Think I'm starting to hate football!

[Toadhall Saint]

1 hour ago, whelk said:

Sounds like you lot need to find a new hobby. Good luck

Just waiting for my Hampshire CC membership to come through. In comparison I get far more for my money. Let’s hope I’m not feeling the same when my ST renewal comes round.

[Whitey Grandad]

2 minutes ago, Toadhall Saint said:

Just waiting for my Hampshire CC membership to come through. In comparison I get far more for my money. Let’s hope I’m not feeling the same when my ST renewal comes round.

Some tough decisions coming up before too long. At the moment I’m minded not to renew.

I have no affiliation with the seats.

My grandson will be away on a placement next season.

We can always get some tickets if we feel that we want too

Money is very tight.

[Toadhall Saint]

33 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Some tough decisions coming up before too long. At the moment I’m minded not to renew.

I have no affiliation with the seats.

My grandson will be away on a placement next season.

We can always get some tickets if we feel that we want too

Money is very tight.

Funnily enough I’m more likely to if we are in the Championship 

[Whitey Grandad]

30 minutes ago, Toadhall Saint said:

Funnily enough I’m more likely to if we are in the Championship 

It all depends on pricing.

[die Mannyschaft]

Watched Saints over 40 years and season holder most of the time at Dell, block 42, 37, and 13. Last few seasons Saints have not played entertaining football just possession garbage and VAR has ruined football. Have also watched Winchester and Eastleigh as often hone games don't clash but this football is still real football. Less shit pulling, actually see goals ftom corners. Players committed. No stupid rules on bringing in food or flask, water. Foot usalso edible unlike Saints. I can't belive what Saints pay for player and salary given the performance and standard of football. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Whitey Grandad]

34 minutes ago, die Mannyschaft said:

Watched Saints over 40 years and season holder most of the time at Dell, block 42, 37, and 13. Last few seasons Saints have not played entertaining football just possession garbage and VAR has ruined football. Have also watched Winchester and Eastleigh as often hone games don't clash but this football is still real football. Less shit pulling, actually see goals ftom corners. Players committed. No stupid rules on bringing in food or flask, water. Foot usalso edible unlike Saints. I can't belive what Saints pay for player and salary given the performance and standard of football. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'd pay to see that!

[OttawaSaint]

I don't hate football, I watch lots of other matches and play on Friday nights. 

However I do hate watching Saints. It is just complete drudgery and frustration.

Watching other games makes watching Saints games worse when I see teams that are supposed to be our level having a real go and at least creating and scoring on chances.

 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

Ultimately, so many players look like they don't really give a shit whether they win or lose and there's no understanding what our club means to us. But I've just accepted that is the way it is nowadays. The day is no longer about the football, more the day out. Sadly, we indoctrinated our sons in to the Saints way, but to be fair to my brother and myself, we have taken our teenage boys to Leicester, C.Palace and Chelsea this season, so it's not all been doom and gloom.   

[Saint_clark]

10 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

It all depends on pricing.

Can already see it...

"Despite there being 4 extra home games this season, we are FREEZING season ticket prices at last seasons level!". 

[SotonianWill]

 first time i’ve agreed with talk sport

[Toadhall Saint]

2 hours ago, SotonianWill said:

 first time i’ve agreed with talk sport

Not sure who said it but “Football is a simple game made complicated by idiots” rung true then and is true now. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, Toadhall Saint said:

Not sure who said it but “Football is a simple game made complicated by idiots” rung true then and is true now. 

Shanks.

 

Low block, is another one. What a load of old pony. The bird on BT now talking about Newcastle having a low block but occasionally using a med block. Pony. 

[Turkish]

2 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Shanks.

 

Low block, is another one. What a load of old pony. The bird on BT now talking about Newcastle having a low block but occasionally using a med block. Pony. 

It’s geeks trying to sound clever. All this shite about Number 10, number 6 false nine etc is a load of pony as well

Edited 4 March, 2023 by Turkish

[East Kent Saint]

Brady donating £9k of WHU’s money to Conservatives when Liz Truss was fleetingly PM along with NUFC chairman being a member of Saudi govt despite them claiming no one associated with Saudi regime has anything to do with NUFC .

[saint michael]

Selles talking about on pitch relationships…. He means passing to a teammate

Edited 4 March, 2023 by saint michael

[AlexLaw76]

56 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Shanks.

