Sorry to be so negative, but I think we are in for a long difficult season, it could be even worse than the last one.
I hope I am wrong, but.....

Ah the same old problems with the saints. I am a fan of baseball and the Yankees have monument park in the outfield with statues dedicated to players. We seem to have been putting our statues on the field for years, cant remember the last time i saw a saints team with movement in it? All realy started under Strachen and his long ball system the legacy of which is wingbacks that seem to have been nailed to the pitch. Hopefully if Jan is given time this situation might change by Christmas and we can start to pick up some form towards the end of the season. i think that by now the reality that we are not going to win promotion this year must be starting to sink in with some fans.

dangerousMike wrote:
Ah the same old problems with the saints. I am a fan of baseball and the Yankees have monument park in the outfield with statues dedicated to players. We seem to have been putting our statues on the field for years, cant remember the last time i saw a saints team with movement in it? All realy started under Strachen and his long ball system the legacy of which is wingbacks that seem to have been nailed to the pitch. Hopefully if Jan is given time this situation might change by Christmas and we can start to pick up some form towards the end of the season. i think that by now the reality that we are not going to win promotion this year must be starting to sink in with some fans.

You are giving the Saints a Bronx roar then Mike?
You should have more optimism. To come back from two down against the mighty Weymouth, and on their own pitch, surely shows that we face the season with a winning combination.

Artful Dodger wrote:

dangerousMike wrote: Ah the same old problems with the saints. I am a fan of baseball and the Yankees have monument park in the outfield with statues dedicated to players. We seem to have been putting our statues on the field for years, cant remember the last time i saw a saints team with movement in it? All realy started under Strachen and his long ball system the legacy of which is wingbacks that seem to have been nailed to the pitch. Hopefully if Jan is given time this situation might change by Christmas and we can start to pick up some form towards the end of the season. i think that by now the reality that we are not going to win promotion this year must be starting to sink in with some fans.

You are giving the Saints a Bronx roar then Mike? You should have more optimism. To come back from two down against the mighty Weymouth, and on their own pitch, surely shows that we face the season with a winning combination.

Yep we sure do only wish I could put my finger on what its a combination of... A lack of goals, a lack of defenders, and a walking heart attack for a goalkeeper maybe?

We still won though and at least Jan is being honest by saying we didn't do enough of this or enough of that and he can see there are problems. Hopefully he will get them sorted soon. I am reserving judgement until the season starts and hopefully the adrenaline of the big game will kick in!

Yeah come on lads! 3-2 how do you feel now Weighmouth? Look out Chelsea here we come. Going to do a league cup double next season I can feel it in me bones. No doubt JP is the best manager we've had at the club since Ted Bates. All our youngsters look like brilliant prospects and the way we play football now is remeniscent of Barcelona on a good day!
COYR!

I think the Echo and some of you have missed the point! It was the reserves v weymouth last night! Keep positive you pessimists!

Sally Hamilton wrote:
I think the Echo and some of you have missed the point! It was the reserves v weymouth last night! Keep positive you pessimists!

Where are all the other players then, if that was the reserves I mean. Lets face it now, we are doomed. I already have my Jan out banner printed up ready for the first sign of something going wrong. Wish we had a team like last season one that can play the football of the league we are in.

Dr No wrote:

Sally Hamilton wrote: I think the Echo and some of you have missed the point! It was the reserves v weymouth last night! Keep positive you pessimists!

Where are all the other players then, if that was the reserves I mean. Lets face it now, we are doomed. I already have my Jan out banner printed up ready for the first sign of something going wrong. Wish we had a team like last season one that can play the football of the league we are in.

Dr No, if you have followed recent matches you will have seen that a first XI played on Tuesday and Friday night and an Academy side on Saturday. That is where all the other players have gone. Then this Saturday coming, a Saints XI will take on Cheltenham and Hereford on the following Tuesday. Finally, on the Friday evening, what is expected to be a first XI will take on West Ham and Stoke City the following week, 4 days before we start the season.
I have been to most of the friendlies as well as the testimonial and can say that we have a good nucleus of talented young players, as well as some experienced steady-hands.
Our first XI will consist of a mixture of both and our pace on the wings and through the middle will be difficult for the big CCC teams to cope with.
Go to a game and watch Holmes, White and Schniedlerlan in the warm ups and you will see that the pint glass is in fact half-full !
Don't right off the youngsters yet. If you had seen the tackle the young right back made on Celtic 10 minutes in; it was similar to Bobby Moore's on Pele and took a lot of guts to do.
Get behind your team !!

Sally Hamilton wrote:
I think the Echo and some of you have missed the point! It was the reserves v weymouth last night! Keep positive you pessimists!

You took the words right out my mouth! We had 2 posible first teamers playing last night!

Can anyone explain why we don't give Skacel the opportunity to play in his favoured position at left wing (where he scored all those goals for Hearts) which was what justified his transfer fee in the first place. A complete waste of his potential surely - what am I missing here!

Every time a fan writes on this website making a less than positive comment about the saint's management he/she gets told to clear of and support someone else. Well I hope they don't for two reasons firstly I believe in free speech and if you pay your money you have every right to say exactly what you think of the club/game. Secondly if all the doubters do clear off then poor old Keep the Faith and the other four Lowe luvvies who contribute to this site will find they are the only ones sitting at St Mary's along with Lowe on match days. It will be a really lonely place.

Sally Hamilton wrote:
I think the Echo and some of you have missed the point! It was the reserves v weymouth last night! Keep positive you pessimists!

