Saint86

Dan Sheldon's second piece of work for the Athletic covering saints leaves much to be desired. "the festive period should be a run of games where Southampton feel as though they can go on a run, especially as they are only playing two of the premier leagues top 6 sides. December starts at Brighton, and is followed by matches against Sheffield United, arsenal (FYI Dan - they aren't a top 6 side), Fulham, and west ham." Poor writing, factually incorrect, and I wouldn't confidently predict a run of wins from games that have man City and arsenal in the middle of them. If he had taken 20min to proof this it would have been worth it. Anka will continue to be missed it seems. Bit of a change up for Dan, hopefully he gets himself going in no time!

Its fine this morning. Woop woop. I'd sadly fear for the longevity of the forum if we end up in the new season with people unable to access it though. 🤥

Not bad fixtures, nice run in, and a decent start with Tottenham and Palace imo.

Anka has been the best journalist covering saints in years. Dan was working for the echo which people routinely bemoaned on here... Nothing against Dan and hope he can step up with greater resources at his disposal...but this all feels very mane / redmond like.

Silver linings 🤣

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8631227/15m-China-shirt-crisis-hits-Southampton-main-sponsor-LD-Sports-set-pull-plug-deal.html I can't say i'm surprised by this. What a car crash of a sponsor from start to finish! Does this mean we can get shirts without a sponsor on for the coming season? Or, failing that, we can get a different sponsor on the shirt in time? Assume this is political as well given its impacting several clubs. On that note, it is an interesting one to be honest, the Chinese are withholding the TV money funds and calling the league's bluff on future payments. That in itself has quite significant impacts due to the funding blackhole. But also relegating it to a sub prime tv channel may damage long term interest? I wonder what the long term financial impacts are for saints as well re ownership. Yes the owner doesn't invest in us anyway (so no loss there) but what if the Chinese government actually instruct owners to start actively damaging managed clubs? Is there a risk there?

https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2020-08-12/mohammed-salisu-southampton-football-club-transfer-reaction One of the most genuine interview pieces i've seen a new signing do at Saints. Looking forward to seeing him in the shirt! Welcome Salisu! Chant wise, could we borrow the old Wanyama Celtic chant? "Mohammed Sal - is - uuu" Mohammed Salisu Sali suuuu Sali suuu OHHH OHH!"

A lot of them are anonymous profiles. You don't know their age, skin colour, or gender. In itself you've just negatively discriminated based on your personal stereotyping. Anyone of them could be Glasgow Saint (or none of them). Given this, I agree its risky to allow them to voice their views, but it is unfair to blanket dismiss them all off hand because they have 30k+ posts and occasionally type love is light at the end of their posts in the summer months. 🤷‍♂️

https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2020-08-12/mohammed-salisu-southampton-football-club-transfer-reaction One of the most genuine interview pieces I've seen a new signing do at Saints. Looking forward to seeing him in the shirt! Welcome Salisu!

https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/2020-08-12/mohammed-salisu-southampton-football-club-transfer-reaction One of the most genuine interview peices i've seen a new signing do at Saints. Looking forward to seeing him in the shirt! Welcome Salisu!

I had a look at the season ticket pricing the other day and was really surprised to see them charging full price when in reality there is no chance of anyone getting their monies worth. Have the club proposed refunds or anything to compensate people for games that get missed?

i think the point is, that with PEH leaving we aren't really weakened. With KWP joining we are massivley strengthend. We make money out of this deal. I say fair play to PEH, he's come here and always put in a shift, always been the one to come out and face the media and fans after bad results etc. You can't fault him on those fronts. He is more than entitled to leave for a bigger club if he wants to, his contract is running out and he's managed to get a bigger team than saints to sign him - so fair play tbh. He's been a good servant to the club, but he won't be a lifer etc. we'd have been relegated without his efforts and i'll wish him well in the future (but not against us obviously). Hopefully most saints fan's see it that way. 🤷‍♂️

Their defensive midfield option is Dier at the end of the day...

