Saint86

I know you are trying to create some reasonable discussion on here (lets face it, it is a long summer!) But you are being far too harsh on Bristol city.. describing them as a yo yo club between championship and league 1 is on a par with describing Fulham as a yo yo club to the championship. City were in the championship for a similar period of time to Fulham in the premier and almost got promoted... twice! As for rovers. They are my dads boyhood side, and since I am now living 10min down the road I will certainly be going there to scream abuse at the dirty fish scum from down the road. Both those teams are bigger than their respective divisions and only need to get on a role and get their new grounds to be championship pushing for premier. I will always be a pirate myself, no matter what league they are in vs city. As for derbies.... Lets not kid ourselves. We would all love to give Brighton a good spanking if we played them again... And a hell of a lot of saints fans don't like West Ham, so for me, that is the match that matters (small matter of the championship season arrogance and last years 4-1 to put to bed, then I can move on!) Bournemouth are like a much younger brother.. can't help but look out for them despite when they are annoying at times. And that is it for us. Portsmouth are a non entity. They got caned by Charlton the other day, don't have a training ground, and I look forward to cheering Salisbury on against them at the Ray Mac. For the premier. The ones that matter are Eve-liverpool, liverpool vs united, united vs city, spuds vs Arse, toon vs sunderland and Swans vs Cardiff. For us, its about smashing West Ham, and beating the big boys at SMS this season, the way we were brought up! I was chatting to a stoke fan, and I was explaining that when we play united at home, I expect us to give them a good battering and get a win. And that I was more interested in watching saints play well and beat a big team than do it against a medium/bottom half club. He was far more interested in watching ****e football, scraping wins against cack teams, and couldn't care less about the big boys as they were a league above and not to be competed with. We have a different mentality i think as a fan base. Perhaps because we were plucky little saints for so many years, and perhaps because we did punch above our weight with some great players! But times have changed, and we certainly appear to be going somewhere in the future. Time to carve out some new rivalries!

Don't understand the issue here. We outbid cardiff and their chairman (A.K.A. Tanny Boy) was left holding his pathetic weener in a cock fight with the Don's stallion sized equipment. After loosing (never really being in the game) to the better man he is now trying to save his blushes. I like what it says about us to be honest. We wanted to player and we pushed out our rivals... Get used to it, or would you rather sit here and have the "moral high ground" because plucky saints refused to match one of the big boys for a player? Seriously, the sooner the summer ends and the season starts the better it will be. So many bed wetter threads by far.

Are you sure? I mean, he was only our top scorer in the premier last season and the joint top scoring Englishman, despite playing for us for the first 10 games as well Interesting link, but won't happen, Lambert will be a massive part of our season again next year, barring injuries.

I assume that I would need to get to Southampton (Fro Bristol) to get any benefit of this. I feel the club need to support those with season tickets and a 100 mile journey to get to the ground as well as just those who go to the away matches. Keep dreaming i guess

People who are mentally fragile don't elbow/hit some one in the face when they get there shirt pulled and don't get stuck in and chase around like ramirez does. Ludicrous comment. If you had said he has typical south american temperament then I would have agreed. But you are just slamming a young man in a foreign country to get on the bandwagon and with no real reason!

He requested to go back up there to be nearer to home and family? We acquiesced to that request and now are fans are slamming us for treating him poorly? Seems a bit harsh on us tbh...

