The greatest ever Saints team?

With Saints match at Hartlepool being postponed due to the weather, I decided to share my all time favourite Saints team with you. I have been an avid follower for many years and have had the pleasure of seeing some incredible talent pull on the famous red and white shirts. Now my opinion will prove to be wrong in some people’s eyes, but this is the team I think was the best ever while I have been watching Saints. There were many candidates to make this team and coming up with a starting XI was a tough task, but here goes!!

1.       Tim Flowers – An England international who showed his true genius during the early years of the premiership. Flowers was a great shot stopper who commanded his area. Most memorable moment was when he ran the length of Old Trafford after saving a Ryan Giggs penalty in the FA Cup to put Saints through to the Quarter Finals.

2.       Jeff Kenna – Having come through the ranks, Jeff pips Jason Dodd as my right back. A marauding full back that made his name with whole hearted displays and a willingness to work for the team. My best memory of Jeff was his celebration with another stalwart of the club, Franny Benali after scoring a cracking left footed curler at home.

3.       Gareth Bale – Made his debut as a 16 year old away at Derby County and scored a cracking free kick in a 2-2 draw. Gareth somehow in one season got into my all time XI by showing a maturity beyond his years and running games from left back in the second tier of English football.

4.       Neil Maddison – Defensive midfielder was tough position to call. Candidates for this position included the tough tackling Tommy Widdrington and long haired monster Terry Hurlock. Maddison gets the nod as he would chip in with the odd goal and was part of a midfield whose main job was to win the ball and as Alan Ball wanted “Give it to TIss!”

5.       Michael Svennson – Killer as he was affectionately known to the fans, was a hard ginger Swedish centre back. He formed a great partnership with another Scandinavian in Claus Lundekvam. Killer scored the last ever goal at Maine Road in a 1-0 away win. That shut the Gallagher’s up!

6.       Francis Benali – Franny was Southampton through and through. Having started as a striker, he eventually played in defence. Franny was a hard working committed player. He had a nasty streak and opposition attackers knew he was there. Never the most talented, but wore his heart on his sleeve and shed plenty of blood for the cause. Scored only 1 goal in over 450 appearances.

7.       Matthew Le Tissier – Only one man could ever have this shirt in my team. Matty was simply the greatest player I have ever seen. Scorer of penalties, free kicks and spectacular goals. Matty was out talisman, when he played well, we generally played well. Scored goals which today’s overpaid players can only dream off. Scored the last ever league goal at the Dell. A goal which nearly bought me to tears, the perfect fairytale ending for the Dell!

8.       Anders Svennson – Another Swedish import to make my team, Anders was pushed close by Ronnie Ekelund, but due to Ronnie’s career being cut short due to injury, Svennson gets the nod. An attacking midfielder who helped to knit together the team in some difficult times. Scored a great goal on the route to Cardiff in 2003 against Spurs.

9.       Marian Pahars – A footballer with a woman’s name was how he was first billed but many premiership defences quickly realised he wasn’t one to be messed with! Marians Pace and skill made many a player look foolish including a certain nutmeg on Jaap Stam at Old Trafford!

10.   Chris Marsden – Journeyman is a term that could be used to describe Chris. A dependable midfielder who formed a great partnership with Wayne Bridge down the left side of the pitch. Highlight of his career was his John Barnes-esque goal away at Ipswich as he went past 6 players and finished.

11.   Neil Heaney – Norm as he was known was an infuriating player. He could produce magic down the wing and score great goals, but more often than not, his final ball would end up in the middle of the Milton Road stand. He gets the nod ahead of many other wide players we have had simply because I remember the way he terrorised Dean Austin of Spurs for a couple of seasons. Never have I seen a full back look so scared when a player ran at him.

So there is my favourite Saints XI, I’m sure many of you don’t agree with my selections. If you have any suggestions please let me know. Saints have had many talented and brilliant footballers during my years as a fan, but we have also had some shockers! I’m working on my worst ever Saints XI, but it may take a while to come up with that team.

St Mary's - The Fortress

November 20^th 2010 – November 27^th 2010

Saints started the week with the first of three home games against pre-season promotion rivals Peterborough United.  Saints started like a runaway horse against the “posh”, we should have scored a lot earlier than the 28^th minute when “Bernie” continued his good recent form by smashing the ball past Joe Lewis in the Boro goal. Lewis had already pulled off a couple of good saves from Lallana before Saints took the lead.  Saints went in 1-0 up at the break, but it was easy to see why Peterborough had been conceding goals of late. Yes, they may have a good attack at this level, but some of the defending was comical. Early on Chamberlain skinned the full back and this caused one of their most creative players, George Boyd to spend his afternoon helping his full back from what can only be described as a footballing rape!