 

Low block, is another one. What a load of old pony. The bird on BT now talking about Newcastle having a low block but occasionally using a med block. Pony. 

Like saying a player is a 9 & 1/2 

Daft

[Saint_clark]

3 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Shanks.

 

Low block, is another one. What a load of old pony. The bird on BT now talking about Newcastle having a low block but occasionally using a med block. Pony. 

Isn't a low block just blocking a ball that's travelling on the floor? Confused.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

3 hours ago, Saint_clark said:

Isn't a low block just blocking a ball that's travelling on the floor? Confused.

No, a low block is what you need to fix a wobbly tactics board or an uneven chair in the club canteen. If you were to use a mid block, the other parts would be wobbly. 🙂

Edited 4 March, 2023 by Holmes_and_Watson

[whelk]

Can we have some stats on pundits use of ‘transition’ in 22/23 season compared to previous seasons? Pretentious pricks have discovered a new word

 

Edited 5 March, 2023 by whelk

[AlexLaw76]

Setting traps - another awful phrase used

[whelk]

1 minute ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Setting traps - another awful phrase used

Rio likes that one. Forget one game but wouldn’t shut up about it and it was basically just tackles

[Turkish]

I’m sure someone will be along soon to tell us all we just don’t understand it all. 

[Turkish]

Just now, whelk said:

Rio likes that one. Forget one game but wouldn’t shut up about it and it was basically just tackles

You don’t understand. 

[CB Fry]

16 minutes ago, whelk said:

Can we have some stats on pundits use of ‘transition’ in 22/23 season compared to previous seasons? Pretentious pricks have discovered a new word

 

I think Overload (or Overloads) is the new Transition.

They cut to the stadium reporter on Five Live yesterday who said that Bournemouth had "overloaded" Arsenal down one wing to score their first goal yesterday. This is 40 seconds into the bloody game.

[AlexLaw76]

Overload, setting traps, low block, transition, trust the process

Sounds just like graham potter...he speaks in this language almost exclusively 

[whelk]

48 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

I think Overload (or Overloads) is the new Transition.

They cut to the stadium reporter on Five Live yesterday who said that Bournemouth had "overloaded" Arsenal down one wing to score their first goal yesterday. This is 40 seconds into the bloody game.

Transition to the overload. Although could also overload to get a transition. C’mon Saints do both!

[david in sweden]

On 02/03/2023 at 09:00, Bob76 said:

For background I have been a fan for over fifty years and a season ticket holder for almost forty. During that as a saints fan I have seen many lows and a couple of highs.

This is probably the lowest I have felt about my club and the game in general.

It has now been almost seven seasons of home poor performances, can't be bothered to check but sure we have not had a good home season since koeman. As a result the atmosphere is rubbish and the crab like rubbish(hate 4:2:2:2) that we play leaves us exposed at the back and in midfield whilst creating nothing.

Then you have VAR, you can't even celebrate a goal now, you have to wait to see if a nose hair is offside and refs looking at still shots of incidents to make decisions, the game is played at speed.

Then the money in the prem is killing the game, clubs now owned by states, how do other clubs compete, any club outside the rich few is in danger of relegation.

Last night as usual I went along mainly now to meet my brother and mates, poor crowd for a 5th round but who can blame people, and you saw a crap formation poor players and no heart or fight at all 

I think I will only renew if we go down, time to go to a division where we may get our soul back or at least win some games.

Lastly what can we fans do about things, again clubs are now owned by people so remote from the area what we do makes little difference, gone are the days like the Branfoot or Lowe days, these days the money comes from places other than us, not sure our voice counts anymore.

Sorry for the rant but the cat buggered off when I got home so couldn't even kick him.

Nice reading Bob 76, (like you I've been a fan for a while, my first game was 1959) but you have to admit the game has improved in some ways,

although not always for the better.   The ownership of clubs, and even other states was an  inevitable progression when football-loving billionaires

found they had nothing better to  squander their money on, and so they can call the shots. It is of course unfair on the  rest of us, (who although

managing to maintain our Prem. status)  still struggle by on 15-20 million transfers, whilst the big money clubs spend  100 million or more every

transfer window, yet seem little better than before.

Being able to view TV games are good - even with adverts - otherwise people like me would never be able see Prem. games at all.

