SaintJackoInHurworth

hmmm - wonder if Paolo might use half time to encourage Sunderland to try some continental tactics - i.e. trying to get Stoke players rattled to get someone sent off. If so we could end up seeing a card-fest with both teams losing players fro the end of the season. That could well be to our advantage - though we usually do worse against teams who are under-strength because of injuries and sendings off!

Here are my predictions for the bottom of the table matches together with my final table when I used the BBC predictor for all fixtures: Fulham Liverpool (H) 1-2 Swansea (A) 0-1 Villa Chelsea (H) 1-2 Wigan (A) 1-1 Stoke Suinderland (A) 1-2 Spurs (H) 1-2 Saints (A) 0-2 Saints Sunderland (A) 1-1 Stoke (H) 2-0 Norwich WBA (H) 1-1 Man City (A) 0-2 Newcastle QPR (A) 0-0 Arsenal (H) 0-2 Sunderland Stoke (H) 2-1 Saints (H) 1-1 Spurs (A) 0-2 Wigan Swansea (H) 2-1 Arsenal (A) 0-2 Villa (H) 1-1 Prediction: Of course, if we lose to Sunderland it could be a bit different, but either way, even if we lose both remaining fixtures we should still be safe - if only on goal difference! In terms of the teams who are at real risk of relegation I think it is probably too close to call between Newcastle, Norwich and Wigan.... If Newcastle beat QPR they should be safe. If Norwich beat West Brom, they too should be safe. This would leave Wigan needing to beat Aston Villa for safety Incidentally, only if those three things happen and we lost both our remaining fixtures would we be anything but safe! In fact just a single draw should be enough to at least finish above Aston Villa on goal difference (unless you think Villa will get anything out of the game against Chelsea!)

As someone who lives up north and therefore rarely gets to a home game - only matches away, I can assure you that our away support is generally excellent. What some of you were discovering is how much better our support is away from home than it is at home. I think the reason for this is that it is generally the more (openly) passionate supporters who make the effort to travel to away games and so you get a whole load of them crammed together and together they make a great noise. At home it is very different as the noisy support is diluted by those that are quieter supporters - who may be just as passionate (before I get criticized for suggesting any different!) but express their support in a less openly passionate way. I think you will find that this is a common trait amongst football supporters with away fans frequently out-singing the home fans, or certainly appearing to do so.

I didn't forget Norwich - there didn't seem much point including them as I am pretty sure they will get at least two points. Hopefully we can finish above them still, but I am not as confident of that as I am that we will not be relegated.

There seem to be a lot of doom and gloom merchants around at the moment, so, let me humour you a moment... what if we lost every single game that remains this season... where would we finish? Let's think about the other teams below us... 1. Wigan - do you think they could get the eight points they would need to finish above us with their fixtures? WBA (A), Swansea (H), Arsenal (A), Aston Villa (H) - where are they going to get 8 points from those games?!! I would say they could get six or seven points at most - and that would depend on beating Villa. 2. Newcastle - they would only need 3 points to finish above us. Easy? Let's see: W.Ham (A), QPR (A) and Arsenal (H). OK, they might get them against QPR - but then again the way the Toon are playing at the moment, maybe not! 3. Villa - after tonight surely they will go on a big run to safety? Or will they...? They also need 3 points to finish above us: Norwich (A), Chelsea (H), Wigan (A). Well, ok, they might beat Norwich, but they might draw or might go complacent after tonight and get beaten. Norwich will want to prove something to Lambert. Chelsea - no chance! Wigan? Well, if they win that one, I refer you to my comments about Wigan above. 4. Sunderland - demoralising defeat tonight and no Sessegnon for the rest of the season: Stoke (H), Saints (H), Spurs (A) - They might pick themselves up and beat Stoke, but I can't see them getting anything at Spurs. So, to finish above us they must at least get a draw against us. If they don't beat Stoke they must beat us. So, despite tonight, it is certainly still possible for them to get clear of relegation - but I bet you won't find many Sunderland fans declaring that confidence tonight! In other words.. even if we lose every game (and I don't for a moment think we will!) there are a whole load of ifs and buts for other teams to finish above us and for us therefore to get relegated. SO, take it easy guys.. we are not in danger of getting relegated! Sit back, enjoy the rest of the season - enjoy the possibility that we could surprise everyone and beat the Spuds (I doubt it, but who knows?!); enjoy the possibility of getting a win or draw at Sunderland and leaving them looking anxiously over their shoulders!... and hopefully we can then complete the season with a nice home win for the fans against Stokehampton - and leave them with no doubts that for all the ex-Saints players they have had on their books over the past few seasons they have only ever been a pale imitation of what the Saints are set to become!

It was shame that we sent him out on loan and kept seaborne last season. There was one time in the season when we were defensively short and Martin would have been able to do a job for us, but wasn't there to be able to take his chance. He was definitely a quality League 1 player and could some day, with more experience, become a decent Championship defender. He could potentially even make it one day in the EPL.

I agree with you there and I am surprised that no-one else has said it. It was nevertheless petulant and possibly worth a card. Put that together with him pushing one of the West Brom players just afterwards and I would concede there remains a strong argument to say that the ref was right to send him off. Of the three red cards given in the match, it was the one that was most debatable. Incidentally, no-one has also pointed out that the West Brom player's challenge for the ball when he was fouled by Fox also had a hint of being two-footed. His foot was certainly off the ground. I suspect if Fox had come in with a one-footed challenge then the West Brom player could have ended up being booked! It doesn't justify Fox's awful challenge though.

Gary Neville has just answered all the pessimists on here... he reckons we have the potential to do really well next season and to emulate Swansea's rise, finishing in the top half of the table (with the caveat of continued improvement through purchases in the summer). 'nuff said!!!

