If we don't make the playoffs and anyone dares diss Mr Pardew...

[1976_Child]

...I will come and cut your testicles off, fry them in garlic, ground them up and scatter them on the Common for the pigeons to enjoy. And if you're a lass then I'll do the same with your fallopians.

 

Alan Pardew is our boss. And what a job he is doing.

 

Thank you Alan. Up the Saints!

[Mattio]

Well said, anyone who expects to walk any league needs to stop playing Fifa and watch some real football, upsets happen and football isn't played on papyrus...

[SaintBobby]

...I will come and cut your testicles off, fry them in garlic, ground them up and scatter them on the Common for the pigeons to enjoy. And if you're a lass then I'll do the same with your fallopians.

 

Alan Pardew is our boss. And what a job he is doing.

 

Thank you Alan. Up the Saints!

 

I'll bring a squadron of pigeons. And a shotgun to pick off any last moaners.

 

Whatever happens at the last game this season, we should shout our appreciation for a fantatsic Saints manager.

[niceandfriendly]

...I will come and cut your testicles off, fry them in garlic, ground them up and scatter them on the Common for the pigeons to enjoy. And if you're a lass then I'll do the same with your fallopians.

 

Alan Pardew is our boss. And what a job he is doing.

 

Thank you Alan. Up the Saints!

 

Sentiments echoed if I may.

[StuRomseySaint]

Pardew has done an acceptable job. I will pat him on the back if I see him, but he does not warrant a man hug yet.

 

He has achieved what the minimum requirement would be... us getting in and around the playoffs but added a very nice bonus of Wembley.

 

Next season I expect us to jump out the blocks get into the top 2 and stay there.

 

Why? Because man for man we have the best squad by a country mile in this division, and it will be even better after some summer buys.

 

Before anyone pipes up with Leeds / Notts Forest etc etc... they did/do not have anywhere near the quality that we have at our disposal.

 

Most championship teams would dream of having players like Waigo Connolly and Barnard on the bench for them.

[tommi]

Pardew has done an acceptable job. I will pat him on the back if I see him, but he does not warrant a man hug yet.

 

He has achieved what the minimum requirement would be... us getting in and around the playoffs but added a very nice bonus of Wembley.

 

Next season I expect us to jump out the blocks get into the top 2 and stay there.

 

Why? Because man for man we have the best squad by a country mile in this division, and it will be even better after some summer buys.

 

Before anyone pipes up with Leeds / Notts Forest etc etc... they did/do not have anywhere near the quality that we have at our disposal.

 

Most championship teams would dream of having players like Waigo Connolly and Barnard on the bench for them.

 

I couldn't have put it better myself. Bang on.

[Kingsbridge Saint]

Pardew has done an acceptable job. I will pat him on the back if I see him, but he does not warrant a man hug yet.

 

He has achieved what the minimum requirement would be... us getting in and around the playoffs but added a very nice bonus of Wembley.

 

Next season I expect us to jump out the blocks get into the top 2 and stay there.

 

Why? Because man for man we have the best squad by a country mile in this division, and it will be even better after some summer buys.

 

Before anyone pipes up with Leeds / Notts Forest etc etc... they did/do not have anywhere near the quality that we have at our disposal.

 

Most championship teams would dream of having players like Waigo Connolly and Barnard on the bench for them.

 

Of course you are right in terms of the quality at our disposal. But you have to ask - who got those guys to our club? Pardew ticks all the boxes and deserves our full support whatever the vagaries of football throw at us in terms of poor refs, players having the odd off day, unlucky results etc. etc. As long as we are up there with a shout of the League 1 title next season I will be delighted, in and around the play offs, satisfied.

[Danish Saint]

...I will come and cut your testicles off, fry them in garlic, ground them up and scatter them on the Common for the pigeons to enjoy. And if you're a lass then I'll do the same with your fallopians.

 

Alan Pardew is our boss. And what a job he is doing.

 

Thank you Alan. Up the Saints!

 

I'll help you!

[St Lej]

I would give him a man hug if he brought Ulrich van Gobbel back!!!! I used to love that bloke......fabulous thighs......

[alpine_saint]

Pardew has done an acceptable job. I will pat him on the back if I see him, but he does not warrant a man hug yet.

 

He has achieved what the minimum requirement would be... us getting in and around the playoffs but added a very nice bonus of Wembley.

 

Next season I expect us to jump out the blocks get into the top 2 and stay there.

