I cannot see how you can evaluate todays teams to those of the 80's. The styles of play were different and the fitness demands were less. We had some very good players but the thing that made the difference was probably the fact we rarely if at all sold our best players. If we did we usually had a homegrown already to step into their shoes at a similar level albeit not so experienced. Most new talent hit the ground running with only a few exceptions. (Or was that later?) I agree it would seem that the play in the 80's was a bit more exciting perhaps and we did score a hatful of goals. However the goals against tally was also reasonably high......
As will it if we win a trophy That'll will be a lot harder this season than last though. I'd go as far as saying it would be more likely to win the LC than finish 6th again. What counts as a better season, 6th and no trophy or 15th with one? Both give European football the following year...
If by adopting the "academy approach" they mean taking the talented youngsters from existing ladies teams and doing nothing for those teams who have struggled along for years with no support... then not sure it's the right approach. It's not just about better coaching for the best players as Saints can clearly only have a small number actually playing for them. It should be about supporting all the local ladies sides on and off the pitch. Many of them play on council recs, on rubbish pitches. My daughter played for a short while, but got fed up of getting changed in a place that had no working sit-down toilet. (not kidding, was only urinals and one smashed up dumper). So, I hope Saints look at the bigger picture of the ladies game, not just doing something to get positive PR.
I may be wrong, but I don't think Saints intention is to get involved in supporting women's football generally....any more than they support men's football generally. I presume the intention is to start at the bottom and have a girls' academy with hopes of eventually having a women's team (just as other PL clubs have).
That's, sadly, what I feel will happen. They could do so much more in the local community, both ladies & kids & even adult grassroots football, but they just tend to fob people off onto Saints in Community, whose budget is very limited and their staff are spread very thin. It's not a question of lack of money & resources anymore. So it's a bit disappointing that the club doesn't do that much more in & around Southampton than it did when in League 1.
You cant really compare the teams of the 80's and now, but i mostly enjoyed watching Saints play more back then for certain. The goals conceded was not because we didnt have a decent defence, it was down to the all out attack method of play - and it was damn entertaining ! Some of the games v Liverpool were really special.
Totally agree with this TSS. I get the impression that some don't factor in that if we prioritise a cup it's still a long way from a guarantee we'd win one. If you do that, the league will certainly slide and you'll likely end up with neither objective. In the cup it only takes one unlucky moment, or one bad 45 to knock you out. The league table doesn't 'lie' quite so much as there's more games and less luck/variance.
https://southamptonfc.com/womens-and-girls-football Bit more about Saints plans for women's and girls' football...part of changes set up for development of women's football by the FA.
I would agree with what you say. Most teams that came to the dell came to win......that fact helped us. Gradually though teams began to come here not to lose. That usually meant we had to change our style which did not always suit the players of the day. They would struggle and with a few dodgy managers. We had another very short spell in the 90's where teams thought they could do us over at the dell which again helped us for a while. Then we too started to play some negative stuff to try and survive. Which eventually was disastrous for us the rest is history. Although even then we had a few up spells...........but not enough.
Yup i agree that we have certainly had our ups and downs over the years ! But its seldom been dull. The worst in my time was the Branfoot period, even more so than getting relegated a couple of times and points deductions. I really enjoyed our short time in Lg 1, but its good to be where we are now though.
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/14793253.Saints_star_eyes_emotional_return/?ref=rss Suggestion that JRod hopes to return to play his old club Burnley. He won't start (because that isn't how Puel views him anyway), but be nice if can manage a run out as a sub....but only if he is ready as he is apparently made of porcelain.
Announce Burnley Match thread @saintsfcfan Hendrick (£10m) and Defour (£8m) look good players and Dyche's teams are always very organised and physical, and work 100% for each other.
How about 6th and winning a trophy.? How about 5th and winning a trophy. It's perfectly possible. Why should one be at the expense of the other.? Professional footballers will tell you that good form and success in one helps success in the other.
Perfectly possible but history suggests very unlikely. It shows clubs of our size with smaller squads struggle to fight on more than one front without it seriously affecting the league form. How many clubs our size have won a cup competition AND maintained a top 8 finish in the same season in the PL era? (Can't remember too far back but think the blue few are the only ones in the past decade....) Would you consider finishing out of the top 10 a failure this season? Even if we reached the EL qf's say?
If we reached the Europa quarter finals and finished 11-14th, I'd say a pretty good season and something to build on. Wouldn't want to be lower though.
I remember seeing a while ago that Shane Long was going to be on Irish TVs answer to MTV Cribs. Looks like this is it: https://www.balls.ie/football/11-things-learned-shane-long-house-tour/346854 As if we needed more convincing of the things premier league football wages can buy you!