With so few friendlies left maybe it's time JP started every match with his "preferred 11" so they can work on the system and their understanding of how it works, plus their own fitness.
Wotte has already said it will take months to get the system reight, so the sooner they work on it, as a unit, the better.

As a separate point the last two 11's put out by JP have both conceded 2 early goals.
If we are to rely on them in the CCC, this is one habit they need to purge themselves of, as it will be harder to pull back a 2 goal deficit against CCC teams.

Portapotty smells to me. Can't see the point of all this Huyde fluedey Dutch nonsense. Get a good old fashioned mad dog Englishman in the changing room, soon sort all these wastes of space out. The Dutch are nice chaps and all that but too liberal.

1930's guy...what on earth do you base that on??

what a bunch of fickle freaks we have within the fan base...even a young reserve team winning and a bit of honesty from the coach brings the moaners out..HAHAHAHA

Costa Baz wrote:

Sally Hamilton wrote: I think the Echo and some of you have missed the point! It was the reserves v weymouth last night! Keep positive you pessimists!

With so few friendlies left maybe it's time JP started every match with his "preferred 11" so they can work on the system and their understanding of how it works, plus their own fitness. Wotte has already said it will take months to get the system reight, so the sooner they work on it, as a unit, the better. As a separate point the last two 11's put out by JP have both conceded 2 early goals. If we are to rely on them in the CCC, this is one habit they need to purge themselves of, as it will be harder to pull back a 2 goal deficit against CCC teams.

I would remind Lady Hamilton that, even if it was the reserves that were in action, they would be the ones to call on should any of the first team be injured, suspended or off-form. It is not a case of being a pessimist, it is a case of being a realist.

Is anyone else worried by the number of goals we are letting to lower opposition than ourselves?

I know it's only pre-season but.............

I guess it doesn't help when we only have 4 or 5 natural defenders and have to play a midfield player (viafara) at centre back.

Let's hope the manager's got the situation under control prior to the start of the season.

Oh dear there is no hope for us. Relegation here we come. Thanks a bunch mister lowe. A load of lowe admirers wont want me near St Mary's now I have said that. Who and when was it decided that free speech wasnt allowed?

Artful Dodger wrote:

Costa Baz wrote:

Sally Hamilton wrote: I think the Echo and some of you have missed the point! It was the reserves v weymouth last night! Keep positive you pessimists!

With so few friendlies left maybe it\\\'s time JP started every match with his \\\"preferred 11\\\" so they can work on the system and their understanding of how it works, plus their own fitness. Wotte has already said it will take months to get the system reight, so the sooner they work on it, as a unit, the better. As a separate point the last two 11\\\'s put out by JP have both conceded 2 early goals. If we are to rely on them in the CCC, this is one habit they need to purge themselves of, as it will be harder to pull back a 2 goal deficit against CCC teams.

I would remind Lady Hamilton that, even if it was the reserves that were in action, they would be the ones to call on should any of the first team be injured, suspended or off-form. It is not a case of being a pessimist, it is a case of being a realist.

Of course Artful Dodger, we should have at least eleven world class players in the reserves. Can't imagine why Rupert hasn't already coughed up for the Chelsea or Real Madrid first teams?
Except, possibly, they'd be a bit lightweight for the Championship, according to most people posting on this site.
So, let's see if I've got this right, we need a mixtuire of dwarfs and trolls, one violinist, a few roadsweepers in the team and Lawrie back in charge.
Madam Hamilton is right you numbskulls, it was a bunch of young reserves on a toughening up exersize. Get real.

Is this site full of pompey fans or what? Some countries have professional mourners for funerals. Suggest they tap into the southampton community for a rich source of potential employees. Been a saints fan for 30 of my 40 years and never ceases to amaze me how many of my fellow 'supporters' only seem to get pleasure from ripping the team to shreds at every opportunity. Read any other small club's sites and you'll find blind optimism, not 'fans' slagging their own team. If you can't get behind the club before they've kicked a ball in anger what's the point? Have the courage of your small town club convictions and show a bit of passion in the face of adversity and demonstrate your loyalty. Otherwise go and support Man U like the rest of the glory-seekers. Well done Ms Hamilton for talking some sense! The club needs more professional moaners like a hole in the head.

Dr No wrote:

Sally Hamilton wrote:
I think the Echo and some of you have missed the point! It was the reserves v weymouth last night! Keep positive you pessimists!

Where are all the other players then, if that was the reserves I mean. Lets face it now, we are doomed. I already have my Jan out banner printed up ready for the first sign of something going wrong. Wish we had a team like last season one that can play the football of the league we are in.

You want a team like last season? That would be the team that almost got relegated?

It never fails to amaze me how sensible comments from people like Sally can provoke the most ridiculous responses. And as for 'JP out' banners just grow up.

MikeC wrote:

Dr No wrote:

Sally Hamilton wrote: I think the Echo and some of you have missed the point! It was the reserves v weymouth last night! Keep positive you pessimists!

Where are all the other players then, if that was the reserves I mean. Lets face it now, we are doomed. I already have my Jan out banner printed up ready for the first sign of something going wrong. Wish we had a team like last season one that can play the football of the league we are in.

You want a team like last season? That would be the team that almost got relegated? It never fails to amaze me how sensible comments from people like Sally can provoke the most ridiculous responses. And as for 'JP out' banners just grow up.

Valencia almost got relegated last season, so did Tottenham. Wouldn't say no to a few of their players though. Grow up youself anyway, teams underperform for a variety of reasons not just "they aren't good enough" my oppinion is that the team we had last season was better suited to our division than the current team it also looked more balanced in certain areas of the pitch. And as for the JP out banners that might have been a joke? Can't think why anybody would want to make one of those though.