Top of the league on Friday?

[marc_saint]

I know, I know.  I'm getting ahead of myself here, but if we beat Newcastle on Friday evening we'll be TOP of the premier league.

I'm pretty sure that's never happened before in the Premier League era but have we ever been top of the league before?  I know we came second in the 1983-84 season but even then I think Liverpool were always top.

[Give it to Ron]

I can think of several occasions we had come close before Prem .
Home to Brighton win we go top Steve Foster had us in pocket we lost 0-2.

Saint Maxim is the obvious threat good player.

[Turkish]

We were top for a long time in 1980/81 season (may have been 81/82) then with about 12 games to go our form drop off massively and we ended up finishing about 6th. 

[tajjuk]

We'll likely be without Ings, Bertrand and maybe Bedernak, plus Newcastle are stubborn negative football team with a lot of pace on the counter, so I think it'll be a hard game. 

[Maggie May]

Shelvey will make sure we don’t go top.

[Nordic Saint]

24 minutes ago, Turkish said:

We were top for a long time in 1980/81 season (may have been 81/82) then with about 12 games to go our form drop off massively and we ended up finishing about 6th. 

It was 1981/82 and we were at the top of the league for longer than any other team that season but then faded away in April. In 1988/89 we were top after winning our opening three games, starting with Paul Rideout's debut game when we thrashed West Ham 4-0.

Edited 1 November, 2020 by Nordic Saint

[mikec]

23 minutes ago, Turkish said:

We were top for a long time in 1980/81 season (may have been 81/82) then with about 12 games to go our form drop off massively and we ended up finishing about 6th. 

According to Wikipedia, in 1981/82...

"Kevin Keegan helped lift the club to the top of the First Division. Southampton led the league for over two months, taking top spot on 30 January 1982 and staying there (apart from one week) until 3 April 1982. But in a disappointing end to the season, in which Keegan was hampered by a back injury, Southampton won only two of their last nine games and finished seventh."

[SO16_Saint]

10 minutes ago, Maggie May said:

Shelvey will make sure we don’t go top.

Isn’t he out for a few months?

[Turkish]

1 minute ago, Nordic Saint said:

It was 1981/82 and we were at the top of the league for longer than any other team that season but then faded away in April. In 1988/89 we were top after winning our opening three games, starting with Paul Rideout's debut game when we thrashed West Ham 4-0.

Yes you are right 81/82. another season where we could have won something but just fell short

88/89 we started on fire and were brilliant. Then we went on that long winless run something like 19 games before finishing strongly. Also that was the season that arsenal scored an equaliser in the 8th minute of injury time, time added on due to Paul Davis breaking glen Cockrills jaw with a snide off the ball punch. Arsenal would go on to win the league on goal difference. 

[OttawaSaint]

13 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Yes you are right 81/82. another season where we could have won something but just fell short

88/89 we started on fire and were brilliant. Then we went on that long winless run something like 19 games before finishing strongly. Also that was the season that arsenal scored an equaliser in the 8th minute of injury time, time added on due to Paul Davis breaking glen Cockrills jaw with a snide off the ball punch. Arsenal would go on to win the league on goal difference. 

We were 2 nil up at Highbury in that game, would have been top with 12/12. Unfortunately that last gasp equalizer added on for, as you said, Paul Davis, killed us. Next game we were swept aside 3-1 at home to Liverpool.

[Tamesaint]

As a long standing/suffering/enjoying Saints supporter let me assure you that we will blow it if we have a chance to go top. I fully expect a 1 3 defeat. We are Southampton. It is what we do. 

(With a bit of luck a prediction like that will mean that I am wrong and we stroll to a comfortable win. .😁😁😁 ).

[Convict Colony]

 

This is bound to happen

[Toadhall Saint]

1 hour ago, OttawaSaint said:

We were 2 nil up at Highbury in that game, would have been top with 12/12. Unfortunately that last gasp equalizer added on for, as you said, Paul Davis, killed us. Next game we were swept aside 3-1 at home to Liverpool.

