It is amazing just how much a couple of games without winning can turn normally sane football supporters into an irrational frothing at the mouth beast.

If you read some of the comments on social media sites and Saints message boards, you would assume that Saints were bottom of the table without a win to their name, rather than 12th and with a late winner against Villa they actually would have been 7th this morning.

So all this frothing at the mouth is in reality not about sub standard players, lack of quality or anything else, the fact that Saints were actually one solitary goal of being in the top 7 should tell Saints supporters something and that something is that if it is only one goal that was the difference between mid table and being 3 points behind Tottenham in 5th, then there is not a lot wrong that can't be put right with a win or two.

Ironically we ave been in ths position before, the very same people who are now frothing at the mouth and claiming that our current team is not a patch on last years are the same ones who this time last year when we hit a similar crisis where telling everyone how Sadio Mane was the worst signing since Ali Dia and that last years side wasn't a patch on the one before.

Go back a year earlier and those same people were telling anyone that cared to mention that Nathaniel Clyne wasn't all he was cracked up to be, a year before that and Jay Rodriguez was the biggest waste of money.

There is something about this time of year and Southampton Football Club and a sizable minority of its supporters, the team always seems to have a blip around early December and it sets off something in some of our fans.

Of course the majority are the silent majority, but the minority seem to be the ones howling the loudest the moment we drop a point or two.

What Saints are trying to do is build a foundation that won't collapse at the first crisis, the first part of that is making sure that Saints are a top ten club year in year out, we have had two consecutive seasons in the top eight, which is a good start, but we still need to keep building which is why if Saints were to finish ninth or even tenth this season, I would not see it as going backwards, but as cementing our progress.

When we have that foundation then we can start looking at taking the next step forward and that is trying to break into the top five and higher.

But we cant just do that overnight, three years ago our former Chairman talked of Champions League etc within a very short timescale, the problem was that there was no firm plan to achieve that, there were talks of a firm plan, but having a good training ground and a few good youngsters is not what gets you into the top four these days.

In truth what does get you into the top four is money and money alone and that has been the case for a decade or more with that monopoly rarely broken.

Tottenham are touted as having a good season, yet the reality is they only sit five points above us as i write, Liverpool were in crisis six weeks ago, yet they are only three points behind Spurs and would hve been level if it hadn't been for the defeat at Newcastle on Sunday.

So those who are shouting on social media about a lack of quality in the squad, need to cut the club some slack, some signings take a little more time to gel than others, sometimes things don't go to plan, but we have to take into account that, its a marathon not a sprint, after all this squad that is lacking so much depth and quality is the same one that a little over two weeks ago was unbeaten in over two months in the Premier League and was well placed to challenge for the top 5 and the Capital One Cup.

Of course it hasn't gone quite as we would have liked, but we should look at the margin of error, that solitary winning goal if it had come against Aston Vlla would have propelled us up the league.

So we need to keep calm and appreciate the things that have been going on under Katharina Liebherr, Ralph Krueger and indeed Ronald Koeman, all three of them must wonder what some of our supporters are like, the moment things don't go to plan and they are being screamed at, some seem unwilling to cut them some slack, to give them credit for what they have done in a relatively short period of time.

For what they have done they do deserve to be trusted, to be backed and to be appreciated, what they don't deserve is to be abused.

Photo: Action Images

aceofthebase added 12:23 - Dec 8 It is not in my nature to 'reject' a Saints player and I am not one who has criticized Mane, JR, Clyne VW Pelle or even Yosh. and whoever you want to bring up Nick but after enjoying the bad and good times I do not want us to slip back into the relegation zone. I have expressed my doubts about the signings of this season, Not VVD or Romeu but the lightweights who seem ineffective. We are playing with players who do not get involved and much as you attempt to boost them with false praise they have been found wanting. I want my side, and it is my side as well as yours, to play with enthusiasm spirit and skill. The wins will come but I can also accept the defeats if the correct team is playing and they are trying. RK is my hero as a manager but things have gone wrong. Homegrown talent is no longer used, weak players have been selected. Like life this is not a trial run, we need to field our strongest team and quickly get our poorer players trained or toughened up. Every match I'm cheering for Saints! However I hope that this venue is where people of all opinions can express their civilised views without being called names.

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SaintNick added 12:35 - Dec 8 Things have gone wrong in the past three league games, if we compare our side to the one of three seasons ago when we finished 14th it is now much stronger, so talk of relegation is not realistic. So who is lightweight and found wanting, these players were not lighweight and found wanting when we were unbeaten for two months. Homegrown talent is used when it is warranted, JWP has played nearly every game yet he is the one most call lightweight and inneffective. We have let ourself down in recent weeks with individual errors and lapses, we cut that out and we will be fine. so where do you see us as lighweight and who should be in those positions instead

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Bettwsresident added 12:43 - Dec 8 great post....agree with the academy point. Last years stadium banner "we don't buy them, we breed them" seems a long way away now.
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bstokesaint added 13:07 - Dec 8 Totally agree Nick. The moaners always tend to make the most noise. Talk of relegation too is senseless. If I supported my local team in the north east or Birmingham then I'd be concerned, because those teams are poor. We are a team with good players who have currently lost their focus. If we don't get it back soon I fear a mid table finish. Not a disaster, but more of a disappointment after recent years. This constant talk too of pushing our youngsters through is really annoying. I heard from a very good source at the club the other day that we simply don't have the quality academy players we've had in recent years. We were blessed with a glut of very good youngsters, much like Man U were when Beckham et all came through their youth system. Fair enough give Harry Reed some game time, and maybe Jason McC if he's successful at Wycombe, but we can't keep bemoaning something that just isn't there.