Don't know how they got there

You are setting your sites at the wrong level here. Arsenal - They have done nothing yet with which you could base an opinion. On the one had they have stability and a young squad that will improve. On the other hand Chelsea and city have already spent big and have appointed good managers. Man Utd look set to make some waves as well this summmer. And Tottenham have only strengthened. Villa - Young team that got to grips with the league last year, more signings in a similar vein. Expect them to improve. Cardiff - Get the impression they will be similar to us in terms of level... but with less style Chelsea - Improve in the league massively, them or city to win it for me. Crystal palace - Little to spend, but a manager who knows how to scrap. Think they are doomed sadly. Everton - Marginal improvement expected for me... The Martinez effect is yet to be felt so tactically they will be at an unknown level with those players. They have strengthened the squad however and more importantly not sold any key players. Fulham - So far they have been treading water, possibly due to Khan's takeover. Khan talks the talk but I don't think they will do much improving, in fact I expect them to go backwards relative to other mid-to bottom half clubs. Hull - Bruce can scrap, they will be there or there abouts at the end of the season. I'm expecting them to be dipping in and out of the relegation zone if I am honest. Liverpool - well, as usual, they have spent a fortune.... how many of there players would we take? Perhaps mignolet? (Not convinced), as for Aspas and co, I think we would all rather spend that money in other areas. I suspect they will improve marginally in relative standards, but not by much, and I think we will be fighting it out with them this year (good start and injury free season permitting). Man City - Considering what their squad is worth, they would be hard pushed to do worse in my honest opinion.. I think there transfers could be better, as with last year, but even so there is scope to improve them massively just through adjusting the tactics and getting them playing. United - Moyes is a good manager for sure, but he is not used to having money, not being at the centre of the media storms and mindgames at the level he will be this year. Talks of rooney out, cesc in... will it happen? Personally I didn't think that the united team was that good last year, and that it showed SAF's abilities once again to win the league the way they did. Under moyes, I expect a downgrade in position, perhaps scrapping for 3rd or 4th. Newcastle - Honestly, at the moment I think they will be struggling.. No good buys in, management in turmoil, fans angry at the hole debacle and no quality buys of the level they need to "improve" - I don't think they will be any better than last year and be bottom half and towards the relegation zone. Norwich - they have bought well, solid team last season and will remain so, perhaps with extra bite. I have them down to improve - comfortable mid table position? The Saints - Looks promising so far. Rock solid midfield, defence is better, and our first 11 line ups look pretty damn good. Get in a quality striker and a good winger and I really think we can look towards the heights of 6/7th with an injury free season. We shall see. Sunderland - God only knows, di canio is an unknown for me, based on swindon and some of his results at the end of last season, I think they will get better as a team but finish only a couple of places above the relegation zone, maybe. Definite consideration for the drop as the overall standard this year has improved at the bottom end. Swansea - Bony will be quality for me, and I think swansea will be one of our major rivals for final position this season, i have them down to improve once again. Tottenham - Marginal improvement in quality relative to last seasons top 4, I think some of the chasing pack are catching up on 3rd and 4th positions. if they don't get any strikers, or if bale get injures then I think we can have them though ';.;' West Brom - The player who were so deadly against us have gone and they are looking pace free at the moment... Don't think there usual counter attack yawn football will work on us or other teams next season and we will finish above them. Definite a declining team this year. West Ham - They have stood still next to those around them, therefore a declining position. We will devastate them with Wanyama - they won't understand what to do when they jump on someone and bounce off.

What will happen, is the club will be at pains to point out that the construction is not in line with the design, nor as the club wanted. The contractor will be forced to make right the construction at cost to no-one but themselves.. and the god help the fools who did it. Would imagine if it goes that far, which the club have the right to do, then they will face a substantial law suit.

Only one of those payers is Belgian? and we won't be signing Astori now, so no point imagining that. I do agree that the future is looking bright.

Lol, genuinely funny, keep it coming you two!

I really hope we don't sign him, he sounds far from a consumate professional and we don't need a pre-Madonna on the books, certainly not one who will throw a wobbly when lambert gets a game before him, or who is likely to punch lallanaby in the face for not passing the ball... Sounds like a great team player that will fit in with our well bonded and hard working team... nice quality guy. Also, he doesn't want to be here, and he is 27.... please tell me we are not spending nearly £20m on this guy... I can't believe it and I hope it isn't true!

Well it will keep JWP happy, he's in the news, and being confused with a better player Not that he is in anyway not a promising quality little player!

Woosh!!!

So, after the week of reckoning we have had are one in (Wanyama) and we've had one out (Forren)... I think that goes to show that Glasgow really is, "in the know" and as such, his friendship request has been accepted! Great day to be a saints fan, an ITK poster is confirmed and we have made a quality signing!

