The one thing that has been the biggest factor in the success of Southampton Football Club in the past seven years has been that we have always looked forward and not dwelled on what might have been, but that seems not to be the case now !

Reading social media since the transfer closed, you would think that Saints are a club perennially fighting relegation and that we had a squad that ranked 20th in the Premier League.

All because some people did not like the fact that we showed a profit in the transfer window, rather than spending every penny we had in signing players, indeed any players as long as we spent it seemed.

Ove the past few years Southampton FC has been considered a progressive club, one that always marches forward and always looks to the future always believing it is about what we do next that matters, not what we have just done.

Those that run the club be they the Liebherr's, those charged with the day to day running of the club or the coaching staff and players have not always got it right, but they have always learn't from mistakes and marched on.

Now though it seems some of our supporters cannot do that, I just hope that Katharina Liebherr does not read much of the Saints related social media, if she does then she will probably be thinking right now that Southampton supporters are a pretty ungrateful bunch.

What Katharina Liebherr has done for this club over the 2 1/2 years or so since she was forced to wrest back control from Nicola Cortese is nothing short of a miracle and those achievements should mean that she and her team should be given the uniquivocal backing of the supporters.

She has the right to ask Saints supporters to trust her, they perhaps won't agree with some things and she will get things wrong, but what we have achieved in such a short period of time means the supporters should trust her.

So Katharina Liebherr deserves credit for what she has done and does not deserve some of the accusations thrown at her about pocketing the transfer profits, supporters should consider the fact that even if she did do that, then it would only be a fraction of what she and her family have invested in this club and if she left tomorrow it would be in a far far better state than it has ever been in it's entire history.

But too many are spitting feathers because we have shown a profit in the transfer window, they are incensed that we did not spend every penny whether we needed to or not.

Of course we could have spent more, I myself am amazed we did not bring in a central defender, but I am not claiming the downfall of the whole club on the back of it.

Likewise the appointment of Claude Puel, already people are on his back, they make no account for the fact that he has taken over in a close season that was badly disrupted by a very late European Championship schedule, they make no account for the fact that he has made no worse a start than any of his predecessors in the past two decades, a sizeable minority of our supporters have already decided he is clueless.

Perhaps he might turn out to be so, but if we applied the same criteria to everyone of his predecessors since Markus saved the club in 2009, then none of them would have survived past their first three games and therefore the club would not have kept moving forward.

Running a football club is not just about spending every penny you have in the transfer market, it is about having a strategy both on and off the field, both short and long term and it is about keeping faith with that strategy even at moments when things are not going well.

If football was just about throwing money about in the transfer window then we would not have finished above Liverpool last season.

The problem in the transfer market is we are not playing on a level playing field, a big example of this is the difference between what Saints earn for just their shirt sponsorship deal and Manchester United's income from that source.

Saints deal with Virgin is the 7th largest in the Premier League in monetary terms, but it is still £70 million less than United's, in transfer money terms they can afford to buy three Morgan Schneiderlin's each summer and if they fail discard them and buy another three the following year.

That is what we are up against and that is before their other commercial income kicks in which again dwarfs us, this is pretty much the case for the five other clubs who make up the big six and why we cannot hold players when they come a calling, we can delay it as we did with both Schneiderlin and Wanyama, but ultimately they are being offered wages far in excess of what we can and that is what will count.

The point here is that to even pay our players anywhere near these levels we cannot do that on commercial income alone, we have to generate other money's in and unfortunately the easy way of doing that is in the transfer market and the excess from this summers ins & outs will have gone towards the wage increases needed to sign our current squad to long term contracts.

Some reading this say this lacks ambition, that we are only signing players on to these long term deals to keep their transfer values high, the answer to that is yes and rightly so, we cannot compete on the same levels as the big six, so we have to do it on our terms.

That means continually moving forward, that means that yes player or two will leave in transfer windows, but it also means that we can still compete, our strategy is better than literally everyone else's in the Premier League, definitely the clubs below us who rely on blowing the transfer budget every summer just to tread water.

So those Saints supporters who are not happy with the way the club is at the moment need to realise that sometimes we have to take what looks at the time like a step back, that at some stage we are going to not be able to better our league position each and every year as we have done for the last 7 seasons.

But that doesn't mean that it is doom and gloom, we are still one of the most envied clubs in the Premier League for our strategy, we are still moving forward and making the club stronger off the pitch each and every year.

So what is needed now is unity, we need to learn from history that managers take time to impose themselves at St Mary's, supporters can make or break a club's season, if Sants fans get behind Claude Puel and his team then we can have a great year, but if they get on his back then it could drag the club down.

Personally I want to see Claude Puel succeed as that means success for Saints, sadly there are more than a few out there who have got it wrong two seasons running that they would prefer to be proved right this year rather than see Saints move forward.

