Lighthouse

Why, what's going on down there?

Which teams do you reckon we have the best chance of finishing above? The 3 who avoid relegation this season and the other 2 promoted teams have to be our first targets. Norwich and Swansea may well find their second year a lot tougher, now that they have been sussed out. SSN are reporting than Roy Hodgson has been permission to talk to the FA about the England job, which would weaken WBA if it all goes through. Sunderland and Fulham are both hit and miss but have decent managers and will be difficult to beat. Stoke could be a realistic target. That only leaves the current top 8 as teams I don't realistically think we can finish ahead of.

Exactly, Deppo... sorry I mean 'the girls' are probably a bunch of fat slappers, off their tits on cheap Lambrini throwing themselves at him. The sort who drive a pink Nissan Micra with a "Babe on Board" sticker in the rear window and walk around in leggings so you have to look at their fat sweaty vag all day.

If West Ham really are the next best team in the League, they will win the playoffs comfortably and get promoted. Blackpool got promoted 2 years ago beating 2 teams who were apparently better than them, ergo they earned it. Wham may have earned more points thus far, but that's how the playoff system works. Without it teams like Boro, Leeds, Brighton, Leicester, Hull etc. Would have had nothing to play for for the last 2 months of the season. The playoffs give some of the smaller teams with smaller budgets a shot at promotion. Without them the Football League would be sh*t.

You guys do realise this is a wind up? Pink scarf is Deppo, who's latest hobby is apparently pretending to be a small group of women on the internet. Anyway, what negative threads? Most people on hear seem to be over the moon

I thought we'd blown the Norwich myth up about 20 times? They signed 7 players when they got promoted, so they didn't leave the squad alone. The difference was that QPR went way OTT replacing pretty much everyone, even players who had been crucial in their promotion (Gorkss). Even Saints team spirit and keeping the same nucleus of players philosophy has involved the signing of De Ridder, Cork, Hooiveld, Sharp, Lee and Fox just to compete in NpC. The Prem is a much bigger step up. We will need another 5-10 decent players in to avoid a very long painful struggle.

Of the 15 players I suggested should leave or I'm not sure about only 2 have been first team regulars, Guly and Hammond. Guly only gets on the pitch because we don't have a decent RM and Chaplow, Lee and Barnard have all had long injuries. Hammond has his limitations and I think the Prem would be a step up to far. It's not the first team that needs replacing, but we have a lot of players on the wage bill who aren't doing anything and wont be up to Premier League standard next season. I'd be perfectly happy if 8 of the 11 players who started yesterday lined up for our first game of next season. It's only Hammond, Butters and Guly I'd have doubts about.

Everton at home. They don't seem to get back off their holidays until November most seasons. Failing that, Villa are prone to the odd stinker of an opening game. Would be a great early relief if we could start with a decent win against someone, then get a couple of the tough away trips out the way early on. Everton (h) Villa (a) Man Utd (a) Chelsea (h) Would be a decent opening 4 fixtures for me. A good mix of winnable games and tough fixtures out the way.

Pic #20 on the OS gallery has got to be worth a caption comp. The one with Guly goose stepping into the net with his eyes closed. http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/Gallery/0,,10280~2753320,00.html

14th for me too. Don't know why, I can feel it in me waters.

It's strange to think about how closely match we were with the likes of Brighton, Posh, Udders and even Bompey for large parts of last season, but after we were promoted we eventually beat them be quite some distance. The Premier League is obviously a completely different bag of spanners, but you can't help but wonder which of the promoted team will take to it best. As it stands I'd fancy Saints and Reading to beat the likes of Norwich, Swansea and perhaps even Villa next season.

Seems quite a big squad list IMO. I'm of the '2 players in each possition' camp, by which I mean 2 senior, experienced players who can be relied on to do a job. There's no point having back up if they spend half the season in the physio room. My perfect squad would be: GK: Davis, NEW, Bart (loan out) RB: Clyne, Richardson CB: Hooiveld, C. Davies, Fonte, Martin LB: Fox, NEW RM: Adomah/Jarvis, De Ridder, Chaplow CM: Cork, Morgan, Kranjcar, NEW LM: Lallana, Yarmolenko ST: Lambert, Lee, Sharp, Rodriguez I make that 24 players and I think the 25th would probably be Barnard or Guly. Obviously the midfield is quite a fluid area with many of the able to play a variety of possitions. As I said, that's what I'd do. Nigel knows his squad far, far better and no doubt there will be a fair few differences between this squad and the one we go to the Emirates with in August.

