SKD

Probably a controversial opinion, but I don't think safe standing will make a blind bit of difference to the atmosphere at St Mary's. Lets face it, rightly or wrongly, if you want to stand you can and do. If i'm being honest, I can't remember the last time I sat at a football game. However, if it will improve the safety of fans at games (which I assume is the idea) then it's a no brainier and for that reason I will sign it.

You're still struggling to grasp that people don't want to pay to watch boring **** then, I see.

I think this pretty much sums up the change / problem. Top photo - All youngish men. Probably a bit boisterous and been on the beer all day. The other two - Women, young kids, tourists and face paint.

:lol: Get a grip ffs you melt. I was also at that game, and whilst I didn't participate it was evidently a bit of fun from a few youngsters. No harm done. Childish, yes, but to be ashamed to be associated with the same club.... Unfortunately, fans like you are having a detrimental impact on the hostility (as called for by Davis) of the atmosphere. You, and many others as i'm sure you weren't alone in your disgust, demonstrate why as a club / fan base we are way to friendly.

A front 3 of Boufal -- Long -- Gabbi Would really offer us pace and directness and if you were to give them a free role to roam and interchange, I really think it would work and cause problems. Obviously you would need to be a bit more cautious in the middle and at the back, so behind them you could either play RB--CB--CB--LB -------DM------- -----CM--CM--- Or ---CB--CB--CB--- WB--CM--CM--WB Whilst I don't really rate Long, he offers us something that Austin doesn't. He'll chase down everything and put the opposition under pressure. If we can get goals in around him, and not rely on him to score them, he can be very effective for us. I don't understand the reluctance to play or at least try Gabi on the right (to cut in on his left) - He's played there before and lets be honest, he can't be any worse than Redmond or Tadic at the moment.

Apparently his new born is already stronger and quicker than JWP

Just saw an article in the Mail where Steven Davis has urged Southampton fans to create a "hostile atmosphere". Which lets be honest, isn't going to happen. Which got me thinking. It's been getting worse for a couple of years now and last year was probably the worst I've ever seen it (other than a couple of games - off the top of my head Inter at home?). I do in part put this down to the change of fanbase (more tourists) in recent years and lack of entertaining football, however I guess the question is how can we improve it? I'm all for creating your own atmosphere, but it seems with our fanbase, who generally are only willing to sing 1 or 2 songs, are unable to do so. Drum? - Not my personal preference, but there's no denying it does help improve the atmosphere if used correctly. A band? - Similar to the above. Works well at England games. Song Sheets for new songs? - I think these would help - IIRC, some where handed out for SRL chant An 'Ultra' section? - For me this is just a no go, however it does work well at Palace and Huddersfield. Could we have a section of tightly packed fans who have flags / scarfs and create the atmosphere (maybe bottom of Northam or Itchen North) without having cringey black tshirts or think they are from Eastern Europe? Is it just that as a club / country we are too friendly? I have to say, having traveled a bit across Europe both for both club and national games, I do enjoy the hostility of games in Europe. It's something that we just haven't really been able to recreate in the UK. Any other suggestions?

I'm not sure how many of our games you've watched, but from the above it would suggest not a lot. 1) Yoshida is a much better defender than Stephens. Yoshida is better in the air and has much more ability to mark his man. 2) Stephens weakness is not lack of pace. He's actually pretty good in 1-1 situations, even if he isn't blessed with the pace of Yoshida or VvD. His weakness is his inability to mark, positioning isn't great (he doesn't have the pace to make up that extra yard or 2) and he's pretty poor in the air. For me, he's very good on the ball and is pretty good in a tackle. 3) Ultimately he cost us the game in the EFL cup final. He switched off and left their best player to have a free header from 6 yards. He clearly has something about him and impressed me when he came in and was right to be given the chance, however for the time being, 4th choice is about right for him.

The time to judge them will be after the next 5 games: Sunderland (h) - League Cup B'mouth (h) Limassol (h) - EL Burnely (h) Brighton (a) I suspect they'll be in the next round of the cup, have a win in the EL and above us in the table come the end of those 5 games. If, in the unlikely event, he fails to win 3/4 of the above 5, I think he'll get the sack. They've had some horrible fixtures and besides the drubbing out in Italy have probably done as well as they could have expected.