Second half started with a bang as the ever improving Ryan Dickson crossed for Fonte to head home his 4^th goal of the season. Finally we have a centre back that chips in with a few goals! In all honesty Fonte is playing below his level. Jose could easily do a very good job at championship level. Saints increased the lead when Richard Chaplow made it 3-0 after 50 minutes and it was game over. Saints had outclassed, out passed and out muscled the opponents on offer. The defence was called into action rarely and stood up well against Mackail-Smith and Maclean. Posh pulled a goal back on 76 minutes as MacLean finished well from inside the box, but Saints were not finished, as we were treated to a Samba special appearance from Guly who came on and scored. In all honesty he should have had a hat trick but maybe we’ll see that one day. A solid 4-1 home victory for Saints who played with an attacking freedom and simply swept the “Posh” away.

The second game of the week came against top of the table Brighton. Gus Poyet has taken them to the summit with a possession game. Brighton bought a full allocation of away fans and the atmosphere was buzzing. Saints fans mocked the fans that had made the journey from Sussex with the predictable, yet funny banter. All the classic chants were out including, “Does your boyfriend know you’re here?” and “We can see you holding hands”. My good friend, Russell who supports the seagulls was expecting these chants and wasn’t surprised at how quickly the chants were sung.

Saints again, like the whole season, started well. Brighton couldn’t cope with all our midfield runners and struggled to pick up the intelligent running of Lallana. Somehow, Brighton managed to hold out till half time. Saints had played the league leaders off the park but had nothing to show for it! 0-0 at half time didn’t do justice to the attacking flair shown by Saints. The Brighton keeper made a couple of crucial stops and was helped by defenders throwing themselves at the ball.

The second half again started with Saints on the front foot, but on a cold winters evening, things started to even out. Brighton slowly gained more possession but didn’t look too likely to score. Saints held out for the draw after tiring in the final 20 minutes and a point against the team leading the way in the division isn’t the worst result we could have got. Radhi Jaidi gets a special mention for playing an absolute blinder at the back. Good to have you back Fireball!

Our third home game of the week was against Cheltenham town in the FA cup 2^nd round. Saints had reduced admission prices and despite a chilly day, we still managed to get the highest attendance of the round.

In all honesty this was a mis-match from when the draw was made. Saints brushed aside their league 2 opponents with ease and surprising comfort. Saints made a few changed to the starting team with Guly and Young Oscar Gobern getting starts. Yet again it was Lallana who shone as he gave Saints an early lead finishing following a flowing move. Saints dominated with long spells of possession and were frustrated as Cheltenham sat back and tried to make life difficult. We finished the game off on 50 minutes when Guly added to the score to make it 2-0, the goal coming minutes after Gobern had a goal ruled out for offside. Gobern was finally to get his first goal for the club on 87 minutes as he headed home from a good cross.

A perfect end to an enjoyable week, Saints picked up 4 league points and made it into the 3^rd round of the most famous club competition in the world! Blackpool will be the team coming to St. Mary’s for the next round, the return of one of the unsung heroes from the 2003 FA cup final team Brett Ormerod will be a feisty affair.  

A big thank you to all those that have been able to read this and if you have any comments, good or bad please get in touch.

Special thanks to my very good friend Alan who is helping spread the word by advertising this blog on his own website. Please visit www.bellsofhythe.co.uk for all your outdoor sports needs!

All the best

Neel

An away day with a difference.

November 13^th 2010

With Saints making the long trip to Carlisle, my brother and I decided this would be the perfect weekend to achieve a lifetime ambition to watch a match at the Nou Camp, Barcelona.

Getting a ticket to watch arguably the best team in the world at their historic home proved to be an easy task. We arrived at the Nou Camp at 2pm, a full 8 hours before kickoff and the place was already buzzing. The queue at one of the many ticket offices was short and soon we had the magic tickets in our hands. Then the fun bit, walking around the stadium and surrounding area. For once I had become something I hate; yes I had become a Plastic, Jonny Come Lately, Fan!



The club shop was our first stop and we could only admire the thought and effort that had been put into the layout and products at the shop. This truly is a club that is geared towards maximising its commercial enterprises. You could buy countless products all bearing the club crest, only problem was the price, 75 Euros for a replica shirt! Included in the complex is the club museum which holds many trophies and other memorabilia linked to the history of this famous club.



Club shops should all be like this!



We came back to the stadium about 3 hours before kickoff to take in some of the atmosphere. You would think that a club which has a massive worldwide following and thus numerous plastic fans (Tourists) would struggle to create an atmosphere, much like Old Trafford, but you’d be very wrong. All the fans were equally excited to be about to take part in a major sporting event. The area outside the stadium was awash with people all taking photos of the ground and local vendors seemed to be reaping the rewards as euro’s were spent by the thousands.



The view from inside the ground.



