AussieDog

In that case, let's add Beckham to the list! (assuming he gets over his achilles injury) lol

I think the "wild card" in all these lists, are the players themselves. If they want to move on, I think AP/NC will get shot of them, as they seem to want commitment (and rightly so). With that in mind, I will be surprised if Schneiderlin is here next year, and if a top CC or lower PL team comes in for Lambert, then I think he will be looking for a big pay day too. I hope I'm wrong, as they won't be easy to replace.

Love the statement. Yes, he is arrogant - but no doubt he is also aware that HE will be judged on results as much as Pardew will. I doubt very much ML will tolerate failure, otherwise he would not be the wealthy man he is now. As for the comments about outside interference....yeah, a touch heavy handed but the sentiments are right! MLT is my hero too, and I was impressed last year that he was prepared to commit himself to saving the club - even though it may have been a foolish or misguided attempt. The fact is, he did at least try. Having said that, neither he nor LM (or KK for that matter) have any sway in what goes on now. I have a feeling that it has all been taken out of context and the simple fact is they were asked a direct question (probably by the Echo who seem intent on stirring up mischief) to which they responded. If YOU were asked "should southampton sack Alan Pardew" you and the majority of others would probably have said no....the Echo have just sensationalised a statement and Cortese should probably realise that too. Cortese has made a statement of intent that he is in control and not to take notice of anybody else, and I applaude him for that. Can't wait for next season

That's why football is such a great game. We all have our opinions and there are a million of them. I despise the Premier League. The lack of loyalty, the price of tickets, the general GREED. Of course I hope Saints do get there in the not too distant future...but I also hope the financial crisis pulls down a few of the big clubs before then and that we can get to the point where ANY team can finish in a European place and the majority might even have a chance of winning the league. Ok...I'm stuck in a 70's timewarp, but I don't care! lol

I think people are getting carried away with themselves if they are expecting wholesale changes to the current team. I am sure we will be casting adrift alot of the fringe players, but I will be seriously surprised if we make more than 3 quality additions over the summer, and even then I would expect one or two of them to be free transfers. The only reason we would make more signings than that would be if some of our better players get snaffled by top clubs and we then have to find replacements for them. I wouldn't be surprised to see Lambert move on to someone either in the CC or in the Scottish Premier (ie Celtic as they are probably the only ones with any money!). He's probably only got one big pay day left in him so I wouldn't begrudge him a move (even though I think he would gain legendary status if he saw the job through and helped us into the premier league in either 2 or 3 years time). I think Fonte & Lallana will be sought after too. Fingers crossed we can keep Pardew and that he can persuade them to stay.

would imagine that IF Pardew was to leave, then we would be aiming alot higher in all frankness

Wembley Kick Off. My 1st game in 3 years, and it (sort of) made up for me missing the '76 final. 2003 was good but it wasn't Wembley!

Chris Nicholl was the best (and most under-rated) manager since McMenemy. I didn't like Strachan choice of players alot of the time, but I did appreciate the work ethic most of them had on the field and their level of fitness at that time.

I hate Pompey....but I don't want them out of existence as it's much more fun to watch them suffer their decline, and I'm looking forward to us going past them in the leagues through our footballing ability rather than their financial mismanagement!

they won't be on PL contracts when they are on the dole next season if some other club doesn't want to pay for them!

AS the Football league is actually a different organisation from the Premier League, will they actually be willing to allow a club in administration to enter the Championship?? ... or Div 1 or Div 2 for that matter! Technically it's a different scenario from our situation as we were actually members of the FL at the time.....

looking at the attendance it seems as if a large majority of Saints fans didn't think it was possible anyway. Well done for the 18K who did turn up.....shame on the missing thousands who took the glory day at Wembley but couldn't be bothered to cheer them on when they needed it most (I think I have a valid excuse for missing the game). Disappointed we can't find a creative spark for that one moment of magic that would get us a goal. Overall mark for the season though has to be 8 out of 10.....just wishing we could have kept the dream alive until the last game of the season.

For sure.....that's if it is even televised, although I am pretty sure I should be able to find an internet feed somewhere if push comes to shove..... ....but let's get the next 6 games out of the way first, shall we? lol

We just got back from the game today (yes, you read that right....lol) so this is the first time I've read anything about the game. I thought Kelvin deserved a 9 for his performance, and I thought everyone played better than they did in the other 2 games we saw (with th exception of Lallana, as he had a blinder against Orient). Puncheon was a big disappointment overall though. Although we loved the cut and thrust of the game, and the atmosphere from the crowd, I still felt we were only playing at about 65% of our potential. We need to step it up or our season is over tomorrow.

