Time For Saints Supporters To Put Grievances To One Side And Unite Behind The Team Wednesday, 11th Jan 2017 10:53 Saints supporters have been up in arms in recent weeks since the exit from the Europa League, but tonight is the biggest game in nearly 14 years in terms of actually winning a major trophy, time to get behind the team. In some respects I worry about modern football, the modern football fan seems to demand instant success and if that success takes a dip even temporarily then the knives are out. Thats not just the case at Saints but at all the top six clubs, even winning both the Champions League and Premier League was not good enough to keep Roberto De Matteo his job at Chelsea in 2012 and Louis Van Gaal taking United to 5th place and with the FA Cup their first trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson left was not enough progress to keep his job. Likewise at Saints this season, despite still being in the top ten and in no owrse position than a year ago but with the first semi final for 14 years to look forward to, it still isnt enough to suggest to a large mnority of Saints supporters that Claude Puel is the man for the job at St Mary's After only a short period of time they have decided that the Frenchman is not up to it. Whilst I can understand why they would feel that way, it should be noted that the season is a long way from being over and we sit in a position where Puel can recover from his mistakes and take the team forward, the season sita at a crossroads, it could still be our greatest in 41 years, or it could peter out. So Saints fans have to ask themselves what do they really want for the rest of the season, would they like to see a Wembley appearance and perhaps a trophy or would they rather just be able to say "I told you so" at the end of this month. As I say I can understand the frustration, I share it myself, however I want to see us succeed and that being the case it needs the fans to play their part. We cannot change the past, we cannot turn back time and put out a strong team in Prague or draw with Be'er Sheva at home to stay in the Europa League, but we can create an atmosphere this evening and indeed going forward that could push the team a little nearer Wembley. It needs every Saints fan inside St Mary's to forget their grievances and get behind the side and help it get over the line, Back in the Dell Days in the 1990's we often had seasons that you could really moan about, but we stayed up because come the crucial moments the supporters got behind the team and did not get on it's or the managers back, eve though they probably had every right to do so. We have to create that siege mentality this evening, we have our backs to the wall, but we still have a good team who have the ability to win games of football against the best teams, we need them to better Liverpool over two games and then we can enjoy our first Wembley final in 38 years. It is not as if these chances come up very often, indeed in the last 30 years since we lost to Liverpool at the same stage in the same competition in 1987, this is only our second semi final, we have almost got to a few more but it always seems that adversity hits us a the wrong time and we fall with the finishing line in sight. An Everton fan said to me at Goodison Park last week when I told him that we hadn't sold out either the game at St Mary's or the trip to Anfield, something that surprised him that he guessed that a semi final every 15 years get a bit boring after a while ! A little bit of sarcasm from him, but he was genuinely surprised and I can't understand why some Saints supporters seem to prefer to miss a rare chance of glory rather than be a part of what could be history. I'm sorry but from this point of view I just don't get it, managers come and go, players come and go, the constant is the football club, we should always be behind it, I can understand why we have empty seats for the visit of West Brom recently, but not this game. So hopefully the moaners will stay at home tonight and everyone in that stadium even if they are not happy with the season so far, will get behind the team, we want to leave the stadium tonight whatever the result knowing that everyone be it the manager, the players and the supporters has done everything possible to help Southampton Football Club, we need to stay with the team whatever way it is going, games change in seconds, 1-0 down with 10 minutes left can be changed to 2-1 up if the crowd stay behind the team. Indeed Liverpool know from experience over the years that leading at Southampton with the game in the final quarter is no guarantee of a win as they found out last season. Even after a terrible run we are still 10th in the League, that shows that this team has potential even if it is not playing well. So lets make this a proud night for Southampton Football Club and whatever the result lets us make Liverpool fans walk out of the ground knowing they have been in a great atmosphere. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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