S4INT

I think it's odd ;] based on no evidence whatsoever...

Depends what we've learnt in that time and how we play in the second half of this season... But generally I doubt it, we really need to get into a winning mentality.

Interesting question considering the glowing feedback! What was our defence that day? And I'd have to say two things: 1. McGoldrick going off the boil, 2. Teams have now learnt how to play us. But anyone else any better ideas?

TBF I think the situation really took the spirit out of the team, 1-0 down and staring at another 65 minutes with just 10 men against Manchester United would have been a big off-putting. I think also that the style of football needs 11 men and lots of movement and Manchester United had so much space once Patterson was off. Maybe I'm just being kind but I thought the effort was ok considering the circumstances. We shall see against Barnsley...

Strikers back from loan (Saga situation (+ Rasiak would be even nicer)) + Swap one midfielder for a defender (Baird situation) + Get another experienced CB (Dailly situation) I then think that we have a strong team, I think the current lot is close to being strong enough to stay up it's just that we make too many defensive errors and we don't have an out and out striker popping them in...

My view is that we wont be going into administration though our cost cutting measure that mean we will avoid this will probably result in our relegation. I think the plan is to make ourselves financially stable to an extend with not getting relegated being a bonus. We will then rebuild from League 1. At the moment I don't care about much apart from the team putting the effort in, as long as I'm seeing that (which I have in my last two games: Reading and Man U) then I am happy. I don't really see much alternative, but people are so willing to criticise without a solution...useful. Why would we be signing any players at all: Molenyeux(sp?), Schneiderlin etc. if we were about to go into administration? Doesn't really make sense. As I've said, probably league 1 and stability then hoping to rebuild with players growing in experience every match. Not getting relegated will be a bonus and as long as I see the players caring and putting effort in then I'm happy.

I agree, if we get him firing in that position it would be a huge asset. He can certainly strike a ball and the team might start getting some goals from midfield (tbh goals from anywhere we badly need!) Additionally, I hear that he's a very friendly guy. He also seems to appreiciate the Saints fans support and has played out of position at left-back to an admirable and near-faultless level for god knows how long. Massive respect to Skacel for all of that. (And someone mentioned he had an attractive girlfriend...) If we can try and give Perry and Lancashire some protection then that would be great as I see that as our weakest point, so having Gillett (who I thought had a storming game against Reading) covering them and tracking back to the full-back positions would be really useful. So we have a keeper, a defence, a midfield (McKlaggon on the wing?) and McGoldrick in goalscoring form averaging a goal a game for his last game... The young players will put all their effort into the most challenging game they will have ever played in. We are totally written off for this game and so I'm really looking forward to it. Let's get some pride and unity back :]

I would like to see: Davis James-Perry-Lancashire-Molyneux Gillett McKlaggon-Schneiderlin-Holmes Skacel McGoldrick Subs: Bialkowski, Euell, BWP, Surman, Gobern Saints to play out of their skins for a deserved 2-1 victory with the crowd stunning Manchester United's reserves into failure, crumbling as they go behind.

And yet people keep wanting us to churn through the managers! I say give JP til the end of February and then act. And I'd like to say give him more time but I wont...

I'd rather have a strategy that complete chaos and no leader I have faith in the team

So if Lowe and JP go tomorrow, as so many fans seem to want. What happens to the club? ...we are ****ed surely? I don't understand this want of the fans to churn through boardrooms and managers...has this ever worked for us in the past?!

Am I the only one seriously looking forward to Sunday then? I think we'll see a big performance from the team and that's all I care about. Anything like a result would give me a huge amount of pride and I'm seriously looking forward to seeing St. Mary's full again and rocking with noise :]

I agree wholeheartedly, this is the first sensible thread I've seen in ages! I hope everyone has a fantastic New Year's Eve and that 2009 is a good one for Southampton and all its supporters (who we must remember should unite about the team, it being the thing they all have in common!). Starting on Sunday COYR :D

I agree. We just need a miracle this season and so I'm getting fully behind the team, as I wish everyone else would!

Biggest rush/celebration: Camara vs. Norwich Best finish: Walcott with his left foot vs. Luton

I thought the whole squad were great yesterday, I couldn't fault anyone despite worrying initially about the team selection. I also thought the substitutions were perfect and if only the defence had learnt their lessons and played higher up the field rather than playing so deeply and inviting the pressure like we always do then we might have got three points. I wish people would just stick to the football, everyone's always going on about how bad things are and how changing everything would magically make everything better. Isn't that what got us relegated from the Premiership? Perhaps if we just got on with our supporting that can be so constructive to the team we might do a bit better. Starting with Manchester United

Does this mean I shouldn't go to Southampton University if I get an offer there? :/ And I'd say the fanbase - really looking forward to a loud capacity crowd for Man U - I just pray that people concentrate on the football and boosting the squad with positive chants rather than negative bolloks. It would be amazing getting something out of the game, better than sitting there being negative for 90 minutes surely? Maybe some player chants (cue jokes about not knowing who the players are etc.)

:/ didn't work for me But just seen the (as usual ****) highlights on the Championship and I'd say we couldn't really complain... but would have liked to see the handball shout?

O RLY? I always thought that it was how many times the turstiles rotated or something... otherwise wouldn't they know the attendance before the match? And does that mean we have a minimum attendance?

I thought the team played really well today, but we need to be able to adapt that talent to teams that play long ball against us. We do well against Reading because they play open football and can be counter-attacked (e.g. our goal). Get Pearce back at centre-back... Same workrate plus a slightly more solid defence and a slightly more cutting edge attack and we'll probably survive this season. I'm keeping faith with what I see on the field, ******** to everything else

The only way we're going to get a hint of anything out of the Manure game is if the crowd are in such fine form on the 4th January (and the players play like they did today as opposed to their Nottingham Forest performance) I'd love to hear the crowd shouting "WHO!?" as Ronaldo is brought on as a sub

**** 4 defeats out of 4 would be serious relegation form. And then Reading next. :/ We need something

Obviously the instruction today is: get shots in from range

Looking at those valuations I have to think that we'd be mad to sell any of those players for those amounts. Especially Kelvin, he's really useful for us at the moment and worth more than what we'd sell him for... But I can never work out how screwed financially we really are (but I would imagine it's fairly serious)

It wont happen will it...