We got accidentally hammered by Southampton

[pap]

I must admit, one of my post-match rituals is finding a complete match thread on the other team's forums.

 

They typically start with a few bullish predictions of victory, someone will mention that at some point, Southampton will go plummeting down the league. The match thread normally has several expletives punctuating the commentary as our goals fly in, while the aftermath is a bitter dissection of how bad their own team was. The Southampton vs Boro thread ( already linked elsewhere on SaintsWeb ) is a classic example.

 

I'm pretty sure that Championship managers are learning to fear the mighty Saints FC, especially at Fort St Marys. The fans, especially our keyboard warrior counterparts, are something else. How long will it take before they realise that getting "accidentally hammered by Southampton" really isn't an accident?

[alpine_saint]

Before every match, I reckon the quotes of the opposing team's fans that are linked on here are already balanced between "its only Saints, we are bound to stuff them" and "its Saints, they are going to murder us". So I reckon the process has started. Though my own personal observation is that the "big" Northern Monkey teams fans are taking longer to catch on. Will probably take us being guaranteed automatic promotion for the ®evolution to be complete, by which time the same sh*t will start with our new PL competitors.

[Saint_clark]

Some real bitterness in that thread.

[Denzil]

I tend to go down the pub and get smashed.

[alpine_saint]

LOL at the mong who predicted 0-3.

 

It was never going to be that.

[Saint_clark]

Lambert apparently is "just a technically better Heskey" - sounds f*cking good to me!

[pap]

I think a lot of it is ignorance. They haven't seen much of us lately, certainly not the team that was being forged in League One. They're probably doing the math:-

 

Newly promoted side + We're ace, innit = 0 - 3 away win!

 

*Some other variables, like numerous St Marys based spankings, not included in the above equation.

[John B]

Lambert apparently is "just a technically better Heskey" - sounds f*cking good to me!

 

Well he is but Heskey is quicker

[Saint_clark]

I think a lot of it is ignorance. They haven't seen much of us lately, certainly not the team that was being forged in League One. They're probably doing the math:-

 

Newly promoted side + We're ace, innit = 0 - 3 away win!

 

*Some other variables, like numerous St Marys based spankings, not included in the above equation.

 

One of them proved this by saying that the only "interesting" player he's seen from us this season is De Ridder. Clearly basing his opinion on our team entirely on the game V Reading.

[pap]

One of them proved this by saying that the only "interesting" player he's seen from us this season is De Ridder. Clearly basing his opinion on our team entirely on the game V Reading.

 

Yup, extrapolating the one experience to be the whole experience.

 

That bloke aside, fans in general genuinely don't realise that we've got danger all over the park.

[hypochondriac]

Southampton are a two man team, Lallana and Lambert,

LOL. Everyone says that.

if we can keep those two quiet, we have a good chance, we need to take advantage of Fonte's temperament and Kelvin Davis has looked dodgy at times this season.

When? He has looked excellent.

 

still they are a good team, but lack a good squad. they dont have much (outside of that De Ridder) off the bench.

 

Well destroyed that myth with Connolly scoring.

 

if Lallana is playing, i think its really naive of us to start Hoyte there over McMahon. Hoyte is very suspect at defending imo.

 

It's very amusing. I don't think we are this misinformed about a team before we play them. If anything we are less optimistic than we should be.

[ericofarabia]

I tend to go down the pub and get smashed.

 

Hopefully not by Stupot!!!

[kpturner]

Brighton fans complained about the same thing last season.

[hypochondriac]

The only side that I can see doing a Newcastle or QPR is West Ham.Whilst Southampton are doing well I do think they will hit a bad run and with a fairly inexperienced side they may struggle to overcome it.

 

Im sure we can make a better judgement on saturday when we have played at St Marys.

Why do people keep thinking we are inexperienced? We have a ton of championship experience in the side.

[MongoNeil]

Yup, extrapolating the one experience to be the whole experience.

 

That bloke aside, fans in general genuinely don't realise that we've got danger all over the park.

 

I'd rather keep it that way too.

 

I like to turn threads like this on their head, who can honestly say they know anything about our opposing team each week. I couldn't even name all the teams in this league, I'm only really interested in Saints. So for us to find it arrogant that fans of other teams don't know anything about us, are we any different?

