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Playoff place secured?


Liquidshokk

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Just read this article and it does make you stop and realise what a good position we are in. There is a lot of negativity surrounding this season because we haven't played that well a lot of the time and other teams are doing so well around us but if this guys workings are correct then we are really already exceeding what many of us hoped and dreamt for at the beginning of the season....

 

http://www.fansonline.net/southampton/article.php?id=981

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It's certainly not mathmatical yet, but the top 6 will stay as it is, with MK Dons and Leyton Orient fighting for 6th. Brighton will win it, but i've no idea of the order of the other 4, it really could be anything.

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Just read this article and it does make you stop and realise what a good position we are in. There is a lot of negativity surrounding this season because we haven't played that well a lot of the time and other teams are doing so well around us but if this guys workings are correct then we are really already exceeding what many of us hoped and dreamt for at the beginning of the season....

 

http://www.fansonline.net/southampton/article.php?id=981

 

Really?

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Really?

 

Yeah. Guess it goes back to discussions about Bournemouth thinking we are arrogant. I didnt assume we would make the playoffs this season as the games still had to be won regardless of what team we purchase.

 

An auto spot would obviously be amazing but when you consider we could be down the bottom of the table now a playoff spot isnt too bad is it??

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Yeah. Guess it goes back to discussions about Bournemouth thinking we are arrogant. I didnt assume we would make the playoffs this season as the games still had to be won regardless of what team we purchase.

 

An auto spot would obviously be amazing but when you consider we could be down the bottom of the table now a playoff spot isnt too bad is it??

 

With the money we have spent and quality we have a playoff spot is most definitely not exceeding my expectations.

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With the money we have spent and quality we have a playoff spot is most definitely not exceeding my expectations.

 

So if we go up this season you will just look back and admit that we went up because of the money we'd spent? Thats quite sad isnt it. Maybe we are an arrogant club.

 

Money doesnt always buy success. When you take players form from one season to another, whether the valuation of the player was correct, whether the manager was right about purchasing the player etc it makes you think that maybe just maybe its not all down to the money if we go up and that we have just done well as a club and adkins has done a good job.

 

Think there are a lot of teams out there that would be very grateful of a playoff place in league one and we shouldn't be greedy

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Considering the media hype, the rehetoric coming from the club and general 'vibe' in the fanbase at the start of the season, the play-offs will not be surpassing any expectations... it will be a minimum requirement.

 

Our form/circumstances at the start of the campaign along have tempered that expectation for many... but the fact remains, we should have been doing better. Had things been managed slightly better, we would have been doing better.

 

Either way though, if we are promoted come the end of May, how it has happened will almost be secondary.

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Interesting thing is (well to me anyway) if you gave us a 10 point penalty we'd be in roughly the same place we were last season. Yet last season was a faliure to many and this season it's a massive achievement. I have to say I think play offs would be a bit of an under achievement for me (I'd take it over nothing but still). I really thought we'd be like Norwich (once they got going) this season so I'm a bit dissapointed we haven't really stamped our authority on the league, still if we get promoted I'm sure I won't care.

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I'm glad we appear to have cemented a play off spot, assuming we don't have a last minute melt down! However it is certainly not an over achievment, the play offs were the minimum I expected this season given how close we were last season even with the -10 and a terrible start. I really hoped that we would do what Brighton have done and steam roller the league we have the quality and depth and I'm still a little disapointed that the fight for second is going to be so tight. Start of the season I would have skipped the lot in exchange for second place but I wouldn't have torn your arm off for a play off spot as I think we are better than that!

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I feel we have already got a play-off spot. It would take a serious collapse for us not to do so. I say this though and Charlton were in a similar position a few weeks ago and now look at them, so clearly it can be done.

 

Don't want play-offs at all though, don't think I could bare it.

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Interesting thing is (well to me anyway) if you gave us a 10 point penalty we'd be in roughly the same place we were last season. Yet last season was a faliure to many and this season it's a massive achievement. I have to say I think play offs would be a bit of an under achievement for me (I'd take it over nothing but still). I really thought we'd be like Norwich (once they got going) this season so I'm a bit dissapointed we haven't really stamped our authority on the league, still if we get promoted I'm sure I won't care.

 

 

This for me....

 

Enjoying the ride and hoping for a promotion place...

 

But expected soooo much more...

