Saint86

A differing opinion for you Eric. If I may. 1. Overseas TV deal weighted in favour of the already rich clubs. - Its right it should be linked to performance. What is not right is the FFP glass ceiling or the lack of a wage cap etc. To look at the other extremes, it would be a poorer league if competive excellece was not rewarded and bottom got the same (or more) than the top teams. See NFL draft etc. 2. Amazon getting the TV rights meaning people have to fork out on anther service. - I actually welcome amazon having access to tv rights and can't wait for the day when saints games are pay for view rather than having to pay a fortune to watch games from 19 teams I don't care about. 3. League cup losing extra time and gaining VAR in premier league grounds. - VAR is the future - unless you enjoy being on the end of Doucoure handballs and dodgy 96min goals from freekicks that shouldn't have been given and were taken in the wrong spots. 4. Winter break in the premier league from 2019/20 - Good for england, and good for the teams with smaller squads... 5. 5th Round of the FA cup moved to midweek making it harder for travelling fans. - I agree this is bad. Although evening games are certainly special. I think the real issue is that Saints fans are suffering from having a bunch of unambitious sheisters at the helm. Over the past few seasons we have been lied to non stop and had all crowd favourites sold and demonised in the press. We have suffered under frankly incompetant management and boring football, abandoned the philosophies that the fans loved and which defined us. And are suffering from a fall from grace. If we were competing to be 6th place, had ambition, and retained our players then the fans would be happy. As none of those apply the fans feel largely apathetic (at best) about saints and football in general. That is my take on it anyway. Likely to be a mixture of multiple factors I suppose.

Would have thought we are one of Under Amour's largest soccer clubs. Very surprised they have messed up on the kit. Personally I like their designs and thought last years were both class, unique and new. I would far rather be identifiable than use standard kit templates and be an unimportant brand in addidas' locker.

Fourth highest profit in the league behind Leicester (£92m) and tottenham and united on (£50m-57m). A very healthy £41m for saints. Figures don't include the VVD sale. Granted last year we did have Europe, but we've had a profitable run in the FA Cup this year which is worth more than the League Cup. What is shocking is that we've overloaded our wages on a lot of dross players and baulked squad depth without adding any real quality. I would still regard a 62% of turnover ratio as fairly healthy, especially combined with the profit. For the club to turn around and say there is no money to spend, whilst a series of clubs in worse financial health continue to make progress and good signings is not going to fly this summer. My comparison was to Everton. They have a 61% wage to turnover ratio, almost the same as ours. They also have lower wages (ranked 9th, us in 8th). They have also gone on to have some very expensive backroom decisions (i.e. manager fees - koeman, bfs, silva), as well as further squad depth and wage wasteage since those figures were released). We have released significant transfer and wage benefits since those figures were released. I restate that I would be shocked if Everton can smash us out of the water this window. Assuming we go for the same players. Their finances are already severely stretched.

Everton are a financial mess needing to sell players to free up transfer funds and wages.... Given VVD's sales, one of the lower wage to turnover ratios in the league, and year on year record tv incomes, I am also shocked that we can't compete with everton.... Also, if we are competing for the same players as a champions league finalist, you have to expect to miss out more often than not.... but not to clubs like Everton. That just shows a complete lack of ambition, and more lying to the fans. Facts of life.

You bet £7.37? That seems an odd amount. When you add that to the £5 saintsweb fee that is quite a big outlay for you...

Cortese and Marcus combined into one face? Leslie and RK perched on the two shoulders with pitchforks?

Article on Everton's complete disastrous transfer policy over the past season. Apparently Morgan is for the exit. Would like to see us move for him if I'm honest. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5810361/Marcel-Brands-admits-Evertons-high-wage-bill-means-selling-players-prove-tricky.html Also, hilarious to be able to look at the complete fools everton have made of themselves.

Its almost like players don't develop with game time...

Love and light Fry.

Not sure if this is an appropriate place to post this, but can't be bothered to start a new thread.. Mother and baby stabbed in London tonight, both in a serious condition. Utterly disgusting. Add that to the 4 other stabbings in the last week, and the guy shotgunned in the face. Just what the hell has happened to society ffs. No wonder people are leaving London.

Golden

Given the amount of time spent in the air, or in customs, baggage/package drops, immigration etc, it is interesting that you managed to post so much on here....

Interesting, I never said he was... And no thank you, I have far more interesting bets to place. MODS should seriously lock this thread however; it has very little to do with opening day fixtures.

Surely by your criteria you are also picking them based on their ability at the time. So bale will not get in any side picked. Especially as he was a left back, not a right winger at saints...

Well, for starters, probably half the football fans in Portsmouth are Saints fans, and a lot of the others support Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, United etc...

We didn't wear that shirt in the final though, and our form was dire / appalling for the remainder of that season. Also a terrible terrible kit - "bra raised"

Glasgow, in all serious mate... give it a rest please. Its mildly amusing in doses, but you are overplaying it big time.

Not really classics Best one is our championship kit. Worst one is the red and white pinstripe monstrosity.

Check out the post match thread when we went out of the cup to Sunderland under Poch. Koeman's season was better. In position, points per game, and team quality. Can be debated however you want, but thems the facts. Poch is a great manager, better than Koeman. But his team was worse at saints (and according to the club's PR, full of traitorous mercenaries). I also don't remember any 6-1 or 8-0 demolitions under Poch. There is rose tinted glasses (which is fair enough), but then there is just channelling bizarre hatred on to Koeman and ignoring his achievements. To each his own however.

Poch wants to go, that much is blatant.

What variety though? http://www.ngkenya.com/fauna/columbidae.html Please elaborate...

Has anyone in this thread read "Adults In The Room"? Not only is it aptly named for this forum, but it also shines a very unforgiving light on the EU, it's "democracy", and the behaviour of the french and German banks and finance ministries. What is happening in Italy has all the Hallmarks of another Bailoutistan sadly. I am curious to see if the Italians roll over, or whether they succeed in appointing the government they want, or whether the the EU tries to steamroll the 4th largest EU economy. Interesting times ahead, and very glad we are leaving the EU in it's current guise at least.

Talk about making his point for him. Climate change used to be called man made global warming.

The best modern season is Koeman's 6th place finish. No doubt at all. Going into games with a great team expecting to beat anyone. Solid at the back and dangerous up front. Just missed champions league football (due to dodgy referring in my opinion). A tremendous feat and we were getting plaudits from every direction and no team wanting to play us... Best season I can remember.

I'll say this. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. If he does cling to his job I expect and improvement from him. Doubtful it will be enough of an improvement to justify him not being replaced however. Who knows, maybe he'll balance out with Hughes.