John Smith

And for the doubters out there, (not you stevo), we agree.

Try Glasgow_Saints first comment on this thread "Is this thread a joke?" Now, where is the debate in that? Where is the 'point of view'? Why post if that's what he thinks? Just don;t post and go elsewhere and debate a topic he thinks isn't a joke. And if he thinks it's a joke, why 'keep' posting on it, and also not explain why he thinks it's a joke? It's these type of people that ruin this forum, not people with differing views. I am fine with you and TDD, Alpine, or whoever I have debated with in the past. Sometimes we have agreed, other times not, that's the point isn't it? But, because of trolls like Glasgow_Saint, I post here less and less, I just find it pointless, due to the fact that someone, maybe not me, can put together a well reasoned arguement/debate/question and an idiot like Glasgow_Saint, who thinks the thread is a joke, hi-jacks it and turns it into one about himself. Then others, that may have differing views or polarized views, jump to his defence, get all defensive and claim: "so people with a different point of view spoil the forum and are idiots?" NO, that's not what ANYONE is saying! People are saying to some people that are finding negatives, look, here are some positives, and some who are being critical, rightly or wrongly, are saying, we shouldn;t be so positive, because X Y Z. That is the debate, that is differing views debating the subject. "Is this thread a joke?" and then posting on it many times is idiocy, and that's the problem. And, Saint Stevo, this is said with no malice to you or anyone else that feels we are not performing as well as we should/could this season, just against those that are trolls and make a mockery out of this forum.

Just put Glasgow_Saint on ignore. It works wonders. He is a troll, don;t rise to him. He reminds me of that poster that was shown to be a troll and linked with films or something, someone related to one of the former dictators, sorry, directors. Can't recall his username, long since forgotten his dribble, put Glasgow_Saint on ignore, like most people have, and just talk to Saints fans.

Huddersfield now 2 down to the gills, Milwall still 2 - 1 down to walsall. We need to win this!

So, I give you a pound and if we reach the play-offs, you give me 1 pound a penny back? So, whst you're effectively saying is that you;re almost certain we'll make the play offs.

I think we'll know a lot more after this week end, with Saints away to Tranmere, Huddersfield away to the Gills and millwall away to Walsall. IF and that's a big IF, saints win and the other two lose, my hopes will be more positive, if we only draw, I don;t think we will do enough to pip the other two, even if they drop points. We'll see...

Unfortunately, it was not a steward, but a lady. Just after half time she slipped on the stairs. It must be quite serious as the medics were there for a good while. As I said, happened just into the second half, maybe 60 mins, and she was still there at full time. The stewards said it might be a back injury, hence why they were taking their time. It's the first time I've ever left a game early (on 90 mins without clapping the team off the field), as I couldn;t bare cheering whilst this lady was stricken only yards from me. I really hope she's alright. If any of you know the steps at the ground, they are concrete and have quite an edge on them. A nasty fall for any one. The stewards acted brilliantly, the medics were there within seconds, and she was receiving the best possible care. I do hope she's ok. Anybody has news, would like to hear, especially if it's good news.

To my old man's a dustman: Lee Barnard's our striker, He plays in red and white And when he's playing up the front He scores all bloody night. Ooooohhhhh Lee Barnard's our striker He plays in red and white And when he's with John Terry's wife He scores all f*ckin night!

Spiderman was my man of the match today, Barnard a close second. But, he did the simple stuff well, tidied up in the midfield and kept the movement going forward at all times, he made us tick, quality. He needs to keep this up, show consitency at the level he made today and he will be a great player, but is definately showing signs of getting there.

The interviewer 'kept' asking leading questions and trying to see if AP had an under current of misgivings about Tuesdays difficult draw ona shoddy pitch. Ap rose above it again and again and then ran out of patience with the bell-end and just gave yes no answers out of disrespect for the plumb asking them. If you ask me, if he did leave with his 'face of thunder', was probably being wound up by a d*ck of an interviewer, WGS would have chewed him up and spit him out, he was a noob!

