Am sick to death about hearing and reading about this pathetic ongoing soap opera. It would seem that Lowe/Poortvliet will not face up to the fact we are heading for disaster. I am going back to sea tomorrow so at least I am spared more agony and grief for a while. WHAT have these clowns done to our club? League 1, here we come!

Apart from say Kelvin Davis do we actually have anyone worth selling ? Taking away all the spin and hype. Surman and Lallana are not going to be anything special.

I would say the likes of Skacel, Davis and Wright-Phillips are very much in the departure lounge.

What utter bilge JP.

With the finances in the state they are, of course the club will take any offers that come in.

seems funny that if you put Mike Riley in google search it comes up with "what is Mike Rileys record in Man Utd matches (Guardian)!!! Loads of pens!!

martin van tuyl wrote:
Am sick to death about hearing and reading about this pathetic ongoing soap opera. It would seem that Lowe/Poortvliet will not face up to the fact we are heading for disaster. I am going back to sea tomorrow so at least I am spared more agony and grief for a while. WHAT have these clowns done to our club? League 1, here we come!

Then stop reading and go away. Selling players is what people were bleating about these past few months so there seems little point in bleating when news to the contrary comes out.

Get a life!

What does JP know anyway? It's Lowe that decides who comes and goes. The fact is that this is the worst Southampton team in over 40 years so bringing in one more player ain't gonna change that. You can blame Mike Riley all you like but the fact is that Saints were outclassed and outplayed from the start with players chasing shaddows and not having a clue what to do. Only Davis with some great saves and Skacel and Perry with some last ditch tackles prevented the score being higher - the youngsters either just aren't good enough or are being played out of position. Another home game without scoring and only two chances with Surman fluffing the final ball in the first half and Smith blasting into row z in the second. How much longer will Saints fans stand by while Lowe sends us into League 1 as a result of another failed gamble? What's happening now makes the Branfoot era seem rosey! Another shot of morphine please nurse!

Setanta said we are 27.5 million in the red.

How true is this?

bogie wrote:
Setanta said we are 27.5 million in the red. How true is this?

Heard are rumor the receivers are being called in sometime this week? Any truth?

Guys, I don't support Saints, I've got a season ticket at another club (not Pompey). Living down here though I obviously follow developments quite closely.
Why is JP getting so much abuse?The guy is adapting to Championship football with a bunch of kids and a salary that 90 per cent of managers would scoff at. He always comes across as a really decent guy (bar yesterday when his appeals over that red card without seeing the replays were silly) working in the most testing circumstances.The fella was given a chance to take the reins at a decent-sized club and is giving it a go.
Surely the vitriol should all be directed at those who have managed the finances over recent years?
Sack him and you're searching for a manager willing to work for a pittance.

bogie wrote:
Setanta said we are 27.5 million in the red. How true is this?

Yeah thats about right but 90% of that is the stadium mortgage.

Ocean Village resident is quite right. I don`t blame the players or JP. I blame Lowe for pursuing a policy that clearly isn`t working and for appointing coaching staff that are clearly out of their depth.

UTS wrote:

bogie wrote: Setanta said we are 27.5 million in the red. How true is this?

Yeah thats about right but 90% of that is the stadium mortgage.

Financially we took major gambles last year that did not come off. Player wages went from 45% of turnover to 81% of turnover. Partly as a result of this our net debt shot up to £27.5m from £19.2m but that includes a £4.5m bank overdraft. We are starting to get the finances under control again by getting rid of the high wage earners and whilst net debt is £27.5m you have to remember that we have a stadium worth £30m so we are far from being insolvent. Those stories are just intended to scare monger.

Of course this does little to help results but once the finances are back on an even keel you can start investing in the team again. This year is just about survival.

Snopper wrote:
Ocean Village resident is quite right. I don`t blame the players or JP. I blame Lowe for pursuing a policy that clearly isn`t working and for appointing coaching staff that are clearly out of their depth.

Blimey I thought you'd be too busy with Barney to trouble posting something on here, Snopper!
Whilst I agree with these sentiments I must conclude we have settled for the Lowe cost option that will undoubtedly lead to even lower standards of football at SMS.
It was clear to me we could not cut it at the highest level with him at the helm. We now struggle to compete at the Championship level - will we compete at Div.1 level?
Total football - more like "total running around in circles, cannot defend or find the back of the net football" if you ask me!
Anybody who now says the way ahead is clear - I agree Division 1 football is the next choice of the Management team. What next Div.2 and then non-league. SMS would be too big for us then!
Nothing has convinced me that whilst we all love the club and are all super fans backing Jan and the players...the club is not set up to maintain Championship status. From the top to the bottom we just don't cut the mustard.
Selling players is all about making money (which apparently we now don't need to do) - this is cow dung being regurgitated to make more headlines.
I still expect Surman to go in January and Lallana - more importantly who is coming in to help our defence and attack?

