I hope you manage to stay up and keep some of that home grown talent, you've had some good players come through in the last few years and I assume now your EPL you won't let them go so easily.
At last, a good post (to be fair your earlier one was too). This time last year we were a complete shambles, and we suffered for it by playing catch up with panic buys and only hitting any kind of form at home in the last few games. You have to be in better shape than we were, it's lack of experience at this level you need to watch out for. But Norwich and Swansea have shown it needn't be a white knuckle ride. Many of us are feeling a bit cocky because everything is so much better this year. But we'll see when the action starts.
True. Its hard to know where people will finish, particularly with the Window just open. I threw down my 1-20 on paper the other night to see what I'd come up with and I had the Saints finishing 15th. I had us in 13th with Reading, W Brom and Swans for the drop. I just think that with the Manager Southampton have and presumably a good pre-season with some wise investment, they'll be fine.
Evening Swords, good to see you back. I thought we gave the saint's a good press earlier in the thread, then they started coming all over Norwich like on us. I'm looking forward to going to the 'New Dell.' Two good old fashioned sides going for it.
I do hope they're not like the Norwich fans. Yes, Saints/R's clashes have always tended to be entertaining. Remember poor aul Ray Jones (RIP) nicking the ball off Kelvin Davis in the corner and sliding it home from an impossible angle. I look forward to a good natured rivalry being resumed this season.
I do apologise for the contributions of some of my fellow fans on here. Obviously the only reason they've come over is because of the stupid thread which one of your lot started on our board (why do people feel the need to start threads like that?), but actually a good handful of you on this thread were being quite complimentary about us - until you got invaded. Embarassing reading some of the comments (e.g. "no offence, but players are likely to choose us over you" or words to that affect).
I think any of you that pop down for your game will find we enjoy plenty of banter and a good chat before the game and after to discuss such things as the diabolical refereeing decisions and how good the game was etc etc. I will be surprised if you struggle as much this season and hope we don't as well. We like to play football but can sometimes play too slowly or be out muscled. As benditlikelallana says some of us are concerned that we may have won promotion a bit early but having got here we hope to stay. There has been a few clubs recently that have begun well when promoted so the precedent is there.
As for Buttner, it is always a gamble when bringing in foreign players. We have De Ridder who was brought in last season and hopefully if we do get Buttner he will prove not to be as bad.
Don't worry about that. Norwich had 2 promotions in a row and finished mid-table so as long as you keep progressing every Summer knowing you're stepping up a level, that on its own shouldn't be a problem. I know the likes of Derby, Watford and Sunderland in recent years came up and got slaughtered but looking at Southampton, I don't see any evidence to suggest that will happen to you.
The "new dell" is crap, everything thats wrong with modern stadiums. The only good thing is we have taken 7 points out of 9 there.
I started this thread what exactly is stupid about stating that your team look like they have beaten us to one of our transfer targets and as I live in Holland I found the information on the local press that is not always easy to obtain in the UK? Thats why people start threads like this because it is of interest to a transfer target or is that not allowed on your board?
I agree with this. I liked the Dell. Great character, close to the pitch like Loftus Road. But like QPR at Loftus Road, Southampton had to move. Personally, I find St Mary's a rather soulless ground, impressive in size but all seats miles from the pitch. Binoculars are a good idea. You can liken experiences at a ground to the theatre. If you're lucky you can get seats at the front of the stalls, and feel really involved with the players, seeing their expressions, sensing their emotions - or you get a ticket up in the Gods and watch matchsticks move around the stage. I liked Villa Park when I went for the first time last season. TF could do worse that look at that.
The Dell was like an even more run down Loftus Road but it was better than SMS. Id ask Tony to look at it and tell him thats exactly what we dont want. i hope the rumours of a double tier close to the pitch are true.
Yep, I'm not having a go at the Saints fans, and I look forward to seeing their team in the Prem. But I think Flyer's idea of telling TF that SMS isn't what we want, is a good one. It would fly in the face of QPR's tradition of fans' intimacy with the players on the pitch (could probably have phrased that better!)
SSN has Chelsea offering the Saints £4m for a 17 year old left back, Shaw. Their youth set up is certainly impressive and provides a healthy income stream for them. Wonder if the selling policy will change now they are in the Prem - suppose that means offering big contracts to kids. Haven't looked into it, but the rules still seem to favour the richest clubs buying talent other clubs have developed.
