Saint Fan CaM

Can't see any mileage in this rumour. All the signs are he will be playing for Saints at the start of next season IMO, but hey things change I s'pose.

£100+ increase for me in block 30. Seems a bit excessive, but I'll pay-up...what choice is there - if you want to support your team and you want continued success, then that's what you've got to do? I think ST holders that retained their seat all the way through the dark years should have been given a little bit of slack as a sign of goodwill (e.g, let's say ST holders 2008-2011 would get a 10% discount). My biggest concern for me is whether the club will actually manage to strengthen the team in the right places. Typically at Saints this never happens prior to ST sales finalising so we never really know what kind of team/performance we're paying for! So far, I've not seen clear evidence that Adkins knows a good target - a concern. If we manage to sign Cork, well that would be a good sign for example. I do think the club could have been a little more sensitive to the 60-65 band of supporters. Again some form of discount for longer standing ST holders would have been welcomed.

It's very clear - ST renewals have from 1st July to 14th July as priority.

£515 for me in block 30... that's over £100 increase or 25% to see a squad that will most probably see little change. Of course I'll be paying to keep my seat, but to my mind that increase is somewhat excessive in the current economic climate and not really repaying loyal ST holders for keeping the club going through the dark years.

This would be a win-win signing in the sense that he would be good for us and the club is perfectly poised for him to make a lasting mark on a club about to explode onto the big time. Not to mention the s****y new training facilities that equal Chelski's that he will be able to make use of.

This.

Old news - non-Saints......move on.

It's going to be tough, but I think we'll do OK. We need more pace in central midfield and up front, plus a strong CB to replace Jaidi and form a good solid partnership with Fonte. I think Lallana and Oxo will tear a hole in some oppo teams.

Top vid - music sucks. (;

PMSLOL! Great thread. We need threads like this during the close season, we really do. Anyway, back to the debate. WTF does climate have to do with anything? We're not in Spain, but we will be playing in the best league in the World and for a football fan or player, that's what counts. Loads of good reasons why players would want to be playing for a top 4 Prem side called The Saints!

Another example of how we have allowed a Great British export to be used and abused by the rest of the World to such an extent we are now governed by the benefactors of our game. I would agree with boycotting any FIFA event until it's sorted, however the FA is in as much turmoil. There needs to be a massive shake-up of the game from top to bottom.

In ten years time, Saints will be the team everyone is talking about. We will be consistently challenging for a top four place in the Prem. We will force the British game to sit up and take notice to such an extent that the foundations of the English FA will be shaken into changing the manner in which the grass roots game is structured and played in this country. This will happen because Cortese has a plan and is a driven successful man. He has a good team around him that believes in him and his plan. There will be a stability at the club not seen since Ted graced the Dell, but this time there will be money and ambition far greater than the club has ever known. Hell, why not? Anyone who thinks this is impossible and a p*sstake, please explain in clear, intelligeable terms why it could not happen. Seriously!

Pardew is not a fool. He won't make the same mistake twice. I wonder whether the players under his control now (i.e. Prem level) are able to withstand a harder pre-season regime? Possibly not - more fragile?

Pilkington - no others.

Agreed - that would be an amazing summer if we signed those players.

Close run thing - Utd are British...Barca despite their cheating ways, represent a more sustainable football world and one which supposedly Saints are following to an extent by nurturing home grown youth players. I think to be honest, I will find myself siding with Utd - it's their day - we'll be beating them again in a 2-3 seasons.

IMO we are still awfully inconsistent in terms of delivery from corners. The number of times the ball doesn't clear the first man is criminal - it should be at least 99% of the time. With the likes of Lambert, Fonte, Guly and Jaidi - all big blokes - we should be getting the ball onto their heads far more accurately.

Edit: Have faith. Be happy if you find someone else with the same faith as you, but don't force anyone to believe in your faith. Doing so undermines the meaning of faith - if your faith is true, you win. Leave religion behind.

Mirfin could be worthy - otherwise no thanks.

I don't think it will be as easy as some seem to think - mind you, nice to see us above Pimpley in a table once again. (;

Happy Birthday Ron. Always a childhood hero. Come back to Southampton and SMS - you will get a fantastic reception.

Great signing. Trouble with being one of the more gifted/experienced players in a squad is that you can be rushed back from injury too quick which makes full and lasting recovery pretty much impossible. What Connolly got last year was an opportunity to put the injuries behind him - in his own words he said he was probably one of the fittest players in the squad towards the end of last season. And 34 is not too old if you've got a good football brain, which DC has. I think he will come back stronger next season and don't be surprised to see Lee B or even Rickie spend time on the bench to accomodate him.

Thought Wigan looked woeful and should have gone down. Otherwise, glad we'll be seeing the white's of Holloways eyes again.

Completely agree with you there. I would rather we have the ground full to rafters and that the club are able to afford to keep prices sensible, however I know that if you want to experience the best of anything in life, in general you have to pay more for it.

This is a pretty good summary - 2009 as a season is the worst ever I think for all the reasons stated. However, it also has in a bizarre way also given rise to two thorougly enjoyable seasons which has seen the re-birth of our football club - a period that the club needed to be able to rid itself of all the rot that had set-in. I'm loving my football now more than I have done for many, many years.