I have heard rumours in last couple of days that Dailly is in line to come back to us for rest of season. Anyone heard anything about that?

Ocean Village resident wrote:
Guys, I don't support Saints, I've got a season ticket at another club (not Pompey). Living down here though I obviously follow developments quite closely. Why is JP getting so much abuse?The guy is adapting to Championship football with a bunch of kids and a salary that 90 per cent of managers would scoff at. He always comes across as a really decent guy (bar yesterday when his appeals over that red card without seeing the replays were silly) working in the most testing circumstances.The fella was given a chance to take the reins at a decent-sized club and is giving it a go. Surely the vitriol should all be directed at those who have managed the finances over recent years? Sack him and you're searching for a manager willing to work for a pittance.

Yes, JP is a nice cat and a brave cat. But after half a season, we don't care any more if he's a white cat, black cat, bald cat, furry cat, big cat or small cat. The point is if he just can't catch a mouse we want another cat.

Geez guys whats the matter with you? You complain when players are being sold, and now you complain when we are being told players wont have to be sold.

Im not going to get my hopes up about not selling players. To be honest I dont believe a word that comes out from SFC any more, its all a load of guff. I will wait until 5pm on Feb 2nd. It will be **** Lowes decision if we sell anyway not his ducth boyfriend Portvliet.

How is our mortgage on St Mary's working then?

How much do we have to pay a year and when will the stadium be paid off?

What exactly are our debts?

If I ever win the Euro-Millions I will buy the club and make everything better!

Traceyf wrote:
Geez guys whats the matter with you? You complain when players are being sold, and now you complain when we are being told players wont have to be sold.

Not complaining just pointing out that there are some inconsistencies on and off the pitch.

First we are told players will have to be sold. Crowds decreasing hence income down, and yet now miraculously no playewrs have to be sold?

Mismanagement by any other name?

More spin? Could be a password to post these thoughts, but no that's exactly what it is more-spin!

Tracey luv (as we say in these parts) when will you get off the fence and see there is nothing positive about what's going on down at the club? There is only one person not out of his depth and his name is Rupert Lowe. He can never be out of his depth as he is not qualified to run a football club.

The reason why we do not have to sell any of our 'Star' Players is that we don't have any.
Simple as that!!

Who cares who goes,bar Kelvin Davis.We need 2 experienced centre halves and a strong centre forward,we are far to lightweight and teams roll us over to easily.Sell Surman,Lalanaetc and get some strong experienced pros maybe even from league 1 and have a 50/50 mix with youth,otherwise were down.

St.Yorkie wrote:

Traceyf wrote: Geez guys whats the matter with you? You complain when players are being sold, and now you complain when we are being told players wont have to be sold.

Not complaining just pointing out that there are some inconsistencies on and off the pitch. First we are told players will have to be sold. Crowds decreasing hence income down, and yet now miraculously no playewrs have to be sold? Mismanagement by any other name? More spin? Could be a password to post these thoughts, but no that's exactly what it is more-spin! Tracey luv (as we say in these parts) when will you get off the fence and see there is nothing positive about what's going on down at the club? There is only one person not out of his depth and his name is Rupert Lowe. He can never be out of his depth as he is not qualified to run a football club.

Sp possibly not having to sell our best players isn't positive news? If JP is right that we wont have to sell players, thats not saying it will not happen of course, I thought people would welcome that.

maybe no salea but why not use what we have,sending boys against one of the best teams in the world, when we have 2experienced players on the bench shows how naiive our manager really is,ok we were never going to win but,at least put up a show for a full house,that brings them back! Sorry Jan you've got to go.I am not going to comment on Mike(Manchester)Rile
y whats the point!

Traceyf wrote:

St.Yorkie wrote:

Traceyf wrote: Geez guys whats the matter with you? You complain when players are being sold, and now you complain when we are being told players wont have to be sold.

Not complaining just pointing out that there are some inconsistencies on and off the pitch. First we are told players will have to be sold. Crowds decreasing hence income down, and yet now miraculously no playewrs have to be sold? Mismanagement by any other name? More spin? Could be a password to post these thoughts, but no that's exactly what it is more-spin! Tracey luv (as we say in these parts) when will you get off the fence and see there is nothing positive about what's going on down at the club? There is only one person not out of his depth and his name is Rupert Lowe. He can never be out of his depth as he is not qualified to run a football club.

Sp possibly not having to sell our best players isn't positive news? If JP is right that we wont have to sell players, thats not saying it will not happen of course, I thought people would welcome that.

