Roger Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 On course for second highest attendance average ever. About 1k down on that season. Corporate and season to let prices and economy would be a suggestion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 With the current stadium size we'd need to consistently sell out the corporate areas to get back to those levels. There have been a lot of games that have sold out of regular seats this season (perhaps even as many as half our games have sold out of home tickets), but the Liverpool game was the only one where we saw an attendance higher than 32K because the corporate areas were finally full. And we've also seen quite a few games this season with attendances below 30K, which we didn't see during the peak season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalek2003 Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 2003 was the high water mark and we then needed to appoint someone like Hoddle after WGS left to cement our reputation as a growing force but the vocal minority got on their high horse and we appointed a league 1 manager. Ironic in retrospect, considering which direction we were then headed ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saints_is_the_south Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 2003/04 season is the only one to date where we've not had a sub 30K attendance at SMS for any league game. Be good if we can get back to that. Top half PL side required first though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saintandy666 Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 If we stay up this season, there is no reason why we can't cement a top half finishing position within 3 seasons. Especially if current investment levels continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectisSaint Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 2003 was the high water mark and we then needed to appoint someone like Hoddle after WGS left to cement our reputation as a growing force but the vocal minority got on their high horse and we appointed a league 1 manager. Ironic in retrospect, considering which direction we were then headed ! Not ironic, simply made sense not to reappoint a has-been like Hoddle. Hoddle did well for us during his short tenure, but in the end without Gorman he has really shown that he was not all that he was cracked up to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalek2003 Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 Not ironic, simply made sense not to reappoint a has-been like Hoddle. Hoddle did well for us during his short tenure, but in the end without Gorman he has really shown that he was not all that he was cracked up to be. Your having a laff ! Imagine an established premier team nowadays appointing a League 1 manager with no experience at the higher level ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Fry Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 If we stay up this season, there is no reason why we can't cement a top half finishing position within 3 seasons. Especially if current investment levels continue. I think you'll find that isn't "the project". Top half? That kind of lame-ass sh it is what pathetic clubs like West Brom go for. We're top six minimum, top four ideally. The project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 If we stay up this season, there is no reason why we can't cement a top half finishing position within 3 seasons. Especially if current investment levels continue. Yes very possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 Yes very possible. Hasn't the chairman been telling players we will be in Europe within 3 years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aintforever Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 On course for second highest attendance average ever. About 1k down on that season. Corporate and season to let prices and economy would be a suggestion. Won't take long if they keep investing like they are. The corporate is so expensive they are probably making more cash now than when it was full in 2003. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Grandad Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 Won't take long if they keep investing like they are. The corporate is so expensive they are probably making more cash now than when it was full in 2003. Providing they can fill them. I met one regular who told Cortese where to go when he put the prices up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickG Posted 24 March, 2013 Share Posted 24 March, 2013 Hope club are aiming for top 6, signs are that we are. Not unrealistic target Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Sanchez Posted 25 March, 2013 Share Posted 25 March, 2013 I think you'll find that isn't "the project". Top half? That kind of lame-ass sh it is what pathetic clubs like West Brom go for. We're top six minimum, top four ideally. The project. Oh dear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucks Saint Posted 25 March, 2013 Share Posted 25 March, 2013 Providing they can fill them. I met one regular who told Cortese where to go when he put the prices up. Quality is not what is used to be either (i mean the service, food, etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted 25 March, 2013 Share Posted 25 March, 2013 2003 was the high water mark and we then needed to appoint someone like Hoddle after WGS left to cement our reputation as a growing force but the vocal minority got on their high horse and we appointed a league 1 manager. Ironic in retrospect, considering which direction we were then headed ! Oh for Saints sake give it up! Neither Sturrock or Hoddle were the answer - and anyway the problem was Rupert Lowe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aintforever Posted 25 March, 2013 Share Posted 25 March, 2013 Providing they can fill them. I met one regular who told Cortese where to go when he put the prices up. That's my point, if the margins are big enough the club can make the same or more money even when they are not full. In fact it could be argued that if they are sold out every week the pricing is too low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalek2003 Posted 25 March, 2013 Share Posted 25 March, 2013 Oh for Saints sake give it up! Neither Sturrock or Hoddle were the answer - and anyway the problem was Rupert Lowe! No ! I will not allow the damage done to this club by a vocal minority be air brushed out of history. Only a few have owned up to their mistakes while the rest are content to hide their yellow stripe in the hope that all will be forgotten. I will never let this happen and will remain a thorn in their side for as long as I am able. When the time is right, I will take my pace as a legend and the supreme bearer of the truth. I will be exalted by all !