St Marco

R.I.P Deano, one of the best defenders to put on the red and white shirt for sure!

I tend to agree with this really. Anyone who thinks NA should be booted out is a total numpty. But anyone who thinks he is doing amazing is too. He has done ok. But if we get to the end of the season and we have not gone up i will see that as total failure. Sure when he took over we only had 4 points but we had also only played 5 games. The gap from us to the top was 8 points, and that was to MK Dons. Brighton were only 6 points ahead of us when he took over. Are people suggesting 41 games isn't enough games to claw back 6 points? Adkins job was to come in and get us promoted this year. Not to do a re-building job and get promoted next season. We have nothing to distract us this time around, no days out at Wembley, no points deduction, no rumored falling out with players/staff. He has the squad to do it, the squad that should do it. What would **** me off is if we don't do it people looking for excuses why because there just isn't any. That said though i have total faith in him and the team and am sure if we can play football as we have over the past 12 months we should beat most teams easily. Adkins just has to get them playing like that. He has shown he can as we have played in games this year. I still think we will get promoted this year. But i think as each game passes it is looking more and more like via the playoffs. But i'd take that if someone offered us that right now. I am that damn tired of this ****ty league.

The problem here is that it isn't quite right. Is it really fair to compare when Pardew started here to how Adkins started here? When Pardew started the club wasn't really a club, more of a shell of a club. **** players, no backroom staff, no nothing pretty much. As time went by he gradually built a team and the coaching staff. Adkins didn't have to start with nothing. He took over a team that would of made the playoffs had they not had a points deduction, and a cup winning team. The league last year was a lot harder then this one. Imagine having Norwich,Leeds and Millwall in the table this year, as'well as Swindon and Bristol actually still being any good. There were a lot of teams with the potential to go up last year. Personally i think a better way to compare the two is taking Adkins 24 league games and Pardews last 24 league games as they both had the same squad (one which Pardew put together) and your see that Adkins has 45 points and Pardew has 47 points. Meaning we haven't actually improved under Adkins in points terms.

Another difference between us and Brighton is that we have actually failed to score in 11 games. Which means 37.9% of our games we have not scored a goal. Where as Brighton have failed to score in only 5 games, which is 17% of their games without scoring. To put that into some context there is only one team with a worse fail to score % then us.... Hartlepool..... Team Pld FTS %FTS 1 Peterborough United 31 3 9.6% 2 Charlton Athletic 29 3 10.3% 3 Milton Keynes Dons 33 5 15.1% 4 Brighton & Hove Albion 29 5 17.2% 5 Leyton Orient 29 5 17.2% 6 Rochdale 29 5 17.2% 7 AFC Bournemouth 32 6 18.7% 8 Exeter City 31 7 22.5% 9 Brentford 30 7 23.3% 10 Carlisle United 30 7 23.3% 11 Oldham Athletic 32 8 25.0% 12 Bristol Rovers 31 8 25.8% 13 Tranmere Rovers 30 8 26.6% 14 Swindon Town 32 9 28.1% 15 Walsall 32 9 28.1% 16 Huddersfield Town 31 9 29.0% 17 Colchester United 31 10 32.2% 18 Notts County 27 9 33.3% 19 Sheffield Wednesday 30 10 33.3% 20 Dagenham & Redbridge 29 10 34.4% 21 Yeovil Town 30 11 36.6% 22 Plymouth Argyle 32 12 37.5% 23 Southampton 29 11 37.9% 24 Hartlepool United 31 13 41.9% As some sexist **** once said "you can't win if you don't score"!

Problem is Nick as you know based on stats that it isn't true. Over the last 8 games they got more points then us. Meaning they have a better current form rate then us. If we use our current points per game ratio over those last 8 games we have 1.87ppg while they have 2ppg. So we have 17 games left so at our current form rate that would be an additional 31 points. Meaning our projected points based on current form for the season is 80 points. Bournemouth have 14 games left and at their current form rate would mean an additional 28 points. Meaning their seasons projected points on current form is 83 points. Proving that we are not most likely to take 2nd spot. We have only won 2 of our last 6 league games.