I'll be savouring the atmosphere at St Mary's, hoping for a good game of football (ie Saints WIN! lol), but regardless of the result I'll be back on Satuday too, as it will be my last game for a couple of years probably, as I need to pay off the debts for coming across this time before I plan my next visit! (unless we somehow get promoted this seasion and make the championship playoffs next year....I an dream, can't I?)

I couldn't go back without at least going to one other game, and luckily I've managed to get two. Will be there on Monday and also the Charlton game - although it will be a quick dash up the motorway to Heathrow straight afterwards

2 of us arrived from Brisbane last night. Managed to get the tickets through a friend on Facebook. First game I've been to since 2006, but was a regular before I moved down under in 2003. Only the 2nd game my wife has ever been to, but there was no way she was going to let me come back on my own! lol

When I was on the scrounge for tickets for the Final and for the the Brighton, Orient and Charlton games, I emailed the ticket office in case they felt like being helpful, especially as I was working on such a tight time schedule. They were useless. Although I didn't really expect them to help with the cup final tickets, I also asked them a couple of other questions, like was I still on the ticket database - which even after a couple of emails they didn't even answer. Luckily, a friend on Facebook came up trumps with the wembley tickets. I've given up hope for the Brighton ones, and I'll be getting tickets for Orient and Charlton on Friday. I thought it might just have been my bad luck, but it really does seem like they couldn't really give a sh*t. I really hope there aren't too many others out there still waiting for tickets!

Bags are packed. Taxi due in 2 hours and then we're off on the long haul. Hoping my brother has got us 2 tickets for the pub. The missus has only been to one Saints game before and she thought it was amazing (we lost 2-1 at home to QPR!) so god knows what she will make of close to 50,000 Saints fans screaming their heads off at Wembley. Can't wait

Getting excited now! Flying later tonight...pick my tickets up from a friend on Friday Fingers crossed there are no flight delays, but I've built in a spare day as a safety factor, so should be good. COYR!!!

Amazing how some people treat depression as a joke. Just because you're not covered from head to toe in a bandage or encased in plaster, then obviously you can't be ill. Having said that, I would rather be depressed than a cynical, foul-mouthed pessimistic cretin (which of course, there are NONE on here), as at least depression is recognised as an illness by qualified medical personnel, whereas being a cynical pessimistic cretin is just a lifestyle choice (well, maybe not the cretin part). Or is it?? Some of us chose to emigrate to a climate where it gave us the chance to live a life with minimal effects from the type of depression we suffer. As much as I am a fervent Saints fan, my quality of life is infinitely superior since I moved here. Of course, I could have moved slightly closer to home but a) couldn't get a work visa for the US and b) I'm too lazy to learn to speak a foreign language. Rant over. Can we get back to talking about football now?

Just think.... if all Saints fans had never left the country, then England would still be World Champions! (Charles Miller has alot to answer for....) If you don't know what I'm talking about, because it's not a current Saints issue and is something that should be confined to the history books only, then I would suggest that you google him (why does that always sound like something a deviant should do??? lol)

typical!!!....I'll be in the UK for that game (no chance of getting tickets with less than 900 being available), and not sure if I'll have internet access!

Us fans who choose not to live in the city of Southampton are out there spreading the word and promoting our club wherever we go. Believe me...it's hard work in Australia sometimes as I'm sure some of them still don't know what a round ball is meant for over here. Just like the others on this forum though, there are a mixture of the "happy clappy brigade" (and yes, I do tend to favour that opinion myself most of the time, although I'm obviously not entirely cheerful after yesterday result), and the ""miserable whingers" who generally use the Saints as a whipping post for everything else that is wrong with their lives. However....for whatever reason, they have become Saints supporters and their opinions and comments are just as welcome as yours, GM. It's not as if you have anything worthwhile or impressive to say yourself anyway, so why make an arse of yourself and denegrate your fellow supporters? We're all equal as supporters (especially in an online forum!), we're just not all fortunate enough to be able attend each and every game in person, and that is one of the prices we have to pay for wanting a better life for ourselves and our families.

anyone who would rather side with a bunch of thugs doesn't deserve to be called a Saints supporter. I despise pompey, but I'm not going to get all worked up just because someone else happens to wave a FLAG....for goodness sake...get a life! I have to agree with some of the others on here.....alot of people are becoming obsessed with the blue few down the road. At long last, after a few years of abject misery with very few bright spots, we have a team we can enjoy supporting. I wish people would remember how to be happy a little more often. If you're upset because we lost, well that's fair enough - but go and sink a few beers and moan about the ref with your mates or something, but what on earth is the point in geting violent over it!