Daft Kerplunk

Are you an insider?

The season starts this weekend after tonight's rubbish. The team and everyone needs to be up for it, and to avoid complacency. Anyone can go down, a lot of teams could do well. On the evidence so far we are bottom half. Something needs to happen, and quickly if the upwards trend is to continue.

A manager can only work with what he's given...board, it's over to you and my goodness we have dropped the ball

Is Ulrich Van Gobbel available?

Very badly advised to move for two reasons. A, too young to go as was still learning his trade, and b, who is the last player who went to Arsenal and improved? It has been said that Arsene is a good manager but not a good coach meaning that he doesn't really develop players. They either are good or not. See Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain as well who would have become better players had they stayed longer at Saints.

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Ultimately it is unlikely, as at some point, the teams would realise they will also have a chance of being bottom of the league, as opposed to their dominance of the top positions they enjoy. There would probably be a market internationally but there are many pitfalls and clubs would probably have to start completely afresh, with all the big cities represented by new teams for it to really work. People compare the idea to US sports but the big difference is US sports have been city and territory based for a long time so loyalties aren't as entrenched. The problem now is the dominance the bigger teams have with the media who perpetuate the success f these clubs regardless of their ability to create teams. It would be nice if they celebrated the new teams breaking through instead but that will take time.

Maybe just maybe not spunking all the money on over-priced players has more to do with developing long-term, and maybe just maybe, Ralph Krueger is there to provide the leadership to get them there. Social media has made it more difficult to be a fan of a smaller club as we are open game to the media but even then, big clubs can shaft themselves. It is likely that Man Utd briefed the media they were after Neymar to make themselves look good to their 'fans' without remembering Barcelona are a bigger club than them thus making themselves look very foolish because the transfer is unlikely. As much as it is painful to lose players, it surely has little to do with asset stripping and maximising profit (not a bad thing in business though) when you can see money is being spent elsewhere, and invested in things behind the scenes to make things better for the future. Things don't just doesn't happen overnight.

I do believe a key character in players wanting to leave is Lallana more than any other. Once he had decided to leave, he was the first of the academy heart to decide saints didn't match his ambition, or that his agent had, or 'as I heard' his Dad had. Rumours were there that he was then actively encouraging other players to join him in leaving, and from there, a problem started. It's possibly something that will need another season and new leaders to come to fore to move on from those days.

Dortmund, and most German teams are now producing the best supporter experiences in the world. They are the very opposite of the passive fans most in England have become for whatever reason. We as Saints would lead the way in England if fans were a quarter (as a percentage) as good as Dortmund's fans.

Definitely missing something at the moment, losing 5 first team players (including Forster and Bertrand) means a big adjustment but we need to do something. Players arguing with each other over misplaced balls as well, never a good sign. Wanyama off the pace, Mane quick, tricky but very little end product ultimately. Frustrating time-wasting from them but they did exactly what is needed in European football. Score a goal and restrict the opposition from playing, which we went along with. We seem to have lost the patience and probing that was a feature of last season when things weren't going our way. Lessons to be learned, and fast

Even if the club are tempted to sell, it's probably the right moment to come out very strongly and say from now on players are only for sale when we want to sell them. The media seem to love taking us apart and it needs to be halted by a strong statement.

when did signing one CB become we are signing two?

With my very basic understanding of football, would it be okay if I was happy if we won 0-3 away from home each week having set up the team well, limited the supply of decent balls to the front men, condensed the space at key moments when we attacked, attacked with more verve and dominated the key phases of the match? Please do forgive those naive fans amongst us who think that winning 0-3 means that a team probably played better than average.

Centre backs usually and generally take longer to develop, and going out on loan will not harm them, it will help. As for others in the academy coming through, having someone challenging for their position will only help them become better, or they just don't have it and don't make it. Better they have game time as we progress and get better surely...

quite worried that players are off to Secret Garden Party, it's a very hedonistic place

Some fairly incredible comments here. He is still so young, interesting how some are so quick to write players off. It's the English problem unfortunately, only interested in the short term but at least the football experts, people like those who run the club, are willing to take a long term view. Imagine he is reading this and then does do well and thinks **** you saints fans, you never liked me anyway, I'm off. players tend to reach their peak in their mid to late 20s yet this one is being written off with 5 years to go until he gets to that point. Jeez!

Pretty sure when you look at our 2nd kit history since 1976, blue has featured most. Rank Xerox, Air Florida, draper tools, dimplex, friends provident, Muvi. Yellow is a tough colour to make work although I guess Brasil do ok

Has anyone taken into consideration connecting flights? Turin, Milan, Munich, Madrid, Barcelona, Rio all possible

Fabio Cannavaro - Height: 1.76 m Therefore height does not always equate with ability to be a central defender

Jackson's Farm is to potential finance what Matty Holland is to potential transfer targets

I expect Reed and JWP will feature more this season, surely that's part of the plan?

Pretty sure there are more English players in that eleven than Dutch

Well when was the last time you went to any of these places? I've been to Liverpool recently and it is a lot more vibrant than Southampton, feels much wealthier and has plenty to do. The point I am trying to make is that of Southampton were a more attractive city then that element would never be a barrier. Accepting that it needs improving is the first part of moving forward

Well, I'd say that number has declined in recent times since Kevin Keegan...and because they can keep houses because they have lots of money and like Keggy, Ball and the like those you refer to are probably English (and not necessarily interested in cultural activity beyond the golf course) and also it's a good place for older people because of a slower pace. Not really fitting for the new young and wealthier profile. I'm not off in my thinking, it's a strategic concern for the whole city and better not to be in denial and try to make it better so we can keep players here because of a good lifestyle as well as team. Yep, probably but where should I go that matches the criteria of a wealthy, culturally interested, globally experienced, expensive clothes shopping, non-chain restaurant, non-chain bar, exclusive club, michelin-starred eating person? Oh and I need a few options of each to keep me excited... It's a big city, with a lot going on for wealthy footballers. Why is it barmy? Strong word with no reasoning attached. Don't get me wrong, I think Southampton has a large amount of potential, but it has a lot of catching up to do if it is to genuinely compete at the top level as a city with a varied and vibrant culture, and like it or not, top footballers are going to want a cool place to live in as well as a healthy pay packet unless they are motivated by a quiet lifestyle.