Reaching The Holy Land.

If we got to into the premier league we would have a lot strength in many area's. The most important is the lack of an debt! Have you seen the estimates that some of the teams have in EPL & how much does that cost them? Even Norwich supposedly, we are very well placed with the new rules coming from UEFA over spending on wages and transfers. If we buy well & sell well develop of our youth players and hold on to them we could be very strong in 5 years time? The future is bright the future is Southampton FC COYR's hehe

 

I believe in Cortese,I think we can become a top 6 premier league side in the next 10 years if we go up this season.
Everything is in place,fanbase,top training facilities,great manager and chairman and plenty of backing from him.
If we do go up this season,we will need to buy 4 or 5 premier league quality players to stay up and compete.I think a top 10 finish is realistic,look at Reading,Birmingham and now Norwich and Swansea.
The 2nd season in the prem is the toughest one though.

 

Like the majority of saints supporters. Most of my time as a fan has been spent in the top tier of the game.

I enjoyed league one for what it is and I'm really enjoying this season.

Winning more games than you lose and draw was always a little novelty in the premier league years but now it's expected.

But I want to watch the best players possible pulling on the old red and white and have them playing the best teams in the world.

Because while it's great to beat Burnley at home it's nothing compared to beating Arsenal or Manchester United

 

I do miss our days in the lower leagues. So much hope. So much excitement. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm just finding this season's Premier League campaign all a little underwhelming, like we've been here before. But yet, we're on par with where we were in our best ever season last year, and still improving. There is more excitement to come, but we no longer have the comfort and support of clear, structured objectives and knowing how we might achieve them. Now we just have to enjoy each moment as it comes, and relish the club being in as strong a position as it's in today.

 

Agree, in the lower leagues we had definite and positive objectives (win the league/promotion) but when you are in the Premiership our objectives are less obvious and positive as they have to be realistic which means our aim is to be "best of the rest" with the big six clearly ahead of the rest in spending power.

 

Interesting bounce.

Allow me an observation from a "hot bed" of football. For decades my support of Saints has been a joke. Other than those few glorious years under Lawrie we were perpetual relegation fodder. My Reds fans mates loved it when we beat United 6-3, and many still mention Bobby Stokes goal as their favourite ever non-Liverpool goal, but generally we were bugger all. When we hit the skids, fans round here noticed. I found myself getting words of encouragement while queuing in shops, let alone in the pub. And then we began to win, and win and win. Liverpool and Everton fans began to notice. They'd comment on a result; they'd discuss promotion. They didn't laugh about the JPT, they gloried in it.

And now, we are a rival. A team to be beaten. A team to be taken seriously. A team to be admired for how we conduct ourselves and keep re-inventing ourselves despite constantly changing.

Being a Saint is as much of what I am as my former job or my politics. Being able to be proud of my team among those who are fiercely proud of their loyalties means a lot. I'll take where we are. Of course I'd like more, but then Fats wants his Kylie fantasy to come true. As the Stones said ....

 

We are Southampton, we do things the right way, the Southampton way, i'd hate us to be another Chelsea or Citeh...

 

Reading this thread just reminded me again of how far we have come. Now we're not just established in the PL, we have qualifed for the European football 2 seasons on the trot, and have genuine aspirations to go on doing so.

 

Don't tell anyone, but let's keep it a fantasy. I have a gorgeous wife and I'd be scared ****less if Kylie turned up on my doorstep!

 

Of course. Your secret's safe with me. I'll pp my bank details.