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The Guardian's view

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DT

DT

Posted
Posted

Very fair. And predicts the mid-table position I'd personally be happy with but would reassess if we signed a proven, pacy goalscorer

Saint_Ash

Saint_Ash

Posted
Posted

Pretty fair assessment. The league finish prediction is an average of all the journos so some of the clueless ones might have us to be relegated which skews it.

mrfahaji

mrfahaji

Posted
Posted

Insightful for someone who (presumably) isn't especially close to the club. Aspiring bloggers and writers should make a point of reading this to see how to craft a good article.

 

Anyone read Consortium11's comments below? :lol:

VectisSaint

VectisSaint

Posted
Posted
Completely echo that and clearly a journo who knows his stuff

Does he?

"Southampton have mostly used 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 in the past four years, systems that he is likely to favour"

Saint_Ash

Saint_Ash

Posted
Posted
Insightful for someone who (presumably) isn't especially close to the club. Aspiring bloggers and writers should make a point of reading this to see how to craft a good article.

 

Anyone read Consortium11's comments below? :lol:

:uhoh:
OldNick

OldNick

Posted
Posted
Very fair. And predicts the mid-table position I'd personally be happy with but would reassess if we signed a proven, pacy goalscorer
I would also be happy with a mid table finish, but I find it sad that our fanbase in the main is happy to accept being also rans. We get close and then fail to invest in our achievements to push us on. It is a great business model if you own the business but as a fan I find it depressing and frustrating.
jjsaint

jjsaint

Posted
Posted
Insightful for someone who (presumably) isn't especially close to the club. Aspiring bloggers and writers should make a point of reading this to see how to craft a good article.

 

Anyone read Consortium11's comments below? :lol:

 

I tried. Ok Consortium11, who are you?

saint lard

saint lard

Posted
Posted
I would also be happy with a mid table finish, but I find it sad that our fanbase in the main is happy to accept being also rans. We get close and then fail to invest in our achievements to push us on. It is a great business model if you own the business but as a fan I find it depressing and frustrating.

 

Absolutely spot on.

 

 

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Avenue_Saint

Avenue_Saint

Posted
Posted
Very fair. And predicts the mid-table position I'd personally be happy with but would reassess if we signed a proven, pacy goalscorer

 

Why would you be happy with a fall to mid table when we have finished 8th, 7th and 6th the last 3 seasons?

Saint_Tony

Saint_Tony

Posted
Posted

The league is far more competitive this season, if we qualify for the Europa knockout or go on a domestic cup run, 11th place is reasonable.

 

Decent article that, written by someone who seems to actually know his stuff, unlike a lot of media and pundits whose knowledge doesn't go beyond the big six.

 

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dellboypete

dellboypete

Posted
Posted

I agree with most that this is a good reasonably well thought article. Obviously as saints fans we wouldn't agree with everything that a journo wrote about us, but I enjoyed it.

 

I haven't read any of the other clubs previews in the Guardian. But very loosely assuming that they are all similarly written, what do they predict for, say, everton? (if anyone had read it)

stevegrant

stevegrant

Posted
Posted
But very loosely assuming that they are all similarly written, what do they predict for, say, everton? (if anyone had read it)

8th.

 

I think each of the journalists involved put their full league table in as a prediction, and then they work out an average position, rather than just asking the feature journalist to say where this particular team will finish. Considering some of the Guardian's writers - especially Louise Taylor, who probably had Newcastle and Sunderland finishing 5th and 6th respectively last season - that's probably a sensible move.

fez

fez

Posted
Posted
Why would you be happy with a fall to mid table when we have finished 8th, 7th and 6th the last 3 seasons?

 

Because we're going to the Europa final and winning a domestic cup

Saint_Tony

Saint_Tony

Posted
Posted

Thing is, despite finishing sixth, you have the 'top six' (Utd, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool), then Saints, Leicester, West Ham, Stoke, Everton. I think the top 6 will take up those positions at the top. Would it be unrealistic for the others to finish above us?

We may still do well in the league, but our chance to break the ceiling has been and gone. I'd be happy with 11th and a good cup run. Others seem to think finishing lower would be a failure, I find that ridiculous.

 

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Wes Tender

Wes Tender

Posted
Posted
But do not be shocked if they surprise us again.

 

Often the concluding line of an article speaks volumes. There are journos who write us off every year following the departures of managers and key players, but so far they have ended up with egg all over their faces. Here is one who has written a decent balanced article with a decent amount of knowledge and research, who is open to the possibility that the club do know what they are doing and could yet again prove the naysayers wrong.

Saint_Tony

Saint_Tony

Posted
Posted
How on earth can anyone think that a few months after Leicester city win the premier league?!

Leicester will return back to midtable. It was a freak occurence, which we may never see the likes of again

I'm surprised you are shocked, seeing as you have spent the last few months moaning about our lack of signings.

 

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mrfahaji

mrfahaji

Posted
Posted
Leicester will return back to midtable. It was a freak occurence, which we may never see the likes of again

I'm surprised you are shocked, seeing as you have spent the last few months moaning about our lack of signings.

