LuckyNumber7

Yes, because there's no way the papers could be lying is there. But let's go ahead and slate the club anyway. Even if it is true, staged payments are perfectly normal procedure and we would buy our players in exactly the same way. Very few transfers involve paying the whole fee up front, particularly ones of this size.

And if we did that you'd have plenty on here accusing the club of taking the cheap option etc! Whatever they do they can't win. Walcott is a proven quality player with connections to the club and would give the whole place a lift, really hope it happens.

Even more negative than usual, un****ingbelievable. Gabbi must be well and truly ****ed off.

Couldn't care less tbh, he's one of the few who actually looks like he gives a toss and has a bit of character about him. Give me that over a constantly miserable looking, half arsed prima donna any day.

You got Austin and Bertrand round the wrong way.

I don't agree our atmosphere has always been crap, but it is now and getting worse. I agree with Hypo about our relegation season, that 4-3 game against Norwich in particular the atmosphere was incredible and probably helped play a part in the win, but it just feels different now, it doesn't feel like we are all in it together. The flat, turgid atmosphere is a reflection of the flat, turgid football that we've been served up for the last 18 months and apathy has crept in in a big way. Unfortunately going to SMS now is a chore and not an enjoyable experience, and there is also very little bond between the fans and players. After the events of the last few years it just feels like all players are just passing through and don't really care, it's very hard to get behind that. Personally I'd like less songs about the players and more about the club/city, but first we need to somehow get rid of this wave of apathy that seems to prevail.

Please get rid of this negative, clueless clown whilst our season is still salvageable. Sick of seeing constant backwards passing and players giving the 'slow it down' gesture all the time, Pied even did it to a ballboy early in the second half for him daring to try and hurry things up. It's like any form of positivity or excitement is forbidden at SMS. Absolutely awful to watch. Aside from Long's ballooned shot I can barely remember us getting near their goal in the second half. He surely has to go now.

Bringing Theo back would give a real and much needed boost to the whole club and would be a significant improvement to the squad. Really hope it happens, come home Theo!

Agree with every word of this. Now before we go buying any players, let's get in a competant manager who will command the respect of the players and get them playing to their full potential.

Lol, yes how dare the fans moan because the team are failing to score goals, I mean that's only like the most important part of football right? I went to the cup final and you are right, it was entertaining and we were unlucky not to win. I also went to every home game and came away from the vast majority of them feeling bored stiff and demoralised about the way the team were set up to just not lose. How many games did you attend I wonder? I still find it amazing that we managed to finish 8th, but that just shows how much utter dross there is in this league.

VvD aside, I can't remember the last time I disliked a Saints player so much. A combination of his complete lack of ability and his terrible attitude and demeanour on the pitch. It is one of the biggest indictments of the manager that such a poor player has had so much game time despite being consistently awful. That said I don't agree with booing him although I do understand people's frustrations. Personally I would love to see him sold next month but I'm not sure anyone would be daft enough to buy him.

There's a reason we were disappointed when he left. Whilst I'm not 100% in favour, there's hardly an abundance of good managers out there who would be willing to come here, he did a good job for us and I wouldn't be against him returning.

Agree with all of that, great post. I also stayed to the end last night, it was atrocious but no way would I want Puel back, last season drained me of my enthusiasm and I have no doubt we would be in a similar situation if he was still here. Going to St Mary's the last 18 months has been a joyless experience. Apathy reigns.

Forster at RB

My brother struggling to get out of Northampton to get down for the game. Could be quite a few people who don't make it which is a shame. Just wet and windy down here.

Can't believe anyone who saw all our home games last season would now be wishing we didn't sack Puel. Granted we had a few better away games but at home we were not only very poor but also excruciatingly dull, and most importantly we were getting worse not better He has made a decent start at Leicester, nothing more nothing less, but he has far better and pacier attackers to play his defensive safety first tactics knowing there is a good chance the likes of Vardy and Mahrez will nick a goal on the break. His crime here was employing negative team selection and tactics when we already had relatively weak attacking options and trouble scoring and it made for grim viewing. You have to adjust how you play to suit the personnel you have at your disposal. I'm far from convinced MP is any better or the right man for us but I'm so glad we don't have to endure Puel's cure for insomnia anymore which stopped some people near me from renewing their ST's in the summer. Still wish him well though, was just the wrong fit for us.

