| Am I odd????? 09:05 - May 29 with 1244 views | A1079 |
....now most people that know me would respond with a resounding yes and probably people on here who put up with my various missives from me on anything Saints and football would not argue with that too much, but.................
in this case am I odd in still feeling on cloud 9 over Sunday and it being one of the best footballing days in decades of following Saints, but (and here is the negative) I cannot get excited about being in the Premier League? I wanted to win, I loved the experience and the joy it brought and that can never be taken away, but no matter how I try I just cannot warm to the PL. The thought of attending games with little or no hope of winning, or dodgy VAR decisions or indecisions and the soap opera that goes with the PL, the tourist fans and diluted support as a result, etc. |  | | |  |
| Am I odd????? on 09:56 - May 29 with 1147 views | Chesham_Saint |
As is so often in life, the chase is often better than the catch (witness, various ex girlfriends etc)
On the other hand, it’s still a high and much better feeling than contemplating a trip to the Leper Colony on Portsea…. |  |
| |
| Am I odd????? on 09:58 - May 29 with 1141 views | MytchettSaint |
Said the same thing yesterday to someone. A case of winning the prize being being better than the actual prize itself.
However, let’s keep positive and think about all those ex premier league teams down at the bottom of the championship who’d swap places with us right now. That’s the destiny for all teams that don’t return quickly. |  |
| Block 13; Curva Itchen Sud |
| |
| Am I odd????? on 14:22 - May 29 with 995 views | DorsetIan |
Whatever else it is, the Premier League is no fun unless you are somewhere near the top.
It would help a little bit if they binned VAR before next season but I'm not holding my breath. | |
| |
| Am I odd????? on 15:13 - May 29 with 946 views | Buggalugs |
I'm with you on this. Sunday was so good and a day any fan of such a success starved club as ours wouldn't swap for anything, but...
The Premier League is shit and the best we can ever realistically hope for is to finish 17th to 12th. We will lose far more games than we win and we'll get absolutely tonked a few times. We'll also go into pretty much every game setting ourselves up not to lose, rather than actually trying to win. Then of course there's VAR again, which is without doubt the worst thing to happen to football since I've been going.
The only real positives I can take are there's plenty of London away days, plus Bournemouth and Brighton, so next season will be a lot more favourable on the wallet. [Post edited 29 May 15:14]
|  |
| |
| Am I odd????? on 15:22 - May 29 with 920 views | TripleNiemi |
| Am I odd????? on 15:13 - May 29 by Buggalugs |
I'm with you on this. Sunday was so good and a day any fan of such a success starved club as ours wouldn't swap for anything, but...
The Premier League is shit and the best we can ever realistically hope for is to finish 17th to 12th. We will lose far more games than we win and we'll get absolutely tonked a few times. We'll also go into pretty much every game setting ourselves up not to lose, rather than actually trying to win. Then of course there's VAR again, which is without doubt the worst thing to happen to football since I've been going.
The only real positives I can take are there's plenty of London away days, plus Bournemouth and Brighton, so next season will be a lot more favourable on the wallet. [Post edited 29 May 15:14]
|
Some of the best times in recent years of our PL participation was during the Poch and Koeman years (no surprise really) and especially under the Dutchman we were playing not only home, but away and heading to places expecting to get a share of the spoils if not a win (now expects some grief for the position Koeman had us in until Cuco hit that stormer against Arsenal to get things back on track). |  |
| Ready and waiting to mop up those European places...... |
| |
| Am I odd????? on 15:25 - May 29 with 916 views | saint901 |
I think if you are an owner of a club, then the prospect of an additional £125m of income over the next 12 months is a comfort to you when you wake at 3am.
They are not too concerned over the performance on the pitch and finishing 17th every season = success.
So their trick is to keep investment to a minimum to keep the gravy train rotating.
If you are a player, then a few seasons in the PL should be enough to make you financially secure for life (if you're sensible) and again, finishing 17th is fine.
If you are a TV company, then the prospect of a new fan base to tune it and buy subscriptions (which I won't) is great and they could not care less if you stay or go.
If you are the PL, then new blood upholds the pretence of being part of the pyramid and they care only for the top 6/8 clubs and their very rich owners and nothing about the lower reaches of the table.
The only people who really care about being in the PL and where we finish, is the fans who obviously want bragging rights and prestige.
If the risk is that we have a season in which wins are few and high points fewer, then that takes the polish off getting to the PL.
Like the OP, I'm nervous about next season. I think Leicester will be hit with a points deduction and that will make their survival difficult. If Ipswich continue their form, it will be remarkable but with a rich owner - who knows. I think Everton have problems as do Forest and Brentford.
Getting the PL is only sensible if there is a plan to build and stay for a decade. I've yet to see that plan and I know that when we do, the dreams, hopes, pockets of the fans will be largely irrelevant. | | | |
| Am I odd????? on 15:36 - May 29 with 906 views | Buggalugs |
| Am I odd????? on 15:22 - May 29 by TripleNiemi |
Some of the best times in recent years of our PL participation was during the Poch and Koeman years (no surprise really) and especially under the Dutchman we were playing not only home, but away and heading to places expecting to get a share of the spoils if not a win (now expects some grief for the position Koeman had us in until Cuco hit that stormer against Arsenal to get things back on track). |
Can't argue with that. Those 2 or 3 seasons were amazing and you really did fancy our chances against anyone, plus of course getting to play in Europe.
