Pip

Perhaps it was good to get the "Barnard and Connolly can't play together" argument proved before the transfer window closes. This will prove to the powers that be that we need to spend some more. I think Puncheon lacks something in the final third and he was obviously tiring so I can't understand why Lee Holmes didn't come on earlier - or Joseph Mills for that matter. I also agree that Dean Hammond is not an inspiring captain. Much as we complain about Paul Wotton, I think he would have kicked butt out there and lifted the team.

I was at the same dinner and was also impressed by the team spirit showed by the players. They obviously have great respect for Alan Pardew and each other. Both Alan and Kelvin spoke for a few moments. The essence of Alan's talk was that the players he has can go all the way to the Prem together as a team ( good way to sell it to new targets too). The essence of Kelvin's talk was that certain players may have taken the plaudits for their goalscoring last season but without Bart's penalty saves we wouldn't have had such a successful time! (Don't take that as a dig at anyone - he was very proud of Bart) AP also sees Huddersfield as our biggest threat this season.

If the club is going in the direction of continental teams and having every team within it playing the same way, does anyone else find it interesting that the team against Winchester was set up as 4-5-1? That could cause another lengthy debate on here!

When I went down today to change seats my ticket was already bundled up ready to send out. Normal ticket with gold lettering saying "Southampton FC Season Ticket Holder"!

Not quite true. I have renewed and moved seat within same section. As long as you go to a seat that isn't occupied by a ST holder that's fine. I'm going back down on 1st July to see if I can get a better seat that hasn't been renewed by an existing ST holder. Done this before and ticket office are always very helpful.

This is yet another reason why it wouldn't be worth doing - even if it wasn't just a joke rumour made up by someone on here. The only reason for doing cheap tickets in the club's eyes would be to get bums on seats to cheer the team to promotion but this would result in sold out matches with only half the ground full because it's more "economical" for people to buy a cheap ST and not bother coming to lots of games.

Yes. The only reason we are having this debate is because he is a victim of his own success. 9 months ago we'd have been pleased with a mid table finish but because we did so well and got to within spitting distance of the play offs he has mysteriously "failed".

I think I read that in the Echo today. I certainly felt he should be cut a bit more slack if he was following instructions.

I looked on Wembley website last night and the roof extends to the touchlines. If there is heavy rain some people may get wet but hopefully not many - and not me!

As long as we sing about Saints and not those idiots down the road. We've got to a Cup Final not them so don't even mention them please.

It's all been a learning curve for the Ticket office. When we get to the Play off Final I'm sure it will all go like clockwork!

Surely 4 days would be enough to send out this many tickets? So many have bought in large groups even 10,000 a day would probably be no more than a few thousand envelopes. They've had my money for almost a month so you'd think some kind of good customer treatment is needed. Perhaps an update on the current position on the OS is in order just to allay a few anxieties.

Still not got mine which were ordered on the first day. Sure we'll get them eventually but I'm part of a group who are not travelling together and would like to get it sorted and the right tickets given to the right people instead of wasting time stood around outside Wembley. Surely they could have started sending them out once they'd all been sold?

According to "My account" on the OS my tickets were ordered by 10am on the first day and I've even paid off the mastercard bill as it was so long ago, Theoretically I must have some but they've not turned up yet and it doesn't stop me worrying!

Agree about the PA system. I heard it announced that they were going to play the 3 song choices for the JPT when I was in the loos but stupidly came out and missed them all. Think I'll sit in the loos whenever I need to know anything!

Totton took thousands to Wembley based on average gates of a few hundred. It's a real family day out so I reckon we'll take up our allocation.

Papa's all round awareness looked much improved today. To me, one of the main pluses of playing him up front is that he can get into the box when Antonio and Holmes whip the ball in from the wings. Playing with wingers is much better if they don't have to wait for the strikers to arrive - that's what opened the game up in the second half today.

Are you trying to buy more than one? It looks like they're only one per supporter until 1 Feb.

The thing is that we are being very clever about the way we spend our money. We are buying players who can hopefully compete in the Premiership but on League 1 (or a little above - no doubt things will be written into contracts) wages. A lot of teams go up a division and then have to buy a completely new set of players while still trying to offload the existing ones (and their wages) that got them there. We are showing a bit of forward planning - lets hope we've got it right.

I think we have a lot of kids who attend now due to a favourable pricing structure and a lot of them didn't turn up because it was a school night. Quite possibly their parents couldn't come either when they'd told the kids they couldn't!

Don't do it. Then he'll be appointed. You'll be gutted that you missed out but delighted that he's back!

Little gestures like this can work wonders for a player's confidence and I think Lloyd fully deserved the honour after his willingness to play out of position and take the flak last season.

Didn't really follow Leicester last season. As a matter of interest can you elaborate on what you mean?

I'm going to get out my video of all the Saints fans at Cardiff in 2003, recapture that pride and family feel and forget the bit in between. Onwards and upwards, this man sounds as though he knows what the club means to the community and what needs to be done.