[positivepete]

I am not sure our pre-match and match threads are much different! We should beat this lot....they do not have any players (that the writer has heard of), and how are we losing to this s..t. There were some good players in League one last year, (see how well Pilkington has done this season with Norwich) and there are more good players in this league, some of whom we have not heard of.

 

The fortunate thing is that the backroom staff at SMS do know how good the other teams are and how they play, and we are very well prepared each match.

[scotty]

That boro thread is genuinely amusing. Lets hope the oppo continue to underestimate us and predicting away wins at SMS, after all we're obviously pushovers at home

[hypochondriac]

I'd rather keep it that way too.

 

I like to turn threads like this on their head, who can honestly say they know anything about our opposing team each week. I couldn't even name all the teams in this league, I'm only really interested in Saints. So for us to find it arrogant that fans of other teams don't know anything about us, are we any different?

 

I don't think we make sweeping statements about teams based on one game no. I also don't often see posters predicted a 3-0 victory away from home. As a fan base we are more cautious and I think that is a better way to be.

[Ewell]

I got talking to a couple of very knowledgeable and good humoured Boro fans on the 21.30 train back to London last night. They were full of admiration for our team and the home support. They said we were the best home fans for getting behind their team that they have seen this season. They also said we were the best team they have seen in the last couple of seasons. They were insistent that we were going up with West Ham and that they would be happy to make the play offs but think they will just fall short. They also said we are a far better team than QPR were last year.

 

It's all about opinions that's for sure but just like our match day threads are you surprised opposition forums have the match day trolls just as we do. Try talking to the genuine opposition fans at the game and you get a farer reflection on how they see their team and the opposition.

[david in sweden]

Brighton fans complained about the same thing last season.

 

Brighton ? ...Brighton ? ..whatever happened to them ...?

[S-Clarke]

Why do people keep thinking we are inexperienced? We have a ton of championship experience in the side.

 

Exactly, most in our team had played championship football before this season (and quite a lot of it). The only ones who hadn't are the guys we brought from top flight foreign teams. Not too bad!!

 

To be honest, fans are technically clueless about us. We're still skint and in administration according to some teams, that's why they could ''nick'' Lambert off us in the summer apparently.

 

I like this quiet but deadly rise we're doing....we're catching everyone by surprise!

[hypochondriac]

Brighton ? ...Brighton ? ..whatever happened to them ...?

 

They didn't keep up.

[Ohio Saint]

I'm becoming addicted to the other forums after a game too......But that will only last while we are winning.

[bug187]

CStephenson01 Offline

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RE: Boro V Southampton (A)

of course you didn't see a foul, you see red and white.

either way 3-0, your 3 points. But i must admit in my opinion over this season, only de ridder has been particularly interetsing, Lambert is just a slightly more technical version of heskey

 

 

REALLY?? Their fans are horrible and bitter. No suprise really.

[shurlock]

Read the thread and don't think its particularly bitter - much less so than WHU, Brum or Leeds.

[Jack]

I got talking to a couple of very knowledgeable and good humoured Boro fans on the 21.30 train back to London last night. They were full of admiration for our team and the home support. They said we were the best home fans for getting behind their team that they have seen this season. They also said we were the best team they have seen in the last couple of seasons. They were insistent that we were going up with West Ham and that they would be happy to make the play offs but think they will just fall short. They also said we are a far better team than QPR were last year.

 

I thought yesterday was the flattest atmosphere of the season in the league. Strange that they thought it was good

 

It's all about opinions that's for sure but just like our match day threads are you surprised opposition forums have the match day trolls just as we do. Try talking to the genuine opposition fans at the game and you get a farer reflection on how they see their team and the opposition.

 

I thought yesterday was the flattest atmosphere of the season in the league. Strange that they thought it was good

[supersonic]

I'm glad we beat them, and comfortably...what a load of miserable ******s.

 

I hate them, worthless football club who think they are better than they are.

 

Lambert is a poor mans Heskey lol shows how much they know about football in their inbred northern sithole

[Appy]

To be fair if i lived in Middlesborough i would be bitter and depressed too.

[bug187]

It wasn't just the messageboard, I think it was my friends boyfriend being a **** about it lol. In all fairness I'd probably be annoyed too. I don't go off on one when we don't win too much though. I do get annoyed by the whole southern softy/boring fans thing though and the way every team says that have an awful game against us.

