Lighthouse

If you take Suarez out of last years Liverpool they would have been down around 7th or 8th with us and Man Utd. That would have elevated Everton to 4th in last years table. Not flawless logic but they would seem the most probable team. Does this Saints team really look worse than last years Everton? Not to me. If we can catch a couple of teams like Arsenal and Man Utd with their pants down at St Mary's I don't see why 4th is implausible.

Which Pelle goal are you referring to. They (the two against Sunderland) were both fairly ordinary.

I'm completely disillusioned with my current industry and want out. Obviously Saints Web isn't the basis of my careers advice, nether the less I wondered if anyone had any recommendations. I'm a sciencey, technology kind of bloke with A levels in maths and physics.

F**king have that!!

Lallana an unused substitute as Livepool lose again. Enjoy the Bernabeau chaps.

Okay, I'm done talking to a man who backs up his arguments by pretending he can't understand basic sentences. Good night everyone! If anyone cares, I was talking about Champions League football in response to this post.

Nobody said that, you've just conjured it out of thin air. Sure there is a buzz following a cup win but how long does it last? A few days, weeks, a couple of months? I think I would get more of a buzz out of playing in the Champions League if we could qualify. Supposing we had a European campaign with two trips to places like Madrid, Barca, Roma, Juve, Bayern, Dortmund, PSG and Porto. To some that is as good as, maybe better than, a Wembley cup final. Maybe not to you, that's your opinion and you are entitled to it. The people who would prefer a couple of decent European away days to a cup win should at least be respected, not met with the tedious, flippant, condescending sarcasm that CB Fry and Turkish seem to revel in.

1 - Says who? Liverpool only have to be better than Basel and Ludogorets to go through to the knockout stage. The fact that they aren't is hilarious but you hardly have to be world beaters to make it out the group (assuming we could get through the qualifier) 2 - To watch good football. I would much rather watch the football we've seen over the last 18 months, rather than win a cup sell our best players and have to sit there watching us lose at home to Villa and Sunderland all season. 3 - I wouldn't prefer immediate success if it's at the expense of the future. Birmingham and Pompey both had their 'instant success' look where they both are now. You would honestly rather win a cup and have an average league season? You would happily see our best players and Koeman leaving IF it was following a cup win? 4 - To me a cup is a fun day out but that's about it. If I'm sat watching garbage football, to me it is little consolation knowing there is a tin pot locked in a cupboard somewhere in the stadium. I wouldn't want a season like Sunderland just had, even if they had won the cup final.

Last season I remember some people saying they would rather be in Sunderland's position. Safe in about 16th place and in a cup final, rather than Saints position securely in 8th with an outside shot at the Europa League. It almost seems like League position is just a random number, handed out at the end of the season. Almost as if there is no difference between 5th and 16th. I would rather finish 4th because 1 - I would love to see Saints in the Champions League. More so than a 1 off cup final. 2 - we would almost certainly be able to keep our best players. 3 - we would have the cash and appeal to bring in more top players 4 - you don't finish 4th without playing some seriously good football, consistently all season.

Nothing, short of actually winning the Premier League. My point is that winning the LC isn't some massive achievement and that you can't really blame people who prioritise the League, especially so early in the season. Yes, I can see the appeal in winning it but I can fully understand people who would rather rest key players for League games.

I honestly have no idea what point you're trying to make. Winning the League Cup would be fun and everyone would love to do it, nobody is arguing otherwise. It wont mean a lot in the grand scheme of things though, cup wins don't bring in big money or attract star players. Winning it wont convince the likes of Morgan, J Rod and Clyne to stay if we end up 7th or 8th in the League. FWIW my priorities would be top 4, then FA Cup win, then LC win, then Europa League place.

Personally I couldn't give less off a hoot. I'm just pointing out that a LC win, whilst fun, would hardly send shockwaves through the world of football.

Which part of, "I'd love to win the LC," leads you to think I wouldn't enjoy winning the LC? Nope. Nobody will be comparing us to those teams if we win the LC, they will be comparing us to other such mid table teams who have won it.

Exactly. I'd love to win the LC but it would only put us up there with Blackburn, Middlesbrough and Birmingham in recent history.

This thread is almost as exciting as Phil Neville cleaning the grouting in his bathroom. Almost.

I can't believe I flew all the way out to Dubai to meet you. It's the last time I agree to meet up with a 'girl' I meet on the internet.

Except back then the chairman really did lack ambition. When your manager is Steve Wigley and you are signing players like Aledine Yahia and Mikael Nilsson then you have every right to be concerned.

I wouldn't say Stoke were all that much better second half we were just worse. We gave the ball away needlessly on several occasions and Pelle missed two decent headed chances which were both easier than the one Diouf missed at the far post.

Yep. Supposing our next game was someone like Chelsea away and we lost. We'd still be averaging 1.9 points per game, which would have put us 5th last year. More to the point it would still leave us 2nd or 3rd in this years table depending on what City get up to.

Don't see any reason why we can't beat Spuds and both Merseyside clubs. I think Arsenal and Man Utd will get us eventually but we can run the latter close for 4th place. Who would rather have Balotelli than Pelle? Johnson than Clyne? Gerrard than Morgan? Lallana than Tadic? Henderson than Wanyama?

How are Leicester doing these days Brett? Still putting our start 2 years ago to shame?

We're next. Liverpool are last.

That's one West Ham who for some reason is posting on a Stoke message board after beating Man City. Not that bothered about West Ham personally, unless we're playing them. A lot of water under the bridge since the days of Billy Sharp and Matty Taylor.

Just watching MOTD and oh dear Sunderland...