Red and White Bill

The Saints Fanzine – the jinx is over!

2010-11-07T22:31:00.000Z

With Saints maintaining their fine run of form with another victory, this time in the cup against Shrewsbury yesterday, it is time to reveal that a particularly annoying monkey has been lifted from the magazine's back.

The first league games at which we sold issues one and two of the fanzine were against Plymouth and Rochdale - both ending in fairly disastrous defeats. Some said we were cursed, that we were responsible for the downfall of Alan Pardew, even that we should cease production to give Nigel Adkins a fair go at the helm.

Thankfully, issue 3 sales days have ended in wins over Oldham and the Shrews so the cloud seems to have lifted. Long may it continue, and Saints' march up the table with it!

Visit www.thesaintsfanzine.com for more dets.

COYRs.

Saints 2 - Oldham 1

2010-10-24T20:36:00.003+01:00

Saints picked up their third home win on the trot on Saturday, outbattling Oldham in a tightly-fought game. It was pleasing to see Adkins' men fight back after going a goal behind, something they had yet to do this season. Oldham's early goal was the result of some criminal defending on the left side of Saints' defence, but Fonte made amends by heading home the equaliser from Adam Lallana's cross. Despite their at times cagey play, Saints came through thanks to a moment of brilliance from 17-year-old substitute Alex Chamberlain, who was superb when he came on. Adam Lallana was, as ever, superb throughout.

Would also like to point you in the direction of The Saints Fanzine, whose third issue went on sale yesterday. It seems to be going down well with supporters- if you are interested in copy please get in touch.

COYRs.

Win 2 tickets to Saints v Tranmere

2010-10-03T19:15:00.005+01:00

For those of you confused by the post below, this should make sense of it. Thanks to Official Football League partners Coral Dugout, we have two tickets to give away to this Saturday's match at home to Tranmere. Just answer the question below and send it, with your name and number, to me at wwainewright@gmail.com by Wednesday to be in with a shout.

Former Saints manager Dave Merrington now works as a pundit on Radio Solent. But where was the big-hearted northerner born?

I won't be giving the game away if I say it's north of Watford. Anyway, entries must be received by midday on Wednesday. Read terms and conditions below or drop a comment if you have any questions. Cheers and good luck!

Competitions: Terms and Conditions

2010-10-03T19:12:00.003+01:00

The blog is running its first ever competition this week, in conjunction with the folks at Coral Dugout. Will be posting the details in a moment, but first, for future reference, here are those all-important Ts and Cs...

· The editor's decision is final.
· Red and White Bill employees and their family members of Coral and Southampton FC are not eligible to enter.
· There are no cash alternatives. Prizes are exactly as stated in the competition - travel expenses, accommodation, food, hospitality and merchandise are not included.
· Entrants must be over 18.
· The winning entries are selected at random from all correct entries one week after publication date.
· Entries will be void if they are received after the closing date. We will not take any responsibility for late arrival of these entries.
· Each of the Football League and Coral reserve the right to verify the validity of entries made under this competition and further each reserves the right to disqualify any entry where either the Football League or Coral reasonably believe that the entry has been made unfairly or other than in accordance with these terms and conditions.
· If prizes cannot be posted, Red and White Bill will write to the winners informing them that they have won. Their names and addresses will be supplied to the booking company for contact to be made or to arrange delivery only. Details will not be passed on to any third party, outside of Coral’s agents.
· All competitions are accepted in good faith, if prizes cannot be supplied, as per the copy printed, it remains the responsibility of the booking agent to provide an alternative to the same value or above.
· All tickets are home tickets and therefore you must be a home or neutral supporter to attend the match. Away fans are not permitted in the home end of the Stadium and any individual acting in breach of this requirement may be ejected from the Stadium.
· Entry to the Southampton FC stadium is subject to normal conditions of ticket entry. Winners are subject to screening by the HOME CLUB (“Club…#157;) based on the Club’s conditions of entry and neither the Football League nor Coral shall be liable if the Entrant or any person accompanying the Entrant is refused entry or ejected by the Club, for failing to satisfy the Club’s condition or any other reason.
· If the Entrant or any person accompanying the Entrant is the subject of a current Banning Order under the Football Spectators Act 1989 (as amended) they will be refused entry to the Stadium and their winning entry and tickets will automatically be voided.
· The prize tickets that are issued to the winning Entrant may not be sold or transferred to any third parties.
· Neither the Football League nor Coral shall be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever which is suffered, including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss, or for death or personal injury suffered or sustained by any party as a result of winning and/or using the prize tickets, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law.
· By entering into this competition, each Entrant acknowledges that he/she is solely responsible for ensuring that he/she and any companion is willing and able to attend the fixture for which his/her prize tickets have been awarded. Neither the Football League nor Coral will be held responsible for any failure on the part of an Entrant to attend the relevant fixture for any reason nor will they be liable at any stage to issue replacement or substitute tickets to any Entrant.
· Each of the Football League and Coral reserve the right to terminate, amend or extend this promotion at any time.

Apologies...

2010-09-23T20:57:00.004+01:00

Huge apologies for the lack of posts this season - I should probably explain myself. Launching The Saints Fanzine - which is proving there's life in the ol' dead tree press yet - was to blame at first, but I started at journalism school three weeks ago, which has robbed me of any spare time or social life full stop (some say I didn't have the latter in the first place.)

Anyway, my posting capability will be severely limited for the foreseeable future, for which I apologise. In better news, I have been talking to bookmakers Coral, who will be throwing some Saints tickets our way for competitions - I will post more here shortly. Also, we hope to bring out the third issue of The Saints Fanzine towards the end of October.

Would also just like to point people in the direction of this article about Saints, which appeared on excellent football funnies website The DA after the Colchester game. I met the ingenious creator of the site Craig Woods before the game to give him in the inside track on all things Saints. Incidentally, one of my colleagues at journalism school, Richard Cutcher also writes for the site. Not only is he a top bloke, he was the Derby County mascot who hit the headlines last year for getting in a fight with two Reading players! If you fancy a laugh, please read this.

Answers to the first Saints Fanzine quiz

2010-08-19T11:52:00.002+01:00

1) Which northerner managed Saints to FA Cup success in 1976?
Lawrie McMenemy

2) Who was captain on that day?
Peter Rodrigues

3) And who scored the only goal?
Bobby Stokes

4) Name the striker Saints signed from Southend in January (he’s better than Frank Lampard according to some people, too).
Lee Barnard

5) Which notorious former Saints chairman was famed for his ruddy face and (alleged) taste for duck-hunting?
Rupert Lowe

6) Which player, labelled the worst in Premier League history by some, was signed by Graeme Souness in 1997 on the recommendation of someone pretending to be George Weah?
Ali Dia

7) Which famous Saints fan sang ‘Walking Away’ and ‘7 Days.’
Craig David

8) Which big-hearted former Saints manager now earns his crust as a pundit on Radio Solent?
Dave Merrington

9) Name the beanpole former Saints striker who now has to stoop to get under doorways at White Hart Lane.
Peter Crouch

10) Which hardman left back earnt a testimonial at Saints in 1997 after years of service but just one goal?
Francis Benali

11) Who was Player of the Season last year?
Rickie Lambert

12) And in 2008-09?
Kelvin Davies

13) What is the name of Matthew Le Tissier’s autobiography?
Taking Le Tiss

14) Who managed Saints to the FA Cup Final in 2003?
Gordon Strachan

15) And who captained the side on that day in May?
Chris Marsden

16) By what scoreline did Saints beat Carlisle in the JPT Final in March this year?
4-1

17) And can you name the goalscorers?
Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Papa Waigo, Antonio

18) To which Italian side did Senegalese international Papa Waigo return after his loan spell at Saints ended this year?
Fiorentina

19) This year sees the side don a strip inspired by the kit worn by the club’s first ever side. In what year was the club formed?
1885

20) Which club did Rupert Lowe label ‘a bunch of North London Yobbos’?
Spurs

Saints update

2010-08-16T10:54:00.002+01:00

Apologies for the lack of recent posts, especially given the start of the season and the sad news that rocked the club a few days ago.

Markus Liebherr, the 62-year-old owner of Saints, died last week.

His unexpected passing has provoked a huge response among fans, who have flocked to St Marys to pay their respects to the man who saved the club from extinction in July last year. The club has launched a book of condolence and Saturday's game against MK Dons was postponed.

The reason for the lack of activity is that we are currently busy compiling the next issue of The Saints Fanzine, which of course will be dedicated to the memory of Markus. We welcome all tributes and content ideas for publication.

Pre-season reports

2010-08-03T10:54:00.003+01:00

A youthful Saints XI ended the club's pre-season campaign with a victory away to local rivals Eastleigh last night, after their older colleagues had lost at home to Championship side Reading on Saturday.

Saints 2 - Reading 4
Eastleigh 0 - Saints 1

Pards was most pleased with the performance of his strikers Lee Barnard and David Connolly on Saturday after his side had matched Reading for seventy minutes until a number of substitutions disrupted the pattern of the game and allowed Reading to take the advantage. Concern remains, however, over the players who couldn't play on the day, with Rickie Lambert, Morgan Schneiderlin and Jason Puncheon all touch and go for the season proper's kick-off versus Plymouth on Saturday. Adam Lallana will definitely be unavailable, with the manager admitting his star midfielder had not done nearly enough preparation in an injury-riddled pre-season.

A well-taken Sam Hoskins strike was enough to see off Eastleigh last night in a tightly-contested game at the Silverlake. Martin Hunter's young team did well under pressure against the physical approach of an older Eastleigh side and it was a good early advert for the work being done at the club's new football development centre.

The Saints Fanzine has landed...

2010-07-30T21:59:00.004+01:00

And it is here with a week to spare before the season starts. We are pleased to announce that the first batch of The Saints Fanzine arrived from the printers today and it is looking cracking. We will be selling it at this week's friendlies against Reading and Eastleigh - find us tomorrow by the footbridge on Northam Rd and also on Britannia Rd. The first issue costs just £1 and features:

- An exclusive Glenn Cockerill interview
- World Cup chat with journo Jeremy Wilson
- A catch up with Saints ledge Marian Pahars

Besides a host of new Saints-oriented content. All for a quid!

In the meantime, please follow us on Twitter - and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Graham Poll speaks to R&W Bill

2010-07-12T15:53:00.004+01:00

Thanks to our friends at The Coral Dugout, Red and White Bill has had the chance to quiz former top-flight and infamous World Cup referee Graham Poll on the performance of the men in the middle in South Africa.

Coming the day after Howard Webb became the first English referee since 1974 to run the rule over the final of the competition, his words are timely. He also gave the most useful and rounded answers to questions out of the three (former England players Martin Peters and Terry Butcher answered previously). Here are his thoughts on the issue of consistency versus common sense for referees, in which he gives some interesting insights.

You can view other answers from Poll and get more information on the Coral Dugout via Facebook and Twitter.

A special announcement...

2010-07-07T18:30:00.003+01:00

The world of journalism may currently be in the grip of the move from print to online publishing, but here at Red and White Bill we love to buck the trend... that is why we are happy to announce that we will be launching a new club fanzine in time for the new season.

We hope to have it printed in time for the start of August and will be selling it at the pre-season friendlies against Reading and Eastleigh, and then before matches once the season-proper has started. The office is currently buzzing with content ideas and we are truly excited about producing the first new fanzine relating to the mighty Saints in years; one that will be produced by fans, for fans.

More details will be produced in due course, but in the meantime we would like YOUR HELP. If you have any ideas or would like information about advert space, please get in touch with either myself or James Hallett via the following means:

Will Wainewright
willw101@hotmail.co.uk
07828 178154

James Hallett
jallett@hotmail.co.uk
07811 848653

We are really excited about this project - please keep checking back for updates!

Marian Pahars interview

2010-07-05T16:46:00.005+01:00

I meant to upload this a few weeks ago, but Glastonbury and the last week of university (yes, I was too busy having a good time) got in the way. Anyway, I managed to track Marian down recently and interviewed him over the phone. The former Saints star is currently coaching in his native Latvia and had some nice things to say to Saints fans. Enjoy the piece, The Daily Echo's sports weekly The Pink ran it on their front page.

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Saints’ Swiss-powered revival in League One has attracted a lot of attention this season and one man looking on from afar has been the former fans’ favourite Marian Pahars, who has followed the side’s prospects keenly since leaving four years ago.

“I follow Saints over the internet,” says the gifted Latvian international, who acquired cult status on the south coast after joining for £800,000 in 1999. “I don’t have a chance to see them as they only show Premier League matches in Latvia, but I make sure I keep up with how the team are doing.”

The ‘Latvian Michael Owen’ was recommended to Saints boss Dave Jones by Latvia national team manager Gary Johnson and went on to score 45 goals in 156 appearances for Saints.
He became an instant hit with fans after playing a crucial role in the ‘Great Escape’ survival bid of the 1998/99 campaign, scoring three vital goals in the run-in, including both in the crucial final-day 2-0 win over Everton at the Dell.

Now retired and coaching at Skonto Riga, one of his first clubs in his native Latvia, Pahars took the time to speak to The Pink and reflect on his time at Saints. “All the Saints years were great,” he said. “They are just one big happy memory. Every day I spent there was fantastic.”
Renowned for his phenomenal pace and dribbling ability, Pahars enjoyed a prolific partnership with James Beattie, scoring thirty between them in the 2001/02 season. He scored a number of landmark goals, including the winner in Saints’ first ever league victory at St Marys against Charlton in 2001.

His sweetly-struck curler against Pompey in 2003 is also fondly remembered by fans, as is his goal at Old Trafford against Manchester United in 1999, which was preceded by an outrageous nutmeg on the bewildered Jaap Stam.

His tendency to score important and memorable goals could make it difficult to choose a favourite, but he plumps instantly for a strike against Derby at the Dell. “I remember it well – I took it left-footed, and it flew into the top corner from 25 yards. I enjoyed it because I didn’t score so many from outside the area!”

The latter stages of the Latvian’s spell at Saints were marked by a series of persistent injury problems, and Pahars has not been back to visit St Marys since he left. “It is a shame but I have not been back to Southampton yet. I hope to return one day as I enjoyed a very special few years at Saints.”

Saints fans may also be pleased to hear his thoughts on the World Cup this summer. “You can never count out teams like Brazil and Germany, but England definitely have a chance.”

“The fans in Southampton will stay in my heart forever,” he said. “Since I arrived at the club they were fantastic, and stayed with me throughout my injury problems. I would just like to say a big thank you to them for all their support over the years.”

Marian Pahars Facts

- Despite his diminutive reputation, the ‘Latvian Michael Owen’ stood at 5 ft 9.
- He was signed by Saints after scoring a ‘classic’ hat trick (a goal with each foot and a header) in a reserve team match against Oxford United on in 1999.
- Pahars was the first Latvian to play in the Premier League.
- He scored 16 goals in 75 appearances for his national team and came on as a substitute in every game of their 2002 World Cup campaign.
- Pahars wore the no.17 shirt, as he did for his country.