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saintandy666 Posted 25 March, 2013 Share Posted 25 March, 2013 Hasn't the chairman been telling players we will be in Europe within 3 years? I suppose Europa League isn't out of the question by year 3. But it would take continued investment in players on the level of which we saw last summer. I think the next few years are going to show how much money the Liebherr's really put aside for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint si Posted 25 March, 2013 Share Posted 25 March, 2013 No ! I will not allow the damage done to this club by a vocal minority be air brushed out of history. Only a few have owned up to their mistakes while the rest are content to hide their yellow stripe in the hope that all will be forgotten. I will never let this happen and will remain a thorn in their side for as long as I am able. When the time is right, I will take my pace as a legend and the supreme bearer of the truth. I will be exalted by all !!! Yawn. Nobody is hiding anything. I doubt many of this vocal minority will have changed their mind. Hoddle has not exactly gone on to set the premier league on fire with any other club. So I for one am glad Hoddle was not allowed back. The fact that Lowe then subsequently made appalling decisions on who he did actually appoint does not diminish this view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 25 March, 2013 Share Posted 25 March, 2013 No ! I will not allow the damage done to this club by a vocal minority be air brushed out of history. Only a few have owned up to their mistakes while the rest are content to hide their yellow stripe in the hope that all will be forgotten. I will never let this happen and will remain a thorn in their side for as long as I am able. When the time is right, I will take my pace as a legend and the supreme bearer of the truth. I will be exalted by all !!! What a shame you were too much of a coward to do anything about it at the time. You just went limp and quiet like a complete wet flannel, and are pitifully now trying to extricate yourself from the sad fact that you did absolutely f*ck all to fight against this vocal minority you now relentlessly campaign against. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tajjuk Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 Norwich, Fulham, Wigan, Reading, Everton are our current sub 30k attendances. Leaving Everton aside which came directly after the Adkins sacking, most of them have come under our pretty terrible early season form. Since the turn of the year attendances have picked up, I presume based on encouraging performances, QPR sold out probably on the back of the City win. Other games have obviously been Man City, Arsenal, and Liverpool so big sellers anyway but haven't away allocations at Newcastle, Norwich and Wigan sold out? Good football and non-relegation fodder form sees attendances rise, so yeh basically if we replicated 2003 with a top half finish and some good football I reckon we would be selling out each week. Fans are fickle, massive doom and gloom of november has been replaced by slight optimism now, doom and gloom isn;t good for people coming thouhg the door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNSUN Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 I'd say we're in a healthier position now than we were in 2003. We have good financial support behind the club in the Liebherrs, God bless them, an exciting young team being supported by a top academy without the need to sell individuals, and a manager who, whilst still unproven in the Premier League, has got us playing well and is possibly a bigger draw in terms of player signings (although of course that still has yet to be proven.) I'm excited by the future, and I think we'll soon top the average attendance mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 (edited) I'd say we're in a healthier position now than we were in 2003. We have good financial support behind the club in the Liebherrs, God bless them, an exciting young team being supported by a top academy without the need to sell individuals, and a manager who, whilst still unproven in the Premier League, has got us playing well and is possibly a bigger draw in terms of player signings (although of course that still has yet to be proven.) I'm excited by the future, and I think we'll soon top the average attendance mark. We were in a healthy position in 2003 too. 8th place finish and a cup final with a good core of players in Niemi, Svensons x 2, Oakley, Beattie, Bridge, Pahars (although his injury problems had started by then). It was the faliure to push on from there that cost us. A succession of poor signings with player either not good enough or past there best together with a revolving door management policy. Who could forget the signings of McCann, Van Damme, Nielsen, Jackobson, Kenton before Redknapp even arrived. with the likes of Dodd, Lundekvam, le Saux aging we really screw up a great chance to progress to the fabled next level. In fact it's arguable that the only signing we made post cup final that was a success was Peter crouch and that only for 1/2 season. Edited 26 March, 2013 by Turkish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tajjuk Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 (edited) We were in a healthy position in 2003 too. 8th place finish and a cup final with a good core of players in Niemi, Svensons x 2, Oakley, Beattie, Bridge, Pahars (although his injury problems had started by then). It was the faliure to push on from there that cost us. A succession of poor signings with player either not good enough or past there best together with a revolving door management policy. Who could forget the signings of McCann, Van Damme, Nielsen, Jackobson, Kenton before Redknapp even arrived. with the likes of Dodd, Lundekvam, le Saux aging we really screw up a great chance to progress to the fabled next level. In fact it's arguable that the only signing we made post cup final that was a success was Peter crouch and that only for 1/2 season. Financially wise we are massively better of than then but the rest I agree with. Our transfer polciy in that period was terrible and we ended up with a bloated squad with no real quality. After selling one our best players in Bridge (and Marsden left) we should have signed 3 quality players, really only Phillips cut the mustard. 