Question for the Positive-Thinkers after the Walsall result

[Super_Uwe]

Indeed and they have all been of concern, but how many under Adkins, with this group of players? That's the main concern for me, what happened under Pards/Wilkins and before we signed Chaplow, Guly etc... is not really relevant (apart from that it has given us this uphill struggle) because it's in the past.

 

We've also had other 'Single' Wins, which never get picked over and analysed in the same level of detail as the results that haven't gone our way.

 

The reason we are in this position at all (which could still be 2nd on GD IF we win our games in hand) is more to do with the shocking start to the season than it is to do with Adkins or the January transfer window... IMHO

 

You're absolutely right IMHO too. The first seven league games of the season saw us pick up 5 points. 5 pathetic, paltry points . In the 24 league games since we have managed to pick up 47.

 

I don't like the inconsistent results that we've seen of late, but at the same time we are still well on track to do this.

 

I know it's a nutty concept but we CAN just about afford these crappy results. It's not good for the nerves but what can you do?!

[Professor]

You're absolutely right IMHO too. The first seven league games of the season saw us pick up 5 points. 5 pathetic, paltry points . In the 24 league games since we have managed to pick up 47.

I don't like the inconsistent results that we've seen of late, but at the same time we are still well on track to do this.

I know it's a nutty concept but we CAN just about afford these crappy results. It's not good for the nerves but what can you do?!

Lumping the first 7 games together is misleading as it includes the disasterous period when we had no manager following the 'dismissal' of Pardew. Pardew was in charge for just 3 L1 games from which we got 4 points. The last 7 games under Adkins have produced 11 points, so not much difference on a points per game average. It was actually the 3 defeats under Wilkins after Cortese decided to change the manager that really caused the bad start. But if we go on as we have in the last 7 games, we'll be lucky to finish with any more points than we did last season, when we had the -10 as a valid excuse.

[Tamesaint]

Lumping the first 7 games together is misleading as it includes the disasterous period when we had no manager following the 'dismissal' of Pardew. Pardew was in charge for just 3 L1 games from which we got 4 points. The last 7 games under Adkins have produced 11 points, so not much difference on a points per game average. It was actually the 3 defeats under Wilkins after Cortese decided to change the manager that really caused the bad start. But if we go on as we have in the last 7 games, we'll be lucky to finish with any more points than we did last season, when we had the -10 as a valid excuse.

 

Or another way of looking at it is that we have taken 11 points from the last 6 games which is a 37.5% improvement on the games which you are using (4 points from 3 games) as your benchmark. Not so bad after all.

[SaintRichmond]

There is a shred of truth to this but the players we have should be good enough to carry us out of this division' date=' even if they do not meet expectations at times. [b'] We've seen how they can perform against teams in a higher division,[/b] it's just grinding our results and nous at this level where we suffer at times. Take the rough with the smooth.

 

Yes, in ONE-OFFS, but Division ! is a long hard slog of 46 Games against PoorerQuality Teams

 

Saints are still trying to play CCC Football, on Div 1 Ploughed fields

 

It hasn't worked in the past, and it aint gonna work this season either

 

Leeds twigged that after a few seasons in Div 1, and played the type of game to get them OUT of Div 1

 

Not pretty to watch, but effective to get the end result

 

Saints , AND the Supporters have yet to learn that lesson

[dronskisaint]

Or another way of looking at it is that we have taken 11 points from the last 6 games which is a 37.5% improvement on the games which you are using (4 points from 3 games) as your benchmark. Not so bad after all.

 

Thus proving the 'value' of selective statistics.

 

We have 52 points

 

We have 45 points still to play for

 

We have to play the two teams in pole & second position...we have games in hand over one of them sufficient to equal the total if won

 

We have an equivalent or better goal difference than those around us

 

We are coming in to form....we did not play badly on Tuesday - just finished badly (I wasn't there so can be shot down by those who were)

 

We played reasonably well against Swindon but won handsomely

 

These are largely facts, points in the bank and points to play for. I'll be at Colchester tomorrow and will see my team for the first time since last Saturday so will report back on any changes...we, the team, the manbagement should not, logically, be panicking...we're in a good position to launch the assault on the last third of the season..I think at this stage I should write fact in capital letters - but this is football!