Traceyf "possibly not having to sell our best players" isn't positive news. It is wishful thinking.
People buy lottery tickets because it is possible they might win a lot of money, but most don't.

Had JP said "definitely not selling etc" then THAT would have been positive news and it would have been a statement of intent to the supporters.

I,like many, am now puzzled by the apparent change in the finances at SMS over the last few weeks.

What has changed since we were told that players would have to be released in January, for JP to think he may now be able to keep his squad intact?
An explanation would be good.

Time will tell if Lowe supports his manager in his wish to keep his better players or if he hamstrings him by making him sell them and only allow him to replace them by more young, inexperienced players.

If we continue bringing in only young players then I will be enquiring with friends in the recruitment industry, as to whether SFC are potentially in breach of employment laws governing age discrimination.

I would sell Lallana and get in a big centre half and a big forward.I`d even sell Surman for the right price.
From what i`ve seen this season we often look better without these 2,i admire Lallana`s ball skills and his 1st touch,it`s premier league standard,and Surman is a decent attacking midfielder.
The fact is..we look a better side without them,for example the Reading game we looked stronger with Gillet and Gobern.

Well, here we are past the half way point in the season and I am still no wiser as to what exactly all the dissenters are really complaing about. It seems to me that you latch on to everything that comes out of the club and put a down on it.

You have been moaning for weeks now that all out best players will disappear come January and now you are moaning because it looks like they will stay. Obviously you will find some way to make it Lowes fault because everything is his fault, isn't it.

You have moaned long and hard because all our really good players were sold or loaned out. Do you really believe that thos players would have made a difference or even wanted to stay. What have they done since leaving us. If they had all stayed (and lets be upbeat here) and we were riding high in the division, how would the huuge wage bill now be sitting with the bank. How would a good League position help when we were in administration.

You have moaned on and on this season about the stay away fans and the fact that our stadium is always half empty and yet say nothing after we filled the stadium even though it was a televised match. I wonder where those fans suddenly appeared from, but already know you will try and convince me that not one Anti Lowe Brigader went to the match - I know they were all Southern United fans.

For years the moans have wafted around our stadium because we have had useful kids that never got a chance, and yet now we are playing them, all you can do is criticise them.

The reality is that we have to stick by these kids because they are all we have. They are all we have because we are broke and cannot afford to get replacements for them. They have showed on occasions that they can really play football and there is still a chance that we may survive this season. That was our best hope when the season started and if we do manage it then we can hopefully push on next season. Our financial position is slowly improving but would certainly benefit from a few more full houses this season, and with that extra cash we could seriously look at posssibly buying a few experienced players next season. It is no secret that these kids would do better with some older more experienced players around them.

I always believed that Southampton fans really rose to the occasion when the club needed them the most. These are exciting players who have been praised by some of the best players and managers in the land, but our own fans only feel the need to criticise and slag them off. Is the Spirit of Southampton dead - or is it only sleeping?

I am not about to stop keeping the faith

Crickey look who's crawled out of the woodwork! Not suggesting you dialogue is not most welcome, if not a bit verbose. Good on ya Derek - Happy New Year.

Apart from keeping the faith and having those lovely rose tinted "Dame Edna" spectacles, where do you really stand?

Are you satisfied with our current position?
Are you satisfied with the current selections and tactics?
Would you be happy watching our youth team try to play in Div.1 next year?
Do you have faith in Jan & Rupert to deliver us back to The Premiership or the upper regions of The Championship?

I guess the answer to all of these must be YES, as I never get the feeling there is anything wrong at our club after reading one of your posts!!

DIRE STRAITS
Just like to point out that being relegated to league 1 will mean administration for the club (being unable to pay its debts) which means a 15 point deduction next season. That means we end up in League 2 at best and can mean non league. Look at Luton who were in the championship in 2006 and are now bottom of league 2 due to successive points deductions for administration technicalities.
There needs to be a regime change at Saints NOW or its oblivion.

Financially we took major gambles last year that did not come off. Player wages went from 45% of turnover to 81% of turnover.

Be careful of using statistics. If memory serves correctly, the actual figers went up from £12.9M to £14.1M. That makes the figures seem less scary, so in my mind it's clever use of the numbers to outrage people. Still a ridiculous amount of money in todays economic climate, but it is lower than most CCC clubs.

Talking of statistics, When you moved into your lovely new stadium, the toal cost was supposed to be £32M. YOu were going to recover £5M from the sale of the dell. £3.6M came from the football trust.About £1.2M from Friends Provident for the use of their name in the stadium, and a whole load of other ways of raising capital. Initially, the debt, on moving was supposed to be £17M. This was all documented.If the debt is still so large, it can't ALL be put down to the Crouch era. Of Course, Lowe & Wilde will not admit to any mismanagement of money, especially if you take into account the money generated from player sales. The money earned way outstrips money spent on players.