We entered the ground and took our seats, Luck had it that we were behind the South goal and only about 10 rows back. The view was spectacular and compared to Wembley stadium a lot steeper! The top tier at the stadium seemed miles in the air, but I’ve been told the view from that height is still a great view. The players in Spain don’t warm up like the teams over here. They only appeared 30 minutes before kickoff for a quick stretch and some very impressive ball juggling. The opposition players of Villarreal were greeted with deafening whistling and jeering as they took to the pitch to warm up. The home fans seemed intent on bursting the opposition’s ear drums with their incessant whistling. Then the moment I had been waiting for, the entrance of the home side. It has been tradition at Barcelona to sing the Catalan anthem as the players step onto the pitch. Having seen this on TV I was looking forward to seeing it live and all I can say is that I was not let down. Every fan was singing at the top of their voices as the words were projected onto the big screen. I think it was on par with the emotion I felt singing “God Save the Queen” at Wembley with Saints.



The club crest on display.



The game started as expected with the magical midfield of Barca dominating with their intelligent and quick passing style, much like the Spanish national team. Any team that can have a player like Xavi in it and still have players who are considered better must be some team. Messi, Villa and Pedro were causing all sorts of problems for the defence of the El Submarino Amarillo which translates to the Yellow Submarine. Barca took the lead when David Villa, for whom they paid over 40m Euro’s, slotted home from close range following good work from the ever classy Iniesta. David Villa is a striker who has realised that at Barca you don’t have a set position in the attacking third of the pitch. You play where you need to and let the midfield tee you up for the many chances you get. Some people are obsessed with talking about formations and how a 4-4-2 is better than a 4-3-3 / 4-5-1, but this team play with no focal point in their attack, instead undoing even a tight defence with sheer movement and intelligent passing. A joy to watch I can assure you. Villarreal equalized with an equally impressive goal as Nilmar finished following a counter attack, a controversial goal in the eyes of the Nou camp faithful who were enraged at a poor offside decision against Barca. The jeers and whistling were like anything I had never heard before. There was pure hatred in the fans voices as the famous white hankies were waved in the direction of the officials. 1-1 at half time and the second half couldn’t get much better.

The second period started just like the first, Sergio, Iniesta and Xavi pulling the Villarreal defence and midfield apart allowing Messi to start to influence the game. Barca took the lead when Messi played 2 on two’s and then with his so called weaker foot lifted the ball over the on rushing Diego Lopez. Messi added another later in the half to wrap up the 3 points, but I have to say, Barca could have scored many more goals. They even had the audacity to replace Xavi with a full 20 minutes remaining. A true master class was witnessed by me. Something I will never forget. The stadium erupted with noise at the final whistle. With atmospheres like this, it’s easy to see why the Nou Camp has become a fortress for Barca.

My brother and I, Pre-match!

People wonder why Spain have become such a force in world football, it’s simple, they trust their talents. How many players would make it to the very top of the game in England weighing next to nothing and being 5ft 5 inches tall? The answer is unfortunately not many. At Barca they have a small side that make bigger, stronger players look like fools. Messi, Xavi and Iniesta have all come through the club academy and have an undoubted love of the club. They may be small but will chase all night to win the ball back and create the flowing football we have all come to love. The focus in most European countries is all about pace, strength and power. It makes a refreshing change to watch such artists weave their magic and not worry about how hard they’ll be kicked by the opposition, because they know eventually they will get the better of them.

I have to say I truly enjoyed my Nou Camp experience and can now tick that one off my list of things to do. I highly recommend the trip to all and will say it ranks up there with watching Saints at Wembley and around the UK.

Sorry if I have rambled on a bit this time but I wanted you to have an insight into one of my best football experiences.

A big thank you to all those that have been able to read this and if you have any comments, good or bad please get in touch.

Special thanks to my very good friend Alan who is helping spread the word by advertising this blog on his own website. Please visit www.bellsofhythe.co.uk for all your outdoor sports needs!

All the best & Adios!

Neel

Onwards and Upwards

October 9^th 2010

As Saints prepared to take on Tranmere at St. Marys, I prepared to make my TV debut in a football quiz on sky sports called Take it like a fan. Having been to work and back to Southampton by 11am, I was tired but ready to attempt to win £500 on the telly.  I got down to St. Marys and met the presenters, John “Fenners” Fendley and the lovely Charlotte Jackson. Both were top people and calmed any nerves I may have had, Shame I messed up the question and lost my opportunity to win £500 by scoring a penalty on the hallowed turf!

The game itself was a mismatch from the first minute. Saints played Guly up front in place of the recently injured Lee Barnard. The rest of the team was normal with saints employing a 4-4-2 formation. I have seen some poor sides come to the home of football on many occasions, but Tranmere certainly staked their claim with an inept performance. Saints played with great flair and skill, we deservedly took the lead when Danny Butterfield played in a sublime cross to the back post where Rickie Lambert rose and powered home a stunning header.  1-0 at half time and it could have been many more! The second half started much like the first with Saints doing all the pressing, Our Brazilian import Guly was running the show with some lovely flicks and crossed to set up Lallana for a simple tap in. 2-0 it finished, however it could and should have been more with Lee Barnard guilty of a couple of shocking finishes. Overall a top day, I made my TV debut and Saints strolled to a convincing victory!