 

Why? Because man for man we have the best squad by a country mile in this division, and it will be even better after some summer buys.

 

Before anyone pipes up with Leeds / Notts Forest etc etc... they did/do not have anywhere near the quality that we have at our disposal.

 

Most championship teams would dream of having players like Waigo Connolly and Barnard on the bench for them.

 

Thankyou. A voice of reason amongst all the red meat-eaters....

[doddisalegend]

Pardew has done an acceptable job. I will pat him on the back if I see him, but he does not warrant a man hug yet.

 

He has achieved what the minimum requirement would be... us getting in and around the playoffs but added a very nice bonus of Wembley.

 

Next season I expect us to jump out the blocks get into the top 2 and stay there.

 

Why? Because man for man we have the best squad by a country mile in this division, and it will be even better after some summer buys.

 

Before anyone pipes up with Leeds / Notts Forest etc etc... they did/do not have anywhere near the quality that we have at our disposal.

 

Most championship teams would dream of having players like Waigo Connolly and Barnard on the bench for them.

 

Lets hope those championship teams don't come looking for them in the summer then. I don't think it's likely, but next years team could look very different from this years if we don't go up. So how long do we give AP if he has to re-build half the team again in the summer? What if there is no Lallanna, Fonte, Lambert and Wagio next season?

[niceandfriendly]

Don't agree at all that Pardew has done the bare minimum expected. If we were to get our 10 points back and win our game in hand we'd be only 4 points off automatic promotion. That's a fantastic achievement considering our summer and the start we had.

 

Can't believe Pardew gets any stick what so ever to be honest - apart from when he plays long ball too often, I can understand the frustration then but other than that he deserves nothing but praise for the season we've had.

[notnowcato]

My head says we will fall just short of a play off position this season. When reviewing the season it is plain to see where the biggest **** up all season was and that was the time wasted by the Administrator with Fialka and the other tyre kickers, delaying the Swiss revolution by at least a month at the most critical time in our recovery.

 

So whilst Begbuys and Traitors are all slapping their backs and loving the £500k they squeezed out of us - effectively Surman - they and only they are respnsible for our delayed resurgence.

[mafiboy27]

...I will come and cut your testicles off, fry them in garlic, ground them up and scatter them on the Common for the pigeons to enjoy. And if you're a lass then I'll do the same with your fallopians.

 

Alan Pardew is our boss. And what a job he is doing.

 

Thank you Alan. Up the Saints!

 

+1

 

Very very satisfied with the season anyway. We're going to win next season if we don't reach the play-off

[Saint Fan CaM]

AP is a top, top manager. He can only do so much in prep and from the sideline. Even the top teams in any division will have slip ups - it happens. We have had a fantastic season and anyone who says otherwise either relies on the radio for their commentary rather than be there or is an out and out liar looking for an arguement for the sake of it. AP has my support 110% and long may he stay here.

[Glasgow_Saint]

I am pleased with the recent spell, was very pleased with the spell just before Xmas - not so the period after.

 

Season summary - he's v.done a good job.

 

I like the direction we are going and can now see real progress.

[wild-saint]

Also the fact that none of the teams that went down had to sell all of thier decent players after selling all there other ones in the championship the year before.

[mulletsaint]

Pardew has done an acceptable job. I will pat him on the back if I see him, but he does not warrant a man hug yet.

 

He has achieved what the minimum requirement would be... us getting in and around the playoffs but added a very nice bonus of Wembley.

 

Next season I expect us to jump out the blocks get into the top 2 and stay there.

 

Why? Because man for man we have the best squad by a country mile in this division, and it will be even better after some summer buys.

 

Before anyone pipes up with Leeds / Notts Forest etc etc... they did/do not have anywhere near the quality that we have at our disposal.

 

Most championship teams would dream of having players like Waigo Connolly and Barnard on the bench for them.

 

Some good points, but for my money I cannot understand why some on this forum seem to think that any manager could have done better.

 

Many people underestimate what effect the fallout from the last couple of seasons with relegation fights, administration and the -10, had on everyone at the club. Add to that a summer of timewasters delaying our preparation and this season was always going to be a struggle getting promoted.

 

Building a team from scratch, no matter how good the players takes time. Players don't always gel overnight if at all. Look at how great Berbatov's doing at ManU and he's had two seasons to bed in.

