From some of the comments i read on here during a match and directly after, i'm pretty confident members of this forum shout abuse at our own players. Plus for me to claim i've never shouted abuse at a saints player whether merited or not in my years of attending matches would be a lie. Although i'm calmer than I used to be, I don't have to think back too far to the last player I shouted abuse at, as it was yesterday. When Steven Davis woefully under hit a simple looking pass which would have sent Rodriguez through on goal. Ask me now or directly after the game whether I think Steven Davis is a **** player and my answer would be no, but thats not what I said at that moment. I can tell you that I gain no pleasure from shouting abuse or swearing at a football match, but like the majority in attendance i'm kicking every ball and reacting to each moment and sometimes that reaction is not child friendly ultra-positivity. As for Matty Targett he looks a lot happier in possession when he has Tadic ahead of him as opposed to Jay or Shane who have the licence to drift infield. I think he is a very tenacious defender. I think there is a reasonably cultured left foot on him, which makes his current poor crossing a problem between the ears. His lack of pace may hinder his potential to develop to the very top of the sport, but to write him off or believe we should sign a Martina type to be back up for Bertrand is not a view I can support. My immediate reaction was, it's a **** view
I certainly shout at the television screen as Moron passes to Idiot and Stupid misses an open goal, but never at a game where they might hear me. There I limit myself to sighs and tuts.
They can't hear you at the game either. Your one voice is drowned out by the clamour. I know, I tried it donkey's years ago. It made realise that apart from involuntarily shouting ooh, aah, nooo and yessss, one might as well shut up. Besides, there are plenty of plonkers around who really think they can be heard alone. So you shout at matches, Fran. Or not, as the occasion takes you.
I am not a Sotonian but one thing that struck me from the first day I came to the City to live is how the locals rubbish everything. If you ask any local about this brilliant City they will slate it and complain about everything. It is in a Sotonian's genes to be a right miserable whinging bastard and not have a good thing to say. Southampton is a great place to live. It is a thriving, exciting ever changing City and we have a fantastic football club and a brilliant manager but hey lets have a real nasty dig at a teenage left back who is just learning the game. That is the spiteful Southampton Way. This mentality was reinforced when I said to someone the other day isn't it brilliant all of these student flats being built will mean many of the multiple occupancy homes will revert back to family homes again. The reply I got was "No they ****ing won't. They'll fill them up with bloody Syrian refugees." There should be a bye law that says that for every miserable whinging comment a Sotonian makes it has to be preceded by a positive and constructive comment. That will scupper them because saying something constructive and positive is beyond their capability.
Godders, it's rubbing off on you. You'e having a whinge. But you're right in some respects. In my experience, many Sotonians only realise what they've had in Southampton when they left it. Then they're too bloody minded to admit it. I have lived in many places, and although Southampton isn't god's gift of a city, it's in one hell of a nice part of Britain. How many cities can boast a huge forest nearby, an expansive coastline, which starts 5 minutes down the road, and beautiful rolling downland to the north. Plus we get a very nice island on our doorstep thrown in for good measure. You can live anywhere indoors, but outside is where it really counts. Throw in the best weather in Britain and there really isn't a better place to live. Now if we can just get those urban planners to stop imagining the mediocre all the time we might make the city itself quite special.
The sad thing will be that on the return of Bertrand the attention of the wingers will switch to some other poor bast**d be it JWP, Davis, Yoshie or Pelle. Sadly we have always had a whipping boy...Fox, Guly etc
Or maybe Lambert who kept supplying excellent passes for the afore mentioned winger... Targett got done a couple of times early on and then worked out what McManaman was going to do and dealt with it. I think there are a few times he could push further upfield but that maybe a confidence thing or maybe following instructions.
If people love you, they overlook every mistake. Poor Matty, has become a target (sorry about that )...his every mistake is magnified. Hopefully, he will concentrate so much on his football that he tunes out the crowd. He will be more concerned what Ronald says and I'm sure he will be constructive rather than destructive.