Being a fan is an expensive hobby for many (especially in bad economic times) not to mention travel costs for those faithful  2000 plus who 

always follow to every away game and sing their hearts out.  My trips from Sweden to my home city haven't been cheap over the years either,

but like the wedding vows it's - for better or worse - and we stick with it.  

 

I had long campaigned for VAR which does right some injustices, although I think that deciding that " a hand or arm " being offside is wrong, as it

is not a  " body part " that you can legally score with, and how a player can be offside with his back to goal  can be considered to have "an advantage". 

 

The main problem with so many formations is that " good players in another club" often never adapt their skills to a change of formation in their new club.

The Grimsby defeat was only bad for our reputation, as some of the regular Prem. side weren't even on the bench, and didn't represent a " normal side "

but we have them on the books and when given a chance they must adapt, show-up and be seen. The result was bad, but we learned a lot more about them.

I'm sure that we will have a better side in - a year or two -, as at present " our best talents " are still in their teens and playing in the Academy.

The main question is - will we still be in the Prem. when their time comes?. 

[Whitey Grandad]

15 minutes ago, david in sweden said:

Nice reading Bob 76, (like you I've been a fan for a while, my first game was 1959) but you have to admit the game has improved in some ways,

although not always for the better.   The ownership of clubs, and even other states was an  inevitable progression when football-loving billionaires

found they had nothing better to  squander their money on, and so they can call the shots. It is of course unfair on the  rest of us, (who although

managing to maintain our Prem. status)  still struggle by on 15-20 million transfers, whilst the big money clubs spend  100 million or more every

transfer window, yet seem little better than before.

Being able to view TV games are good - even with adverts - otherwise people like me would never be able see Prem. games at all.

Being a fan is an expensive hobby for many (especially in bad economic times) not to mention travel costs for those faithful  2000 plus who 

always follow to every away game and sing their hearts out.  My trips from Sweden to my home city haven't been cheap over the years either,

but like the wedding vows it's - for better or worse - and we stick with it.  

 

I had long campaigned for VAR which does right some injustices, although I think that deciding that " a hand or arm " being offside is wrong, as it

is not a  " body part " that you can legally score with, and how a player can be offside with his back to goal  can be considered to have "an advantage". 

 

The main problem with so many formations is that " good players in another club" often never adapt their skills to a change of formation in their new club.

The Grimsby defeat was only bad for our reputation, as some of the regular Prem. side weren't even on the bench, and didn't represent a " normal side "

but we have them on the books and when given a chance they must adapt, show-up and be seen. The result was bad, but we learned a lot more about them.

I'm sure that we will have a better side in - a year or two -, as at present " our best talents " are still in their teens and playing in the Academy.

The main question is - will we still be in the Prem. when their time comes?. 

Improved, but not for the better?

I blame the money. By that I mean the greed, in particular the broadcasting companies.

[Lord Duckhunter]

This article pretty much sums it up.

 

FOOTBALL is a simple game, complicated by idiots.

Bill Shankly wasn’t impressed with the evolution of the game in the sixties, goodness knows what the legendary Liverpool gaffer would have made of the 21st century version.

It’s hard to imagine Shanks with the big beard and sleeve tattoos, sitting sipping a skinny latte and talking about Jurgen Klopp’s side’s xG stats.

Yeah, I said it. That’s xG stats. It means Expected Goals. Still no clearer? Well hang on, this is going to be a bumpy ride.

It turns out football is not simple any more, far from it. A lot of us have done our best to resist the dark ways of modern football but maybe it’s time to step out from the shadows.

There’s a whole world out there most of us dinosaurs don’t know about.

This dismantling of the game is happening in the shady recesses of the internet, the domain of the football hipsters.

But, much to the beardy boys’ disgust, the stuff they talk about is creeping into the mainstream. Nerdy football was cool but with more folk looking at this kind of analysis it’s probably not cool any more.

The hipsters will need to move on to something else but a lot of us still need to catch up with the trendies.

There’s no choice, by the way. We can resist all we like but when top bosses start talking in riddles then you can either get with the programme or get involved with carpet bowls.

He spoke about how he was happy playing 6, 8 or 10. There were some puzzled looks in the press pack. Six? That was left half back in the day. Not now.

Strap yourselves in here for a quick zip around the modern game. The six or eight positions can now be the deep lying midfielder. It used to be the holding role but not any more.

It can be the Destroyer – the spoiler breaking up the play and giving it to a more talented guy.

But it can be the Regista – a playmaker who dictates the flow of the game from deep.