The trouble is, and I see that you are being sincere in your explanation, but, the answer is simple and can be summed up neatly with one word - recourse. You state that the club is or rather 'was' run with fiscal duties, debatable now, but let's go with that anyway, and that the club 'needs' revenue to operate, again, disputable about the level of income required in order to operate, with us having a billionaire and all, but anyway, (would be interested to know if you still think we are a plc, or if you see SFC as a LTD company, sole trader, or what) taking that it is operating 'fiscally' and prudent and is running the football club as a business, question, is it a service or a product? Either way, we come back to my key word, recourse. If, as a 'customer' you are disatisfied with the product or service provided, what is your recourse? Because with most business which operate in this field of sports and leisure, yopu could, as a customer, complain to trading standards that the product or service was not satisfactory, and you could be entitled to your money back. As with most product and services companies, they would be charged under some section of the 'Sales of Goods Act'. Which part of the Sales of Goods Act, would you as a customer, bring to the attention of the owner, in order for him to redeem your expenses, I guess you would mean ticket purchase here? At the end of the day, there would be no recourse to the everall product, The Team. The team is who we come to support. The facilities provided are covered under health and safety and the various league standards, but, there is no recourse, as a customer, against the product or service (football team), not performing. Sure, as you said, you can stop coming to the games, but then you are still a fan, just not aregular supporter that attends games (had this dispute with GM when I also stopped attending under Lowe, I was still a fan). Whether you consider yourself as a customer or not, is your privelege, but for me, if someone abroad asked me which team I suppported, I would proudly tell them the Saints (and then explain, no not the New Orleans Saints), but, if someone abroad asked me, "who are you a customer of?", I would look at them rather strangely and walk away. I am not a customer of Southampton FC, I am a supporter and a fan. I pay my money to the club and hope that they spend it wisely, but that's all it is, a hope. Just liek any other club, however small, they all need money to survive, the tennis club, the conservative club, the cub scouts, your Sunday pub team, the reason for this, tends to be the ending of the title - Southampton Football CLUB. See the connection now?

Could someone explain to me how Portsmouth have not gone into administration and why liquidation is being staved off? Surely, if they went into administration, they could last to the end of the season and be deducted the mandatory points? Sure, they would be going down, but isn;t it proper for them to take administration rather than just drop into liquidation? Is this just a ploy by the board, a kind of sh*t or bust approach, in the hope that the PL save their sorry ars*s?

Some people are never happy. So, you go for it SOG, criticise, despise, pull them to pieces, give it your best shot, but, don;t for one second tell the rest of us why we didn't like Lowe. Many people have many reasons, so many in fact, it would be impossible to list them in one post! However, I do take objection to you claiming that I didn;t like him because he wasn't a football man, or that he was 'prudent' with the companies money to make sure a dividend was still received or that he could've sold to Crouch but was too bitter and twisted to take money from Crouch rather than run this club into administration, he was scum, pure and simple, nothing about 'class', as he had none, nothing about hockey, hockey people have my respect, it was him, all himself and he is to blame for his 'behaviour', no one else. Move on SOG and let the rest of us enjoy this time, because one thing is for sure, Saints will hit hard times again, we will end up bottom of the pile, because that's what we're used but it also makes us stronger. So, for all the hate I have for Lowe, I have to thank him, because without his humungous scr*w up's, we wouldn't be where we are today, AND, have a future. Leave Lowe whre he belongs, in the history books, move on...