[Turkish]

Thus proving the 'value' of selective statistics.

 

We have 52 points

 

We have 45 points still to play for

 

We have to play the two teams in pole & second position...we have games in hand over one of them sufficient to equal the total if won

 

We have an equivalent or better goal difference than those around us

 

We are coming in to form....we did not play badly on Tuesday - just finished badly (I wasn't there so can be shot down by those who were)

We played reasonably well against Swindon but won handsomely

 

These are largely facts, points in the bank and points to play for. I'll be at Colchester tomorrow and will see my team for the first time since last Saturday so will report back on any changes...we, the team, the manbagement should not, logically, be panicking...we're in a good position to launch the assault on the last third of the season..I think at this stage I should write fact in capital letters - but this is football!

 

Are you mental? Here is out last few games and my assesment. I was at them all apart from Hartlepool and Tranmere and some very good friends were at them and reported back.

 

Notts County 0-0 - Sh*t

Tranmere 0-2 Sh*t

Exeter 2-1 Okay a little forunate to win

Peterborough 4-4 okay, would have won but for defensive errors, again

Carlise 1-0 sh*t

Hartlepool 0-0 sh*t

Swindon 4-1 sh*t but for the first 15 mins and last 20 when 3-1 up.

WAllsall 0-1 Sh*t

 

So we played well for the total of 35 minutes in the last 8 games, taking 12 from a possible 24 points. This is hardly the mark of a team "coming into form" or one which claims it is capable of closing a ten point gap on the league leaders with only 45 left to play for. I dont know why people cannot accept the performances have not been good enough, the players have not been good enough and the management has not been good enough.

[Chez]

Are you mental? Here is out last few games and my assesment. I was at them all apart from Hartlepool and Tranmere and some very good friends were at them and reported back.

 

Notts County 0-0 - Sh*t

Tranmere 0-2 Sh*t

Exeter 2-1 Okay a little forunate to win

Peterborough 4-4 okay, would have won but for defensive errors, again

Carlise 1-0 sh*t

Hartlepool 0-0 sh*t

Swindon 4-1 sh*t but for the first 15 mins and last 20 when 3-1 up.

WAllsall 0-1 Sh*t

 

So we played well for the total of 35 minutes in the last 8 games, taking 12 from a possible 24 points. This is hardly the mark of a team "coming into form" or one which claims it is capable of closing a ten point gap on the league leaders with only 45 left to play for. I dont know why people cannot accept the performances have not been good enough, the players have not been good enough and the management has not been good enough.

 

I don't agree with your assessment of the Exeter and Swindon games (and therefore the 35 minutes thing), but apart from that its hard to argue with this post. Now your solution please?

[Turkish]

I don't agree with your assessment of the Exeter and Swindon games (and therefore the 35 minutes thing), but apart from that its hard to argue with this post. Now your solution please?

 

With Richardson and Dickson the back 4 look much more solid, i'd recall them. Tomorrow i'd play 4-5-1 when defending 4-3-3 when attacking Lambert up front alone with Chaplow or Hammond breaking forward when attacking, Lallana wide left, If Gully & Chamberlain are injured N'Gessen wide right and butterfield if MS is injured as the holding midfield player.

 

The other formation we can look at is 4-2-3-1 with Butterfield and Hammond as the 2 defensive midfielders, Lallana, Chaplow and Dickson (with Harding used at left back) or N'Gessen (assuming Chamberlain and Gully aren't fit) across the middle as attacking/breaking forward midfielders and Lambert upfront.

 

There you go, lets try something different than 4-4-2 for once shall we, which IMO is dated formation, how many top clubs play that way these days?

[suewhistle]

Why bother with the attention-seeking post on this thread then ?

 

Brilliant! Just digesting my evening meal and found time to pass through. Alpine - the starter of many threads, well known by many as a bit of a [fill in own response] and 15k+ posts making that accusation about me: 1700 something posts, rarely start them, and definitely not an attention seeker. But I do fight my own corner when I need to. Unfortunately I can't express my true opinion as I'd get an infringement.