 

Let us all hope we now have the winning desire to the end of the season..

 

WIFM

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So if we go up this season you will just look back and admit that we went up because of the money we'd spent? Thats quite sad isnt it. Maybe we are an arrogant club.

 

Money doesnt always buy success. When you take players form from one season to another, whether the valuation of the player was correct, whether the manager was right about purchasing the player etc it makes you think that maybe just maybe its not all down to the money if we go up and that we have just done well as a club and adkins has done a good job.

 

Think there are a lot of teams out there that would be very grateful of a playoff place in league one and we shouldn't be greedy

 

Money doesn't always buy success but if money is spent and success doesn't follow then that should rightly be considered failure.

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I know the obvious answer is probably hell no for most, but think about it - Wouldn't it take something away from this season if we were running away with the league right now 20 points clear of everyone else simply because we have out muscled everyone in a financial sense? As nervy and hard work as it is right now at least we are having to battle for the right to go up and will feel we've earnt it when we do.

 

Already bournemouth fans are putting their loss saturday down to the money we've spent on players. Would hate for that opinion to take a lot of the joy away from going up.

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I know the obvious answer is probably hell no for most, but think about it - Wouldn't it take something away from this season if we were running away with the league right now 20 points clear of everyone else simply because we have out muscled everyone in a financial sense? As nervy and hard work as it is right now at least we are having to battle for the right to go up and will feel we've earnt it when we do.

 

Already bournemouth fans are putting their loss saturday down to the money we've spent on players. Would hate for that opinion to take a lot of the joy away from going up.

 

Do you think we'd have won on Saturday without Fonte, Barnard, Hammond and Lambert?

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I know the obvious answer is probably hell no for most, but think about it - Wouldn't it take something away from this season if we were running away with the league right now 20 points clear of everyone else simply because we have out muscled everyone in a financial sense? As nervy and hard work as it is right now at least we are having to battle for the right to go up and will feel we've earnt it when we do.

 

Already bournemouth fans are putting their loss saturday down to the money we've spent on players. Would hate for that opinion to take a lot of the joy away from going up.

 

Hell No;)

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Do you think we'd have won on Saturday without Fonte, Barnard, Hammond and Lambert?

 

Guess we'll never know but each of those players have been criticised heavily this season (Fonte most recently) so you could say they are not in form and are maybe playing equal to anyone we would have had instead without the financial impact. Would you say the way they are playing matches their price tag?

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that's not about arrogance. if you spend a fortune relative to the rest of your league, you expect to do better. we were clear favourites with good reason and I don't know any fans who didn't see 2nd as bare minimum. 2nd isn't 'amazing'. I wanted to win it. Brighton's performance is amazing, ours is bare minimum. that's not negative, I think we'll get 2nd, but we've made it as hard as possible for ourselves.

 

that's 'we' as a club anyway. for adkins 2nd is very, very good, given the situation he came in at. but for saints, we have to judge it from pre-season onwards, and we royally fcked it up.

 

Well I don't like setting myself up for that sort of fall with such high expectations. This is saints after all and I reckon you are in for some disappointment............................................... I personally will be thrilled when we go up in second ;-)

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I seem to recall us being 6/4(40% chance) favs to win the league at the start of the season, we are currently best price 9/2 (18.18%), so looking at it crudely you'd have to say we haven't achieved what we were 'expected' to achieve. Obviously a lot has to do with how well Brighton have done, and our lost ground post Pardew and pre Adkins. But still, had hoped it wouldn't come down to playoffs, and perhaps naively thought this could be a season we could just enjoy being successful/dominant for once!

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I know the obvious answer is probably hell no for most, but think about it - Wouldn't it take something away from this season if we were running away with the league right now 20 points clear of everyone else simply because we have out muscled everyone in a financial sense? As nervy and hard work as it is right now at least we are having to battle for the right to go up and will feel we've earnt it when we do.

 

Already bournemouth fans are putting their loss saturday down to the money we've spent on players. Would hate for that opinion to take a lot of the joy away from going up.

 

Gonna have to get used to that. Why does everyone hate Chelsea, ManU, ManC? Right! Money chucked around like water. Arsenal don't get the same flak 'cos they've gone a different route and built a team of young talents (OK £10m for Theo but what a gamble that was...) and as far as an outsider can tell they run a tight financial ship and do not spend extravagantly.