[VectisSaint]

Exactly, most in our team had played championship football before this season (and quite a lot of it). The only ones who hadn't are the guys we brought from top flight foreign teams. Not too bad!!

Bloody hell, never seen Bristol Rovers referred to as a "top flight foreign team" before LOL

[CB Fry]

What I love about our forum is the absolute down to earth realism of every single prediction, and, even better, when we lose, how everyone goes out of their way to praise, admire and support the team that have just beaten us.

 

The bedwetting on this forum gets worse. I'm surprised no-one has yet said "that Boro forum has an anti Saints agenda".

 

We're top of the league. Why the desperate need for affirmation from opposition fans.

 

I tell you now, next time we lose 3-0 away from home this forum will not be awash with pages and pages of Saints fans saying how brilliant the opposition were.

[Turkish]

That Boro forum has an anti Saints agenda. Boro have always been bitter against Saints ever since we beat them to the signing of Kevin Phillips in 2003. You wont expect a balanced view on a forum which has such a deep seated hatred towards us. They will also be bitterly jealous that despite recently winning the carling cup and reaching the UEFA cup final we are much better positioned now than they could ever dream of every being for an assault on the champions league places. Dont expect anything else from a bitter, twisted and agenda driven fanbase.

[Kingsland Red]

On a similar theme, I came out of St Marys onto the Northam Road after the West Ham game listening to a Hammers fan on the phone to his mate talking along the lines of: 'Saints were crap but we never turned up'

I experienced deja vu listening to a Boro fan saying the same. Don't these people know anything about how teams set about their game plan beforehand?

[derry]

Well he is but Heskey is quicker

 

Lambert is one of the most accomplished and intelligent footballers around. Could never say the same about Heskey the non goalscoring striker.

[sidthesquid]

Well he is but Heskey is quicker

He may well be, but unlike Rickie he still hasn't grasped the concept of the 'barn-door/banjo interface moment'.

[sammysaint]

There will always be haters when your doing well, for boro fans 25 passes for the 3rd goal sorry but if your team is any good that would not happen !!

[david in sweden]

I thought yesterday was the flattest atmosphere of the season in the league. Strange that they thought it was good

 

 

perhaps...compared with what they are used to ...it was ?

[OVER THE HILL]

I also thought the atmosphere was disappointing, maybe because the win was so comfortable.

[SOTONS EAST SIDE]

Who gives a flying F*ck what other fans think of us, we'll let our team tell them when we beat them!! lol

[dune]

Fact is we're a bigger club than them so we should be better than them.

[Sheaf Saint]

I thought yesterday was the flattest atmosphere of the season in the league. Strange that they thought it was good

 

Not surprising at all actually. I went to Boro in 2005 when we were both still in the prem and it was like a mortuary. Never did the 'Your ground's too big for you' chant seem more appropriate than at the Riverside. I've been to a few away games and seen some pretty poor, quiet crowds in my time, but they are up there with the very worst of them.

[The9]

Not surprising at all actually. I went to Boro in 2005 when we were both still in the prem and it was like a mortuary. Never did the 'Your ground's too big for you' chant seem more appropriate than at the Riverside. I've been to a few away games and seen some pretty poor, quiet crowds in my time, but they are up there with the very worst of them.

 

Considering the population of Middlesbrough is only around 150,000 I'd say they're doing pretty well to get the attendances they have (and did), especially with fan-grabbers like Newcastle, Leeds and Sunderland as 3 of their nearest rivals. Newport in South Wales is a similar size and they've only managed one season as high as tier 2 in 99 years, and their home attendance record would fit inside St Marys from the days when you could get 70k at a league match. Boro got 53,800 at home once, that's a pretty healthy chunk of the population.

Edited 31 October, 2011 by The9

[anothersaintinsouthsea]

Considering the population of Middlesbrough is only around 150,000 I'd say they're doing pretty well to get the attendances they have (and did), especially with fan-grabbers like Newcastle, Leeds and Sunderland as 3 of their nearest rivals. Newport in South Wales is a similar size and they've only managed one season as high as tier 2 in 99 years, and their home attendance record would fit inside St Marys from the days when you could get 70k at a league match. Boro got 53,800 at home once, that's a pretty healthy chunk of the population.

 

That's a bit simplistic, the wider Teesside area has a population of 365,000.

