Born In The 80s

DRS with spinners seem to be the main problem. I think a lot of the blame has to go to the umpires. They seem to be "guessing" a lot more, especially for LBW decisions against spinners. That isn't what the system is there for. The system is there to eliminate an absolute clanger (i.e. an inside edge, or ball pitching outside leg). With the system, upmires seem to be much braver in making their decisions. Umpires simply cannot guess. The KP dismissal today was a prime example. That would NEVER have been given out a few years ago. The very fact that the DRS is there, umpires for some reason look at it as a back-up just in case it was totally missing. That is a huge fault, especially against spinners. If there is any doubt, the rule states a batsmen should be given not out. Either the ICC has to speak to every umpire about this, or the game has totally changed and every test side will have maybe 2 or 3 spinners in their line up for every test.

Ah, well in all honesty this is a shared account with my brother so there may well be some contradictions in opinion. I hardly ever post so have never got round to setting up my own account. Just for the record i certainly don't know Hypochondriac (thank ****). But yeah, the club seem to be very confident this time round. I don't think the roll of Gary Hooper should be underestimated in this transfer, if it comes off. Although not for me, it seems as if Sharp was 2nd choice behind Hooper in this window and we have gone back for Billy after Celtic told us to do one. Just hope people don't get too excited till it's been completed. We've been here before plenty of players fall down on personal terms. This one is looking good though. Apparently there could be one or two more in tomorrow.

Nope, same 'source'. Not really willing to get involved in petty squabbles on here. Just posted what i'd heard from one of the most reliable sources you can have at SFC. I don't post on here much mainly because of the number of ******s who jump on everything you say. You can laugh about sky and other places saying "personal terms have been agreed" all you want. Fact of the matter is, they haven't and that was a huge factor in how the deal broke down last time. Regarding someone who saw Billy Sharp in Ikea, could well be true. He was in Southampton talking to the club yesterday.

We're still negotiating personal terms. Or at least, personal terms weren't agreed at 2.45pm this afternoon. May have changed since then, but on this occasion the medical has come before agreeing personal terms. Club are still confident (hence the medical), but nothing has been agreed with Sharp yet.

Far too simplistic way to look at the situation. Form isn't something you can turn on and off like a tap. Coming out of a rut like this is very difficult and to get ourselves going again we're going to need to grind out 1-0 wins to regain our confidence. Unluckily for us, our next few opponents will make that very very difficult with the state our starting XI is looking like at the minute.

Nice, encouraging words, but unfortunately haven't felt good about our chances up until xmas, i feel we have now TOTALLY run out of steam. What you say is correct in theory. On the face of it, we are very well positioned as 2nd in the league with a chance to go 4 clear next Tuesday. However, so much of football is played in the mind - especially at the top. As a collective unit, the entire squad looks mentally drained. They are playing like a team at the end of a long hard season, and have been since early December. Injuries occur when players are mentally and physically drained. I refuse to blame any of players, as no side can legislate for having 5 of your best players sidelined at one stage. However, i have to question why improvements (back ups) weren't brought in immediately at the start of the month. Loans should have been lined up in december. Anyone that says their aren't any players available clearly doesn't know much about premier league football. Several, decent, solid premier league players are stranded on several PL sidelines, that would love the chance to prove themselves at the club at the top of the championship and maybe earn themselves a contract. We've instead persued totally unbelievably players and tried to better what we already have (a virtually impossible task in January, when you're top of the league and don't wish to spend over 4 million). A few loan signings to freshen up the squad would have been like huge and it's very disappinting that the management hasn't recognised this. Unfortunately, i feel the top 2 is beyond our reach now. Momentum, as we've seen over the past 18 months is enormous, and with the squad dropping like flies, i can't see us turning this round. This is the time of the season where a couple of teams will make charge. Birmingham for me, look like a side that is ready to go on a big winning run.

Why would Jordan Rhodes come to us, when Spurs, Newcastle, Everton and Fulham want him? We have no chance of getting him and i think it's hilarious that so many people think we do. We won't get Rhodes or Hooper. No chance.

HAHAHA!! We have NO chance of getting Jordan Rhodes (or Hooper for that matter)!! Chamberlain cost nearly 15 million last season, and Rhodes has been put in the same bracket of talent as him (United, Liverpool etc, been scouting him). Why on earth would he come here, and how would he be less than 6 million?? I think i'm off this forum for the rest of the month. Nearly 600 posts on a player who is never gunna play for us - says it all.

I don't think we've got a chance of getting him in this window. Celtic won't want to sell their best player, and we won't pay 6 million. Not much going for it.

Must admit, i feel exactly the same. Lee and a last ditch loan signing would be my guess. Unfortunately, certain teams in this league are going to literally go all out to sign the available players. Rumour has it Leicester will be paying Billy Sharp 30k a week. I don't believe we will even attempt to compete with that. Maynard will be the same. I can't say i blame Saints for this, by the way. It just seems clear for the evidence of the summer, and the last 10 days, that we aren't willing to over-pay for players. Leicester and WHU are. I really hope we can sort things out with Puncheon. A fit and firing Punch could be the difference this season. Mate of mine ran into him yesterday. Said it's in Saints' hands. He wants to play, so we'll have to see what happens.

Yeah, i don't believe he ever wanted to come here. We wanted him - i have it on good authority that we were even granted permission to speak to the player in december. However, he didn't want to move all the way down to the south coast. Especially with everything that's happened in his personal life. Not surprised in the slightest that's he's going to Leicester. Closer to him than most of the other clubs after him, and they'll pay him more.