 

To stay in Division 2 we'll need to spend even more indeed rather a lot, so if we do that it will be at the expense of Brighton, Huddersfield and lower order teams already up there who haven't got two halfpennies to rub together, so all the abuse will only get stronger next year.

 

But the only success in football in 2011 is BOUGHT in hard cash - get used to it - get over it. I'd rather be a HAVE than a HAVE NOT right now!

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Guess we'll never know but each of those players have been criticised heavily this season (Fonte most recently) so you could say they are not in form and are maybe playing equal to anyone we would have had instead without the financial impact. Would you say the way they are playing matches their price tag?

 

Whether the way they are playing matches their price tag is irrelevant. We spent money on all of them, huge (by L1 standards) money for Fonte and Lambert, and they're now mainstays of the team.

 

Hopefully we'll get second but I can't believe anyone would seriously considering that as overachieving, considering our investment in the team.

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Gonna have to get used to that. Why does everyone hate Chelsea, ManU, ManC? Right! Money chucked around like water. Arsenal don't get the same flak 'cos they've gone a different route and built a team of young talents (OK £10m for Theo but what a gamble that was...) and as far as an outsider can tell they run a tight financial ship and do not spend extravagantly.

 

To stay in Division 2 we'll need to spend even more indeed rather a lot, so if we do that it will be at the expense of Brighton, Huddersfield and lower order teams already up there who haven't got two halfpennies to rub together, so all the abuse will only get stronger next year.

 

But the only success in football in 2011 is BOUGHT in hard cash - get used to it - get over it. I'd rather be a HAVE than a HAVE NOT right now!

 

Well as nice as it would be to be man u, man city or chelsea I for one hope we go the arsenal route on that one.... But you're right, it is a case of whatever it takes to get out of this league right now..

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Whether the way they are playing matches their price tag is irrelevant. We spent money on all of them, huge (by L1 standards) money for Fonte and Lambert, and they're now mainstays of the team.

 

Hopefully we'll get second but I can't believe anyone would seriously considering that as overachieving, considering our investment in the team.

 

Not overachieving, but I'd be more than happy with that and didnt take that for granted at the start of the season...

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we would have abosolutely no chance in the playoffs..

 

while the hudders and posh fans will rally round and really get behind their teams..we will have so many negative voices that will create nerves

 

Didn't do hudders any good last season when they bottled it, if we have to go play offs I rather take on hudders than Posh.

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I don't think it is a massive achievement. Pre-season expectation was that we should win the League, and that was not just the rose-tinted view of supporters, but all of the bookies and pundits as well. The view was that the other teams in the league were far weaker than the crop from the previous season that went up (Norwich, Leeds & Millwall replaced by Sheff Wed, Peterboro & Plymouth), no-one really foresaw Brighton or Boscombe being at the top. I still hope that we can get 2nd place, sadly as for once I really wanted us to win something, but if we have to go up via the play-offs, so be it, but I suspect we might not win by that route. The original article said something about avoiding the form teams in the play-offs, not sure how we could do that, all the teams that make the play-offs will be in form, there are no easy games, unless Boscombe scrape in. I really don't agree that play-offs is acceptable, although it would be so if we were to win it.

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I don't think it is a massive achievement. Pre-season expectation was that we should win the League, and that was not just the rose-tinted view of supporters, but all of the bookies and pundits as well. The view was that the other teams in the league were far weaker than the crop from the previous season that went up (Norwich, Leeds & Millwall replaced by Sheff Wed, Peterboro & Plymouth), no-one really foresaw Brighton or Boscombe being at the top. I still hope that we can get 2nd place, sadly as for once I really wanted us to win something, but if we have to go up via the play-offs, so be it, but I suspect we might not win by that route. The original article said something about avoiding the form teams in the play-offs, not sure how we could do that, all the teams that make the play-offs will be in form, there are no easy games, unless Boscombe scrape in. I really don't agree that play-offs is acceptable, although it would be so if we were to win it.

 

Perhaps I should have said exceeding my hopes and dreams for this stage of the season. I didnt expect to be in top spot for most of it and think our position right now is acceptable with the number of games remaining

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The 3 defeats under Wilkins will probably come back to bite us if we miss auto promotion by 1. Wonder if there will be a witch hunt if we miss out.

