Excellent season, not particularly for the finishing position, though that is wonderful but as much for the fact that every time I go to St Mary's I'm lucky enough to know that I'm going to watch a talented team play attractive football. We might not always get the results we've hoped for but oh the way we play! Vin
It's been a successful season. However, we can do so much better, we should have done so much better. The league has been so wide open this season and with a bit more work in the final third we really could've punished teams severely. Unfortunately, we haven't done that enough which is why we've dropped points to teams we shouldn't, points from winning positions etc. Pretty football and lots of possession will not win football matches.
Never been lower than 9th, has to be a success. We will not get into the top 4, we simply won't. We might get into the Europa league, but we really don't want to, it's crap & would likely ruin our small squad (and I don't think we are yet ready to have a bigger squad full of more mercanary players who barely play and all that comes with it). Yes, we should have won more games. Think we've only been totally outplayed in 3 or 4. Other defeats were more down to our mistakes. For all that, have I "enjoyed" this season? I guess so, but it's not a resounding "YES!!". It's not just about results on the pitch that determines my mood with the club.
Silly ol' me. Here I was thinking it was our second best league position for 25 years!! EDIT: Well, joint best actually, not considering points total - you know what I meant
It doesn't necessarily hold that a season is a failure if the final league position is worse than the previous year, though I don't hold with the idea that a team can allow themselves to be relegated or flirt with relegation provided they win a trophy. To an ambitious club like this one we need to establish ourselves alongside Everton and Spurs as the 5th position team, and hopefully over achieve into top 4. It's similar to what Liverpool have done this season. They went for top 4 and are overshooting into possibly winning the league. We know that long-term, Saints are even thinking about that. To the average Saints supporter, brought up on mediocrity, this seems like pie in the sky, but why not..?. Why not dream..? Of course, it doesn't happen to clubs like us, and if you believe that, then you be absolutely correct - it won't. Thankfully, SFC don't subscribe to that attitude.
This'd be correct a few months ago. The new lot are talking a good game so far, but I'm certainly no longer as hopeful about our future as I was under Cortese. A good summer will win me over, but so far there's nothing to go on.
I agree Dan. I thought I've made it clear in previous posts that I'm not convinced by the present setup, but I understand that people don't hang about waiting for me to write my views. Basically, with a caveat that I hope this present setup continues Cortese's good work, and shows proof this summer of their intentions, then I'm very hopeful of my previous post. As you say, they talk a good game. If they walk as well as they talk, then the bright future will continue.
One thing I believe I have noticed [and anyone can shoot me down if I've misinterpreted] of Katherine Liebherr is that at the beginning of her inheritance I felt that she was owning the club purely to keep to her father's wish. When she began to question Cortese's handling, I felt then that she was wanting to offload the club, or run it differently, possibly as an also-ran club. Cortese, of course, would have totally rejected that. Since then I feel she is gradually being infected by the club. Little by little, I think she wants better. It may be that Cortese's vision, The Southampton Way, will continue.
You have to strike whilst the iron is hot. Club ambition has been ahead of player ambition, but when that line crosses a club can hit choppy waters. Strengthen this summer and hopefully we will have enough about us to withstand injuries and the busy xmas period
How do you rate what is a success for Saints? Would it be their current league position. How they are seen by other clubs? The more games won or drawn? The fact in 90% of games we have had more possession. For me it is the fact they can give anyone of the British teams a game and there is no game which can be considered a banker for any of the top 6 teams. So for me it has been a positive season. It has shown up our weaknesses and I just hope there is some money in the kitty to address some of them. Definitely a success over all........
Wonder if we would have had more, or less points at this stage of the season had Cortese still been at the helm?
This is my worry next season; people will expect progression to mean a number higher up the table than 8th.
Yes I did. I put a bet on to finish top half in our first season too. Normally, I am a very pessimistic person so this would have been an amazing season. But somehow I have fallen into believing that the sky's the limit. So, for example, the sat about us having more possession in nearly every game ought to thrill me, which it does actually, but it also adds to the frustration that we should have won more games.
TSS, I think we all hope for overshooting the dream. What happens though if we don't overshoot the dream or even reach it? Does that become failure? I don't think so, but a lot of fans will be moaning next season if we are not higher than 8th.
TSS, for the benefit of the stupid ones (ie me ) can you explain what you mean by, "continues Cortese's good work, and shows proof this summer of their intentions?" I'm genuinely not sure where you are going with that. Is it about not selling the soul of the squad, or about investing heavily in new players?
