SoccerMom

Oh, great. Tell you what, if it was me up against them, I'd let them have the ball as well!! The Respect Campaign is a wonderful ideal, but frankly you have to give everyone something to respect. If you let physical aggression go unpunished (like it did last week against Charlton, I might add) then what's to respect?

Then we haven't got a hope. I haven't yet seen this team grind out a result against bully boys. Not that I think they should have to, far from it, but I still haven't seen it.

Anyone else notice that out of their Six of the Best for the Championship, two goals were by Southampton (Saeijs and BWP) and two were against us (Racon and Craddock). So even if we stink, our games are good value for money in terms of entertainment!

I'd add Gobern, Gillett and Lallana to this lot - on the proviso that Lallana is given some TLC to help him recover his confidence. I'd hope to retain Saeijs, but that's not going to happen.

The title of this thread reads like the text of my favourite "Get Fuzzy" cartoon: Satchel: "I know this is a weird question, but who do you think would win in a fight between Michael Bolton and Kenny G?" Bucky: "We all would, Satchel, we all would."

Different one, please. Oh, well, it was worth a try. FWIW, I'd put Thomson on the right wing and not start BWP - he never does well when he starts. I'd start Holmes on the left, and maybe have Smith on the bench to take his place.

Has anyone else noticed that whereas last season we always seemed to concede in the last 5 mins, this season we've conceded loads in the first 5 mins. Again, it looks like other teams have sussed us on this, and nothing has been done - catch them while they're still half awake. Certainly Charlton last week, but I could swear I've been seeing this month in, month out.

Conspiracy theory no 14253... Is KD letting them in so no one will sign him, just cause he loves the club so much? I hope so...

Surely it's worth more as scrap!

I wonder whether that's for 'new' art or for old masters etc, such as they have the gallery. I suppose it would have made sense to hold on to some of the Renaissance and 19th-cen art and sold some of the newer stuff on spec, but it's going to be the established works that are going to fetch the big bucks. I've been lucky enough to have been escorted down into the storage facility to see something that wasn't currently on display. There really is a fortune down there.

Good call. I cannot stress how important this is, esp if they want to bring friends with the free vouchers. Oh, yes, if you are bringing a child under, say, 135cm tall, you might seriously want to consider buying tickets on an aisle. That way they can see much better, esp when someone scores.

Took the nipper first when he was 6 - that Leicester City match that was nearly rained off! No problem with attention span (although he does read the programme more thoroughly than I ever do), only the tears whenever Saints lost. He doesn't do that anymore, thank goodness. He can also manage half of an 1st team evening match without asking to go home, though he will stay at a reserves match til the end, as they tend to start earlier. His first away match was Charlton last season - I think he found it a bit traumatic as he tends to equate bad language with out and out aggression, and you don't get so much of that in the family enclosure at SMS. Still, he did enjoy it.

Hmm, yes, see what you mean - sorry, southern roots showing there. Past tense of drag=drug. But a little bromide might not go amiss. And leave the heroin for those that know how to use it.

Aw. But give the choice between what we saw yesterday and a team full of Kelly Smiths, I know what I'd choose.

Not quite sure what that's supposed to mean? Does this mean that as far as some supporters are concerned families are not welcome, or that for the time being the atmosphere is going to be so bad that families shouldn't turn up? Sad if you think that's true - it's a death sentence for the club if only a self-appointed 'elite' (I use that word with a heavy sense of irony) will ensure that only they can be at matches. Don't allow the selfish, self-serving useless minority to drive the real, vital long-term fanbase away from the club. Because that's the best way to ensure that there won't be a Saints to support in the future. Saints is a family club. Just wish the families of the 'yoof' had drug them up better. Can't be going with the excuse that ooh, poor babies, they're upset. If you're past a certain age - like three - then you should be able to deal with negative emotions without hurting anyone. Uncontrolled, appallingly managed toddlers, the lot of them. This is not a class statement, BTW. In my line of work I come across plenty of very privileged teenagers who are no better than brats, and plenty of rather less privileged ones who are and will become the decent bedrock of the community. There was trouble, get over it? NO. It's unacceptable and it will kill the club. the yobs should get over themselves and GROW UP, the lot of them. Rant over.

That'll be me and my mates, then... so nice to see you're all paying attention. And oi, Dog, would you rather Lucy Pinder were a netball fan, instead? Seriously, though, even without the violence plenty of women who are interested in football are put off attending matches by all that pointless negative posturing, and frankly Saints needs all the paying customers it can get. Just don't make us all wear those ghastly stupid pink fleeces.

Just quoting the BBC's claims - aired on a programme about women in sport. But that's Auntie for you - lies, damn lies and statistics.

Behave! Or you'll have your pocket money docked and you'll go to the naughty step. Oh, and seeing as women make up over 50% of the fan base, your precious game wouldn't exist without us. Now be a good boy, and go to bed.

FWIW, couldn't believe how crap the "experienced" players were today (Kelvin aside). Euell and Saga - what was that about? back to where they were last season. Tough when they both decide to leave brains at home on the same day. Skacel seems to have left his balls behind, too - I've seen plenty of 8 and 9 year-olds more willing and able to tackle. But what galls me most is that all season key players in this team have just rolled/bent over when the opposition has got a little bit physical - Saga and Lallana the worst, with Surman not far behind. At least Euell gives as good as he gets, and most of the time gets away with it, too. But what was going on with Size and the big forward? There were clearly words once or twice, and I looked over to see them head to head and shoving at one point. Then Size took his arm around the bloke's shoulder as if to calm him down, and I really thought he was going to get decked good and proper. And Size just wasn't cutting it today - such a disappointment. I've seen this so many times this season - tough boy tactics that look more like the Eastleigh and District Mini Soccer League than they do Championship football. Respect campaign? You're havin' a laugh. But the real shame is that they work against Saints - they must come here thinking that if they rough them up a bit, they will implode. And they do.

It was ugly football, for the most part. I do think that the linos could have done more to alert the ref to the aggro taking place off the ball, and I think that the ref was too lenient on the "physical" play - esp the two-footed tackle on Surman (?). Didn't even card the bloke. It never bodes well when there is so much pushing and shoving on the pitch, cause you just know that it's going to happen off the pitch as well. We did leave a little bit early, but that's because I don't like to lead a small child through angry crowds. The third Charlton goal looked to me to be down to Jake being out of position, but how can you blame the guy? We haven't had a real RB in the squad since Jesus left. And I'd agree that Gillett was sorely missed.

Happy birthday - it's the nipper's tomorrow, so we're looking for a win for so many reasons, too.

I really have to agree with this. I love SFC. I think it's hugely important for the city, and I can't put a price on what I get from it in terms of spending time with my boy, let alone just the joy of watching football for myself. I think it does great things for the community that are irreplaceable. And I'm very happy to put money - and maybe quite a lot of money - into a consortium through which I will own a part of the club, but I absolutely am not going to hand my extremely hard-earned cash over completely blind, knowing that it's to pay the wages of a footballer who earns in a week what it takes me months to pull together. It's absurd and, frankly, immoral - no one actually *needs* £8K a week. Show me the registered charity that organises the Racism Isn't Saintly campaign or the collaborations with schools, and I'll donate to that. At least they can get gift aid on it, too.

Blimey, would that not bring the house down??? :D

Would be good if he could do something to keep the team's heads up - maybe a message to them tomorrow? I expect he'll be in the studio tomorrow, but a little phone call wouldn't hurt...

I'm in, too.