 

Pard's has done a great job of getting in the right players and bedding them in. The problem is that our pre xmas run had people believing promotion was very possible. Hope can be a dangerous this and the subsequent blip after such highs obviously had many fans despairing again. Hopefully, whatever happens this season we can finish on a high, and if we can keep hold of the better players, take that momentum into next season.

[Quickfire Double]

I thought the bare minimum we might achieve this season would be to reach a point where if we'd not been docked 10 points we'd have been in the top six.

 

We had an unfocused pre-season, and a poor start. Now we're agonisingly close to the play-offs, we've won the JPT at the first attempt, we've assembled a squad that could hold its own in the Championship, we're the second highest scorers in the league, we've got two of the top goalscorers in the league. It's been a damn good season, all things considered, in my humble opinion.

 

Next season the bar must be raised of course. The goal must be to win the league, questions must be asked if we're not in the top two at Christmas and action should be taken if we're not comfortably in the top six. But for now, let's enjoy the late play-off push and a decent season, and consider that all the signs are we're moving swiftly in the right direction.

[dubai_phil]

I assume that because man U failed to beat Blackburn on Saturday their fans will be baying for his head and saying he has underperformed this season as some will on here.

 

AP is not the best manager in the world. But at the moment he is OUR manager, and we have had our highest WIN percentage for a season in years.

 

Yes it could be better, but at the same time we COULD replace him and get a manager who achieves a Sturrock/Wigley/Grayesque season.

 

Within 10 points of a Play Off place is an OK season with the penalty and the start we had squad wise.

Within 5 points will be a good effort.

Any closer or making the playoffs will be the least that some would have expected but would be a bloody marvellous achievement on the back of one of our most enjoyable seasons for MANY a year.

 

Changing managers = yes sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't would be a stupid risk

[Charlie Wayman]

Basically, Huddersfield need 8 points from 4 games so they MUST win 2 and either draw the other 2 or win 1. 7 pts won't do it for them as we'll murder them on GD.

 

Meanwhile we have to win ALL remaining 5.

 

On balance the odds are in favour of Huddersfield who can afford a couple of not too serious slips whereas we cannot.

 

Of course we discount Colchester at our peril, we've not passed them yet.

[Saint_clark]

On the face of it you might say he's done an acceptable job, but when you actually look at the level of performances this side has been turning in then you cannot deny - after the state we were in last summer - that he has done an excellent job.

[Charlie Wayman]

 

Next season I expect us to jump out the blocks get into the top 2 and stay there.

 

Why? Because man for man we have the best squad by a country mile in this division, and it will be even better after some summer buys.

 

Most championship teams would dream of having players like Waigo Connolly and Barnard on the bench for them.

 

 

Not sure your optimism is fully justified Stu. We have some very good players for this division but they are not world beaters otherwise the likes of the lads you mentioned would not be wearing Red & White and sitting on a park bench in rural southern Hampshire.

 

And, we are likely to lose one or two in the summer as Dave Merrington has observed and explained simply, because it will be another two years before they can hope to play Championship football with SFC, let alone aspire to the Premiership; the best of them are naturally ambitious guys who want to maximise their income and international credibility in what is for many an all too short career.

 

Thirdly, if Schneiderlin in particular decides to go, well... you've seen how we perform when he's not around and Fonte is another who is already too good and too old to hang around for long. Then there's Barnard who must be pretty ****ed off at not being an automatic first choice on the team-sheet and frankly looks the part in recent matches. It's a mistake to assume we can pay enough to keep them happy, as Maslow observed Money may be a motivator but is NOT a satisfier.

 

If we can only hang onto the middling players and the best leave, why would Pardew hang around especially if he too gets irresistible offers over the summer from above and what betting even that we might end up in the worse position of all with Pardew off to West Ham and taking Lallana and Schneiderlin and Lambert with him?

 

So it is unwise to suggest that everything will be even better on August 7 after one or two even stronger additions to the squad. I agree, that's what we'd hope and pray for but we've been a selling club for so many years now that the top 6 or 8 clubs may even see us as a kindergarten for nurturing THEIR rising young stars, ready for plucking when it suits them. Once you've earned a reputation like that it may be mighty hard to shake off; you can't ban scouts from St Mary's.

[S-Clarke]

Charlie, take a look at how we operated in the january transfer window for a clue as to how we now operate as a club.

 

We are ambitous, have money and have no real need to sell. Players are happy here and we have a really good feeling around the place. Of course there is always a chance a player will go, but i don't think you can class us as a selling club anymore.

