Saint86

A net spen of £3m under Adkins from league 1 to premier league isn't bad...

Very well said Alps. Can't disagree with that in any way to be honest.

To be clear, people are actually surprised that she died of a drug overdose? WOW! It was the very first thing I said when hearing it on the radio. That lass had every opportunity in life, but instead took after her drugged up parents and selfishly left her kids and (druggy) husband with no mother or wife. Never speak ill of the dead, fine... but the only person I have sympathy for are the children.

I did, and it was derailed immediately in the first post. I then debated starting this thread but decided there was no point as the same would happen and it has. Bazza especially is a miserable skate tuesday, and Glasgow has multiple accounts that he switches between to progress and argument. If you stick them both on ignore there is nothing to read... But then what's the point of scrolling through pages of skate hate. Glasgow even goes to the extremes of impersonating swf posters on other forums to make them and the club fans look bad, before then linking it on here. Saints won out on the football pitch but lost on the internet, the blue phew having a little laugh even if its token at best. They won't get dealt with, I mean the pure number of page viewings that Glasgow does must pay for the forum in advertising costs alone. Fortunately there are places to post where they don't inhabit and where good discussion can still be had. Although a new troll free forum would be nice

C. Discredit Cortese in PR war that was and still is (based on DM) waging. Also stops clubs trying to screw us over quite so much. Put it this way ladies, if you are in a poor financial position and need to sell, you don't announce that you're poor and about to sell, thus knocking down the fee you can get. (Unless you'r a Labour/Scottish chancellor and you're about to sell some of the nations gold off)

Right guys and gals, what is with all this doom and gloom? 1.) The club have secured 8th in the Premier League to match our best ever finish and points total with two games still to play, although GS's team had a better season. 2.) We have an owner who actually loves the club, comes to lots of games, brings her nephew a along etc etc... So Cortese is gone, I am constantly thinking how nice it is to be owned by a proper family who are emotionally invested in the club. Every time I see her smiling at a saints game it reminds me of Marcus at Wembley... I don't think I'd swap that other than to have the man there himself. 3.)Since 2005, we have produced Walcott, bale, shaw, oxlade and lallana... that is 5 very good players (1 of Messi standard) in 8 years. We've also produced players like surman, dyer, best, baird, prowse, chambers, Gallagher etc etc. The current rate the academy is providing around 2 first team players a season, and the knock on effect is that we are attracting better and better youth players and coaches! 4.) So do people think it matters if we sell one or two of the best ones every now and then? For say £20m-30m each - this is what Lallana and Shaw will cost for us to sell. The club is on a very strong financial footing, i'd fully expect owners who want to progress and who clearly love the club, to push us on to the best of their abilities with that money, should we even sell. In addition, would anyone actually begrudge Adam for leaving? He stuck with us since relegation from championship and has had numerous offers from larger teams, even offers this January offering to treble his salary according to his agent...he is still playing for us, why will it change now? 5.) Shaw has repeatedly said he is happy to stay at saints... Chambers has said this, Lallana has said this. Lambert has said it, prowse has said it etc etc etc..... Morgan said he would never try and force a move away.. They are all just pitching in a little bit of pressure in support of MoPo.. 6.) We signed champions league level players in Lovren, wanyama, ramirez (even dani), do people think that if we sell Lallana, the club will spontaneously combust and relegation will follow? Lets just ignore the fact that even if we sell one or two players the academy will just replace them, or produce players for another position that we would otherwise have bought someone in for. I could go on... but all the negative press comes with Zero quotes attached... when a player or the club makes positive comments about departures (shaw and reed being the latest examples) it gets negligible coverage, and is followed up in several papers by just reports of more players leaving. So far, we're on course to lose MoPo, Lallana, shaw, cork, morgan, jayrod, lovren, chambers, ramirez, wanyama, fonte (in january), a couple of nippers in academy...no one seems to want Boruc?? this is pretty much the entire midfield and attack and defence... thank god they'll leave us Davis!! Do people actually believe this stuff. I actually expect no one to leave unless we get offered stupid money, in which case... good luck to the player. But if MoPo extends his contract (which I expect to happen due to his track record of loyalty and developing youth, and statment about staying in the premier league - and realistically what has he done in his managerial career so far to warrant a larger club?), then the players will definitely be staying. So lets all stop the bedwetting, and stop reading the fail, the mirror, the express and the guardian for a bit shall we... At least wait until Lallana arrives on the world stage in Brazil before wetting the bed over his departure... Because only a moron would sell him before he takes off on the world stage! It would be like brown forwarning about selling off the nations gold, letting the price drop, and then selling Stick together saints fans, this squad will be doing even better next season

I don't know Alpine, I wonder the same daily atm to be honest. They clearly seem to have an axe to grind and ignore any interview or comment with our players dismissing a move. They then print a quoteless story saying that so and so is moving for "x" derogatory amount. The city should arrange a boycott

Omg, it really isn't worth arguing about but the only "striped" kit in the 80's was 1989/90. Everykit from 1980/81 to 88/89 was not stripes..,,I wasn't even born then guys come on...

Sorry to cause offence by having a differing opinion of what our original was... clearly warranted that public dressing down and insult ridden post. But our original kit was a sash (hence the 125 aniversary kit ) then quarters and BLUE shorts being incorporated for the next 4 seasons.... We then had stripes with BLUE shorts from 1896 to 1950, that's 54 years Stripes with BLACK shorts until 1980 (30 years) The 1980's had 1 striped kit (Hummel from 1989-1990..) The from 1990 to 2010 we had stripes with stripes again in 2011/12. Total years where associated kit had stripes and blue = 54 Total years of stripes and black shorts = 51 And either way, the club played for 65 consecutive years without wearing black shorts... Since you seem to agree with what I said in terms of our original kit entailing stripes with blue shorts I'm not sure if that means you are also calling yourself a "dribbling moron" ?? And for someone who "personally feels a kit does no define anything, you seem to have got awfully wound up by my liking all of the cortese era kits bar pinstripes and first league 1 kit? Also, I'm awfully sorry that I liked that Bilbao 2012 mock up of a saints shirt incorporating the navy trim, how dare I like saints' most traditional kit colours You ******* arse

I have been critical of Wanyama's game and primarily his passing. He was a beast today, and as I said in the match thread. I was "loving him and cork", that partnership was amazing.

