SaintBobby

19 of Crouch's 20 goals were against Jamaica Reserves in a pre-season friendly. Well, not strictly true, but you get the drift.....

Kleber Chala. Total quality. Really helped Delgado bed in to the team too....

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1980782,00.html Well, with 27 days to go, looks like they got "really lucky". I wonder if they will now be able to sell 44K "in their dreams" Tw*t.

Definitely up for a London-based Saints web forum meet up. Based in Clapham, work in Westminster.

Lambert is great. But the mere suggestion that we - or anyone else - might pay him 30K a week is utter insanity.

Nigel Pearson presumably. Let's make it plain we dont want him back

Overall, Leagie One probably isn't much harder than any other year - but the top six/seven are pulling away from the pack and this is exactly what we didn't want. If the top two were running away with it and the rest of the teams were much of a muchness, we'd definitely still have a good shot at the top six. I think were going to end up with a record along the lines of W 22 D 14 L 10 - 80 points, reduced to 70. That isn't going to cut it. Pardew should be judged on the points we get, not the position we end up in. The latter depends too much on the relative performance of L1 teams to each other - not to Saints.

Where's the complacency? I didn't say we definitely would win L1 at a canter, just that it seems plausible within the context of a five year plan. I haven't double checked the stats, but after a woeful start to the season (no wins in first 7), we have strengthened the squad substantially (Connolly, Barnard, Antonio, Jaidi, Fonte, Seabourne, Waigo all adeed...and no one significant leaving) and have pretty much shown league-winning form since then - 43 points in the last 23 games, I think? Ok, for sure, the season starts on matchday 1 not matchday 8. But by next season, I'm guessing we would have strengthened the squad further, the team will have got used to playing with each other that much more (ok, they should be used to each other by now...but by next season they should be damned telepathic) and AP and others will have had a good few games to work out how to "cope" with muddy pitches etc. I'm almost treatng the next 16 league games as an extended pre-season tbh. I reckon 100 points is a reasonable target. But I'd settle for 90. If we're falling much short of a target of 90 by this time next year, then serious questiosn can be raised about AP. But not until then really.

Wtf are you on? I'd be very surprised if we don't sell all 44,000. We will easily sell 30K - in fact, I'd expect to have sold 30K by the end of next week.

Season one: we consolidate, having rebuilt the team at a cost of about 6m, and come about 9th in League One. We win the JPT. Season two: we spend another 2m or so and win League One at a canter Season three: we look to buy a little additional quality - but maybe just a single player at c. 2m or so - and do okay in the CCC (say 12th).. We do a couple of cute things in the cups (maybe hold Arsenal to a draw at SMS) Season four: We build on the squad and a growing, enthusiastic fanbase, we're in the play-off mix. But our additional 6m of players mean that whilst we make it to the play-offs, we lose 5-4 on aggregate to West Brom in the play-off semis Season five: Another 6m spent on players. Saints come 2nd in the CCC and are automatically promoted to the Premiership for the 2014-2015 season. Is any of this implausible?

Great thread. I really like the moaners v anti-moaners discussion. Not cos it's actually that important (we will all continue to support Saints whether whether we zoom up the leagues or whether we don't) But because it encapsulates the nightmare and joy of being a football fan. Given that all of us know: 1. we're blessed/condemned to support Southampton for the rest of our days 2. our weekends are lifted or crushed by what happens on a football pitch 3. our general optimism about the human race - and our own lives - is significantly influenced by the standing of our club then it follows that 1. We analyse every transfer rumour and every kick of a ball in great depth (cos we're actually nerds, frankly) 2. We are all trying to work out whether or not in "the big picture" (not just last Tuesday, or the weekend before) we are moving in the right direction or the wrong direction And at what speed. This matters. Given we're all stuck as Saints supporters, the trajectory is crucial. At +5% per annum, I will see Saints win the Premiership in my liftetime. At -5% per annum, I'll be supporting a non-league club within a decade. And, of course, the %s are much smaller and tighter than that. The moaners and non-moaners are both right. We're all trying to work out what will happen to our beloved club on the basis of a snapshot. And these tiny differences of opinion matter, beacuse tiny differences in trajectory will affect us all for years and decades to come. What matters most is not whether the pessimists or the optimists are right, but that we all care in weird and wonderful ways about this club so much. Well, I don't care who ends up being proved right. I'm just happy to have a club - and a web forum - where we can shout about something we all f*cking well love. COYR

Poor result. But don't panic. We will win the division next season.

Well put. Heres the thing though (not that I want to hold out any hope for the blue few) Might not Chanrai and Gaydamark accept much less than they are owed? For fear of losing everything? Let's say someone offered them 10% of the total amount? Better than nothing isn't it?

Lol. What makes me really scary is that Im not upset. I'm just relishing their death in an icy cold way. :smt033

Wtf? We have beaten them there 1-0 when we made the CCC play offs and the epic 4-5 to stay up in c. 1993.

Ive agonised about this too. But have decided I want them dead. They have cheated their way to Prem survival and the 2008 FA Cup (which they should be formally stripped of). The penalty for this behaviour should not be relegation or a points penalty, it should be death. English football needs sorting out. It will be a total farce if Portsmouth continue in existence. Id say its now 90% that they will cease to exist. That will be a great day for football if it happens. As for the skates fans, f**k them. They'll pay for celebrating their stolen 2008 Cup win with the liquidation of their club. That's justice. So shut up, f**k off and at least try and die with a little dignity.

Yep - herein lies the problem. The teams in 3rd-7th place are doing very well. To close the gap at the rate of about a point a game is a huge ask. I reckon we may well average more than 2 points a game, but we probably need to be averaging about 2.5 to make the play-offs. Bridge too far. I'd be happy with finishing 8th or 9th with a great last 1/3 of the season and being installed as clear favourites for next season. I want Leeds, Norwich and Charlton to go up and Plymouth, Peterborough and S****horpe to come down. Saints win League One next season with well over 100 points. Simples.

I don't think we will make it. It's not just the -10, it's the damned annoying fact that the teams in the playoff slots are doing so well. I was hoping 70 points might be enough for a post-season berth, but it looks more like 80.

Nope - its already been confirmed, somewhere, that they would relegate 2 of the remaining 19.

I think I prefer Connolly to Barnard. Haven't seen enough of Puncheon yet to compare him to Antonio/Papa/Lallana on the right.

What lottery numbers would you recommend?

Some sort of AFC Portsmouth is probably sustainable in the Blue Square Premier or Blue Square South - maybe in lower ends of League Two. I'd imagine crowds of about 2,000 or so. Without Fratton Park, you'll probably have to share with Havant. Portsmouth isn't much of a football town. Crowds of 17,000 in the Premiership are lamentable. But I'd imagine a semi-pro club is feasible, even with such limited interest in football in the city.

It's a long time since Ive seen Star Wars, but I dont think Obi Wan Kenobi was suggesting that the rebel alliance was going to be re-formed and thereby strengthened in the Beazer Homes League Division 8.

This is so glorious to watch. I can't wait for them to disappear off the face of the Earth.

Connolly returning would be a major boost. I haven't botehred to do the stats, but I think our W:D:L ratio has been enormously better when he's been playing. Our best form of the season has been when Connolly has been a regular. Absolute class act. Just worry that he's destiend to be a bit player for the rest of his ever-shortening career.