RobM

Banks will only lend you money if you ask for it. They don't send companies large cheques for millions of pounds just in case you fancy a spending spree.

I'll tell you on Friday..... :cool:

What reasons could a Pompey fan have for going to the last home game of the season, where there is a strong possibility that their closest and most hated rivals would get relegated, if not to cause trouble and look for fights? Especially if they come armed with things to throw at Southampton fans. I believe if you come looking for trouble, you should expect to be on the receiving end of it. If I were stupid enough to go to Farton with the intention of throwing things at home fans, I'd consider myself lucky to wake up the next day.

I have to agree... but I'd still keep LM around as a club ambassador or something similar. I don't want Keegan as manager either. Big name and to be respected for his playing career, but he's hardly achieved great success as a manager. I also think he would be out of the door as soon as a 'bigger' club came knocking should we achieve anything, which is exactly what we need to avoid if we are to rebuild!

St.Marys please. It has meaning, is entirely Southampton and shows that we have a rich history as a club and a city.

It's almost reassuring that things have gone quiet... it's hopefully a sign that things are being done properly. During takeover rumour season before, there were all sorts of 'in the know' comments and reports coming out of thin air. If things are being done properly and professionally, nobody involved should be talking to anybody else about it. So if something appears in the press or from somebody 'in the know' here on this forum, consider it B.S

Just looking at the pictures and comments on the David Hughes testimonial thread got me thinking... which Saints that still play would you welcome back to SMS next season? I'd welcome Oakley, Prutton and Cranie back and would love Niemi to join us as goalkeeping coach. I would even consider approaching Telfer too, as his fitness, experience and professionalism certainly wouldn't go amiss when rebuilding. No real point to this, just something to think about other than consortiums and relegation

The most interesting thing, to me anyway, about this is the fact he deemed it necessary to distance himself from Lowe. It seems that being linked to Lowe is not something successful people want. He could have just as easily not said anything and all this talk would have gone away once a deal with somebody else is complete. But he took the time to distance himself from Lowe and from buying Southampton. Either a clever buying tactic, or somebody in the press hassled him for a quote?

Sorry, I responded to your comment: Lowe was already operating a long, long term plan back in 2006 which says that this was already under way in 2006, which includes our relegation season.

One thing we have to bear in mind, is that anything above a bottom half finish for next year will be considered a massive success. Starting from -10 means we are effectively four game behind everyone else, in that a minimum of three wins and a draw would put us on 0, by which time even the worst teams in the league will be ahead of us. Next season is about planning and survival, IMO. Let's just hope that the sort of players willing to come to a club on -10 are the sort with the commitment and determined mentality we need.

This is the key to everything IMO. We need a decent manager who knows the game at all levels well, somebody who can motivate players and bring the best out of them. But also somebody who isn't going to jump ship and go running to their 'spiritual home' if it comes calling. We then need a solid spine of a team to build from. Experienced players, with a decent amount of years left in them yet. Add to that a little passion from somebody with a love of the club, some good luck and some patience and we could be out of L1 within two seasons. I live in a dream world, don't I?

I'd take a similar approach. I'd want players to be able to decide whether they see a future at Southampton before the end of the season and I'd want fans to go out on an optimistic note. We can then enjoy a summer of debate over who is coming and going, who CDAJFU and hopefully get a decent pre-season in with a new manager. By now I would have also teed up the person I would like to bring in as manager, with a view to them starting straight away. I'd be surprised if a serious consortium or individual buyer didn't do this.

It would be interesting to see how long the core of their squad had remained together though. Bearing in mind we will lose some key players this close season, we either need to start building for the future again (will take time) or buy our way out of trouble. I would bet, and this isn't based on any more than a little knowledge, that Wolves had the core of their squad assembled and together for quite some time.

That long, long term plan got us relegated. Not sure I have much faith in it moving forward. And that long, long term plan failed to invest properly (at all...) after the success of an FA Cup Final and a good finish in the Prem, with a great manager at a helm. Even moderate, considered investment would have helped to consolidate our position from that year. So that long, long term plan not only failed to move us forward, but in fact got us relegated.

That sort of money would cover transfers, but not necessarily wages, bonuses etc that players would expect. We would need to spend at least £10m to get out of L1 in one season. The only other option is to build with a long-term plan of just getting out of L1, so we can bring in cheaper, younger players and develop them in-house. This could take years though.

I think they were stolen earlier

According to Sky Sports, Barnsley just have the edge over Wolves and Adam Hammill is the key man

I think you mean.... YYYEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!

What did he say?

2-1 McG!!! Perfect time to score!

Just wide from BWP

Couldn't care less about their motivations from now on, so long as we get the results we need.

Being realistic, with Barnsley playing Wolves and Norwich playing Reading on Monday, it will be much tighter. I cannot see both relegation threatened teams beating promotion chasers.

If all three teams (Us, Barnsley, Norwich) win both games we will finish with 50 points, Norwich will finish and stay up with 52 points and Barnsley will stay up with 54 points. So both us and Forest will go down with 50 points.

Indeed... we still need either Norwich or Barnsley to drop points. If they don't, it makes F-All difference what we do against Forest.