You're a better man than me if you believe we can get to those heights again. | |
| |
| Am I odd????? on 15:51 - May 29 with 895 views | darthvader |
| Am I odd????? on 15:25 - May 29 by saint901 |
I think if you are an owner of a club, then the prospect of an additional £125m of income over the next 12 months is a comfort to you when you wake at 3am.
They are not too concerned over the performance on the pitch and finishing 17th every season = success.
So their trick is to keep investment to a minimum to keep the gravy train rotating.
If you are a player, then a few seasons in the PL should be enough to make you financially secure for life (if you're sensible) and again, finishing 17th is fine.
If you are a TV company, then the prospect of a new fan base to tune it and buy subscriptions (which I won't) is great and they could not care less if you stay or go.
If you are the PL, then new blood upholds the pretence of being part of the pyramid and they care only for the top 6/8 clubs and their very rich owners and nothing about the lower reaches of the table.
The only people who really care about being in the PL and where we finish, is the fans who obviously want bragging rights and prestige.
If the risk is that we have a season in which wins are few and high points fewer, then that takes the polish off getting to the PL.
Like the OP, I'm nervous about next season. I think Leicester will be hit with a points deduction and that will make their survival difficult. If Ipswich continue their form, it will be remarkable but with a rich owner - who knows. I think Everton have problems as do Forest and Brentford.
Getting the PL is only sensible if there is a plan to build and stay for a decade. I've yet to see that plan and I know that when we do, the dreams, hopes, pockets of the fans will be largely irrelevant. |
Ive enjoyed the season in the championship much better than the last 7 or 8 years or so in the premier league. .. that said we had to go up to secure the funds for the club .
But i hate losing games ,we all do but this season just gone has been so memorable, the late goal winners and the one way traffic (wins) culminating in the Wembley final . All out weigh any of the dips in form we suffered during the season .
So i know next season will be tough but at home we have the chance to change the mentality...when things dont go our way we can continue to get behind the team loud and proud like we did at Wembley and at home to WBA.
and with the Northam a sea of red and white ,we can roar them on and suck the ball in the net . Old cliché but we have a big opportunity to be the 12th man .
Yes im still riding high from sunday but i can see us doing well at home . [Post edited 29 May 15:52]
|  |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| Am I odd????? on 18:59 - May 29 with 763 views | franniesTache |
All of our lot said it almost the moment we walked out of Wembley. This season has been hands down one of my favourites in years, the championship sh*ts on the premier league from a massive height for competitiveness, atmosphere, away games and just generally the things I enjoy about football.
Plus I’ve not had to put up with the boring plastic c*nts at work trying to talk to me about “their” team which they only ever see clapping at a tv.
Don’t get me wrong there’s a few things im looking forward too, more London games, two Liverpool and Manchester games and job security for the staff, but give me the championship over the premier league every week as a match going fan |  | | |
| Am I odd????? on 05:42 - May 30 with 545 views | areasix |
I love the championship due to all the things mentioned previously but with Chelsea , Man Utd and Liverpool all maybe with new managers let’s hope we can play them early season while they are rebuilding and the key to the Premiership is money and the security of the finance if we don’t waste it on below average transfers.
The money and parachute payments will help secure the club for a few more years.
I might be mad but due to the mention changes above with a chance of not getting hammered against them, points deductions by some clubs and the Prem being a two horse race we might just survive. | | | |
| Am I odd????? on 08:47 - May 30 with 473 views | SonicBoom |
Agree with most of the above. Spoke to Leeds fans coming out of Wembley and they said the same. They weren't too heartbroken about being in the Championship again and said they couldn't compete if they go up anyway.
Part of me dreads the games against the "big" clubs where we are just Super Sunday cannon fodder. We can never compete with them these days due to the obscene amount of money they have.
but the top clubs have all been snapped up now. Any new oil barons are goig to have to start looking further down the table if they want in, so maybe being in the PL means we could possible be an option for some country or multi billionaire, who knows.
But I also look at the table and think that there are other clubs that we can and should compete with. Palace, Bournemouth, Brentford, Leicester, Ipswich, Forest etc etc. I get they are established but the PL is harsh and any of those could dip dramatically. That is our league table next year, finishing above that lot.
I'm interested to see how Martin gets on. I'm not a fan of our style. I loved winning games but I don't enjoy the possession style of football. I find it immensely frustrating at times. We won't have the ball so much next season so will he change?
I also think that with less of the ball we will need clinical finishers to capitalise on any chances we get and frankly, I don't think we have any.
Ross Stewart? Who knows, barely seen the bloke.
Armstrong? Had a fantastic season but has struggled badly in the PL before and he finds it tough against the top defenders.
Adams? Well he's off but he is not a finisher anyway.
For me you have chance in the PL if you can score goals. That will also take pressure off the defence, but right now, I can't see where the goals will come from.
I see Brentford being in the same situation if they lose Toney. A goal scorer can cover a lot of deficiencies.
I know strikers are the most expensive players and I'm sure we're looking but without a goal threat we'll be under the cosh every week. |  | | |
| Am I odd????? on 09:13 - May 30 with 443 views | GRIM |
If you are odd then so am I.
I feel exactly as you do.
Apart from everything else that's been said on this post, what chance is there of any of our Academy Players getting game time.
Virtually "zilch" , gone are days when we produced some brilliant young players. | | | |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.