John B

FROM BBC after 30 mins SOUTHAMPTONBARNSLEY Possession 48% 52% Shots on target 1 0 Shots off target 1 3 Corners 2 1 Fouls 4 3 SURMAN GILLETT BOTH BOOKED PLYMOUTH READING COVENTRY DERBY ALL WINNING 1 0

Dave Watson passed his prime when he joined us but a class centre back Yes I like Steele and Mcgrath too I dont think they would stay on the pitch for very long these days. Mel Blyth played one of the best games I have seen from a CB in the 1976 Cup Final

Yes I agree a little bit of luck would help a lot

I am not really concerned with results at present although I do get upset when we lose. However what I am more concerned with is that the club has a healthy future we cant go along buying up undeachieving over paid professionals it is leading us nowhere. In the last five years who have we bought who was really good - Svensson Crouch Phillips and possibly now Davis that has been the problem as the team has not developed. At least with the new regime players can be developed and with money when it becomes available we maybe able to buy some better ones. Perhaps if we had adopted this approach a season or so ago tomorrow's team may have been. Davis Crainie Svensson Mills Surman Wooton Scheinder McGoldrick Lallana Blackstock plus someone we may have bought instead of wasting money on Powell Ostlund Makin Idiakiez Wright etc

Yes but from a financial point of view if we had spent loads of money then and still got relegated we would have been in a bigger financial mess. I think also if a player wants to move we should let him go - Beattie wanted to go in the summer of 2004 he did not do much after that for SFC

Managers are always under pressure for results they always think by spending money success will be automatic.

Yes I totally agree with you on that point of buying second rate players. The problem I think was caused by not having any of our home bred players coming through so we virtually had to buy a whole team. To some extent it happened again when we were in the Championship Ostlund Powell Idiakez Makin Wright etc Thats why I like the idea of developing youngsters and bringing in one or two quality players when we have some money. Fans always want to spend but are not always correct lots wanted Richard Wright but that would probably have been a waste of money as Davis is playing well

As usual I am in total agreement with you. The team should improve and may well keep us in the Championship. However if the fans do not get behind the team and encourage them they may fail owing to a lack of confidence. Slagging off young players does not help either

I think we can see from the Pre Season and now the League Games we are going to struggle. I have always expected us to be in the bottom quarter of the table. I would expect the team to improve during the season but we will be flirting with relegation the whole time.

It is so easy sitting at home running the Team but JP has to do it for real. At least we did not lose and may not go down in May but probably will

No I think it will eventually work but it will take time and we need two or three more experienced players playing well but not with this system.

Yes you are right I have been thinking that for a few weeks - we did not do well in pre season we did not beat either Hereford or Cheltenham did we I also have been thinking it may have been better if we had been relegated and started playing with the youngsters in Div 1 instead of losing regularly here in the Championship.

Well I think it must be the whole team bar Davis. One Poster says there is a problem with the Attack another with the Defence another with midfield

What would be the reaction if we won from here?

BBC STATS Live: Southampton 1-1 Ipswich Live text Match statsRate players This page refreshes automatically every 2 minutes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wed Sep 17 2008 The Coca-Cola Football League Championship Southampton Surman 12 1-1 Ipswich Garvan 20 L -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOUTHAMPTONIPSWICH Possession SAints 54% Ipswich 46% Shots on target 1 7 Shots off target 4 1 Corners 2 2

Yes it was is he still injured?

Sorry Lowe was not in charge when the parachute payments were ending. but I agree Wilde was as well as Hone and Crouch. Lowe would never have let the wage bill spiral he reduced it in the first season when we released numerous highly paid players But this is only harking back to the past.

Yes you are right it is the Wilde/Hone/Crouch era that has caused the problem but that does not really help harking back to the past. If we did not cut our costs we would be in Administration that is the real situation as I see it. Lowe is not assett stripping he is using assests to service our debts.

I agree and unified fans. Unfortunately we were a Premiership Club for 25 years and as such had significantly more expenditure which Lowe and Wilde are trying to address. If this had been done earlier we would of course been in a better position.

I dont see what director's salaries has to do with anything. Wilde Lowe Cowen etc seem to be doing a decent job within the constaints we find our selves.

You are probably right it always was going to be a hard struggle why people were so optimistic about our final league position I dont understand. I am certain the team will improve but it does not help with all the negative stuff on this forum. We are where we are no money and a young inexperienced team lets give them our support and see what happens. We cannot suddenly conjure up experienced players. But surely our luck will change with better application. Giving a goal away at Cardiff by not playing to the whistle Giving a stupid penalty against Blackpool Getting sent off at QPR these will probably not happen again but have cost us points It is the lack of goals which is causing the problem I think so why not change to 4 4 2

Who would be a football charman with a fan like you. You are supposed to support the team in times of trouble. We have 41 games to go

I think he should get a bonus if 22000 turn up at St Mary's

Yes but not everytime a team has a poor run surely. That is what he is getting at.

Sells Threads I suppose but the content is interesting and I fully agree with it