Saint86

Posters No.2 and No.3 have got some serious egg on their face I think, worse to come in May. Amazing that posters can still find stuff to be negative about after the 5 years we've had. Maybe they'd still be negative if we only got 2nd.

Hull fans are scum, booing tadic for what was a bad tackle and being injured. And no atmosphere all game. ****ing awful fans.

We looked knackered, and the ref is giving us nothing, yet giving every little flick or throw in against us. Not looking good despite the early goal.

JWP was a regular until he got injured.... And your argument above is why the board were so non plussed about selling this summer. You have to ship them out whilst you can still get good money for them as well as to allow the next batch through. Expect it to happen to a fair few players as they reach 27-30 years old tbh.

He is, as is RS and Callum is the next next next big thing... get with it people!!

Agreed he's doing a great job down the road so worked out in the end. Love to see them get promoted, they've had some bad days over the years so would be a nice reward for coming through it all. Plus we can have a good south coast derby without the stain of the cheating pikeys from east

You've retired!!!! But thank you for the update, sounds good!

http://www.espnfc.com/barclays-premier-league/23/blog/post/2113998/english-premier-league-super-southampton-continue-to-impress How are Southampton still riding so high in the Premier League? On a weekend when Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham all dropped points, the Saints won again and have gone marching into second place. Ronald Koeman's Southampton aren't expected to remain in the Champions League places for much longer, but the league table doesn't lie: at this point, only Chelsea have played more effective football. Southampton's narrow 1-0 victory over Stoke on Saturday afternoon wasn't spectacular as their 8-0 thrashing of Sunderland the previous weekend, but it was a fully deserved win nonetheless. They dominated the entire opening period and should have wrapped up the win much earlier and by a bigger score. After half-time there was a troubling lack of control, a reminder that this is a talented, attacking and fearless Southampton side, but one that lacks maturity. One moment shortly before the final whistle summarised the situation nicely. Southampton had a throw-in on the left, deep inside the Stoke half. Left-back Ryan Bertrand ran forward 30 yards to take it. Understandably, Ronald Koeman darted forward from his technical area to urge Bertrand back into position, eager to maintain Southampton's four-man back line. These players have been encouraged to attack relentlessly, but their game management needs some work -- they must learn to shut down games, too. Ronald Koeman has built on Mauricio Pochettino's work to create another strong Southampton team. Not that defending in itself is a problem. Last week's eight-goal thriller, commemorated by Southampton blasting Steps' disgustingly cheesy "5, 6, 7, 8" across St Mary's shortly before kickoff, suggests that Southampton are a relentless attacking unit, but statistically they're equally impressive at the back. Southampton boast the division's best defensive record, having conceded only five goals. Like last season, their defending isn't traditional, last-ditch, scrappy stuff on the edge of the box, but instead proactive, brave positional play based around pressing. This worked excellently on Saturday, with ex-Southampton striker Peter Crouch providing Stoke's main goal-scoring threat. Clearly, when playing against a player with Crouch's skills -- he's 6-foot-7 but lacks pace -- you want to push up, clear the penalty area and ensure he's unable to use his aerial prowess to receive crosses. Southampton play that way naturally; therefore Crouch had just one headed chance from a Geoff Cameron cross and was otherwise limited to hold-up play 40 yards from goal. That is Southampton's secret. Under Mauricio Pochettino, they became accustomed to playing with a high defensive line and pressing in midfield, a theme continued by Koeman -- it is, after all, traditionally a Dutch tactic. Southampton have made more tackles (24 per game) than any other side in the division, which illustrates their work rate. When combined with their goals-against figure, it's clearly a highly successful approach. Southampton sit second in the Premier League, but their form shows it to be no fluke. Since last season, the defence has changed significantly thanks to the departures of Dejan Lovren, Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers, who shared right-back duties with Nathaniel Clyne. Now the defence is less impressive in terms of individuals -- Bertrand doesn't have Shaw's dynamism, Toby Alderweireld isn't as calm as Lovren -- but nevertheless, they work excellently as a unit. The midfield can function either in a "2-1" or a "1-2" format, depending upon the nature of the opposition. Morgan Schneiderlin, Steven Davis and Jack Cork have an excellent understanding, each capable of rotating and covering for one another to surprise the opposition with their forward running. - Palmer: Saints' summer of upheaval only made them stronger This was particularly useful against Stoke, whom Southampton meet again in the Capital One Cup this week. Mark Hughes had fielded a defensive-minded trio of Cameron, Charlie Adam and Steven N'Zonzi, instructing them to man-mark Southampton's trio across the pitch. Cameron stuck to his duties, generally on Davis, while N'Zonzi did a decent job pressuring Schneiderlin. But the interchanging caused Adam problems -- he's not the Premier League's most mobile midfielder -- and Cork often became free. Crucially, too, Southampton overloaded this zone thanks to Dusan Tadic's clever drifts from the right. Having managed four assists versus Sunderland, only the fourth time a player has ever managed that in the Premier League, his positional intelligence was more notable on Saturday. Stoke didn't know how to mark Tadic; sometimes left-back Erik Pieters was dragged out of position, sometimes it was Ryan Shawcross. When he darted inside, Clyne skipped forward on the overlap to retain the width, forcing a reluctant Victor Moses back into a defensive position. Tadic is already Southampton's technical leader, inheriting that role from former skipper Adam Lallana. He's a different type of player -- compared to Lallana he boasts greater acceleration and is excellent at skipping away from opposition challenges. Lallana has a great footballing brain but Tadic boasts a burst, a trick. He loves turning inside then feinting to go outside before skipping inside again to drive an in-swinging cross into the box. He can overcomplicate things and become self-indulgent in possession -- he did take an absurdly poor direct free kick midway through the first half -- but he's proved a superb signing, with only Cesc Fabregas a more prolific chance creator this season. One of those players not sold over the summer, Morgan Schneiderlin, is a fine anchor in midfield. Two other newcomers, Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle, complete the front two. Pelle has received plenty of plaudits but Mane was the match winner against Stoke, converting a rebound after Pelle's shot hit the woodwork. Southampton fans have already started chanting "Sadio Mane" to the tune of Queen's "Radio Gaga," which is certainly preferable to Saturday's pre-match music. In truth, however, Southampton's success story (it's worth remembering they were in League One as recently as 2010-11) isn't really about individuals. It's more about the intelligence and cohesion obvious throughout the club, from the personality of the youngsters they produce, to their approach in the transfer market. This summer could have been a disaster but Southampton have managed to adjust to the loss of so many star players while moving onto the next level. Losing players to bigger clubs has become an occupational hazard for anyone outside the Premier League's elite, but Southampton have shifted onto the next stage of development, in terms of exporting players. Continually developing youngsters before selling them to bigger clubs can be considered the Ajax model, but Southampton's next challenge was developing something reminiscent of the Porto approach: selling stars at high prices and investing the proceeds in the next generation from relatively obscure countries. Mane, for example, was playing in Austria last season. Southampton have improved from last season to this season; they've also made a 32 million-pound profit on transfers. The financial aspect is only a side story, however. Football isn't about the net spend table, but the league table. This time last season they were riding similarly high before a collapse in November, when tougher fixtures proved fatal. Something similar might happen again this time around. Regardless, Southampton have adapted brilliantly to a difficult challenge and have achieved something else impressive: in a sport based around fierce rivalry, in an age when "trolling" opponents is celebrated like never before, Southampton boast an old-fashioned status: the neutral's favourite.