If we are going 3 at the back, I'd rather we adapt the same as Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham and go 3-4-3 -MY--VVD--WH- CS-----------RB ----ML--OR----- MG-----------SB (Boufal over Tadic as IMO he'll offer more cutting in onto his right foot and will offer more of a goal threat) -------SL------ (Long over Austin as he'll put pressure on the opposition defense, run the channels and be interchangeable with Gabbi and Boufal). For me, 3-5-2 offers very little width and is very similar to the diamond. If we're going 3-5-2 I think you'd have to play Gabbi and Long who split out wide with Boufal or Tadic in behind them in a 'false 9' role. -MY--VVD--WH- CS------------RB -----ML--OR----- -------SB-------- ----MG----SL----

He's looking like he is the type of player we lost and never replaced when we sold Schneiderlin. We got lucky for a year as we had Wanyama, who lets be honest, is one of the best DM's in the league (Only just behind Matic and Kante for me), but last year, with only having Romeu in there we looked weak and often exposed. Early doors so far, but I'm excited about him.

My point exactly.....

Without a big CF to play off, Koemans tactics don't really work. Genuinely surprised he didn't go in for Pelle on loan.

There's no doubt that he is a very talented, technically perfect, young lad and I'm sure on the training ground he looks fantastic, when he has all the time in the world on the ball. However, he is far to weak, slow (both with and without the ball), poor defensively and isn't great going forwards. I would be very intrested to hear what those who rate him think he brings to the team? Quality crosses? Meh, pointless we don't score from any of them. Keeps the ball well? Just what we need another player who can pass sidewards 5 yards and allow the opposition to get back into shape. For me, you struggle to find a position for him. You can play him on the right, but I'd much prefer someone who is direct and can counter quickly. He's a decent and intelligent bloke, but he's just not good enough for the PL. given the choice, I'd have Harry Reed over him every day of the week. At least we know Reeds position.

Disaster for Koeman so far. If he wants the Barca job he really needs to improve in Europe.

Spot on.

Sounds like one we let go (all be it without the pace) to China..... I don't think many really appreciated at the time how good Pelle actually was.

They take them on as young as 6 to train, but I believe they don't fully join the academy until u8's or 9's. Crazy really. There's no surprise that young players these days generally have poor attitudes when they're treated the way they are at 6/7 years old.

I don't know if you've misunderstood my point or just ignored it, but I'll rephrase it for you. A slight drop off for a season is acceptable, dropping dramatically towards (what I think) will be a relegation battle this year isn't. Like it or not, ambitions change with success. The club feed our apparent ambition down our throats, so why is it unacceptable to think we should be up there? Especially as we've had a taste of it for the last 2 seasons. If you're happy to float around 17th-10th every year then that's up to you. Personally (and I'm sure I'm not alone), I expect more.

All appointed by, or at least ran by, the 'head of recruitment', Ross Wilson. I'm still yet to see any benefit (Let's hope Lamina / Hoedt are a success, he needs it) Ross has brought to the club.

I like Les, I think he's done a great job (he played a major part in our uprising) and on the few occasions that I've met him he's seemed like a decent bloke, but I am concerned with how much power / control he now has. From what I'm led to believe, he played a big part in getting Cortese 'sacked' and (rightly or wrongly) pretty much went behind his back to advise the powers that be he was spending too much and it wasn't sustainable ect...

That's the difficulty of the whole situation. You cannot knock his results on the pitch and he made some very astute signings (staff wise), but they way he behaved was totally unacceptable. If you could find middle ground of Cortese drive & ambition with the currents people skills and business approach, you'd be on to a winner. Knowing people that work at the club at the time and still do, I do not think you'd find any of them who would want him back.

I don't think this is the case at all. There's slipping to mid table (acceptable to a degree) then there's slipping into a potential relegation battle and failing to address quite obvious flaws in the squad (attacking / creative midfield). We had an excellent chance to really cement ourselves in European football and really confirm ourselves as as the best of the rest, however complacency and arrogance (thinking it doesn't matter if Koeman goes, we're saints, we've got the black box, we can replace anyone) means that that has most likely gone. We are further from European football than we were the first season back in the PL. We could have followed the Tottenham's approach (of course they are a bigger club than us, but principle applies). Cement in EL, then build a squad to break into the CL. However it appears we've followed Swansea's. This post may come round to bite me on the ass come May, but from what I've seen so far (since about February), there is deep rooted issues at the club and it is going to be a long season.

Nasty Nic put a very good recruitment team in place - That isn't luck I guess. Now they're gone, what do we have left? Our business model and success has been on great recruitment. We've not had that for a few years now.

No, but we got very very lucky with the appointment of Koeman. It doesn't seem like that will happen again.