[Chez]

With Richardson and Dickson the back 4 look much more solid, i'd recall them. Tomorrow i'd play 4-5-1 when defending 4-3-3 when attacking Lambert up front alone with Chaplow or Hammond breaking forward when attacking, Lallana wide left, If Gully & Chamberlain are injured N'Gessen wide right and butterfield if MS is injured as the holding midfield player.

 

The other formation we can look at is 4-2-3-1 with Butterfield and Hammond as the 2 defensive midfielders, Lallana, Chaplow and Dickson (with Harding used at left back) or N'Gessen (assuming Chamberlain and Gully aren't fit) across the middle as attacking/breaking forward midfielders and Lambert upfront.

 

There you go, lets try something different than 4-4-2 for once shall we, which IMO is dated formation, how many top clubs play that way these days?

 

no arguement from me. We were at our best last season when we started games with 5 in midfield, tiring the opposition out then reverting to a 4-4-2 when bringing on Connelly and Antonio.

 

Butterfield has played well in recent weeks so perhaps Adkins wanted to reward him with some loyalty, but I never understood why Richardson and Dickson fell out of favour so quickly not even after a poor game. You can add Barnard to that list. We are hardly firing yet he is nowhere near the first 11. Strange.

[alpine_saint]

Brilliant! Just digesting my evening meal and found time to pass through. Alpine - the starter of many threads, well known by many as a bit of a [fill in own response] and 15k+ posts making that accusation about me: 1700 something posts, rarely start them, and definitely not an attention seeker. But I do fight my own corner when I need to. Unfortunately I can't express my true opinion as I'd get an infringement.

 

Once again: I have never gone on to a thread and written "I can be bothered reading this", whatever you may perceive about the rest of my posting strategy. Your post (though you are not the only one guilty of that type of post) has "looooook at meeeeee !!!" written all over it.

 

You might not like my opinion, you might not like the forthrighteousness or frequency of my posting, you probably consider me to be a complete and utter whack-job, but I post how I feel about my club, not to seek attention.

[Lets B Avenue]

You can add Barnard to that list. We are hardly firing yet he is nowhere near the first 11. Strange.

 

Except he played 90 mins on Tuesday.

[Chez]

Leeds twigged that after a few seasons in Div 1, and played the type of game to get them OUT of Div 1

 

Not pretty to watch, but effective to get the end result

 

did they ****. They may have had two units at centre half, but they played a passing game with Kilkenny, Howson and Johnson strong in the midfield, Snodgrass causing havoc out wide and two strikers that scored continuously. Note that Norwich and Forest both adopted a passing game to get out of this league, allbeit with some longer stuff to Holt (not too dissimilar to what we play with Lambert) and they play exactly the same game in the CCC.

 

It's not the `ploughed' fields that are the problem as we showed at D&R, its the qualities of our side and the opposition.

Edited 5 March, 2011 by Chez

[Chez]

Except he played 90 mins on Tuesday.

 

I'm talking about the season as a whole. After the great start (he was our best player over the first 5 or 6 games) he has been largely ignored, even when fully fit. He was first choice under Pardew and played week in week out.

[Chez]

Your post (though you are not the only one guilty of that type of post) has "looooook at meeeeee !!!" written all over it.

you type a post so others read it, therefore isn't every post a bit of a look at me post in some way?

[ottery st mary]

We will get promoted this season...Positive..

 

Win 3-0 today and we are right back in there ..no problem...

 

 

We will do this.....Come on Saints..

 

 

WIFM..

 

 

 

I am reasonably sure that I have a positive view on us winning promotion.....

 

 

Well, sometimes I am positive....Let you know what I reallly think after the final whistle today...

 

 

COYS

[Turkish]

no arguement from me. We were at our best last season when we started games with 5 in midfield, tiring the opposition out then reverting to a 4-4-2 when bringing on Connelly and Antonio.

 

Butterfield has played well in recent weeks so perhaps Adkins wanted to reward him with some loyalty, but I never understood why Richardson and Dickson fell out of favour so quickly not even after a poor game. You can add Barnard to that list. We are hardly firing yet he is nowhere near the first 11. Strange.

