Giordano

odds on us getting promoted are 40/85 on betfair.... ie 2 to 1 on... NOT 6 to 1 on...that sounds just plain silly in a three horse race and it being so tight...and i would lay that if it really was available straight off....

I took 17/1 on betfair £50 preseason Saints to win the championship, laid half of it off got a pretty green book after 9-10 games....Nice touch.

Very good MLG. Im glad I put in that friday caveat though. I hope this thread proves of some consolation. Someone out there may currently be considering lifes vicissitudes and deciding that life itself is indeed a futile exercise but who should chance upon this optimism filled thread and decide that there is indeed hope. It may be considered by that person(s) that if we cannot get relegated and if Saints cannot go down, then maybe, just maybe, he or she might not go down and ermm, life is not really so bad after all so they may as well get on with it. That going down bit was about going down in the metaphorical sense as per going down with the ship or going down to downtown in downtownsville, not as in the sexual slang btw. Its not meant to provide an excuse to ones bf or gf as in "If Saints are'nt going down neither am I" of course. Though one can understand how the misconception could take place on a Saturday night if one has a few too many after another great victory for Southampton Football Club.

If we beat Leeds and Coventry fail to win then statistically we cannot get relegated and would have acheived bare minimum of consolidation in the Championship. Well its friday afternoon ffs what were you expecting.

Guys, I don't know what the problem is. YES, Fox lacks pace. BUT, his set piece delivery is creating many goals for us. Would we rather have him a bit faster but without the goals? How many times this season has his lack of pace cost a goal versus his 8 assists? IF we want a better left back we need to pay £5m plus because we are talking an International standard player. Please name the left backs with more than 8 assists in the ccc or premiership this season before you criticise him. And Harding is a good player too! PS number one in the EPL is Ashley Cole with 6 assists to date for your information....

Am I right in saying No Bart in thh squad?Is it a New tactic for the rest of the season to keep more outfield players"involved" - or did a get this wrong and bart was on the bench??

Yes i was there. Leeds at home I think it was. He was'nt rubbish at all at first. He nearly did something good in the penalty area in fact. Didnt seem to be able to jump much and got out muscled and outpaced and out of breathe very quickly for the short time he was on. I dont think he was Georges Weahs cousin really you know with hindsight..But how anybody can take Souness seriously as a manager, pundit or anything after that fiasco is beyond me. Quite proud its a saints story. Only Saints could come up with something that bad!

The without-wings-just-give-it-to-Lallana team for narrow pitches: Davis Richardson...Fonte...Hooiveld...Fox Chaplow...Hammond...Cork Lallana Sharp Lambert

(Without Chaplow): Davies Richardson Fonte Hooiveld Fox Guly Hammond Cork Lallana Sharp Lambert Subs: Bilko, Martin, Morgan, Lee, SDR,

All this means is that he is not about to put transfer request in that forfeits him a share of the fee. Thats all. Does not mean Celtic will not sell him if the price is right.

Well Eric you could certainly crash out on the sofa, and the real ales are not a problem either. What was the other one, oh yes, return flight to dubai. That might be a problem. The dress code will be VERY strict. Black tie obviously with discrete saints badges (you know those tiny ones) and cocktail dresses for the girls. I would have thought you would have known that!

What? There are a number of suitable ripostes along the lines of "N0, you can't bring your girlfriend/sister/mum", but I won't lower myself by uttering them and instead will settle for "its not that kind of party".

Hi, Ive booked an Executive Room ( its massive- even has a separate office area and a kitchen with a washing machine in it ffs!) at the De Vere at the Ricoh Arena for Saturday night and just sounding out if theres any saints (and hopefully fellow ex-Diplomats - you now who you are) interested in joining us for a post match drinks reception there later after the match? Just me and mad saints fan girlfriend but thought would be fun to have a little drinks there with fellow saints if we won, if we lost then probably drowning our sorrows anyway! Will take a few bottles wine, some beers and some snacks up but suggest attendees bring a bottle if possible...would be a little bit different bit classier than the usual down the pub effort or back in the car or train home thing...And yes there will be Ferrero Rocher. Just a small number of real supporters thats all. Those who know me - text or call me, those who don't- make yourself known via 07789 036242 or PM me and we shall see what we do. Please don't turn up and take liberties but if you are saints and positive- we might have a celebration party! I might try to get a player or two to pop up and say hullo for two mins if possible via there twitter links if theres enough of us there..... Gio.