As an immigrant to Southampton from Oop North this looks to be bang on the money. I feel lucky to be living in what I consider to be the best city in Britain (and I've lived in a good few places, so I do have something to compare). It's big enough to have all the facilities a city should have but small enough to guarantee bumping into someone you know in town. Excellent shopping centre and motorway links about as good as they come. The New Forest and miles of beach within a 30 minutes drive along with the South Downs. Add in that a short ferry ride away is time travel back to the 1950's (sorry, Fran). A very personal one - that no-one in Southampton seems to notice - a line of gorgeous and lively parks stretching through the city centre (a walk from Hoglands to Watts Park is a mile of greenery). The City Walls, for heaven's sake! (In how many cities can you stand where a soldier once stood in 1370 or so shielding his eyes from the sun just like you do today?) Loads of excellent places to eat and drink and a lack of fear about changing the city (look at a map from pre war and the city is a completely changed beast; it's changed hugely since I arrived just 17 years ago). A vibrant population of people from all over the world. A world class, truly world class, University. Music venues that have live music every single night of the week. One of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, a crime rate that is laughable compared to places I've lived, e.g. Manchester. A terrific sailing heritage. Finally, a wonderful football team that drags in a crowd that if drawn only from Sotonians would be one in seven of the population. But it's still sh*t apparently. Vin
The common! How could I forget it? Does any city have a more beguiling route into its centre than the drive down The Avenue through the common? Vin
Oh dear. I may have had one or two too many when I wrote that. If I have offended anyone I apologise. Just a little bit.
Nah not offended Godders, being a good Sotonian i just had a really good moan about you mush !!! As for young Targett - leave the lad alone, he is doing alright, he is part of a defence that has managed to keep 3 clean sheets out of 5 games, a defence that unlike last season has been constantly changing in make up over those games. Targett was not good at all against Everton but they played really well and most of our team didnt that day. Also in my experience many who hurl abuse at others for being no good, are mostly useless bastards themselves.
Targett suffers most from not being Luke Shaw or Gareth Bale, he has not impacted on the team in the way both did when first introduced. In some ways because we now have a bigger, better group of players he has been better protected. Not all players are brilliant at 18yrs old though, many need time and coaching. I always see total commitment from Matt and have to trust RK's judgement in playing him before Yoshi.
SaintsAlive summed it up very well for me. After the likes of Bridge, Bale and Shaw some Saints supporters seem to think that any LB from the academy should just slot into the team and perform. Its a big, big step up for the nipper to jump straight in and play week in week out in the best league in the world, give him time and support. Problem is that everyone these days want instant solutions, if only life was that simple?
He is back up. He won't need to play every game. McCarthy is seen as a future starting cb and not a rb. If Targett gets injured we have Wil Wood.
Well... Obviously. Targett is not Roberto Carlos either so we can give him some slack can't we? McManaman was West Brom's biggest threat, and he was the best player on the pitch attacking wise, the whole game.
Pulis is a rabid animal. Sick of the 'contact' thing implying a foul. McManaman was diving through the hoop a foot before he got to Targett. I remember in days of old if a plyer slid to block like that the attacker would take advantage by stopping the ball, letting the defender slide past and then trying to score a goal. Hate the modern game and its 'contact' crap. Same for Sterling the other night putting leg into the defender's leg to get the England pen.
If my memory serves me right Bridge was played as an out and out winger at first. Not seen as being the next big thing. It was the switch to LB which made him. Someone on the coaching team earnt their dosh by suggesting he be given a go there.
I don't attend games, so I don't know what is happening with Targett. But cursing when a player makes a mistake and venting when they have a bad game is natural. I don't consider that abuse, that's just what fans do. I don't expect fans to be relentless positive. But when things get to a point where fans are booing a player every time he touches the ball or just constantly raining insults at them, that's silly. The article seemed to imply that things had reached the stage where some supporters were disappointed that Targett did not give up a penalty. That's the point at which you have crossed the line. How can you be more interested in Targett being bad so you can abuse him than in Saints winning the game? But again-- I was not at the game. There are always a few idiots in the stands, but I would be surprised if things have actually reached that level.