Martin Peters speaks to Red and White Bill

2010-06-29T18:01:00.010+01:00

Even before England's calamitous defeat to Germany on Sunday, R&W Bill was able to question '66 World Cup winner Martin Peters on underperforming European teams, thanks to our friends at Coral Dugout. The fact that teams from South America have outshined their European counterparts is reflected in the fact they make up half of the quarter finalists (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and now Paraguay).

Here is what Martin Peters had to say on the issue. He still had faith in England at this point, but we will have to now wait four years at the very least for a repeat of '66.

You can ask your own questions at the Coral Dugout via Facebook and Twitter.

Terry Butcher England question

2010-06-18T22:30:00.006+01:00

"It's not about how you start, it's about how you finish"

So replied Terry Butcher, World Cup semi-finalist at Italia '90, to a question posed to him by Red and White Bill after Saturday night's draw against America. But following tonight's horror show against Algeria, England will have to start with a bang against Slovenia on Wednesday if they aren't to leave South Africa horribly early.

The question session was organised by our friends at Coral Dugout, and other answers from Butcher can be viewed here. But the England players seemed shadows of their club selves, and failed to come out and prove the critics wrong, as my question and Butcher's answer had hoped and expected.

Trust Fabio? Unless England can turn it around on Wednesday, Capello will be remembered as a Postman Pat, rather than a managerial great.

The Ultimate England Saints XI

2010-06-14T12:44:00.002+01:00

The World Cup is here at last, and what better way to while away the time between matches than by engaging in pointless speculation as to which former Saints players would make the current England XI (more than previously thought given the result on Saturday).

To that end, I have compiled what I consider to be the ultimate England Saints XI. The only condition for selection was that the players won their England caps while playing for Saints – and 27 players qualified under that criterion (hat-tip to Nick Illingsworth’s Saints Preserved for help with research). But there was only room for eleven, and while some players were instant choices, it was hard to fit others into a workable system – particularly up front, where the wealth of exciting attacking players Saints have been blessed with over the years gives the side a hugely offensive flavour.

Having said that, the centre-half pairing of Mark Wright and Dave Watson in front of Peter Shilton means the side has a solid core, with Steve Williams holding in midfield. Heaven knows he will have his work cut out with Le Tiss, Keegan and Paine alongside him.

The Ultimate England Saints XI

GK: Peter Shilton (49 caps won while at Saints)

The most-capped England player only had Tim Flowers for competition in goal. ‘Shilts’ is currently flogging a truly dreadful World Cup single – welcome to your future, David James (Robert Green will struggle to sell anything after Saturday).

RB: CB Fry (1 cap)

Something of a sporting and political legend around the turn of the century, Fry won his only England cap in 1901, although he also represented the country at cricket. Later rose to notoriety for different reasons through his friendship with Adolf Hitler.

CB: Mark Wright (16 caps)

Rock-solid central defender won his caps between 1984 and ‘87, and is one of eight players to have played for Saints and captained England.

CB: Dave Watson (18 caps)

Completing a strong-looking centre-half pairing, Watson also captained England.

LB: Wayne Bridge (12 caps)

An automatic choice at left back, ‘Bridgey’ appeared in the 2002 World Cup match against Argentina while at Saints, before his career was prematurely ended by the actions of his philanderer captain.

RM: Terry Paine (19 caps)

Saints legend Paine played an important role in England’s successful 1966 campaign, though the narrow ‘wingless wonders’ formation used in the final meant Alan Ball and Martin Peters were preferred against Germany. I envisage Paine hugging the touchline, providing service for the front two.

CM: Steve Williams (6 caps)

Lining up alongside three flair players, the onus will be on Williams, a Saints legend during the eighties, to sit and hold in midfield while they go wondering.

LM: Kevin Keegan (9 caps)

Keegan was the hardest player to fit into this side, but his was a necessary inclusion after joining Saints at such a high-level moment in his career. Mostly due to the greater demands on places from other players I have stuck him on the left, albeit in a roaming role ala Steven Gerrard. He would be given free rein to cut in and create, opening up the overlap for Bridgey.

AM: Matt Le Tissier (8 caps)

I am one England manager who will not overlook the brilliance of Le Tiss. As Alan Ball did at Saints in 1995-96, I would build my England side around ‘Le God,’ sticking him in the hole and ordering others to pass it to him.

ST: Mick Channon (45 caps)

Making up the trilogy of all-time Saints heroes in this England side (alongside Paine and Le Tiss), the first user of the iconic ‘Windmill’ celebration would occupy an orthodox target-man role, feeding off Paine’s service.

ST: Alan Shearer (3 caps)

As an England legend, Shearer has to go in (although his skills as a pundit leave a lot to be desired). The ‘best finisher I have ever seen’ according to my flatmate.

As for the manager, who else but Sir Alf Ramsey, who was capped for England while playing for Saints in 1948? And for those of you disheartened by England’s performance on Saturday, just remember this: England drew the first game of their successful campaign under Ramsey in 1966. It's not over just yet...

The 125 year anniversary kit has landed

2010-06-11T01:21:00.004+01:00

"A kit from yesterday for the team of tomorrow"

So runs the tagline accompanying the launch of the new Saints shirt, which, after weeks of speculation, was revealed today on the Saints website. As predicted by some, the design of the shirt marks a significant break with the red and white stripes that have adorned Saints players for years - the white design with red diagonal stripe harks back to the kit sported by the St Marys Mens Team 125 years ago.

The R&W Bill verdict? Fan. While a year without our beloved red and white stripes may be too much for some fans to take, the design is a cracker. The lack of sponsor is a nice touch, and adds to the simple appeal of the kit. The big question, of course, is whether this kit can win a league title.

Shoutout to Coral Dugout

2010-06-04T18:56:00.003+01:00

With just a week until the world cup, it is time for Red and White Bill's attention to turn to South Africa. I hope to compile an all-time England Saints XI in time for the tournament, but will also be shouting out to a few other websites that are helping fans through their coup de monde.

Online commercial initiatives surrounding the tournament are also two-a-penny, of course, but one service that has caught R&W Bill's eye has been ‘The Dugout,’ a service launched for the 2010 World Cup by bookmakers Coral. The speculators amongst you may be interested to know about the site, which will offer daily tips and offers to members from Soccer Saturday presenter Jeff Stelling and notorious referee Graham Poll.

The latter has been marketed as the man who ‘holds all the cards,’ and, though his last world cup will be remembered for the fact he held up one too many, the pair should ensure the site is the go-to place for those willing to risk a bob or two. They will be joined by an ‘insider,’ who will be offering inside information and advice to punters. Who knows, Rio might be a late contender for this job after writing off his tournament this morning.

We will hopefully be teaming up with the guys at Coral Dugout to bring you interviews with leading football figures throughout the tournament - a bit more exciting than the rumour mill that will inevitably be surrounding St Marys this summer. Who knows, it may even be our year: I’ve stuck a fiver on at 7-1, so let’s hope so…

More news...

2010-05-18T16:56:00.007+01:00

Saints revealed their released and retained list last week, bringing the Saints careers of a few characters to an end.

The headlines are that Michail Antonio and Papa Waigo will be returning to their respective parent clubs, Reading and Fiorentina, after season-long loans, while there has been a clearout of fringe squad players such as Simon Gillett and Lloyd James.

Veteran defenders Chris Perry and Wayne Thomas will be not be competing in any sprint finals soon, but their commitment and steadfast loyalty to the Saints cause over the last few years means they will be remembered. And it seems the same can be said for Graeme Murty, who, despite just spending one injury-ravaged season here, appeared to be an important figure within the squad.

I expect he's looking forward to spending more time on the late kick-off sofa with Leroy Rosenior.

In other news, the club kicked off its 125 anniversary year by unveiling a special commemorative club crest. The design is hardly revolutionary, but gets the point across.

Pardew stays, Cortese goes off on one

2010-05-18T16:23:00.005+01:00

My apologies again for neglecting this page recently, I am back on it again now after spending three hours writing about 1960s social history in an exam this morning.

Where to start but the blistering statement Cortese released last week? He keeps his cards close to his chest and doesn't speak often, but when he does, he doesn't half go for it.

In an end-of-season diatribe of almost polemic proportions, Cortese dismissed media reports that he was set to sack manager Alan Pardew after the Saints boss failed to guide the club to a top-six finish despite player investment in January.

Unsurprisingly, the Southern Daily Echo is the chief target for his ire, despite reports over Pardew's future being published in national newspapers; judging by this report in The Mail, you would have been forgiven for thinking Pardew had boxed up his desk stationary already.

Even Radio Solent - which, unlike the Echo, has a commercial agreement with the club - reported that Liebherr's absence from St Marys ten days ago was down to unhappiness at this season's progress. But Cortese has his sights firmly set on the Echo:

"As a local paper, I would have hoped that it would provide the local newspaper with news, rather than gossip."

He does not stop there, launching broadsides at Saints legends Matthew Le Tissier, Lawrie McMenemy and Kevin Keegan for daring to speak out in favour of Pards.

Of course, the bottom line is that Pardew is staying - that is something we should all be thankful for as managerial stability is what this club craves. And even if Cortese's public pressure on his manager appeared harsh in March, it certainly had an effect as the side went on an immense end of season run that almost ended in a play-off place.

But Cortese needs to realise that the media coverage surrounding English football will not go away - and, as he is learning, can grow out of control if left to swell unabated. Communication is an essential part of running any football club and that is the one area the Swiss needs to build on next season.

Cortese says he "will not respond to every piece of idle speculation." Nor should he. But although keeping completely tight-lipped may satisfy him in his feud with the Echo, by allowing these rumours to escalate, it is only the fans who suffer.

Pardew - I just hope we get the chance to build on this

2010-05-08T17:29:00.003+01:00

Saints ended the season in style at St. Marys this afternoon, coming from behind to secure a comfortable win over already-condemned Southend. Post-match comments made by manager Alan Pardew, however, raised the prospect of an uncertain few weeks ahead for the club.

Saints 3 - 1 Southend

Despite the blistering run of form that followed their JPT success - which means Saints would have made the play-offs and been just three points from an automatic promotion place were it not for the points deduction - Chairman Nicola Cortese has maintained an ominous silence on his manager's future in recent weeks. Despite a season widely regarded as successful, Cortese is understood to be unhappy at the balance of results since over three million pounds was spent on the squad in January - and if that is not the case, he has not said anything to alter that impression.

Pardew's comments after the win effectively threw down the gauntlet to Cortese to come out and back him in public. He seems keen to stay at Saints despite reports of interest from a higher level, but his patience will surely be tested if he continues to have to work in an environment he may not feel is supportive. Today's win was certainly useful in demonstrating that only the points penalty stood between Saints and greater success this season.

The win was also important as it secured a couple of impressive goal landmarks for Saints players. After falling behind in the second half, a Rickie Lambert brace - taking his League tally to a colossal thirty for the season - won the game before a third was added by Adam Lallana minutes from time - his twentieth from midfield this season.

Saints update

2010-05-04T12:17:00.002+01:00

Apologies for the recent break in posting, I have not had as much time to write as the end to Saints' play-off hopes coincided with the start of exams. Here is a brief update of the past two weeks.

Saints 3 - 2 Carlisle: Saints again shared five goals with their JPT Final opponents, this time coming out on top by a single goal thanks to a Rickie Lambert strike and a Michail Antonio brace.
Huddersfield's thrashing of condemned Stockport on the same day, however, mathematically ended Saints' hopes of catching them.
Following those two goals, that topped off a strong debut season from the Reading loanee, Pardew expressed his intent to extend Antonio's spell at Saints. Reading's decision to extend his contract at the Madjeski by a year does not appear to bode well, but there is a chance he will continue to gain experience at Saints next year.
Gillingham 2 - 1 Saints: Pardew fielded a new-look side, including Eastleigh signing Aaron Martin at the back and Lee Barnard and David Connolly up front, away to Gillingham for the penultimate game of the season.
The side struggled without Rickie Lambert, who was brought on at half time to add some much needed firepower as Saints slumped to a poor defeat in front of over 2,000 fans.
Pardew slammed his players following the match, claiming they had not realised how difficult it would be against a Gills side who needed the win to boost their survival hopes.
Signing another striker of Lambert's ilk appears likely now in the summer after Pardew expressed his concern that his side's attack looked blunt without his leading marksman. Just what Barnard and Connolly did not want to hear.
Finally, the summer of discontent has officially begun. A national newspaper has today reported that Pardew is struggling to hang onto his job after failing to make the play-offs despite the 3m spent on players in January. Time for Cortese to come out and back his man in public and put an end to these stories now.

Saints 0 - 0 Oldham

2010-04-21T20:25:00.003+01:00

A stout defensive display, combined with some dubious refereeing, allowed Oldham to leave St. Marys with a point last night, all but ending Saints' late charge to the play-offs.

Saints 0 - 0 Oldham

Lee Barnard's stoppage time winner at Yeovil on Saturday had convinced many previously cynical Saints supporters that reaching the play-offs was possible, but the pressure of sustaining the winning run caught up with their side last night. After four straight wins, Pardew's men knew they would need four more to keep the pressure on Huddersfield, but few fans would have identified Oldham's trip to the Mecca as the stumbling block. The visitors, however - deploying an understandably negative game plan given their lowly position and Saints' recent form - stifled their opponents from the start. Puncheon built on his impressive recent form with a lively display on the wing but the all-important first break never came.

Paul Wotton came into midfield to replace the suspended Morgan Schneiderlin, whose passing ability was hugely missed. Lloyd James replaced Wotton at the interval in order to restore some of the flow to Saints but was himself replaced by Papa Waigo with fifteen minutes to go as Pardew went all out for the goal, also throwing on David Connolly. The Welshman James had a bit of a shocker, while Pardew reacted angrily when questioned about his substitutions on Radio Solent. A gold-plated penalty claim was denied on a night when little went Saints' way, despite twelve shots on target and the lion's share of possession. The result leaves Saints seven points from the play-offs with three to play.

...

On a brighter note for Saints, the full extent of Pompey's collapse was revealed today in the Report to Creditors produced by the administrators down at Fratton Park.

In it, the sorry carcass of Pompey's financial accounts are laid bare. It makes interesting reading, particularly the list of creditors (pg 33 onwards), which sets out what Pompey owe to who. Saints are even owed £35,000 by the neighbours down the road - how long before Liebherr sends his attack dog Nicola Cortese along the M27 to sort that one out?

Although much of the damage had already been done by last summer (in terms of a huge outlay on players accompanied by some staggeringly generous contracts), it is simply astonishing that Peter Storrie and others did not do more to safeguard the club given what was happening at St. Marys.

Yeovil Town 0 - 1 Saints

2010-04-18T11:05:00.008+01:00

Even if Saints fail to reach the play-offs this season, as seems likely after Huddersfield Town's win on Friday night, no one can fault their determination to make it happen, which was again demonstrated as the side managed to grind out a fourth straight win away to Yeovil yesterday.