Then there is the Volante – a combination of the two, an athlete who can read the game, make interceptions and then pick out the passes that will break the defensive lines. You’re slipping away here, aren’t you?

Further up at 10 is the Trequartista. The playmaker, the second, deep striker, the man who unlocks defences.

A false nine? Don’t be so 2011. It’s the shadow striker now, the role Lionel Messi made famous. The striker, who’s not a striker, who comes deep and confuses the heck out of defenders.

There’s also a false 10 these days but you need a degree in astrophysics to explain it. Then the Raumdeuter. It’s German for ‘space investigator’, a wide player who comes inside to look for spaces, often to the middle, or zone 14, which is a coaching box in front of the penalty area.

He’s not to be confused with the inverted winger who cuts in Arjen Robben style, or the inverted full-back, or wing-back.

There’s even a Forward Destroyer but that’s for the advanced class, along with the stats blitz, the high press and low block, and the transitions.

Confused? You should be.

 

[do i not like fizzy pop]

On 05/03/2023 at 11:39, Lord Duckhunter said:

This article pretty much sums it up.

 

FOOTBALL is a simple game, complicated by idiots.

Bill Shankly wasn’t impressed with the evolution of the game in the sixties, goodness knows what the legendary Liverpool gaffer would have made of the 21st century version.

It’s hard to imagine Shanks with the big beard and sleeve tattoos, sitting sipping a skinny latte and talking about Jurgen Klopp’s side’s xG stats.

Yeah, I said it. That’s xG stats. It means Expected Goals. Still no clearer? Well hang on, this is going to be a bumpy ride.

It turns out football is not simple any more, far from it. A lot of us have done our best to resist the dark ways of modern football but maybe it’s time to step out from the shadows.

There’s a whole world out there most of us dinosaurs don’t know about.

This dismantling of the game is happening in the shady recesses of the internet, the domain of the football hipsters.

But, much to the beardy boys’ disgust, the stuff they talk about is creeping into the mainstream. Nerdy football was cool but with more folk looking at this kind of analysis it’s probably not cool any more.

The hipsters will need to move on to something else but a lot of us still need to catch up with the trendies.

There’s no choice, by the way. We can resist all we like but when top bosses start talking in riddles then you can either get with the programme or get involved with carpet bowls.

He spoke about how he was happy playing 6, 8 or 10. There were some puzzled looks in the press pack. Six? That was left half back in the day. Not now.

Strap yourselves in here for a quick zip around the modern game. The six or eight positions can now be the deep lying midfielder. It used to be the holding role but not any more.

It can be the Destroyer – the spoiler breaking up the play and giving it to a more talented guy.

But it can be the Regista – a playmaker who dictates the flow of the game from deep.

Then there is the Volante – a combination of the two, an athlete who can read the game, make interceptions and then pick out the passes that will break the defensive lines. You’re slipping away here, aren’t you?

Further up at 10 is the Trequartista. The playmaker, the second, deep striker, the man who unlocks defences.

A false nine? Don’t be so 2011. It’s the shadow striker now, the role Lionel Messi made famous. The striker, who’s not a striker, who comes deep and confuses the heck out of defenders.

There’s also a false 10 these days but you need a degree in astrophysics to explain it. Then the Raumdeuter. It’s German for ‘space investigator’, a wide player who comes inside to look for spaces, often to the middle, or zone 14, which is a coaching box in front of the penalty area.

He’s not to be confused with the inverted winger who cuts in Arjen Robben style, or the inverted full-back, or wing-back.

There’s even a Forward Destroyer but that’s for the advanced class, along with the stats blitz, the high press and low block, and the transitions.

Confused? You should be.

 

Big Ron Atkinson started it with Ronglish. At least that was amusing.  It's just deteriorated into management bollock speak.

 https://dangerhere.com/2020/10/12/learn-ronglish/ 

[Saint_Jonny]

Fucking boomer convention in here.

[tajjuk]

All the people complaining about XG, transitions, stats etc. just sound like grumpy old men shouting at something they don't understand.  That aspect of the modern game is one of the few aspects of modern football that is actually good and interesting IMO, the increased technique and brilliance of players, the tactical battle between sound managers, the heavy metal in your face style of pressing teams clashing against other philosophies. 

VAR is also fine, it's the application of it in this country that is bad. It was shown in the World Cup that it can be used correctly to get more decision right and correctly. 