I have no problem with people such as Alpine, debating whether or not AP got things right or wrong on match day, none at all. Sometimes, people find Alpine a bit abrassive, a bit too abrupt, but that's cool, that's just alpine, and to be fair, he's always been the same, and he only wants to see saints do better. This is what I call 'debate' and on a subject that is 'football' related. I don't see it as moaning, although, calling him a moaner does get some good reactions, and is all good banter for the most part. What I think we have to realise is that ML has given the manager the best possible tools to do his job. He chose AP, not lightly or on a whim, I would of thought, but because he was the right man for the job, at this moment in time. I have to applaude ML, he has purchased players that are very good, and given AP the best possible squad to achieve his goal, namely, promotion. Sometimes, it could be that 'too many cooks spoil the broth' and with the size of our squad, and that many were only recently acquired, that AP's job has been made 'more' difficult because of the amount of choices and decisions he now has to make. Let me put this into perspective, when AP was at West Ham, and at Charlton, despite his obvious ability to get the team to play good football (west Ham in the FA Cup) or Charlton, with a stripped squad due to relegation and injuries, there was one chink in his armour, substitutions. Now don;t get me wrong, George Burley was the king of poor substitutions, coupled with unbelievable tactical changes and Ap comes nowhere near. However, AP doesn;t do what is required at the right time. Sometimes, a substitution on 60-65 mins could do more good than those made at 70-75 mins. Sometimes he's negative when he needs to be positive, and sometimes he is defensive when we need an outlet to relieve the pressure. But, these are minute details, that, as a manager, he needs to improve on. Now, with the squad we have, he has an Arsenal of substitutes that can change the game, or, protect a lead and he needs to do this. ML has given AP the total support that any manager would want, add to that some relative pressure from NC, I can see that the cogs of this club are well oiled and functioning very well. At the beginning of the season (a few games in), AP was getting his decisions correct, since the transfer window opened, he seems to have changed tact and is trying to find out his best 11, or best 16 for that matter. Like I said before, 'too many cooks'? However, I cannot doubt ML and NC commitment to this club, and whereby I don;t mind discussing whether AP got his part wrong or right, we have to trust in ML. We have to trust that if he believes AP is the best man for the job, then that is what we have to go with. But, if you want to debate tactics and team performance, then go ahead, and count me in, but I think we need to do away with this AP out and questioning ML's commitment, it's disturbing and over the top. ML well decide who manages Southampton FC, and quite frankly, AP was a good appointment at the time and up until recently had got the best out of players like Ricky Lambert and Morgan Spiderman. Lallana has kicked it up a gear and you can see the confidence in Antonio. Harding is Mr dependable and Jaidi is a man mountain and I'm glad he is 'our' CB. Hammond has done well and Waigo is getting there, the right back position has caused some issues, as has Jaidi's partner at the back and maybe a partner for Ricky. The transfer window gave us Fonte and Seabourne, Ostemobor for RB and Barnard to help Ricky and the 'superb' Connolly, add to that Puncheon, to hopefully free up Lallana and Ap and his scouts have done well and ML has backed his manager with cold hard cash. I'm excited and love the whole team at the moment and sometimes, maybe, can't see the negatives because of all the positives in comparison to last season. We can play some good football and we have an exciting team, whichever 11 you choose. So let's not moan and whinge, but openly debate the football and the last performance, but let's bury any doubts of ML here and now, he has shown us his loyalty, it's about time we showed him ours and stop all this posturing about 'what if'. Fact is, we are in a better position now than we have been for 5 years or more, ML, if he sticks around long enough, will go down in history alongside Ted Bates, and that my fellow supporters, is very high praise indeed. So ledt's not judge ML after just 6 months, let's revisit this in 5 years, hopefully ML will still be here and Saints will be in the Prem again. COYR

I think it's about time we put this right once and for all. We are SUPPORTERS we are FANS we are NOT CUSTOMERS! You may think that because you pay your money you have the 'right' to complain! But that isn’t even what a customer is you doughnuts! We are supporters and Lowe knew this, it's not as though you can stop 'buying' Saints and buy 'Poopey' instead. If you cut me open, I'm red and white! If you think you’re a 'customer' then Walk away, follow 'Lowe' to his next business opportunity. But don't mix me up with your 'customer' beliefs. I am part of a club, I am part of a 'football club' I 'Support' the Saints, and I am a fan of everything red and white. ML has saved this 'club'. Not the 'business', and he doesn’t give a stuff about the 'customers', they will obviously come and go as they please. He cares about the 'Supporters' and the 'fans' of this little 'club'. The PLC is dead, Lowe has gone, a new era is on the horizon, support ML like you supported Ted Bates, because without Ted, there'd be no Saints (as we know it) and without ML, there'd be no Saints (as we know it)! So stop your, customer this, customer that rubbish and SUPPORT the Saints! COYR

Just thought I'd change the words a little to this corker. Is this the way to liquidation, Pompey wiped from the face of our nation, Even worse than relegation, And they won't be back again. Sha la la la la la la la, (Wound Up) Sha la la la la la la la, (Wound Up) Sha la la la la la la la, And they won't be back again. Is this the way to Amarillo (Armageddon?)

I remember standing in the away end (Archers Road) when we drew with Oldham in the old League cup. We lost the replay on their plastic pitch. But, that night, couldn;t get in, and kept moving round the turnstiles until eventually they opened up the Archers to home supporters. We ended up having the big section whilst they were then crammed into the smaller two sections (this was when the Archers was standing only). There were still some Oldham left in the Archers, but it was all good natured. Great night, shame we drew, we should've won. If I remember correctly, they equalized in the 94th or 95th minute, and this was before we were told how many minutes were left! Evening games, standing at The Dell, on a cold and frosty evening, couldn't beat it!