Just finished reading an article on the Athletic about JWP. He's funded his old sports club from where he played when he was a kid (before joining the saints academy). There is now a mural on the clubhouse external wall (anti graffiti paint) of him - although not in a saints kit 🤣). His old trainer David Hill mentions how one day, JWP's dad came in and asked David where he should send JWP given he had been approached by both clubs. He admits that even now he doesn't wish JWP had joined Portsmouth and that he would send his own kids to Saints. Mentions the lack of funding/support the Skate's academy has. Given that was then and things have only got worse in recent years (to the point where their kids are now going to local Portsmouth football clubs where our Captain adorns their walls, you really do have to wonder what future there is for them as a club and a fanbase. Their sons will wear our shirts etc 😆 Better yet, he even criticises the Pompey players. He says "they come down here, spend 30min on their phones and then leave", whereas JWP came gave them the funding to tackle their asbestos club house and stayed down for a couple of hours with the kids etc.

A couple of writers on The Athletic reckon we should be bringing Reed back and pairing him with JWP in midfield rather than spending big. They also think we should go for Daka immediately if we can afford him at any point.

Fairly obvious CB surely? You said you were disappointed your role model spouts stuff you disagree with. He was a paid footballer, not a scientist/politician/philosopher etc.. What Le Tissier has said in his statement isn't that unreasonable. Its been rumoured for months that the death certificates were being fiddled. Attacking the guy for flagging what NHS whilstleblowers were saying (and mainstream news outlets are reporting) is bizarre from the OP.

If anyone is looking up to a former football player as a role model capable of spewing pearls of articulate wisdom then Le Tissier isn't the only one being foolish. 😅 Its the same thing that applies to pop stars and actors. They earn frankly unreasonable amounts of money because they're good at their jobs, but their opinion on anything from politics, to the environment, to real life should carry no more weight (and probably less) than the average working person's. All those people live in detached bubbles, are worshipped by thousands/millions, and wouldn't have a clue about everyday issues. In the same way that cancel culture would deny someone a voice these days based on your "lived experience", why on earth do people listen to celebs? In response to the clearly very distressed OP who is seemingly unable to handle an opinion they disagree with.... Its a fundamental tenant of democracy that people have a right to free speech. If you don't like what someone says you don't have to listen to it. If Le Tissier causes so much controversy that his employee sacks him then that is his fault and lookout - not yours.

If KWP has been offered regular first team football by Saints (playing under RH and pushing for a top half finish next season) then I personally think he'd be mad to go to Fulham 🤣

This ties in with what I've heard as well 😏

And he's a lot less offensive than most of the BBC's pay roll 🤷‍♂️

I mean. Do you need me to say, "Welcome to saintsweb"?

Really? Fonte wanted a contract extension to see him through to retirement at the club. He also asked for a pay rise to match his expectations as a European champion. Its been made clear by several parties that he wasn't demanding the earth, or even near the club's top earners. In response, the club (Les Read et al) falsely leaked that he had handed in a transfer request and forced him out of the club. He didn't want to leave the club but he even ended up on a reduced wage at a club he didn't want to be at. Yeah, he could have handled himself a bit better and obviously regrets it now. But the bloke should frankly be a club hero. You are living in a parallel universe to me if you think someone who could arguably have gone on the banner should be held in the same disdain as Llama boy and Lovren. At the end of the day, Rickie Lambert is loved by the fans despite being one of the first ones out the door to join Liverpool and get some more Wonga for his retirement. Fonte wanted to stay at the club and asked for a pay rise (to match his perceived ability) and a contract extension to see out his career at the club.... I mean, who doesn't ask for a payrise when they've done well at work... he didn't ask to leave but he was deceitfully forced out of the club anyway. At the very least, those two players should be viewed in a very similar way by the fans.... and none of us begrudge Rickie do we? Its sad that some of our fans have this level of disdain towards Fonte. He was a pivotal club servant who moved down a division to join saints, scored the crucial winning goal at Brighton, and who stayed with us for years becoming club captain. He was a player who lived and breathed Saints whilst he was here and obviously still cares for the club.

Feel sorry for Bournemouth but villa will get something out of West ham no matter what they do to Everton. That's the classic West ham MO. Shit when they should do well, upset the odds when they really should do crap.

Surely one of the defensive signings is a right back?!?!

Well i sit firmly on the Puel should have been sacked side of the fence - so I absolutely agree. We hired a terrible manager afterwards, but I have no doubts Puel would have been sacked with us in a relegation fight eitherway had he stayed.