 

Excatly, you have certain players like Lambert, Gully & Harding who get picked week after week regardless of their performances and the likes Richardson, Dickson and Barnard who come in and have one game where they aren't good, they dont even nessasarily seem to have to play badly and you dont see them for another month. IMO Richardson and Dickson are the best in their position so should play. The defence looks much more solid with them in it.

[IamLeGod]

You've spoken about the "bad luck" and the "chances created" against Walsall, and how we deserved to win and were "mugged".

 

Dont Bournemouth actually deserve second place, and wouldnt we be "mugging" them if we were to snatch it from them in the last couple of weeks of the season, seeing as they have been there for months ?

 

I think there is some double-standards in your thinking.

 

 

Let's face it Alpine. That is you. Do you even know what that is? Or what it is a reference to?

 

Do you have time for anything else in your life? Do you actually have a life? As far as I can tell your life revolves around petty squabbles on an internet forum. You sit here and look for any reason to pick anything that anyway who dares to disagree with you. Do you really gain fulfilment from your forum war? Were you bullied at school? Do you feel a big man for being such a prolific keyboard warrior?

 

You claim to be a fan, but you are simply incapable of doing anything but moaning. Your choice of supporting a team like Southampton is fortunate, what on earth would you moan about if you were a Man Utd fan? "Brilliant, we won the title the Season!!", "Yeah but we lost two matches, with our players that is unacceptable". You appear to only FOLLOW (i have deliberately used the term follow, as you clearly do not support Saints) to revel in bad results, even in victory you look for the tiniest of things to moan about.

 

Frankly you are a pathetic little troll and I am sick of people like you clogging up this forum. Get a life. Clearly you have an unhealthy addiction to the internet. Have you tried Porn Hub? You may gain some satisfaction from it? Christ knows you clearly need some form of release.

 

I only ever joined this forum to get a little bit of extra insight as to what was going on at the club, and due to other commits I dont live in Southampton so miss out a lot of the local news. Cretins such as you have lead me to detest this site and lose interest in it all together.

 

If what I have said is inappropriate or unacceptable, infract or ban as you see fit. I really have very little desire to post on here again.

[alpine_saint]

 

Let's face it Alpine. That is you. Do you even know what that is? Or what it is a reference to?

 

Do you have time for anything else in your life? Do you actually have a life? As far as I can tell your life revolves around petty squabbles on an internet forum. You sit here and look for any reason to pick anything that anyway who dares to disagree with you. Do you really gain fulfilment from your forum war? Were you bullied at school? Do you feel a big man for being such a prolific keyboard warrior?

 

You claim to be a fan, but you are simply incapable of doing anything but moaning. Your choice of supporting a team like Southampton is fortunate, what on earth would you moan about if you were a Man Utd fan? "Brilliant, we won the title the Season!!", "Yeah but we lost two matches, with our players that is unacceptable". You appear to only FOLLOW (i have deliberately used the term follow, as you clearly do not support Saints) to revel in bad results, even in victory you look for the tiniest of things to moan about.

 

Frankly you are a pathetic little troll and I am sick of people like you clogging up this forum. Get a life. Clearly you have an unhealthy addiction to the internet. Have you tried Porn Hub? You may gain some satisfaction from it? Christ knows you clearly need some form of release.

 

I only ever joined this forum to get a little bit of extra insight as to what was going on at the club, and due to other commits I dont live in Southampton so miss out a lot of the local news. Cretins such as you have lead me to detest this site and lose interest in it all together.

 

If what I have said is inappropriate or unacceptable, infract or ban as you see fit. I really have very little desire to post on here again.

 

Bye !!!

[croydonsaint]

 

Let's face it Alpine. That is you. Do you even know what that is? Or what it is a reference to?

 

Do you have time for anything else in your life? Do you actually have a life? As far as I can tell your life revolves around petty squabbles on an internet forum. You sit here and look for any reason to pick anything that anyway who dares to disagree with you. Do you really gain fulfilment from your forum war? Were you bullied at school? Do you feel a big man for being such a prolific keyboard warrior?