Photo: Action Images

mattlegod added 10:53 - Sep 5 Very well put, I couldn't agree more.
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highfield49 added 11:01 - Sep 5 Agreed.
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arfurdent added 11:12 - Sep 5 agreed, we have over performed in recent seasons so a correction is not a disaster. The current club management have done well so lets give them time
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helpineedsomebody added 11:19 - Sep 5 good morning nick for me i would rather wait until we reach 10 games before i make further comment on this matter. it seems as though you have allreidy made a jugement/your opinion
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darthvader added 11:37 - Sep 5 Everyone is peed off and disappointed when we lose . But although we have only 2 points we are not getting out played , the chances are there and it will click . Someone will get a good thrashing from us soon and that's when the confidence will flow . Keep the faith coyr
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IWOZTHERE added 11:56 - Sep 5 Well put except that I object to your insulting and trite last paragragraph. This is a 'rabble-rousing' quote used by various deluded 'clappers' on the DE site when a 'debate' isn't going their way. My glass isn't quite 'half full' so I'm hanging fire for a while as above, but would have thought that as 'master of ceremonies' you should be beyond these cheap shots?
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redwight added 12:00 - Sep 5 Agree 100%. The point about three Morgan Schneiderlins is particularly well made.
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SonicBoom added 12:07 - Sep 5 Yes I think we all need to take a breath now the window is shut and let things settle down. Puel deserves our support and needs to be given a while to get things as he wants them. You do skip over the fact that one of the reasons that people are nervous is that Puel seems to lack charisma. OK I know that its results that count not media interviews and funny one liners, but its important. Koeman had his reputation to buy him time. The fans see these interviews and Puel is not inspiring. We assume this is how he comes across to the players so it makes fans nervous. Of course, some good results will make everything ok. Oh and you said fans are spitting feathers. Er, surely that means they are thirsty - not angry....

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steve73 added 12:41 - Sep 5 The tone of these articles gets more condescending with each one. I agree with most of the points made but the disdain comes through in every word. Why talk down to people?
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aceofthebase added 13:26 - Sep 5 Too much harping on about the past in this article! Fans will always be critical, in good times and bad times, it's really what being a fan is all about. It's certainly not just about cheering regardless and abandoning the team if thinge go wrong. Good manners by all is a must and listening to other views without insulting replies should be a pre requisite. I think we have the basis of a moderate team and am grateful for all involved that continue to strive for our success however....

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SanMarco added 14:20 - Sep 5 This article has a panicky feel to it. My feeling is that even the optimists and true servants of the ownership are a wee bit worried - otherwise why such an article? Most supporters are either very or slightly concerned. They should not be insulted for those feelings. All true supporters want the same thing and to suggest that those who are feeling negative/pessimistic don't want the club to do well is well, insulting. As for looking forward - we may have 23 pts after 10 games or we have 2, almost certainly somewhere in between. I look back at three matches that HAVE happened and I am slightly concerned. Sorry but I am.

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stewblack added 14:56 - Sep 5 Hi I'm reading up some Southampton blogs to get a feel for how your support views its club, before writing up a piece in anticipation of our meeting against you at the Emirates on Saturday. Just wanted to say what an excellently written blog this is and how much I agree with what you say. I wonder if I might quote from it in my blog at the weekend? I write for Positively Arsenal by the way.

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dirk_doone added 16:17 - Sep 5 "Time To Look Forward And Not Back ! Over the past few years Southampton FC has been considered a progressive club. What Katharina Liebherr has done for this club over the 2 1/2 years or so since she was forced to wrest back control from Nicola Cortese is nothing short of a miracle. So Katharina Liebherr deserves credit for what she has done." Make your mind up. Are you looking forward or back? If we're looking forwards, then let's focus on where we are now, where we're going to be later this season and the club's plans to get bigger and better, and especially on plans for stadium development for future growth. We don't want to dewll on the past and just stagnate.

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helpineedsomebody added 16:30 - Sep 5 where are we GOING
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Bettwsresident added 18:23 - Sep 5 Here here, As a man who started supporting saints in 86, and really got into the team when at Uni in Southampton in the early 90's, support the club through thick and thin. The years we escaped relegation on the last day were epic, the year we finished 8th with Strachan and Beattie..incredible. The last 5 years and continued growth have convinced everyone that we have to keep rising, we might, we might not, but let's just all support Saints and enjoy the ride..all the better for Pompey playing the likes of Stevenage, Accrington and Grimsby (no offence meant to those three!), and sound financial management which means we won't!

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richsaints added 18:56 - Sep 5 Totally agree ,I think we have had six years of relative success and steady progression and once u get to the top six the next step is massive for a club like ours ignore Leicester that was a freak unlikely to be repeated unfortunately at least right now Saints hit the ceiling and the current manager and squad may not be able to reach the same heights and a mid table finish might be the best they can manage but we will see.