Man City, spent about 100million, lost to Hull. Form, pretty average. Take off 10 points, puts them on 31 and mid table. Take half their squad away from the beginning of the season and give them the sam start we had, they'd be down in the relegation battle. Money only buys you players, it does NOT buy you points. Those that don;t understand this, DO NOT UNDERSTAND FOOTBALL! Geesh, do we get all the turds on this forum?

So, now we've identified Glasgow_Saint as a troll, can we leave him to it. Lowe luvvie, Skate on a wind-up, sad pathetic thing, you chose, put him on ignore, just like I have.

I'm sure you preferred last season, under Lowe culminating in us on -10. Me I have really enjoyed this season, great to see football being played again. Not all results have gone our way, but when did money GUARENTEE success? People like you, who are NEVER satisfied, will troll these forums til the cows come home. We are where we are, because of the results we have had, and that started on DAY 1 of the season, not january 1st. If we survived relegation this season and finished nicely in mid table, I'd have taken that in a heartbeat. Name me ONE club that has been promoted after relegation and -10 points? Go on, name me ONE. Or are you saying that Saints are soooo awesome and unbeatable that we desrerve a bye into the CCC? Get off your trolling keyboard and make some supper. An away point, I'll take that. But then you Lowe luvvies never could accept Saints doing well under anybody else. Troll on...

Some of us have been asked not to mention 'him' and we have done no gloating, no recriminations, all from the past has been dropped as we all move forward together with a clean slate. So, why oh why must we get these Lowe luvvies back on here again, is it a revenge of the nerds type affliction? Two words, Rickie Lambert! Under Lowe, go out and buy the best striker in the League! Not on your life and don't you forget it! Under lowe we would NEVER EVER have a Rickie Lambert. End this debate now, you are embarrassing yourself SOG. There is no comparison here, no devils advocate to play, support the team, support the 'new saints' leave the past, firmly in the past.

It's all well and good if we win and gain the bragging rights and put a smile on our faces, but you can bet, any of those Poopey 'fans' there at the match, will beat you within an inch of your life, in front of your family, without batting an eyelid. What is called sport in Southampton is not recognised in Po******th, it's all about beating us on the pitch and beating us off it. Because of their financial position and particularly if we win, you can rest assure, they will be here for a fight, maybe their last chance, and they will do everything they can to slug a Saint. Any Poopey 'fan' viewing this post will smile a wry smile. But, they just don;t understand 'bragging rights', they only understand that they will be allowed into a place they hate, and will be surrounded by people they hate, goading them and singing songs about them, and they will believe that that is provocation enough to beat the sh*t out of any stragglers they meet. Poopey are scum and after this match, everyone who was there and everyone who watches it on the TV will understand why they are scum.

Best way I find to react, is rather than tap him on the shoulder or tell the officials, whatever, I'd stand on my feet and sing "Alan Pardew's Red and White Army". And when he started to put one of the players down, I'd sing their name as well. Becasuse what I tend to find is that those around me will start to join in because they despise that bloke as much as I do and nobody will say anything. Safety in numbers and all that, trust me, it works! As for TDD and Glagow_Skate, they don't go to the games and only troll on here because they need the attention. Ignore their posts, they mean nothing. It's more of a 'look at me' cry for attention than anything substantial. Last season, we didn;t have a first team, we had a youth team promoted to the first team. So, we needed to buy at least 15 players with experience to have a first team. When you are known to have money, teams bump their prices up. In my opinion, ML did exactly the right thing, has trusted the scouts and his managers opinion and spent more than the average team on decent players, in order to build a team. And bl**dy hell, we have, awesome! I love this team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, your whole arguement, on a thread, not even about Antonio, is that he scored twice in two games you didn't go to and that the defence sh*t themselves before the goalkick, even though he made one of the best passes of the season against MK Dons, to lambert and put him through one one one, outside of the boot, superb! So, you are talking absolute bollix, don;t bother replying, you've had your pathetic running down of one of our own players and failed horribly. And you think Antonio can;t do anything when he's got the ball! take a look in the mirror pal, seems like it's a distraction away from your own failings. Get a life.

Which game and why?