Yeovil Town 0 - 1 Saints

After a red-blooded encounter at Huish Park, in which Morgan Schneiderlin was red-carded for the second time this season and assistant manager Dean Wilkins was sent to the stands, Pardew praised his side's spirit for 'seeing us home.' The two thousand travelling Saints fans, perhaps in possession of unrealistic expectations after Tuesday night's trouncing of Bristol Rovers, had to wait until three minutes into stoppage time for Lee Barnard to head home from Papa Waigo's cross.The decisive moment had been preceded by a scrappy game, which had seen the hosts grow in confidence after a strong Saints start went unrewarded. Both sides had clear one-on-one chances in an open first half, but, as Saints grew frustrated, chances for Yeovil multiplied in the second. Saints' frustration was encapsulated by Schneiderlin's dismissal twenty-one minutes from time for a petulant bout of afters. Knowing only a win was enough to keep the fading play-off dream alive, Pardew, who had already replaced Antonio with Lee Barnard at half time, threw caution to the wind with ten minutes remaining, sending on Papa Waigo and David Connolly to leave four strikers on the field.

A game which finishes with Ricky Lambert in centre midfield and Papa Waigo at right back is always going to be remembered as an unusual one, and Saints were left brutally exposed as they risked all for the winner. But Yeovil, despite some fine counter-attacking play, were unable to capitalise on a couple of four-on-three opportunities in the final moments, and were left to rue their inability to finish as Lee Barnard pounced in front of the jubilant Saints faithful.
Though not the most deserved of Saints wins, it keeps them in the hunt with four games to go. Winning their game in hand at home to Oldham on Tuesday night would close the gap to five with three to play. Like the Premier League title race this year, this one looks set to go to the wire.

Bristol Rovers 1 - 5 Saints

2010-04-14T15:38:00.004+01:00

Saints' late play-off charge gathered pace last night as Alan Pardew's men recorded a huge win against Bristol Rovers that sees them leapfrog 'the Gas' to eighth in the table.

Bristol Rovers 1 - 5 Saints

An impressive travelling contingent of nearly 2,000 Saints fans were rewarded with an immense performance from their side, who recovered despite falling behind in the first half. Jose Fonte was unlucky to fell Jo Kuffour as he attempted to shepherd the ball out of play which gave Rovers an unlikely lead after surviving a barrage of early Saints efforts. It fell to former Gas marksman Rickie Lambert - applauded warmly at the start and end of the match by the home fans - to get Saints level before striking them into the lead before the interval with a deflected free kick.

Though Saints had the balance of the chances in the first half, Bristol hit the woodwork and were close to getting a second. It was a different story in the second half, however, as Saints launched an onslaught on the opposition goalmouth. The three goalscorers richly deserved their share of the haul, with Jason Puncheon and Adam Lallana tirelessly creating openings as the home side tired. A special mention must go to Morgan Schneiderlin, who opened his Saints account in style with a beautifully crafted 25-yard volley, leading to a round of 'we were here when Morgan scored' from the away end.

Huddersfield's late comeback against Walsall was the only dampener on a massive night for Saints, who will be looking for a repeat performance at Yeovil on Saturday.

Saints 1 - 0 Charlton

2010-04-11T17:57:00.004+01:00

Saints moved to win eight points of the final play-off spot with their win over fourth-placed Charlton yesterday afternoon, in a fixture that may be repeated at the end of the season if they manage to close that gap.

Saints 1 - Charlton 0

A solitary goal from Michail Antonio was enough for the hosts to see off their London guests on a sunny afternoon at St Marys. It was far from a classic performance, with Kelvin Davies required to get in the way of three smart efforts from Nick Bailey, but Saints had the balance of the chances and consistently threatened in the first half. The goal was well worked, Jason Puncheon cutting in incisively from the right and feeding for Antonio to smash home from the edge of the area. It was a rare moment of fluency in a game that stuttered at times, neither side allowing the other to get truly into its stride, and nor was it helped by the pernickety decisions of referee Hegley.

Sainst now travel to Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night and Yeovil on Saturday for games they simply must win to keep the play-off dream alive. But at the moment they are making the happy habit of winning games without hitting top form - if they keep that up, anything is possible.

Saints 2 - 1 Leyton Orient

2010-04-05T21:25:00.005+01:00

Though Saints' season has been characterised by ups and downs, certain patterns and performance traits have held constant, as their last three matches have shown. While Sunday's Wembley win demonstrated their ability to perform under pressurised cup conditions, Thursday's draw at Brighton again highlighted their vulnerabilty away from home. And though Saints again conceded an early goal in today's game against the newly managerless Leyton Orient, Alan Pardew's side built on their impressive home form this season by coming from behind and getting the result at St Marys.

Saints 2 - 1 Leyton Orient

Just eight points now separate Saints from sixth place Huddersfield Town and Colchester, over whom they have a game in hand. They will need to improve significantly on this performance, however, if they are to win all their remaining games, which will surely be required if they are to have any chance of snatching sixth spot. A goal in either half from Adam Lallana was required to see off the O's on their first match back at St Marys following their cup final appearance. The first, a beautifully crafted goal curved in from just outside the area, drew Saints level minutes before half time after poor defending had let the visitors take an early lead.

The Northam End was in exuberant mood, and needed to be in the face of a sluggish Saints performance, in which only the individual brilliance of Adam Lallana shined through. His second half header was his eighteenth goal of the season, an amazing statistic that could see Championship sides testing the Southampton-born player's often-professed loyalty in the summer. Pardew paid testament to his star player, but also his side's achievement in grinding out an important win despite a poor display.

Next match: Saints v Charlton (Saturday 10 April)

Brighton 2 - 2 Saints

2010-04-02T11:53:00.004+01:00

After the glory and glamour of their Wembley appearance on Sunday, Saints came back down to earth with a bump in the uninspiring surroundings of Brighton's Withdean Stadium last night, gaining a late draw that does little to boost their play-off ambitions.

Brighton 2 - 2 Saints

Optimistic fans still harbouring play-off hopes will surely have had this down as a win for Saints in the BBC's score predictor, meaning the side will have to win virtually all of their remaining eight games if they are to bridge the eleven point gap to the top six. It is by no means impossible, but a win last night would have got the ball rolling nicely for a side for whom midweek away trips to grounds with poor pitches have proved costly again and again this season.

And so it was last night as Saints went behind early last night to Elliott Bennett's opener. Captain Dean Hammond drew the sides level just before half time but Saints left themselves exposed at the back as they went in search of a winner in the second half, with Ashley Barnes' restoring the Seagulls' lead. Lee Barnard rescued an important late point for Pardew's men but Brighton hung on to prevent them taking all three.

Pardew's starting eleven (4-5-1, r-l: Davies, Otsemabor, Fonte, Jaidi, Harding-Antonio, Hammond, Wotton, Lallana, Puncheon-Lambert) raised some eyebrows among the travelling contingent, but the attacking nature of the midfield all but compensates for the failure to play two out and out strikers. Having said that, it would be good to go into games against like Brighton with two up front to send an attacking message; it is easy to get stuck in a defensive mindset when you swamp the midfield. But Brighton are an in-form team and going places under Gus Poyet and if you combine that with this being the first game following Wembley, this was probably going to be the toughest game of the run-in. Taking six points from our next two home games is now crucial.

Next game: Saints v Leyton Orient (Monday 5 April)

Saints at Wembley: Player Ratings

2010-03-29T13:17:00.005+01:00

Kelvin Davies - 8

Reliable all afternoon and as dependable as ever when called into action. Could do nothing with the goal. A special win for him given his decision to stay in the summer - the West Ham bench would not have been a nice place to be this weekend.

Dan Harding - 8

Special credit must go to Harding for playing out of position at right back. Dealt comfortably with whatever threats Carlisle posed down that side.

Jose Fonte - 7

A couple of dodgy headers early on were only noticeable as they were a change from his normal assured performances. As normal, a cut above the rest.

Rahdi Jaidi - 8

The definition of solid. Seemed really up for it and is clearly loving life at Saints at the moment.

Joseph Mills - 7

Coped more than competently with his day on the big stage - he must have been feeling the pressure at being asked to 'do a Chris Baird' but put in a mature display. Even tried to get a goal for himself as he darted inside late on.

Michail Antonio - 8

A quality return from a player Saints have missed in recent weeks. His goal topped off a superb performance in which he posed a threat whenever the ball was sent up to him on the right. He could be relied upon to either hold it up or make inroads on that side.

Paul Wotton - 7

A big ask to come into the side and replace Morgan Schneiderlin on such a big day but coped. Has little of the Frenchman's finesse or distribution but got stuck in and provided gutsy cover for the backline.

Dean Hammond - 8

A captain's performance. The pressure was on without his normal midfield partner but linked up play well from the centre. Sent the Wembley turf flying (as well as some Carlisle players) with some interesting late challenges.

Adam Lallana - 8

Great to see him get a goal on the big stage. He fully deserved it, putting in another all-round display with a maturity that belies his years. His post-match comments about staying at Saints and taking them to the Premier League were very welcome.

Rickie Lambert - 8

Proved as dangerous as ever and clearly loved his first day out at Wembley with Saints. Took his penalty superbly in front of a frenetic Carlisle contingent.

Papa Waigo - 7

A performance characterised by his two central traits - scoring tap-ins and being caught offside. May need a new celebration for when he next steps out at Wembley.

Subs: Gillett (76), Connolly (85), Perry (90+2)

Carlisle 1 - 4 Saints JPT Final Match Report

2010-03-29T12:21:00.008+01:00

2010 Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final

Carlisle 1 (Madine 84)

Saints 4 (Lambert 15, Lallana 44, Papa Waigo 50, Antonio 60)

Attendance: 73, 476

Two things were made clear yesterday as the highest domestic crowd of the weekend turned up to see Saints demolish Carlisle at Wembley. First, that there is more to English football than the Premier League - the strength of fan support, together with quality of players such as Rickie Lambert and Ian Harte plying their trade in the third tier, combined to pay testament to life in the lower leagues. And second, that Alan Pardew's Saints may be on the verge of something very special as they seek to make reality owner Markus Liebherr and Chairman Nicola Cortese's dream of top flight football within five years.

"This is a start - a good start," admitted Pardew after a game in which his side had run out comfortable victors over a below-par Carlisle side. After a shaky start, in which Dan Harding was lucky not give away a penalty for tussling in the area after six minutes, it was the actions of Carlisle defender Peter Murphy which gifted Saints the perfect start. His bizaare decision to handle Antonio's cross from the right may have succeeded in preventing the ball falling to Rickie Lambert, but he was lucky to remain on the pitch for a blatant foul. It only delayed the inevitable, however, as Rickie converted the resulting penalty to score his first goal in three appearances at Wembley. Saints' nerves were immediately relaxed, and although Carlisle continued to create some pressure, the ever-dangerous Adam Lallana had a total of three clear chances in the first half alone, the third of which he converted to all but tie up the game before half time.

A two goal half time cushion was beyond the hopes of most Saints fans, whose side are notorious for doing things the hard way. Pre-match pressure on the favourites was increased by a pile of injury problems, which saw experienced midfielder Paul Wotton drafted into midfield to replace Morgan Schneiderlin, who was unfortunate to be ruled out by a hamstring strain he picked up on Tuesday. The absence of Wayne Thomas was also a blow, and meant young full back Joseph Mills was granted a start on the left for only his seventh start of the season, with Dan Harding switching to the right. The side dealt admirably with the changes, however, as more poor defending from the northerners gifted Papa Waigo his first Wembley tap-in. Antonio, whose return from injury was a massive boost to the side, turned the result into a rout with a fine swivel shot on the hour - a great way to celebrate the midfielder's 20th birthday.

The inevitability of the result combined with a lack of match fitness from players brought in and playing out of position meant a pedestrian end to the game, and it would be harsh to begrudge Carlisle fans their side's consolation six minutes from time. Neither side had played their best football on the day but the open nature of the game combined with the five goals ensured it was quite a spectacle. As were the celebrations that followed Saints' win, which saw Pardew and his men climb the 61 Wembley steps to lift the surprisingly large trophy in front of their digital camera-wielding employer Liebherr. There were hugs all round between management and players, and a particularly pertinent one between Pardew and Cortese, who can hopefully reach more of an understanding on the back of this win. Do not be surprised, however, if the whip continues to be cracked with zeal - Cortese is clearly impatient for success. This win, however, demonstrates that Pardew has the appetite for it too, and he clearly wants more; as he admitted afterwards, the play-offs remain the aim this season.

Saints triumph in Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final

2010-03-28T22:44:00.006+01:00

Saints won their first piece of silverware for 34 years on their first ever trip to the new Wembley this afternoon, as at least 44,000 fans travelled to the capital to witness the team dispatch an uninspired Carlisle side with ease.

Carlisle 1 - 4 Saints

For full reaction to the final, including tactical analysis, player ratings and photos from Wembley, don't miss R&W Bill this week.

New football trivia forum

2010-03-26T13:16:00.004Z

Thought some of you may be interested in a new football trivia service created by the brains behind Football Filter. Aimed to be 'a place to ask and answer football questions,' it is a sort of cross between Digg, Wikipedia and your basic forum. It is still in its early stages, and Ben and the team are looking for more people to get involved.

After creating an ID you can pose questions and answer other people's, building 'reputation' in the process. Get involved, here is the link.

Wembley preview

2010-03-26T11:58:00.002Z

With the JPT Final just two days away, it's time to have a look at the likely line-up for Sunday.

News from the treatment room

The biggest boost to the side came with the news that Adam Lallana will be fit to play. He missed Tuesday's game against Hartlepool and is under doctor's orders to take it easy for the rest of the season but will play. Morgan Schneiderlin will also make it after coming off midway through Tuesday's game with a tight hamstring. Longer terms absentees Graeme Murty and Lee Holmes will not be back in time, while there is little chance of Antonio, Lloyd James or Jon Otsemobor making it. The biggest question marks hang over David Connolly and Wayne Thomas. The striker came on for twenty minutes on Tuesday but may not be risked from the start. Equally important will be whether Wayne Thomas can come on at right back after being injured on Friday. There was talk of him making a surprise recovery for Sunday but this has to be unlikely with a recent calf injury. All in all this leave Pardew without a natural right back and with a massive selection headache

R&W Bill's Wembley line-up:

(right to left)

Davies

Perry Jaidi Fonte Harding

Waigo Hammond Schneiderlin Lallana

Connolly Lambert

Perry at right back seems the obvious choice, although it may also be a job Paul Wotton could do. It seems quite a big risk to start with Waigo and Connolly as Papa can drift out of games while Connolly will certainly not last the whole ninety, but it just shows the lack of attacking options Pardew is faced with due to Antonio's injury and Barnard being cup-tied. It all heaps the (already not inconsiderable) pressure on Rickie Lambert ahead of Sunday. Placing Wotton in midfield or even recalling Simon Gillett to the side could be alternatives, but that would require significant adjustments as neither are natural widemen.

Having said all that, after a long season of 50+ games already, Pardew should be thankful to have the spine of the side intact for Sunday. Saints have not lost many games this season when Davies, Fonte, Jaidi, Hammond, Schneiderlin, Lallana and Lambert have all played. It is a formula Pardew will be hoping holds true for Sunday.

Football Filter Blog

2010-03-24T17:32:00.015Z

I have written another piece for the excellent Football Filter website. Starting with Thierry Henry's imminent clash against his former employers Arsenal, it looks at five cases of footballers returning as enemies to the clubs where they made their name.