But the rest is just greed and capitalism, it sucks the life out of everything eventually, because for certain people it is never enough, they always want more and more. Football is a just a small example of what is happening in larger society. We have more billionaires than ever before in the world, yet more and more people in poverty, all the social media crap essentially comes down to people wanting to make money and be famous at all costs. Isn't every PL owner now a billionaire? You have people earning £100k a week for kicking a ball around, whilst struggling families who many don't earn half that in a year, are expected to pay hundreds to go watch them. Horrible dictatorships owning clubs for sportswashing, FIFA being corrupt as ever and World Cups being bought, owner and regulators of the game being more concerned about the 'fans' thousands of miles away rather than the ones living 10 minutes from the stadium, teams sponsored by betting companies so more money can be conned out of ordinary people.  There are so many Americans involved now in English football we can't be that far away from franchises and drafts IMO. 

[Whitey Grandad]

21 minutes ago, tajjuk said:

All the people complaining about XG, transitions, stats etc. just sound like grumpy old men shouting at something they don't understand.  That aspect of the modern game is one of the few aspects of modern football that is actually good and interesting IMO, the increased technique and brilliance of players, the tactical battle between sound managers, the heavy metal in your face style of pressing teams clashing against other philosophies. 

VAR is also fine, it's the application of it in this country that is bad. It was shown in the World Cup that it can be used correctly to get more decision right and correctly. 

But the rest is just greed and capitalism, it sucks the life out of everything eventually, because for certain people it is never enough, they always want more and more. Football is a just a small example of what is happening in larger society. We have more billionaires than ever before in the world, yet more and more people in poverty, all the social media crap essentially comes down to people wanting to make money and be famous at all costs. Isn't every PL owner now a billionaire? You have people earning £100k a week for kicking a ball around, whilst struggling families who many don't earn half that in a year, are expected to pay hundreds to go watch them. Horrible dictatorships owning clubs for sportswashing, FIFA being corrupt as ever and World Cups being bought, owner and regulators of the game being more concerned about the 'fans' thousands of miles away rather than the ones living 10 minutes from the stadium, teams sponsored by betting companies so more money can be conned out of ordinary people.  There are so many Americans involved now in English football we can't be that far away from franchises and drafts IMO. 

I understand it all right. It’s just that it has nothing to do with football. In its essence the game can be a thing of beauty. It can have a spirit that transcends ordinary mortal life. Yet some people want to analyse it to death. It’s like doing a post mortem in the goose that used to lay golden eggs.

When was the last time that we saw two teams really going at it hammer and tongs? When all caution was thrown to the winds and the crowd was buzzing on the edge of its seats? Whatever happened to one touch football, to ‘tip and run’?

Games of football never used to be tactical battles. They are more boring than watching snooker on the radio.

We ‘old men’ know what football used to be like. What we have now is soccerball.

[tajjuk]

5 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

I understand it all right. It’s just that it has nothing to do with football. In its essence the game can be a thing of beauty. It can have a spirit that transcends ordinary mortal life. Yet some people want to analyse it to death. It’s like doing a post mortem in the goose that used to lay golden eggs.

When was the last time that we saw two teams really going at it hammer and tongs? When all caution was thrown to the winds and the crowd was buzzing on the edge of its seats? Whatever happened to one touch football, to ‘tip and run’?

Games of football never used to be tactical battles. They are more boring than watching snooker on the radio.

We ‘old men’ know what football used to be like. What we have now is soccerball.

No you don't because if you did you'd appreciate it.

This whole thread is just a giant pair of nostalgia goggles, it's just confirmation bias, you are all just basically doing the 'in my day' cliche. 

And honestly saying football never had tactical battles is the biggest load of nonsense, there have been tactical revolutions, clashes of style,  tactical innovation, throughout the history of football how the hell do you think things like Total Football and Catenaccio came about? Those are like 50 years old or more. Statistical analysis of the game was also first done in like the 1970s, same with sports science. All this stuff that people claim is 'modern football' has been around for decades and decades. 

[The Left Back]

3 minutes ago, tajjuk said:

No you don't because if you did you'd appreciate it.

This whole thread is just a giant pair of nostalgia goggles, it's just confirmation bias, you are all just basically doing the 'in my day' cliche. 

