We were three points clear of the relegation zone and most other clubs kept telling us we probably wouldn't go down... if that's nailed on certs to go down, then are Wigan already printing their shirts with Championship logos?
He's right that we lacked belief. Especially against good sides. I don't think we'd have gone down though.
We had played all the top sides and had turned a corner...nothing like certain to go down. It was just that our Chairman doesn't consider just staying up as an ambition...he wants us to play entertaining football and be in Europe within two years (that is what Mauricio has been told). Outsiders may laugh but Nicola usually gets what he wants.
When NA left we had really just started to play well, and the most recent matches had resulted in a series of draws. We as Saints fans could see that we were playing better, but I wouldn't blame someone who doesn't follow the team for not noticing.
OK, "nailed on certs" might have been a bit of hyperbole... but certainly you didn't look like you were going to avoid being in a relegation dogfight. Now you do. Can't you people take a compliment?
And re fans of other clubs - many of them still think you're in the mix now, which show how much "they" know..
Numerically we are in the mix, but I have known for months that we will stay up. We are playing well, scoring and have a few teams below us. We may well yo-yo as one win/loss will make a difference, but our overall movement is up.
Both of our Clubs are still in the mix, at least you have kept faith with your manager and that at least ensures stability, that could be the difference in the end.
OK, fair enough, but hyperbole is very difficult to separate from simple uninformed, incorrect opinion on a football forum.
I don't normally use swear words unless there is a subtle point to make, gratuitous bad language adds nothing to the debate.