As Southampton take on the Red Devils of Manchester at St Mary's on Saturday, all Saints supporters need to be behind the team for the full 90 minutes and for that matter injury time. These are tough times but the fans need to stick with the team.

The Nottingham Forest game at home was disappointing, not just for the 1-0 defeat and the manner of it, but for the fact that as we entered injury time, the home sections of the ground were approaching being half empty as supporters streamed for the exit.

I could understand that happening at Brentford when Yuri Sugawara's late goal was witnessed by less Saints fans than were standing on the platform at the nearby station, after all we were already 3-0 down at that stage, but not at a home game where there is only one goal in it and as we showed last season and indeed even at Brentford, we are a side that goes right to the final whistle.

The day against Forest started with plenty of fanfare about the new standing areas in the Northam end and the players were greeted by a massive flag and for 10 minutes or so the support was tremendous.

That was always going to be hard to keep up for 90 minutes and this was not the fault of the fans, just that the 6,000 Saints fans seemed to be spread into small pockets across the stand itself.

That meant that at times you had three different groups singing at different times instead of the whole end together, it showed that you can create a home end, but it needs the people in it to get organised.

This is not a dig at the fans here, before some of you get on to me about how everyone has a choice about how they want to support the club, it is about logistics, there were some who embraced what is in fact a culture we have not had for 23 years now, ie a home end with all of it dedicated to the home fans, but there are others who are not so enthusiastic and thought it was a good idea, but in truth don't really want to be stood up for 90 minutes and singing their heads off.

Apparently the atmosphere in the Northam fanzone was electric before kick off, but less so during the game.

I appreciate that we have a culture at the moment where the team have to give something before the fans get going, but that has to change, Crystal Palace did it and so did our neighbours Portsmouth who never stop telling all and sundry about how great they are when their team are awful.

Changing the culture is going to take time, but to do so it needs a different mindset and the first thing is to keep behind the team for 90 minutes, I am not naïve, I can fully understand fans leaving when the team is 3-0 down, I can fully understand them streaming for the exits with the team 2-0 down as we go deep into injury time, but call me old fashioned, it doesn't matter how bad the team is playing, if they are only a goal down, there is always a chance of snatching a goal, no matter how unlikely it might have seemed for the last 90 minutes.

Against Forest just as the team needed the crowd to try and lift them, they had the backdrop of people heading for the exits in droves, how demoralising must that have been, don't give me the old saying that they are well paid professionals and should be able to perform at the top level week in week out, if that was the case then football would be a very boring and for that matter predictable game.

We changed the culture at the end of last season for the play offs and the trip to Wembley, so it can be done.

Crowds even in this day and age can still change games and as I have said, every supporter has the right to support the team how they want, but having created the red & white wall, the club can only do so much, it needs the supporters to engage.

As supporters of a football club, we don't go to be entertained or get value for money, we go there to see our side pick up a point or 3, whatever time the goals are scored, with rising prices and people quick to complain about the cost of a ticket, we might as well at least see the full game.

I understand the concerns that supporter have at the moment about so called Tippy Tappy football and team selections, I share them as much as the next Saints supporter, but none of us can change that, all we can do is try and change the result of the game, with our support.

I'm not in the Northam End, where I am everyone sits and rarely sing, so I support the team as best i can, by encouraging and not moaning, I do enough of that in the pub after the game and on message boards, I am no better than any other supporter or no worse.

I find myself having to write this sort of article at some point in every season, I do it not to slag anyone off or for that matter claim to be some sort of super fan, I do it because I care about Southampton Football Club and I want them to win games of football and I want to help not hinder.

If Saints are 3-0 down in the 90th minute on Saturday I might well be one of the fans streaming out of the ground, but if there is still a chance we can get something out of the game, I will be doing my best to stir up the team to a last gasp effort that snatches a point or even 3.

Photo: imago via reuters

DoctorSleep added 17:30 - Sep 12 At the last home game I was in too much shock as to the cost of a pint to do any singing!! As its an early kick-off I'll not bother drinking so will spend more time singing, although if the throat goes dry .... Looking forward to Saturday might be the first time I have ..... no not going to tempt fate.
0

Andylad63 added 17:07 - Sep 13 Although I have respect for your position and as far more knowledgeable people correctly point out "it only takes a second to score a goal". I simply ask when was the last time Saints scored a last minute or injury time goal to draw a game or better still get 2 to "grab victory from the jaws of defeat" in the Premier league era against the slimy 6?
0

Blogs 31 bloggers

Macclesfield Town Polls