Saint Fan CaM

Not so sure about Danns - whenever I've seen him play he seems to get a bit lost positionally and he's not one to put the boot in where it hurts...and he's not a playmaker to the best of my knowledge (but glad to be proved wrong). Tyson it seems has lost his way where he is and needs to get fitter (both of which I feel sure he can correct here). If we were to sign both of these guys, I think the squad would be pretty much complete. Sign Carlos Edwards per other thread and we'll have a very exciting CCC level team that could tear this league apart.

I like the look of that, but I'm not sure Harding will start ahead of Dickson in the LB slot.

What position and style would you say he was? I know the name but can't say I remember a performance by him.

There's no way on God's Earth that he would find his way back to Saints while AP is in charge IMO. He just would not fit into the high work ethic and winning mentality that AP demands of his squad. Yes, he was good for us for a time, but he's old news now.

That's an irrelevance. The squad has been cleared out and there are clearly gaps now which need filling. NC would have approved the clearing out list and also would have agreed to a fund to replace them with whatever AP wanted basically. But the one thing he would NOT have done was to short change because he has some cunning plan to sack AP at Xmas if things go wrong - he simply cannot and would not play games like that! He is a (very astute) professional businessman - not a spotty child on a interweb forum. Reading between the lines with regards to everything that is happening to re-build the club, my view is that every brick that is laid is done so with a positive spirit and everyone involved is committed to the project.

There's a few people saying or at least feeling this, but it doesn't make sense - it doesn't fit with the game plan. Cortese is a winner - to be a winner you don't hold back something in reserve just in case you don't make it. He wants promotion - he needs it - and the best chance he has is to stick with the winning combination that he has assembled including AP. That means the best tactic is support AP, keeping the winning mentality going and if necessary sign the players needed to ensure we succeed this season. Conversely, if he doesn't support AP then he will be held accountable for not providing the resources necessary to ensure the job gets done, whatever the season brings (i.e. injuries that deplete the squad). PS: One thing not mentioned much on the forum already is how the average age of the 1st team has come down since last season. Particularly in defence, we now have excellent cover.

Why did he say "there's nothing concrete"? Sounds to me like we've gone in for him but nothing has materialised yet for some reason. Got to say I would prefer we got Lines than Danns, who looks like a very average player to me.

Love it. I think a black looks the business to do some business - it's a mans kit. And the shadow stripes are a nice touch that will look fantastic up close. I think the choice of styling for the home and away shirts has been top drawer. Big thanks to Markus and Nicola for allowing no sponsor name - a nice 125th birthday present to us all.

Yeah - think you got that right. Don't want some trumpted up Billy big shoes here thinking they're great because their name happens to be Rooney FFS.... ...and Johnny can go take a hike too!!! Seriously though, if he is anything like his big brother - no thanks.

Thanks to Markus for not only saving the club, but also choosing to place NC in charge. It is clear to those of us that can see the big picture that you're not just looking to re-build the club to make a fast buck - you're investing in the infrastructure and fabric of the organisation in a forward thinking manner so that the mistakes of the past cannot be made again. You're laying the foundations for a football club that will eventually be the pride of English football - perhaps even Europe. Every season in front of us is one to be savoured and enjoyed, because we can be proud of everything NC is putting in place. We are truly blessed to have been saved by your good-self and as such a simple 'thank you' seems somewhat understated but nonetheless sincere.

Fantastic signing.

This thread is WUM feed. There is nothing more to say.

Great news - good to hear he's keen to stay and contribute.

Mmm, just went back to use the system and it seems to work now.

Come on Steve - what could the club possibly say? "Sorry, but we're not holding the TBT this year because we are worried the team are not up to a spanking"!?!?! Hardly motivating. We should sit back and wait to see what transpires perhaps before worrying too unduly. In the big picture of season preparation this really is small stuff IMO.

Yes.

