Wave of optimism

[saint_bert]

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if we end up getting relegated what percentage of today's crowd will loyally turn up next season when the dust on the 'wave of optimisim' has settled? 50% at best i would imagine even without the lowe factor.

 

The football league will meet on tuesday and unfortunately i think they will issue us with a points deduction and effectively resign us to league 1 unless we can pull off a miracle.

 

We are obviously and cleverly exploiting a loop hole in the league rules regard holding companies that was designed to protect clubs owned by a holding company with other companies under its umbrella. If a club was well run and profitable but one of the other companies under its holding company went bust thereby putting the group into administration, the league in this instance would not want to impose a penalty for reasons of fairness.

 

Clearly this is not the case in our instance and if the football league are to hold off a sudden surge in clubs reporting to new holding companies designed solely to protect them from a points deduction, especially in these times, then i think tuesday the league will close their loophole and we will be made an example of their new rules.

 

It' s pity the euphoria and wave of optimism didn't carry on from the sheff utd game last season. Barclays pulled the plug because although we delivered in all their other demands we didn't deliver in the one area the fans could have and should have contributed - revenue. As a result, i only hope this 'wave of optimisim' isn't the bow wave of a silent and slightly more menacing tsunami that will destroy the club as we have known it.

 

go away

[SaintRobbie]

Hello Robbie, seems the players have been badly affected by recent events and puzzled no doubt like the rest of us loyal supporters as to why so many fans came back today to cheer on pretty much the same team that had been on a good run at home recently.

 

The high point - the Northam reaction to the deserting rates.

 

The low point - Crouch and McMenemy - dawning of a new age?

 

At least we had a high point, despite the performance!

 

I'm afraid my reading of it - backed by several home performances this season - is that our youth players lack the guts and maturity to play in the big games. Our team also has an unprofessional manager, who also lost it.

 

I have not witnessed a 'good run' recently but a general slide in performances over the last 2-3 home games under Wotte. He knows as we do and as does the team, that he will not be in the chair regardless of the results left to play out.

 

Not that many fans left to be honest, and frankly I dont care what people do. I am surprised that after one of the worst performances at SMS this season more didnt walk. But, not many booed either.

 

The reality is that the majority of Saints fans are not diehards but at least expect determination, guts, desire, skill, composure and not to be utterly defeated by the worst team in the league. Still the majority stayed to make a point - 'SOUTHAMPTON FC will be supported new owners... please invest.' New owners 19 as the fans never made the same point to Mr Lowe.

 

For me? The high point: Seeing a near full stadium. Made the trip worth it when the singing started and DMGs goal gave me the first goosebumps of the campaign this season.

 

The low point - our manager is making our team of kids worse. I hope we clear out the broken youth in the summer (with 2-3 notable exceptions), invest in a new manager and buy 7 men who want to wear the shirt and have courage and personality.

 

What's more I guess a footballing man like Lawrie Mac will know that too, because he is a footballing man.

 

We have the infrastructure, we have the fans again, now we need a manager and a team!

[um pahars]

I've been saying all season that the two best ways of filling the stadium are:

 

1. Good results, particularly at home.

 

It's quite a simple concept (but I accept one that is sometimes hard to deliver), but people will undoubtedly come along if they think they're going to get goals, be entertained and see the team win.

 

We never managed that from the off this season due to some very poor decisions regarding the replacement/appointment of managers added to a very suspect strategy with regards tactics, starting line up, formation, transfer dealings etc etc etc.

 

And in absence of that:

 

2. Engender a spirit of togetherness and community spirit.

 

IMHO there was no way Lowe (or Wilde) were going to be able to pull this one off. IMHO they have no pull on the suporters and they do not command the respect and support of the grass roots of this Club. They were not the tow figureheads that people were ever going to rally around in this Club's hour of need.

 

In fact, on too many occasions , Lowe has sought to confront and antagonise the support base. Additionally, their appaling footblling decisions (in 1. above) meant that seeking people's support was always going to be an uphill challenge.

 

 

It is a sorry state to be in that we have to go through such a disastrous (and IMHO avoidable) season to get to a point when the supporters feel they can now rally around the Club. Sorry, but absolutely inevitable given how the CLub has been run in recent years.