Was at that game - fucking Paul Davis aarrgghh

[Turkish]

2 hours ago, Tamesaint said:

As a long standing/suffering/enjoying Saints supporter let me assure you that we will blow it if we have a chance to go top. I fully expect a 1 3 defeat. We are Southampton. It is what we do. 

(With a bit of luck a prediction like that will mean that I am wrong and we stroll to a comfortable win. .😁😁😁 ).

This is exactly the sort of game to stick money on Newcastle. As you say we’ve been here so many times when either we blow it or an injury or decision screws us. 

[saintquin]

And Newcastle's run of results so far this season have been W,L,D,W,L,D,W. If the run continues they are due to lose next match.

So Newcastle win then! 🤷‍♂️

[cloggy saint]

22 hours ago, Convict Colony said:

 

This is bound to happen

Why is it bound to happen?

[Convict Colony]

21 minutes ago, cloggy saint said:

Why is it bound to happen?

Cos winning would be just too good 

[Shroppie]

On 01/11/2020 at 18:50, Maggie May said:

Shelvey will make sure we don’t go top.

He's injured

[Matthew Le God]

On 01/11/2020 at 18:50, Maggie May said:

Shelvey will make sure we don’t go top.

 

 

[The Kraken]

Doesn’t matter if he’s not on the pitch, Voldemort will find a way.

[Professor]

Now that matches are played over several days in this television era, league position has little meaning unless there's a points gap or all clubs are on the same number of games.  We've managed to drop from 3rd to 5th without playing and with Villa and Man City just below us, each with a game in hand, even 6th might be an overstatement.  Even so, it would be fun seeing us at the top of the table, even if only for 24 hours.

[skintsaint]

On 02/11/2020 at 05:39, Turkish said:

This is exactly the sort of game to stick money on Newcastle. As you say we’ve been here so many times when either we blow it or an injury or decision screws us. 

[mattyg]

We last went top on the 10th September 1988 after beating Luton 2-1, although only 3 games into the season:

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-one/10-september-1988/

Which was the game before the Arsenal game.

Edited 3 November, 2020 by mattyg

[Whitey Grandad]

Now here’s a question. How would we feel about winning the league but never having had a chance to watch the team live?

[saintquin]

12 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Now here’s a question. How would we feel about winning the league but never having had a chance to watch the team live?

I would take that.

Though I don't think it would happen!

 

[Toadhall Saint]

1 hour ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Now here’s a question. How would we feel about winning the league but never having had a chance to watch the team live?

I’d take that tbh

[Noodles34]

Wouldn’t take that. 
coukdny think of anything worse. 

[simo]

59 minutes ago, Noodles34 said:

Wouldn’t take that. 
coukdny think of anything worse. 

Much better to have a relegation battle and watch it in the ground !

[The Cat]

Saints just sent an email titled "we don't want to jinx it but we could be top on Friday."

That's that then.

[Noodles34]

1 hour ago, simo said:

Much better to have a relegation battle and watch it in the ground !

Love a good relegation battle

Edited 4 November, 2020 by Noodles34

[Chocolate Box]

I blame my heart condition on relegation battles (and Rupert Lowe).

[suewhistle]

Not the boxes of chocolate then?

[Dark Munster]

2 hours ago, Noodles34 said:

Love a good relegation battle

Me too. As long as it doesn't involve us.

[niceandfriendly]

6 hours ago, Noodles34 said:

Wouldn’t take that. 
coukdny think of anything worse. 

Just missing out on 1st place and not being able to watch? Gotta be worse than winning it.

[skintsaint]

4/1 on a Newcastle win is a nice enough safety bet for me.

[Noodles34]

5 hours ago, Dark Munster said:

Me too. As long as it doesn't involve us.

Really? Loved them all except the one in 2005. 
more interesting than being Everton. 

[Chocolate Box]

12 hours ago, suewhistle said:

Not the boxes of chocolate then?