[saint_stevo]

The 2 games v Brighton leave a sour taste......and millwall away, exeter away, brentford away and tranmere away for that matter

[S-Clarke]

The 2 games v Brighton leave a sour taste......and millwall away, exeter away, brentford away and tranmere away for that matter

 

that away game v brighton was a good point IMO.

[saint_stevo]

that away game v brighton was a good point IMO.

 

Perhaps. But 1 point in 2 games v Brighton......

[Redbul]

...I will come and cut your testicles off, fry them in garlic, ground them up and scatter them on the Common for the pigeons to enjoy. And if you're a lass then I'll do the same with your fallopians.

 

Hannibal, is that you?

 

Yep, cheers AP, quality job of wok so far.

[Give it to Ron]

Perhaps. But 1 point in 2 games v Brighton......

 

Balanced by our points against Norwich - top of the league though ;-)

[rick1976.4.38]

pards is the man.our form is outstanding.it makes a change to watch a winning southampton fc.the loss to swindon and tranmere i fear may cost us the playoffs but hey-ho,onwards and upwards next season under the leadership of ap.coyr

[Hamilton Saint]

What a difference a year makes! For the last few years ( until the second half of this season), I would hope for a win, but expect a loss - even after we scored first. Now I expect to win - even when we are scored against first! That's quite a change in expectation, and mostly thanks to AP and his astute rebuilding of this team.

[bpsaint]

Pardew has done an acceptable job. I will pat him on the back if I see him, but he does not warrant a man hug yet.

 

He has achieved what the minimum requirement would be... us getting in and around the playoffs but added a very nice bonus of Wembley.

 

Next season I expect us to jump out the blocks get into the top 2 and stay there.

 

Why? Because man for man we have the best squad by a country mile in this division, and it will be even better after some summer buys.

 

Before anyone pipes up with Leeds / Notts Forest etc etc... they did/do not have anywhere near the quality that we have at our disposal.

 

Most championship teams would dream of having players like Waigo Connolly and Barnard on the bench for them.

 

I'm with Stu on this one too,considering the resources given to him AP has done an acceptable job and justified all money spent. If we don't go up this season then I really think we'll hit the ground running and finish in the top 2.

 

One thing I am confident about is that even if we do lose players then we'll bring in very good replacements. In fact come next season I expect our squad to be even stronger than it is. In my life as a Saints fan no other manager has made as many great signings as AP and I trust his judgement.

[The Kraken]

I'm with Stu on this one too,considering the resources given to him AP has done an acceptable job and justified all money spent. If we don't go up this season then I really think we'll hit the ground running and finish in the top 2.

 

One thing I am confident about is that even if we do lose players then we'll bring in very good replacements. In fact come next season I expect our squad to be even stronger than it is. In my life as a Saints fan no other manager has made as many great signings as AP and I trust his judgement.

 

I guess it comes down to how you define "acceptable" in terms of performance.

 

Our first ten games of the season were, results wise, very poor. While the performances definitely increased from game to game, the actual results remained poor and we registered only one win in 10 games, scoring a total of 9 points.

 

However, since the beginning of October we have taken 64 points from 31 games; that's 2.065 points per game. Norwich are currently top with 86 points from 42 games; that's 2.048 points per game. So we've been literally in title winning form since turning our terrible early season form around.

 

So you have to trade off the poor results of the first 10 games with the title winning form we've displayed since then. Its my opinion that the team needed some time to turn itself around and for the new players to settle, and to replace almost every player in the side and start producing the form we have within 10 games was quite remarkable. To sustain title winning form over a total of 31 subsequent games is equally impressive.

 

Therefore I would contend that AP has done much more than an "acceptable" job to date; I think he has been excellent, and it would be very, very difficult to argue that anyone else could have done a better job of turning around our fortunes than he has. Room for improvement? Perhaps. But to be critical of our recent form by picking out individual poor results does the manager a disservice when you consider the overall season.

[Professor]

Shouldn't get too carried away. Pardew has assembled a great squad and in that respect he's been excellent but his teams have not performed as well away from home as they should have done and there is a question as to whether that was preparation, team selection or tactics. Based on where we were just before Xmas, we shouldn't be hoping Huddersfield or Colchester lose games to let us into the top six, it should already be a done deal. Pardew is still in the 'acceptable' box for me, even if we make 6th place, as that will be down to the failure of others, but if Saints win the final 7 games of the season I will give Pardew the credit for that on the basis that he has learned from the mid-season slip-ups.