Charlotte, Me & Fenners. Take it like a FAN

October 16^th 2010

Saints faced a difficult trip to much fancied Huddersfield the following week and suffered a 2-0 defeat. Saints seemed to be the masters of their own failures and gave away 2 poor goals by overplaying at the back. Glad I missed this one!

October 23^rd 2010

Yet again we faced a team who on paper we should be beating comfortably. Paul Dickov bought his Oldham team down to St Marys and we knew exactly what to expect! Oldham took on every attribute of their manager and produced a gritty, determined and at times dirty performance. Saints again started brightly and played a fast flowing attacking brand of football, when allowed!

Oldham took the lead in the first half with a decent move; all this after Saints had hit the post through Puncheon.  Dan Harding could have done a lot better for the Oldham goal again making a poor decision in the box.  Rickie Lambert again looked to be gaining in confidence and was playing an important role up top. Saints equalized on the brink of half time after Lallana won a free kick by the corner flag. The ball was crossed into the box and up rose Fonte to head home from 5 yards. 1-1 at half time.

The second half started with Guly chasing a long ball into the box and appearing to have been hauled down, the worst ref I have ever seen Andy D’Urso turned down the appeal. Now I have seen some bad refs in my time including Roger Milford and Alf Buksh but D’Urso showed why he has been taken off the premier league list with some ridiculous decision making. I think both teams were on the end of a couple of shockers. Saints made a change in the second half introducing the promising Chamberlain. Almost immediately he was dancing into the Oldham box and finishing low into the far corner. Just what we needed! Chamberlain again lit up the game late in injury time as he ran from inside his own half, beat 5 players and struck the post with another low drive! A well deserved, but hard fought 2-1 home victory, kept the Saints marching on in the right direction.

October 30^th 2010

Yet again I missed the away trip to Notts County due to other commitments, Guess what, Saints come home with all 3 points. A great result considering Notts County had appointed Paul Ince as manager just a couple of days previous. New manager syndrome didn’t affect our surge up the table but a generous penalty decision worked in our favour as we scored 3 in the last half hour to claim a 3-1 victory.

November 2^nd 2010

With Saints on a good run and looking like the pre season promotion favourites, we took on lowly Dagenham & Redbridge at St Marys. The Daggers are expected to be fighting relegation this season and this game highlighted why. Saints started with Chaplow and Chamberlain coming in for the out of touch Morgan and Puncheon.

Saints kicked off towards the Northam and from minute 1, it looked like we could score at will! Saints finally took the lead when Chamberlain did his full back and attempted what I would describe as a floated cross, the keeper mis-judged it and the watched helplessly as the ball drifted over him into the net. Saints continued to look for another and the same man extended the lead from a similar position, but this time I think he meant to lob the keeper. 2-0 at half time and young Chamberlain was running the show.

The second half was a similar story, Saints were less dominant than the first half but still scored two more lovely goals, with a flowing move setting up Bernie for simple tap in and then a wonderful left footed cross by chamberlain was powered home by Fonte for his second in as many home games.

On this sort of attacking form, I don’t think many teams at this level could have coped with our play. The power of Lambert, hard work and hold up play from Lee Barnard was superbly complimented by the pace of Chamberlain and the genius of Adam Lallana. The first touch, quick feet and intelligent play from Lallana was a joy to watch. Let’s get him signed up to a new contract please Mr Cortese!      

My apologies for the lateness of this latest instalment but unfortunately work must come first in these hard times. I will make an effort to update you all on a more regular basis.

A big thank you to all those that have been able to read this and if you have any comments, good or bad please get in touch.

Special thanks to my very good friend Alan who is helping spread the word by advertising this blog on his own website. Please visit http://www.bellsofhythe.com/ for all your outdoor sports needs!

All the best

Neel

Things finally starting to look up!

September 28^th 2010

I missed the last away game at Sheffield Wednesday which we won due to work. Strange fact – Both away games I have missed have resulted in two victories. Coincidence?

Another away day at one of my most memorable matches from last season. Saints making the short trip into Somerset to face Yeovil. The journey to Yeovil is a short but slow one. The whole trip involves A roads and the slowest getaway from a ground possible! My brother and I headed off early to pick up a few of the lads and head to the game. We arrived at a decent hour and found some free parking just outside the ground. The stewards at Yeovil were very helpful and even directed us to the nearest social club for a quick drink before kickoff. Yeovil is a terraced stand and we got into the ground early to gain a good vantage point. Watching the players warming up we even indulged in a bit of Alan Partridge style chanting to our left back “DAN”!!

The game started at a mediocre pace and Saints settled well. The highlight of the first half was the thunderous effort from Rickie Lambert which crashed into the underside of the bar and looked to have crossed the line, but alas the Lino didn’t agree! Yeovil then decided to go against the spirit of the game and their number 7 (Williams) dived in the box at the away end and was rightly told to get up by the ref. You can imagine the abuse we dished out! We tried hard during the remainder of the half but lacked the cutting edge.