You can read the entry here.

Saints 3 - 2 Hartlepool

2010-03-24T17:16:00.004Z

Some Saints players appeared to have already started their march to the arch judging by their performances last night, but the side still dug in to record another important win.

Saints 3 - 2 Hartlepool

After a disappointing pair of results last week, back-to-back wins against MK Dons and Hartlepool could not have come at a better time with Wembley on the horizon. Saints will now enter Sunday's final clash with form on their side, although Pardew faces mounting injury concerns that were added to by Morgan Schneiderlin's removal from play with a tight hamstring last night.

Saints shared five goals with the 'monkey-hangers' in a relatively open game, going behind within ten minutes to a soft opener. Pardew took responsibility for the goal, blaming a tactical mix-up, but the result was never really in doubt as Saints asserted their dominance on the game. Goals from Lee Barnard and Rickie Lambert ensured Saints went in with a lead at the break. That was added to early in the second half as Jason Puncheon broke down the left and delivered a strike that was saved off the line- it fell to Papa Waigo, in characteristic fashion, to take advantage of the rebound. A thunderbolt strike from Austin ensured a nervy finish but Saints were well worth their win, one which takes them to just eleven points from the play-offs.

MK Dons 0 - 3 Saints

2010-03-22T15:11:00.003Z

Rickie Lambert took his goal tally for the season to thirty with a hattrick that handed Saints a comfortable victory over MK Dons on Saturday.

MK Dons 0 - 3 Saints

It was the side's fourth victory over the Dons this year after recording wins in both legs of the teams' JPT clash after beating them at home. Lambert's third strike was a spectacular 35 yard lob and a sweet way to complete his first hattrick for the club. Two defeats in the last three games had left Saints out of the play-off hunt, but with the gap now down to 14 points, the club's management obviously still think it is on. A win at home to Hartlepool tomorrow night would help that cause no end, and should be played in front of a packed St Marys after the Chairman released special details of a ticket offer.

Here are the highlights.

Saints 0 - 1 Swindon

2010-03-18T14:42:00.003Z

Saints lost at home in the league for the first time this year against Swindon on Tuesday night, in a result which leaves their hopes for a top six finish in tatters.

Saints 0 - 1 Swindon

Pardew's men failed to capitalise upon their first half dominance and were left to regret it in the second half when Charlie Austin sent the hosts behind. Despite hitting the bar late on, Saints could not find a leveller and, although it is still mathematically possible, they would need an incredible run of wins and a lot of luck to reach the play-offs now.

Here are the highlights.

Saints 1 - 0 Leeds (plus reaction to Cortese interview)

2010-03-14T12:10:00.004Z

Saints demonstrated their ability to beat the best in League One and put last week's woes at Tranmere behind them yesterday by recording one of their biggest wins of the season against Leeds.

Saints 1 - 0 Leeds

Dan Harding's first half strike was all that ultimately divided the two sides in a game that saw Saints gain revenge for their defeat by the same margin against Leeds in December. Alan Pardew made some interesting comments in his post-match interview about Saints' progress over recent weeks. An impressive string of performances have seen them prove themselves at home against opponents as diverse as promotion-chasing Leeds and Huddersfield and the lowerly Walsall. The only question mark over the team, he claimed, hung over their ability to win scrappy games away from home on boggy pitches. The play-offs remain a massive 16 points away and even correcting this flaw will probably not result in a top six place. But he is right that his team is starting to prove its dominance in nearly every area at this level; with that shortcoming corrected for next season, prospects for promotion bode very well.

Nicola Cortese Interview

Prior to kick-off, Radio Solent aired an extensive interview with Saints Chairman Nicola Cortese. In it, the elusive Swiss figure - handed the reigns of power at SFC by club owner Markus Liebherr, the Swiss Industrialist who took over the club in the summer - answered fans' questions on a range of issues. Here is the link, but in the meantime, here are the headlines:

Promotion this season

The Chairman dismissed claims that he and Pardew had fallen out over his public statement of dissatisfaction with results since January. He reiterated, however, his belief that results should have been better and that promotion was a realisable aim at the start of the season. Perhaps disingenuously, he compared Saints' prospects with Norwich and Charlton, who, he said, were 20 or 30 points ahead. Although he factored the ten point penalty into his claim, it should be remembered that Saints was a club on its knees in the close season and Pardew had little time to sort out his squad. The signings in January could not have been expected to deliver instant success. Cortese is obviously impatient to leave League One.

The future of St Marys

Cortese lingered for a while on questions surrounding the stadium, stating his desire to sort out match day issues such as parking and make more use of the ground on non-match days. He obviously sees the surrounding area as a hindrance and made the following bombshell statement: 'I would not exclude the possibility that we are going to build a stadium somewhere more convenient.' Nothing more that a pipe dream surely - few fans would want to leave St Marys anyway. But it again indicates his ambition to build the club in all directions, both commercially and on the playing field. Expect big changes to the area around the ground in the future.

JPT Ticket situation

Cortese stated his dissatisfaction at ticketing levels and the prospect of seeing over 20,000 empty seats at the final in a fortnight. He revealed he had even offered to provide and pay for stewarding to support the extra fans. However, he conceded it was probably too late to expect any changes now as the FA would not want to 'lose credibility.'

Tranmere 2 - 1 Saints

2010-03-07T16:35:00.003Z

After the party, the hangover. Saints' blistering run of form was brought to an abrupt end away at Tranmere yesterday, in a result that will do no favours to their late dash to the play-offs.

Tranmere 2 - Saints 1

Scoring ten goals in two games at St. Marys sent shockwaves around League One last week, but Pardew's men again failed to establish the same level of performance away from home. A late Tranmere penalty - dubiously awarded by a rookie referee who appeared out of his depth - decided matters yesterday, after Saints had wasted a string of chances to go ahead in the second half. But to say Saints dominated would be unfair, as Tranmere were worth at least a point from a game in which they had their share of the chances.

The result leaves Saints 15 points from the top six with Pardew still in search of a formula to serve Saints on these tricky away days.

Who is going up from League One?

2010-03-05T15:47:00.002Z

The above question provides the BBC's Paul Fletcher with much to ponder in this excellent article. Focussing on Saints' prospects, he describes Tuesday's performance against Huddersfield as among the best he has seen from a third tier team.

Written from a neutral perspective, it sums up our predicament pretty neatly and is well worth a read.

Saints 5 - 0 Huddersfield

2010-03-04T11:49:00.002Z

Saints moved to within fourteen points of the play-offs in emphatic style on Tuesday night, knocking five goals past an in-form Huddersfield side.

Saints 5 - 0 Huddersfield

As Pardew highlighted after the game, this win was in a different league to Saturday's thrashing of Walsall, coming as it did against a side unbeaten since December. The visitors also occupy the treasured final play-off place, but a goal each for Lambert, Barnard, Puncheon, Hammond and Papa Waigo secured a huge win that signalled Saints' intent to be in possession of that spot come the end of the season.

Here are the highlights of an awesome win.

Saints 5 - 1 Walsall

2010-02-27T22:16:00.002Z

Saints moved on from the disappointment of midweek in emphatic style by hammering Walsall at St Mary's this afternoon.

Saints 5 - 1 Walsall

After such a miserable, expectation-grounding match against Wycombe, this was the result everyone wanted. Pardew labelled it a 'complete performance' after the game, which Saints won despite falling behind within just four minutes. A first goal for winger Jason Puncheon got the comeback under way, with fellow January signing Lee Barnard recording his second brace in three games to ensure Saints were cruising by half time. Not for the first time this season, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert got themselves on the scoresheet to put Walsall out of sight and secure Saints' biggest win under Pardew.

Speaking to Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore after the game, Pardew seemed reluctant to read too much into the win, and dismissed Dave Merrington's claim that his side are the best in the division when they perform as they did today. His attitude intimated annoyance that good performances are received in such rapturous terms, while games such as Tuesday's are seen as crushingly bad although they represent little more than an off-day. Either way, Pardew is operating in a high-pressure environment at St Mary's and will have been pleased, inwardly at least, with a performance that lifted it a little.

Attention now turns to Tuesday's important clash with play-off chasing Huddersfield, who currently occupy the slot Saints have their sights trained on.

Wycombe 0 - 0 Saints

2010-02-25T11:24:00.003Z

Saints play-off hopes took another hit on Tuesday night as they were once again found out on a terrible pitch away at Wycombe.

Wycombe 0 - 0 Saints

These were two points Saints could ill-afford to drop with Huddersfield continuing their winning form in sixth place. The gap now stands at nineteen points and looks more like a chasm with every game. The pressure is now on for Saturday, when Saints host Walsall for another 'must-win' game.

Here are the 'highlights' from a scrappy game either side could have won.

Norwich 0 - 2 Saints

2010-02-21T13:55:00.003Z

Saints responded in emphatic style to chairman Nicola Cortese's recent criticism of their league form, recording a deserved win away to league leaders Norwich.

Norwich 0 - 2 Saints

Despite an unbeaten start to 2010 prior to Saturday's loss to Pompey, there had been murmurs of discontent in some quarters at Saints' failure to improve their league form and push on up the league. The side's inability to hold onto half time leads away to Millwall, Brentford and Exeter saw the gap between the club and the play-off positions stretch to a probably insurmountable eighteen points - an apparently unacceptable outcome for Cortese following a big January spend. Mitigating factors aside - the complete lack of a pre-season, fatiguing progress in the cups - it seemed as if the chairman's patience was starting to wear thin, despite this being Pardew's first season.

But Saints managed to get their league season well and truly on track again yesterday, as goals in each half from January signing Lee Barnard ensured Norwich would fail to match a club record eight consecutive home wins. It was a comprehensive and professional victory, made all the sweeter by the fact that the goals were Barnard's first for the club following a slow start. The play-offs remain seventeen points away and Saints will need luck and an unbeaten run of form to make them. However, this result was more important in that it carried Saints' cup form into the league and demonstrated they have the power in the squad to beat the best. A strong finish to the season - even if it does not result in a play-off place - is important for maintaining the high confidence level surrounding the club, but wins in their next two, highly winnable, games against Wycombe and Walsall, may see the play-off gap narrow.

Derby Day: The Fallout

2010-02-13T18:23:00.007Z

'The fans genuinely hate each other. It's a strange hatred and I haven't known another like it.'

Harry Redknapp

He should know. As one of only two men to have managed both sides, Redknapp has spent enough time on the south coast to know that despite the seventeen miles of M27 separating the two port cities, the clubs share a mutual enmity felt as keenly as any in football. Naval rivalry, fluctuating fortunes and the sheer infrequency of their meeting explain the rivalry, which was given another airing in today's FA Cup fifth round tie at St Mary's.

Portsmouth emerged as the victors on this occasion, eventually running out 4-1 winners in a game in which League One Saints dominated large parts. But their superior work rate and commitment in the challenge in the end proved no equal to the more clinical finishing of their Premier League opponents.

Match report

FA Cup 5th round:

Saints 1 (Lambert 70) - Portsmouth 4 (Owusu-Abeyie 66, Dindane 75, Belhadj 82, O'Hara 85)

Davis, Harding, Perry (Holmes 83), Jaidi, Thomas, Lallana, Hammond, Schneiderlin, Antonio, Lambert, Papa Waigo (Barnard 72)

The match began brightly in front of a feverish St Mary's crowd. Before the game Pardew had spoken a lot about the history of the tie and that appeared to have rubbed off on his players as Saints quickly took control of proceedings. The febrile atmosphere, combined with the relentless closing down of the home side, appeared to surprise their opponents and Saints nearly got their reward midway through the first half, as Rickie Lambert looped the ball onto the head of the lively Papa Waigo. The Fiorentina loan signing, however, was unable to nod past David James, who made the first of a string of fine saves that kept Pompey in the game during the first hour.

After such a dominant first half, there was always a risk that a failure to capitalise upon it would come back to haunt Saints. A couple of misses from the ever-dynamic Adam Lallana early in the second summed up Saints' day and they started to be regularly breached by a lightning quick counter attack as the clock wound down. Such attacks were to prove their downfall, and led to the impressive substitute Quincy Owusu-Abeyie sweetly curling home the opener on 66 minutes. The lead lasted just four minutes, however, as Rickie Lambert, who was fortunately not taking this particular set piece, got on the end of a Dan Harding delivery to level the match. But as Saints continued to attack, they became more and more vulnerable to the counter and it fell to Dindane to restore the visitor's lead with fifteen minutes remaining. Saints proved unable to respond this time, with further goals from Belhadj and the excellent O'Hara piling on the pain for the home side. Given the two tiers that divide the two sides, such a result was to be expected; but those at the game and watching on TV will know it was a lot closer than the scoreline indicates.

Big Game: The Significance of the Derby

Despite the first goalless hour, this match will have left ITV bosses with few regrets for selecting it for live screening. But this particular derby will be remembered as much for the circumstances surrounding the game as for events on the field. Four years after the last derby, when a Saints side at the start of their swift slide were dismantled 4-1 at Fratton Park by a Pompey side on the cusp of FA Cup success, this match came at a moment of brilliant poetic irony - only the scoreline remains unchanged from that day. Saints, under new ownership and management, appear to be a club on the way up following a fresh start in League One. What is more, it appears certain that Pompey will be relegated from the Premier League this season and conceivable that they will go out of business altogether following a series of murky takeovers and suspect financial dealings.

Despite the loss today, that is something few Saints fans want. Given the drama on the field and off-field attention surrounding the match, it was perhaps fitting that the defining moment of the day came when the two met. A Saints fan, adorned in the comic Arab dress of a Fake Sheikh, ran onto the pitch towards the Pompey fans and waved a bunch of grubby five pound notes in their direction. Who knows when (and if) the sides will next meet, but it will surely come around sooner than this one did. In spite of the negative activities this fixture always seems to promote (fans faced up on Britannia Road after the game - the most-read article on the BBC website detailed the clashes), it is always a cracker and focuses attention on football in the south like no other. But while all Pompey fans will be dreaming of survival tonight, Saints fans will be having nightmares over a result that has extended bragging rights to Pompey fans for the foreseeable future.

Saints 1 - 4 Pompey

2010-02-13T15:40:00.004Z

Saints were knocked out of the FA Cup by their south coast neighbours this afternoon, as Portsmouth recorded their first ever win at St Mary's. The victory, however, was not as comprehensive as the scoreline suggests, as Saints dominated large portions of the match and wasted a host of chances. The difference in class, however, eventually told as Pompey took the chances they knew would inevitably come their way in the second half. It produced the kind of result most would expect given the two tiers that divide the teams, but Saints can be proud to have held their own and more against a side presently 37 places above them in the football ladder.

To follow: Match report plus all the fallout from Derby Day

Football Filter Blog

2010-02-12T10:18:00.002Z

Just wanted to point you in the direction of www.footballfilter.com, a fantastic football news website which aggregates all sources of football information - match reports, video links, podcasts - on one page. It also has team pages which do the same for individual clubs. Set www.footballfilter.com/southampton as your homepage and you can't go wrong.