I.e... MLG?

Wanayama has signed! I Posted this last night and taken down by mods yet not here? Strange!

We totally outplayed west brom at home.... go look at the stats. And you are suggesting that playing 2 strikers more than 1 would leave us less vulnerable to the counter? Since poch came in, we outplayed every single team we played bar the first 45min away at old trafford. If we could take our chances better and stop having fox/jos **** up moments at the back we would have finished top half. And either way, a newly promoted team fielding a largely league 1 and championship team finishing as well as we did in our first season is not "embarrassing".

No comment other than I'm happy for you... you've got a lot of good times about to come your way!

Also barry, another point against having to spend money to get eurpoean football. go look at arsenals net spend since 08/09... it is one of the lowest in the league, memory fails me but it may even be negative.... Hasn't stopped them getting champions league football. And to look where we have both come from, in 1994/95, pre wenger, we were finishing above them in the league...

Barry, I am finidng it hard to take you seriosuly here. This is not your fault, but this argument has become quite aggressive as usual. This leads to broad sweeping comments and loads of back sniping. You are now coming out with what appears to be a very biased argument; saying that we need to outspend the current top teams to get into and maintain a position in europe and moaning that whilst we are spending money, we are not signing players that will "ensure" are place in Europe. From my perspective of football. Nothing is 100 percent certain, and the signing of any player does not ensure anything. From another perspective.... NC's model would see us with the next generation of Oxlade, walcott and bale... they would have played in the same team as bridge and would be alongisde other players like morgan, cork, lallana, jayrod and lambert.... backed up by a few quality player such as those we have been linked at recently at gaston and Lovren.... Where the club is heading... if we sell shaw it will be for shed loads, that or we can keep them and we have ready made quality players... its like actually doing what Arsenal have been trying to do (but then resorted to buying ours for shed loads).... And you may dismiss that model... but look at the players united brought through and played at top level, and look at our pedigree for players over the last 20years... Nothing will assure our way to premier league football. And frankly, I think cortese is spot on in his approach..... Get a young squad... play the U18's a the highest level possible to develop our own, and buy a selection of quality players to plug the gap... We will never do a city... and all they have won is a title and a cup for a billion net spend... But what we might do is an arsenal... Also people knock the city of southampton... but our players, live, work and train in the new forest.... compare that to london, because when you have kids as a footaller where would you honestly want to live? Maybe that is why we are producing normal teenage footballers that speak well and have a level head, where as the london teams produce 20 year olds with a 10 year old reading level. With NC at the helm, this club will go wherever that man wants it to go... sit back, enjoy the ride.

Funny, but lets be honest: 1.) The hot weather gets to the best of us. 2.) You've just made Glasgow's day! And... 3.) Whoooshhh!!

Based on today's news it would appear you are spouting a crock of baloney!

This guy would be our Toure, play him anywhere through the middle and he'll be quality. Fast, powerful, and huge. Would be a great cab considering we push up under MP. But even better at brining it forward from midfield.

Are they? I would leave a question mark over city and united. Arsenal will be the same, and Chelsea should finish top 2 or run away in my view (and on present form) Since poch came in I felt we outplayed everyone. But we threw points away with poor defending and not being cynical. A few squad improvements will cut that out, let alone the quality we are linked with. I think with that improvement it will push us to top 8 in an injury free season. But NC is going far beyond bringing the weakest parts of our squad in line with the average standard. Instead we replaced jos with a champions league CB. If we sign the players we are linked with it will for a quality team with great squad depth. In an injury free season I honestly think we can push for 5th as our top goal (doubtless the down wants 4th but I can't quite believe it yet). So for me, worst case with injuries is 10-11th to a best case of 5th and a cup run. 8th as a worst case finish in an injury free season. Some may say that 5th to 8th is being very optimistic. But consider that porch has had us outplaying everyone. We dismantled liverpool/, Chelsea and city and despite a dire first half at old Trafford, we hung in there at then did at man United's fortress what Barcelona did to them at Wembley... If we become more clinical and cut out the mistakes then the future is indeed very bright... The future is red and.....