Tom & Gerry

For a manager to be successful a lot if factors have to fall in to place. We've had managers that were good elsewhere and they have been useless. Most of our best managers have done badly at other clubs. He'll either fit or he won't.

As a 13 year old I went to the first replay and heard " when the Saints go marching in" for the first time. In those days such expressions of support were reserved for very special occasions indeed. I went with my grandfather, father, and 2 school friends to White Hart Lane, surely one of our greatest nights ever. I also went to the semi final and was absolutely heartbroken. I thought we'd never get the chance again. It took us 13 years but it made the revenge even sweeter. Oh the roller coaster of being a Saints fan.

At least away from home there is a chance that we might score a goal.

I can see where your coming from, but no not me. I've been around much longer than him.

There you go, almost makes you glad we are down. I wouldn't be surprised if they went to 18 teams soon either.

I think blaming the players not trying for relegation is like blaming the crew of the Titanic, they may have made mistakes but they didn't make the ship sinkable, and blaming the supporters is like blaming the passengers. I saw players on Saturday that were trying and I saw others that had no confidence and were lost. Whether they were trying or not only they know. If fans want to applaud the club for the not insignificant achievement of 11 consecutive years in the Premier league, it's up to them. We could and should have had a few more but statistically at least our time was up. Finding someone who has the formula to keep Southampton in a 20 team Premier league for ever would be as that old sage and pantomime villain 'Arry would say - difficult. SR thought they had a formula but didn't. Perhaps Rasmus could raise a few funds for the club by going on Britain's got Talent with his remarkable trick of turning Brentford in to Southampton, and Southampton in to Brentford. I'm sure Simon would be impressed. As for the fans I always find that when my wife's angry with me a spell of eerie silence is even more effective in letting me know how she feels than shouting a lot of abuse, just a thought.

I can remember all 4 relegations of the last 49 years and they all hurt about the same - a lot. Having said that I believe both the club and fans are tired out from the grind of premier league struggle and need some relief. Successful teams have a magical chemistry between the owners, the manager and coaches, the players and the fans. It is hard to achieve and there are no guarantees no matter what the previous record or potential of a new manager. Saints have not been able to find that right man for a long time now and that is why they are going down.

Playing without forwards not radical enough for you? Mind you with barely a goal between them for the last 18 months I wouldn't bother playing them either, but some fans are more tolerant.

There we were about a quarter to 5 standing inside the Dell on a January evening in 1976 looking up at the moon wondering why we were still bothering to watch this lot. We had a useless manager who had not only got us relegated but seemed to have no clue how to get us back up now in a second season in the 2nd division. We weren't even going to have a cup run to console us being 1-0 down to a top division team, even if we got an equaliser we still had to beat them at their place. Then 1 kick, 1 shot from Hughie Fisher changed the course of history. Without that goal we might still be playing in thr Dell in front of 14 thousand or less another Bristol City or even Swindon Town. I don't suppose I'll ever see the like again in my lifetime but if it was to happen now would be as good a time as any.

There's more life on Mars

Is it because it's a coronation year? We've a hundred percent record in the regard since the war.

It really is pay back time for all the favours now isn't it.

My head says Selles was right to make the changes he did at half time. Arsenal's wingers were beginning to run riot and our full backs were on yellow cards, it was only a natter of time till they scored. My heart wishes he hadn't. If we could have started the second half like we did the first who knows, and in our position, why not gamble?. Also a player like Alcaraz playing as he was is gold dust for us, you have to keep him on. Should he have kept Lavia on when he could hardly walk and risked being out for the rest of the season? It' all right for you keyboard warriors but who'd be a manager?

Oh go on then.

No " Animal Rising" will be protesting against us then.

All clubs except the super rich get relegated and we've had a better run than almost anyone else. Footballers and managers are no different to race horses. The big clubs are like professional gamblers they bet on odds on favourites and a number of them will come good. The rest of the clubs have to bet on players/ managers at longer odds and any one who has had a bet will know they don't always win and in the end you lose all your money. Like horses players don't live up to their potential, they get injured , they lose form , they don't like the course ( premier league) or the stable (the club). You can have a good run of luck but you lose in the end. You can vent your spleen at all and sundry but at the end of the day good people can back the wrong players or managers just as you or I can back the wrong horses. Our time is just up.

The thing is we have four very winnable home games after Saturday plus we should get a point or 2 away. Seriously though we will beat Liverpool, we may already be down but we will beat Liverpool.

We never really looked like scoring as I recall. Our best chance was to nick one towards the end of normal time when we managed a bit of pressure, but when it went to extra time we had nothing left. I think our season fizzled out as well after that. Still it was a good Liverpool team that went on to do the double.

The trouble is we score so few goals that every one we conceed gets analysed to death putting even more pressure on the keeper. I know it's his job to bale out the rest of the team's mistakes but the first priority should be to stop making those mistakes, and on the plus side he did make an incredible save to stop an own goal.

At this stage if his Saints career Peter Crouch was rated about the same.

We,ve had great escapes ever since we've been in the top flight. In our first season up, 1966-7 it looked bleak but we beat 2nd in the table Forest 2-1 in our penultimate game to secure safety, and then took it out on Villa 6-1in the last game. We still used to lose a lot in those days but at least we could score some goals.

His signing was seen as a real show of ambition at the time. The fee was much higher than we had paid before (Can't remember exactly) and it caused some excitement, a major step towards promotion to the top league for the first time.

Maybe, but it's all relative. Perhaps the rest of the team aren't very good either. My point is that there is not much between all the players and when we lose it is more because the team as a whole hasn't functioned , than down to one or two players.

You are entitled to your opinion but 49 caps and a good goalscoring record for Norway, in Europe and for Celtic would suggest he might be. Managers don't pick him just to make up the numbers, but I recognise we have to have a scapegoat.

The difference between all our players is greatly exaggerated. None are world class . They are all between international and slightly too good for the Championship class. Some are in form others out of form, some are inexperienced others slightly past their peek. Most are carrying knocks of some form so need not to start or be substituted. Lavia would of course play every minute if fit enough. It shouldn't make a difference but the players you cheer are more likely to play better than those you boo.