I have started blogging for them too. My first effort can be accessed here - take a look.

Highlights and cup news

2010-02-11T17:03:00.002Z

Highlights from Tuesday night's cup win are now up on the BBC website.

Hopefully Lallana will opt not to repeat the celebration he chose to mark his goal, which involved crawling towards the corner flag while Papa Waigo jumped on top of him in a style which can only be described as unorthodox.

The Daily Echo has reported that Saints may be in line for as many as 40,000 tickets for the final clash. It will be their first Wembley final since 1992, when they lost in the final of the Zenith Data Systems cup to Nottingham Forest. Trivia fans among you may be interested to know that was the last year the Full Members Cup was contested, as it was brought in to give British teams another cup outlet following the Heysel stadium disaster, which banned their entry into Europe.

Saints 3 - 1 MK Dons

2010-02-10T18:10:00.007Z

A capacity St Mary's crowd saw Saints complete their march to the arch last night, as Pardew's men recorded a comfortable second leg victory in their JP Trophy area final clash against MK Dons.

Saints 3 - 1 MK Dons

The final next month provides Saints with the chance to add their first silverware to the trophy cabinet since winning the FA Cup in 1976. Carlisle were confirmed as their opponents after an unlikely two leg victory (finally decided by penalties) over league-leaders Leeds, whose cup form appears to have gone downhill like their league form. Saints will be hoping the next round proves as straightforward as last night. Holding a one goal advantage from the first leg, Saints dominated the early stages and were rewarded with two goals in the first thirty minutes through Ricky Lambert and a fortunate Dons own goal. The visitor's goal came just before the break but turned out to be nothing more than consolation as Adam Lallana put a comeback out of the question with a third in the second half.

The significance of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy

Few fans at the Millenium Stadium nearly seven years ago would have predicted that our next appearance in a cup final would come in the Football League Trophy; still less that we would be happy to be there. But despite the grumblings of some fans who dismiss its importance - it is open only to teams in League One and below - the competition has provided a massive lift to Saints' season. The chance of a day out at the new Wembley is one few fans thought they would get and the chance for silverware should never be snubbed, whatever the competition - especially given a trophy cabinet (right) that has been attracting nothing more than cobwebs for over thirty years. Following relegation and a points deduction that, along with a terrible start, has all but erased Saints' play-off hopes, this cup run has allowed Saints to assert themselves as a winning presence again. Given the losing rut this club has found itself in for the last few years, the importance of that is massive.

Interesting, then, that chairman Nicola Cortese should have chosen to overshadow last night's tie by stating his disappointment at Saints' recent league form during a radio interview. Of course, promotion must be the priority at all times, but given the crippling points penalty and pre-season upheaval it was always a massive ask. He has a point in that Saints should be winning at places like Exeter and Brentford given the immense investment that has been made in players such as Jose Fonte and Lee Barnard. But Pardew himself has needed time to bed in at this level. A cup win and a top ten finish this season should be seen as acceptable and provide the platform for a concerted drive next year. It must be hoped Cortese does not choose to ratchet up the pressure any more.

Her Majesty is a Saints fan

Last night not only saw the finalists of the JPT settled, but also the question of whether Saints would have a side to face in the next round of the FA Cup. An extremely generous decision from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs granted Portsmouth a further week's stay of execution as they battle to avoid a winding up order. Someone, somewhere, is obviously very keen for at least one more south coast derby to take place. And given Pompey's toils and Saints' cup form of late, she must be a Saints fan.

Exeter 1 - 1 Saints

2010-02-06T18:17:00.003Z

Saints slipped to a third consecutive 1-1 draw away from home against Exeter today, a header five minutes after the interval condemning them to another point on their travels.

Exeter 1 - 1 Saints

Pardew's men are making a habit of gaining the advantage and then letting it slip, and it was Adam Lallana who put them in front today. The game was played on a poor-quality surface, but Saints cannot resort to blaming the pitch for a lack of quality if they are serious about the play-offs this year. The gap between them and the top six is beginning to look more like a chasm with every result of this sort that goes by. Though this week's cup fixtures may divert attention from the league once more, it looks as if Saints are beginning to run out of games if they are to get promotion this year.

Transfer window round-up

2010-02-02T16:30:00.004Z

As the Daily Echo (despite their ludicrously ongoing ban from St. Marys) have dutifully reported, Saints were the 11th biggest spenders during the January Transfer window, with only two clubs outside the Premier League surpassing their net spend of £2m. The extent to which the chastening economic times are affecting football finances is striking and Saints can count themselves lucky to be in such a position of financial strength. It would be callous to mention our neighbours down the road - our position is favourable even in comparison to some of the biggest clubs, including Man United and Liverpool, whose finances are supported by a complex system which will be hard to clear in the long term.

INs

Daniel Seabourne (undisclosed fee, three and a half years, Exeter)
Jon Otsemobor (free, six months, Norwich) and
Jose Fonte (up to 1.5m, three and a half years, Crystal Palace)
Lee Barnard (Southend, three years, £175,000 and Matt Paterson)
Jason Puncheon (Plymouth, three years, undisclosed)

OUTs

Neal Trotman (Returns to Preston after loan)
Olly Lancashire (Loaned out Grimsby for six months)
Matt Paterson (Part of Barnard deal, Southend)
Jake Thompson (Loaned out to Torquay for six months)
Marek Saganowski (Atromitos, Free Transfer)

Saints 2 - 0 Stockport County

2010-02-01T13:12:00.002Z

Saints ended up strolling home to victory against Stockport on Saturday, but the fact that it took until the penultimate day of January to secure their first league win of the new year may have put paid to their play-off hopes.

Saints 2 - 0 Stockport County

Such an assessment may be harsh. One postponement and three cup interruptions meant this was their only home game of the month, with their other fixtures away to Millwall and Brentford (both drawn) causing it to be an unbeaten one. Six games in one month is a big ask for any side - and a record of four wins and two draws should not be sniffed at. The increasing gap between Saints and the top six perhaps explains why such a cracking run of form has not attracted more acclaim. It took goals from Ricky Lambert and Papa Waigo to see off Stockport yesterday, after a nervy first half in which the pressure of needing a win appeared to stifle Saints' performance. But Saints came through in the end, piling the pressure on a Stockport side who have not won in more than one hundred days.

February is shaping up to be another colossal month, with four league fixtures and two massive cup ties. Many fans will be looking to the derby match against Pompey on the 13th as the biggest of these games, but this may be a mistake. A good performance in the return leg against MK Dons will see Saints to Wembley again, while if they can take ten points from their league games they will stay in the play-off hunt. Defeat against Pompey would be galling for all at SFC; but it should not overshadow the other games this month which will have a massive bearing on how this season is remembered.

Biggest seating changes in history of St Marys' planned

2010-01-29T16:52:00.004Z

Saints are planning wholesale changes to the seating plan at St Marys, it has been revealed today.

In a high-level club meeting at St Marys recently, attended by Chairman Nicola Cortese and Ticketing boss David Luker, plans were discussed which included moving away fans to the opposite end of the stadium and giving the most vocal supporters, who have traditionally occupied half of the Northam, the entire end.

The club will be using the official website to gauge reaction from fans to the proposed changes in the coming days. They are unlikely to be recieved in uniformly positive terms, with many believing the change would just lead to Northam supporters relocating to be near to away fans again. The club believes, however, that St Mary's is unusual in situating its most vocal fans next to the away contingent. The stadium has come in for criticism over the years for its concentration of atmosphere at one end, which can lead to a poor atmosphere in other areas of the crowd.

The news was posted on the Saints Forum by an attendee at the meeting.

Brentford 1 - Saints 1

2010-01-27T11:29:00.002Z

A Leon Legge equaliser six minutes from time was enough to prevent Saints claiming all three points at Griffin Park last night, costing Saints a valuable opportunity to move up the league table.

Brentford 1 - Saints 1

After the goal-scoring heroics of Wayne Thomas on Saturday, it was Lloyd James' turn to take the limelight yesterday. His finely hit strike after six minutes gave Saints an early lead, which they should have doubled in the second half through new signing Lee Barnard's gilt-edged chance. In the last half an hour, however, Brentford had a string of chances and were well worth their equaliser. Only the penalty-saving theatrics of Kelvin Davies, whose season continues to go from strength to strength, stood between Saints and defeat in the end.

Saints have now been thwarted by late goals in their last two games on the road, but in neither case would victory have been fully deserved. Pardew is nonetheless becoming increasingly frustrated at the side's failure to carry their cup form into the league and the pressure is now on to secure all three points when they host struggling Stockport on Saturday.

Saints v Pompey - here we go again

2010-01-24T18:32:00.001Z

With progress being made on both the League and cup fronts under Pardew this season, the first year of the new era was shaping up to be a special one anyway. That was before Saints were drawn to host Pompey in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Matches don't come much bigger than this. It will be nearly four years to the day since the sides last met, when a weary and relegation-destined Saints travelled to Fratton Park for a 4-1 humiliation that helped seal their fate. In the four years since Pompey have clung on to their top flight status and won the FA cup, while Saints have succumbed to another relegation and come close to going out of existence. But despite the gulf that now exists between the teams, Saints will be the club that goes into February's behemoth clash in rosier health.

Portsmouth lie bottom of the Premier League, crippled by debts that have led to their TV money being requisitioned by football bosses to pay off fees. Mystery surrounds their owner, who fans rarely see or hear from, and the world of football has been transfixed by the notion that a top flight club could go out of business this year. The favourite is Portsmouth. Without Harry Redknapp, who for years had the midas touch down the road, relegation seems almost certain. The tie could not have come at a juicier time, with Saints coming out of a period of crisis and Portsmouth going into one.

A full house at St Marys is not in doubt. However, a element of realism is required. Despite the gulf in confidence, there will be two divisions-worth of difference between the teams and being beaten on our own patch remains a real possibility. Whatever happens though, the atmosphere will be irresistable and with only Chelsea of the big four remaining in the draw, Saints should have their eyes on further cup progress. The tie is due to be played on the weekend of the 13/14 February - get your ticket now.

Saints savour Wayne's World

2010-01-24T02:22:00.003Z

Personally, I won't be completely convinced until I see a replay but, unless the media have collectively conspired to sell us a tall one, a Wayne Thomas wonder goal -you read that correctly - set Saints on their way to victory over Roy Keane's Ipswich in the FA Cup today.

Saints 2 - Ipswich 1

In post-match interviews, Alan Pardew expressed his incredulity at the sweetly-struck finish from his chunky defender after half an hour. The goal came in a first half which the visitors had arguably had the better of, but Saints, boosted by Thomas' effort, went in a goal up after the break. Substitute Antonio doubled the advantage soon after coming on ten minutes from time, with consolation coming in stoppage time for the Tractor Boys.

The win continues Saints' excellent form in cups this year and is a considerable scalp for Pardew's men. It also sets up the tantalising prospect of a meeting with Pompey in the last 16. The League table makes less encouraging reading tonight, with Saints slipping further back in the race for the play-offs. Importantly, however, Saints are winning matches with three games gone of an extremely congested run of fixtures. If they can carry that into the league, the top six should become a more realistic prospect.

Next game: Brentford (A) Tues K/off 7.45

Top six and Wembley still within sights as Saints bolster squad

2010-01-22T11:48:00.003Z

Apologies for the lack of blogging in January - it has been hard to combine being a full-time Saints fan with writing a 10,000 word dissertation on late eighteenth century radicalism. Saints, too, have been battling on many fronts, still fighting in three competitions and a horrendous fixture pile-up on the horizon. The weather hasn't helped either, with the match at home to Huddersfield having to be rearranged due to a frozen pitch. Maybe it was wrong to expect a win at Millwall (Leeds lost there too), but many fans saw last weekend's draw at the New Den as a sign that the play-offs may be out of Saints' reach this year.

Millwall 1 - Saints 1

The result leaves Saints twelve points off the top six pace, a big gap to bridge with fixtures in the FA and JPT Cups to fit in as well. But the nature of the game worried some, with Millwall largely outbattling Saints. The fact that Millwall equalised with seconds to spare was seized on by Pardew that we should have won the game. And we probably should have done. But our goal came only minutes earlier, through a deflected Rickie Lambert free kick. Red and White Bill thinks the doomsayers, however, are premature. If we combine points away at tricky places like the New Den with home wins over the next few weeks, we will continue to climb up the table. The presence of three new defenders in our back line (see below) completely changed the side, meaning a point, in the circumstances, is a very respectable result.

MK Dons 0 - Saints 1 (JPT area final, 1st leg)

Better news, however, came in Wednesday's away JPT tie against Paul Ince's Dons. A professional display from Pardew's men was rounded off by Antonio's well struck finish in the first half, meaning they take an important one goal advantage back to St Marys next month. A Wembley final is now well within their sights, and if they can approach the second leg in the same way, Pardew's excellent cup record should ensure they don't miss out. March 28th - if it's not in your diary already, make sure it is now.

Transfer round-up

Saints have been the most active side in League One (maybe the Championship too) this window, making three signings with a fourth on the way today. Daniel Seabourne (undisclosed fee, three and a half years, Exeter), Jon Otsemobor (free, six months, Norwich) and Jose Fonte (up to 1.5m, three and a half years, Crystal Palace) all made their debuts in the game away to Millwall. Pardew has spoken before of the need to support Jaidi and Perry, especially as Wayne Thomas may be following Neal Trotman out of the club. The only other cover, academy product Olly Lancashire, is unproven. The three signings are a real signal of intent by the club, particularly Fonte, who Pardew has grouped with Lambert as being players who could play at the very top level.

The fourth signing, to be announced today, sees Lee Barnard join from Southend and Matt Paterson move in the opposite direction. The deal looks to have set Saints back around £175,000, for a man who has scored 17 goals in all competitions this season. That sums up Saints' movements so far - and they could not have come at a better time given the fixture congestion of coming weeks.

Next game: Saints v Ipswich (FA Cup 4th round) - Saturday 23rd January

Saints' cup still half full as 2010 kicks off with a win

2010-01-03T21:14:00.004Z

A blistering Ricky Lambert free kick was enough to dispatch lowly Luton Town on FA Cup 3rd round day at St. Mary's yesterday.

Saints 1 - Luton Town 0

Nearly 19,000 turned out on an icy day at St Marys (Fratton Park could attract just 11,000 for their home tie) as Luton made Saints battle for their place in the fourth round. After playing five matches already in the competition, the Conference outfit knew they had nothing to lose against higher tier opposition and came out attacking with two up front from the start, not loading the midfield as some had predicted. But despite a gutsy start from the non-leaguers, the difference in class showed in the first half as Saints created a host of chances, eventually making the breakthrough through Ricky Lambert's postage stamp set piece accuracy.

It was a different story in the second half, however, as Luton's spurned a couple of glorious opportunities, chances that even won the dubious acclaim of making it onto Andy Townsend and Robbie Earle's slot on 'miss of the weekend' during ITV1's highlights show. Saints clung on, however, to set up an immensely winnable tie at home to Roy Keane's struggling Championship outfit Ipswich in the next round.

