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Saint-Armstrong

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Everything posted by Saint-Armstrong

  1. I know of people who went with crutches. Stewards offered them a seat in the front row, or disabled areas.
  2. Thanks guys, I now have a huge folder of desktop backgrounds!
  3. What an utter tool this fella is. He's now pushing to scrap the 'A-G' marking system used in official examinations. He wants to replace them with a '1-10' system. What is the point of that? Change for change's sake. Suppose he has to justify his existence somehow.
  4. Newcastle have revealed their new away kit...
  5. 4 awards up for grabs tonight... Player of the Season - voted for by the supporters Players' Player of the Season - voted for by, funnily enough, the players Young Player of the Season - voted for by club staff Goal of the Season - voted for by the guests in attendance Some pictures...
  6. As the title says. Both make it for the final tournament in Israel.
  7. A study which has been completed by Campaign for Better Transport has found that Southampton were fifth in the Premier League in a study of how fans are served by public transport when it comes to getting to different grounds. The study, which featured more than 1,000 fans, looked at how well the grounds were served by public transport links as well as a number of other factors. The ratings are averaged, and are out of 100.
  8. Signed. All the best to you. PUSB.
  9. This thread is inspired by the appointment of James Beattie as Accrington Stanley manager in the last hour. Did you ever think he would become a manager? Straight in at the deep end there, tough scenario but probably all he could hope for as a first step into management. I will keep an eye on them. Out of the current crop - who do you think could be a manager in future? Anyone from past Saints squads that you think could be a manager, or became a manager and surprised you in doing so? I saw Gary Neville on Sky yesterday saying that he often finds himself surprised by the players who do go into management.
  10. Here's my take on it... There have been many ups and downs in recent years for us Saints fans, and boy do they keep on coming. Whilst the past four seasons have been some of the most memorable and enjoyable, this morning we faced the realisation that there is a potential for the era of Liebherr and Cortese to be drawing to a close. For the record, I would be gutted to lose a chairman of the ilk of Cortese, but it is not the end of all. I think Cortese has been a great chairman for Saints. His PR at times has left a lot to be desired, but first things first, when he walked into the chairman's office in 2009 this place was a rabble. It was disorganised, lacking in structure and was heading into a League One season with next to no stable preparation for doing so. He appointed a well-known manager and supported him in the transfer windows. He has supported both of his appointments with funds. The on-the-pitch results need little explanation. 24th in League One to 14th in the Premier League whilst developing an attractive and exciting style of play. Off-the-field, he has always ensured that Southampton Football Club gets the best deal possible. He's a ball-breaker who acts with conviction and nous. What we have largely needed for numerous years. He bled Arsenal dry over the Chamberlain deal and continued to invest in the club. The development at Staplewood is coming along nicely and ensures the players have a top class base, and we were hardly providing a facility in rack and ruin beforehand. BUT, his enabler is the Liebherr Trust's finances. I can entirely understand their sentiments with regards to wanting a greater involvement in what is their own asset, now that the sums being bandied around within the elite of European football are so high. At the same time, I think it could be viewed as being a little disrespectful to Nicola. When I look at what we have achieved in his four seasons as Executive Chairman, it fills me with pride. He deserves an awful lot of credit. I think he has bought into the club, in the way that he has invested in infrastructure - and not solely focused on first team matters and purchasing well-known players. He has encouraged the club to focus on player development and has assisted the excellent academy set-up in continuing their great work with greater resources. These are a few of the numerous reasons I am keen for him to remain. At the same time, it is does not appear too unreasonable for the Liebherr's to want some control, or at least a say in the decision making process that occur within Southampton Football Club. Cortese has been accountable to no-one but his own conscience for a long time. It has brought us success, but maybe the Liebherr's are fearing that pride comes before a fall? It could also be to do with the perceptions of the club within the footballing fraternity and wider audiences. There have been well-documented disputes and feuds - which have reflected badly upon the club at times, as the club itself and Mr. Cortese are so inextricably linked. I would be far more worried about losing Cortese than I was about losing Pardew, Adkins, or would be about losing Pochettino. At this moment in time, in terms of people within the club, to me Nicola is the most important by a considerable length. He is the driving force from the very top. Dodd