Everyone knows that 90% of statistics are made up.

The only one that matters though is that we are in the relegation zone. We MUST sell anyone that we can (apart from Perry and Davis) and bring in some nasty, dirty hackers who will fight and scrap our way out of danger.

I'm sorry but this squad will not keep Southampton in division 2, we are too nice.

SAVE OUR SAINTS!!!!!! There must be someone out there who can join forces with mr crouch and lawrie mac to save this club before lowe kills it off completly!!! S.O.S, S.O.S.

Happy New Year Doh-py Derek, I notice that you have not changed for 2009 still a monologue of the same regurgitated drivel, nothing whatsoever new. Now that our financial position is slowly improving, your words. I suppose then that there is no point in getting rid of RL the financial wizard is about to come good as our saviour, you can never tell can you there we were all miserable and moaning the next minute everthing in the garden is rosie. Just a thought where is your proof that our financial position is improving, I thought I would ask you before your mate Trace asks.

PS dont leave it so long between posts that way you would not take up so much room on here

Is Rupert Lowe Director of Football??
or did Motty get this wrong.
Interesting thred on BBC site mind.

Yeah St.Yorkie, I read that earlier on, it was a good article and says more than just the words on show, it is widely known in football cicles that our Saviour RL is a joke and Knows nothing about the game. He and his supporters think that they can revolutionalise the game, they think that they can produce a blueprint for the future of football and that everone else in football is wrong and that they are right, as I said, I attended the AGM and you could see it in his arrogance, he despises all that do not agree with his views and wil not budge one iota

Well researched article by the BBC.

Can somebody please explain to me why the so called real fans attending the games at SMS believe that they are somehow saving the Saints, I know this is asking a lot but a real debate on the subject would help many like me to fathom out the thinking on this subject. Why attending the matches will only prolong the inevitable, whereas not attending will quicken the demise, obviously both sets of fans believe what they are doing is right, I would like to add here I am a ST holder and am paying through the nose to watch a team that I could watch for free last year. So why are fans so devided on the subject. Again I would like to say we are all fans of SFC, and just saying that I am a fan of Saints and will stick with them whatever is heart ruling head and not at all practical and as sure as eggs is eggs with RL as the captain of the ship it is a bit like Capt. Smith on the Titanic were going down

Yorkie,

No my specs are not rose tinted any more than yours are black, and know there are many things wrong with my club.

We are not in the Premiership, we are not winning enough games, we are skint, we have a split fanbase, the concourse and everything they sell (if you can actually get round to sampling it) is crap and overpriced, parking at the ground is non existent, tickets are overpriced, and the seats are not big enough.

To be more specific and to answer your questions -

No I am not satisfied with our position - but is any fan satisfied ever with their team's position if they are not at least in the top 4.

No I am never satisfied with team selection or tactics, but again show me a fan who is always happy with these matters. Name me a manager and team in your memory where you were ever satisfied with team selection. As I recall Nichol, Burley, Jones, Luggy, Rednap,(to name a few) perpetually had us all scratching our heads not only over selection but also the times they played players out of position. I suppose fans the world over think they know better don't they? Unless of course you are Invidia then you do know better - there is no question.

Of course I would not be happy seeing our team drop down and play in a lower dividion - for Christ sakes man I am not happy watching them in this division - but I do, and yes I would watch them if they were relegated because I believe that is what fans do. We cannot all be in the Premiership, and nobody has that divine right. Ask the fans of at least two dozen teams in our division and the one below who have experienced football at the highest level in the past what they now feel about the level and standard they are now watching each week.

I don't even think about Rupert Lowe when I consider if we have what it takes to stay in this division. Until proven otherwise (unlike you) I believe that Jan picks the team and if we fail it will be mostly down to him. However, yes I do believe we have the basics in place and a manager (if given time) can get us into the playoffs and ultimately back into the Premiership. I have said this since the very first game of the season and I have not changed my mind - but I have also always said it would not be this season and that if we even avoided the drop this season I would class that as success. Given the turmoil at the club, all the departures and a playing squad made up predominantly of kids you would have to agree it would be some achievement to realise survival this season.

Sorry if I have not made your day by not giving you a yes to all of your questions but I will always only answer honestly as I see things, and I do not give a toss how many people disagree with me or get irate because I post my feelings on this site. No spin, just my beliefs, thoughts and observations.

Do not really follow you on your take on what the BBC said - the two things do not have to be connected. We do play good pretty football, but it does not mean it will necessarily lead to goals. Because we don't score the goals does not minimise the football we play, it just highlights the fact that we have noibody currently who can put it in the net, and that is not in dispute.

