itchen Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 How would we all feel if, instead of being relegated from the Premiership and then the Championship, we had managed to stay in the top flight? Instead of sinking to the depths and then enjoying the highs of our fight back to Division 1, how would we feel if we'd just kept bumping along finishing mainly in the bottom half, as we did for most of our 27 years there? Personally, the last three years have been probably the best of my Saints-supporting life, but I didn't feel like that when we went down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glasgow_Saint Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 Good question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windmill Arm 2 Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 How would we all feel if, instead of being relegated from the Premiership and then the Championship, we had managed to stay in the top flight? Instead of sinking to the depths and then enjoying the highs of our fight back to Division 1, how would we feel if we'd just kept bumping along finishing mainly in the bottom half, as we did for most of our 27 years there? Personally, the last three years have been probably the best of my Saints-supporting life, but I didn't feel like that when we went down.I thought about this recently and came to the decision that looking back i'm glad we went down in 2005, it cleared the decks and slowly but surely we lost the losing mentality and replaced it with a determination and winning mentality. I'm not daft enough to believe that we will shoot up the premier league, but i'm more than confident that we can hold our own and after a few seasons who knows? Relegation from the top flight (in hindsigt) should go down as one of the best things that ever happened to Southampton Football Club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 maybe we'd have been able to keep Bale, Theo and AOC, having them all in the same team with Lallana right now and ripping the league to shreds. This comment just gave me a thought... where do you think Lallana would be now if we had stayed in the Premier League though?... would he have had the chance to progress? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalek2003 Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 I wish we had added more years to our 27 unbroken years in the top flight. It was something to be proud of and would have given us a certain status amongst the big clubs that we are still yet to achieve and won't do for another 5 to 10 years ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-Clarke Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 To be honest, what happened to us needed to happen. We may have kept bumping along in the PL for a while, but eventually we'd have been relegated. We'd still have the stadium debt over our heads, a listed company on the stock exchange, directors and share holders fighting and disagreeing over the running of the club. Going down has allowed us to rid of all the crap. From the players through to the debt and to the management/directors. It's enabled us to have a fresh start and kind of rebuild this club from new. I'm with most when they say the last 3 years have been awesome. They've been the best of my Saints supporting life, that's for sure - but it's given us a bright future as well..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNSUN Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 What has happened to us, the downs downs downs then the ups ups ups, in the last 3 years have, weirdly, been good for us. But the best way to have spent it would have been in a coma, just waking up this summer after, say, the summer of '04. Had we stayed up though, I do think we'd have strengthened over that summer and done better the following season, especially in defence. Also the likes of Walcott and Bale would have come through. Perhaps less early than they did, due to restricted chances, but they would. Harry Redknapp though would never have left had he kept us up - we'd have ended up worshipping him due to him pulling off a great escape. (eeeewwwwww I feel dirty for saying that...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedelldays Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 we would not have nicola, nigel and lambert - FACT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
View From The Top Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 Wouldn't change a thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THEVMAN Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 I think the club needed a bloody good exorcisim,it seems to have cleansed the club completely doing away with all the journeyman type of players that we were getting used to.Now we have a close group of staff and players that want to do well for Saints and themselves,long may it continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Katalinic's 'tache Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 I think the club needed a bloody good exorcisim,it seems to have cleansed the club completely doing away with all the journeyman type of players that we were getting used to.Now we have a close group of staff and players that want to do well for Saints and themselves,long may it continue. Completely this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohio Saint Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 I think the club needed a bloody good exorcisim,it seems to have cleansed the club completely doing away with all the journeyman type of players that we were getting used to.Now we have a close group of staff and players that want to do well for Saints and themselves,long may it continue. Not to mention the clear out in the board room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legod Third Coming Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 Just imagine what might have happened if Lowe had appointed Pardew on WGS' departure, right now we could be competing for 4th, genuinely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rshephard3 Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 I think the club needed a bloody good exorcisim,it seems to have cleansed the club completely doing away with all the journeyman type of players that we were getting used to.Now we have a close group of staff