MarkSFC

Our away form certainly is a little better than average but if we only averaged one point a game away from home, we would need to average 3 points at home in order to achieve the generally perceived requirement of 2 points per game average. Of course thats spot on right now....BUT sport tells us that things can change quickly and winning all 23 games at home is unheard of. If we continue averaging 1.33 points away from home we will get 31 points (rounded up). To achieve 92 points for the season we need to claim 61 points at home. We already have 30 and there are 13 games to go. 31 points from 13 games is a 2.38 ppg average or something like 9 wins and 4 draws or 10 wins, 1 draws and two losses. Playing safe and assuming 2 home losses and 3 home draw would mean a tally of 27 points up the next 13 games and 57 points overall. That means 35 points are required away from home. We already have 12 from 9 so need 23 from 14 games at an average of 1.64 ish. This is better than we are currently at. So playing safe-ish, 7 wins, 2 draws, and 5 defeats away would suffice.....or 6 wins, 5 draws, and 3 defeats. So overall we need 14 or 15 WINS..no more than 8 DRAWS...and can AFFORD UPTO 7 DEFEATS!!!! We are in a very strong position to say the least. Lets chlk off one of those wins today.......!!!

This "debate2 on whether we need/want/could fill/justify a bigger stadium is interesting to say the least. We all have different attitudes to it generally based on our typical outlook on life in general. Some people are more optimistic, some more pesimistic, some more practical, and some more realistic. Some people are reluctant to change, some like it, and some like it for the sake of it. What this means is that the fan-base (and certainly this opinionated site) cannot and will not ever agree or come to a consensus. luckily the only person who will make the final decision is a very shrewd, intelligent, and experienced business man who has access to a lot of funding. If it happens it will be for all the right reasons an the back of masses of research and reasoning. If not it will be for all the right reasons on the back of of masses of research and reasoning. If its the latter option I just hope that St Mary's as it is is improved in terms of comfort, facilities, operation efficiency and service as well as turned into a 365 days a year business for the long term prospects of our club.

Very sad indeed.

assuming we sign jos I think we will sign players who are young and still not at their peak but in the opinion of NA et all wil develop quickly into top players. The names i would love to see us sign are Sordell or Rodriguez, Clyne and a CB. These players would put suitable pressure on the team without obvious disquption and be important over the next few years.

its all great what is happening in the academy and what has gone before. The thing that matters is that if we are going to continue to create good and excellent players we need to have the incentives in place to keep them here. This is the main thing lowe got completelx wrong. The first team needs to be accesible but more importantly being succesful in the upper echelons of the prem and over tge long term. At our height under lowe in summer 2003 wd didnt invest and the slide began. I doubt cortese will fail in thbt regard. importantly being succesful in the upper echelons of the prem and over tge long term. At our height under lowe in summer 2003 wd didnt invest and the slide began. I doubt cortese will fail in thbt regard.

not yet. The team(s) of the early 80s by a country mile. Smaller squad size, only 1 sub.

I think there are two reasons for developing St Marys or even building a brand new arena The obvious one is to generate more revenue through higher attendances and increased hospitality capacity. I think there is a definite case for this over the coming years, probably around 40-42k. The other reason is for want of a better phrase is 'future proofing' the stadium. What I mean by tha is that within the next decade I think st marys will look/start to look out-dated, and too much like a flat-pack stadium. It may also be that a new stadium (who knows where!) would be able to produce far greater day to day revenue. Either way I'm sure NC is already planning! And of course the friendly debate will continue on here!

brilliant.....

i think this window is going to be very interesting. I hope we sign jos permanantly but also another cb as we only have martin as back up and he has not proved yet that he is ready to play every week. Also jose seems to have dipped slightly and so adding real competition is needed. It is vital in my mind that we need a striker. Either someone like sharp or maynard but my choice would be sordell. It would also be great if we went for nathaniel clyne. Butters wont be good enough for the prem even assuming we do go up this year. Whoeveq we do sign im sure na will carry out due dilligence on their character to ensure minimum disruption to the squad.

the worst chant...,someone please explain the need to sing about asking your mother who to support? Nonsense and embarassing on so many levels. I only join in at 'we hate pompey'. the worst chant...,someone please explain the need to sing about asking your mother who to support? Nonsense and embarassing on so many levels. I only join in at 'we hate pompey'.

didnt manure achieve 19 before city smashed them?

yeah it will be Hughton

Its an interesting view on the term reserves.... Of those who started last night for us, Cork, Morgan, Martin, Butterfield, and Harding have all started a league game this season or were a regular in our promotion winning side last season. Plus you have Bart who is a good player waiting patiently for his chance and SDR who has been great when coming off the bench and only 3 days earlier grabbed us a point!!. Of the other 4 Holmes is decent but injury prone, Ward-Prowse and Reeves are very promising Academy products, which leaves Forte who is in my estimation the only "real" reserve as he will never force his way in the team on pure merit when everyone is fit. The rest could. And then you have the "reserve" subs...Guly, Lambert and Barnard. Get a grip whingers....we lost a game away from home in the last 20 mins.... which in the whole scheme of things will be forgotten very quickly!! The ONLY thing that matters is getting promotion which will hopefully be this season. Bring on the 'Boro wall.........

and what if all the main leagues in europe did the same in their 2nd cup competition and all the winners competed in the 'european nations' cup or league?

heres a radical idea. Why not rebrand the competition as the 'English Cup' and make it that clubs may only play 'English qualified' players? This will help develop our nations players quicker, possibly encourage clubs to focus more on english players, and also fans would have a much better expectation of who was playing and the quality to be expected. And yes it would mean more kids and probably a lower quality overall but at least it would aid the national teams.

"17 game unbeaten home run slightly dilutes what really is an epic run of victories!!!

http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/mpl-league.html?seasonid=142&type=Season+Total well try this as obviously foo ked up using the link option!!

This is not a bad place to start... shame there does not seem to be a "career" option! Last years makes for good reading

too right we do.....75k I reckon!!!

If you remove relegation from the Premiership then you remove promotion from The Championship, an obvious comment but this then completely devalues the Championship because without the incentive to progress to the highest/best league to play against the (current) best teams everyone will lose interest, from supporters, to chairmen, to players. This in turn dominoes down the system and would kill the game in this country. The motivation and incentive to create something successful - like Saints are actually doing now - would be removed. Do you think Markus and Nicola would have bought "League One Southampton" if the best the y could achieve would be winning The Championship? Of course they wouldn't. Clubs like Chelsea should remember that they are only where they are because of the money Abramovich (and Matthew Harding before him, as didn't he oversee most of the development of Stamford Bridge?) has invested, not because they have a massive supporter base. They do know BECAUSE of their success and have spent millions marketing themselves abroad. Before this time, 80's and most of 90's they were not much better than us in fact worse for many! A closed shop set-up is only good for one person....the owner.

Spot on...bloody pointless thread. I have always thought it was more than likely to do with recruitment policy and the big picture "southampton style". who cares anyway....we are top of the league with THE best young manager in the country.

be great if someone could create a chart which details the number of fans per mile - based on the assumption that all supporters travel from their home ground!! May be a better indication of who is best supported as its far easier for midland and northern fans to travel away.

Thats why Jason Dodd and Paul Williams are employed by "the club"!!! I think BT would be a really good option at least for the next few months.

we dont need a fan on the board, we need a board of fans. Perry McMillan, Mick O'Callaghan,Nick Illingsworth and Richard whatis****ingname will do for starters. PERFECT

if it keeps whinging ***** like u away.....keep em coming NC.