rshephard3

Agreed about the ownership-says it all about the state of English football that very leveraged deals from China (to frantically get capital out of The Far East before the next crash) have been completed not only for Saints, but for many clubs. You’re right, the worst case scenario is that we all end up with no club to support. And there will be tears from many of these but outs over the next decade. Still maintain that the next worst scenario is being patronisingly and arrogantly whipped by the top 6 each week. The ownership model would change over night if a European Super League was setup. I can promise you there would be no “We March On” nonsense or talk of “global reach” from Mr Ice Hockey because we are one of the have nots. Based on one of my best mates experience of the last 20 years following Man City, the top 6 are welcome to their global brands. All he sees is empty seats, foam hands and £50million mercenaries. No thanks. Luckily we just sold our only one of them and have none left [emoji39] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Exactly this. I’ll be at Saints come rain or shine but as the years have ticked by, however tough relegation is to take as a fan, I have less and less interest in us being one of 14 clubs scrapping to stay in the PL. 14 clubs this season are just trying not to lose, with the other 6 picking off their talent and winning every week. This is an increasingly clear pattern. Could be said I’m just whining now that it’s Saints turn for mediocrity but I’m talking about a bigger problem in English football-you could buy 2 historic clubs like Leeds Utd, Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest for the price of a Neymar. That’s crazy. Ask any Villa fan who goes to games and they’ll tell you how much more fun they’re having now compared to getting pumped by Guardiola or Klopp at Villa Park every week and booing their team off. Sooner top 6 f**k off to a European Super League and leave the rest of us with tourist free stadiums and 3pm kick offs the better. I do wonder whether Saints fans saying relegation would be a disaster really mean they’d miss seeing Aguero, Lukaku, Kane etc every week at St Mary’s. I wouldn’t. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In fairness to the fans, any club finishing top 8 in the preceding 4 seasons who find themselves GD above drop zone first week of Jan are going to have pi** poor atmosphere on a wet and windy Tuesday night. Going further back than last night, the fans have seen average one Home league goal a game for over a season and a half now. This, IMO, is compounded by something we didn’t see last season under Puel but has crept in under MP-being obviously out fought on home turf by mediocre sides. While I don’t expect the atmosphere to be remotely positive for the rest of this season, I totally agree about the chants around the manager and actively creating a hostile environment for your home players-talk about counterproductive. A lot of the muppets where we sit (Kingsland North) were clearly not around in relegation battles of the past 12 years because they sound like spoilt little brats at the moment, crying at Puel, boo him, crying at Pellegrino, boo him. If you’re going to boo, save it for the end instead of spouting off chants about the manager from 80 minutes. Specifically on last night-I thought the surrendering (again) of the advantage in the game killed any atmosphere that was starting to build from Long’s goal. That was not a night for holding out for a 1-0, not leaving a man up as an outlet at a Palace set piece ALL NIGHT or sending your only centre forward on the pitch scurrying down the flanks to leave Tadic as a makeshift CF. Or for that matter taking off your best player with plenty of game left. Think MP’s tactics kill any potential atmosphere and have since the get go this season. I personally go hoping for a neutral rather than hostile atmosphere at the moment but fear that may become a pipe dream next few months. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Exactly this. Even in the past two games he should have absolute minimum come 4 yards off his line for both the Huddersfield goal and Spurs opener at Wembley. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Totally this-we must be the glass half full types [emoji57] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes I agree, a combination of fans reaction and the board being weak to that persuasion did the trick for CP. I do think both the senior management at SFC and the rest of English football generally was asking what more Saints fans wanted though-in my opinion justifiably-even at the time. We had this conversation in our group as the Northam was getting ready to boo him round in the game you mention. Whilst a 6th place finish the season before was a spectacularly good season, the reality is that building on that position was impossible. Barring ‘doing a Leicester’ It would have required about half a billion quid in the squad-basically replacing every individual player. And yes, we are where we are and as I’ve just been called a boring c**t, FWIW, I will nail my colours to the mast and say MP has lost both the fans and the dressing room and IMO his time is up. While I don’t actually think we’ll get relegated if he sees out this season it’s currently looking like a battle to the last few games (with City last game) and that would be an unacceptable performance. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nah, fans reactions to managers has never forced the hand of the board in English football. That’s certainly never happened.. Still happy to hear whether your preferred choice last season was Mourinho or Guardiola though? I mean we’re entitled not only to top 8 finishes and cup finals but also rock and bloody roll football too aren’t we? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What a treat, a fella talking absolute sense in a sea of entitled Puel boo boys frantically trying to explain how he was just as s**t as the clown that is MP. Please someone, reply to this saying you: 1) Boo’d CP out of the club because you don’t think 8th and a cup final are very good.. 2) Still think MP is just as bad as CP.. 3) Throw in a suggestion as to who in world football might have done a better job than CP last year given our squad? Seriously, please enlighten me? I must be an idiot because this looks significantly worse than last season to me right now. Or maybe there is just no one on this forum who boo’d our man out last year. And please don’t suggest the boo’s and jeers don’t make a difference-of course they f**king do [emoji849] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don’t disagree necessarily with the principle but not many things more dangerous on a football pitch than to deliberately use foot against head in almost any scenario. Had a great view of that yesterday and even in real time viewing ball wasn’t even an option for CA and looked dangerous and nasty. Don’t really understand people saying uncharacteristic. He’s one of the only Saints players I’ve seen in over 20 years leave a boot in on someone’s head. That tells me a bit about his character. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No they weren’t at that point at all. That far through the season and 4 pts above relegation zone meant they had to continue the same form and be well clear by end of season. The reality is, their form was awful from that point and they dropped. If Saints form is awful from this point the same will happen. That’s different to being in a relegation battle at this point in time IMO. Not by any stretch saying I think the step from Koeman to Puel and Puel to MP has been a raving success story but I don’t think we need to do the team down to call them relegation fodder-I just don’t think that’s realistic. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When you’re 14th over the last 6 games and 12th across nearly half a season you are not in relegation form or by implication, in a relegation battle. The way English football has sold out to increasingly ridiculous tv deals has created winners and losers in more stark contrast than pre Sky Sports days meaning the points distribution no longer requires a point a game benchmark for survival. In fact, I suspect someone will end up surviving on c.34 points this season. In conclusion, we’re the 12th best football team in the country as we speak and 18th-20th will go down. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If we’re being realistic our best judge of PL table come May is the PL table after 18 games. Which makes us the 12th best side in England. While we can go on a horrible run just like every football team ever, there will absolutely be 3 teams worse than Saints come the end of the season. I do wonder if there are any other groups of fans who currently sit mid table, have finished top 8 in the preceding 4 seasons and sit around suggesting we assume for and plan for relegation. I suspect it’s a very vocal minority. As with many posts on here, this is either tongue in cheek or frantic panicking. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This completely sums it up for me. Someone earlier said Puel was the “worst Saints manager for decades”. That is absolutely laughable. He’s one of the most successful Saints managers in living memory. If you don’t like the style of football required to be PL ‘best of the rest’ then go to the cinema-at least you get to choose the viewing. Leave the rest of us to follow the club that’s in our hearts without throwing our toys every time we fail to beat a West Brom or a West Ham. Breaking news everyone, we’re at that level and have been, give or take, for as long as most of us have been going. While I’m at it, anyone who thinks the fans constant booing and undermining of CP last season had nothing to do with him getting the boot is deluded. And as for “we don’t want CP or MP waaaaa waaaa”.. which one of Mourinho and Guardiola do you think we can attract to pop their Mercedes down to St Mary’s every few weeks? Genuinely interested? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Exactly this. 6th is topping out with Saints. Best finish for over 3 decades. Everton have been poorly managed by Martinez and it won't take much to get their fans more excited than last season. Simply a better chance of beating Evertons league position than that of Saints. Then with doubled salary and a huge transfer budget the only question left is whether he wants to move from beautiful Hampshire to Merseyside. Shame as he's been our best manager of my lifetime but the reality of breaking those consistent CL contenders season in season out is a pipe dream for Saints and 6th is an extremely hard season to match.