Second half started with a Saints Sub. Our Brazilian Samba Superstar Guly coming on to replace the young starlet Chamberlain. The rain started falling at a horrendous rate and as the Saints faithful were all getting soaked and miserable, Guly brightened our evening with a crisp finish into the bottom corner. 1-0 to the saints and all of us were getting ready to start a conga! Just as is typical with Saints we then gave away a soft penalty which was converted. We pressed for a second goal as the rain eased and seemed to be getting on top. Our midfield again disappointed me by looking for the Hollywood pass when a shot from 20 yards was on. We resorted to knocking the ball long in an effort to grab the winner. In the fourth minute of added on time, Guly again had a snap shot from inside the box, this effort cannoning off the inside of the post and Saints had to settle for a point.

Andy, Jamie & Vish enjoying some pre match banter at Yeovil!

October 3^rd 2010

This time the Saints had a home game against Bournemouth. Now the press and some supporters seemed to think of this match as a local derby, but come on! Bournemouth are nothing but a lower league team who we will finish above at the end of the season. Our real Rivals are the fishy mob from Portsmouth. Now playing them would be a proper derby. It did make me laugh when I heard the game had been dubbed “the new forest derby” by local press!

Bournemouth travelled to St Marys in numbers and sold their full allocation of tickets. This also included the mouthy chairman they have Eddie Mitchell. The former chairman of lowly Dorchester Town was claiming to have been banned from attending the game by Nicola Cortese due to Mitchell publicly stating that Cherries boss Eddie Howe had turned down the manager’s position at Saints. These ludicrous claims were denied by Saints and Mitchell was told he could attend once he’d paid off his bar bill from the previous month’s meeting in the league cup. Mitchell ended up paying for a corporate box for himself and family.

The atmosphere was good as Bournemouth started brightly in what seemed to be the biggest game in their history! The one and only effort which was on target from the Dorset club was after 45 seconds as they hit the post. The ball bounced away from danger and I don’t think Kelvin Davies had much to do after that. Saints went up the other end and almost scored as Bernie was denied by a decent save from the opposition keeper. We slowly took control of the game, listening to Nigel Adkins’s instructions and passing the ball around. Morgan and Deano in midfield having their best games for a while. We took the lead in the 19^th minute when Lambert was challenged in the box and the cherries player handled the ball. Up stepped our Goal Machine to smash the ball high into the roof of the net. From that moment on we never really looked in trouble. Even Jason Puncheon was having a good game even if it was for his tackling rather than dribbling!

Second half started with Saints knocking the ball around. 10 minutes into the second half the ref had no choice but to award another penalty as Saints caused chaos in the box and Puncheon was crudely bought down. Up stepped Rickie Lambert again and buried the ball into the net at the northam end. 2-0 and things looked rosy! We saw out the game with some good passing and some determined challenges. Bournemouth full back Smith was dismissed for two yellow cards and Saints sent on the returning Richard Chaplow to beef up the midfield. Richard left his mark on the match with a crunching challenge which earned him a booking on the Bournemouth skipper.

All in all, a good game, it obviously meant more to the opposition fans who decided to attempt to invade the Northam end and actually ended up injuring a steward. Bournemouth has a reputation as being a retirement town for the older generations, but it seemed that all the scag heads from Boscombe had decided to make the short trip into Hampshire, probably hoping to score some more Crack!

A fitting and well deserved result, Eddie Mitchell the Bournemouth chairman might need to have a look at himself following this game. A Chairman is a pivotal figure in any football club and should act accordingly. Giving the “V” sign to opposition fans and then signalling that Saints would be going down is not the way to behave! Bournemouth again lost their cup final 2-0 and hopefully will realise their place in local football hierarchy.  

A big thank you to all those that have been able to read this and if you have any comments, good or bad please get in touch.

All the best

Neel

Another manager, another new start!

September 11^th 2010

My brother and I made the short journey to Swindon hoping for an improvement in recent performances. Still officially manager less, Saints were hoping to end our recent poor form against the hosts. Rumours building that Nigel Adkins would be appointed following the game were rife.

We were sat behind the goal as Dean Wilkins again took charge of the team.  Saints has a good following and like recent matches started well. Aaron Martin, who has been one of our better players this season, hit the bar early on from an in swinging corner. The rest of the first half was even. We huffed and puffed but seemed to lack any sort of attacking endeavour. Vincent Pericard had a goal disallowed for Swindon as we approached half time.

The second half started much like the first with Saints doing all the early pressing but lacking the killer ball to unlock a well organised defence. Swindon took the lead following what looked like a clear foul on Jose Fonte from a set piece and Charlie Austin poked in the loose ball. Again Austin celebrated like a “big time Charlie”, but he’s got to realise, he had achieved nothing in the game yet and goading opposition fans will get him no where! It was with great pleasure that for the first time ever I sang Kelvin Davies’ name as he came rushing out of his goal and cleaned out Austin. Young Mr Austin had to be stretchered off with a suspected dislocated shoulder and could be out for a few weeks. Who says Karma doesn’t exist! We were so poor in an attacking sense that my brother and I resorted to abusing the keeper for half an hour in the hope that we could draw a mistake out of him which could help the saints, this never happened, but the keeper took it well and even smiled in our direction! Unfortunately we came home empty handed again!