2 or 3 more equivalents of Phillips in the £3-5 million bracket would have got us some decent players back then. Should we stay up now I see our fianances being in the position where we will make some key singings over the summer, I can see us spending another £20 million plus, probably with another Ramirez style signing. Edited 26 March, 2013 by tajjuk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 Financially wise we are massively better of than then but the rest I agree with. Our transfer polciy in that period was terrible and we ended up with a bloated squad with no real quality. After selling one our best players in Bridge (and Marsden left) we should have signed 3 quality players, really only Phillips cut the mustard. Financially yes, i agree. The fact remains though that we were in a very good position in 2003 and blew it by poor signings, changing managers and IMO trying to be too clever and doing things on the cheap. We ended up with 30 odd average to poor players when we should have signed quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KelvinsRightGlove Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 Financially yes, i agree. The fact remains though that we were in a very good position in 2003 and blew it by poor signings, changing managers and IMO trying to be too clever and doing things on the cheap. We ended up with 30 odd average to poor players when we should have signed quality. Absolutely. Summer after the cup final, Europe to look forward to, and we got players in like Neil McCann. Says it all really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Garrett Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 Financially yes, i agree. The fact remains though that we were in a very good position in 2003 and blew it by poor signings, changing managers and IMO trying to be too clever and doing things on the cheap. We ended up with 30 odd average to poor players when we should have signed quality. Which is why people saying, 'we should have brought players for a relegation battle in the summer' is stupid. We're much better off buying quality than 'prem experience' who have been knocking around the lower clubs for the last few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Matty Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 2003/04 season is the only one to date where we've not had a sub 30K attendance at SMS for any league game. Be good if we can get back to that. Top half PL side required first though. Seriously? That's incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 Which is why people saying, 'we should have brought players for a relegation battle in the summer' is stupid. We're much better off buying quality than 'prem experience' who have been knocking around the lower clubs for the last few years. Depends what you mean by "prem experience" I seem to recall a lot of the helmets on here mentioning Kieran Dyer everytime premier league experience was mentioned. Like it or not we were always going to be in a battle to stay up this season and i for one certainly felt that some of our players would have benefitted from having a couple of experienced heads around them in this first season, especially at centre back in the first 10-15 games when we seemed to make mistake after mistake at the back and only Yoshida looked anything remotely like a premier league level centre half but was still finding his feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickG Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 The big unknown, but exciting factors for our next few years is the development and retention of our young players. Not all of them will stay, not all of them will reach the level we may hope, but looking at the squad we had in 03/04 but it is possible these current players will be better. Boruc > Neimi Clyne > Dodd Yoshida > Claus Forren > Svensson Shaw > Higginbottom Schneiderlin > Prutton Cork > Delap Lallana > Fernandez Ramirez > Telfer Rodriguez >Phillips Lambert > Beattie Several of our current, young, players could develop and end up being the best we have had for 20 plus years. Retain them, add top players we could progress rapidly. All signs are that Cortese wants us as top 6 team, I suspect the recruitment policy will be now seeking players for that level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Charlie Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 The big unknown, but exciting factors for our next few years is the development and retention of our young players. Not all of them will stay, not all of them will reach the level we may hope, but looking at the squad we had in 03/04 but it is possible these current players will be better. Boruc > Neimi Clyne > Dodd Yoshida > Claus Forren > Svensson Shaw > Higginbottom Schneiderlin > Prutton Cork > Delap Lallana > Fernandez Ramirez > Telfer Rodriguez >Phillips Lambert > Beattie Several of our current, young, players could develop and end up being the best we have had for 20 plus years. Retain them, add top players we could progress rapidly. All signs are that Cortese wants us as top 6 team, I suspect the recruitment policy will be now seeking players for that level. Mostly our current team is better IMO but no way Boruc better than Niemi - he was genuinely in the top 3 keepers in the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Balls Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 No ! I will not allow the damage done to this club by a vocal minority be air brushed out of history. Only a few have owned up to their mistakes while the rest are content to hide their yellow stripe in the hope that all will be forgotten. I will never let this happen and will remain a thorn in their side for as long as I am able. When the time is right, I