In other news, Neal Trotman has returned to Preston after the northern side refused an extension to his loan. Olly Lancashire has been recalled as cover but Pardew has hinted that reinforcements may be needed if Saints are to continue to compete on so many fronts over the next few months.

Also, how good was it to see United beaten by Leeds today in the cup?! Fairytale stuff. You wonder, however, whether it will do more harm than good in terms of Leeds' prospects in the League this season. The televised triumph has put the spotlight on the club and its talents just as the transfer window gets underway. Could it have jeapardised their chances of automatic promotion at just the wrong time?

Saints fail to end 2009 in style

2009-12-28T23:41:00.003Z

Despite dominating large periods of the game, two poorly conceded goals ensured Saints failed to pick anything up from their trip to play-off chasing Colchester - a disappointing start to a season-defining run of five matches against sides above them in the league.

Colchester 2 - Saints 1

Bialkowski
Harding
Thomas
Jaidi
Trotman
James
Hammond
Schneiderlin
Antonio
Lallana
Lambert

Pardew opted for a five-man midfield for this trip to misty East Anglia, partly to neuter the threat of an attacking Colchester side and partly because of doubts over whether David Connolly could last a whole game. But despite this numerical advantage in the middle, Saints seemed overwhelmed themselves in the first half and fell a goal behind. Connolly was brought on to support lone frontman Lambert and restore the side's attacking potency, which seemed to do the trick as Saints had the larger part of the chances and dominated possession in the second half.

They failed to capitalise upon this, however, with Papa Waigo having one chalked off for - quel surprise - offside. Colchester put matters beyond doubt with a second fifteen minutes from time, Ricky Lambert's stoppage time penalty boosting nothing but his goal tally as Saints ran out of time. The significance of the result - against, afterall, virtual play-off certainties - should not be overplayed and the forthcoming visit of Huddersfield and trip to Millwall should prove more profitable. It does, however, slump Saints back into the bottom half of the table. Not where Saints want to be, but, given the traumatic circumstances of 2009, they can consider themselves in rude health and look ahead with confidence to 2010.

Saints box clever to inspire festive cheer

2009-12-27T00:49:00.002Z

Following last week's defeat against Leeds, Pardew had tasked his side to stay focused on getting the result ahead of today's clash at home to Exeter. Two first half goals ensured that they did, although it was not as comfortable as it should have been in front of a rare full house at St. Marys.

Saints 3 - Exeter 1

Bialkowski
James, Perry, Trotman, Harding
Lallana, Hammond, Schneiderlinn, Antonio
Connolly, Lambert

The absence from midfield of Morgan Schneiderlinn had cost Saints against Leeds, with Pardew bemoaning his side's failure to pump the ball out to Lallanna on the wing. He is the sort of player who will always look to play the ball on the ground, although there was little fluency to Saints' midfield on his return to the side, as Exeter dominated the early stages.

Managed by Saints old boy Paul Tisdale, who has led Exeter to back-to-back promotions in the last two seasons, Exeter set themselves up as a solid defensive unit and Saints struggled to impose themselves, perhaps put off by the season record crowd (their loss at home to Brighton earlier in the season occurred in similar circumstances). But Antonio, who combines pace and a good touch to useful effect, always provided a threat down the right and it was from that flank Saints won themselves an undeserved lead thanks to a deflected strike by Lloyd James. The lead was doubled soon after as Neal Trotman rose highest in the box and the game looked to be over before half time when the ever-lively Adam Lallana attracted a high challenge that had the perpetrator sent off.

But few members of the capacity crowd, one buoyed by Saints' form this season, can have forgotten the golden rule with Saints: it's never that easy. As the second half wore on, the ten men of Exeter started to play some fluent passing football and began to look as if they may get back into the game. The jitters now afflicting the fans intensified on the hour when Adam Lallana was taken off with a dead leg. His importance to the side was proven minutes later as the Grecians got one back from a - you guessed it - poorly-marked set-piece, setting the scene a nervous final twenty minutes that the oddly quiet home fans, perhaps still digesting yesterday's turkey, could have done without.

Lallana's replacement, Joseph Mills, toiled away for a miserable 23 minutes before himself being replaced by the more imposing presence of Paul Wotton, who was tasked to sit and protect an increasingly jittery back four. But all major worries were put to bed minutes from time when the impressive Papa Waigo slipped in round the back to slot home. Also deserving of mention is Ricky Lambert's injury time 30 yard wonder strike which hit the angle - the woodwork was obviously not in a festive mood.

The win lifts Saints into the top half for the first time this season and lays an important foundation ahead of important games against Colchester, Huddersfield and Millwall. The difficulty with which the side eventually dispatched the lowly Grecians also serves as a wake up call - Saints are still finding life difficult at home to the lesser sides, who see St. Marys as a big day out and a stage on which they have nothing to lose. But Pardew was right to place the onus on it being a case of "job done, move on" in his post-match interviews. Points are the main thing for Saints presently - and how many they pick up from the next three will be a good indicator of how they should fare this season.

Unbeaten away record ends as Leeds prove class

2009-12-22T12:30:00.003Z

A late goal from Robert Snodgrass was enough for Leeds to see Saints off on Saturday, ending their impressive unbeaten away record which had lasted since August.

Leeds 1 - Saints 0

It was probably a fair result and Saints cannot stretch their luck after the fortunate circumstances of Tuesday night's cup win over Norwich. That Saints managed to hold off the league leaders until twenty minutes from time was an achievement in itself, though they had missed a few gilt-edged chances. With any luck, the result should not hinder this season's progress to any great extent, with providing Boxing Day's game at home to Exeter providing their next opportunity to climb up the table.

In other news, chairman Nicola Cortese has delivered this charming Christmas message to Saints fans. What a lovely guy. Makes his fall-out with the Daily Echo last week seem all the more bizarre.

Wembley on the horizon as Saints continue march to the arch

2009-12-17T13:22:00.004Z

If you haven't already, stick March 28th in your diary now. For that is the date on which Saints, barring defeat over two legs against Paul Ince's MK Dons, will be appearing in their first Wembley Final for over fifteen years after Tuesday night's win over Norwich.

Saints 2 - Norwich 2 (Saints won 6-5 on pens)

It was more of a stumble than a march to the arch, however, as Saints put in a mixed display at odds with their recent performances. 2-1 down with seconds to go, it took a stoppage time equaliser from Papa Waigo, who had already put Saints ahead in the first half, to force penalties after a poor second half. Alan Pardew admitted Norwich may have deserved to win, but more than a measure of luck is necessary to all sustained cup runs rely and it went Saints way on the night as the side recorded their second penalty shoot out win of the competition thanks to Bartosz Bialkowski's heroics.

Saints 3 - Tranmere 0

The cup win came hot on the heels of Saturday's match against Tranmere. Goals from Ricky Lambert and Dan Harding eventually saw off the League One strugglers, who had made life difficult for Pardew's men in the first half. The two victories mean Saints have now won five on the trot in all competitions, just the results, even if not matched by form, required if Saints are to make their play-off dream a reality this year.

Daily Echo banned from St Marys

2009-12-11T13:26:00.004Z

Events at Saints took a curious turn today, with the Daily Echo revealing today that they have been banned from St Marys.

It appears this draconian measure has been taken by Nicola Cortese after the paper, which has never before been banned from a Saints ground in its 121 year history, published a fairly innocent report concerning the proposed training ground developments on Tuesday.

This was a day before the official website put out its press release, although the news was picked up on by local radio and the BBC website carried the story on Wednesday.

It does not seem as if the Echo broke any laws as details of the planning application had already been published by New Forest District Council and the article does not contain any malicious or defamatory content. If this act is the result of a fit of pique on the part of Nicola Cortese at not getting to get the news out first it seems a very odd and unimportant issue to get wound up about.

It will be interesting to see how this develops over the next few days. The Echo has its critics amongst fans but no one wants to support a football club that is going to take such a dictatorial stance with the media. One gets the impression there is more to this than meets the eye. Watch this space...

Movin' on up - Walsall win sees Saints rise to 15th

2009-12-06T13:19:00.004Z

Until yesterday only Leeds had managed to turn Walsall over on their own patch this season. But on a blustery day in the Midlands Saints proved their quality to become the second team to do so with a win that propelled them up to fifteenth place.

Walsall 1 - Saints 3

With four wins on the bounce, Pardew's team is really motoring now and starting to look as formidable as any opposition in this League. Goals from David Connolly, Dean Hammond and Ricky Lambert (his ninth in eight games) dispatched the in-form Walsall with half and hour to go and set the stage for a busy December with Saints next facing tests in the League against Tranmere and the JPT against Norwich.

At last - Saints look to the skies as drop zone left behind

2009-12-03T20:45:00.006Z

For all the talk of play-offs this year, the stark reality is that Saints have been stranded in the drop zone for the entire season. But that millstone was mercifully lifted from the club's neck on Tuesday night as victory over Wycombe dragged Saints into the relative heaven of 20th place. Now, with over half the season still to go, Saints can really start to look upwards in their pursuit of a play-off place.

Saints 1 - Wycombe 0

It wasn't the prettiest of wins, but that will not have come as a disappointment to Pardew, who seems to relish it most when Saints win ugly. That, however, would be a harsh assessment of a game Saints dominated from start to finish under the floodlights at St. Marys. It was a case of getting the job done for Pardew's men, who missed a host of chances against their relegation-threatened opposition. Ricky Lambert surprised no one by getting the crucial goal before the break, his worth to Saints being proven on nights like these when others fail to convert their chances. In the end it was not the performance but the result that mattered as Saints left their opponents behind in the drop zone.

Form guide

Beside the boost received by escaping the drop zone, an analysis of Saints last ten games and where that would leave them in the League offers more hope for the remainder of the season. A league table based on the last ten games would leave Saints in fourth place (20 points), firmly entrenched in the play-off places. If they can maintain that form over the next few months finishing up there in May is more than possible. Saturday's trip to Walsall should provide an interesting acid test of the likelihood of that happening, with the Saddlers also collecting 20 points from their last ten games.

Cup half full

Away from the league, Saints continued their impressive cup form on Saturday, navigating a potentially tricky trip to Northampton.

Northampton 2 - Saints 3

The scoreline flattered the hosts in this FA Cup second round tie, as Papa Waigo, Lallana and Hammond goals put the tie beyond doubt within an hour. Sunday's draw handed Saints a home tie against either Rotherham or Luton, making a potentially lucrative and high profile fourth round match against Premiership opposition a distinct possibility.

Four games, fifteen goals - what have Saints been up to?

2009-11-25T01:00:00.001Z

Apologies for the lack of action on these pages of late - I realise I have ignored a glut of Saints action. Before a quick catch-up, however, just a word to the wise for those who think that supporting Saints is tough. Having been taken to a Bradford game by a season ticket-holding friend on Saturday, I have a new empathy for those supporting other clubs who have had a tough few years.

Administration, relegation, player unrest - we haven't had the easiest time. But compare that to Bradford - who have had three demotions since their halcyon Premiership days in 2001 - and we can't complain. At least we now seem on the up; it is quite the opposite for the Bantams, languishing in League 2 nowhere land with a third of the season gone. Their stoppage time heartbreak against Accrington Stanley on Saturday - a disallowed goal, missed penalty and hit post - summed it up.

Us Saints fans, on the other hand, can look ahead with confidence after our revival under Pardew this year, with recent results taking us to a point from safety and the verge of a Wembley appearance.

Saints 2 - Charlton 1 (JP Trophy)

St Marys was again in fine voice for this midweek cup tie, as goals from Wayne Thomas and Ricky Lambert took Saints to the JP Trophy area semis - and to within three good results of a cup final. We may not be there yet but a potential day out at Wembley and even silverware - the third tier may not be so bad after all.

Saints 1 - Brighton 3

There are three potential factors to explain Saints' off-day the following Monday against local rivals Brighton. Cup success may have gone to their heads and forced them off the boil. The arrival of Brighton's new manager Gus would certainly have had an impact. More likely, however, it was Saints' annoying habit of losing on TV that led to their first defeat since October.

Saints 2 - Norwich 2

A return to form in their last home game saw two brilliant Saints goals secure a point against the Canaries. An Adam Lallana strike in the first half was added to by a David Connelly wonder goal in the second, but both of which were levelled after poor defending. Pardew was left frustrated his side could not get a third in a game they deserved to win, although satisfied by the quality of a pulsating game which he labelled "worthy of a higher level."

Hartlepool 1 - Saints 3

Perhaps the most important result of the lot came tonight as Saints made the long trip north. Hartlepool are making a good fist of things this season, but that did not stop a brace from goal machine Adam Lallana seeing off the north-easterners, Ricky Lambert getting the vital third.
The result leaves Saints a point from safety and poised to continue their long climb up the league. Cup wins aside, November looks unlikely to replicate the golden success of October, but if Saints can continue to get results and keep moving up play-offs remain a possibility. And that, believe it or not, would top an appearance in the Johnstone's Paint Final.

Saints march on... and top 50 Southampton players

2009-11-08T10:56:00.004Z

Saints successfully navigated their tricky cup tie away at Bristol Rovers on Friday, avenging their embarrassing defeat in the same place eighteen months ago.

Bristol Rovers 2 - Saints 3

It took five second-half minutes for the impressive David Connelly, granted his first start for Saints after two goals in two appearances as sub, to add a further two to his tally and put Saints in a commanding position. Winger Antonio chipped in with another on 70 minutes, and it is just as well that he did as Bristol Rovers fought back. The win was never in doubt, however, as it was not until two minutes into stoppage time that the Pirates got their second. The win represents another step in the right direction for Pardew's men, who are building momentum with their regular wins both at home and away from St Marys.

On separate note, Steve Keenan of The Times has compiled his list of the 50 Greatest Southampton Players. It is well worth a read and there is a lot of room for debate - why is Jason Dodd not higher? - and I will be writing a blog post in response later in the week. The biggest point of contention is who occupies the top spot. I myself disagree with that particular ranking, but you will have to make up your own mind. Enjoy...

Lambert magic ensures Saints remain unbeaten

2009-11-02T10:11:00.003Z

Saints failed to make it five wins on the trot away to Leyton Orient on Saturday, but in a way their performance against the Os was just as important as their four preceding games.

Leyton Orient 2 - Saints 2

When wins come in such volume together it can lead to a sense of inevitability, which can be crushing for opposition teams but also lead to complacency in ours. And Saints' slow start on Saturday could be put down to the latter, although it was pure bad luck that caused the Os to double their lead after half time from Neal Trotman's own goal.

But the most important thing is that Saints continued to attack right until the end, in spite of a number of well-created chances going begging. They had to wait until sixteen minutes from time for goal machine Ricky Lambert to eventually punish Orient and score. Promptly collecting the ball from the net he, like everyone else, knew Saints were in it to win it and got the second ten minutes later. Such was the manner of the fightback, Saints would undoubtedly have won had the game been extended - testament to their self-belief and ability.

People may point to this game as a missed opportunity to extend a winning run, but more important is the fact that Saints remain unbeaten. After some bad luck and complacency this turned into a good result for Saints - if they can continue to claw back games such as these while winning the best part of the others a top half finish and more is a very realistic outcome this season.