Invidia - I will hate myself for getting drawn into answering your boringly repetitive posts when I promised myself that you are a waste of space who cares not for this club, but here goes. You have the nerve to challene what I write as regurgitated drivel - do you never read back what you write. Talk about pot calling the kettle black.

As for your attack on Lowe, I never wanted to get rid of him in the first place. Unlike you I won't get on his case with absolutely no reason just because my mates are, and as for your rant about his arrogance and the way he despises all that do not agree with his views - you want to take a close look at yourself chum because those words suit you down to the ground. At least I have in the past have been honest enough to agree with some of the things you say whereas you cannot wait to get on here just to get your teeth into whatever I write. Grow up for God sake

..... and again sorry, but I will keep on keeping the faith

What really upsets me Doh-py Derek is the fact that you are obviously a lonely old man with just your cigarettes and Saints FC which in itself is ok, but what really gets up my nose is RL dont give a toss about fans like you as long as he can take your money that is all he is interested in, he does not know the meaning of VFM, all he wants is the media attention to benifit himself. Unfortunately as long as he has people like you, he will keep on self perpetuating himself without a thought of the damage he is doing to anyone and the inevitable tears that will surely come he will put down as the lunatic fringe or something of the sort. Nothing to do with him.

PS I have watched nearly all the home games this year and can honestly say that yes there has been spasmodic interplay by the youth side but I am getting fed up with people telling me that we are playing good football and deserve better we are getting what we deserve and I am afraid it just aint good enough, it can get better but I doubt very much if it will

We are in debt but do we still report our accounts on a two-year cycle? If so, we're in no worse position than we were with Lowe at the helm in the Premiership when we'd report similar losses followed by an upswing the following year.

If the above is still the case, the financial 'trouble' we are in is probably a lot less than we are being told and next year, our hero RL can report that the club is doing fine knowing full well that most fans cannot remember this little nugget of info. If I'm worng, then so be it and we are in trouble but I just don't buy it. Could it be that we were so badly in debt just prior to an AGM encouraging shareholders get a little jittery at the prospect of change?

So...

We don't have a huge debt on the stadium, which we can thank RL for I believe and he told us so once, the players simply cannot be on high wages and certainly not enough to truly outstrip income generated, overall operating costs are down, the manager is cheap, the directors probably are not of course (RL and Andrew - how much are you taking from the club you proclaim to want to save?) and the situation under Crouch was probably a great deal healthier, particularly with 5,000 more fans per week paying tickets prices and buying food and drink at half-time. I smell a very large rat in everything coming out of Saints at the moment and I don't like it.

And then there's the football.

Total football = Ajax.

Ajax blended experience, younger and the outright youth, the best recent example being Van Der Sar, Blind, Rijkaard, Reiziger, Bogarde, George, the De Boers, Davids, Seedorf, Overmars, Kluivert, Kanu in 94-5 but that's the way it needs to work. The youth of our team, and therefore their development is being destroyed by Lowe's experiment - the kids need help on the pitch and they need it in the next few weeks or we are going down: it's that simple.

Mr Lowe has failed before and I read a comment that his eyes were too much on the future before and I agree. With the addition of two-three players when we were still in the Prem, particularly after the FA Cup final, we would not be in this mess. With a proper investment of the relegation parachute when we went down, we would not be in this mess and there's a chance Theo and Bale etc. would be plying their trade here but Lowe's penny pinching denied us this opportunity.

Will we pay an even higher price for having an accountant and not a truly ambitious entrepreneurial businessman at the helm and get relegated again form where return would be all but impossible or will he see sense in time and realise that a few pounds on some experience and not selling our best players to the highest bidder for shareholder dividends would be in the best interests of the football side of the business, without which the business is dead and buried anyway? I'm not holding my breath but Rupert, you've failed with experiments before, please don't let the worse lighting of all strike you again for the fifth time (Gray, Wigley, Sturrock, Burley and the over-reliance on youth). You might think you are the club but we fans know you are just a passing wind through the city. If you're not going to leave us (which I don't believe you would, even if the right offer was on the table for the benefit of the football club) at least leave us with a football club and the impression that you are letting those who understand football make football decisions.

I don't blame Jan - he's got his hands tied by the master puppeteer in this big ol' mess.