Bull****. Lambert affected the game by raising his hands. Whether the action merited the reaction of the Brighton player or not, you cannot raise your hands to anyone on a football pitch. We are down to the bare bones as it is without one of our key players getting involved in petty meaningless squabbles. We all know what Brighton are about. Their managers philosophy is to get the other teams players in trouble and Lambert especially, should be fully aware of this. He has MASSIVELY let down the team and fans today. He has got a lot of making up to do.

Now, if this is the same night that me and my mates saw Liam Lawrence then i'm very surprised. Was in Cafe Parfait, last Saturday night and LL was in there with a few of his friends. They were at the bar when we were there and naturally we recognised him and gave him a bit of friendly stick. Gotta say, he took it all in good spirits and seemed like a top bloke. We were chatting to his group for a while at the bar and he even got a round of jagerbombs in (which rubbishes the claim he was nicking drinks). Had some very complimentary things to say about Southampton the team and the place. One of my mates also joked about him coming to us in january and to be honest, he didn't seem totally against the idea! From what he was saying, don't think he's overly happy at Pompey. Assuming it's the same night, this must have happened very late as we left the place at about half 2. He certainly didn't strike me as a guy who was a thug or a thief and i'm very surprised to read this story. I'm in no way defending Lawrence's actions, but there are two sides to every story.

Yup. And if going on the bingo (sorry i meant solent blue line) bus was bad enough, can you imagine what it's gunna be like being sat on a different bus to any of your mates, as i gather they are splitting everyone up?? Really does have the makings of being a truly **** day out.

No, they didn't apply but want to go (non-ST holder, and only been to 3 away games). My brother rang them up a couple of days ago asking if there would be any left after the 2nd ballot for fans like himself, and he was told that they couldn't be sure but it was highly likely that they received more applications than tickets available (after the 2nd ballot). He was told that the people in the 2nd ballot would know by Friday and if any were available after that then they'd go back on sale. There's absolutely no chance that we don't sell out for this game. I'm amazed that so many people are ****ting themselves about the prospect of empty seats. No chance. Thousands of fans haven't even had the chance to buy a ticket yet!! Chill out. I will say one thing though. The ticket office need to buck their ideas up. This process has been nothing short of a complete shambles.

Have i missed something? Where has anyone said that our allocation hasn't been sold out?? I know loads of fans who want to go but can't as there are no tickets left.

Almost too predictable i'm afraid. Away from home we're an average mid-table team. At least the bookies still haven't cottoned on to this. I'm due a great return at the min - Donny to win and sharp to score.

HAHAHA! If you're being serious, that is the most idiotic thing i think i've ever read on this forum.

I went to Bournemouth and had a ****ing TOP day out. I also 'don't care' about them. However, i am not going to Pompey for several reasons. Sure, if we win everyone there will have a truly unbelievable day out. However, i refuse to be pushed around by old bill all day and forced to travel and pay for something that i don't want. When the fixtures came out, this was the game i wanted to go to. But quite frankly, the last 2 months have been nothing short of a farce and the more i hear, the more i just want to watch the game with mates in town. The way the Pompey game has transpired, isn't about what a football away day is in my opinion. Sorry lads, but count me out of this one.

Completely and utterly agree, mate. I can only assume that a lot of the stick that he gets is from people that don't really understand football (there are plenty of those in block 42 of the northam). Last night he had a bad game by his standards, but he gets moans and groans every game it seems. Even when he was voted MOTM on here a couple of weeks ago, i remember him getting him abused constantly throughout the game. Fact is, some fans need someone to hate and moan about. Usually, that player is a 'flair' as they can be frustrating in any side. Looking back, over the past couple of seasons, Fernandes, Fuller, Puncheon all got similar stick.

I totally hear what you're saying, and in a way i agree with you about the first paragraph. However, that isn't strictly my reasons for not going. It's the fact that they are forcing us to jump through hoops, and then pay over the odds to do so. I desperately want saints to win, and if they do i will have an unbelievable day wherever i am. I admit it would be 10 times better if i was there in person, but the prospect of spending the day sober, being pushed around by police, sat on a double decker bus for hours and of course, the chance that they might beat us, is definitely enough to put me off when i can save all the time and money and watch it in the pub.

Haha, yup. Well, maybe not Shirley High Street but i'll be somewhere in town singing about the skates throwing beer everywhere. I have no intentions of forking out that much money to be treated like a slave for a day by the old bill. I'm just gunna have a great day in town with my mates (8 of us who are all ST holders by the way) hopefully watching us **** all over them. I was really looking forward to this game in pre-season, but the old bill have persuaded me that it's just not worth the hassle.

Because he's a c*nt.

He wants to come here. But i'm not sure saints are interested, and they certainly haven't bid 3 million for him. Not sure where this story has come from, but the chances are it's Coventry/Juke's agent trying to get a bidding war going. They need the money and see Juke as there most saleable asset. It makes sense to whore him out and try and get Boro or someone else to up their bid. Ultimately though, if saints want him, saints will get him.

Best suggestion i've heard, to be honest. I personally believe that having a season ticket should count for a more than just entry into the home games. This loyalty system would certainly catch out all the season ticket holders who haven't been to an away game (and rightly so) and also catch out non-season ticket holding supporters who have been to a handful of "local" away games for them (also correct). It will never happen with our incompetent ticket office though.