M271

I'd like to think that it was telling that Roy Hodgson was at St Marys again yesterday rather than be at The Britannia to watch Carrolls return.

Well the 9 league games from this thread are now completed and the result was 15 points, more than the pessimistic 10 points which I predicted. Won 4, drew 3 and lost 2. 16 goals for and 14 against.

I bought 2 tickets for the Newcastle game last night online and had a £2 added cost for 'fees and tax', what tax?

Ban will stands according to SSN

Personnally I would like to keep things as stable as possible but again improve the squad, my ideal scenario would be: Owner - KL keeps steady hand on the club, provides sufficient funds to improve the depth of squad. Board - Who bring in good professional skills and plan the long term development of the club. Must get on with others board members and act as a cohesive team. Management Team - Keep MP and management team, extend contract. Really like his style of football, youth philosophy and team ethic. Wish he would do interviews in English though as his translated interviews are so tedious. Squad - Retain the main starting team and best squad players, add 3 Quality additions CB, GC and striker, any additions must fit the Southampton Way not Billy big bol locks. No man is bigger than the team. Worst case scenario would be: KL looks to sell and we are bought by a individual who has a dubious background and uses the club as a status symbol and makes stupid ill thought out decisions. Doesn't release sufficient funds to improve or spends too much on Star 'has been' high status players. Board has in fighting and individual agendas pulling the club in different directions, no single vision. This dis-harmony filters down throughout the club. Management Team - MP and team go and we get a past it, seen better days, journey man manager. Squad - The best players leave or want to leave for many of the reasons above ref owner change, club vision, management team, poor team harmony. Has been players are brought in on inflated wages with all their past baggage and superiority.

Had this one down for a draw but after being 2 goals up and totally dominating feels like a loss. Pity they scored so soon after our 2nd or it could have been a big win to us, but that goal got them and the supporters going. It's promising that we played so well for large parts of the match but we need to get a convert more chances and possession into goals. Obviously the most worrying thing is the injury to Lovren hope it's not as bad as it looked, but you don't give someone gas and air if it's only a little painful! I don't thinik that my blood pressure can take it if we have weeks or months of the season with Hooveld playing, Fonte paired with Yoshida were OK towards the end of last season but losing Lovren will be a big step backwards, can Wanyama play centre back?

Sunseeker already a minor sponsor and a localish company and would fit in with looking to redevelop the area. Might even finally get the Monkey Chicken Petting Zoo, can anyone dig out the original plans?

I would like to think that MP atitude will have changed since his statements last May when he had only been here for 4 months. He should have more allegience and connection now to the club, players, supporters not just to Cortese especially after seeing his plans showing such success in the early part of the season. I think that he would stay if the plans for 'the project' have stayed much the same but would leave if the ambition has changed by losing Cortese.

Looking at the list of the next matches I can't see us getting more then 10 points. Teams at the bottom of the league will be up for avoiding relegation and their form may improve, no game will be easy. It is unlikely that we will not go through this period injury free, just hope that if they come it's 1 or 2 at a time rather than the mass absentees that we have suffered in the past 2 months. Sunderland (A) draw 1-1 Arsenal (H) lose 1-3 Fulham (A) lose 1-0 Stoke (H) win 2-0 Hull (A) draw 1-1 West Ham (A) lose 2-1 Liverpool (H) draw 2-2 Palace (A) draw 2-2 Norwich (H) win 3-1

No excuses. 1st string side (except Wanyama), at home against non top 6 side, weather fair. Lets get back to the form which we had earlier in the season.

Hopefully todays match counts as his first of the 3 match ban, if the club can prove that he was fit and would have been in the team today.

What has been said on the commentary about Rickies injury? Did it happen in a tackle or did he just pull up?

Unfortunately the money in the Premier League devalues the cup competitions after a 2 week intensive period players will be rested. Maybe the cup should be a week later after the xmas period.

To be fair to JRod I think that he has played most minutes of our busy Christmas period and before (except late tactical changes post 80 minutes). Scored some cracking goals the last month or so. I think that the amount of Xmas games needs to be reviewed 4 games in 11 days favours the bigger richer clubs and also puts pressure on managers to rest players for the FA cup which should be given a high priority.

Unfortunately difficult run of fixtures has coincideded with several injuries. In most matches we have more then matched our opponents, today we showed the effects of 4 games in 11 days against a team with plenty of quality rotation options. Just need to get Saturday match out of the way then take a breather and take stock ready for a hopefully easier period of fixtures and Boruc and Wanyama returning. P.S. are some of the idiotic posters on here actually Saints fans or Wind Up Mer hants with nothing better to do, they certainly don't know much about the football.

It's been 3 weeks since Boruc injury, did they say at the time it was a 5 to 6 weeks recovery time. Anyone heard/seen any update?

What a difference 3 weeks make, ever since Chelseas first goal and Boruc was injured things just haven't gone our way. Huge injury list, defensive mistakes that we managed to avoid for the first 10 matches. I don't think that we have played too badly for most of the last 6 matches but this run of results can erode the confidence of the most spirited squads. Now Cardiff and Everton away followed by Chelsea at home !! Things could get worse before hopefully getting better. Recent run has parallels with the first MOPO matches followed by the limp end to the season.

Well captured Glasgow. Score came up then went soon to adverts, after adverts Videprinter had gone, must be a Pompey director at Sky trying to hide the embarrassment !!!

Just come on Sky Sports News videprinter but now gone to adverts

We'll probably get a reasonable championship team away (Leeds, Leicester, Derby etc) , so classed as a giant killing but a very difficult match.

We're number 35

'Using Manchester United as an example, given the speed at which the tickets sold, we do not believe that we would have been able to sell all of the additional tickets on General Sale for this game, an opinion which is supported by the amount of tickets sold when the game reached General Sale in the 2012/13 season'They shouldn't use last seasons Manchester United game as a comparative example as it was on a Tuesday Evening at the end of January not a Saturday in October. They don't seem to be using this criteria very well: 'Selecting the appropriate allocation for away tickets is a decision that is not taken lightly for any game, and one into which a lot of thought and consideration are placed. For each game, we assess a number of criteria, many of which are fairly obvious such as the day/date of the fixture, travel time from Southampton, previous attendances at that ground etc.'

If you can get to Watford Junction there is a 8.10 which gets into Liverpool Lime Street at 12.21, bit long and tortuous but return is quicker/better. £62 if you buy 2 singles, which is cheaper than return ticket.

When I watch or listen to our League matches I feel nervous as hell, tonight watched at home quite relaxed and not really bothered, probably says it all. I would much rather finish mid or higher in the league than win a cup and be in a relagation scrap, each to their own I suppose. I don't know what people expect, playing away from home at the other end of the country only 2.5 days before our next league match (stupid scheduling). I think that more first teamers would have played if we were at home with 3.5 to 4.5 recovery time.