Yes, I can understand what you're saying and in fact, I agree with you to a point. But it's never going to happen is it - it's a pipedream? I repeat, winning games = continued success and inevitably climbing up the ladder. And yes, there will be a small minority who cannot afford to go in the future who will be replaced by others. I might be one of those people, but I cannot predict this - if I could, I would know the lottery results and so wouldn't need to worry about money - but I digress. And I would hazard a guess that for the likes of yourself, it's not just about the 90mins - it's the occasion of the day with your mates. I do agree that £50 is excessive, but that's not a problem Saints, NC or indeed any other football club can solve in isolation - that's down to complete reform of the game, so really not worth debating in relation to the OP. I don't agree about the atmosphere in SMS by the way - I would much prefer to see/hear SMS rammed with 32k+ in the Prem than with 20k in L1. And I would imagine that when we thrash Chelski, ManUre (again) or Spurs in the Prem, you will be there and you will be more than happy to be eating your words too!

Well there's your problem mate. You need to start putting together your own purchasing history with them from scratch so you 'get onto the database'. Or find an old ST ticket/card that you bought - they would probably honour that I would suspect.

Err, if you've booked via others then surely its obvious you won't be on the database? Kind of surprised they don't have your ST details still though - don't you keep your old ST 'tickets'?

Strange thing that - I could have sworn NC was CEO, meaning that regardless of whether a DoF was in place or not, he would still be 'the centre piece of everything' as you say as the DoF would report to him. Guess thats what being a CEO means.... ;)

IMO there are just two types of supporter in theory - those that like to see their team win and those that don't, although clearly it's difficult to comprehend why anyone would want be in the 2nd camp, which brings me back to the fact you've not answered the question. Do you want to see Saints win games? Yes or No? If it's yes, then that means that over time inevitably you will expect the team will rise through the league(s). That means paying more money. Do you actually expect the club to poll it's 30k+ supporters asking whether half-way up the CCC is OK for them in relation to the spend!?!? LOL - get real!

Very interesting indeed. Forgot he stood in for Stock when injured and we were looking at Stock (still are?). Looks like he impressed as now Gillet is stepping up a league, but possibly to warm the bench?

You're talking complete and utter nonsense again. I said quite clearly that it's the journey that really matters. If the strategy of the club is to strive for Premiership football in a controlled and sustainable manner (e.g. real investment in the Academy), can you honestly criticise that? Do you think players go into a football match thinking "I know, I'll play quite mediocre today" - of course they don't - they want to win! It's obviously inevitable that sooner or later if you're successful in individual football matches that you will reach the pinnacle of the sport... i.e. the Prem. So if the CLUB has high aspirations that match yours, well welcome to the real world - we all pay for the things in life we want. If anyone doesn't want to be a part of a successful football club then go support one with lesser aspirations and pay less money - simple. So I challenge you to come out and confirm to everyone on here that you do NOT want Saints to win as many games as possible. Come on, stop dancing around the subject - an honest answer to a direct question please.

I think you've answered your own question there. We've not had any confirmation whatsoever that it's been scrapped. Even if it's been postponed, so what? If it had been organised, we'd have the likes of you and others complaining the club's making money out of Mary Bates death?! FFS...move on.

I know it's hard to be patient when it seems no progress is being made, however some can see the bigger picture and see the club has turned a corner. It's not the same club admittedly in the sense that the ownership and strategy has changed, however what did you expect? More of the same underachievement as seen in the last 10-15 years? Do you really understand how ravished the club was in terms of it's position relative to a Prem team? Markus, NC and AP have had a massive re-building exercise to contend with. It's coming together slow but sure and Rome was not built in a day. Clearly NC's policy is 'quietly, quietly, catch the monkey' and that's fine by me providing we continue to be successful on the pitch with good, committed players. No longer are the trivial things being concentrated on - try and imagine the end game : Southampton as a real major force in English football and perhaps you'll start believing a bit more? That's the one thing that we all need to focus on and that's the only commitment form the club that matters.