth!

Lambert I'll give you Hammond and Harding maybe Murty - not so sure - a great captain at Reading, and a good right back in his prime - but at 34 he is not going to play 90 minutes week in week out - and he's got no pace at all now. If the team was full strength he would make an excellent cover signing for right back. Saying that he might be able to teach James how to be a right back - he was certainly coaching him on the pitch against Millwall!

Murty, Harding and Lambert are all good signings and show some intent but without a doubt we need 2 CBs, a CM, a right winger and a centre forward with real pace people fool themselves that Davies is a great keeper - sure he's a great shot stopper and saves penalties - and he's probably better suited to the premiership than league 1 for the simple reason he can't deal with high balls - be it corners or fee kicks. he never comes of his line and never dominates the box he was lobbed five or six times last season for one thing and his dsitribution of the ball is awful - the Millwall keeper was infinitely better than Kelvin at kicking and throwing the ball out to a player on the same team I'm not sure Lallana and Schneiderlin are ready for game in game out yet football yet - but I hope they are I think some people are forgetting how crap we have become - we got relegated from the CCC for gods sake - and the football in League 1 isn't that much of a lower standard Murty is already injured apparently - leaving James at right back who can go forward but can't defend play Lallana in front of him and we are in trouble I didn't expect to beat Huddersfield - and I thought we did OK against a weakened Millwall. Northampton was too easy as they just let us play I have a feeling some of you people thought we finished at the top end of the CCC last season and only got relegated by accident

I hope that Liebherr, Cortese and Co know this - becuase its bl**dy obvious to all of us that have been watching Saints for the last few years! I would say about £5 million at a minimum if we are not going to go down yet again - or have any outside-chance of making the play-offs this year or getting promoted next year and with -9 points relegation is more likely than not at the moment (maybe you can win things with 4 or 5 kids but as we know only too well 8 or 9 kids get you relegated! the years of neglecting the squad that led to first one relegation and then another could lead to yet another one if we are not careful thanks to the awful buying of Burley (and Hoos) and the lack of any real (or permanent) player signings since then the Saints squad is fundamentally weak we need players at their peak - between the ages of 24 and 28 we have either got kids who aren't ready for week in week out football yet (Lallana, James, Spiderman, Mills, Thomson, Gobern, Melis, Paterson) or players who are past their best (Murty, Perry, Thomas) only a few - Gillett, Harding, Lambert really - should be regular starters. we need to add about 5 to 7 players in the 24-28 age bracket to really be competitive in this league or any other one for that matter we need to 20 something centrback, both over 6ft who are good in the air, but can handle someone with pace running at them as well we need a midfield general we need a left winger and right winger and we need a pacey striker to play-off Lambert and run at the oppositions defence I'd also argue we need a first choice right back as Murty is not going to last 90 minutes week in week out and James is just not good enough in that position we also need a keeper that can deal with crosses, free kicks, corner and high balls as Kelvin - bless him - just can't! it can't be just me who worries more about corners than penalties nowadays! a keeper that can kick or throw the ball out to someone on the same team would be nice as well the team has not really had any investment in it since we were relegated - you can discount the £7 million wasted by Burley - and unless money is spent in the next two weeks to change that we will be looking at the bottom of the table all season again Pele on a free, Andrew Davies and Chris Baird on loan, Jack Cork as well maybe, Craddock and Bryson would be a start! Hackett for the right wing perhaps Prutton for some bite! Eastwood and Tyson would be the icing on the cake! Having spent £15 million on buying the club it would seem stupid to me not to spend another £5 million or so to make sure the club stays in League 1 - and maybe pushes for the play-offs!

maybe we should go back in for Craddock?

We should get Chris Baird and Andrew Davies back on loan - neither is playing at their current club and both are former Saints players of the season. They'd add a bit of youth and steel at the back - and I'm sure we could afford to pay half their wages now. I'd also bring Prutton back to add some bite in midfield - if the rumours he wants to return to the South Coast are true.

Huw Jennings would be good for that role You want s football man but not a ex-manager, old manager or wannabe manager

I think it will be one of Craddock, Tyson or Beckford although I think we should buy two of them!

we are a bigger club than many in the CCC or League 1 but lets not foget where we are right now! In 2003 we have something like the 10th highest attendance for the season in England - so you could argue we are in the top 10! Certainly we should be in the top tier on potential - but we're not! A good cup run helped though! Bristol Rovers suffer from having two clubs in Bristol - but as a city its about the same size as Southampton

Openning the Itchen Northam Corner would be a start - or at least blocks 2 and 3! The Kingsland is getting louder though.