 

You claim to be a fan, but you are simply incapable of doing anything but moaning. Your choice of supporting a team like Southampton is fortunate, what on earth would you moan about if you were a Man Utd fan? "Brilliant, we won the title the Season!!", "Yeah but we lost two matches, with our players that is unacceptable". You appear to only FOLLOW (i have deliberately used the term follow, as you clearly do not support Saints) to revel in bad results, even in victory you look for the tiniest of things to moan about.

 

Frankly you are a pathetic little troll and I am sick of people like you clogging up this forum. Get a life. Clearly you have an unhealthy addiction to the internet. Have you tried Porn Hub? You may gain some satisfaction from it? Christ knows you clearly need some form of release.

 

I only ever joined this forum to get a little bit of extra insight as to what was going on at the club, and due to other commits I dont live in Southampton so miss out a lot of the local news. Cretins such as you have lead me to detest this site and lose interest in it all together.

 

If what I have said is inappropriate or unacceptable, infract or ban as you see fit. I really have very little desire to post on here again.

Think probably most of us that come on here would agree. Have stopped posting on here because I find myself getting wound up by the few sad Trolls. Shame because I am certain this forum would be better with out them.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Well you two if you cannot handle a bit of Alpine negativity suggest you do leave. Forums are all about cut and thrust - you two sound like a pair of jessies.

Man up, fight your corner - thank **** you aren't our two defensive players.

[stmusicdude]

Once again: I have never gone on to a thread and written "I can be bothered reading this", whatever you may perceive about the rest of my posting strategy. Your post (though you are not the only one guilty of that type of post) has "looooook at meeeeee !!!" written all over it.

 

You might not like my opinion, you might not like the forthrighteousness or frequency of my posting, you probably consider me to be a complete and utter whack-job, but I post how I feel about my club, not to seek attention.

 

 

Are you sure?

why do you come over in such a way, that it appears you prefer we lose? are quieter when we score or win? you post most often when during games we haven't yet scored ( often we then go on to win.. you go quiet again) and seem annoyed & come over as insulting to those who have enjoyed a game? I am just curious as to why?

 

You do often make some very valid points, but you nullify them by either being insulting OR contradicting yourself

[stmusicdude]

Well you two if you cannot handle a bit of Alpine negativity suggest you do leave. Forums are all about cut and thrust - you two sound like a pair of jessies.

Man up, fight your corner - thank **** you aren't our two defensive players.

 

contradictory somewhat, as you clearly have a problem with people who do "debate" the other side of the coin

[Saint_Jonny]

Think probably most of us that come on here would agree. Have stopped posting on here because I find myself getting wound up by the few sad Trolls. Shame because I am certain this forum would be better with out them.

 

Agree 100%!

[alpine_saint]

Think probably most of us that come on here would agree. Have stopped posting on here because I find myself getting wound up by the few sad Trolls. Shame because I am certain this forum would be better with out them.

 

If you have stopped posting, what was that drivel ?

 

So we are Trolls, and you think we should be banned. What a dull, one-dimensioned self-opinionated sad little individual you must be.

[alpine_saint]

Well you two if you cannot handle a bit of Alpine negativity suggest you do leave. Forums are all about cut and thrust - you two sound like a pair of jessies.

Man up, fight your corner - thank **** you aren't our two defensive players.

 

[jam]

did they ****. They may have had two units at centre half, but they played a passing game with Kilkenny, Howson and Johnson strong in the midfield, Snodgrass causing havoc out wide and two strikers that scored continuously. Note that Norwich and Forest both adopted a passing game to get out of this league, allbeit with some longer stuff to Holt (not too dissimilar to what we play with Lambert) and they play exactly the same game in the CCC.

 

It's not the `ploughed' fields that are the problem as we showed at D&R, its the qualities of our side and the opposition.

 

Indeed. There seems to be a rather patronising notion on here that teams can only get out of it by playing hoofball.

 

Strangly, none the teams that I can think of that have got promoted from this division recently - Norwich, S****horpe, Brighton, Doncaster, Peterborough, Millwall - seemed to manage it by playing that way.