And honestly saying football never had tactical battles is the biggest load of nonsense, there have been tactical revolutions, clashes of style,  tactical innovation, throughout the history of football how the hell do you think things like Total Football and Catenaccio came about? Those are like 50 years old or more. Statistical analysis of the game was also first done in like the 1970s, same with sports science. All this stuff that people claim is 'modern football' has been around for decades and decades. 

Don't forget Ramsey's wingless wonders.  Revolutionary but would have gone down like a lead balloon among the Stadler and Waldorfs of the day.  

I'm not over keen on all the stats but agree with your sentiments generally, particularly on the broader societal implications and football's place in it.

[sadoldgit]

On 03/03/2023 at 09:31, Mr Nimbus said:

This is absolutely spot on. I reckon if clubs actually asked supporters' wanted, most rational people would say the same.

Me personally I still love that football. Seeing a screamer from nowhere, a crunching tackle, giving a "big club" the occasional bloody nose or a nipper coming through the academy and performing for the first team. These things give me real joy. 

All this noddy social media bollocks, trying to push brandng like "we march on" its bollocks.

I look back at the pandemic and cant help but think football had a real chance to change and the boat was missed. 

Sadly you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. Football has been more about business for some time, but once the big bucks flowed into the game, that was it. To quote The Apprentice, it is all about “numbers” now, everything else is a by-product. It is basic capitalism/Darwinism. Big fish eat little fish and get even bigger. If a super league does happen that won’t be the end of it. There will be plenty of clubs outside of it wanting to get their noses in the trough too and that then will become the Holy Grail for aspirational clubs. You see, there will be plenty of fans berating their Boards for lack of investment in making their club a candidate for the super league. I am just glad that I lived through a period when a club the size of Southampton could beat United in the FA Cup Final and push Liverpool closely for the old Division 1 title.

[Mr Nimbus]

Stats in themselves are fine. I personally find it too much when people use them to try and force their point or agenda across, usually on Twitter. 

This guy is a a "baller" look at his goal involvements etc and when he steps on the pitch he looks pony.

The way people were going on about Onuachu for example. Good "stats" but has looked quite of the pace thus far.

With VAR I am actually in favour of the concept. The execution has been a complete dogs dinner. Genie's out the bottle now though.

Edited 8 March, 2023 by Mr Nimbus

[tajjuk]

3 minutes ago, The Left Back said:

Don't forget Ramsey's wingless wonders.  Revolutionary but would have gone down like a lead balloon among the Stadler and Waldorfs of the day.  

I'm not over keen on all the stats but agree with your sentiments generally, particularly on the broader societal implications and football's place in it.

Exactly, as did 4-4-2 when it first came along, moving away from the W-M type formations of the day. Or for example how Hungary humiliated England in the 50s, through their more complete team orientated style, compared to the more individualistic approach England was using at the time, which iirc prompted changes in the English game. Going all the way back to like pre 1900s English football was Rugby influenced, it was like a pack moving across the pitch behind the ball and the Scots came in and introduced a more passing, positional based game that completely changed the sport. 

Tactics, statistics, sports science, footballing philosophies, styles, none of this is particularly new in football it's just with the internet and television we have access to far more materials about it. A coach in the 60s or 70s taking down stats would have been doing it himself for his team and coaches, probably on pieces of paper, rarely to be seen by anyone else. Now we have systems and companies that do this and freely share the information and we can access it through all these different types of media, plus there is more TV coverage of games, more cameras etc. to pick all this stuff up that wasn't present back in the day, but doesn't mean people were not doing it or that is wasn't important to football then.

Passionate, clever people, when they apply themselves to something will create innovation and change.  

[Charlie Wayman]

On 03/03/2023 at 11:50, Whitey Grandad said:

Some tough decisions coming up before too long. At the moment I’m minded not to renew.

I have no affiliation with the seats.

My grandson will be away on a placement next season.

We can always get some tickets if we feel that we want too

Money is very tight.

Fully understand your dilemma but I suspect you will not be able to resist renewal. The only thing that stopped me was the pandemic and the screw up at the ticket office that led to our seats being sold to a.n. other without checking with us first. Now I go along to the occasional match that costs me £60 a shot! Much cheaper with a season ticket so unless you are experiencing real hardship stick with it. Not only that, you will lose your favourite seat for good and that hurts.

I will start again next season if a decent seat vacancy crops up.