Stoke game was the loudest i have heard Itchen North. Fair to say that they did out sung Northam more often than not tbh (I was sat in Chapel with my old man and we remarked on it during the game). Both stands did a great job though.

Wow, we really do have some nutjobs on this forum. This thread is an utter

Was just about to post this myself Really insightful article, a good read all in all and tells you all about the summer and Koeman from the personal opinion of someone we cam trust. Makes me quite excited to read about the new bond between the players.

We could finish above Arsenal, Liverpool, United, Everton and Tottenham... Whether we do is another story. I certainly expect us to have a good bash at top 4 on current showing - we have a very solid and well balanced side with really scary attacking play. Only Chelsea look better than us at the moment, and city you have to assume will get it sorted. Arsenal are poor all over the shop compared to their usual standards, its not happening at Tottenham, and Liverpool will be lucky to get top 6 the way they are playing. They haven't come close to replacing Suarez and are struggling big time with European commitments. We have the best squad and team we have had in my living memory and a real golden opportunity to do something amazing this season. Whether we do is yet to be seen. But we are definitely in the mix for a place as high as 3rd, along with all of the above mentioned teams

Nigel Adkins, bottom of league 1 to premier league in back to back seasons with a net spend of £3m.... And someone above puts the lying weasel Poch above him and Ted Bates... We have some ungrateful fans it has to be said.

