Coxford_lou

Wow Steven Davis! (Though I do feel a bit sorry for Greece as they've had such a hard time of it lately).

Don't even say it, Doddisalegend! That would just be plain weird.

Thanks for posting! Fascinating analysis - always a good thing when an article teaches you something new. Knowing Koeman will highly likely move on at the end of the third year makes me feel very sad. Not sure what's worse: knowing in advance, or a nasty bolt out of the blue (like Adkins)...

That reads like an exciting novel, where you just can't wait to see what happens next...

And they're all watching JWP like a hawk...

Blimey. Secret Footballer seems to like us. I'm almost blushing! http://www.thesecretfootballer.com/articles/the-secret-footballer/28604/jose-mourinho-suffers-and-spouts-rubbish-after-creating-his-own-problems/

Valuing a brand is different to valuing a business. Let me look up a definition for how these particular valuations were calculated, but in the meantime, here's the Brand Finance Football 50's summary of the Saints performance: The Saints Go Marching On Southampton is another club to have benefitted. The Saints’ brand value has grown more than any other this year, up 89% to $183 million. However Southampton has been more than a passive beneficiary of booming broadcast revenues. Despite changing manager twice and selling many of their top players to larger clubs, it has gone from strength to strength since promotion in 2012. The club’s apparent knack for indentifying talented young players at a reasonable cost and developing them into stars has enabled it to climb the Premier League rankings whilst turning a tidy profit. Ronald Koeman has masterminded a 7th place finish that means a club facing administration in 2009 and playing in the third tier of English football in 2010 is just two points behind Liverpool, a club with an enduringly popular global brand. Southampton can look forward to European football next season and the chance to build its own brand on the international stage. Southampton’s recent rise is one of the features that explain the popularity of the Premier League. Though the Bundesliga is efficiently and equitably run, arguably offering a better deal for fans, and La Liga has the drama of El Classico, neither can match the Premier League for drama. Three different teams have now won the title in the last three years. Though five or six dominate the Champions’ league places, any of these big beasts can be toppled by dogged opposition from provincial minnows that fight until the end of injury time. PDF download here: http://brandfinance.com/images/upload/bf_football_50_low_res.pdf Edit: just spotted the methodology for valuing the brand is in the link above, pages 16-17.

For anyone interested in the business and marketing side of things: http://www.thedrum.com/news/2015/10/03/southampton-fc-we-want-engage-our-fans-brand-not-football-club While this might seem the antithesis to what most supporters want (!) it sounds like they are getting savvy - investing in building mechanisms to build business.

I haven't left this site, thanks very much. I'm still a full member. Get yer facts straight, Hypo...

Yeah, totally! Just slightly Maybe, maybe not. Who knows. I need to extricate myself from these conversations though. Reevaluate my life strategy in terms of football forums... Rock on, CB Fry!

It worked!

Well, to be honest CB Fry, I'm completely confused about the rules of engagement on here (and probably with men in general). One minute it's defending 'get your tits out for the lads' blokey banter with the 'it's just a joke' mentality. The next it's full on macho all out war. The next someone is banned for a comic strip. All very confusing. The only thing I feel I can depend on....the only certainty I can rely on...is that if someone mentions "Lou" in a post, Hypo will always respond. Like an automated troll-bot. It keeps me sane.

Yes, very well put Bletch. The thing with Pap is, if you don't agree with him, you can just tell him, and he's fine with it.

You're a wise man, Bletch.

Mane is a sweetheart. This survey is gross.

So nasty

LOL.

Man up, Bucks!

See that's the thing, Verbal. I get all that, I've picked up on the issue before, and I've always openly taken your side on issues around anonymity. As well as most things really. So given it was an attempt at lightheartedness (driven by the fact I like Steve Grant and I like Pap), I wasn't expecting your first exasperated (and as a result, kinda patronising) response. Maybe I'm more aware of your posting history than you are of mine. Who knows. I suppose it serves me right for dipping my toes in something people obviously still feel strongly about. There you go, learnt that lesson. Can we just end this storm in a tea cup? I hate falling out with people, it's really dull, and much more hard work than being merry.

I'm in room 4655. Six other girls joining me. Bring booze.

LOL!

Bloody good question!

I guess, but it most of all it was just a joke. Not a very funny one, I admit, but definitely not "noodle headed garbage I've beamed into my brain". As insults go, that was a particularly bonkers one. Which is ironic I guess........

Blimey Verbal. It was a joke message. I was making up a daft scenario where Pap and Steve Grant would meet (I doubt either would do so because I doubt either could give a monkeys) and to give some flesh to my daft scenario I imagined what Pap would ask of SG. Sorry I used your name for something you're clearly sensitive about. It definitely wasn't a dig at you, because before this little exchange, I've always enjoyed your posts.

Wow, you're a charmer, Verbal. C'mon don't play naive, your spats with Pap are the stuff of legend. I find it all most amusing. No need to get on the defensive.