[Fabrice Fernandes no.1 fan]

1 hour ago, Whitey Grandad said:

I understand it all right. It’s just that it has nothing to do with football. In its essence the game can be a thing of beauty. It can have a spirit that transcends ordinary mortal life. Yet some people want to analyse it to death. It’s like doing a post mortem in the goose that used to lay golden eggs.

When was the last time that we saw two teams really going at it hammer and tongs? When all caution was thrown to the winds and the crowd was buzzing on the edge of its seats? Whatever happened to one touch football, to ‘tip and run’?

Games of football never used to be tactical battles. They are more boring than watching snooker on the radio.

We ‘old men’ know what football used to be like. What we have now is soccerball.

People can analyse football if they particularly want to, you can just not engage with that side of things. Nothing wrong with turning a game on, watching it and then turning it off, or arriving at the stadium, having a drink and then watching the game before heading home. Same with this site, if you don't want to discuss statistics or trends then stick to the posts and threads about the elements of the sport you do like.

Football is too large a sport for this approach at the level you're wanting to watch. Teams results can dictate where millions of pounds go, and managers can be out of a job and unemployed for a string of bad results. There is too much riding on the matches now to just not consider the consequences of playing a certain way. 

I suggest you find a non-league team to watch on the side, yes there is going to be stats and analysis, but it might be closer to what you want than Saints can provide at this point, so maybe follow them alongside that. 

[Chris cooper]

On 02/03/2023 at 18:46, cloggy saint said:

I fell out of love with football about 15 years ago and I'm all the better for it. I always want Saints to do well but I really couldn't care less if they don't.

You’ve not been for 15 years ??

[cloggy saint]

17 minutes ago, Chris cooper said:

You’ve not been for 15 years ??

The last time I went was the Dell circa 1994, but living abroad has played a part in that.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, Fabrice Fernandes no.1 fan said:

People can analyse football if they particularly want to, you can just not engage with that side of things. Nothing wrong with turning a game on, watching it and then turning it off, or arriving at the stadium, having a drink and then watching the game before heading home. Same with this site, if you don't want to discuss statistics or trends then stick to the posts and threads about the elements of the sport you do like.

Football is too large a sport for this approach at the level you're wanting to watch. Teams results can dictate where millions of pounds go, and managers can be out of a job and unemployed for a string of bad results. There is too much riding on the matches now to just not consider the consequences of playing a certain way. 

I suggest you find a non-league team to watch on the side, yes there is going to be stats and analysis, but it might be closer to what you want than Saints can provide at this point, so maybe follow them alongside that. 

The coverage these days is awful. You can't just sit and immerse yourself in a game any more. Interminable replays of something that was meaningless whilst the ball is actually in play. Multiple camera angles so that one moment you're watching from the middle of the stand and the next you're down at the corner flag for a couple of seconds. Brainless commentators who think that they have to be talking all the time. Shots of the managers or the crowd whilst the game is going on. I just want to concentrate on the ebb and flow of the game.

I go to the game live because that is the only way that I can take part in what is going on.

This thread is about starting to hate football. It has sold its soul to big money and the result is not for the better.

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 hours ago, sadoldgit said:

 I am just glad that I lived through a period when a club the size of Southampton could beat United in the FA Cup Final and push Liverpool closely for the old Division 1 title.

I’m glad I lived through a period when Wigan could win the FA cup & Leicester could win the league. 

[Whitey Grandad]

31 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

I’m glad I lived through a period when Wigan could win the FA cup & Leicester could win the league. 

Do you see it ever happening again soon?

[SambaMaverick]

34 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Do you see it ever happening again soon?

I mean Leicester won the FA Cup only a few years ago... it's possible. We're just in a downward trajectory at the moment.

[Whitey Grandad]

15 minutes ago, SambaMaverick said:

I mean Leicester won the FA Cup only a few years ago... it's possible. We're just in a downward trajectory at the moment.

If we are heading down then others are heading up.

[SambaMaverick]

8 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

If we are heading down then others are heading up.

That's how football works Grandad, surely you know that - do you think Brighton or Brentford fans are complaining about how much they hate football?

Edited 8 March, 2023 by SambaMaverick

[Bob76]

1 hour ago, SambaMaverick said:

That's how football works Grandad, surely you know that - do you think Brighton or Brentford fans are complaining about how much they hate football?

Give them time, they will have their best players picked off and be fighting to stay up soon enough. Then see how they feel.

[adrian lord]

Pray, what are these "channels" on the pitch of which the oh-so-smart Millennials constantly speak?