Invidia wrote:
Can somebody please explain to me why the so called real fans attending the games at SMS believe that they are somehow saving the Saints, I know this is asking a lot but a real debate on the subject would help many like me to fathom out the thinking on this subject. Why attending the matches will only prolong the inevitable, whereas not attending will quicken the demise, obviously both sets of fans believe what they are doing is right, I would like to add here I am a ST holder and am paying through the nose to watch a team that I could watch for free last year. So why are fans so devided on the subject. Again I would like to say we are all fans of SFC, and just saying that I am a fan of Saints and will stick with them whatever is heart ruling head and not at all practical and as sure as eggs is eggs with RL as the captain of the ship it is a bit like Capt. Smith on the Titanic were going down

I just can`t help myself mate,
I love the whole day..the bus over the bridge,2 excited kids(although one of em is getting fed up with it)
A few Bows to get you fired up...and...oh **** we`re gonna get done again.
Saying that there has been times when i`ve loved the football,Reading away was fantastic and there`s been brief moments in other games when we`ve looked top class.
I can totally understand people like yourself being sick at the situation we`re in and if everyone stopped going Lowe would be forced out.But to be replaced by who?.We owe 27 million for gawds sake!
I cant for the life of me see any sense in going into administration,the points deduction would wipe us out.
I dont like Lowe.The bloke embarrasess us when he`s strutting around the pitch at away games,and he`s clearly an unlikeable type.
I just feel Jan should be given this season and even if we do end up relegated he should be judged next xmas whether this idea is going to work because without money i cant see many other ways out.
So i suppose im still going because i love watching young players doing there best for us suffering fans,trying to play the best way,the right way,with hope and anticipation every week...im just addicted,to idea that we`ll rise up again and i want to see it come to fruition,it`s looking doomed to failure and sadly Poortvleit could be gone in the next few weeks if results dont go away.I`ve still got a drop of hope.

the third hardest man in sholing wrote:

Invidia wrote: Can somebody please explain to me why the so called real fans attending the games at SMS believe that they are somehow saving the Saints, I know this is asking a lot but a real debate on the subject would help many like me to fathom out the thinking on this subject. Why attending the matches will only prolong the inevitable, whereas not attending will quicken the demise, obviously both sets of fans believe what they are doing is right, I would like to add here I am a ST holder and am paying through the nose to watch a team that I could watch for free last year. So why are fans so devided on the subject. Again I would like to say we are all fans of SFC, and just saying that I am a fan of Saints and will stick with them whatever is heart ruling head and not at all practical and as sure as eggs is eggs with RL as the captain of the ship it is a bit like Capt. Smith on the Titanic were going down

I just can`t help myself mate, I love the whole day..the bus over the bridge,2 excited kids(although one of em is getting fed up with it) A few Bows to get you fired up...and...oh **** we`re gonna get done again. Saying that there has been times when i`ve loved the football,Reading away was fantastic and there`s been brief moments in other games when we`ve looked top class. I can totally understand people like yourself being sick at the situation we`re in and if everyone stopped going Lowe would be forced out.But to be replaced by who?.We owe 27 million for gawds sake! I cant for the life of me see any sense in going into administration,the points deduction would wipe us out. I dont like Lowe.The bloke embarrasess us when he`s strutting around the pitch at away games,and he`s clearly an unlikeable type. I just feel Jan should be given this season and even if we do end up relegated he should be judged next xmas whether this idea is going to work because without money i cant see many other ways out. So i suppose im still going because i love watching young players doing there best for us suffering fans,trying to play the best way,the right way,with hope and anticipation every week...im just addicted,to idea that we`ll rise up again and i want to see it come to fruition,it`s looking doomed to failure and sadly Poortvleit could be gone in the next few weeks if results dont go away.I`ve still got a drop of hope.

Believe me I do understand what you say but we dont have to go into administration it seems we are like rabbits in the headlights I am English through and through and like our ancestors we never give up without a da.mn good fight and as most posters on here have said we all know where the problems lie but we do nothing about it, if it means going without our weekly adrenelin to get rid of the curse then thats what we must do, I think we have all been conditioned to having to accept what we have by the amount of posters saying we need to get rid of RL then thats what we have to do and boycott SMS untill he goes. A bitter pill but obvious what needs to be done for the good of the club and its fans

For those of us who are no longer prepared to allow Lowe to kill our club visit the Saints board at fansonline.net and get involved before its too late.

What a miserable bunch of negative, bigoted, depressing, whingeing, non-supporters on here. We are gonna sell players, you whinge, we’re not gonna sell players, you whinge. We have just played the richest club in the world with ten boys for most of the match. First goal was offside, the pen was dubious. However, Man U certainly outplayed our ten youth players, how surprising……..bu
t why whinge you pathetic inadequate individuals? It was Man U we were playing for pities sake.

You are mealy mouthed sad and pathetic. I bet you didn’t want Hoddle back when Lowe was pushing for his return. How different thing could have been, but because you have the IQ of a slug you joined in with the rest of the brainless no to Hoddle mob and so you are culpable for the current mess.