speaks of his drive, Jaidi, Pochettino, Lambert, Schneiderlin - they all speak of his plans not just for this season, and next season - but for the long term. The Liebherr's may be approaching the end of 'the five year plan' with a return on their mind, but in my opinion Cortese feels as if he is just getting started. To Nicola, finishing 14th in the Premier League is no real achievement. Alternatively, maybe Cortese is more in pursuit of 'hard and fast' success, in fighting our way up the pecking order - whilst the Liebherr family favour a more conservative approach. To have had the desired impact, he would want to lead us into the top 6-8 teams in the country and be competing on a continental stage. Such is the level of his conviction, I believe he would almost certainly achieve the goals that he has mapped out. Whether he will be able to is down to the funding. Cortese does not suffer fools gladly, and I believe the reports today to be far more than empty threats from his end to manoeuvre a scenario that suits him. I have no doubt that Cortese would walk away if he felt the Liebherr's had reneged on previous guarantees or had failed to support the ambitions of their father. Who am I to blame him? It would be perfectly understandable. The club has done a lot of big-talking, a lot of target-setting and a lot of aspiring. Nicola is not the sort of chairman to talk the talk and not walk the walk. If there are restrictions that he feels are going to negatively impact on the success of SFC - his apparent stand-off is entirely comprehensible. For the record, I am sure I speak for most Saints fans when I say that I hope Cortese and the Liebherr Trust can come to an amicable and appropriate resolution. However, I could entirely understand it if Cortese walked away from Southampton Football Club as he felt his ambition was no longer being matched. As has been said previously, if we could guarantee the financial stability of the club and keep Nicola Cortese as our Executive Chairman - I would be in full support of that. What we must remember though is that there was a Southampton Football Club before Cortese, and before the Liebherr family rocked up. Maybe it was in disarray, and needed a hand - but it was there. When the time inevitably comes and both parties have gone their separate ways, there will still be a Southampton Football Club. All we can do is show our support for the team and continue lending our support in the appropriate ways for the long-term, which I have no doubt we will. Onwards.
  11. I think we dominated many large periods of the game today Today we played a very good match, but in the Premiership it is not enough to just play a good match You have to certify your performance with goals I think that in the Premier League, like in other leagues, the Spanish, the French, the Italian leagues, in the last few games it is difficult to score You have to have the mental capacity to know how to handle those situations They are different to the goals you score earlier in the season, or at the start We have to compete against Stoke next weekend We want to get the three points to climb the table as much as possible Yes it is true that now is the time to look at next season and start planning - that is what we will start doing It is also true that Ward-Prowse started the play and Puncheon scored the goal, so the substitutes had an immediate effect It does happen, but not always, but today it did Punch has been going through a personal situation in the last couple of months So it is understandable how he has reacted to that within the team The main problem with rumours are that we have a large structure of scouts watching games all over the world But now we will start assessing the necessities of the team for next season and start to make decisions
  12. It wasn't good enough for survival then? That should always have been our aim this season. It needs improving, but it has proven to be good enough over the 37 games of this season so far, and after #38 - it still will have been.
  13. Absolutely brilliant.
  14. Pochettino's subs Ward-Prowse and Puncheon combine to rescue a well-deserved equaliser. Thoughts?
  15. I think Frankie Sandford has a bit of cash herself mate.
  16. Guus Hiddink...
  17. Forecast has been offered a permanent deal at League One Gillingham. His deal ended with Saints this summer anyway. Surprised they want to keep him, as are their fans by the looks of it. What's your Tommy memory?
  18. Mike Dean will be refereeing this one.
  19. 73 year old man arrested for child sex abuse. Papers saying it is Jimmy Tarbuck.
  20. Just asked a friend working in Spain covering La Liga about this guy... "Like him, although he's not spectacular. Better on ground than in air, can play DM too. MP had him at Espanyol pre Napoli. I guess Valencia would sell their Grandma to bring money in."
  21. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/southampton-transfer-news-mauricio-pochettino-1871674?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
  22. https://myplayertwin.com/ To lighten the mood a tad.... anyone look like a Saints player? I got Karim El-Ahmadi, but couldn't believe that so with a more recent picture I got Samed Yesil. Interesting. Who did you get?
  23. Bale wins it for Spurs with long-range goal.
  24. Exclusive video interview with Pochettino at some time in the next 45 minutes.
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