I'd rather win the cup and go down out of the two choices. The away trip to Wigan will be a great memory in itself. That's providing we don't cock it up like Sheff Utd away in the cup a few years ago. A lot of my friends are looking ahead to the semi final but Wigan will be a really tough game in my opinion so we can't count our chickens just yet! Our best ever league finish was 6th. We finished above both Chelsea and Liverpool I think. We are unlikely to do this again without serious investment or without the failure of other teams, but how many of us really look back and think - oh god what a great memory that is?! To put it simply, the best we've EVER done in the Premier League comes nowhere near my favourite Saints memories. So yeah, a cup win all day for me. I can though see why people may worry about relegation costing us a fortune. Usually I wouldn't with the parachute payments and our current financial standing, but with the new owner it does all seem a little murky about both his intentions and his financial clout. Although I'd rather stay up, an exciting promotion push, great away days with larger allocations, European home games, midweek away trips abroad AND the memory of an FA Cup win don't sound so bad.
People say that the FA Cup is devalued, but that is only by the elite clubs and their fans. Every other club in the land and their fans dream of going to Wembley and winning the famous old trophy.
Agree,mate. Just wondering how many layers I am going to need for a journey to Burnley. Looking forward to it, but my barometer for this thread is how I will feel come 5.00. Defeat and I will find that my wife will have decided to spend the rest of the weekend with grandchildren rather than spend it with me being totally bloody miserable. I can't make Wigan but I don't think I'm going to be as pissed off if we lose that. I offer my generally phlegmatic response to defeat at Sheffield United as evidence, m'lud. I say that now. Come the day and toys will be exiting pram probably! As we have agreed, fluidity* is all. *AKA fickleness, every football fans birth right!
Etched on my heart,mate. Went to a charity fund raiser in Liverpool a few years back that was organised by Everton FC. They announced a "special guest" ... one of the 1984 Cup heroes. "Put your hands together for .." Guess who? I am still psychologically scarred.
FA Cup would be cool for day out and to actually win something seeing as we have been **** at that over the years and at the end of the day football is about winning stuff. We will never win the Premier League with football how it is and will definitely get relegated at some point. That being said I don't think many people care that much about the FA cup anymore, I can't even remember who won it last year so the "glory" of winning it would be pretty short lived with me where as being in the PL keeps us far more relevant in the grand scheme of things football wise, enables us to sign better players and (in theory any way) watch better football. There is also the Gao situation where I have no idea what his intentions would be if we were to go down. He paid £300m wasn't it for his stake in us? If we were to go down he could keep the £75m from VVD and sell off a large chunk of the squad relatively easily to get back a lot of the £300m. So there are benefits to both but I think overall at this point in time I'd rather stay up as I think it is more likely to guarantee our long term future until we know how Gao is going to run the club.
£210m I believe for a 80% stake........but I am shocked we haven't had a speech of intent or what to expect in the future.
I thought he had....not getting involved, just more of the same. I think for the moment he is hands off, but that was a decision probably based on us being in safe hands. Relegation might change all of that, because I think we'd all pay attention if our massive investment starting sliding.
If you don’t think many people care about the FA Cup anymore, then you don’t read this forum properly. Lots of people care and love it. We’re still harping on about 1976 Let’s win it and then have this conversation again in 20 years time.
A'right. This is serious now. We are in with a shout of an FA cup final and we need points desperately to stay in the league. If I could pick one Chelsea game to win would I go League or Cup? Points in the league could secure survival. A win in the semi def means FA Cup finals. Has to be FA cup for me.
“Of course we are frustrated,” mumbled Claude Puel, a former Southampton manager. The Guardian report on Leicester versus Chelsea.
Despite a few weeks ago me choosing FA Cup win over survival, his last week has me thinking about that now. I have decided that I am treating the Semi-Final as our final. We have a day out at Wembley and that is fantastic. We are the minnows out of the quarter of semi-finalists, so it’s a free hit for me and I’m going to (hopefully) go to with a spring in my step and a carefree approach.
That's consistent NZ. You have said elsewhere that you don't see relegation as a disaster. I'm a cake and eat it person. I want us to beat Chelsea twice. 3 points and the Cup. Of course, I also want: West Ham players to take strike action on March 31 and so concede the match; Man City to turn up on the last day with their under 8's; Final proof of the existence of Father Christmas.