If you stay away from SMS in some delusionary attempt to get at Lowe all you will do is contribute to the further decline of my club, and for that I hate your guts.

To support is to sustain.

COYR

Guess waht MiltonArchers - I do not disagree with a word you say.

Oh, I know full well that I will incur the undoubted wrath of the Invidia types, but my shoulders are broad. Lets be brutally honest, anyone who has to resort to name calling and assumptions about my age and cigarette smoking shows a great deal about their character and mindset. Probably explains his totally one sided belief, and inability to accept that someone can have an opinion other than his own. How me choosing to support my team and stand up for the good things can cause so much anger to someone who wants only to spend the season trying to get the Chairman out of the club is beyond me. Surely I cannot be regarded as a threat simply because I am prepared to stand up and be honest with my observations.

The fact of the matter is that under extremely difficult circumstances our kids are playing for the shirt and turning in some decent performances, and I would rather watch this than the dross churned out by the overpaid carthorses of the past couple of seasons. There is potential at our club, and anyone who dares to call himself a supporter should be doing just that - supporting.

This lot bleat on about attendances and how they are keeping themselves away from the ground to oust Lowe. ****. There are at least ten clubs in this division who have a lower average attendance than we do this season, and given the players we have I think that is brilliant.

You can dress it up anyway you want but at the end of the day we have a small band of ultra militant 'fans' at this club who were given far too much credence a few seasons back when Rupert Lowe was coerced into letting them have a say because he was persuaded that he must do more to entertain these morons. They are now hell bent on causing trouble in a futile attempt to oust him from power. In so doing they are prepared to lie, fabricate, exagerate, assume, and put endless spin on anything that comes out of the club.

Those of us who are content just to support the team and the club are all labelled Lowe Luvvies and wearers of rose coloured specs, but we know that this band of mutineers is not so vast as they would have us believe. We also now have proof (thanks to the UTD game) that there are so many of them who are fickle, and were our League position much better, or the standard of our oponents higher, they would all be back at St Mary's in their droves.

Where are all those who were so damning a couple of weeks ago so sure Rupert would sell the crown jewels of this club. They are now back on this site whingeing because he looks like he will sell nobody.

If this mob were so confident that our stadium is half empty each home game because of the anti Lowe lobby, why have they not organised some sort of poll to establish their claims and once and for all let the man have the proof. You know the claims I mean - check out the one above that suggests there are SO MANY posts regularly on this site from people wanting Lowe out. If you remove Invidia, Yorkie, UTS and Saints No 1 Fan as the regular dissenters, there really are not that many who repeatedly come on here with that rant. O.K. lets assume it is a dozen or maybe two dozen - a drop in the ocean really isn't it.

All I hear are the same words being said in different ways, time and time again - there aint nothing new. Where is your action lads. If there are so many of you and you have a real beef, what are you doing about it. Some months ago I challenged someone on this site who was asking for like minded people to go onto his site to record their reasons for staying away from SMS. Cannot remember his name but I did ask him to come back to me with the number of hits he had and a breakdown of the reasons for absenteeism.. It is significant that I heard no more and he does not now seem to be asking for people to enter that information. I wonder why.

Why does this have to be a war. Surely if I am a supporter and have a differing view to you I should be able to go and watch my team and report on what I see without having a flurry of demeaning and raging responses from those who don't want to support in the way I do.

Ah well - guess I will never get to the bottom of it but must go now as I have to go and draw my pension so I can go and buy some more rose tinted specs and a packet of fags.

You lot may cause me some frustration but you will never stop me from supporting my team or keep me from keeping the faith.

