It keeps on getting more difficult.

[Redslo]

does this mean guys in 50 years time that we will have 150000 seaters in the country?

 

No. By then all the fans will be holographs.

[hutch]

everything will be like it was in the good old days.

We'll be able to get 5 woodbine for 6d?

 

 

That will get you googlin'

[The9]

I have a feeling you might be correct on this.

 

If so, get betting. Leicester are 1.3-ish to finish in the top four, so if you think they'll finish outside the top five you'll probably get 6 or 7/1 on that.

 

I've had £10 on Man U for the title at 28/1 if that's ok with you, much better odds for a cash out if they're in the top 3 come April. Mind you I offset it with £20 on Stoke to win at Old Trafford from 2-0 down, not having seen Wollscheid had gone off and Bardsley come on...

[The9]

Nah, I think they're nailed on top 5 now.

 

This isn't a "ooh look at Blackpool/Hull breath of fresh air" burst of surprise package good form in August. It's February and they're three clear at the top. Their form would need to tail off to West Brom-ish levels to even be in with a chance of 6th, and even then you need other clubs to step up.

 

Too many points in the bank now - even a drab average remainder of the season (1.5 points a game) will still see them top 5.

 

Good luck to em.

 

Actually, having looked at the table again after their win against Liverpool last night, I can't now see them coming below 5th - I can't see 6th place West Ham overhauling the 11 point gap by the end of the season even if Leicester lose to Manchester City and Arsenal in their next two aways, and we're another 5 points back from that. I can see the teams within 10 points catching them, but no-one below West Ham. So they should get top 5.

 

But every game against a side that could potentially upset them and doesn't is a big step for them. What they've been good at so far is beating the rest of the league - like we were last season for so long before keeling over at Stoke, Leicester and Sunderland at the end of the season.

 

If they can at least draw with the teams around them they've got a chance of staying up there, but Man City go top by beating them on the weekend, and assuming Arsenal win at Bournemouth on the weekend too, they'd then overtake Leicester by beating them as well.

[xerox]

Lots of reasons except we don't need a bigger stadium.

 

Fair comment CB, but we will end up as little old Southampton again. The move to sms gave us a big boost in profile, which can also help attract players, another reason to expand. Who's going to want to play for the club with the smallest ground who are never going to achieve anything? This does not fit with the clubs stated ambition to compete with the best and continue to play in Europe. We will get left behind. Is failing to plan planning to fail? The club have stated no plans to expand for the foreseeable but I bet they are aware of the need to do it in the future. I know we are not in the future but now, financially at least, would be a good time to do it, although I admit it is a little bit chicken and egg.

[CB Fry]

Fair comment CB, but we will end up as little old Southampton again. The move to sms gave us a big boost in profile, which can also help attract players, another reason to expand. Who's going to want to play for the club with the smallest ground who are never going to achieve anything? This does not fit with the clubs stated ambition to compete with the best and continue to play in Europe. We will get left behind. Is failing to plan planning to fail? The club have stated no plans to expand for the foreseeable but I bet they are aware of the need to do it in the future. I know we are not in the future but now, financially at least, would be a good time to do it, although I admit it is a little bit chicken and egg.

 

Personally I think we are planning to succeed within our own terms.

 

Not expanding the stadium is a perfectly sensible strategy - there's no evidence we can actually fill a larger stadium, meaning the only guarantee is tying up a heck of a lot of capital on what is essentially a vanity project.

 

As long as we are in the top flight our stadium is plenty good enough to attract players, I think you are massively overstating how much players truly care: plenty took the Fratton shilling when offered.

 

And I am not sure who we have the "smallest ground" in comparison to? We don't have the smallest ground in the Premier League. If you're comparing us to the top six then we're never going to beat them on ground size.

 

You have to remember our "stated aim" you mention is to be best of the rest, so having a smaller ground than those clubs is something we aren't planning to change.

 

So the only one you can point to is West Ham, but they've got lucky. They will be victim to the football gods as well and them (like us) will still be far more likely to be relegated than make the Champions League. Olympic Stadium or not, they're still bloody West Ham*.

 

*Sudden influx of Qatar/Chinese/Russian gazillionaire notwithstanding. Under the Gold/Sullivan they will remain on the cusp of mediocrity just like us.

Edited 3 February, 2016 by CB Fry

[xerox]

Personally I think we are planning to succeed within our own terms.

 

Not expanding the stadium is a perfectly sensible strategy - there's no evidence we can actually fill a larger stadium, meaning the only guarantee is tying up a heck of a lot of capital on what is essentially a vanity project.

 

As long as we are in the top flight our stadium is plenty good enough to attract players, I think you are massively overstating how much players truly care: plenty took the Fratton shilling when offered.

 

And I am not sure who we have the "smallest ground" in comparison to? We don't have the smallest ground in the Premier League. If you're comparing us to the top six then we're never going to beat them on ground size.

 

You have to remember our "stated aim" you mention is to be best of the rest, so having a smaller ground than those clubs is something we aren't planning to change.

 

So the only one you can point to is West Ham, but they've got lucky. They will be victim to the football gods as well and them (like us) will still be far more likely to be relegated than make the Champions League. Olympic Stadium or not, they're still bloody West Ham*.

 

*Sudden influx of Qatar/Chinese/Russian gazillionaire notwithstanding. Under the Gold/Sullivan they will remain on the cusp of mediocrity just like us.

 

I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree but interesting to hear your views. Cheers, Xerox