Think i will be in Singers bar an casino thing later within the complex....reminds me of the steau trip when we went to the casino afterwards and got eventually asked to leave...;-0...hope not same outcome this time....

Im staying at the De Vere hotel at the Ricoh saturday night - got a mega deal....saturday night is party night then win lose or draw...

I imagine that, for possibly the first time, "Image Rights" are a big issue for Saints on this signing. Tadanari brings an Asian audience, potentially 19,000 new shirt sales straight off from his twitter followers let alone their families and friends if Saints become the new "cool" team to support in the EPL for them....At £59 including his name on the back per shirt I make that £1.12 million in shirt sales alone - which is a lot more than £800k pa wages. If they buy a full kit or buy more than one its a lot more...Im not up on what the GP on the shirts is but I cant believe we make less than £40-£50 on a shirt so it does pay his salary i reckon... He basically should more than pay for his wages by shirt sales plus more paid-for asian tv coverage. Though I'm dubious of that - like most of you I occasionally watch live matches via asian feeds without needing to pay a subscription...The bonus is if he is any good and can score a few goals!

Stop being realistic. Start believing in what is only a dream but one which we are still allowed to have and cherish. Not many teams in the world have the chance that we have. Lets hold onto it for a while longer until we join the Blackburns, Boltons, Fulhams etc of this world as might seem inevitable if we agree that mercenaries are inevitable..... The dream is that we will win the EPL with a squad of homegrown talent coming through our Academy system and through our wide-ranging scouting network. Southampton will be to English football what Barca are to Spain and World football. Our style of play, our system of talent development and our committment towards it safe in the knowledge that the ££ pressures of most other clubs are not so much an issue. We will win the Champions League playing with a team that has got local boys in it, beating Barca 4-0 with style. We will go to Tokyo or Abu Dhabi and beat Santos or someone like that and Adam Lallana will score the winning goal that makes us crowned World Club Champions. England will field a World Cup squad with ten Saints players in and we will win the Bloody World Cup with mostly Saints playing and scoring in the Final against Brazil, that we also beat 4-0, having beaten Germany 4-0 in the semi and Argentina 4-0 in the quarterfinal, and that was after we beat Spain 4-0 in our group match. THAT is a good dream to have for us Saints fans and we afre yet to be disabused of it. The power of the Liebherr $$ is vital obviously, but fo me I still see it as a mission and we are still chasing that dream. Even if we have to buy a Mercenary or two along the way the team will be and play the Southampton way....

"Sharp gives you back-up for Lambert and the option to play alongside him; Maynard would work well with Lambert but couldn't play instead of him. Both are instinctive finishers but Sharp gives you strength and ability in the air " Erm....no that is not strictally speaking correct as you make him sound an ideal like for like for Lambert. Billy Sharp does not give you ability in the air. He is is 5ft 9. Maynard is 5ft 11.5" according to wiki. Maynard has been playing as lone striker this season and according to his manager does his work around the 18 yard box, unlike Lambert who drifts wide and deep at times - which would be ok with someone like Maynard essentially goal-hanging. Lambert and Sharp would be a classic big un little un combination for a 442 formations - an ideal like for like replacemwent fo Connolly imo rather than Lambert. Maynard possibly allows a little more flexibility to that in keeping with Nigels mobile team formations. Both are goalscorers, but Maynard is regarded as the quicker of the two. If i had to choose id say Sharp would slot in easiest but Maynard would give us an extra outlet we dont have at present and for times when we are being found out - pace. For that reason id pick Maynard though both are very good.