Ok, would the people complaining about either a freeze or a reduction rather see an increase? If the answer is no then by implication todays prices are good news.

"The good news is that over 7,000 current Season Ticket holders will see a reduction in the price of their 2016/17 Season Ticket, while all other prices have been frozen for both current and new Season Ticket holders." Everyone should be happy with this pricing. You'll either pay the same or less than you were prepared to pay this time a year ago. If you don't like it now (despite liking it a year ago) then don't pay and don't go. Simples. This isn't a wind up, just don't see how this isn't good news for all us season ticket holders (and new people jumping on board).

This. If you want a better player there are 2 options: 1) Save money and take a punt on an injury prone but proven goalscorer (Austin) but see them miss half of every season 2) Spend the £30 mill to buy a Lukaku quality player which we have never done That goalscoring record for the price we paid and the fact most broadly knew not a lot about him is damn good.

Liability yes, sell at first half decent offer yes, Romeu better option yes.. but.. in what kind of world does Clattenberg live that he thinks it's fine to be influenced by Nobles reaction. In my opinion that's just as unforgivable as Victor lunging in (again!!)

Desperate for customer numbers, if anyone is able to purchase and can't make it please email richardshephard@sky.com We are all going to fall one game short of getting tickets for this one. Thanks.

Quinn a clueless c*ck. Ref can't wait for Chelsea to get back on track clearly. If these decisions go against Mourinho it's a clear conspiracy. What a layoff and finish. COYR. Also incredible to see Ramires need about 15 fouls to get a yellow when Romeu got one as soon as he got anywhere near anyone. Putting it being Saints aside, this is clueless refereeing.

There is absolutely no way we are going to double a players wage on transfer deadline day to prevent him from leaving. Just nonsense.

Platini went on to say that the measures were supported by the majority of football club owners, and that an independent panel would be set up to judge whether clubs had broken the rules.[4]Although the intentions of encouraging greater financial caution in football have been well-received, FFP has been criticised as illegal by limiting the*internal market, failing to reduce football club debt and protecting the status quo.[5][6][7]*In 2015, UEFA announced FFP would be "eased" in response to a number of lawsuits which are currently ongoing in courts.[8] Has been "eased". I guess you're right-with that level of net spend from City it must have disappeared from the radar. The theory of it was exactly what was needed to maintain long term interest in the game. Too many loopholes to offset spend through sponsorship and the fact UEFA have less power than any of the individual clubs it is trying to reign in have done for it I should imagine. Certainly hasn't done much for Saints!

That financial fair play is really levelling out the playing field then. This season is going to prove a case study in why FFP is the most scandalous of red herrings ever introduced to club football. It's been like a government making noises about increasing social mobility to placate the masses whilst knowing all along that the actual theory of their policy will merely enhance the power of the elite and maintain the status quo. This is George Orwell s**t and I don't like it! Rant over.

All sounds a bit fishy to me..

We've ended up with 2 spare tickets in Saints end going for £30 the pair. Collection would have to be 1.30pm outside the stadium. PM if interested.