Surprised this passed all of us by but a couple of weeks ago marked a decade since entering administration and relegation to the third tier for the first time in over half a century was confirmed. A summer of worry and fear awaited but what a decade we've had since of mainly ups all bar the last couple of seasons. Easy to whinge about the last couple of years but looking back at the JPT, back to back promotions, cup final and trips into Europe we've been incredibly lucky overall for our club of our size. The club is completely unrecognisable from that day against Burnley and you just have to wonder where we would be today without Markus Liebherr
You also have to wonder where we might be had Marcus not died when he did. On another note, I currently work on the railway, and the trains on our section are all being gradually replaced with a new generation of rolling stock, built in Germany. The pantographs on top of the trains, which attach to the overhead cables, are built by Liebherr, and carry the company’s name. So I get a reminder of the Liebherr family, every day at work.
I still turn my head when ever I see anything construction relate with the name Liebherr on it Thank you Markus.
Great thread, my man. So here's a question for you all? (Drum roll please...) What was your favourite season of the last ten years? - You've got Lambert and Fonte's arrival in 09/10, along with young pups Morgan and Lallana stopping the rot of the previous few years, and reaching a respectable 7th in League One, (despite the -10 deduction), and WINNING THE JPT (thanks Fats!) - Then in 10/11, Nige, promotion and all that. - 11/12 Promotion from the Championship. - 12/13 First season back among the big boys. Poch's arrival. - 13/14 Poch's full season, 8th place finish, and the Lambert/Lallana/Rodriguez combo up front. - 14/15 Koeman arrives. 7th. The second wave - so to speak - with Tadic and Pelle leading the line. - 15/16 Koeman pt 2. 6th, highest finish since the early 80's. - 16/17 8th, European group stage, the League Cup final. - 17/18 Erm... staying up? (Okay, I'll stop there.) Also, just for fun, what was your favourite moment of the last ten years?
The Championship season was just immense. In the top two virtually start to end. Loved it. I enjoyed league One for the variety and big away crowds when we travelled, but that Championship season we fabulous. “We are Southampton, we’re top of the League”
Favourite moment: Deano swearing live on TV at the Coventry game!! That and beating Scousehampton 3-2 from 2-0 down. I thought my head was going to explode that day.
Yeah, from the very first game against Leeds. 100% winning start for what, 5 or 6 games. Think I might be going for this one too. (Until someone else talks about another season, and I totally jump on board that one)
Have to say the Championship season gives me a warm glow. Everyone was expecting it to be hard, but it was just more of the same success we had in League 1, but at a higher level. As Saints fans we are used to the ups and downs of the top league, but it was nice to be a top side in the Championship. My fear (which was unrealised) was that we'd be stuck in the Championship for several years....has happened to a lot of clubs.....so immediate success was fantastic. And I loved Nigel...really felt for him when he looked so wistful on our promotion....he said himself that he knew that was his pinnacle.
In reverse order from me: 3. League One promotion season. Loved it. we finally had something to cheer about. 2. Koeman 2nd season. Includes that 3-2 v Liverpool after 2-0 at half time and Mane missing an early 2nd half penalty. 6th in the league and enabled me to go to San Siro the next year to see my team play in a competitive game. Also enabled us to beat Inter Milan at home the next year. Oh and 8-2 v Sunderland and 6-1 v Villa with a 2 minute hattrick and 5-0 at half time 1. Championship promotion season. Simply incredible. As others have said, expected to struggle, but from day 1 stayed in the top 2 to the end. Just joy after joy after joy. Nige was good too
Hard to beat that Championship season, especially after the amount of dire warnings we had about how hard a League it was to get out of, mostly from Leeds fans. I’m sure most of us were very trepidatious about that first game, until Deano’s shot smashed into the net. And then later on doing the double over them with Rickie’s goal and SKD’s heroics. I still can’t remember another game of football where all 11 players spent so long inside their own goal area! In terms of all the seasons since then, it has to be the first Koeman season, finishing 7th, and being (still) the only team in the history of the Premier League to score 5 first half goals and 5 second half goals in the same season. That was special, and of course in that Villa match Sadio scored the fastest ever hat trick. And possibly my favourite moment in that season was beating Palace on Boxing Day to go 4th in the Premier League, What times we have had, and if it hadn’t been for Markus, none of it might have happened. Thank you, you wonderful man.
8-2 v Sunderland? 8-0 more like! Or 6-2 if you're generously donating those 2 own goals to Sunderland.
I was in O'Casey's in the Hague roaring Saints on, I'm known for my vociferous support. Two Chinese scouse supporters in colours took exception to my boisterous celebrations. They were told to support their local team and **** right off to do so by me, other regulars and the staff. They left tails between legs and suitably downcast 'kin plastics.
You can't. Going home on the tube after drawing 1-1 with West Ham in February, I bumped into a mother and daughter I knew from St Mary's. One of them asked if I was looking forward to life in the Premier League; we all agreed nothing would ever top the ride we had been on since League One. (Koeman's second season came close though - anything seemed possible then).
I'm getting old and forgetful I was thinking of the 8-2 against Coventry in April 1984 for some reason And yes, Chilcs is right Koeman's first season