Nah they are too **** to even get that! Since Austin went i think they have managed to score only 5 goals. Their 2nd top scorer in the league is Morrison with 4 goals. Fonte has around that if i remember right! I know you shouldn't look down at a team as it sets you up for a fall. But in Swindons case they really are dropping like a stone. I think selling Austin has condemned them to be relegated. The confidence will be low, they are a shadow of the team we lost to last year at home and even the team we lost to this year away. Time for some revenge

Swindon....What happened to those guys? And Bristol. They were both great last year but this year just plain suck! We have to win this game and in all honesty i don't see how we cannot win it. They are dreadful. They haven't won a game in a long long time (10 games!). Only got 3 points from the last 24 on offer. Have the worst away record in the league with only 2 wins! Have let in 54 goals in 32 games, thats almost 2 a game. If Saints turn up and play how they should this one will be a breeze. I think 3-0 to Saints COYR!

I know it isn't really important and is actually a bit silly but thought i'd show an interesting stat. Pardews last 24 league games in charge he has a record of 14 wins, 5 losses and 5 draws, which is 47 points. Adkins has a lower points total then that. You can't really compare the first 24 for obvious reasons. Either way Adkins is doing ok, not amazing but ok. Hasen't really taken us onto the next level yet though. Hopefully with the remaining games we will now go on a long winning streak.

Don't think winning 5 home games is a good home record? In fact in terms of home records they sit 17th http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/D2/home.html They have also shipped 24 goals in their 15 home games. Which is the 3rd worst in the league. Is it a bit too much to be expecting better then a draw then?

Indeed but that doesn't change the last 8 game points ratio. It is based on our last 8 games and everyone elses last 8 games no matter when they were. It makes no difference about games in hand. For us to beat Bournemouth means we need a higher points per game ratio then them. If we win our games in hand we can leap frog them. But that obviously is assuming we win. As pointed out in the other thread we have actually only won 2 of our last 6 league games. That is a 33% win ratio. We need better form then that. I remember the same thing being said in our old playoff year. You eventually run out of games. At somepoint you have to go from assuming we will win to actually winning. Draws are what kill you as someone once said.

Point is based on each of ours last 8 games we have not made up any points on 3 of the teams we are chasing. There are something like 16 games left so that is two more of these tables. If the current one is repeated twice we finish 4th. Nowhere near 2nd or 3rd. It highlights how important it is to win games when those you are chasing don't. And in Bournemouth and Huddersfields case neither have won their past 2 games. How many more do you think they will slip up in? All we can do is win our own games. But if we want to gain on those above us we have to get more points then them, simple as that. Your oportunities don't come along too often and when they do you have to take them.

http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/D2/oform.html We sit 6th Brighton, Bournemouth and Huddersfield have all got more points then us over the past 8 games. I think it shows why you need to take advantage of games when people slip up as it doesn't happen often.

The Man Utd team that played Crawley was not their main team... If they had put out their A team they would of got mauled. In division three we are one of the big teams. In terms of resources we are the biggest. Have more money, bigger stadium, ability to attract players from other clubs, some even in a higher division, better squad. So if you put that scale into say the PL that would be like Arsenal being 5th. I doubt their fans would be happy with draws at say Wigan/West Brom. They would be expecting to win those games if they wanted to win the title. Shouldn't we be thinking the same?

You can talk about who beat who until the cows come home. What matters is the total number of wins and points. Right now Brighton sit 10 points clear of us having spent a fraction of what we have putting their squad together. Bompey sit 6 points ahead of us having spent no money, losing their manager and having to sell players. Sometimes not even being able to get a full squad together. Should we be expecting to be 5th then at the almost 30 game mark?

See i don't agree with this attitude at all. In comparison to resources and players on the pitch we should obliterate most of the teams in this league. Our squad cost more then Brightons and on paper you would think are more talented. But the difference in results is massive. We won't get first place, we don't have the consistency for it. 2nd place is our goal. But to get to 2nd place means we must over-take 3 teams. If we match those teams results we do not gain on them. How can you get to 2nd if you match each others results? It is all well and good talking about games in hand but that doesn't mean we will win them. We still have to turn up and play the game. Writing them off as wins is pretty dumb. Especially when we have only won 2 of our last 6 league games. Where as Brighton have won 5 of their last 6 league games. That is the kind of form we should be matching in my opinion.

No you are right. They did win at home. They got hammered at Brighton. Hartlepool are one of those teams like us who seem to play better against the top teams and gash against the lower teams. They beat Bournemouth, Huddersfield, Brighton, Charlton and Oldham this season. They however have lost to so many other teams though. They lost at home to Daggers... So they are very much a team with no consistency. Which is just like us.