 

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

 

I'm not sure we'll see a team coming from such a lowly position the season before to snatch the title out of nowhere, but I'm not as convinced the top 6 will return to the status quo as easily as many are predicting. Every year the teams in the chasing pack make strides forward and the top clubs resort to spending ever increasingly ridiculous amounts of money to stay ahead, which as we've seen recently doesn't guarantee success.

Charlie Wayman

Charlie Wayman

Posted
Posted

I remember our first pre-season back in the Championship when many on hear were predicting we'd go straight back down.

 

I remember our first pre-season back in the Premiership when many on hear were predicting we'd be annihilated and go straight back down.

 

I remember when Shaw, Lallana, Lambert, Lovren left in the pre-season many on hear were predicting we'd be annihilated and go straight back down.

 

I remember when Schneiderlin and Clyne left in the pre-season when many on hear were predicting we'd be annihilated and go straight back down.

 

I remember when Wanyama, Mane and Pelle left in the pre-season many on hear were predicting we'd be annihilated and struggle and probably lucky to stay up.

 

Saints fans eh!, the lesson is do not make the mistake of under-estimating our own team

Dangermouth

Dangermouth

Posted
Posted
The league is far more competitive this season, if we qualify for the Europa knockout or go on a domestic cup run, 11th place is reasonable.

 

Decent article that, written by someone who seems to actually know his stuff, unlike a lot of media and pundits whose knowledge doesn't go beyond the big six.

 

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

 

See no point in going on a 'cup run'. More games for nothing. Win something or just don't bother. Winning things in sport does a lot to enhance the team/club so all this competing crap ultimately doesn't cut it. The article is poor. Consortium's mega-post is a novel at over 30 000 words and doesn't say much in the end. I think he tried too hard with it.

mrfahaji

mrfahaji

Posted
Posted
I remember our first pre-season back in the Championship when many on hear were predicting we'd go straight back down.

 

I remember our first pre-season back in the Premiership when many on hear were predicting we'd be annihilated and go straight back down.

 

I remember when Shaw, Lallana, Lambert, Lovren left in the pre-season many on hear were predicting we'd be annihilated and go straight back down.

 

I remember when Schneiderlin and Clyne left in the pre-season when many on hear were predicting we'd be annihilated and go straight back down.

 

I remember when Wanyama, Mane and Pelle left in the pre-season many on hear were predicting we'd be annihilated and struggle and probably lucky to stay up.

 

Saints fans eh!, the lesson is do not make the mistake of under-estimating our own team

 

On where? :p

dinger

dinger

Posted
Posted
It's back, be warned though its 30k words.

 

I think I look forward to Consortium11's pre-season essay more than I look forward to the season itself.

striker

striker

Posted
Posted

Wow, I love Consortium11's post and agree with most of it. I do think though that Puel has made it clear Redmond is his pick for starting striker over Austin, likely because of the style of "the diamond".

Professor

Professor

Posted
Posted

Like most of the early posters on this thread, it was a pleasure to read an article that felt balanced and wasn't trying to pander to the glory-hunter fans who claim to support the big city clubs. Only disappointment for me was the lack of any mention of J-Rod. True he's played a bit-part since struggling to come back from injury but he is still the technically gifted striker that he ever was and with another close season to build up his strength, this is the year that could see him back to his best as he's bound to get more playing time. Having to compete with Long, Redmond and Austin will do him no harm at all and as a former England international he should have warranted a mention.

whelk

whelk

Posted
Posted

Jacob Steinberg always does our preview and there is a thread where people generally consider it is fair. Very good journo IMO with a very good memory for games. Does cover quite a few of our games.

Puts the the John Cross and Darren Lewis types to shame.

Charlie Wayman

Charlie Wayman

Posted
Posted

 

 

Absolutely zero chance of that happening, last time we were relegated our finances were dire, the only squad players we could afford were raw kids from the Academy or over-the-hills-and-faraway journeymen and we were up to our necks in debt. Clubs built on the solid foundations and principles we have here and financially secure do not get relegated.

 

Who will? Good bets on Watford (new manager & dodgy owner), Hull (continuing turmoil behind the scenes) & Bournemouth (limited mean, small gates and second season syndrome).

The9

The9

Posted
Posted
Very fair. And predicts the mid-table position I'd personally be happy with but would reassess if we signed a proven, pacy goalscorer

 

Like Long or Austin? Austin's as fast over the first 3 yards as anyone...

Giordano

Giordano

Posted
Posted
Wow, I love Consortium11's post and agree with most of it. I do think though that Puel has made it clear Redmond is his pick for starting striker over Austin, likely because of the style of "the diamond".

 

 

Its probably too long for this forum but if you have the patience and don't mind a bit of history and a few long words I recommend people read consortium11 at the Guardian under our season review. Rare you get such an intellectually analytical yet readable analysis of our club that is actually a pleasure to read and hard to find issue with. And from a Saints fan. :-)

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