Colinjb Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 I totally agree with the sentiments about prioritising the cup, yet equally, we are not going to have that busy a fixture list as the season closes out so there is no reason why we cannot give all remaining games a damn good go. It is a bit odd as a fan seeing the season fizzle out to a certain extent by January, it's the first time in a decade (League 1 -10 season notwithstanding) that we havn't got a key aim in sight in the league. It's never usually dull being a fan of this club! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 I meant I don't see a need to do it. I know we certainly did do it in the league cup. I don't mind using the chance to use young players against weaker opposition. That's not so much not taking it seriously as just giving players a chance to prove themselves. You can see how seriously it's taken in this situation by who is on the bench. If you have Lambert, Lallana etc on the bench ready to help out then it's alright. Away to Sunderland though the team was a bit too weak. Could well have got something anyway, but it was a shame. Yeah I agree with that. It was just annoying to see such a lackluster performance against sunderland. Especially so because they could get to the final now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 I meant I don't see a need to do it. I know we certainly did do it in the league cup. I don't mind using the chance to use young players against weaker opposition. That's not so much not taking it seriously as just giving players a chance to prove themselves. You can see how seriously it's taken in this situation by who is on the bench. If you have Lambert, Lallana etc on the bench ready to help out then it's alright. Away to Sunderland though the team was a bit too weak. Could well have got something anyway, but it was a shame. I know it gets trotted out the we use the younger players, but in reality it has been a chance to use the reserves, with one or two new youngsters given a go too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minty Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 This season was always about consolidation and steady improvement IMO. I am loving it, because I can see potential in the side, and I think we can continue to improve with some more signings in the summer (if not January, but probably not). So whilst in itself, this seasons league campaign might not be exciting, I think in the context of where it can help take us in a season or two, it is very exciting. Agree with some of the comments about the FA Cup though... would very much hope we take it very seriously and go all out to win it. League consolidation and a strong Cup showing would be an excellent season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG_Saint Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 Of course it is. But there are various people (me being one of them) who would have preferred to see us prioritising the league cup in similar fashion. Alas it wasn't to be. Others are glad we didn't do that, which is of course their right, just an approach I disagree with given our prospects for this season. I respect your view. It would have been nice to have a similar run in the League Cup. IMHO the main reason for going the way we did was that at that point, it was much less clear how the season ahead would unfold. Risking serious injury to crucial players early in the season might have led us to different position in the league... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpsaint Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 Whilst it would be a terrific step on our journey from League 1 minus 10 to establish ourselves as a mid table Prem side, it's all a bit boring still. Like others have said I had much more fun being a big fish in a small pond the past few seasons, and if we're never going to attempt to regularly finish top 6 then we have to aim for cups as it's the only success we'll ever see. also, would I be right in thinking that depending on the other 3 teams we'd only have to reach the semis of the cup to qualify for Europa League? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leithsaint Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 This is why I never had a position target (8th, top half etc) but a points target. Always has been, still is, 54 points. As far as I'm concerned we need 24 points from the last 17 games. To my mind this would represent a decent improvement on last season. Would then expect further improvement next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 (edited) I know it gets trotted out the we use the younger players, but in reality it has been a chance to use the reserves, with one or two new youngsters given a go too. this was our team v Sunderland 01 Davis 22 Chambers 13 Fox 38 Reed 03 Yoshida 26 Hooiveld 09 Rodriguez 18 Cork 19 Lee (Ward-Prowse - 57' ) 10 Ramírez (Gallagher - 79' ) 08 Davis (Lallana - 70' ) Substitutes 02 Clyne 16 Ward-Prowse 20 Lallana 25 Gazzaniga 27 Isgrove 35 Stephens 40 Gallagher Whilst there were a few youngsters on the bench the only one we blooded in terms of any decent game time was Harrison Reed, Calum Chambers had already made his debut and made several first team appearances. The rest of the team was second string apart from rodriguez. So the excuse that some like to use that we used our young players doesnt wash i'm afraid. We either arrogantly assumed our reserves would beat another premier league side away from home, hoped they would, or weren't interested in the competition. Edited 13 January, 2014 by Turkish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 I don't think Sunderland will get there. But we'd have beaten MU. Probably not Chelsea though. WOuld have been