100 posts... and a few points on the board too

2009-10-24T21:00:00.003+01:00

Welcome, at last, to my hundredth post on the site, and what a time to be writing it with Saints riding high following two more victories against in-form sides.

Oldham 1 - Saints 3
Saints 3 - MK Dons 1

Good times really are back at St Marys, with this afternoon's win over Paul Ince's men their fourth consecutive league victory. Last week's win at Oldham was far from straight-forward but Pardew's men dug in to secure the three points, the win sealed by debutant substitute David Connelly's strike. And the new man scored the all-important third again today as the side came back from a goal behind at half time to give the St. Marys faithful something to cheer about.

Pardew praised his side's winning mentality after a performance that takes them to within three points of escape from the drop zone. But the play-offs remain eleven points away and they will need to continue this form over Christmas if they are to be in the reckoning come May. Still, things are on the up at St Marys and who knows what the coming 100 posts have in store - either way, League One ain't so bad after all.

The first R&W B Videocast

2009-10-12T01:54:00.004+01:00

12 games into the new era at St Mary's, the time has come for Red and White Bill to begin a new era of his own. Assisted by in-house League One expert David Attwood, I have recorded my first videocast, a short interview examining Saints' progress this year. Topics touched on range from the impact Pardew has had on the club to the pros and cons of the Ricky Lambert signing (a particularly contentious area). And in light of Saints' recent spurt of form we will examine what we can hope from this season.

Gary Linekar I am not, but I hope the content will be of interest to Saints fans - feedback would be great, let me know what you think. Most importantly, enjoy.

Here is the link

ps. Apologies for the poor audio, we will sort this out next time.

Progress visible as Saints go on run

2009-10-10T16:49:00.004+01:00

Is this a dream? After four years of unrelenting misery on the south coast, things are at last improving for Saints, who yesterday secured their third win in seven days at Southend. However, that was not before a somewhat shaky performance in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on Tuesday, when penalties were needed to secure their passage to the next round.

Saints 2 - Torquay 2 (Saints win 5-3 on pens)

To describe this result as jammy would not so much be an understatement as an outright lie. After all Pardew's talk of wanting a Wembley final for the fans, his players had a shocker in front of 9,000 at St.Marys. Kelvin Davies was the worst offender, at fault for the two goals which gifted the seaside visitors their half time advantage. And it was not so much a fight-back as a scuff-back as new signing Papa Waigo bundled home two second half goals, neither from further out than a yard. Davies' achieved partial redemption (he really had a shocker) with the penalty save that sent us through. All in all though, a night to forget.

Southend 1 - Saints 3

Still, a win is a win however you get it and they followed up Tuesday's clanger with an assured victory in the league last night. A brace from midfield dynamo and new-found goal machine Adam Lallana added to loanee Neil Trotman's opener to lift Saints to within two points of Wycombe. This spurt of form has totally changed the complexion of the season for Pardew's men, who, after a summer of uncertainty, would be tenth if it were not for the points deduction. Play-offs may be a stretch but survival looks a far more comfortable prospect that it did a couple of weeks ago, which is testament to the work of the gaffer - bravo, Alan.

Goal-fests at St Marys as Saints get positive points boost

2009-10-05T20:16:00.004+01:00

Financially debt-free, now, at last, the club has moved into the black in terms of points, too. Saints lie just sixteen points from the play-offs after their two recent games at St Marys, which happens to be unusually goal happy at the moment.

Saints 2 - Bristol Rovers 3

New man Ricky Lambert's former employers are riding high presently and broke Saints hearts at the death on Tuesday night with an injury time winner. Despite a leaky defence, Saints had looked the comfortable winners until the last twenty minutes when the shakes kicked in and they let the lead slip. It brought to an end the side's eight match unbeaten run in disappointing style and Pards was understandably fuming after the result.

Saints 4 - Gillingham 1

Happily, Saturday's goal fest came out in Saints' favour as Adam Lallana goals came either side of strikes from Lambert and Papa Waigo to send the Gills home with their tails behind their legs. It at last carried Saints to a positive points tally for the season and should set the mood for the coming games. With the class we have in the team, this sort of result is exactly what we should be doing to the lesser sides at St Marys and will boost their confidence, particularly Lallana's, who did excellently again.

Following on to an excellent response to the Solent fans' forum, here is a link to an article from the BBC sport website that provides another excellent insight into what is going on at St Marys.

Just click here.

Radio Solent Saints Fans Forum

2009-09-28T00:43:00.002+01:00

If you missed it, the BBC have put last week's fans forum online. Trust me, it is a must-hear for Saints fans and Pardew, Kelvin Davies and chief-exec Nicola Cortese give a great insight into what is now going on at St Marys.

Here is the link.

Big beast Jaidi grabs important point

2009-09-28T00:34:00.003+01:00

It was a year ago that Gordon Brown announced the return to his Cabinet of political juggernaut and big beast Peter Mandelson. Twelve months on Saints were thankful to be in possession of a big beast themselves as new centre-half Rahdi Jaidi popped up in stoppage time to grab a late point and ensure the side's unbeaten run continues.

Carlisle 1 - Saints 1

How refreshing for Saints to be on the right end of a late goal. Important too, as Saturday's was the sort of long away trip from which it is so important Saints pick up points this season. If we can continue to do so, while winning our home games, it will not be long before we start moving up this league. After being unfortunate to go a goal down on 69 minutes, the side responded well to continue putting pressure on the northerners and were rewarded with Jaidi's header. The football may not be pretty, but, unbeaten in six, confidence is building and the Pardew Project looks like it is moving up a gear.

At last - we've won a game!

2009-09-20T19:09:00.003+01:00

What a difference three points can make. It may not have been a classic performance, but penalties either side of half time secured Saints their first win of the season at St Mary's yesterday, at last providing points-starved fans with something to smile about.

Saints 2 - Yeovil 0

We may remain anchored to the foot of League One, but the win should imbue Pardew's side with that most treasured asset, confidence, and enable them to carry on winning after a glut of draws. It was not pretty - League One rarely is - but the importance of this result lies in the fact Saints won without playing particularly well against a highly average Yeovil team.

Now unbeaten in five, just won more win will take Saints into positive points for the season. It still promises to be a long, hard slog but it could be worse - Tranmere fans have John Barnes as manager, after all.

Saints draw heart from signings

2009-09-15T12:37:00.003+01:00

Back from the subcontinent to a mixed bag of Saints news. Two games on, and our points penalty has not been cut in half, but the point away at Charlton was a good one and we have made a couple of very encouraging signings to boot.

Saints 1 - Colchester 1
Charlton 1 - Saints 1

Draws remain the order of the day this season then, although Pardew is confident the wins will start coming soon. Such a view is strengthened by the additions made to the squad of Fiorentina striker Papa Waigo N'Diaye and chunky centre-half Rahdi Jaidi, whose work permit clearance finally came through. Following the signing of Neal Trotman, Jaidi should add more height and strength to our back line, as well as striking fear into opposition offences - Jaidi and Trotman are two brick wall collussuses you most certainly would not want to meet in a dark alleyway. The season long loan signing of Senegal forward N'Diaye is also exciting and he should add pace and running to a somewhat immobile frontline. He has the goal celebrations of Kenwyne Jones, too.

All things considered an encouraging fortnight, but Saints remain rooted to the foot of the League and that first win cannot come fast enough. Yeovil on Saturday should provide the ideal chance.

Back in a fortnight

2009-08-29T21:47:00.002+01:00

Red and White Bill is finding all this stress a bit much and will be back in a couple of weeks. India will not be the ideal place from which to report upon Saints, but I hope to return to find the squad bolstered and the points deficit cut in half.

If I meet any Holy Men, I'll get them to put in a word.

Pardew perplexed by daylight robbery

2009-08-29T21:37:00.002+01:00

Sure, surely it is time for the gods to give us a break. They have been conspiring against us for long enough. After relegations, administration and a points deduction, you would have thought they would back off. Whatever we have done, we have been punished enough. But the footballing powers in the sky ain't done yet, as Saints were today denied their first win of the season by the last kick of the game.

Stockport County 1 - Saints 1

It was a cracking display, with Trotman, Lallana and Mellis impressing and the side having ample opportunities to build on Ricky Lambert's first half penalty. Only a shocker of a refereeing decision could deny them the three points which would have at last given them a lift off in this league. Pardew and his players were left fuming as the man in the middle spotted an infringement in the area at the end of stoppage time.

Five games in, it is too early to panic yet, but Saints need a win, and fast. If they carry on playing like they did today, it will come soon enough. We just need the gods onside first.

Is it rational to support Saints?

2009-08-28T12:44:00.003+01:00

Supporting a football club is a nutty thing to do, but we do it anyway. That was the conclusion of a chat at work yesterday about why we tie ourselves to the fortunes of our home clubs when they are arbitrarily allotted to us through chance.

Let's face it, despite our club being saved, we Saints have not had the best few weeks. We lie stranded at the foot of League One, our points penalty placing us over twenty points behind the leaders after just four games, with our best players apparently on the verge of leaving. And yet, a lot of my Saints-related conversation recently has been overwhelmingly positive in nature, I and others waxing lyrical about Alan Pardew and our recent performances despite their poor returns.

Not very rational. Yet still we turn up, week after week, to support a fairly poor team failing to get results - and enjoy it too. Where's the logic in that? We couldn't find any, but did it matter? When we thought about this complete lack of sense, were we dissuaded from supporting Saints? Well, no. It didn't matter one bit. Soon the most important thing on the agenda was Saturday's trip to Stockport. We haven't won this season but was an away victory against an in-form side after a week of upheaval thought beyond us? Of course not. Football has no logic - and that is why we love it.

The round-up: Pardew's cup still half full

2009-08-27T20:19:00.003+01:00

Tuesday night saw Saints slip to their third competitive defeat of the season, but the 11,000 strong crowd at St Marys was not too disheartened by the display.

Saints 1 - Birmingham 2

Saints led for much of the game after Adam Lallana's cracking opener - annoyingly opening the floodgates for Premier League transfer interest ahead of the transfer window slamming shut - but were turned over by two late Birmingham goals. The side put in a solid shift and outplayed their Premier League opponents for much of the game. Despite a moderate moan at the referee, Pardew will not be too perturbed at this club exit - there are more important matters at hand at present. Most concerning will have been Graham Murty's stretchered removal from the field - a knee problem could rule him for a spell of weeks. Given Lloyd James' horror show on Saturday, signing a right back could now be a priority.

The other news of the week has seen donkey frontman Gregorsz Rasiak sign for Reading. Can't think why he would want a move - no one has seen him score, let alone play with any passion, for over a decade now. Presumably the abundance of Polish plumbers in Southampton made a sideline in waterworks difficult and forced the move.

Saints 1 - Brentford 1: Saints progress but win still proves elusive

2009-08-23T16:33:00.004+01:00

Saints took a few more jittery steps in their recovery yesterday but were thwarted in their attempts to secure a breakthrough victory.

Saints 1 - Brentford 1

Nearly 20,000 flocked to St Marys to show their support for Pardew's new era, most of whom would have returned home with mixed feelings after another patchy display. Saints did well to capitalise upon a period of sustained pressure in the second half, but, as against Millwall, defensive frailties proved costly.

Good signs Though the result was not ideal, positivity with the new signings and progress made carried the day, showing that fans are willing to give Pardew as much time as he needs. He will be thankful for that, as the inadequacies of last year are taking a while to shake off, especially given the short pre-season he had to work with. The manager was probably right in saying the pre-season process is spilling into these opening fixtures, with new signings fitting in and pieces still falling into place. Key man: Dan Harding again excellent at left-back and got the goal to boot.

Pard times If Graham Murty had played we would not have lost this match. Though he is no gazelle, he would have had the nouse to take down Brentford's midfielder before he could get to the touchline and tee up their equaliser. Lloyd James, the perfect example of Saints' policy of blooding youngsters before they are ready, did nothing. He was captain for a game pre-season. Crikey - he really is atrocious.

Comedy moments Brentford manager Andy Scott lit up the touchline, with his long-sleeve shirt striking a shade of peach melba few can have seen before. It was more imaginative than anything we saw on the pitch - but Gok Wan would not have been impressed.

Transfer round-up and Brentford preview

2009-08-21T20:22:00.004+01:00

It has been an interesting week for Saints, with Pardew bringing in reinforcements designed to increase the side's aerial presence and ability to deal with dead balls. On Wednesday, Colchester captain Dean Hammond signed for an undisclosed fee and he is likely to head straight into centre midfield for tomorrow's match against Brentford. Defensive colossus and Chelsea youngster Neal Trotman, who signed on loan on Thursday, is likely to do the same. However, after a dodgy start and against an in-form Brentford side, it will be a tough ask for Pardew to engineer a turnaround of Saints fortunes on the scale that Stuart Broad managed in the cricket today for England.Encouraging to see fresh blood brought in though - here are the view's of Somerset's finest, David Attwood.

Atto's tips

Recent form Having come up from League 2, Brentford have had a solid start to the season, remaining unbeaten in the league so far. In mid-week they came up with an excellent performance to beat Norwich City at home and this could be the foundation for an excellent home record - a trait which saw them claim the League 2 title last season.

The squad They have added to their squad but have nothing compared to the quality of Saints.
However, their excellent win away from home at Carlisle on the opening day of the season was down to new buy Weston getting both goals.

Prediction I fear that this weekend could be tricky. I can see this being a very tough test for Saints and surely Pardew would settle for a point so I predict 1-1.

This is going to be a loooong season

2009-08-18T23:41:00.003+01:00

Just one corner was enough to send Saints home pointless tonight as Pardew's men were again undone by their failure to defend set-pieces.

Swindon 1 - Saints 0

Good signs Pardew thought it was a better performance than Saturday, although that is not saying much. Against shaky opposition, it was important they picked something up and their failure to do so piles the pressure on to Saturday's game.

Pard times Set-pieces. It has been a problem for too long now and needs to be sorted out. It seems Saints do lack a commanding presence in the box to take control - it would make life for everyone so much easier if we never conceded from set-pieces. If his work permit problems can be resolved, Rahdi Jaidi would be a god-send.

Comedy moments Hard to look on the bright side of Saints' slow start to the season. One point from nine and the deficit still a millstone around their prospects this season. At least we still have a club, even if it looks like another relegation fight could be looming...

Swindon preview with our new resident tipster

2009-08-17T19:38:00.002+01:00

What do the following - Ricky Lambert, Ray Stubbs and Michael Owen - all have in common? Any ideas?

Let me put you out of your misery. They are all potentially great signings that have been made in the last few months (well, maybe not Owen), and the time has come for Red and White Bill to join the party! In the light of my own somewhat scratchy knowledge of the third tier I have scoured the world of football punditry to bring you an analyst who will be bringing you his thoughts on Saints' opponents and games over the next few weeks.

Imagine a sort of west-country fusion of Lee Dixon and Steve Claridge and you are nearly there. My very own signing of the summer is Yeovil die-hard and national Bowls player David Attwood. He will be putting his neck on the line to offer predictions, form guides and ground reviews to add a layer of expertise to the R&W Bill stable.