 

Pitch fork and flaming torch at the ready...................... tbf I think we will all be ****ed off if we don't go up, kick some cats and point the finger of blame a bit. Then set about willing away the pre-season on player rumours. Turn up for the first match of a new season in league 1 full of hope and watch saints..........lose and off we go again.

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Can you imagine a playoff final against Peterborough. The 4-4 game was hard enough to watch........

 

No thanks they are getting better as the season goes on we are stumbling a long picking up results without really seeming to get going, I think if we play them again this season they'll do us.

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Interesting run ins.....

 

Posh - MK, Cherries. Hudd & Orient are seemingly the trickiest left

Hudd - Posh, Charlton, MK, B&HA

MK - Posh, us and Hudd

Cherries - Charlton and Posh

Us - Charlton x2, MK, Orient and B&HA

 

Fortunately I guess, that the play off teams seem to be playing each other plenty more times. Charlton seemingly might be the most important team for us.

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Interesting run ins.....

 

Posh - MK, Cherries. Hudd & Orient are seemingly the trickiest left

Hudd - Posh, Charlton, MK, B&HA

MK - Posh, us and Hudd

Cherries - Charlton and Posh

Us - Charlton x2, MK, Orient and B&HA

 

Fortunately I guess, that the play off teams seem to be playing each other plenty more times. Charlton seemingly might be the most important team for us.

 

Charlton haven't won in 7 or 8 games, unless they have a dramatic upturn of form they're no threat to anyone, just easy points.

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I don't really see why people are highlighting Charlton as a trickier game for anoyne, they've been dropping fast and by the time many of us play them (at the end of the season) i think many will look on it as a good game to have. It'll be the old adage of a middle of the table club with nothing to play for.

 

For me i'd be looking at Plymouth, they could be fighting for their lives and at theirs that's going to be dangerous.

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The 3 defeats under Wilkins will probably come back to bite us if we miss auto promotion by 1. Wonder if there will be a witch hunt if we miss out.

 

I think a load of things will get thrown in to the mix if we fail to go up by such a narrow margin, surrendering twice at Posh, losing at Tranmere & Walsall, drawing at home to Notts County, Wilkins little cameo!!!!, changing the manager a few games in etc etc etc (plus a thing more things we have yet to come across).

 

Play offs was an absolute minimum for me I'm afraid and did expect us to be in the top two and didn't have any problem coming second to anyone.

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Considering the media hype, the rehetoric coming from the club and general 'vibe' in the fanbase at the start of the season, the play-offs will not be surpassing any expectations... it will be a minimum requirement.

 

Our form/circumstances at the start of the campaign along have tempered that expectation for many... but the fact remains, we should have been doing better. Had things been managed slightly better, we would have been doing better.

 

Either way though, if we are promoted come the end of May, how it has happened will almost be secondary.

 

This.

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For me, promotion was the minimum expectation this season.

 

Winning the division was a realistic expectation.

 

Simply qualifying for the play-offs (and then losing) would be a huge under-achievement.

 

I don't believe Saints have a "right to be promoted" but we were the shortest odds of any team in any division to win our league/be promoted. I expected us to be promoted (and still do...just expected it to be easier).

 

Failing to go up for Saints would be the equivalent of Chelsea failing to qualify for the Champions League or Liverpool finishing in the bottom half of the Premier Division or Aston Villa being relegated from the top flight...i.e. a pretty woeful under-performance.

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For me, promotion was the minimum expectation this season.

 

Winning the division was a realistic expectation.

 

Simply qualifying for the play-offs (and then losing) would be a huge under-achievement.

 

I don't believe Saints have a "right to be promoted" but we were the shortest odds of any team in any division to win our league/be promoted. I expected us to be promoted (and still do...just expected it to be easier).

 

Failing to go up for Saints would be the equivalent of Chelsea failing to qualify for the Champions League or Liverpool finishing in the bottom half of the Premier Division or Aston Villa being relegated from the top flight...i.e. a pretty woeful under-performance.

 

This. I honestly cannot believe that some fans believe that our current position is vastly exceeding their expectations. Cannot wait to make at least second place ours.

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Considering the early season mayhem with Markus' sad passing and Pardew's departure I think our current league position is 'good'

 

It's looking like the worst case scenario will be the play-offs but if we can keep this winning run going and eliminate the silly results against the weaker teams then we will pull away from the pack and take the second auto promotion spot behind Brighton

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