nice to have had that chance though is all I was saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 Throw in Clyne/Shaw and Lambert/Osvaldo and I think they would have won that. Doesn't have to be the full side all the time, but not that weak. We were incredibly poor that evening. It was very disheartening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitch Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 I'm happy to run a couple of seasons in the shadows while we develop the squad and build up for a push in the future. The Cup would be great, but it's hit and miss and will take chunks out of the team. Ask yourselves - if you were told we're going to finish 9th this season, would you be happy? I would....how often do we finish in the top half of the prem?! If we continue to build as we are we could start pushing higher. We're not far off Newcastle in terms of quality, and they might be scrapping for Europe this season. Just my opinion of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Tender Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 ll we can expect,if we put out our full strength squad,is a good cup run unless saints pump in hundred of millions,and then theres still no guarantee,we will not break into the top six still,this is what everyone wants,the promised land of the premiership There seems to be this opinion amongst some posters that the only way that we could possibly break into the top 6 would be by spending a hundred million or more on players. And yet we have players at the club either now or who were here until comparatively recently, who have come up through our academy and who taken together would be worth this hundred or more millions. Add together the value of Bale, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaw, Lallana, Chambers, Ward-Prowse, Clyne etc and you have a pretty decent team without much expenditure if they were all still with us. In the case of Bale, Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain, had they been here now, we would not have had the need to sell them and if any of them went to a huge club like Bale did, then that money would have been in our bank account ready to invest in other top drawer players. The players currently coming through are the ones that will improve us immeasurably at minimum outlay, or swell our coffers if sold on. But the additional argument that holds water is that regardless of expenditure of multi-millions, a club is still at the end of the day buying players with all of the human frailties that are common to all players. No player is immune to injury or suspension and then it also depends on their mental strength, so that it is not unheard of that the most expensive team of individuals can be beaten by a much less expensively contructed team who play together as a team, the sum of its parts being greater than the whole. A top team can spend a huge amount on a player like Van Persie who is then out for much of the season and another team can discover a prodigy who is bought for a small outlay and who then sets the league on fire. For these reasons, it is not impossible to break into the top six, Everton have been doing it for years without spending mega-bucks. And the wobbles that Liverpool had these recent few seasons and the wobble that United are currently experiencing, prove that nothing is set in concrete when there are so many factors apart from expenditure that can influence the outcome of a league position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint86 Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 All the people moaning about their being nothing on offer at the moment are pathetic to be honest. If you can't stand to watch us go in to any game expecting to get a result then you are probably among the thousands who abandoned the club on its decent through the leagues... You go on about it being much more exciting going for back to back promotions and winning the jpt at wembley, then moan that we achieve our short term goal of reaching the premier league. Utterly pathetic, I have no interest in glory fans who are only supporting the club when they are winning things... Bunch of jokers. We didn't need you in league 1, and we sure as hell don't want you back here moaning that we aren't winning enough now we are in the upper echelons again. No issue with anyone that the above doesn't apply to ofc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearsy Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 yeah all them bloody glory hunters we had in league 1 ought to be shamed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Village Saint Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 When was the last time you supported a Saints team who you felt could possibly 'get something' from every single match in the top division? For me its been 30ish years. yes we were in the top flight for 27 years but for most of them we all had our calculators out by Xmas and would pray there were 3 teams more carp than us in the division. There was a stat (somewhere on saintsforever) that listed matches won in trhe preceeding 20 years for every club in the football league and we were in the bottom 5, presumably as we had spent all that time in the top division and f;lirted with relegation for most of it. Not really sure what you were hoping for, this is only our second season back up, a lot of our squad played in league 1/Champ. I am probably alone but I'm enjoying this season very much You are most emphatically not alone. There are so many plusses we need to enjoy it while we can. For me the best thing is going away ANYWHERE and knowing we really could get a result. It hasn't happened in the top division since that year we finished second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalek2003 Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 The win against WBA was a huge lift. Never take our league status for granted. Never be complacent ! Being 9th is absolutely fantastic ! If we finish 9th I will consider it one of our best ever seasons and champagne time. If we push on we could catch Newcastle and even finish 8th. That would be out of the world. Even staying up would make me happy. I love the league but for me, I cannot get enthused about the FA CUP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BARCELONASAINT Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 I would say i'm gob smacked by some of the negative comments but after seeing some of the negative dross on other threads i have to say i'm not surprised!......This has been an excellent exciting season so far, seeing our youngsters blooded and performing brilliantly. We play exciting pressing football, far better than anything we have seen for years. I have loved the first half of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 ......Rest the big guns at Sunderland and save them for Yeovil next Saturday. Not sure why that is funny. Down the pub most of my friends and acquaintances think this is a sensible approach. Chance to win something and get to Europe through the cup route. You don't see the inherent humour in Dan's comment? Must be a barrel of laughs down at your pub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrian lord Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 Europa League: Given that it is widely accepted as a poisoned chalice, maybe it's Cortese's master plan to avoid it and 'hide' mid-table this season and maybe next until we are truly ready for a genuine and glorious assault on the holy grail of the Champions' League spots? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 Europa League: Given that it is widely accepted as a poisoned chalice, maybe it's Cortese's master plan to avoid it and 'hide' mid-table this season and maybe next until we are truly ready for a genuine and glorious assault on the holy grail of the Champions' League spots? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlakeySFC Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 There's a sizeable gap between us and 10th and we're too good to go down a few places and dragged into a relegation battle. Then you look up and fair enough 8th is within reach. But for me the top seven is taken by the 2 x Manchester teams, 2 x Merseyside teams and 3 x London teams. Looking at our upcoming fixtures, maybe we can launch an assault on that top 7 but its a big maybe and I really hope we focus on the cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bender Posted 13 January, 2014 Author Share Posted 13 January, 2014 There are few teams in the Prem with little to play for in the league and for me we are one of them. Gives us a great advantage in the FA cup imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chez Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 I would say i'm gob smacked by some of the negative comments but after seeing some of the negative dross on other threads i have to say i'm not surprised!......This has been an excellent exciting season so far, seeing our youngsters blooded and performing brilliantly. We play exciting pressing football, far better than anything we have seen for years. I have loved the first half of the season. Thought we played better or at least more exciting football in the middle part of last season if I am honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 Whilst I'm neither bored or disappointed with where we are and where we are likely to stay I would love us to go balls out for the FA Cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpturner Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 There's a sizeable gap between us and 10th and we're too good to go down a few places and dragged into a relegation battle. Then you look up and fair enough 8th is within reach. But for me the top seven is taken by the 2 x Manchester teams, 2 x Merseyside teams and 3 x London teams. Looking at our upcoming fixtures, maybe we can launch an assault on that top 7 but its a big maybe and I really hope we focus on the cup. Yeah - really pining for the days when we could worry sick about the results of the other teams around the bottom 4 week in week out. Sad times indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 Europa League: Given that it is widely accepted as a poisoned chalice, maybe it's Cortese's master plan to avoid it and 'hide' mid-table this season and maybe next until we are truly ready for a genuine and glorious assault on the holy grail of the Champions' League spots? This. Wanyama and Boruc weren't really injured. Their injuries were fabricated to stop us cementing a spot in the top 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Patrón Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 I would say i'm gob smacked by some of the negative comments but after seeing some of the negative dross on other threads i have to say i'm not surprised!......This has been an excellent exciting season so far, seeing our youngsters blooded and performing brilliantly. We play exciting pressing football, far better than anything we have seen for years. I have loved the first half of the season. Same, it was the most enjoyable season I can remember until everyone got injured. We were one of the best three teams in the league and playing a good style, if we can get that back we can push for 6th place and have a very realistic chance of winning the cup. The most important thing this season is that we build up the clubs profile to make it easier to attract better players this summer and to keep the ones we've got. It's just grating that they're not strengthening the one or two remaining positions that would make us a top team when we're so close to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammysaint Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 Well if we beat Sunderland next week il agree were too good to go down. I would love a good cup run beat Yeovil and get another home game vs another Championship side will be ideal, however how about QF or SF of the FA CUP and 9th or 8th, that would be amazing, players will want to join a top 10 side plus the extra money for each position is well worth fighting for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Who? Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 Get a bit of luck with the cup draw and we could get to Wembley and a top half finish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_saint Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 It does indeed look like we are stuck in a rut, destined to finish 8th or 9th, as things stand today. However, considering where we were 2 months ago, any other team above us could go tittus verticus next week, and have the sort of run we had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamilton Saint Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 It does indeed look like we are stuck in a rut, destined to finish 8th or 9th, as things stand today. However, considering where we were 2 months ago, any other team above us could go tittus verticus next week, and have the sort of run we had. No, I reckon we're about to emerge from a significant dip in form caused primarily by a few key injuries. And the return of those players (Boruc, Wanyama, and Clyne) coincides with a much better run of games in the next two months. I expect a consolidation of our position, at minimum, but possibly a push for seventh or sixth place - if a team or two above us have their own slide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graffito Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 We're just past the midway point in the season. Anything can happen. Though given the squads above us we'd do well to get above 8th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lallana's Left Peg Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 Still plenty to look forward to given the age of most of our players. We'd like to think they haven't reached their potential yet, so to sit in this position with the best to come is a privilege even if the last few months have been rough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAS Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 We're just past the midway point in the season. Anything can happen. Though given the squads above us we'd do well to get above 8th.Agree with this. 8th place above Newcastle is best I can see. Not bad imo as the football is quality. And maybe there is still more to come. COYR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 Well if we beat Sunderland next week il agree were too good to go down. I would love a good cup run beat Yeovil and get another home game vs another Championship side will be ideal, however how about QF or SF of the FA CUP and 9th or 8th, that would be amazing, players will want to join a top 10 side plus the extra money for each position is well worth fighting for. The voice of reason from sammy. Well put, and pretty much exactly how I see this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint_clark Posted 13 January, 2014 Share Posted 13 January, 2014 (edited) Agree with this. 8th place above Newcastle is best I can see. Not bad imo as the football is quality. And maybe there is still more to come. COYR. I think people are underestimating how open the league is this season. Apart from Newcastle I can still see us eventually finishing above any of Everton, United or Spurs. Edited 14 January, 2014 by Saint_clark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwig Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 Not sure why that is funny. Down the pub most of my friends and acquaintances think this is a sensible approach. Chance to win something and get to Europe through the cup route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Sanchez Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 I just find it off having semi-finals in January and a wembley final so early in the season. It's such a poor cup. Everyone takes it seriously at the quarters/semis but not much before that. If saints go out early I often miss a round or two and get surprised it's the semis and whose in it, like Bradford last year. Great for Bradford, a great story, but not a great advert for how seriously higher teams were taking it. I do wonder what the motivation is for keeping it. Bradford fans wouldn't swap it for the World. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_saint Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 No, I reckon we're about to emerge from a significant dip in form caused primarily by a few key injuries. And the return of those players (Boruc, Wanyama, and Clyne) coincides with a much better run of games in the next two months. I expect a consolidation of our position, at minimum, but possibly a push for seventh or sixth place - if a team or two above us have their own slide. Wasnt that what I wrote ??????