I am loving cork and Wanyama together in midfield.... Morgan might be in trouble here They are playing very well together. I think we are winning this without really having to do much, expecting Everton to either sort themselves out or we'll stick another 2 past them this half. Loved Lambert's layoff for Davis, showed his class with the composure and pass. Shame Davis hit it wide, although not easy to hit it with accuracy when running at that pace. All in all, a very happy fan

Is this like bullet points, but where the but where the bullet points go on the right hand side and where they are animated emoticons instead of bullet points?

Clarification ladies, I'm not suggesting we can get all of them, just saying we should stick bids in so they get the message and leave us well alone in return. On a side note, I do think that Wellbeck, Kane, Dawson are around the level we should be aiming at, that or better from abroad.

Statement of intent. Go in for Lukaku + Christisen from Chelsea. Wellbeck and Jizz-in-eye from united. Walcott and oxlade from the wasters Kane and dawson and tottenham. Then stick 2 fingers up at anyone else who things they have a god given right to any of our players/manager. I miss Cortese, this new lot seem soft as anything when it comes to playing hardball.

"Ilk", said with such disdain. Your inner skate wumming its way out perhaps? In all serious however, Adrian's comment makes complete sense and was the core of any plan for saints all along, I don't recall us ever not putting the academy at the heart of our long term strategy. We seem to be producing an oxlade, shaw, walcott, bale, lallana etc every 2 years or so, plus players like JWP, Chambers, Reed, Oakley, Baird, dyer, best etc etc etc... Couple of them every year and a top player on top and the club will be fine regardless tbh. Stadium debt is cleared and the only trouble we can get ourselves into is self made now. Young players, cheap wages, and massive sell on potential. Jobdone. Consolidate and push onwards and upwards.

Pochettino wants additions. Have to be funded one way or another I guess: http://www.clubcall.com/southampton/pochettino-wants-saints-back-up-1722760.html

Wait, so which saints are you supporting? They seem pretty real to me at least.

No its really not. If you think FFP was meant to do anything but cement the current pecking order you are sadly mistaken. Once we hit £52m a year wages, we are only allowed to increase that by £2m a year. The big clubs have between £100m-£200m a year in wages... so we're looking at 50years of continuous growth of £2m a year to be able to offer their current level of wages. There are countless things they could do to make it fairer, starting with not introducing it. For example, we don't currently have European revenues, but to get them we must compete with teams that do which is a massive advantage financially to clubs like tottenham, everton, chelsea, city etc. Look at Liverpool, they have underwritten a £57m loss this past year, that is how much it has cost them to compete and make the step up. Even I can see that there are countless ways to make it fairer. For example, if you want to encourage sustainable teams but keep FFP then make a teams academy graduates exempt from FFP regulations. This would allow us to produce players like shaw, but offer them more competitive wages. This would also encourage the larger teams to develop their own youth rather than hoovering up (and wasting) the nations promising players.

Moyes to Tottenham anyone?

LOOK AT STOKE!!!!

Wow, really. Adam Johnson has had a very good season and has stood out whilst playing for a struggling team... he even had talk of getting and England recall. All in all he is a very good player who would compliment us nicely and I'd love to see 3 of him, lallana, jayrod, ramirez and davis drifting all over the front 3. Would be a very tidy player for us with his ability. I also don't understand your issue with Ings. I can think of a few other players who made the championship team of the season who have done a very good job for saints... Do you remember players like Lambert, lallana, jayrod, clyne? Ringing any bells? As for Marshall, he would be an absolutely outstanding keeper, and would certainly surpass even Niemi in the modern saints error. He has had an absolutely fantastic season. Redmond could be useful, but who would you seriously drop for him? Plus that lad is a winger, and how many saints fans need to be reminded that we don't play with wingers... It beggars belief.

I'm not his greatest fan, but he did well today

This is exactly what I have been saying about saints and what makes us different. We have a quality youth academy with the players brought up the right way.... I mean what is going to turn their eye in marchwood? A few trees? A pony? There hardly going out clubbing like Sterling et al. Brought up in beautiful sleepy surroundings and they get taught to value it, and to fight for and earn it, together! That is the Southampton Way.

Ah, I see what your saying. I read that quote as.... "We are not looking to sell a big name player." Although obviously, a large sum of money for either player should be taken if it can be reinvested in players like wanyama, lovren etc to strengthen the squad. E.g. we could sell shaw for £30m, and buy ourselves Lovren, Wanyama, jayrod, davis and clyne... A repeat of that for similar standard players is very good business. What I don't think his quote means, is "we will sell one or two players, but we won't be doing big business (e.g. selling large numbers of first team players" - I personally think that is looking to read into it, and assumes he is trying to con the fanbase by playing with words and saying "we won't sell", then selling... I hope I'm right on that one. I personally don't get the fuss we are getting in the media, smells a bit fishy. Our players can't be that good (we are scrapping to get/keep 8th), and our manager has done what exactly?

Not sure if trolling? I'll just leave it with my favourite quote from the article: "We feel very comfortable that we have a plan that can deal with the situation and we are definitely not factoring in a big player sale"