I switched off my laptop before MOTD, but just gone and got it so I could come on here to make exactly the same point!! Such a shame we didn't sign him! He looks a real class act.

Here's one I submitted last summer: I would possibly add a bit more black trim and would definitely combine it with black shorts. It may also need a bit more red and a bit less white. Nevertheless, hopefully you get the idea! (PS I appreciate that clubs aren't as free as this to create their own designs and have to go with variations based upon manufacturers designs, but that's a shame in my opinion!)

We are not Forest, we are not Liverpool, WE ARE SOUTHAMPTON!!!! Red and White STRIPES all the way - I will NOT buy a Southampton kit again until it is Red and White Stripes. If they abandon stripes I will continue to wear the numerous red and white kits that I have already got - I will save myself some money and the club will lose out on it. Simple as that! As for shorts - No to Red shorts, Yes to black shorts. Also I continue to be a fan of maintaining some black trim. Both of these factors are what makes us distinct from Sunderland and Stoke. Red and whites stripes with black and white trim (and possibly some extra red trim too like in the 70s kit) is a distinct Southampton look.

I accept all of that - in my original post I did point out that I had maybe been a bit optimistic in terms of Saints results (mainly in terms of us beating Swansea on Saturday) and that I had been a bit pessimistic about the results for some other teams. My point was that it was not beyond the bounds of possibility - and I don't think those predictions are wholly unlikely. I certainly think that Saints will finish between 8th and 12th. As for who will be relegated with Reading and QPR, I think it is too close to call - it could be anyone out of Stoke, Aston Villa, Wigan, Sunderland, Norwich or Newcastle (although I would expect Norwich and Newcastle to be ok).

er... not sure how to resize it!!!

I had a go at the prediction league on BBC and I think there is a possibility that we could end up finishing as high as eight and then we could relegate Stoke on the last day. This is partly based on us maintaining very good form and Swansea, West Brom and Fulham finishing with indifferent form, so I am not for a moment suggesting is what will happen - just that it is not beyond the bounds of realistic possibility! You will see my predictions first and then the final table: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us What do you think?

Surely our priority has got to be to strengthen the defence rather than the midfield??!!

I'd like to think we will be aiming for a top ten finish!! We are only two points behind Fulham and four behind Swansea. Fulham's form has been on-off and Swansea have not won a match for a few weeks now. Above them West Brom's form has also been less than consistent, though they are seven points ahead of us so probably a bit too much of a gap for us to catch them. Let's see how high we can go!!

So... anyone care to tell me how on earth there is ANY mathematical way Pompey could escape some form of relegation? Or are you just going to ignore my question?

Errr... I haven't been following this and not about to try and catch up.... BUT... isn't that impossible now?? I was under the impression there were now three possible scenarios: 1. The Portsmouth takeover fails to materialise and the club are ejected from the football league. 2. Portsmouth win enough games to get out of relegation (i.e. winning just about every one of their remaining games), the takeover is completed and they come out of administration, but they are deducted 10 points as they do, thus throwing them back into the relegation mire (NB If they win every game including today's they will be at most 8 points above the relegation zone). 3. Portsmouth get out of administration, but fail to escape the relegation zone. They are thus relegated to League 2, where they will start the season on minus ten points.

My question was more concerned with the list that must be submitted of players that are part of the official squad - excluding the younger players. Having sent Seabourne and De Ridder out on loan and brought in Forren that I assume leaves us with one spare outfield place and one goalkeeping place? Or have we got another older player that may now get an official squad number?

OK - getting ahead of myself here seeing as the transfer window has not yet closed, but... ...when do we have to submit our new squad numbers and list to the Premier League? And what happens to new players in the meantime? So, for example, some people were surprised that Forren wasn't in the squad against Man Utd, but could that have been because he hadn't been allocated a place in our official squad? Also taking into account the players that have been loaned out, where does that leave us in terms of spaces in the squad for the rest of the season? Lastly, if we have surplus places in the squad would we be able to take players on loan after tonight?

However little Ramirez and Puncheon have done in this game I can't understand those substitutions. They are the players with the flair to unlock United's defence - all they need is that one opportunity to do something and we get a goal. Davis can certainly link up play and Lallana also has the ability to do the unexpected, but would have preferred us to push Ramirez forwards and bring off Rodriguez for Lallana to come on.

Shame for him he's coming back - from what I have seen of him, he isn't good enough to play for us in the Premiership. Come to think of it, from what I've seen of him he wouldn't be good enough to play for us in the Championship if we were to get relegated! So, maybe it's a shame for us he is coming back too! That having been said, I hope that having had some game time out there maybe he can come back and prove me wrong!

Which Davis were you referring to? Steven Davis has been much improved lately - he was certainly one of our best players against Arsenal.

According to his pre-Man Utd interview, Pochettino is suggesting it is unlikely we will bring in any further transfers unless there are "any developments" in the transfer market: http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/manager-seeks-old-trafford-inspiration-624917.aspx So what do people think about that? * Is that suggesting that Coutinho was our only real target and so our only chance of signing a player is if the Liverpool transfer falls through? * Is that going to leave us short against Man Utd (and Wigan?) if Lallana is not yet fully match fit and Guly is also out injured? * Are people happy that we have enough cover in every position? * Is this good news because it means we are also not going to be selling any key players like Lambert?

I may have missed it, but I can't see anywhere that this report from Metro has been posted: http://metro.co.uk/2013/01/23/southampton-ready-to-hijack-liverpools-move-for-phillipe-coutinho-3363519/ Not sure it adds much to what we already know, but it does suggest that Saints are going to match Inter's asking price.