[Plumstead_Saint]

Because man for man we have the best squad by a country mile in this division.

And who do you think assembled this squad?

some people....

[70's Mike]

Shouldn't get too carried away. Pardew has assembled a great squad and in that respect he's been excellent but his teams have not performed as well away from home as they should have done and there is a question as to whether that was preparation, team selection or tactics. Based on where we were just before Xmas, we shouldn't be hoping Huddersfield or Colchester lose games to let us into the top six, it should already be a done deal. Pardew is still in the 'acceptable' box for me, even if we make 6th place, as that will be down to the failure of others, but if Saints win the final 7 games of the season I will give Pardew the credit for that on the basis that he has learned from the mid-season slip-ups.

 

big of you!!!!

 

the current side have brought a smile back to the city, the regulars at SMS, the regular away travellers(lost some but still won more away games than we have for years), and given real hope on the pitch of a rosy future something which has been lacking over the last few seasons.

 

As someone else mentioned who would have done a better job?

[up and away]

...I will come and cut your testicles off, fry them in garlic, ground them up and scatter them on the Common for the pigeons to enjoy. And if you're a lass then I'll do the same with your fallopians.

 

Alan Pardew is our boss. And what a job he is doing.

 

Thank you Alan. Up the Saints!

 

In any other line of work, if an operations manager had disregarded the CEO on the direction of the company, he would be given short shrift. If it then transpired this direction had cost the company millions, it would be him with a kebab skewer through his cheeks, combining his tongue to his sweetmeats. So what are you going to do next season when we aim for the cups to get the players into that winning habit, or just getting penalty practice and hammered by Pompey as the actual case was?

 

When you get that close to the finishing line and can readily see the clear possibility we have swapped one Wembley appearance for another, he well deserves a nut buster. Anyone that thinks a JPT final matches up to a play off final needs their bumps felt.

[PokingFun]

Thankyou. A voice of reason amongst all the red meat-eaters....

 

I will expect automatic promotion next season because as i stated in another thread AP has achieved an average of 2.06 pts per game since the end of September.

 

That is consistency and virtually league winning form. Anything less will be us going backward. Obviously I am assuming we will keep this squad together.

 

If we keep everyone and add a quality RB and maybe a CM to bolster competition for places there then I cannot see any other outcome than a league winning side.

[The Kraken]

In any other line of work, if an operations manager had disregarded the CEO on the direction of the company, he would be given short shrift. If it then transpired this direction had cost the company millions, it would be him with a kebab skewer through his cheeks, combining his tongue to his sweetmeats. So what are you going to do next season when we aim for the cups to get the players into that winning habit, or just getting penalty practice and hammered by Pompey as the actual case was?

 

When you get that close to the finishing line and can readily see the clear possibility we have swapped one Wembley appearance for another, he well deserves a nut buster. Anyone that thinks a JPT final matches up to a play off final needs their bumps felt.

 

How on earth has he disregarded the CEO on the direction of the company? At the start of the season we heard all about the 5 year plan to the Prem, a 2 year plan to get out of this division, and the need to fill the trophy cabinet with "proper trophies". Despite much media inference I'm yet to hear a direct quote from Cortese that that has all changed and we're now in a 1 year plan to get out of this league. And we have one more trophy to add to the cabinet. Like you say the JPT is no play-off final, but still well within the scope of Cortese and Pardew's original targets.

[doddisalegend]

In any other line of work, if an operations manager had disregarded the CEO on the direction of the company, he would be given short shrift. If it then transpired this direction had cost the company millions, it would be him with a kebab skewer through his cheeks, combining his tongue to his sweetmeats. So what are you going to do next season when we aim for the cups to get the players into that winning habit, or just getting penalty practice and hammered by Pompey as the actual case was?

 

When you get that close to the finishing line and can readily see the clear possibility we have swapped one Wembley appearance for another, he well deserves a nut buster. Anyone that thinks a JPT final matches up to a play off final needs their bumps felt.

 

Guility as charged I love cup competitions far more exciting than the league (normally anyway, this years league has been more exciting than most in the last few years). I want us to go up as champions next year not sneak in at sixth this year. The JPT (not matter how maligned is a proper trophy) winning a cup for finishing third in the league is not.