Alain Perrin

I think that once of the ironies of doing well is it naturally blocks the pathway for all but the stellar products. When we were in our journey from league one, we progressed at a pace that matched our talented cohort. However, once we established ourselves and the trajectory slowed, so the vultures could descend offering Champions League or mucho dinero. I really think the approach should be to loan out youth in numbers to clubs in lower leagues and move them up artificially each season. I thought that was the plan with Coventry/Swindon but not sure it is official policy. Either that or administration and League 1 all over again which I don't favoir!

A great advert for financial fair play.

Different summer, same ****. A byproduct of doing well but sad that again something that is growing gets chopped back by someone with a bigger wallet. However, let's have faith in the structure to deliver a manager that is least as good and hopefully an upgrade. Howe would worry me. Too much of a one club man (ironically what we want but the wrong club!), De Boer hasn't set the world alight and his European record is woeful (also think going Dutch will lead to inevitable comparisons) - here's hoping for a surprising good rabbit out of the hat. A cheeky bid for Pochettino perhaps... If not Klopp

Precisely. By travelling to Baltimore we're throwing people off the scent. I hear the deal's being signed on Paul Allen's yacht so keep your eyes open for it. Alternatively perhaps the Baltimore link could be a sign that Benali's restaurant is the new sponsor....?

Or rather a racist sex tape....

I think Saints should go on tour tour to Bangkok and make a racist sect ape. #winner

I am sure we could change that....

The Sunderland team was very different to what was expected, in particular a change from the three at the back BFS played at Everton (understandable) but dropping Defoe (a surprise). BGR (big ginger Ron) expected different and selected Yoshida (a more defensive minded player than Soares). That's why he's the coach and not a poster on here....

1) Bring the Saintettes out of retirement 2) Sort out the PA system so that those in the front 10 rows can hear what's being said. 3) Create a fan site incorporating this forum, youtube content etc. Separately managed but heavily linked to from the Official Site. 4) Allocate £2 million per season for a fan's player purchase from lower leagues (voted for by the fans) 5) Make cup games free entry before quarter final stage.

This x12.

If pedantry and negativity were required compEtencies, then I'd agree.... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Booing helps no one: - won't help him perform, possibly the opposite. - if he plays badly we'll end up getting less money for him when he does go. Players want to leave. That's life and it's a sign we're doing well. If we were **** then no one would want to buy him. We hardly had people queuing up for Paul Wotton.... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"Van Dijk" "We've only got Van Dijk" "We've only got Van Dijk" [repeat] If only to confuse the oldies in the Kingsland..... "Why are they singing they've got one ****???.... pass the Bovril"

The 10 men example is an unusual one but agree it gave a licence for us to push someone up which we didn't use. My theory is pushing someone up also forces the other team to keep someone extra back. It's defensive as much as offensive. Let's say they keep one of their CM's in the centre circle. If Mane stayed up and hugged the line, the other team would need to put someone extra on him or pull the man from the centre. Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

Other than the obvious, can anyone tell me the reason why we keep all our players back to defend a corner? Someone like Mane would scare the opposition and force them to leave more than one covering player back. Our current approach often leaves no outlet so the attack is recycled. I suspect there isca tactical reason but wondered if anyone had any insight?

I don't get this. Cambridge Utd have a rich football history including cup upsets.

Why a stereotype? plenty of comedians like football - Frank Skinner / Wba for example.

We can do little about players who refuse to extend their contracts. In that situation we can only make sure we don't get screwed on price and recruit wisely. Both Mane and Wanyama (or at least their agents) have made stepping stone comments very soon after joining so I am unsurprised that they're the next agitators. Last year was exceptional on outs (combination of a team that had grown up together and many wanted to 'leave home' at the same time, ownership/management upheaval, doing well) and on in's (near the 100% success rate in recruitment). Ongoing I would make it clear to any recruit and publicise that the we will sell no more than 2 Players a year and none in January. If a player wants to leave they need to book a slot. Leo exceptions. We don't care about BS in the media, we're doing it to protect the integrity of the team; "Only a fool breaks the two player rule." Unfortunately I do have my worries about Cedric (better going forward than Clyne but slower) and Claassie (better vision than Morgan but lightweight in comparison). Time will tell.

That's a bit extreme, best let the pilot try and land it...

Sorry the gap between Spurs and Saints is significant (and I say that as a Saints fan who can't stand the North London yobbos). On the pitch, at the moment, there's not much in it, but commercially they are streets ahead and in the long term that equips them better. You've only got to look at this site for a measure of size, a match day thread on Spurs Community (or West Ham's Kumb for another example) gets pages more responses. Sure this might reflect the restrictive practices on this site - but it also shows there are far more engaged fans in the UK and abroad. These people buy shirts, watch games on TV and buy tickets for matches - hence attractive to sponsors etc. Couple that with the fact they're London based and get more media, be attractive to players in terms of location etc. and you can see why Poch / Toby see them as 'bigger' and chose them over us. That said I think many of their fans are nobbers with unrealistic expectations and a sense of entitlement. Plus I've chosen Kane in my Fantasy Team so that's their season screwed.

Interesting article here which talks of Saint's Foundation work and the links to our Academy products. http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/jul/28/bale-walcott-matt-targett-southampton-youth-system? Overshadowed however by the claim that Ralph Kruger can lob a golf ball from SMS to hit the St Mary's School multi-sport pitch. That's over 115 metres, across the railway and through some trees (that assumes he's at the closest part of St Mary's to the closest part of the school's pitch according to Google Maps). A hefty throw. If Ralph means from inside the stadium, then we should contact the Guinness World Record guys ASAP. He's all man, that one. @Ralph - if you're reading this, I'll willingly donate £50 to Saints Foundation if you provide video proof! (please make sure there are no kids, nor the 3.18 from Southampton Central in the way...)

FWIW, the last time I thought our squad looked strong we got relegated.....

... But still no news on Kylie.

Will Kylie ever get married?

Interesting if we tell our prospects what number they are in our hitlist or if that's just the agents grapevine.