And he's stood right behind Tommy Forecast. I wonder how he can resist the temptation... I'd be more worried about what's in Jaidi's hand personally, and I'm not talking about his mobile.

I remember the same last year, Walsall got a goal kick deep into injury time. As the 'keeper was lining up to take it I saw the Kingsland lino right in front of me sprinting accross the pitch. As soon as the kick was taken the ref blew up and everyone went on the pitch.

But it will no doubt have been in the back of his mind for a couple of months before he said it yesterday. Let's not take the players for fool here. Most of those in the 'outs' list will have known for weeks their number was up should we get promoted. They aren't going to read this thread and burst into tears, although I doubt they will read it at all.

I don't normally respond to your posts, but just to clarify this isn't a negative thread. Everybody knows some players are going to have to leave to bring others in. When Adkins talked about the squad evolving yesterday, he didn't mean we're going to sign 5-10 players and have 40 odd senior players on the books because we're a big happy family and nobody leaves. Players like Holmes, Forte, Dickson etc. are probably well aware they wont get a game in the Prem, they aren't idiots. Even fringe players like Harding and Barnard have probably had their agents on the phone asking if they want to look for options elsewhere. We will need to bring in players to survive in the Prem and we will need to lose a couple more than that to makwe room for them.

I never knew I could feel so much sorry for a businessman born into a vast amount of wealth but here I am. It's nothing short of tragic Markus isn't alive to see this. Thank you Markus! You will forever be a legend in the eyes of Saints supporters.

Someone had to say it sooner or later. IMO: Keep Davis, Richardson, Fonte, Hooiveld, Fox, Martin, Lallana, Cork, Morgan, Chaplow, Lambert, Sharp, Lee - All fairly obvious Undecided Bart - He's put in some decent performances, but I'm doubt he is Prem material. Keepers take time to trust their back 4 and vice vera, just look at De Gea. Butters - Solid and experienced. Also aging and I'd say Champ was his level. Would like a new RB so one of them has to go. De Ridder - I like him and he's a good option, but for whatever reason he hasn't done it yet. A loan out maybe. Guly - Blows hot and cold. We need to lose 2 or 3 strikers, he'd probably be 1 of them, but I'd expect him to stay. Barnard - Doubt he is Prem material, but was as good as Lambert last time he was fit. Loan him down to the NpC till Xmas, then decide. Hammond - A good captain and our leader. Expect him to stay because of that but I think he will be found wanting for tallent in the Prem. Puncheon - Has the tallent, looked good at Blackpool. Aside from today's dancing he hasn't done much since coming back. Out Connolly, Harding, Dickson, Seaborne, Jaidi, Forecast (if only), Holmes, Forte - Again, all fairly obvious

According to the Bible that is Wikipedia Marcellis plays for AZ and Maartens in a poet. Have I missed a joke here?

Niko Kranjcar - spuds Andriy Yarmolenko - Dynamo Kiev Albert Adomah - Bristol City

Given choice of Hooper or JRod who would you have? Hooper - 23 in 45 games in Scotland JRod - 21 in 42 in NpC I'd probably go with JRod on the basis the Celtic are under the illusion that the SPL is good. As such they will probably demand ludicrous fees for their top players. Burnley will struggle to hold on to Rodriguez this summer, he will got to the Prem one way or another. He is also a year or 2 younger.

Good to read. Nice to see most of them have a but more class than the KUMB lot, shame the Saints representative on there is such a complete bender.

Andriy Yarmolenko. He's basically the Ukrainian Adam Lallana, although proven at a higher level. Plays for Dynamo Kiev, wouldn't come cheap.

Millwall away. I was there and went mental. I remember thinking at the time, 'this is our MK Dons moment'

West Ham vs Cardiff Birmingham vs Blackpool Who do you want? Who do you think will go up? I'd like Blackpool to join us, but think Brum will do it. Poll please mods