[jam]

Are you sure?

why do you come over in such a way, that it appears you prefer we lose? are quieter when we score or win? you post most often when during games we haven't yet scored ( often we then go on to win.. you go quiet again) and seem annoyed & come over as insulting to those who have enjoyed a game? I am just curious as to why?

 

You do often make some very valid points, but you nullify them by either being insulting OR contradicting yourself

 

I find this 'you seem to prefer it when we lose' notion mindboggling. Is it so beyond comprehension that some people post more when things are going badly partly out of frustration and also because there is simply more to debate?

[NickG]

 

Let's face it Alpine. That is you. Do you even know what that is? Or what it is a reference to?

 

Do you have time for anything else in your life? Do you actually have a life? As far as I can tell your life revolves around petty squabbles on an internet forum. You sit here and look for any reason to pick anything that anyway who dares to disagree with you. Do you really gain fulfilment from your forum war? Were you bullied at school? Do you feel a big man for being such a prolific keyboard warrior?

 

You claim to be a fan, but you are simply incapable of doing anything but moaning. Your choice of supporting a team like Southampton is fortunate, what on earth would you moan about if you were a Man Utd fan? "Brilliant, we won the title the Season!!", "Yeah but we lost two matches, with our players that is unacceptable". You appear to only FOLLOW (i have deliberately used the term follow, as you clearly do not support Saints) to revel in bad results, even in victory you look for the tiniest of things to moan about.

 

Frankly you are a pathetic little troll and I am sick of people like you clogging up this forum. Get a life. Clearly you have an unhealthy addiction to the internet. Have you tried Porn Hub? You may gain some satisfaction from it? Christ knows you clearly need some form of release.

 

I only ever joined this forum to get a little bit of extra insight as to what was going on at the club, and due to other commits I dont live in Southampton so miss out a lot of the local news. Cretins such as you have lead me to detest this site and lose interest in it all together.

 

If what I have said is inappropriate or unacceptable, infract or ban as you see fit. I really have very little desire to post on here again.

 

is that really alp's pic?

[alpine_saint]

I find this 'you seem to prefer it when we lose' notion mindboggling. Is it so beyond comprehension that some people post more when things are going badly partly out of frustration and also because there is simply more to debate?

 

Bizarre, isnt it ?

[dune]

Think probably most of us that come on here would agree. Have stopped posting on here because I find myself getting wound up by the few sad Trolls. Shame because I am certain this forum would be better with out them.

 

Don't get wound up, just see alpines really stupid posts as entertainment. For the past two weekends he has been comedy gold.

 

Saints v Swindon (swindon just equalised)

 

No way will we get the auto spot, or win the playoffs. We simply dont have the resolve and mental toughness, even if we have the skill.

 

Saints then imediately score and go on to win 4-1.

 

Yesterday on 29 minutes

 

Bournemouth winning, Peterborough winning, we are contributing to our usual huff-and-puff-with-no-result away at Colchester.

 

We really dont want 2nd place, it seems.

 

Saints then imediately score and go on to win 2-0.

 

 

 

 

 

After both of these comments he disapears as his life is about more than this forum.

Edited 6 March, 2011 by dune

[alpine_saint]

Don't get wound up, just see alpines really stupid posts as entertainment. For the past two weekends he has been comedy gold.

 

Saints v Swindon (swindon just equalised)

 

 

 

Saints then imediately score and go on to win 4-1.

 

Yesterday on 29 minutes

 

 

 

Saints then imediately score and go on to win 2-0.

 

 

 

 

 

After both of these comments he disapears as his life is about more than this forum.

 

Explain to me how either result actually directly indicates that we are capable of winning 2nd or the play-offs, please.

 

In both games we had trouble controlling or dominating the game, and better teams might have got a couple of goals and killed off our resolve.

 

We aint up against Swindon or Colchester for the run-in or playoffs, FFS. We are up against Bournemouth, Huddersfield and most worryingly, Peterborough.

 

I continue to marvel at the witless one-dimensionality with which some of our fans view the situation

Edited 6 March, 2011 by alpine_saint

[saintbletch]

I find this 'you seem to prefer it when we lose' notion mindboggling. Is it so beyond comprehension that some people post more when things are going badly partly out of frustration and also because there is simply more to debate?