So, the day his beats the defending champions at home and secures 4th place, a west ham fan goes on a stoke city forum to post this about us.... Are the obsessed or something, I guess its kinda cute... Utter ********, but cute none the less. "Because you didn't go in to administration and get your debt cleared, whilst putting your local small suppliers out of business, and being fortunate enough to drop down a couple of divisions and being able to start again, whilst also fortuitously discovering a Welsh chimpanzee called Gareth from Swindon that was very good at football and be able to sell him for a nice fat profit, and in the meantime also finding a couple of English lads that the money-spunking muppets from Merseyside took a bit of a shine to." Also, stoke fans being fairly nice about us which is rather decent of them tbh. http://oatcakefanzine.proboards.com/thread/236043/why-good-southampton

Comes down to one question.... Where do we think we are headed in the league? Top 6? In which case, we may qualify for europe directly... Do you want to risk that for a cup exit to chelsea etc before the final and give up 3 points in the league. Outside the top 6 - I'd take the cup win... Dare I mention the remote outside chance of top 4 (we'll know better in december ^_^), in which case I'd take the league all day bloody long!

His positioning for free-kick placement is poor. He invites them to shoot at the top corner and then has no chance of getting there when they do it... repeatedley. We commented on this against sunderland when sat directly behind the goal... and sure enough he did it. Aside from that, he is usually very good at getting shots away from his body. However, when it is close to him he seems to push it straight back out into play (maybe this is because of his size and a smaller GK would have been diving etc to push it away, where as for him he is often just right there behind it! Been impressed with him none the less, kicking was good when he started, been a bit dodge recently though. And he was poor at shot stopping and getting it clear vs tottenham. Good keeper, one for years to come, certainly can improve!

I honestly do think this smacks of a "lets beat on Southampton's parade, and keep them in their place" sort of attitude. It really makes you wonder at any rate.

Look at me look at me!!! Vindication!!! HaHa beatches!

He is on a hiding to nothing at Reading, no funds, chronic under investment, and having to play youth by the barrel load to compensate for injuries. He must be wishing he never took that job as the money never materialised and he is giving his all just to keep them going with no sign of gratitude as a result. People slating him are literally banging a drum thinking they can be proved right and point to his struggles at reading as a "i told you so". The simple truth is, his squad was near the bottom of league 1 when he took over, and that was under pardew, who took Newcastle into europe when he left us... yet people then say that Championship football is above his level. But in truth i would be a hypocrite to use that argument since I'm saying you can't base his ability on how he performs at another club. Instead, I will say this... He took over a team in the relegation places, and got us back to back promotions to the premier league with a net spend of £3m as manager. If he is so ****e and his squad were so amazing... why the hell were we in league 1 when we only needed £3m to get to the premier league... People just can't accept that he moulded that team and developed those players, nor that he was easily on course to keep us up.. They ignore the fact that poch's stats for the end of that season are no better than adkin's equivalent number of games. And that is despite the fact adkins was playing with a less experienced team with less experience of top level football as a manager. What is even more sickening, is that he got the boot, just so that treacherous argie could improve his CV, and leave us in the lurch after encouraging half the first team to leave... That would never have happened under Nigel Adkins, you can be damn sure. The people who want to be negative wind ups and hate can do what they want. Nigel Adkins is a Southampton legend, his name will forever be associated with guiding this club back to the big time and the squad that he and pardew built, and the squad that nigel moulded are the foundation for any success that follows.

I'm not sure how old you are, but presumable the summer of 1976 and the early 80's tick that box. Not within my lifetime though!

Whilst I agree Top Gun, I'm really happy with the media falling over themselves to undermine us. I don't need an overpaid moron TV pundit to tell me my team did well when we smashed someone 8-0 And if it helps keep our profile low to any degree then it benefits us. A lot of fans from other clubs are really starting to take notice, the snide remarks and sarcasm have stopped and fans think twice about ripping the **** knowing that we may be giving it back to them in a few days or weeks. Great time to be a saints fan. I found it slightly annoying how Lawrenson and Gary weren't on MOTD, but at the same time, there comments would have soured to occasion. As for BBC 5 live and Talk Sport, presenters defending Chambers and stones for england after the game, they are utter jokers. There is only 1 english right back that matters, and he plays for us! As does the english left back of choice!

Delighted for them both of course

Finally get to use my season ticket for the first time since opening day and this happens! It was bad enough that its Sunderland who always park the bus and we always struggle against. But now we get given these 2 gongs... May as well bet on a Sunderland 1-0 win now and be done with it.

Happy Birthday to Matty, safe to say he gave us all some very special memories! Not to mention being a great servant to the club!