Bad result no doubt about it. It would of been a good point if the other teams failed to get anything but they all drew too and the leader won. They have one of the worst home records in the league having won only 5 of their 15 games and shipping 24 goals. Brighton hammered them there. If we want to go up in the auto spots have to beat teams like this and take advantage when teams drop points. But it isn't the end of the world, another clean sheet. But 2 wins in our last 6 league games isn't promotion form.

We need to be catching the guys in front of us. Last weekends results went our way and todays seem to be pretty good too. Have to take advantage of when teams drop points if we want to go up in an auto spot as they won't do it every week.

Very true. But as i mentioned before how likely is it that one of the most secretive bussinessman would tell someone who would leak this news? As someone else pointed out above how many leaks/rumours have actually turned out to be true? You can probably count them on one hand. The fact that some random journo from Bompey would know about it is next to zero. Like/Hate Cortese the one thing you can deffinatly say that is true about the guy is that he does not talk much, it appears he only confides in a close circle of people to him. I doubt any of those people would go against him. One day the club will be sold. But if the family were 100% behind the club only 60 odd days ago why would they change their mind? Again very unlikely. So as Minty points now it is a question of "who" these people are and why are they doing it? Why do they seem determined to unsettle the club? What do they have to gain from it? It is time these so called sources revealed themselves. And if they do i am willing to bet anything they turn out to be ****ed off ex-employees of the club who are bitter that they no longer get stuff for nothing anymore.

Maybe it is worth re-posting some of these articles so people get an understanding of why some don't believe it. Or think those defending it are a bit loco. Feb 7th (not even a month ago...) BBC report takeover rumours are rubbish http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/9390098.stm BBC interview with Cortese just before xmas by Dan Roan. One of the few who you can probably trust with Saints news. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/mobile/football/teams/s/southampton/9269293.stm But to use some quotes from it "The club is not for sale. There's always been a group behind the scenes with an agenda that's not good" "This is a deliberate attempt to damage the club at this time because we're in negotiations with players and a very important [potential sponsorship] brand." - Trying to unsettle players and potential partners? "just to underline, the commitment of the family is 100%" "A few weeks after he died I was struggling with motivation, but it's not just about Markus now, it's for the people of Southampton and the legacy of Markus, I owe it to him. I'm driving his vision on." "We're at the very beginning. I don't run away from things because something better comes along. We're really hoping to build something that will be massively successful in the future" "I can't see a possibility we would sell Adam in January," said Cortese, "and Alex is not going to go anywhere" - Did those guys leave in january in the end? But hey if some would rather believe some guy from Bompey on twitter and his un-named source go ahead, just don't get arsey when people call you out for it!

You do. No offence but you seem to believe everything the media tells you. Have you not realised yet that when they report these things they never say who told them it? If they know it is true as they claim then what have they got to fear by not saying their name? Why do they feel they need to hide? Isn't sniping from the shadows a bit low? Especially when the guy your sniping has already denied the rumour? For all we know the source could be that Mickey guy from Pinnacle. The sad thing is you would probably still believe him

Some find it offensive that people would believe something is true even though it has been proven to be false. What is there to debate? Do you really need the chairman to come out and say what is true and what isn't Everytime someone posts a rumour? Seems to me even if he did that you still wouldn't believe it. You would just wait a day or so then ask why he hasn't debunked the latest rumour! The club will be sold oneday, it is inevitable. But do you really think the secretive chairman will tell many people the club is for sale? And of those he tells how many do you think would then openly go against him and tell others? A journalist at a paper? If you think that then you clearly haven't noticed how the club keeps its business behind closed doors and doesn't tell anyone about it until it is complete or on the oss. You would think some people would have some common sense...

Hasn't Cortese came out and said we are not for sale and to not believe gossip on it? Hopefully now more people see how stupid this is becoming as each day passes. Markus family gave a statement as did Cortese on wanting to achieve his wishes. I very much doubt they would of gone back on that in just a few months...

Is it me or does this all just seem a bit silly? If someone owes someone else money, or claims they owe them money how does that in any way affect any of us or the club we support? Whats next, "chairman fails to pay telephone bill on time"?

Massive respect for LM. Would of loved to have been there when he was in charge to see us rampaging up the tables but was only 5! Plastic fan and all that! But there is a clear pattern here. LM speaks to the media, they add in a bit of spice, it get's turned into something else. He should know how it works by now. Time it was kept behind closed doors now. We should all be pulling in the same direction. I hope LM and the club sort things out even though he says there is no problem. It would be great to see some of the legends at the games all united with the current players and fans like what happened at the Man Utd game. It can only bring a positive effect. We should all be on the same bus!