Coming away from the game yesterday my teenage son stated that he saw enough about us to suggest we can survive this season and that we looked generally more solid and I had to agree.We also discussed the relegation battle ahead which we are going to encounter without doubt.We know more than most how adversity and struggle can pull clubs and its fans together and i sensed early signs of it yesterday when the stadium in general put a protective arm around Nigel with a warm reception. The last couple of seasons we have united in our joy of winning games and now is the time to dig deep as we have in past times of struggle and get right behind Nigel and his squad .As long as we can stay in the battle I suggest all the petty moaning and disagreements on here will diminish in Feb and March when we start looking at forthcoming fixtures and adding up points and losses in our head as the perverse excitment of the relegation dogfight unfolds.Some of my greatest memories of being a Saint involve some titanic games and a few a few last day escapes when staving of the drop ,i am not saying its what i want but it certainly makes the juices flow. Being a Saints fan has always involved turbulence and mid table mediocrity is something i have never known and I am not really sure that's what i want it's like being married to someone you feel no passion for, maybe a bit sterile.I for one am looking forward to the battle ahead why enjoy the promotion and spend the next eight months whining .There is still much to enjoy watching top class opposition and players coming to St Marys is a treat for one thing.No i will embrace and enjoy what is to come and if we do fail, next season will hopefully be the thrill of another promotion campaign.My advice to all is do the same.
I'm trying to enjoy the ride. I have said all along tha I'll back the team and the manager even if we go down this season. Once through this season my expectations may change, but for now I'm going to enjoy the games and what we are trying to do.
+1. We may be in trouble. It may be a likely relegation. Its one hell of a buzz though Bringing back memories and feelings I've missed for near on a decade
Fully behind this post - united we are stronger than if we decide into small groups with some bitching and moaning about individuals, the manager, tactics etc This is the same both in the dressing room and on the terraces Let's stick together regardless of whether we stay up or not. Remember where we have been over the past few years and concentrate on the positives
Hope it doesn't go to the last day...we havesome decent and some good players, but we don't have the gritty warriors we had in the past (perhaps Doddsy could come out of retirement). We are a different side and a boring finish to the season where we're safe with several games to go will suit me fine.
When we got relegated from the Prem I was gutted, will I be if we are this time? No not really. Back then all I knew was our constant struggle year in and year out. The Prem was like the Holy Grail to me, that is until we were relegated for the second time. I have to admit I didn't enjoy being in the Championship the first time hence stopping my season ticket. But I quickly learned there was more to football then just the Prem, soon as we were relegated to Div 1 I started to enjoy my football again. From our time in Div 1 until now I have been to all but about 10 games, I loved it and loved the time away from the 'big guns'. Going to all the grounds I had never been to and seeing a different side of football. Do I enjoy being back in the Prem?, of course I do. Will I feel down if we our relegated again? Yes but only a lil as I know now that football doesn't end when you're not in the Prem.
The last two years were unusual for the Saints. We won a lot and played some nice football. We need to remember what Saints were like when we were in the PL last time. We don't win all the time. We scrap for everything. The players have to learn that as well. In the lower leagues we were a class above in style and effectiveness. That is not where we are now and i doubt anyone really expected that yet. It will take time to build a class team for the PL. We have to roar and shout and encourage the best we can. We have the people in the board room and staff to move us, but it won't be instant. They have to learn. As fans we have to remember what the 90's were like and the scraps we were in. This will be like that again.
