Reading through the transfer speculation threads I couldn't help but become uneasy at the way many of our fans were starting to believe we could sign just who we liked. Heaven forbid we should ever become as arrogant as Chelsea, Arsenal, ManCity or ManUtd fans. Is anyone else starting to become aware of the same growing arrogance?
Smacks me as confidence, not arrogance although there is a fine line. As long as we don't invade other boards boasting that we can sign anyone then I'm happy to let everyone enjoy this new, bizarre feeling of optimism and elation!!
No. We don't assume we can 'sign who we like', hence the 100 odd pages of "will he, won't he". I for one had given up. We still realise that 'bigger teams' may come in and turn a players head. People are just excited by the ambition.
Yes, it's rather embarrassing how easily some of our supporters settle into the role of Big Time Charlies. But I can live with it, especially if we start getting the results to justify that arrogance. And if we come back down to earth with a bump, we'll all have learned a valuable life lesson.
I just worry that we are signing the "right" players for Southampton. Now, we have no way of knowing until they get a few games under their belts, but I have this little niggle in the back of my head that keeps asking are we doing the right thing .... I suppose it's just years of underachieving that have started to reappear in my mind... I just need some games to start. Bring on the 17th August!
I don't think any of our fans have that level of arrogance, otherwise there'd not be the pages and pages of torture over whether or not someone wants to join. I think we all still know and accept we're a lower mid-table Prem team.
I'm sure we are all aware that Nicola et al have to work very hard to convince players to come here, so I don't see grounds for being arrogant. I do enjoy reading all the positive stuff beginning to come out about us, so I would describe myself as smug rather than arrogant.
Surely ST G it is more over confidence rather than arrogance.....Higher expectation perhaps. We do not have the pull that the big clubs have that is for sure. I don't think any of the fans will deny that. They are entitled though surely to expect that players that have yet to get into the "super stardom bracket" should consider Southampton along with the majority of all the other clubs. It must be obvious to most that the likes of spurs, Everton and Liverpool have an edge based on their history over us. Until we have the pull of a lot more fans (40-50000) are we ever likely to compete with these teams. To attract the top echelon of players we have obviously got to match these teams at least on the wages front and we can't do that until we have the larger crowds.
It's not arrogance knowing you are better than others. Take myself, I know I'm a better fan than all of you, doesn't make me arrogant, does it?
How is talking about players being linked to us being arrogant? I'd say rating your own thread 5 stars each time is more arrogant then that.
Positivity, not arrogance. It's because we're so unused to being able to be positive that it may not sit comfortably right now! Long may it continue.....
I don't know enough Arsenal and Chelsea fans to make a judgement, but I have known 100's of Red and Blue Mancs and Scousers over the years and the arrogance charge has to be levelled at the bandwagon jumpers. Prepare for an invasion if we start to achieve as highly as NC believes we can. Those of us who have supported the Saints for years are surely just enjoying the ride, as Fran says.
Those that have supported Saints more than 6 months will know that following Saints is a bit of a roller coaster ride. We stick by them when they are really crap. We followed them to Hartlepool on a wet Tuesday in December. We put up with the taunts of biggger clubs. With that in mind we are probably permitted to show a little confidence when things are going well. The one thing that does hack me off though is that song 'we are Southampton, we're taking the ****...' Just destined to come back and bit us on the arse! That does go beyong confidence and hints at arrogance. Its not the Southampton Way.... ;~)
It's football, it's a laugh. Fans have no input whatsoever to the performance of a team so it's impossible for a fan to be arrogant. We can't take credit for something that we didn't achieve. We can however take the mickey out of other clubs because that's what being a football fan is all about. (In my eyes)
Actually, that's good point about bandwagon jumping. Let's see how many newest members Saints Not606 acquire over the coming months..? They'll still be welcome, of course. And we'll have JCL comments either.