 

It's not mind-boggling though is it. Surely it's just simple psychology.

 

As a species we are programmed to take action that benefits us and prevents us from being hurt.

 

This base programming means that if a 'negative' poster predicts the end of the world they are prepared and protected against the hurt of losing. For them both results come into play.

 

If we lose, their 'I told you the end of the world was nigh' means they aren't hurt as much by the loss - after all they were prepared and they alone were right. They find comfort in this and are largely protected from the hurt of their team losing.

 

If we win then they're able to take solace from the fact that their team won and can also claim that we were lucky, which justifies their worrying. They feel that it was a good job they were worried and prepared because we were 'lucky' or 'only just' won. If they hadn't worried then perhaps we wouldn't have won.

 

It's win-win for them. I'm certainly not suggesting they root for a loss or that they get more pleasure when we lose but they've developed a system that insulates them and helps them cope.

 

I'm sure we've all been there in a minor way - walking to the ground and saying to our mates 'I bet we'll lose today'. Setting up in our mind the potential of a loss and preparing ourselves just in case.

 

And by the way I'm not judging Alpine or his ilk. They can't help it and probably don't consciously realise that this is going on.

[ottery st mary]

Then again some of the moaning minnies are WUM or as I suspect Pompey supporters...

 

19C when you need him:p

[alpine_saint]

It's not mind-boggling though is it. Surely it's just simple psychology.

 

As a species we are programmed to take action that benefits us and prevents us from being hurt.

 

This base programming means that if a 'negative' poster predicts the end of the world they are prepared and protected against the hurt of losing. For them both results come into play.

 

If we lose, their 'I told you the end of the world was nigh' means they aren't hurt as much by the loss - after all they were prepared and they alone were right. They find comfort in this and are largely protected from the hurt of their team losing.

 

If we win then they're able to take solace from the fact that their team won and can also claim that we were lucky, which justifies their worrying. They feel that it was a good job they were worried and prepared because we were 'lucky' or 'only just' won. If they hadn't worried then perhaps we wouldn't have won.

 

It's win-win for them. I'm certainly not suggesting they root for a loss or that they get more pleasure when we lose but they've developed a system that insulates them and helps them cope.

 

I'm sure we've all been there in a minor way - walking to the ground and saying to our mates 'I bet we'll lose today'. Setting up in our mind the potential of a loss and preparing ourselves just in case.

 

And by the way I'm not judging Alpine or his ilk. They can't help it and probably don't consciously realise that this is going on.

 

Even if we do (and I am not confirming this in my case or speaking for anyone else, btw), it is necessarily so bad ? Southampton have a long and distinguished record of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and f**king things up.

 

But anyway, wanting SFC to lose ? Ridiculous. You should ask my family what I am like when they have lost.

[Fowllyd]

Even if we do (and I am not confirming this in my case or speaking for anyone else, btw), it is necessarily so bad ? Southampton have a long and distinguished record of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and f**king things up.

 

But anyway, wanting SFC to lose ? Ridiculous. You should ask my family what I am like when they have lost.

 

A bit like this perhaps?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmLDlpapPKE&feature=related

[saintbletch]

Even if we do (and I am not confirming this in my case or speaking for anyone else, btw), it is necessarily so bad ?

 

You don't need to confirm it, and as I say the people who read your posts are in a much better position to judge than you are.

 

Southampton have a long and distinguished record of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and f**king things up.

 

But to answer your question, well, I'd ask you to consider what would happen if all 11 players that start a game for Saints were to repeat to themselves and say out loud to each other "we're going to lose this, we have a distinguished record of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and ****ing things up" continuously in the week building up to a game and even during the game.

 

Do you think that would have any impact on their chances of winning? Positive or negative?

 

I do. I think it would reduce their chances of winning.

 

But as this is just an Internet forum then, no it isn't that bad. But personally I can tell you that it does get a little bit annoying. But that's my problem, not yours.

 

So it's not that bad. But I do have a concern about the impact of this self-protection mechanism. It's easier to be a negative 'doubter' than a positive 'supporter'. And this, coupled with the modern desire to find the easiest path through life rather than the right path may lead to a generation of 'fans' that see their role a crtics on the outside rather than an integral part of the success of a team.

