Fitzhugh Fella

I will support Southampton until my demise but right now I am finding hard to "like" my club.

If he is/was so good why didn't we keep him instead of loaning Rothwell and Brooks?

Yep I agree. He is too full of senseless decisions that don't add up and now his mentor (Wilcox) has decamped maybe time for yet another reboot? Brooks came here as a good player and looked promising initially but Martin has managed to turn him into an also ran. SR haven't got much right so far, on or off the pitch. The Chris Nicholl tribute debacle might mean nothing to many on this forum but it shows the club do not have a steady hand on the tiller.

Lurking while making the odd comment. Unfortunately my words are monitored so I have to be careful with my criticism these days! I was at Blackburn for the "Sam Gallagher" derby of course, watching and listening to the home fans and afterwards in the players lounge listening to the Blackburn players thoughts on our performance. Suffice to say I think Russell has been rumbled.

We really are up Schitt's Creek if we are still relying on Che Adams.

Do you have any Gary Glitter records in your collection by any chance? Just because MLT was our most skilful player of all time doesn't preclude him from being correctly taken to task for spreading misinformation that could potentially be harmful. Yes he is a nice guy, generous with his time etc etc but he is also very gullible and not particularly bright. Have you forgotten his ridiculous backing of the tinpot Pinacle consortium which very nearly caused Liebherr to walk away (and cost the late Leon Crouch millions)?

He does his damage in the area

I know that 25 match unbeaten run was impressive but there were quite a few ordinary performances in there when we didn't really look that convincing. Some excellent 45 minutes followed by some dross as we sat back. In three of our last four matches we have been found out, starting horribly in all three. I think 4th is about right for us and I am resigned to a play off position. But a part of me dreads going up (if we are successful) as there will be helluva lot of rebuilding required (no shit sherlock), if we are not going to become canon fodder a la Burnley and Sheffield Utd.

No but it might impact our recruitment in the summer if we have no DoF

While its admirable you are defending free speech there should be questions asked when what is being preached is potentially dangerous and irresponsible. People are still dying of Covid having been persuaded not to have the vaccination. (Oh and falling off a high horse can be painful as well).

Does anyone know if the impasse with Swansea over compensation has been sorted? Apologies if I've missed it.

I think the fact he came "armed" with his own photographer so he can paint himself as a man of the people tells you all you need to know about him as a person and your worship of him tells us all we want to know about you! Happy New Year.

According to @reluctantnicko (I know) we are "on the verge" of signing 18-year-old Joe O'Brien Whitmarsh from Cork City. A six figure fee has been mentioned.

It'd got to be related albeit indirectly

"Comfort zone crap". - I like that

Well said. A lot of fans think if we win then there's no point talking about the performance. While we all know, ultimately, the three points is the most important part of any game, our performances remain unconvincing at best and sooner or later we will be found out. I caught a lot of the Ipswich game last night and they are different class to us. I am yet to be persuaded Martin has what it takes - despite a 10 match unbeaten run n- and I know a lot of fans are not enthused about the football we play and they all go to every game and many away.

Well we needed a striker and Leeds won the race for Piroe so we had to do something but I am pretty sure we wont see the best of Stewart until next season probably. With Adams off in January (hopefully), we could do with a back up striker.

Agree with this

Yep I think we are all as one on this. There is Larios of course but why we let Perraud go beats me unless Martin thinks Manning is better?

In what positions would you see us making or needing signings?

Yea I';d agree with this. Yet to complete a full game for us this season (the most he's played is 76mins). He is very frustrating.

Portsmouth should be stripped of the FA Cup. Most of the players who turned out in the Final (and previous rounds) were purchased with money they didn't have.

There is no country in the world that doesn't have an element of corruption or lawlessness but the three countries you mention are at least acknowledged to be democracies, although how much longer the US stays so is anyone's guess. Also, as far as I know, the leaders of those three countries don't personally order their henchmen to bludgeon to death pesky journalists and then cut up their bodies with a bone saw and all done in plainsight of their embassy. Presumably you are quite comfortable with all this? You and David Beckham, I guess but the only difference is he'll be trousering £25m

Or Iran?

I have mixed opinions on this. Part of me says the only place to be is the top-flight as that's where it's at in terms of money, exposure etc etc. But football has sold its soul (WC to Saudi is just the latest example) and money talks loudest, which means the PL is simply not a level playing field any more. Clubs like Saints will always struggle and who wants to spend their Saturday afternoons (or whenever Sky decide) watching a struggling side who rarely wins (2022-23)? The fans have been shafted by the powers to be. There is no integrity in football and the PL in particular, the officials interpretation of VAR is killing what's left of the game and the players feigning injury has reached pathetic levels. Ticket prices have put the game beyond many, clubs have become corporate entities with fans now regarded as dispensable and problematic if they dare to have a voice (Celtic fan pro Palestine stance a case example). I love football, it's been a drug I can't shake off but i have no warm feelings towards the modern game and its corrupt and greedy administrators.