Nope, a reference to my early days at the Dell. Could be tempted though.

[Lighthouse]

4 hours ago, Noodles34 said:

Really? Loved them all except the one in 2005. 
more interesting than being Everton. 

I’ve never understood the romanticism of relegation fights, to me they’ve all been dreadful. You’re only in one if you’re terrible and get spanked every week.

[alehouseboys]

5 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I’ve never understood the romanticism of relegation fights, to me they’ve all been dreadful. You’re only in one if you’re terrible and get spanked every week.

There’s only romanticism if you stay up.

I guess none of us really want to be involved down there but there’s no doubt some of those relegation battles have given many of us our best days out at the football, particularly the do-or-die away games.

I’ll take battling it out for top spot over them all the same.

[Saint Troy]

33 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I’ve never understood the romanticism of relegation fights, to me they’ve all been dreadful. You’re only in one if you’re terrible and get spanked every week.

I guess its a bit of a Stockholm Syndrome - my growing up was mainly relegation battles and successful ones so actually theres the joy at the end. Probably brings forward more cult heros than true heros of winning the league but actually thats better value than the no heroes of mid-table. Look at the recent thread about Ings v Lambert. Nearly all admit that Ings is showing as a better player but with Lambert its about the story. Where the story in mid-table? Miod-tbale with so young talent coming through is nice too to be fair.  Relegation battles are dreadful youre right but some bonus' and i certainly get the love of it.   

[Lighthouse]

17 minutes ago, Saint Troy said:

I guess its a bit of a Stockholm Syndrome - my growing up was mainly relegation battles and successful ones so actually theres the joy at the end. Probably brings forward more cult heros than true heros of winning the league but actually thats better value than the no heroes of mid-table. Look at the recent thread about Ings v Lambert. Nearly all admit that Ings is showing as a better player but with Lambert its about the story. Where the story in mid-table? Miod-tbale with so young talent coming through is nice too to be fair.  Relegation battles are dreadful youre right but some bonus' and i certainly get the love of it.   

The lack of a ‘story’ has never really bothered me. I was more than happy with our 2013-16 teams being upper mid table and certainly wouldn’t call the likes of Tadic, Mané, J Rod and Pelle ‘no heroes’. The table is largely a byproduct of football for me, I just like watching us play well and win.

[Saint Troy]

41 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

The lack of a ‘story’ has never really bothered me. I was more than happy with our 2013-16 teams being upper mid table and certainly wouldn’t call the likes of Tadic, Mané, J Rod and Pelle ‘no heroes’. The table is largely a by product of football for me, I just like watching us play well and win.

Youre right about the no heroes - just reading those names gives me some great memories to be fair. I think its just having had a run of table finishes well in to the teens from when i was about 8-18 that probably affirmed how my relationship with the club would unfold!  

[suewhistle]

2 hours ago, Chocolate Box said:

Nope, a reference to my early days at the Dell. Could be tempted though.

Ah right! Giving your age away a bit, only the nippers went in there..:-)

[Chocolate Box]

23 minutes ago, suewhistle said:

Ah right! Giving your age away a bit, only the nippers went in there..:-)

I was very young, honest.

[saintwbu]

10 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

The lack of a ‘story’ has never really bothered me. I was more than happy with our 2013-16 teams being upper mid table and certainly wouldn’t call the likes of Tadic, Mané, J Rod and Pelle ‘no heroes’. The table is largely a byproduct of football for me, I just like watching us play well and win.

I agree to some extent, but Swansea away the other year, and Sheffield United at home under Pearson, the pure relief and elation is hard to forget. The good thing with Saints is you never know what you’re gonna get, so we’re lucky we have had a bit of both! 

[Jonnyboy]

COYRs you can do this! 

[Saint_clark]

Just seen the team, nope.

[badgerx16]

4 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Just seen the team, nope.

[Saint_clark]

6 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

Trying to temper my excitement.

[Toadhall Saint]

And so it came to pass!