and players that want to do well for Saints and themselves,long may it continue. Spot on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalek2003 Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 Just imagine what might have happened if Lowe had appointed Pardew on WGS' departure, right now we could be competing for 4th, genuinely! Same, if Hoddle had been appointed, genuinely ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Didcot Saint Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 I think the ride back to the PL was absolutely brilliant and wouldn't have missed it for the world, we wouldn't have experienced lthe last minute winner at Yeovil on the terrace in the sunshine, 3000 plus fans under one stand going mad at Leyton Orient, promotion at Plymouth and drinking the train dry on the way home, winning 3-1 at Walsall, getting on the train, stopping at Aston and seeing the look of incredulity of the Villa fans seeing the train packed with away fans and not being able to get on, going mental at Peterborough on a covered terrace behind the goal, winning nearly every week, ruining Brightons unbeaten home record in the last minute, a brilliant day out at Wembley winning the JPT and so on and so on. Would it have been the same loosing to crap teams like Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves etc, no I don't think so. But now I'm happy, my beloved Saints are back in the top tier and I think will hold our own, but relegation, was it worth it? Oh yes, most definitely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Fan CaM Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 Wouldn't change a thing. I've thoroughly enjoyed the climb back up the leagues and love the set-up now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilchards Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 I'm glad we have done our journey and the Vman is right with his comments too. We became what Bolton have become in the Premiership and that's the same old **** every week, at least now we can become something special with most of the Premiership being jealous of us now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micky Posted 11 May, 2012 Share Posted 11 May, 2012 If there is a right way to go backwards in order to progress - we have done it. Simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StDunko Posted 12 May, 2012 Share Posted 12 May, 2012 I wasn't that bothered when we got relegated from them Prem. I thought it would be a chance to see us play in some new stadiums, actually win more than we lost for a change and I fully expected us to be back after a couple of years. But the reality of what actually happened has made me really appreciate how lucky we were. I hope we now do at least aanother 27 years in the top flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offix Posted 12 May, 2012 Share Posted 12 May, 2012 I think the club needed a bloody good exorcisim,it seems to have cleansed the club completely doing away with all the journeyman type of players that we were getting used to.Now we have a close group of staff and players that want to do well for Saints and themselves,long may it continue. Completely agree with this. A new attitude, great management and a confidence in the future that runs through the entire club. We would never have had all that without the misery and pain we went through. We can all be truly proud again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 12 May, 2012 Share Posted 12 May, 2012 if we stayed up mid table we would still have the TV money, and could run a viable (if not highly successful) football club. Being (near) the top of the Championship ..and not actually getting promoted would mean trawling through the Prem. rejects and up and coming L1 players every transfer window in order to try and get a viable squad to play every season. We (should have ) learned one lesson from Rupert Lowe, and another from Pompey....Me, I don't think those 27 seasons were SO bad (except the last one). So I'd accept mid-table Premier League mediocrity, except that I think Nicola Cortese has something else in mind ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 12 May, 2012 Share Posted 12 May, 2012 Just imagine what might have happened if Lowe had appointed Pardew on WGS' departure, right now we could be competing for 4th, genuinely! I don't think Lowe would have had the foresight to have appointed Pardew..and certainly not a "maverick" like Nigel Adkins. He may have been a visionary sort of chairman in one way, (SMS, Academy) ...but much of the time, he was a lousy judge of people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Saint Posted 12 May, 2012 Share Posted 12 May, 2012 Just imagine what might have happened if Lowe had appointed Pardew on WGS' departure, right now we could be competing for 4th, genuinely! Errrr No............... When we hit 4th after an early Christmas present v P*mpey, WGS was asked "can you stay in 4th" to which WGS said without a quip NO! It turns out that Lowe had blocked the potential signing of 2 players that might have made the difference, his rational, alledgedly, was that he did not want to line the pockets of another Premier League team and allow them to strengthen: being on a mission to prove you could make money from owning a football club would have seen us buying long shots from the lower leagues which would have been our undoing ultimately. What we have been through over the past 7 years is ultimately the best route we could have taken, despite the pain at the beginning feeling like the longest ever slow motion car crash in history. As someone once said "You don't choose to support the Saints, the Saints choose you" well they did a good job in choosing ML and NC. And what a wheeze the last 3 seasons have been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Duckhunter Posted 12 May, 2012 Share Posted 12 May, 2012 I feel our journey has made me appricate the other side of football. I've enjoyed the days out, and meeting dedicated passionate supporters of smaller clubs. I felt our first couple of season's down, some of our supporters had a Billy Big ******** attitude,with a "we're here for the season" attitude. I honestly feel that our journey has given us a bit of humility.We had a whole generation of support that only knew the Premiership. In