Can´t imagine us finishing out of the top 2 after being in there for so long. However, Reading are unstoppable atm. If it wasn´t for their insane form, ourselves and West ham would we pretty "comfortable". I don´t see any other team staging a late charge for autos, but anything can still happen as there are still 30 point up for grabs. If the worse came to the worse and we lost out to Reading and West Ham, I would hate to have to go through the "ordeal" of the play-offs. Very rarely the team that finishes third and has been more consistent all season, actually goes up. It can be very cruel at times the play-offs.... I remember last season when Huddersfield finished the season 16 points above Bournemouth in league 1, who finished 6th. Huddersfield had been by far the better team all season but ended up losing out to Peterborough in the final....I worry that this might happen to us. If were to finish 3rd It would be so unfair if we lost out to a team who snuck into the play-offs on the last day of the season. Anway, we are Southampton and top of the league!....So let´s please keep it that way.
"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?"
No Fran, you have ruined your Sunday. It's a choice, and you could choose to take AlanSFC's post with a pinch of salt. As it is, it is merely a salutary reminder. Besides, the playoffs are not allowed. Niclola says he wouldn't live through them. We can't have that.
Most people agree there won't be more than 3 points in it. The last game of the season sees us at home to Coventry. West Ham, who even the WH wind ups agree are rubbish at home, are home to hull. Reading are away to Birmingham. If Birmingham and Hull are still in the hunt, those are two very tough games. So even if we are 3 points behind we should pip at least one of them. But then clearly you boys are "glass half empty" types. I believe we have done the tough bit - I can't imagine us booing the saints at a home game when it is as tight as this the way WH "supporters" did during the week (how pathetic was that?) - so we have the best support, and frankly if Reading are still in the top two at the end of the season with the run of fixtures they have between now and then - good luck to them and they deserve it. With the way their supporters behave, WH deserve to be third.
i am that confident we will go up automatically that i have booked a holiday for while the play offs take place. Will be mighty pissed off if we dont make it though.
I fly back the night before the play off final,so could in theory go if we got there,but would be away when the tickets went on sale. May need to try and find a back up plan if that happens. But i am sure i will be able to relax in the sun knowing that we are already back in the premier league.
Confidence people! It's in our own hands. We play Reading 2 weeks before the season's out. Average 2 points a game and we'll be over the line. Worry about Reading all you like, but the pressure is on West Ham like never before this season now. Their players, their board and 'Big Sam' know promotion is a must for them. If we don't make it, it's not meant to be. Don't worry about the play-offs until it happens (if it does). As Nigel says, focus on the here and now. Cross that bridge if we get to it. Anyway, I'd be confident in the play-offs anyway, none of the sides are THAT good and we've more than matched all of them (Boro, Brighton, Cardiff , Birmingham).
Fran, I've a feeling that come the end of the season, you could visit Niagara, Victoria, Angel, The Reichenbach Falls or even the White Cliffs of Dover, and not be remotely tempted. And good as the views would be, I doubt if they could raise your spirits any higher.
I'm going to add my own thoughts to the proceedings. I don't go to every game but went to the Ipswich and Barnsley games recently, the contrast couldn't have been greater. Against Ipswich the Saints were always wary of Ipswich's considerable firepower. This nervousness led to them conceding a late goal. Against Barnsley, Saints always looked in command of themselves, knowing that Barnsley did not have the firepower to serioiusly threaten. How Saints do in the final ten matches is down to confidence on a match by match basis. As far as I am concerned SFC are the best team in the league. Saints have to believe they can win all their remaining away matches - a tall order but one that should be expected from a team with Premiership intentions.