Swindon Away, Look at their lovely Floodlights!

September 13^th 2010

Finally all the rumours about our new manager had been settled. Nigel Adkins had been appointed on a three year contract. The news was announced on the Sunday night. I am happy at the appointment. Adkins seems like a well liked manager and has every coaching badge possible under his belt. His style of play is rumoured to be a quick, flowing attacking style. I hope he gets our boys playing this way, but if we play hoof ball and results pick up, I can’t see too many people complaining.

Welcome to Saints Nigel and good luck!

September 15^th 2010

Another away game at one of my all time favourite stadiums. This game was being played having been postponed earlier in the season following the death of Mr Liebherr. This time three of us made the short journey up the A34 to Stadium MK. Easy to get to and plenty of parking, just two of the many positives of this ground.

Nigel Adkins took charge for the first time and with renewed optimism we started well. Alex Chamberlain causing the very overrated Dean Lewington a few early problems with his pace. Rickie Lambert looked a shadow of his former self, but still managed to get a few shots on target early on and win a few headers. But in all honesty, yet again the Saints looked toothless.

Half time entertainment is a gripe of mine and I was pleasantly surprised to hear a wonderful rendition of Jerusalem being performed live. It was superb and got a good round of applause. Maybe Saints should take note of this and get some decent half time entertainment instead of some bumbling idiot getting fans to wave their £3 match day programs in the air!

Second Half started with MK on the front foot and they soon took the lead. I don’t know what happened for the rest of the half. We seemed desperately low on confidence and eventually seemed to give up. Hardly a tackle went in by us as MK scored a second. Another disappointing away day drew to a close!

Stadium MK at full capacity!

September 18^th 2010

Our first home under the new management regime was against our perennial nemesis Colchester. Again Saints started well and had a fair amount of possession early on. The returning Lee Barnard worked hard up front and we seemed a lot more solid as a unit. We had chances during the first half but none of them can be classed as clear cut.

The second half was a case of Colchester parking the bus in front of their goal and Saints having to end the goal drought which has dogged us recently. We tried hard, but lacked quality. On the hour mark, Adkins made a change and took off the ineffective Puncheon and replaced him with the forgotten man Lee Holmes. His impact was almost immediate as Holmes put in some decent set pieces and crosses. None of these lead to a goal but showed the new gaffer of other options in the squad. On another day Lambert, who had his best performance of the season, could have had a hat-trick. The Colchester keeper made three stunning saves from him, including two from trademark Lambert free kicks.

I left the game with a more positive frame of mind from when I arrived. Still worryingly Saints have failed to score in five consecutive matches, but we showed commitment to the final whistle unlike at MK.

We go into this weekend’s match at Sheffield Wednesday with a bit more of the feel good factor around the squad and I hope for a positive result.

A big thank you to all those that have been able to read this and if you have any comments, good or bad please get in touch.

All the best

Neel

The Soap Opera continues......

August 28th 2010


Saints played their first away game for a while at Bristol Rovers, due to work I was unable to go to this game. Just my luck Saints run out 4-0 winners with a dominant performance. It finally looked as though the tide was turning and our season was finally underway.



August 30th 2010

I was woken on bank holiday Monday by a text from a friend telling me Alan Pardew and his management team had been dismissed. Shocked like every other Saints fan, I tried to get as much information as to what had caused the club to make this decision and more importantly what the future plans of the club were.

For whatever reason the club took the decision to terminate Pardew's employment, I’m sure it was necessary. I myself was sad to see Pardew go as I thought he had helped put a smile back on the fans faces and helping us emerge from our darkest days. Pardew bought in some very good players and despite missing out the play offs last season, he bought us our first trophy in many years following a great day out at Wembley.

Nicola Cortese has been slaughtered in the local press and by many of our fans following his actions, but comparing him to people like Pol Pot and Idi Amin is a complete disgrace. I’m sure all non disclosure contracts have been put in place to not only protect the club but also the previous management team. I’m sure the number of people who know the exact reason for Pardew’s sacking is small and all the rumours flying around do nothing but destabilise the club.



August 31st 2010

We went into our JPT match against Swindon as defending champions on transfer deadline day with no manager. The soap opera continues!

With Dean Wilkins in Temporary charge for the foreseeable future, I anticipated that no signings would be made, the loan window will open again next week by which time a new manager may be in place who can add to the squad if he sees fit.

