MarkSFC

one of your posts i like!!

What a very very sad little man this Meldrum bloke is. Weak, simple, selective, antogonistic and basically lazy journalism written by someone who is clearly a bitter individual. However anyone wants to attempt to partray it Southampton FC is a "relatively" big club in this country. Based on ground capacity which is the most usual indicator of size, we are ranked 17th in all divisions and 2nd in League 1 behind Sheffield Wednesday. Its a total other disussion but because we have only had that size stadium for 10 years I wonder how different our past would have been on hte field if indeed during the 70's, 80,s, and 90's we had been able to attract 30k+ week in week out?! Anyway, the similar little club down the road has a capacity of just under 10K and cant fill that every week when they are having a great season. And here-in lies the vast difference between the clubs. We, once everyone has played the same number of games are quite likely to be 2nd in the division ahead of Bournemouth, but because they have played more games they currently sit there. Sure they are having a good season but because of our history we do have very much higher exectations and quite rightly so. We also have the fanbase the stadium and we have the money. Those three things are the main ingredieents for success in football.get over it Bournemouth. This Cup Final tomorrow is not one for any normal level headed Saints fan. Its merely a game against a team who just happen to be above us at the moment. Its important because they currently have more points despite the games played, and whoever we were playing in the same situation, it would matter that we win. Bournemouth are not our football rivals on a daily, yearly, lifetime basis....Portsmouth are, and that will never change. We are Bournemouths closest Football League team so they obviously feel like we should be. WE ARE NOT!!! Journalists like Meldrum are a disgrace to their profession.If he really does class hmself as a Saints fan then he should really hang his head in shame. Anyway it will probably be a draw tomorrow...!!

At The Dell you couldn't buy alcohol inside the ground. If you wanted a hot drink or a pie you had the kiosks, and if you wanted anything else you had cinema stylee sellers walking round. And before all seats you had to get in the ground early to get "your spot". In modern grounds you have your reserved seat and you have sufficient food and drink choice. The trouble is that if you want any of these items the queue is always too long so you either have to miss a few minutes of the duesyngalf or the start of th second. There are of course TVs on the concourse which helps. Me and my mates normally take it in turn to get the beers at half time and never leave before 40 mins (unless its that bad!). As for what's important mostly the football the result, or the matchday experience they go hand in hand. If we lose everything else helps to ease the pain. If we win everything else is a bonus.

Bridge-return

Oh look, that mature debating tact of reverting to personal comments when you actually run out of anthing intelligent to say. Well done,

If leading Div 1 is a 'rise' for BHA that sums it all up that the 'normal' order of things is completely out of sync right now.

Just my instinct Turkish based on various things but also from things I hear from my brothe who works with a load of Brighton fans. Don't really care either way though, they're not important!

Actually depends what you regard as regularly. In the Prem and indeed div 1 pre Prem era we sold out virtually every game for decades. In League 1 we have regularly sold out once or twice a season! However you try to put it we average ove 21k which is the best in the league and higher than some Prem teams and most NPC teams. If we were both in the Prem I'm sure we wotld sell out but you won't and anyway we wotld have 8-10k more every game. Get real.

Our only Football rivals are The Skates. Bournemouth, Brighton and anyone else you care to mention only become rivals when we happen to be in the same division which over the last 125 years has been very few seasons because they have been lower down the pyramid. Simples!

Size of club is essentially based on capacity and attendance so by a long way we are the biggest on the South coast, indeed we are the biggest outside London and south of Birmingham. But of course in any given season a smaller club can be higher ranked. Generalle attendance levels and size of customer base determines income and loosely potential to succeed. For these reasons I have no doubt that we will always be bigger than Pompey, Brighton Bournemouth, Reading etc etc. Small clubs will have their days and Brighton and Bournemouth are having theirs right now. Bournemouth are just about at their limit whereas Brighton will potentially be conpetitive in the NPC. Potentially a yo-yo club between Prem and NPC IF they can fill their ground regularly. But I doubt they will.