Nigel's post fight interview: " well we came out to fight the way we always do- we like to give out the slaps properly and all that but it was a team ruck and I think again that Steve has come in as an impact fighter and he's gone and done what we all know he can do and he's gone and chinned their top bloke nicely and that all I ask from then because it's s squad match up. We are going to have to shut down radhis elbow because I think it got a bit bruised in their no. 9's face but we will ice it and have a look tomorrow. we are still the hardest team in this league and after the debrief we will have picked out the five best bits and the one negative from it and then draw a blue line under it. But it was a good fight and we've come away having beaten the **** out if them, which is what we always try to do at this fantastic football club with its fantastic supporters who travelled a long way to see us and it's spurred us in to really come back and kick arse in the Southampton way which is what we always try to do at this Southampton fighting club of ours...." --- I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.394226,-0.412727

Who said Harding wouldn't run? Priceless! I don't think guly would fancy it myself. He may be big but someone like Lee Barnard with his skills would be s but more useful. Oh. And I wouldn't be risking Sir Rickie. We need him to score goals/ play football on Saturdays at SMS and we don't need him with a banning order now do we! --- I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.394001,-0.412837

Nobody gets a name like Deano without being a bit hard. Quite right. I'm sure he's tasty when it's time to luck off! --- I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.393864,-0.412733

Lambert would'nt take any ****.....that cracked me up....nope i reckon you are right....:-) ...and if Sir Rickie should be in the process of actively delivering the footballing employment services for which he is handsomely paid, and should some Skayte c*nt decide to disposess him of his balance rendering him horizontal on the floor in an unfair from behind typically cheating cowardly skayte manner without so much as a glance at the Rule Book for the playing of Association Football then I should imagine that Sir Rickie would be well entitled to say "Oi, you Skayte C8nt NO!" this may be your ****hole of a ground but I am NOT getting my Saints shirt complete with wonderous Saints embroidered crest mucky on your cesspit of a ground for a worthless piece of ****e such as yourself" And then obviously give him a few swift ones to the head and stomach, a couple of slaps to register some proper south coast sensibilities into the aquatic opponent followed by one of those WWF style flying drop kicks to the head again to lay him out in his own penalty area in front of the Fratton end. And then of course the ref must come over and raising Sir Rickies hand and arm aloft proclaim him the winner! Im so having a laugh!

Its purely hypothetical but if we had to have a match up I would put: 1. Raidhi 2. Hooiveld 3. SDR 4. Hammond 5. Richardson. Frazier and Steve would be the nasty lead out boys whilst our big lads would just pile in heaveyweight style and Hammond would organise it plus use his better mobility to duck in now and again to sort out a few little issues. I think it would be a clear win against any pompey five, though i dont even know who they would put up for the occasion im just saying that because I feel its probably the right thing to say. Am i right in saying Radhi was a boxer early in his life? Might need to ask on the PFC forum who would would be their top five lads. Its a good saints related footballing post right?

Is'nt Lucas just in case Lambert gets injured? The way Nigel sets up his "best" team Lambert is a certain starter. EVERY other position we have a straight swop: Davies for Bart Richardson for Butterfield Fox for Harding Fonte + Hooiveld for Martin Chaps for Morgan Hammond for Morgan Lallana for de Ridder/Connolly Cork for Morgan Guly for Barnard/Connolly Lambert for nobody really IF Lambert gets injured we MAY have to change our WINNING style of play.If on the other hand Lucas just slots in- well job done. I agree with those that say we could do with a bit of pace up front- but i see someone like Maynard being that as a replacement for Connolly/Barnard in the Premiership for us myself

I could do the math with a few charts to help me but if you had bet saints ht/ saints ft winning i "think" the average odds would have been something like 11-8 on....which statistically suggests it will more likely happen than not - certainly over 50% chance of it happening. That's purely for saints but the odds are also based on the whole league averages for this occurrence not only this season but historically....what we have here is a short term blip that means there is a little discrepancy between pricing and current results ripe for arbritage..the trick is in judging the timing of when to enter and when to leave the market - and of course at what prices... The reality is that ht/ft has happened so often this season that the odds still offered offer more "value" and are more generous than the last 21 matches reality. The bet is not a bet in this case but an exercise in churning money through the system until we fall back to more "average" performance. Real prices should be less generous. and they are starting to be already.