The match itself was a poor performance. We seemed to be shell shocked by the previous day’s news and it was a lacklustre and unintelligent performance. I don’t think it helped that the crowd were chanting Alan Pardew’s name. At the end of the day, he is no longer employed by the club, so in my opinion we need to move on. I was tempted to sing about Ian Branfoot to show how it’s best to leave the past behind. During the game we were undone by two goals from Pericard and one from Charlie Austin. The later giving it large when celebrating, I think he needs to remember he has achieved nothing in the game yet and should concentrate on scoring then acting like a spoilt brat.



September 4th 2010

The rumours over a new club manager continued, with many names being mentioned. But more importantly we had an on paper banker at home to Rochdale. Dean Wilkins again took charge.

The first half started with Saints doing the usual trick of dominating but not taking early chances. Rickie Lambert looked short of fitness and seemed to be trying too hard. We desperately missed the hard work and endeavour of Barnard. But despite this start we were soon 1-0 down as Rochdale scored a well worked goal. This goal seemed to drain any confidence we had, but despite our passing being poor we still created chances. Jason Puncheon the main culprit missing chances even I could have scored from.

Second half was a similar story; we created chances despite not playing well, and then were hit with another beautifully crafted goal by the visitors. 2-0 at home to Rochdale, a result I thought I would never see. Our best players in this game were the youngsters Martin and Chamberlain. Maybe the chairman’s plans to promote players from the academy might just work!



So, the search for a new manager still continues, many big names have been linked. Martin O’Neill being one of the biggest. Some fans seem to think we had a realistic chance of attracting someone like him to League 1. My personal choice for the job has remained a 25/1 long shot and I doubt will be appointed and that was Tony Mowbray.

Some managers such as the media whore that is Phil “I’m orange” Brown have openly expressed their interest and have even claimed to be interviewed. Some of the rumours floating around about candidates seen in Southampton or spotted talking to club officials have been hilarious. All I know is that the club will conduct their business in the usual manner and we will be advised of our new manager when the club have settled all aspects of the deal.

Nigel Adkins appears to be the man Saints have chosen to take us forward. I think it’ll be a good appointment and look forward to him joining us once all the contractual issues are sorted. It has been good reading the hourly updates that seem to have come out regarding this story and how some fans are so quick to jump on bandwagons. A message to all saints fans from me, why not make your own mind up on issues and stop listening to all the nonsense that is spouted on internet forums by people who have nothing better to do.

Anyway, I have gone on long enough this time. I look forward to the club moving forward, hopefully with 6 points from away trips to Swindon and Franchise FC.

A big thank you to all those that have been able to read this and if you have any comments, good or bad please get in touch.



All the best



Neel

Low's, High's and Low's - A week in the life of a Saints fan, Part 2

August 21st 2010


Following the tragic loss of Mr Liebherr, Saints away match to MK Dons aka Franchise FC was postponed. Thus my next Saints game was at home to Leyton Orient.

Orient are a club who I don’t know a lot about. They are a small team based in North East London and have Barry Hearn as their chairman. They aren’t expected to cause many upsets during the season. So it was with optimism I went down to St Marys.

Before the game a minute’s applause was held for Mr Liebherr, a nice gesture from the club and fans alike. However, my own personal opinion is that a minutes silence would have been more appropriate. Call me old fashioned, but I feel some traditions should be held onto. The game started much like the game against Plymouth the week before. Saints on the front foot. A somewhat lucky goal gave us a deserved lead as the goal machine Lambert strode up to take a free kick, which was deflected in by the hapless Orient defender. My 3-0 bet looked good at this stage. Sure enough typical Saints then threw away the lead with a poor goal to concede from a set piece. Lambert was man enough to admit he lost his player. Fair play Rickie. The rest of the half was a case of Saints having a lot of the ball, but little penetration. Lee “Bernard” Barnard came close to getting off the mark on a couple of occasions and hit the woodwork.

Second half started in similar fashion, with Bernie looking our biggest threat. Orient looked to play on the break and it seemed the tag of promotion favourites may be unjustified following our inability to break down a stubborn defence. Bernie hit the woodwork again during the second period. Saints lacked a creative spark, Puncheon who was bought to provide chances to our front men was having a nightmare, no final ball and a lack of hunger seemed to sum up his day. Orient held on for the draw and celebrated like they had gone home with all 3 points.

During the second half following one of my many tirades at our keeper Kelvin Davis, a JLC (Jonnie Come Lately) questioned my opinion. Now I have always been one to state my own views but I found it difficult to comprehend that a JLC had the right to question my views. As someone who has been a season ticket holder for countless years, I feel I am entitled to my opinion and if people don’t agree with it fair enough. But I will not stand for some plastic fan to question me. This is one of my pet hates about the beautiful game!



August 24th 2010

Saints had a tricky League Cup game at home to Premiership Bolton. Before the game I was predicting a defeat and stated that an honourable performance would be the least I would accept. So off to St Marys I went with my brother. Sat in the Kingsland stand, ready to watch my heroes.