At this moment in time Bournemouth do "deserve" to be 2nd because they have more points, its very simple. Once everyone has played 46 games it will all brcome much clearer who deserved what. I think its quite clear that the majority our players are amongst the best in the league. What's more apparent is that as a team and as individuals they have been less consistant than the leaders. Consistancy of performance is almost always a mental thing especially when comparing like for like. Poyet seems to have got both the physical and mental right within his squad who on thenwhole haven't been in their position before. Bournemouth though have already been there and done that last season so the "pressure" is easier for m to handle due to both lower expectations from fans and by the knowledge within themselves that they can do it. Within our squad I don't think the cast majority have ever been promoted, and so couple thatnwith the expectation factor and you get the "inconsistency" like Tuesday. This is not an excuse though, merely a potential reason as I see it. Having ability and also the drive and capacity to be successful do not go hand in hand automatically. I hope I'm wrong but I wonder whether some of our players have whatnut takes to be success in our environment. But its after 46 games that counts.

come back in 3 years...5 years.....10 years.......c***

Very good post! Sums up my ramblings very well, thanks!

I think you maybe the one who does not have a clue. Man U is completely run the way it is because it is the biggest brand in football based on its history. If Saints are run based on its history then there is a very small potential for development.

you misunderstand. c'est la vie.

It was ainforever who used the word......

Without the stats this is mere supposition but under PArdew I laways got the impression that we started very well in the first half and tailed off. Almost like we would use too much energy and sometimes run out. Under Adkins it feels like he has the team pacing themselves better, and saving energy for the latter part of games. I also heard that Adkins has a very set routine at half-time (dont know if PArdew implemented it, doubt it though!!) whereby the first 5 minutes are a quiet time...allowing everyone to reflect and clam down....then Adkins spends 5 minutes de-briefing the first half and then the last 5 minutes are setting expectations and plans for the 2nd half.

You make my point for me.....by emphasising the past of Saints and or Liverpool only really happens when the current version/brand is not doing too well. Those around the country - probably 30 or under will only have seen us generally struggle, get relegated twice, go into admin. Getting to the FA Cup final was great as a fan but as we lost itmeans nothing to non saints fans who are the important ones when it comes to the Brand. Its not so much about Cortese but he is driving a new era and has the vision to see other possibilites than those that we have had "forever". By distancing himself from those "of and in our past" he will be able to make very smart decisions. I doubt very much that he is ignoring the past or more importantly the people involved, but he has his vision let him get on with it. LM has been a big hero of mine - I grew up in the late seventies and eighties - but by continually harking back to the "good 'ol days" says everything about where the club is now. How often do you hear articles from ex Barcelona, or Manure, or Arsenal going on about "in their day"..."back then..."? Very rarely because their BRAND is current relevant and exciting. Thats what Cortese is aiming for...........

I didnt say I didnt enjoy the anecdotes, but heard them before. Without doubt the history of a football club should play a part in its "brand". However it should not define it otherwise you will be stuck with whatever impression others have of it. The media as it is nowadays rarely emphasises the past of a club when talking about current performances. Commentators and the like always seem to base thier opinion of a club on the last two or three years. E.G. "Its always a hard place to go to...Stoke".......was it when it was being relegated or playin gin the lower leagues...obviously not. etc,etc. Living in the past does no one any favours but it should never be forgotten. And how things happened before does not mean its the right way now. Decent and successful BRANDS as you put it learn from the past, evolve because of it and react to current market conditions. Dare I say it but Lawrie McMenemy (the brand) has not....Southampton Football Club is.........

and your point is.............

only if you want the brand to be viewed as living on past glories. not exactly an interview either, just one or two set up questions and let him tell some stories. Suspect Gray and Keys thought "who's good at telling anecdotes and filling out our programme..........". 3 rather sad characters.

exactly....even chuckled as he spoke about having to pay.

He really does not know when to let it go does he. Very sad.

I think both quotes are quite arrogant and egotistical when "read". East to interpret either way. If it was a video interview it would be far easier to determine intent. Overall though I think the "great Saints Manager" should just keep quiet for a while, at least on all things Saints, well at least anything that can be taken out of context. Hard though I suppose when hes paid (I assume) for his piece in The Echo.

correct but it does say "if ever he wants a conversation I will be available" (in regard to NC) and in regard to new managers he says "if ever they want a cup of tea and a chat they know where I am".