You need to watch him play then Seriously though, aside from a 1/2 month purple patch last season when he was called up to the England squad he has been woeful. Can't shoot, can't dribble, dubious passing ability and his anticipation/movement off the ball is non-existant, not to mention his constant berating of team-mates for his own shortcomings. I would love him to prove me wrong but let's be honest, it's not like he hasn't been given plenty of opportunities under both the previous and current managers. Anyway great news about Sims, hopefully the injury hasn't affected him too much as I think he has a very bright future. Look forward to seeing him in matchday squads soon.

Tough job but delighted for him to be back in management, hope he does well.

Agree, he also has a bit of charisma about him which I think is good for the dressing room, he is one of the few players whose interviews I actually enjoy listening to. He may not be the most mobile but a striker's main job is to score goals and Austin does that. The only games I would leave him out for are the likes of City away where we need a bit more pace up top t hit n the break, otherwise he has to start most games for me.

Absolutely pathetic but sadly not surprising, the world has gone mad. If they banned everyone who sang that chant there would hardly be anyone left so why don't they just be done with it and play all games in an empty stadium, that way no-one can be offended by anything and there will be no atmosphere, just how the authorities want it.

Ironically, that was arguably our best home performance of the season at least up until around the hour mark when we just seemed to either run out of ideas or give up. I'm Redmond's biggest critic but he was ok yesterday and at least showed a bit more willingness to run at defenders. Ultimately though it's the same old issues that did for us, the manager's negativity and complete lack of balls to try two up front in search of the win combined with a statue in goal who the oppo just need one chance to score past. I feel so sorry for Gabbiadini right now as he gets zero service and then is taken off as if it's his fault we haven't created anything. I would like to see him and Austin together as a two feeding off each other as given the chance they are both natural goalscorers, but Gabbi is usually so isolated he looks seriously ****ed off and who can blame him? I actually thought apart from the usual early leavers the support was pretty decent yesterday, particularly earlier in the second half, but the team didn't respond at all. That for me is one of the biggest problems, I have never felt so disconnected from a Saints team as I do now. Apart from 2 or 3 players I am developing a real dislike for a majority of our squad and couldn't care less if they buggered off in January. I'm disappointed McQueen hasn't been given a go too. Hate sacking managers especially this early in the season, but I'm now in the MP out camp as there are just no signs of improvement or hope and we are only heading in one direction with him in charge. Change is needed.

Same thing happened at a few other grounds as well. There are so many minute's applause these days that people seem to have forgotten what a minute's silence is.

Exactly this. Of course there were some highlights last season, but they were rare jewels in a sea of turd. Last season for the first time I actually dreaded going to games rather than looking forward to it. Yes part of the problem was down to us having a weaker squad, but mostly it was down to Puel's negative, safety first tactics. That Hull game was a particular lowlight but there were too many like that. Having said that, as glad as I am he is gone, he came across as a very decent bloke and I wish him well.

Yes I too feel sorry for Jan and Erwin. I'd probably have him back, perhaps this experience will have humbled him a little.

Hindsight? Most on here have been saying for weeks that Boufal should be given a chance ahead of Redmond. Until Saturday Redmond had played almost every minute of every game, two assists is hardly anything to write home about and despite having all those shots he has failed to score, as most of them have been crap. Meanwhile Boufal has had a few minutes here and there at the end of a few games. It's patently obvious to anyone with half a brain that Boufal is a far more talented player than Redmond, I think the booing was aimed at the decision rather than Redmond himself, it's just people's frustration coming out and tbh I think it's perfectly understandable. The sarcastic cheers for Forster are well out of order though.