Despite Bolton stating they would play a weakened side, they still fielded a team with several internationals and included Saints old boy Kevin Davies. Saints started the brighter and Lallana was involved in all our attacking play. Yet again it was the same old story as we dominated a team two divisions above us, but failed to make our advantage count. Bolton took the lead on the 30 minute mark as Klasnic the Croatian international stabbed home from close range following a Davies knock down. I thought Davies had committed a foul in the box, but it is the referee’s opinion that counts. Even with the slender lead Bolton were still under pressure from Saints with Puncheon, Barnard and Lallana all linking up well.

Second half was even more one sided as Saints kept knocking at the Bolton door without breaching their goal. At the back, Aaron Martin and Jose Fonte kept Bolton’s talented strike force quiet, with Martin having a very impressive second half. The Bolton keeper was forced into a couple of decent saves late, but with no success for the Saints. Special mention to Jason Puncheon, who had his best game in the red and white shirt. He was a threat and even put in the odd tackle!

Saints now have a tricky run of fixtures coming up, but if we play like we did in this game I have no doubt our form will pick up and the points will become a sheer formality.

The transfer deadline is upon us soon and with the premiership spending the big money; it will be an interesting time to see if anymore new faces will join our new Brazilian signing Guly at the home of football, St Marys.

A big thank you to all those that have been able to read this and if you have any comments, good or bad please get in touch.

I would like to mention my close friends and family who have enjoyed my footballing education with me and sometimes even helped me stay calm! So a huge thank you to My dad, My brother Vish, Oldest friends Jamie and Geoff, Brendan, Joe, Dave, Pete, Dan, John and Vik.



All the best



Neel

Lows, Highs and Lows – A week in the life of a Saints Fan.

It is with great regret and devastation that I have edited my first blog about my beloved Southampton Football club. Hours before I was due to publish this, I received the tragic news that the Saviour of my club, Mr Markus Liebherr, had sadly passed away. My thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time. My thoughts also go out to all the saints fans in the world that along with me had and still have a special place for Markus in our hearts.
RIP MARKUS, a true saint!

August 7th 2010
The day all football fans look forward to, a day when usually all teams start as equals, a day when after 30 seconds your team could potentially be top of the league or bottom!
The day starts with all the anticipation of the thrills of the coming season. Even after nearly twenty years of being a season ticket holder, I was still awake at a ridiculous time considering the hectic working week I’d had. Approaching the stadium I walked through the tunnel from Northam road, past the mural of Charles Miller and I felt like a young child in a sweet shop! Getting into the ground, tearing my match voucher and handing it to the chap in the turnstile and I felt at home. The slow walk up the stairs of the Northam stand, and finally I arrived at row W. A quick glance towards the drones of Green army fans followed by the greeting of all the familiar faces I hadn’t seen since May. Handshakes galore, stories of summer, and a deep breath and the season is upon us.
The game itself started at a quick pace, the left side combination of Harding and Dickson seemed to show some very good early promise. Saints piled forward, skipper Hammond flashed a couple of headers wide, the hard working Barnard chasing everything and new boy Butterfield looking a solid right back. Then for some reason, saints stopped the passing game and went route one. Connolly and Barnard weren’t able to get hold of the ball and Plymouth came back into it. Half time – Saints the better side, but how often have we seen that?
Second half kicks off; poor defending from Harding lets in Summerfield and its 1-0! Saints huffed and puffed after that. Morgan anonymous, Puncheon at his frustrating best. Lallana comes on and seems to lift St Marys. A couple of decent efforts, but at full time, its official we are bottom of the league!
Following the game, Saints were all of a sudden public enemy number 1 following the so called press ban. I think the people who took to criticising the club so soon into the season need to have a long hard look at themselves.
Yes we didn’t play well, but it’s only the first game! Grumblings from certain sections of supporters about Alan Pardews future and the running of the club started. A complete nonsense. Stick to the plan chaps and it’ll be a great season!

August 10th 2010
The league cup starts with a local derby. I’ll be honest I wouldn’t have been too devastated if I’d have missed this one. Yes I try not to miss games, but a game where I expected a comfortable win and response following the Plymouth result would not be one I’d be taking time off work for.
The cherries bought their full allocation which resulted in me having to move from my beloved block 42. My dad, brother and myself all ventured into the Kingsland to enjoy the game.
The match was always going to be about Saints breaking down the Cherries and trying to avoid being done on the counter. A couple of changes from the previous game, Chamberlain got a start as did the mercurial Lallana. The game started at a frantic pace, 0-0 at half time, with a few chances to both teams.
Second half was a lot better with saints taking the lead through a sublime curling finish from that man Lallana. Biggest cheer of the night was reserved for the Goal Machine Rickie Lambert as he made his first appearance of the season following injury. A ball from Lambert into the path of young Chamberlain and Saints ran out 2-0 winners following the youngster’s first senior goal. Chant of the night had to be “2-0 in your cup final”
A decent performance and plenty of optimism going into Saturdays match away to MK Dons.

A big thank you to all those that have been able to read this and if you have any comments, good or bad please get in touch.

All the best

Neel