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pintsizedsaint added 13:33 - Dec 8 Great post Nick. I come to The Ugly Inside largely to avoid the abusive comments that is posted on the Daily Echo website forum. I'm no happy clapper - i'm concerned as much as anybody. However, i see it as temporary dip in form (one that we appear to experience around this time for a few years now). There have been some individual errors (including from RK) but these are fixable. The quality in the squad is clear. The thing that gets me the most is when those with an agenda come out to start slagging off the owner and the board. These people do not live in the real world. These people do not understand the financial reality of running a football club (particularly in the ultra competitive EPL). Some people either believe we are as big as Man Utd or still think we still live in an era when all footballers were loyal to clubs, played for 10 shillings a week and had a pint at half time.. And if i hear the comment "the club should have kept Clyne, Schneiderlin etc. but just wanted to profit" one more time i will scream! He had one year left on his contract! He was not going to re-sign! Schneiderlin went to Man Utd for what must have been a massive increase in wages and an instant chance to win trophies! Get a Grip! Rant over. I'm happy with how this club is progressing. I would love for SFC to be in the Champions League or buying stellar signings etc. but I am a realist. Like our Chairman says, these things have to be earned first.

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SaintNick added 13:42 - Dec 8 Spot on bstoke and pintsized
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harrydunn999 added 14:25 - Dec 8 I feel this seasons frustrations are one of "what could have been". We have been spoiled a little with back to back successful seasons for a number of years, so it is hard to accept something less. But also feel as long time saints fans we are allowed to move on from the "don't forget where we were 5 years ago brigade". We ended up where we did because of mismanagement at the highest level, but we also had to endure continual relegation battles and poor football in the 90's. It's important not to forget the past, but it's also important not to dwell there- if you stand still people pass you by. Relegation talk is overkill, but take a look at a spiralling Swansea- lauded and tipped for top 8- about to lose their manager and unable to win a game for love or money. Yes one goal against villa would see us sitting 7th, but that doesn't mean we should not be worried about an almost identical losing run as last season. I truely believe the club re-invested money wisely the season before, but this season concentrated on improving the depth of squad which they have- but you will struggle to find many fans who think this years first team is stronger without spider and clyne. As the midfield continues to struggle for balance,shape and consistency- I would suggest spider was worth every Penny of the 25 million to the team, and probably more !!

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BoondockSaint added 15:13 - Dec 8 Like pintsized this is the first (and for me, only) site I check every day for Saints news, and I don't like posters slagging the Liebherr family. We should be eternally grateful that they saved the club-and are not dodgy psychos like most Prem owners! However you can't call people moaners, bedwetters, etc if they are concerned over the Saints play of late."Unbeaten in two months" is another way of saying "There were a bunch of draws we should have won." The most frustrating thing is what looks like lack of effort. Most fans can accept a loss or a draw in a hard fought game but not when players make stupid mistakes over and over and still get playing time or just switch off as soon as the Saints go up 1-0 , and then really give up when the other team draws level or goes a goal ahead. Week after week we see other teams beat big teams not because they have more talent than Saints, but because they have a go and don't let up. No one at the club seems concerned, Koeman just shakes his head instead of sitting some players down and smashing a couple of stools in the locker room. Just because JWP plays every game doesn't mean Real is coming for him.I never, ever expect us to score when he is over the ball. I'd let Mane or maybe Tadic take the frees and corners because they are the only ones who can place a ball in the proper area. Hell you can't call Guzan "effective"(except against Saints) and he plays ever game for Villa! I am realistic to understand that money talks and players walk, but we don't seem to be aggressive enough in building new revenue streams. Whatever genius though that Baltimore was the place to start should be out on their ear.Why do we never hear about Saints set to swoop for a good player on a team lower in the standings? Shouldn't we be doing to others as big clubs do to us? Anyway, rant over, if you need me, I'll be at the laundry doing the sheets.

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IWOZTHERE added 16:25 - Dec 8 Who are these creatures 'frothing at the mouth?' Hint of journalistic licence? All clubs suffer this problem but ,as you say, it's a small minority.I just get the impression you are targetting moderate dissenters as well. Whether that's the case or not, I can't believe that you persist with your claim that we have a better squad than last year....potentially perhaps but currently? Clasie, Soares (who I rate), Juanmi, then you have Yoshida, JWP and an 'out of sorts' VW. So all is well? We're not in a bad position in the League but that's not representative because this season is all over the place. Some supporters HAVE expressed concern over the signings/backup players available from day one this season, and during our good run! It wasn't that vociferous early on because Ron had little choice after injuries and obviously when we were winning but it was still there and for good reason it now seems. As for club policy : The Crown Jewels were sold (under pressure I admit).We got away with cheap replacements once, but last summer we padded the squad for the Euronuisance with (again) quantity not quality and we're being found out. I suspect you've been supporting the club for nearly as long as me and are well entitled to your opinion, but so am I.

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saintmark1976 added 21:19 - Dec 8 IWOZTHERE, really well put opinion. Nick, lighten up a little.Your site is a good read because of the variety of views and opinions expressed not despite them.It truly would be for the worst if you turned it into the house magazine of Southampton Football Club.In this respect fans can buy a match day programme for the official view of the club should they so wish. After all it is the Ugly Inside and not Pravda. Long may it remain so.

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SaintBrock added 15:48 - Dec 9 Pots and Kettles Nick! You should at least credit us with remembering all the contrary views you have published on here over the last year or two. When it comes to faint hearted supporters you are up there with the best!
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aceofthebase added 19:18 - Dec 9 I do believe that several comments have been removed/censored. There were thirty comments yesterday. Shame!
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aceofthebase added 19:44 - Dec 9 Wish I could remove my last comment as I think I have made an error! Oooops!
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