 

I am concerned that it becomes easier to sit back and say 'give me a reason to believe, then I'll believe' instead of bucking the trend and having faith in one's fellow man and simply saying 'I believe'.

 

But anyway, wanting SFC to lose ? Ridiculous. You should ask my family what I am like when they have lost.

 

Agreed. It is ridiculous and we both know that is why I was careful to state that I wasn't suggesting that 'negative' posters root for a loss or get more pleasure from it.

 

I'm certainly not suggesting they root for a loss or that they get more pleasure when we lose...

[jam]

It's not mind-boggling though is it. Surely it's just simple psychology.

 

As a species we are programmed to take action that benefits us and prevents us from being hurt.

 

This base programming means that if a 'negative' poster predicts the end of the world they are prepared and protected against the hurt of losing. For them both results come into play.

 

If we lose, their 'I told you the end of the world was nigh' means they aren't hurt as much by the loss - after all they were prepared and they alone were right. They find comfort in this and are largely protected from the hurt of their team losing.

 

If we win then they're able to take solace from the fact that their team won and can also claim that we were lucky, which justifies their worrying. They feel that it was a good job they were worried and prepared because we were 'lucky' or 'only just' won. If they hadn't worried then perhaps we wouldn't have won.

 

It's win-win for them. I'm certainly not suggesting they root for a loss or that they get more pleasure when we lose but they've developed a system that insulates them and helps them cope.

 

I'm sure we've all been there in a minor way - walking to the ground and saying to our mates 'I bet we'll lose today'. Setting up in our mind the potential of a loss and preparing ourselves just in case.

 

And by the way I'm not judging Alpine or his ilk. They can't help it and probably don't consciously realise that this is going on.

 

Interesting post Saintbletch. But just to clarify, what I find mind-boggling is the reaction of others that they suggest some posters on here enjoy us losing. As you say about taking the action that protects us from being hurt, I suggest that a lot of people who get on Alpine's case after a poor result are doing just that.

[saintbletch]

Interesting post Saintbletch. But just to clarify, what I find mind-boggling is the reaction of others that they suggest some posters on here enjoy us losing. As you say about taking the action that protects us from being hurt, I suggest that a lot of people who get on Alpine's case after a poor result are doing just that.

 

That's a very good observation Jam and I hadn't thought of it that way.

 

So Alpine is actually performing some form of public service by being a scapegoat and a focus for peoples' post-loss anger.

[PhilippineSaint]

is that really alp's pic?

 

Must be you can see the double locks on the door to the cellar

[Gingeletiss]

Explain to me how either result actually directly indicates that we are capable of winning 2nd or the play-offs, please.

 

In both games we had trouble controlling or dominating the game, and better teams might have got a couple of goals and killed off our resolve.

 

We aint up against Swindon or Colchester for the run-in or playoffs, FFS. We are up against Bournemouth, Huddersfield and most worryingly, Peterborough.

 

I continue to marvel at the witless one-dimensionality with which some of our fans view the situation

 

Are the boys still playing? Go Alps!

[Frank's cousin]

Alps, thing is, no one wuld argue against the difficulty we face, Huddersfield, Bmounth, Peterborought , are all collecting points - but at a sumilar rate to us - it was never going to be easy. So you are right in saying that getting second spot is going to take a huge effort. We will see what happens, but Imy guess why quite a few get so frustrated with your .... er fristrutration, is that surely this inconsistency and form abnomalies has been a hallmark of Saints for Donkey's,...er and probably 99% of all football fans would say teh same about thier own sides. Forget out 'spending' and 'quality' if it were that smple we would be back in the championship last year, but its waht makes the game. The NOT knowing, the surprises . I respect your right to be frustrated and dissapointed at poor results, but i guess i dont understand what pleasure you do get from being a saints fan, if on teh whole its always so deprerssing for you.

 

I hat losing, especially when its so delicately poised and single points and goal difference will play a part, but for me that adds to the excitement and this season's run in should be the one of teh best for many a year.