will take my pace as a legend and the supreme bearer of the truth. I will be exalted by all !!! I was one of the "vocal minority" and would do it again. I even held up a banner. He was not the answer, Strurrock was not the answer and the worst of all Lowes bad decisions, Wigley was not the answer. I'm ok to take responsibility (in your mind) for Hoddle not being appointed. So from now on, just blame me. And every time you feel the need to post about it again, just DM me instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 Which is why people saying, 'we should have brought players for a relegation battle in the summer' is stupid. We're much better off buying quality than 'prem experience' who have been knocking around the lower clubs for the last few years. Are you saying it was impossible to do both? Not all available Prem experienced players were solely knocking around the lower clubs. Even if they were (and survived) they were better options than toing and froing between Kelvin and Gazza, praying they wouldn't f*ck up again. And better than own goal Jos who got blinded by the lights of the PL. Nobody has ever said every signing we made should have PL experience. Nobody said that. Just that one or two in key positions could have made a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadhall Saint Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 No ! I will not allow the damage done to this club by a vocal minority be air brushed out of history. Only a few have owned up to their mistakes while the rest are content to hide their yellow stripe in the hope that all will be forgotten. I will never let this happen and will remain a thorn in their side for as long as I am able. When the time is right, I will take my pace as a legend and the supreme bearer of the truth. I will be exalted by all !!! I'd just cut your fingers off so you can't keep typing the same old drivel - let it go man you'll feel a lot better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The9 Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 The big unknown, but exciting factors for our next few years is the development and retention of our young players. Not all of them will stay, not all of them will reach the level we may hope, but looking at the squad we had in 03/04 but it is possible these current players will be better. Boruc > Niemi (potentially) Clyne > Dodd (potentially) Yoshida/Forren Shaw > Higginbottom Schneiderlin > Prutton Cork > Delap (potentially) Lallana > Fernandes (potentially) Ramirez > Telfer Rodriguez > Phillips (potentially) Lambert The key to that being that at the moment, only Shaw and Ramirez (and only because he was matched with Telfer) are better than their 2003 equivalents. Maybe 5 others will improve, but they're not there at the moment. As well as that, we may have to factor in not being able to keep hold of some of those improved players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crab Lungs Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 The key to that being that at the moment, only Shaw and Ramirez (and only because he was matched with Telfer) are better than their 2003 equivalents. Maybe 5 others will improve, but they're not there at the moment. As well as that, we may have to factor in not being able to keep hold of some of those improved players. So Delap is better than Cork and Schneiderlin is not as good as Prutton? Lallana is not as good as Fernandes and Clyne is worse than Dodd? I don't agree with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The9 Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 So Delap is better than Cork and Schneiderlin is not as good as Prutton? Lallana is not as good as Fernandes and Clyne is worse than Dodd? I don't agree with that. Delap at his best for Saints was better than Cork has been, though it wouldn't take much for Cork to outstrip him - Delap's longevity at the top level is also something Cork can't achieve for a while. Dunno where you got the Schneiderlin/Prutton thing from, I said the opposite. Fernandes has -to this point - been more consistent than Lallana at a similar level, and again Fernandes has played more Prem games. Clyne has been alright and fairly promising but Dodd played more than 10 years at right back in the Premier League and was very consistent. Like it or not, some of these players could yet be flashes in the pan and are being compared to players who were Prem standard over a much longer period with only sporadic good performances to compare to. I'd start on the ones I've said will NEVER be better than their equivalents if I was you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickG Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 The key to that being that at the moment, only Shaw and Ramirez (and only because he was matched with Telfer) are better than their 2003 equivalents. Maybe 5 others will improve, but they're not there at the moment. As well as that, we may have to factor in not being able to keep hold of some of those improved players. ???? Really?? Morgan two years ago was better than Prutton at his best. Not even close IMHO. Although Neimi was more consistent and for longer, in basic ability its open for debate. Neimi for me tho. I would take all current four midfielders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joensuu Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 IMO: Niemi >Boruc Clyne > Dodd (or Telfer) Claus > Yoshida Svensson > Forren (or Fonte, or Jos) Shaw on par with Bridge Schneiderlin > Prutton Cork > Delap Fernandez > Puncheon Ramirez on par with Svensson Lallana > Marsden (or McCann) Rodriguez > Ormerod Lambert > Beattie (just) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint si Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 Prutton? Matt Oakley is the benchmark surely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Posted 26 March, 2013 Author Share Posted 26 March, 2013 Lambert vastly superior to Beattie despite what the9 says. U are clueless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lets B Avenue Posted 26 March, 2013 Share Posted 26 March, 2013 Roger has spoken. The9 has been hit with the usual withering put down. Close the thread. Nothing to see here, Folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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