[doddisalegend]

I too like to lurk on opposition forums before and after match. In general they are much like this place with same mixture of good,bad and troll posters.

 

One thing I always find interesting is the comments about atmosphere/singing. I'm sure it must have something to do with where people are sitting but I always find it intresting that one person will think SMS was like a graveyard while another thinks it was rocking or away fans who say they out sung SMS for 90mins when, being sat in the chapel, they never seemed to make a sound to me.

[St_Tel49]

That Boro forum has an anti Saints agenda. Boro have always been bitter against Saints ever since we beat them to the signing of Kevin Phillips in 2003. You wont expect a balanced view on a forum which has such a deep seated hatred towards us. They will also be bitterly jealous that despite recently winning the carling cup and reaching the UEFA cup final we are much better positioned now than they could ever dream of every being for an assault on the champions league places. Dont expect anything else from a bitter, twisted and agenda driven fanbase.

I haven't read every comment on the thread (51 pages) but in what I did read I saw the same mixture of honest assessment and delusional moaning about how it was all the ref's fault that you see on most forums after a defeat - including this one (fortunately not often these days ).

[Lazlo78]

I thought their match thread stood apart from other match threads on rival fora in the sense that they 100% concentrated on their own efforts and faults - they was hardly a mention of any Saints player until a Saints fan appeared post match and started discussion Lambert/Heskey... You would think that even on this forum, in defeat, we would be mentioning something, anything, about the opposition's players?! Wrist-slitting, arguing, critisicing yes, but also acknowledgement that we didn't entirely undo ourselves - there was another team who actually beat us...

 

Edit: btw, whoever decided on disabling signatures on this board deserves a medal. It's hard on the eyes to find the "real content" between all sorts of colorful signatures on boards like the Boro one...

[Sheaf Saint]

That's a bit simplistic, the wider Teesside area has a population of 365,000.

 

Indeed, if you head south from Middlesborough then the next city with a football club you come to is York, and the next place with a half-decent football team would be Hull or Leeds - both a fair distance from Teeside. There's nothing to the west of them either except little old Darlington, so like us they have a pretty decent catchment area.

[Turkish]

Indeed, if you head south from Middlesborough then the next city with a football club you come to is York, and the next place with a half-decent football team would be Hull or Leeds - both a fair distance from Teeside. There's nothing to the west of them either except little old Darlington, so like us they have a pretty decent catchment area.

 

Their catchment area really isn't that big and nothing like ours. Remember that imaginary line that was mentioned a while back? Our catchment area is massive and goes all the way to London up to North Wales and includes all of the West Country, Wales, and large Cities like Cardiff and Bristol. Theirs includes mostly rural areas like the Yorkshire dales and cumbria. THey also compete with Leeds, Newcastle and Sunderland, historically bigger and more successful clubs. For a city of that size given the competition, they do very well for crowds.

[scotty]

I too like to lurk on opposition forums before and after match. In general they are much like this place with same mixture of good,bad and troll posters.

 

One thing I always find interesting is the comments about atmosphere/singing. I'm sure it must have something to do with where people are sitting but I always find it intresting that one person will think SMS was like a graveyard while another thinks it was rocking or away fans who say they out sung SMS for 90mins when, being sat in the chapel, they never seemed to make a sound to me.

 

Thats a good point, remember after the manure game half of us were saying they were in great voice and the other half were saying hang on, I didnt hear a peep out of them?

[St. Neil]

Few quotes from that thread I liked

 

One thing about Saints that can be said is that they pick themselves up quickly after a defeat and get back to winning ways and they have showed that a lot this season.

 

We have lost three times so far.

 

Ricky Lambert scored today, unlike our strikers. Our short comings were laid perfectly bare today! I would take a play off place right now as southampton and west ham look a class apart.

 

Not sure what game this guy was watching.

 

I know this will sound a bit stupid but I am quite upbeat by this result for the following reasons:

 

We got beat by Southampton but, whilst it was our worse loss this season, we still did not really get a hammering. 5 or 6 would have been hammered in my opinion.

 

To me this shows that, despite us being outclassed in every single position today, we still limited Southampton to only 3 goals. Now that might seem a bit stupid as I said earlier but it is a positive thing to take away from the match.

 

They limited us to just three goals, well thank you very much indeed.

Edited 31 October, 2011 by St. Neil