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintBobby Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 Well if we beat Sunderland next week il agree were too good to go down. I would love a good cup run beat Yeovil and get another home game vs another Championship side will be ideal, however how about QF or SF of the FA CUP and 9th or 8th, that would be amazing, players will want to join a top 10 side plus the extra money for each position is well worth fighting for. Wtf? We ARE way too good to go down. Even if we suddenly became utterly crap overnight, we probably only need 4 or 5 points from the remaining 17 games to avoid relegation. If we make good progress in the cup, I'd hope (expect?) us to potentially rest players from largely irrelevant league games. I fear that Cortese and Poch just don't rate cup competitions though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scallysaint Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 If we come 8th or higher then I think that at this stage of the teams development thats like winning the league Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabrone Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 "Struggling to get excited by our league campaign" Really? The first half of the season was great fun as we bobbled around the top 6 getting rave reviews. Christmas saw the limitations of our squad cruelly exposed but we should have now done enough to ensure survival and are on track to be crowned as the 'best of the rest' which is brilliant. Being as we'd have to greatly exceed champs league form to even get to 6th (if Spurs beat us at WHL we'd need to overhaul 13 points in 16 games - forget it) we should grab those 12 odd points needed to seal survival ASAP and then look at blooding in youth and rotating our first XI to keep them 100% fit for cup games. If we do I think we've got a real fighting chance in the competition. Most fans would be chuffed to bits with 8th and a really good cup run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwichsaint Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 If we come 8th or higher then I think that at this stage of the teams development thats like winning the league Yeh, if we exclude the two Mancs, the two Scouse and the 3 big London clubs we have a fighting chance of being crowned 'Best of the Rest'. Champions Lge it ain't but it's still a decent return for our second season and should see us tactically avoid the Europa cup too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamilton Saint Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 Wasnt that what I wrote ??????? Your key point (which I highlighted) was that we were "stuck in a rut". My key point was that we are not in a rut (which implies no change ahead), but things were about to change as our injured players come back into regular service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamilton Saint Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 When was the last time you supported a Saints team who you felt could possibly 'get something' from every single match in the top division? For me its been 30ish years. yes we were in the top flight for 27 years but for most of them we all had our calculators out by Xmas and would pray there were 3 teams more carp than us in the division. I am probably alone but I'm enjoying this season very much No, you're certainly not alone. It's great to be in an era now where I don't approach most games with an underlying sense of dread. Now, I seem to be full of optimism about our short-term and long-term outlook. And that's exciting. Long may it continue! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Saint Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 If being excited means precariously tiptoeing around the trap door of the league all season - sign me up to the beige and horlicks club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 If being excited means precariously tiptoeing around the trap door of the league all season - sign me up to the beige and horlicks club It probably means (at least to me) that, looking upwards rather than downwards we are close to the limit of our potential in the league. Finishing 8th or 9th would be a great achievement this season, no doubt. But there's the nagging doubt of how much further we can realistically expect to go. Plenty of people are happy to consider finishing 7th and 8th as a true measure of success and contentment. Others aren't so much,in that finishing 6th and upwards currently seems beyond us and fighting out for 7th and 8th with no tangible reward on offer is a strange thing to get used to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohio Saint Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 We are definitely in the twilight zone as far as the Prem is concerned. I'd like to see a real attempt at the Fa cup, and the Jan transfer window treated more like the summer window and buy any prospects with time to gel them for next season. The latter does not look like happening though. Either way, despite our drop, I am still enjoying this season immensely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpweySaint Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 Okay we may well not be in the running for the title etc etc however I don't think I'm alone in enjoying the football we are currently playing. That and it's exciting to see the academy grads playing often and playing well. Throw in the fact that our league campaign might result in one or more of ours off to Brazil in the summer, now that's rather exciting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 14 January, 2014 Share Posted 14 January, 2014 That and it's exciting to see the academy grads playing often and playing well. Throw in the fact that our league campaign might result in one or more of ours off to Brazil in the summer, now that's rather exciting! For me, those are major reasons why this season has been better than any other Premier League season. Many of those we're tepid in the extreme. This current side feels much like Chris Nichol's side of the late 80s with MLT, Shearer, Rod Wallace, Dodd etc all coming through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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