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stokeysaint10 added 19:14 - Sep 5 Exactly the point I was going to make Dirk Doone, we're being told to look forward not back, based on an argument which relies on the club directors' past performance. Notwithstanding this confused logic, the rest of the argument is based on not wanting to go into administration again (again looking to the past) and so arguing against spending more money in the window. This ignores the fact that the goalposts in this particular game have moved. The new TV deal means that every club in the premier league has 70% or so more money to spend than under the last deal, however we are still making a net profit (and the highest one in the league to boot). Other clubs seem to have grasped this, we have not. No one wants to see the club spending money for spending's sake, but the fact remains that the squad is light. It would also be refreshing to see some actual figures to back up the arguments in this forum rather than just trying to shoot down what the author sees as dissenting views by bringing up the (now unrealistic) threat of administration. Everyone wants the best for this club, and not agreeing with the course of action of the owners is bound to happen every season no matter what happens in the close season. Arguing over the points is part of what makes football so great and popular amongst the fans, so why the need to try and gag those with a different opinion?

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Ali_Diarea added 19:17 - Sep 5 Nick you're such a hypocrite. After we signed Boufal you were calling on the club to sign at least two more players now you're saying we should be happy with the squad we've got, make your mind up. I don't think we should spend money for the sake of it but when there are glaringly obvious holes in the squad it's frustrating that they aren't plugged; we can't use money as an excuse, unlike the days when we were at the Dell. You shouldn't mistake the concern of some supporters, me included, for greed. As season-ticket paying supporters we have every right to air our opinions because we are concerned about our club and if we don't do it who will??

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Bettwsresident added 06:57 - Sep 6 stokeysaint10, you want numbers? "The new TV deal means that every club in the premier league has 70% or so more money to spend than under the last deal, however we are still making a net profit (and the highest one in the league to boot)" Last year: Liverpool made 60m profit Newcastle 36m Burnely 35m Leicester 26m Arsenal 25m Saints 15m But it the turnover that is the killer. It isn't a glass ceiling its a financial one. Turnover last year Man U 365m Man C 352m Arsenal 345m Chelsea 319m Liverpool 298m then a big drop to Tottenham 196m then another drop to the rest..all in the 80-120m range, income dominated by TV money Newcastle 129m Everton 126m West ham 121m Saints 114m Leicester 104m ..... Based on resources we should finish 10th, anything above 8th is punching well above our finances and in football money really does talk.

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stokeysaint10 added 09:20 - Sep 6 @Bettwsresident - Thanks. I have a different set of numbers, relating purely to the 2016 summer window, showing Saints coming out with the highest net profit (£20.2m). I should have been more specific. Your argument if I'm right runs along the lines of each spending according to their turnover and you'd expect the league to end up roughly in that order. I'm saying that we've got ourselves ahead of the game through fantastic scouting and strategy over the last few seasons, but now we're in danger of letting it slide. We've spent as though we've got the lowest turnover in the league, rather than the 9th highest (Newcastle having been relegated). Again, spending on its' own doesn't guarantee success, but we've a proven track record of bringing in the right players and with the extra TV money this season, the cash to do it with.

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LeTissIwish added 10:15 - Sep 6 Nail, Head, Hit! The fastest way to get bad results and drag the whole entity down is to bemoan and belittle. Get behind your Saints and the Board who have both done us so well and you'll see what belief can do. I've followed Saints for 42 years and I have never seen them better or in a better position. COYS.
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helpineedsomebody added 12:08 - Sep 6 & what position is that then millions of pounds for uneducated people
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SaintBrock added 13:22 - Sep 6 Virgin Media are owned by Liberty Media the US conglomerate who are rumoured to be purchasing Formula 1 from CVC Partners and own at least one US sports team franchise. Both our main sponsors are American so Ralph is clearly active over there. Is he looking for a buyer as well? Just asking.
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dirk_doone added 13:38 - Sep 6 If we're not looking back, then the current postion is 16th but that might change after the Arsenal game and yes, I have seen us in better positions before. Bascially, the article is t another silly bit of propaganda whose main message seems to be to tell us how grateful we should be to Katharina Liebherr for what she did in the past, so we should cut her some slack for what she's doing now and in the future: the exact opposite of the headline, in fact.

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BoondockSaint added 19:23 - Sep 6 I think you are revising history here a little, Nick. "Katharina and her family" saved us (for which we are eternally grateful). But lets set the record straight-it was her Dad who was not looking to get into football, but was talked into it by Cortese who wanted a football team, but wanted someone else to pay for it. It was a great business deal, team, stadium, for practically (in football terms) nothing. Katharina now finds herself owning a football team-which is not the usual line of business for her family. So maybe-and this is no slight to her personally-she is just not that into it and sees it as just another cog in her corporation, as long as it is not losing money, and making a bit of a profit, it should just keep doing the same thing. The frustration of fans is that it appears that she and the board don't really care. They never make a statement, never engage with fans before games, and never, ever, slap a player, agent or other owner in the press. Yikes! I am almost missing Cortese because when other teams tried treating Saints as lap dogs, he would come out with some statement to put them back on their heels. Look, I don't miss him, but at least when he was around, Nick was a bit more critical!

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