derek fo holbury wrote:
Guess waht MiltonArchers - I do not disagree with a word you say. Oh, I know full well that I will incur the undoubted wrath of the Invidia types, but my shoulders are broad. Lets be brutally honest, anyone who has to resort to name calling and assumptions about my age and cigarette smoking shows a great deal about their character and mindset. Probably explains his totally one sided belief, and inability to accept that someone can have an opinion other than his own. How me choosing to support my team and stand up for the good things can cause so much anger to someone who wants only to spend the season trying to get the Chairman out of the club is beyond me. Surely I cannot be regarded as a threat simply because I am prepared to stand up and be honest with my observations. The fact of the matter is that under extremely difficult circumstances our kids are playing for the shirt and turning in some decent performances, and I would rather watch this than the dross churned out by the overpaid carthorses of the past couple of seasons. There is potential at our club, and anyone who dares to call himself a supporter should be doing just that - supporting. This lot bleat on about attendances and how they are keeping themselves away from the ground to oust Lowe. ****. There are at least ten clubs in this division who have a lower average attendance than we do this season, and given the players we have I think that is brilliant. You can dress it up anyway you want but at the end of the day we have a small band of ultra militant 'fans' at this club who were given far too much credence a few seasons back when Rupert Lowe was coerced into letting them have a say because he was persuaded that he must do more to entertain these morons. They are now hell bent on causing trouble in a futile attempt to oust him from power. In so doing they are prepared to lie, fabricate, exagerate, assume, and put endless spin on anything that comes out of the club. Those of us who are content just to support the team and the club are all labelled Lowe Luvvies and wearers of rose coloured specs, but we know that this band of mutineers is not so vast as they would have us believe. We also now have proof (thanks to the UTD game) that there are so many of them who are fickle, and were our League position much better, or the standard of our oponents higher, they would all be back at St Mary's in their droves. Where are all those who were so damning a couple of weeks ago so sure Rupert would sell the crown jewels of this club. They are now back on this site whingeing because he looks like he will sell nobody. If this mob were so confident that our stadium is half empty each home game because of the anti Lowe lobby, why have they not organised some sort of poll to establish their claims and once and for all let the man have the proof. You know the claims I mean - check out the one above that suggests there are SO MANY posts regularly on this site from people wanting Lowe out. If you remove Invidia, Yorkie, UTS and Saints No 1 Fan as the regular dissenters, there really are not that many who repeatedly come on here with that rant. O.K. lets assume it is a dozen or maybe two dozen - a drop in the ocean really isn't it. All I hear are the same words being said in different ways, time and time again - there aint nothing new. Where is your action lads. If there are so many of you and you have a real beef, what are you doing about it. Some months ago I challenged someone on this site who was asking for like minded people to go onto his site to record their reasons for staying away from SMS. Cannot remember his name but I did ask him to come back to me with the number of hits he had and a breakdown of the reasons for absenteeism.. It is significant that I heard no more and he does not now seem to be asking for people to enter that information. I wonder why. Why does this have to be a war. Surely if I am a supporter and have a differing view to you I should be able to go and watch my team and report on what I see without having a flurry of demeaning and raging responses from those who don't want to support in the way I do. Ah well - guess I will never get to the bottom of it but must go now as I have to go and draw my pension so I can go and buy some more rose tinted specs and a packet of fags. You lot may cause me some frustration but you will never stop me from supporting my team or keep me from keeping the faith.

Derek,i would say that as an estimate there`s probably a few thousand supporters currently refusing to go because of Lowe,the majority of fans who are not going at the moment is simply down to the fact that in the calender year 2008 we won only 5 home league games,Lowe has to accept some of the blame alongside Crouch and Wilde,Burley,Dodd,Go
rman,Pearson and Poortvliet and a whole collection of under performing experienced pro`s and a bunch of kids who are wet behind the ears,some of whom are going to be decent players and others are not good enough and sadly due to our financial postion they end up playing,when they either should be sold on to lower league clubs ,which is what happened in the past or given time in the reserves.Some fans are going to blame Lowe for this situation and it`s his idea,no doubt about that,but it`s hard to see what else we can do apart from gamble on better more experienced players ,pay big wages and go into administration.

ThirdHardest - yep I would agree with that.

Our problem is that without doubt there has been mismanagement over a long period of time by The Chairman, the Directors and also managers and coaching staff. In short a catalogue of errors has seen this once proud club with superb supporters drop to this awful level we now find ourselves in.

Everyone who comes on this site is saying pretty much the same thing, but my point is that all those problems should now be resigned to the past. We cannot rectify them now and whatever Lowe has or has not done is history, and constantly pillorying the man now is a senseless waste of time. It solves nothing and can only be destructive.

My honest opinion is that the man has returned with good intentions and all this rubbish being spouted about hidden agendas and a belief that he is here to deliberately take the club into obscurity does not even justify space on this site.

I am not a rose tinted specs wearer - I have seen and lived with the problems and disharmony and it breaks my heart to see the division in the fanbase.

My only plea is that all real fans just get behind the bloody team and try and at least prevent relegation this season. The test will then come in the lead up to next season. How good or bad our financial status is then and what players we will have to mount a challenge for promotion. That is when to judge the man at the top and his policies.

This current campaign is going nowhere to remove the man and do you think he is even interested in a bit of hot air occasionally. He is here and a few thousand ranters staying away from the stadium will not change his outlook.

Why can we not just accept what we have at the moment and start doing what true fans used to do for this club. Get behind the team and reinvigorate that old Spirit of Southampton.

If asked I do not think there is any chance of that happening unless we somehow start stringing some results together and attracting some more people back into the stadium. I am totally confident that were we in a position just below the play offs right now we would have another 4 or 5 thousand through the gates each home match. That would do wonders for the bank balance and who knows may even be enough to look at buying a player.

I live in hope