the long run it was good that Lowe, Crouch and Wilde moved on, and it's great what we have now. But, it could of been so very different. League 1 was ok for 2 seasons, but after that the club would have stagnated and become a very misreable place. The graet thing was clearly moving stright through the NPC, because that is a bloody hard league to get out of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legod Third Coming Posted 12 May, 2012 Share Posted 12 May, 2012 I feel our journey has made me appricate the other side of football. I've enjoyed the days out, and meeting dedicated passionate supporters of smaller clubs. I felt our first couple of season's down, some of our supporters had a Billy Big ******** attitude,with a "we're here for the season" attitude. I honestly feel that our journey has given us a bit of humility.We had a whole generation of support that only knew the Premiership. In the long run it was good that Lowe, Crouch and Wilde moved on, and it's great what we have now. But, it could of been so very different. League 1 was ok for 2 seasons, but after that the club would have stagnated and become a very misreable place. The graet thing was clearly moving stright through the NPC, because that is a bloody hard league to get out of. It was a great journey because it was a short one... Imagine being a Coventry fan...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalek2003 Posted 12 May, 2012 Share Posted 12 May, 2012 I have to say that Duckhunter's thread makes a lot of sense. I would have preferred it if we had never lost our premier status but I have to say there are some fantastic clubs and supporters in League 1 and the NPC. Saints did learn a bit of humility and i still have the greatest respect and affection for some of the clubs we played, especially in League 1. As many have mentioned, if we go down again, there is no need to feel depressed ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Fry Posted 12 May, 2012 Share Posted 12 May, 2012 I don't think Lowe would have had the foresight to have appointed Pardew..and certainly not a "maverick" like Nigel Adkins. He may have been a visionary sort of chairman in one way, (SMS, Academy) ...but much of the time, he was a lousy judge of people. In what way is Adkins a maverick? Paul Sturrock was ten times the maverick Adkins is and Strachan was something of a nutcase too. Say what you like about Lowe but Adkins would be a perfect Lowe appointment, as would the likes of Brendan Rodgers and especially Brian McDermott, the perfect example of promoting from within, the Wigley done good. Pardew would be less of a fit but Lowe did appoint 'Arry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Duckhunter Posted 12 May, 2012 Share Posted 12 May, 2012 In what way is Adkins a maverick? Paul Sturrock was ten times the maverick Adkins is and Strachan was something of a nutcase too. Say what you like about Lowe but Adkins would be a perfect Lowe appointment, as would the likes of Brendan Rodgers and especially Brian McDermott, the perfect example of promoting from within, the Wigley done good. Pardew would be less of a fit but Lowe did appoint 'Arry. NC's vision of the club is very similar to what Lowe's was, Imho. The big difference is that NC is the real deal and Lowe was a bit 2 bob. As soon as they came to the club ML & NC spent big (in League 1 terms), to give us a boost. There was no pussy footing around, Wotte was out and a big manager (again in League 1 terms ) was in. After that intial hit of money, we've spent carefully and built solid foundations.Lowe would never have taken that step, and spent money on Lambert ect. The whole set up now is pretty much as Lowe would have wanted, and I do wonder what he is thinking now. That's not to say Lowe was good, his vision was good, but he cocked it up in practise. NC "seems" to be putting into practise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 13 May, 2012 Share Posted 13 May, 2012 In what way is Adkins a maverick? QUOTE] ..we obviously don't share the same vocabulary. My dictionary quotes: maverick... a person who does not behave or think like everyone else, but who has independent, unusual opinions. I think it describes NA exactly as I perceive him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stepgar Posted 13 May, 2012 Share Posted 13 May, 2012 Sometimes you need to go back in order to move forward. I have enjoyed the last three years immensely but have major resservations about being able to compete next year. I hope I am wrong but there is something in back of my mind. We were caught out big time against pace and the Prem is full of it. But.............I wouldn't change it for anything. Prem here we come!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St_Tel49 Posted 13 May, 2012 Share Posted 13 May, 2012 We got re-acquainted with real football (as opposed to glitz) and I hope that we retain some humility now we are back in the premiership. But to answer your question, yes it has been good for us - but it might easily not have been Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint_clark Posted 13 May, 2012 Share Posted 13 May, 2012 The point about humility is a very good one. I hated hearing the "we're sending you down" chants I heard from Stoke City fans earlier today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint_lambden Posted 13 May, 2012 Share Posted 13 May, 2012 Hindsight. It's wonderful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westofshannonsaint Posted 13 May, 2012 Share Posted 13 May, 2012 Hindsight. It's wonderful. agreed and many are glossing over the darkest of years. Where would we be if Lowe managed to keep us solvent? we would not have nicola, nigel and lambert - FACT We would not have Nicola, we might have Nigel/Lambert, but they would have been brought up from the lower leagues and clearly not good enough when I think "what if Saints had stability", I look at Stoke (players, colours, song). The thing is I don't think I like stoke, I'm not sure why?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpturner Posted 13 May, 2012 Share Posted 13 May, 2012 thing is I don't think I like stoke, I'm not sure why?.is it because they talk in that strange semi-scouse accent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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