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It Was 46 Years Ago Today !
at 12:50:37

Congratulations on one of the most well-reasoned articles I've read about Saints and the current and past situations that I've read recently. You're right, the anger and inflated expectations are causing far too much friction between people who are supposed to be supporting the same team as each other. Your point about us finishing in the top eight for the past four seasons is crucial. Apart from the golden spell in the mid-80s (we nearly got the double in '84 - runners-up in the league and Cup semi-final), our experience in the top division has been the odd 7th or mad-cap relegation fights. The viciousness aimed at the manager and the board this season is, to my mind, out of all proportion. Yes, we're struggling for form and yes, we should have won on Saturday, and I was bitterly disappointed and frustrated but the anger I witnessed from some as we left the ground was beyond all reason.
I would pick you up on one point and that's the judgement of how good a supporter you are. I first went to the Dell in the 1967-68 season for the 0-0 draw against West Ham (Peters, Moore and Hurst still basking in World Cup glory) and the 1-1 FA Cup game against the giants of Newport County. Because we lived away from Southampton, throughout my childhood I had to rely on my Dad or big brother taking me to games so I didn't see more than a couple each season. I'm fortunate that for the past 10 years or so I've been able to get down more and now have a season ticket and get to most away games. But in those earlier years, I was just as passionate a supporter. It's impossible to judge who is the best supporter and I don't believe attendance is the prime qualification. It's, as you say elsewhere in your article, about a love for the club, whoever is running it or playing for it and whichever league we find ourselves in.
Incidentally, my Spurs supporting neighbour thinks I'm a bit nuts as I traipse off with my scarf every weekend. Hopefully after next weekend I'll have a brief period of bragging rights - although I might have to keep my head down.
Once again, thanks and congratulations for a great read. COYS

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Saints At Tottenham Hotspur Dan's Preview
at 13:10:04

If Kane has not scored by the 80th minute, you can guarantee that Ali will fling himself to the ground in the area to earn his mate a penalty. Having said that he's just as likely to dive in the 10th minute as in the 80th.

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Saints V Liverpool The Verdict
at 11:51:46

Agreed. We need to shoot for goodness sake - remember the FA Cup goals against Burnley? We also need to get a bit more street wise. Liverpool managed the game very well with just enough time-wasting to annoy us but not enough to earn a booking - although one card in the first half would have knocked it on the head. They also got the free kicks (and penalty) that we never get. I'd hate to see our players start cheating like Chelsea but we do need to get more from the refs who seem to find it easy to ignore the fouls against us but pick us up for every touch. Also Sturridge should have been booked for two outrageous dives yesterday. As for Lambert, he is a bit off the pace at the moment but the dummy for Rodriguez's shot and a couple of cross-field passes were superb. If Gerrard had made one of them in particular the MOTD pundits would have purred for hours but that aspect of his game is rarely mentioned. He's playing a different game now than even at the stat of this season. Just a bit behind JRod. Unfortunately it means we too often don't have someone for the poacher's goals.

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Saints V QPR The Verdict
at 19:03:50

We didn't play well yesterday and had no plan B when QPR piled in with the bullying tactics from the start. We can whinge that Boothroyd could have been sent off (if that tackle had been made with 20 minutes left, he would have been) and Clint Hill went unpunished for so much. But when push comes to shove, too many players got lost, or hid. Schneiderlin was great again and Rodriquez had the right idea to run at them. Lambert got stifled, Cork was okay. But I really felt that Puncheon had one of those days when he gets caught with the ball and can't make up his mind what to do and he slowed down our movement so often. Very frustrating but If we can play as we did against both Manchester clubs and the second half at Wigan, we should get a result at Norwich and let's hope Suarez gets injured in the next fortnight.

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Fox Should Be Fit For Arsenal
at 13:33:20

I agree with bstokesaint for the most part. However it's not just in the last couple of games that Fox has been iffy. In the latter part of last season he developed a habit of drifting in and leaving too much space for the right winger making it easy for opposition sides to attack down the right and get crosses in which in turn puts extra pressure on the central defenders. Look at the Man U game. How many times was Valencia on his own and receiving the ball in plenty of space and it was that which allowed him to cross for the first Man U goal.

Fox started really well last season but he developed bad habits which haven't been bashed out of his game.

I'm a bit worried that the only natural replacement is Shaw but if you're good enough, you're old enough. Look at Bale, Walcott and Ox in recent years.

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Saints Greatest Ever Player
at 13:24:58

To separate Channon, Le Tiss and Paine, you'd have to mark out of 1,000 and they'd be one point behind each other. On those lines it's Channon, Le Tiss and Paine. And Ron Davies would be about three points behind Paine. I loved Holmes for his service and efforts (Glenn Cockerill was similar but stayed too long) but he was a journeyman and for service you'd have to mention a host of others like Hughie Fisher, Lundekvam, John McGrath. Benali was a great servant but never a great player. Dodd was a heap better than him.

As far as defenders go Wayne Bridge was one of our best. He played a lot of games for us before going for fame and fortune at Chelski. Didn't he hold the record for consecutive appearances?

But Channon is top of the pile for his longevity of service, his flair as a player, his good humour on and off the pitch, his very good England record.

And to ThereIn76 I would say that but for injury earlier in the tournament Paine would have been in the 1966 final.

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