I agree that the chasing pack seem to have spent more on squads so far, however I think it's possibly a case of them spending next year's sky bonanza early to ensure they stay competitive whereas Saints didn't have to. It's always a bit of an arms race, and Rk is right when he says that saints need to spend more to compete as everybody else will be spending however I think it's a bit early to assume that we don't intend to invest in players, and are pretty aware of the changing landscape. Koeman wants to win things because that's what he is judged on, he voiced his concerns about Saints lack of player investment at a presser, then we got royally spanked in a cup - what's the betting that we spend plenty on new blood in the coming transfer windows?
Koeman mentioned we were the only ones who made a profit in the window, but do we know if this was deliberate or just happened. Even if you rake in a load of money, you still want to spend wisely....no point in spending for spending's sake. However, I do believe that Ronald has put a shot across the bows, but the result is more likely to be seen in the summer than this January.
I'll make allowances for the fact that Godders was, like all of us, very disappointed at the abject capitulation of our players last night. Other than that, I see no comparison at all between us and Newcastle.Every Newcastle fan knows that Mike Ashley is only interested in making profit out of the club and only invests in order to stay in the Premier League. They have no ambition beyond that. Southampton on the other hand have told us often enough over the last almost two years since Cortese left what the aims of the club are. Steady, sustainable growth until we are regularly challenging for European places and domestic cups. Cortese, it is said, had more immediate ambition, although beyond getting us to the Premier League in 3 seasons and winning the JPT it didn't manifest in anything more tangible. And let's not forget that he was, for the majority of his time here, spending Katharina's money rather than Markus's, and none of his own. If his ambition was to spend our way to a top 4 place or the FA Cup in our first couple of seasons back in the Prem, he never said that, or indicate that anything other than sustainable growth was in his manifesto. So if your complaint is that we have gone backwards under the Krueger-Reed regime, I can't agree. ****storms like last night's can happen to all teams at any time, and shouldn't be used as an indicator of anything more sinister going on. Until the day Katharina sells the club to a non-existent Arab I'll continue to have faith in her and those she has appointed to safeguard her father's legacy.
Here here. Although realistically it's 3 poor games on the bounce that matches our Nov/Dec slump last year. Before that we were only one of two teams unbeaten on the road and coming off an 8 game unbeaten run in all competitions. We are probably the best run club in the league and currently lie just outside the European places. With Villa on Saturday there's a real chance to get back on track. When Godders has sobered up he will be as embarrassed about the post as others are.
Though undoubtedly on the wind-up, I will say that this is an extreme overreaction. If you believe that, I'd say you were a very casual fan of football - maybe you are, and I don't judge you on that. We were a point or two apart in the league until we lost to City at the Etihad. We're now five points off you. If we're underperforming, you're also underperforming. Poch is doing well for you, but I absolutely wouldn't take him back. For a project such as ours, we need a level of security and stability in key positions. At board level, that means Les Reed is vital; at managerial level, we need someone who will honour their contract (Poch is not that man - and will no doubt show you the same when one of the many more desirable jobs than Spurs becomes an opportunity for him); and on the pitch, we had Schneiderlin as that stability. He was a huge loss, and this may well as a result be a transitional season. This journey is for Saints one about learning what it takes to compete effectively with the next band of teams (basically, Spurs and Everton) within our own restrictions, and this is a complete freak of a result, aided in large part by an old Spurs reject - Steven Caulker: who unlike his decorators' filler namesake, does not fill and smooth over huge holes and cover up messes in walls, preferring instead to create the same on a football pitch. Anyway, you could have angled the same accusation at Saints at the start of the season, when Spurs' unsettling of Victor Wanyama resulted in him being pulled from a vital Europa qualifier, which we lost, shortly before losing to Everton, as we struggled to fill the Toby Aldereiweld-sized hole in our defence whilst waiting for Van Dijk to finish his CL-bid with Celtic. We're still top ten, still lost only once away, and have strategically freed ourselves of two cups that we are admittedly not equipped to juggle with a league run. Just as your 2013 season wasn't defined by City hitting you for six and Brenda's Liverpool hitting you for 5 at WHL (scorelines you will never see a now-established Premier League Saints replicate in the league - Arsenal away being our sole 1-6, shortly into our promotion year), our season won't be defined by a Rumbelows Cup defeat to History FC. Like he did as a player, I am certain Ron will hit higher heights than Poch as a manager. Ron would have Spurs performing similarly to Poch in terms of league position - it is the status quo, if you hadn't noticed, and you're sticking to it as you have with previous managers, and is very hard to upset, as we are finding: Spurs hovering around 5th and finishing around the same. Poch wasn't a miracle worker with us - he performed well with what he had, just as he is doing now with a slightly better team, hence gaining a few league places in the process. You may be happier on a week-by- week basis, but you will not dislodge City, United, Arsenal, and now probably Liverpool. Not until you have a new stadium.
