Despite our dissapointing start to the new year there are still many reasons to be positive heading into the second half our hopefully second promotion season We have some amazing players who are young but more importantly have a great attitude. We play the game the right way, we always go for the win and are receiving plaudits for our flowing football. Nigel Adkins is in many ways the perfect manager. He has on countless occasions turned the game in our favour. Even when we have just conceded there is an air of optimism wheras in previous years that was that, heads went down and often it ended with a drubbing and school on monday was unbearable. Nicola Cortese's shrewd running of the club has eradicated the image that despite our relatively small stature we will not be pushed around by bigger clubs. His "way or the highway" approach has done to the boardroom what Adkins has done for the team. There will be movement in the coming weeks and I have no doubts that our signings will represent our ambition. We have an amazing stadium and it is pleasure to attend our home games. A great scout network who can uncover the most unlikely of gems. Hooiveld, Guly, Schneiderlin are all players who were found abroad and have made a contribution to the club. I am sure many more will follow. The youth system. With names sch as Shearar, Bale, Walcott and many others I have no doubt we can produce much more. We are top of the league albeit on GD but we are 2 points in auto promotion and 9 points inside the playoffs. If you told me that this in September I wold of had a heart attack as I predicted mid table consolidation. Feel free to add to the many poitives of Southampton fc.
So many good things about supporting Saints..great fans, good team in a strong position, great manager and sound club, but the best...we don't support Pompey
Ha ha! The best thing for me is that pride has been restored. For years after the Lawrie Mac era we were the whipping boys of the Premier League, then the mouthy nobodies of the 2nd tier and then administration and all that .... Now we have a club of which we can be proud. Great feeling, and great post young optimist!
We have a winning mentality which we haven't had for a very long time, certainly since I've been a STH since 2006. You're right Ultimate Optimist, our heads don't go down when we concede - our fans were louder than Bristol's on Friday after their goal and the positivity of the fans, even after losing 2 on the bounce is astounding considering this time 3 or 4 years ago we'd have been calling for the manager, chairman, players, tea-lady and everyone else to be sacked. Before the season, if someone had told me we would have been top for over three months, I'd have laughed at them. I was hoping for mid-table consolidation and then a push for the play-offs next year. I expect over the next couple of months we will drop, we haven't got a massive squad compared to others, but as long as we don't drop too far I don't mind. Looks like this Lee chappie will be signing so there are reasons to be cheerful.
In the past I would be certain that saints are going to slip down the table now, that it had all been nothing more than a flash in the pan. However listening to NA and the players I sense their beleif, they seem annoyed that there quality isnt being shown at the moment but they dont seem dispondent. Things are different now, all teams have a blip even man city had a mini blip, but a good team doesnt stop being a good team overnight. Saints ARE a good team and we will bounce back (I hope aha) COYRs!!
Thought about starting a similar thread after Brighton game. Not a naturally optomistic sort of chap. Not glass half full, not glass half empty, more like glass full but dropped it and trot on it with bare feet sort of chap. However these are the reasons to be cheerful 1) top of league after aweful few games, above 3 relegated Premier league teams and all last years promotion hopefuls. 2) the squad is still basically the one from League 1 whereas West Ham is the one they had in Premier league. They could put out 2 strong Championship teams 3) we play attractive football most of the time 4) our league position means we are attractive to players from a range of other clubs 5) we have a bright young manager 6) we have a killer chairman 7) we are not Portsmouth, Plymouth or any other club in the financial doo doo 8) we have a great stadium and academy system Sermon over.
