benjii

Actually, wrong link! I meant to link this woman: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/feb/09/blackburn-activist-kimberly-taylor-becomes-first-british-woman-join-fight-isis-Syria

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/feb/08/liverpool-dejan-lovren-refugee-bosnia-croatia-germany

No, I have no idea. The post was not wholly de facto.

I would just like to say that I hate global poverty, famine, persecution and unfairness. Whenever I'm sat at home and I see something on the news, or whenever I read about it on the internet, or hear about it on the radio, it really gets me going. I feel the passion rise and I redouble my commitment to eradicating it. I am particularly proud of this woman: https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/joanna-palani-syria-iraq-ran-away-fight-isis I hope the world is a better place as a result of her passion and commitment. And mine, which is the same as hers. Although I haven't done anything about this.

To be fair, it probably does. Unless you have a weird understanding of "committed" and "passionate".

Designated standing areas do seem like the obvious solution!

Agree with this. That was a counter-productive and tacky move by the club.

They need to publish objective criteria to sell the tickets in an open and fair manner. They have never, not as far as I'm aware in my lifetime anyway, given priority for ticket sales to people who used to have a season ticket but don't now. I feel sorry for you and your kids but you want the club to make a one-off exception for you. Because... well because it's you, basically. I repeat - I feel sorry for you regarding the away game criteria. I think you're being a bit incontinent regarding the historic STs though.

Clueless. (Edit: you, not the football.)

Koeman generally played youngsters when he had to. This season, for example, I doubt McQueen would have played if Koeman was here. He would have gone with Yoshida at left back with Bertrand and Targett injured. Sims also would not have played. That's not necessarily a criticism of Koeman, as I think currently only Sims looks good enough to be a genuinely top-half Premier League player (although McQueen has been quite impressive too). He could perhaps have given Gallagher more time though. I think the issue with Koeman was more that he seemed pretty closed to the whole concept and not particularly interested in anything beyond the first team. You might say, fair enough, and with the upheaval when Poch and all the players left we did need an experienced calm-head and steady pair of hands - we didn't really have room for idealism.

That's a fair point. The membership premium seems pointless. It isn't worth anything in the normal course of a season except, perhaps, for a few very popular away games that might sell-out, and then when a massive game comes along they let people join for convenience.

To be honest, no club should give any more of a **** about someone who once held a season ticket and doesn't any more than it gives about anyone else. I understand the gripe about away games - and I think the next criteria should be open to members with 5 games, home or away - but I've got no sympathy for "I used to have a season ticket", which is, frankly, completely irrelevant.

Depends on ambition. He's not a top-half quality striker although, as you say, he's a useful squad player. Our problem this season is too many squad-players and not enough quality. I doubt we will sell him either way though, given no one will be interested in buying him for a decent fee and he just signed a new contract. Upfront, I would expect Jay Rod to leave, Gallagher to come back into first team and no other changes unless Austin is perma-crocked. If he's quadraspazzed on a life-glug then we could use another striker as well (unless we think Seager is good enough). Summer priority has to be sorting out the midfield, which is woeful in terms of the collective balance offered, and making whatever signings are needed at CB (dependent on Virgil and whether Caceres does well and stays - we will need one or two signings there). Next priority is sorting out whatever is going on with Forster. Of course, these priorities assume no unexpexcted departures!

I do think the next criteria should be members with 5+ irrespective of home/away. Someone who has been to fewer than 5 home games out of the 20 that we've had doesn't deserve much priority IMO.

Maybe wear one of those coats with the goggles in the hood?

I've always thought he will stay for another year. He's only one year into a six year deal and his value will still be increasing over next season, barring any dramatic loss of form. He's already won trophies and played Champions League with Celtic. I don't doubt he will want to join one of the top English, Spanish or German clubs but he's good enough to bide his time and wait for the perfect opportunity. The only caveat is if he has a release clause but, if he does, I would have expected someone to activate it already (unless it doesn't kick-in until the summer but let's hope not....)/

Accusations which always seem to get levelled against foreign players relatively quickly..... just saying.

West Ham were rubbish. They looked a mess most times that we crossed the ball and only created one and a half decent chances all match. The fact they scored three times from one a half decent times and we scored once from three or four decent chances is pretty symptomatic of our issues this season.

Indeed. There are local Soton kids who do that regularly.

David Hughes could have been a pretty decent player but was absolutely plagued by injuries. Shame. Frankie Bennett.

In all seriousness, Gabbiadini already looks a better all-round player than any of our other strikers. Given that, I would be happy enough with Rodriguez leaving and Gallagher coming into the squad. Not sure what Long's contract situation is. If that's winding down then I wouldn't be that fussed if he left and was replaced by a promising youngster as well. I think the area that needs most attention in the summer (CB aside) is midfield.

He's got good feet for a big man.

Agree to some extent with that bold bit. Which is why I don't think we really had a style with him. Sometimes we played some nice stuff. Sometimes we played some utterly hopeless long-ball dross. Sometimes we pressed high. Sometimes we sat deep. He was a pragmatist - sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. And I think that's partly why the club weren't that bothered with him leaving, rightly or wrongly.

He doesn't. He's best on the left wing. He's a wide attacker.