Far from an embarrassing post. I am sorry that the point was beyond you for it wasn't far from Ron's view as several posters have said. I posted to stimulate debate about where we were really going as a football club. We have had several intelligent and well reasoned responses and then we have yours.
I wrote that when I was stone cold sober but perhaps keen for our club to be a success. Instead what we have seen is the heart torn out of our team over the last couple of close seasons with replacements falling short of the standard required but hey we are a well run club and showing a profit on transfers. We have conceded nine goals in two games and we have a real problem at right back and central midfield which ironically were the two positions covered by Clyne and Morgan. If what you want is no trophies and mid table obscurity and to be known as plucky and well run little old Southampton then we are on target. Walking away from the ground last night I heard a couple talking and saying we should have one of the national retailers as a sponsor.
Have any of us had a plan that runs smoothly to the end? I think Saints have done very well in the Leibherr years. I would be lying if I said I wasn't thinking that this might be rather a middling season (though we should still finish in top half), but that doesn't mean we should throw out the baby with the bathwater. The plan has worked so far...there will always be periods when luck goes against you, players get injured etc. We could yet string wins together and get right back on track, but if not, learn from it and move on. As Maggie Thatcher told Reagan...Now is not the time to wobble.
Personally, I think we only have a problem at right back when Ron decides Cedric is unavailable. Even the papers reckon Cedric is a great replacement for Clyne. Last night was different of course but other than Mane every position was a problem. Midfield is not normally a problem either (we have good options) except Ron insists that game time is the only way to get Clasie match fit. That works if you are on a winning run but I agree with you, he needs to change that Saturday. With fonte back in the side, Cedric should be OK as well. Generally down the right hand side, we need to make sure Cedric has options. Mane was running all over the place last night having been glen a free role. That's fine but someone needs to move into the hole he leaves on the right to collect from Cedric. Last night he ended up passing back and gesturing with hands in the air.
This is exactly the same debate we had running up to Christmas last year. An unconvincing away point at Villa was followed by FOUR successive EPL defeats and then a fifth defeat at Sheffield to end our cup run. Equally embarrassing. Probably more so. It was the cup defeat that gave us the kick up the proverbial we needed to get back on track. Let's hope history repeats itself.
Hm. You're not really that well informed, are you! Spurs have mainly finished either 4th or 5th, over the past 7 or 8 seasons.
Comparing us to a shambles team that has been threatened by relegation for numerous seasons IS an embarrassing overreaction
How am I wumming? Check for yourself with the FA records, and set them out here, where Spurs have finished over the last 7 seasons.
...because you only come over here and give out on a dark day for us... now piss off back where you came from. You've never behaved any differently.
But it's not the case, as their books have been released, and those teams are all doing pretty well...no one's spending themselves into oblivion anymore.
Don't make me laugh. You've qualified for the Champions League once when you finished 4th ONE time. Therefore, you mainly finished 5th.