Just three games in and tomorrow's encounter away at Swindon already feels like an important match. The boys have to bounce back from Saturday's disappointment and start picking up points to stop the gap between us and the pack widening. Here are the thoughts of our new resident tipster.

Atto's tips - Swindon Town

Recent form They are an erratic team and that has shown this term - in between a cup win they lost their first game 5-0 and drew 0-0 last weekend.

Up front They will struggle up front this year having lost their top scorer Cox to West Brom for 1.9million, proven by their inability to score any goals in the league. They have only brought in a youngster from Bolton who is unproven.

The Boss They had been tipped to finish very well this year after sorting out their long term financial troubles but I would question this. Their squad is not that strong and I have serious reservations about Danny Wilson's ability. He did get Barnsley into the premiership but look where they have ended up now!

Away fans' guide As for the ground, you had better hope that it doesn't rain because you will be exposed high up on a terrace. It's a bit old but the rest of the ground is passable. Swindon is also famous for possessing the daddy of all roundabouts, about 7 roundabouts in one and very scary to negotiate. It's best if you can park about 10mins in a local retail park to get away quickly but make sure your cars are locked!

Prediction This time of the year is a great time to play them as they have not got themselves sorted yet. I would be very surprised if Saints couldn't turn them over! Swindon 0 - Saints 2

Video highlights from the weekend

2009-08-17T12:53:00.004+01:00

Not for the faint-hearted, here are the highlights (or rather lowlights) of our defeat on Saturday.

Still, you may be cheered up by Crystal Palace's goal-that-never-was against Bristol City. I know the ref can get it wrong, but this must be some sort of record...

And even funnier is manager Neil Warnock's response - he hasn't calmed down a few hours later.

PS. I don't think the BBC are allowing their highlights to be embedded on external sites yet - I am looking into it.

Pard times as Saints given reality check

2009-08-15T18:50:00.002+01:00

After a positive week, it was something of a rude awakening for Saints this afternoon as they slumped to Pardew's first defeat as boss.

Huddersfield 3 - Saints 1

Positive Signs: Two things stick out from a roundly disappointing display. Firstly, Ricky Lambert scored again, putting away the only proper chance Saints had the entire match. Very encouraging. Also, Kelvin Davies was inspired once more, saving another penalty. If these two carry on performing, we will be fine. After all, few were expecting a win here - it is just a rather deflating result.

Pard Times: A generally poor performance, about which Pardew was struggling to contain his anger in the post-match press conference. We resorted too quickly to the long ball and our midfield didn't turn up. My major worry is that a large part of the team got used to losing last season - it may be hard to change that mentality. That is probably Pard's biggest challenge. Result leaves us stuck on -9; important now to pick something up at Swindon.

Comedy moments: To the Final Score studio for this one, where new head girl and ringmistress Gabby Logan was trying heroically, without success, to maintain order amongst the squabblesome trio of Garth Crooks, Les Ferdinand and Mark Bright. I felt for her as they bickered about some mundane point, with Garth Crooks threatening to throw the toys out of the pram as he sulkily stood his ground, reducing a sensitive Mark Bright to the verge of tears. Big Les, meanwhile, just looked as if he fancied taking a swing at the babbling Crooks. Without Ray Stubbs, I fear for the future of that programme. In fact, I worry about the mental state of Garth Crooks.

ShotGunn dismissal leaves Canaries reeling

2009-08-14T17:33:00.004+01:00

In fairness, when I tipped Norwich for the title - just a week ago - I did say that my predictions have a tendency to end in tears. But I didn't expect this one to go tits up quite so quickly.

After just a game of the new season, the Canaries have ditched their manager Bryan Gunn. Given their terrible start - they were beaten 7-1 by Colchester at home on Saturday - this decision will surprise few. Despite restoring some pride with a cup win on Tuesday, having supporters throw their season tickets at you on the opening day puts you in a rather irrecoverable position and he had to go. So much for them emerging as champions in May - although the bookies had favoured them too, I add in defence.

Raises an interesting point, though. Out of all the relegated teams - us, Norwich, Charlton - who would you rather be supporting? Norwich's season may have ended before it started and while Charlton look solid, there is nothing to set the world alight. Down here on the south coast, however, we have a solid manager who is doing and saying all the right things, a couple of respectable results and some very positive signings. We may still be 9 points behind but the feel-good factor is back. Give me Saints any day.

Cup success sees Ricky off the mark

2009-08-12T12:45:00.002+01:00

Saints got their first competitive win under Alan Pardew last night as they beat League 2 Northampton in the first round of the Carling Cup.

Saints 2 - Northampton 0

A crowd of over 10,000 watched as Ricky Lambert's debut goal was added to by Adam Lallana's second half strike. It marks another step in the right direction for Saints and should fill them with confidence ahead of Saturday's trip to Huddersfield.

Ricky! Rickayyy!!

2009-08-10T19:06:00.007+01:00

Good work Pards. The Saints boss has wasted no time in adding a proven goal scorer to the ranks, with Bristol Rovers striker Ricky Lambert joining today. The 27 year old (right) was joint top scorer in League One last year with 29 goals and got off the mark this season on Saturday. But a deal was wrapped up today for a fee that could rise to £1m - but if he can keep on banging in the goals it looks like money well spent.

Another positive step for the Pardew era - COYR

Solid start to Pardew era

2009-08-09T12:10:00.002+01:00

Saints got off to a rumbustious start in the third tier yesterday, earning a point in an exciting season-opener at home to Millwall. With St Marys bathing in rich sunshine, a crowd of over 20,000 came to witness the real start of the Pardew regime and left feeling confident about the season ahead.

Saints 1 - Millwall 1

Chances were shared fairly evenly in a match where a combination of heat and fatigue meant players were truly puffing by the end (Graeme Murty certainly was). But it was Saints who got the lead early in the second half as Matthew Paterson latched onto the loose ball following a goal mouth scramble. It was a sloppy but not undeserved goal and the perfect start to the Pards era. But in characteristic Saints fashion, the defence - which had been strong throughout - then suffered a wobbly ten minutes. The colossal Wayne Thomas was unlucky to concede a penalty and Kelvin Davies came to the rescue with a fine double save. But the excitement cost Saints dear as a lack of defensive organisation two corners later saw Nadjim Abdou rise unmarked to head home. Millwall had chances to win it as Saints ran out of steam but the side held on to move a point nearer to 0 points.

Positive Signs: A great atmosphere and good to have the crowd back. Aside from the 10 minute panic, our defence looks very solid, as good as any in the league. Dan Harding and Wayne Thomas both excellent and Graeme Murty, well, entertaining.

Room for improvement: Once injuries kick in, the cupboard is bare. Rahdi Jaidi was a big miss, but we also badly need another striker; we only have Pats and Saga, and the latter is probably off anyway.

Comedy moments: The distinctly unintimidating Millwall crew wore shirts with the phrase "we fear no foe" printed on the back. I bet midfield behemoth LLoyd James had them quivering in their steel toe-capped boots.

Prediction Time

2009-08-07T21:50:00.005+01:00

Like it or not, the time has come for me to make an idiot of myself once more by sharing with you my predictions for the forthcoming season. To limit the likelihood of a series of great footballing eggs decorating my face, I will be restricting my predictions to tiers one and three. And if you think I sound overly negative about my predictive powers, remember - I thought we had a shout for the play-offs last season.

Premier League:

Winners: Chelsea Runners-up: Liverpool 3rd: Man U 4th: Arsenal
Relegated: Burnley, Portsmouth, Wolves

I think Chelsea have the strongest, most balanced squad of the top four and that United fans will have a frustrating season after a poor summer. Liverpool, meanwhile, will have a strong season but finish up the bridesmaid once more (a good shout for Champs League though). Arsene will again deliver wonders given his resources - gooners should show some respect. Mark Hughes to be fired by Christmas as City prove that clubs need time, as well as great players, to compete at the top. At the other end, things look gloomy for Pompey (hurrah!) as takeover uncertainty continues. I expect them, along with new boys Burnley and Wolves, to be for the chop.

League One:

Winners: Norwich Runners-up: Leeds Also promoted: Huddersfield
Relegated: Yeovil, Stockport, Tranmere, Walsall

If you want to make some money from a season-long bet, put your house on Stockport going down. Rookie manager, weak squad, club in chaos. Got this tip from my mate - and he supports them. Norwich and Leeds should dominate this league and as for Saints, if only, if only, we weren't starting ten points behind. Holding on to one of Rasiak and Saga is crucial, along with a commanding ball-winner in midfield and centrehalf - missing out on Jaidi was a big blow. Given the handicap, it would be foolish to put Saints anywhere higher than 12th.

Pink Article: After Dutch Revolution, Swiss Evolution?

2009-08-07T16:28:00.008+01:00

On the eve of another new season, my thoughts on the months ahead were printed in local sports weekly The Pink on Sunday. Here is the article in full.

It has been a tough twelve months for the St. Mary’s faithful. But, with investment secured and an experienced manager in place, Saints fans have reason to be positive this season, writes Will Wainewright.

So much for a relaxing summer! Pre-season is supposed to be a restful period for football fans, a couple of months free of worried Fridays, stressful Saturdays and gloomy Sundays. Not for Saints supporters.

Even after the season from hell, the takeover saga was something else as the club flirted with armageddon. Despite plenty of bellicose talk from Mark Fry of his hopes for a sale, flogging the once mighty SFC turned out to be a tougher task than initially thought. Even Matthew Le Tissier, our saviour so many times before, failed in his attempts to find the club a buyer.

But now, despite entering highly in the pantheon of football failures, Saints could have a brighter future. The purchase of the club by Swiss Industrialist Markus Liebherr has secured the future of SFC and allowed fans to emerge from behind the sofa.

And it seems there are reasons to be (whisper it) hopeful. Though the shotgun dismissal of manager Mark Wotte is redolent of the Lowe era, the appointment of Alan Pardew is an encouraging sign. The English coach has a strong track record of steering sides to promotion in the lower levels and ranks as a managerial heavyweight in League One. That he would only manage at this level at Saints makes it pretty clear how highly he respects the club – and where he sees its future lying.

Just as encouraging was Kelvin Davies’ decision to remain at the club. Like Pardew, he would not be out of place in the Championship or higher and his loyalty to the club shows his belief in the club’s future, especially after performing so well in such a dire season. Both will be a class above in League One.

Pardew now has the job of building a side that can flourish at this level – by no means an easy task after the years of instability that have resulted in such a ramshackle look to the squad. But with all the off-field drama settled he has a clean slate to build a side worthy of promotion. Thankful to still have a club, fans will give him time to do this and will not be expecting miracles – particularly given our ten point handicap.

It may take two or three seasons – or even more – but that is not the important thing. After the chaos the club has gone through in the last few years, what fans want most is to be able to turn up on a Saturday and know their team will be well-managed and work their socks off. That is something for which Pardew’s sides have been renowned and bodes well for the future.

After the rushed desperation of the Dutch Revolution, we are hopefully in for a period of calm Swiss Evolution. A tandem of stability on and off the field has not been had at Saints for many a year and that is why fans are so positive now. After coming so close to losing their club, all are doubly keen to preserve and support it now. It’s strange, but if you had asked me in 2003 whether I would ever look forward to a season in League One, the answer would have been no. Not any more. Yeovil away – bring it on!

Jones revelations shed new light

2009-08-04T19:13:00.005+01:00

Away from pre-season worries, it has been interesting to get the chance to read parts of former Saints manager David Jones’ autobiography, No Smoke, No Fire, which was serialised in the Daily Echo last week. He never struck me as the writing type – but if anyone has had a life to write about, he has.

I always thought he was a good manager, and his achievements with Wolves and Cardiff since his spell at Saints have demonstrated his ability to bring stability and success to middling clubs. He kept us up twice, finishing twelfth in his first season – a feat that recent events have shown to be harder than once thought. We will never know what he would have achieved at Saints as his stint was tragically interrupted by unfounded charges of child abuse from his days as a care worker in Liverpool. Jones was given time off to clear his name and Glenn Hoddle came in, setting the stage for our relative success in the early noughties.

But Jones’ successes on a small budget should not be forgotten. He was particularly effective in the transfer market, making a huge profit out of Kevin Davies and bringing in James Beattie and Dean Richards. Particularly interesting have been his thoughts on key figures at the club.

On Le Tissier –

Jones thought Le Tissier was a little too comfortable at Saints as a big fish in a little pond and should have moved to a bigger club. Oh, that and he “did like his hamburgers too much.” In a weird passage, he recalls being told by members of SISA (Southampton Independent Supporters Association) not to drop Le Tissier in any circumstances. Oddly, he says he replied by saying he would get “two bus loads of scousers down there to sort them out if that was a threat.”

On Lawrie MacMenemy –

Saints legend Lawrie apparently told Jones that “finishing fourth from bottom constituted success.” How’s that for ambition? Another example of old Macca dwelling on past glories for too long.

On Rupert Lowe –

Jones pokes fun at Lowe for “thinking he was one of the boys.” He marks him out as a “patrician” figure; backing it up with Lowe’s claim that he picked potatoes as a child. But unlike one of the coaches who did the same, Lowe “drove the tractor.” How fitting. More damaging is the revelation that Lowe claimed Saints were “going to burn up the Championship” last year with the kids they had. Not sure about that one, Rupes.

How has pre-season been for you?

2009-07-30T11:18:00.002+01:00

The club has been saved from extinction by a rich owner. An encouraging managerial appointment has been made. Judging by season ticket sales, the fanbase seems onside. Would I be crazy, therefore, to describe the last few weeks as the pre-season from hell?

1) Results: We could only draw against Eastleigh and AFC Totton. Fair enough, the games came at the height of the takeover upheaval. We lost to Ajax. Again, fair enough. But we have also lost to Bournemouth and, more recently Salisbury, in a side composed of many first team players. Aside from the Hearts win, the last few weeks have contained more dodgy results than a blind chefs' cooking contest.

2) Signings: I will move on to strikers in particular, but our squad in general is weak. We have a potentially solid spine (Davies-James-Perry-Thomas-Molyneux-Gillett-Wotton-Holmes-Lallanna-Rasiak-Saga), but once injuries come into play the wardrobe is bare. Dan Harding aside, there has been little indication of signings on the horizon. Time for Pards to work the contact book.

3) Strikers: Our striking options are threadbare. Marek Saganowski hasn't looked up for it in recent friendlies, Gregorz Rasiak still refuses to run if he can help it and Stern John is off. Our big fish forwards don't exactly seem up for the challenge of League One, a league in which they would terrorise defences with ease. You can understand Stern John's decision - at 32 dropping down into League One brings with it a chance you will never play at a higher level. But the other two have hardly covered themselves in glory recently.

In case anyone has forgotten, we are due to start this season ten points behind. Crikey.

Terry sacrifices reputation for riches

2009-07-29T15:05:00.004+01:00

Am I alone in thinking John Terry to be no better than a host of other money-grabbing urchins inhabiting the Premier League at the moment? The strapping centre-half is undoubtedly a very good, maybe great, player and his crunching challenges a refreshing tribute to the physical days of old. As Chelsea and England captain he certainly commands respect in the game, and wages commensurate to that to boot.

But he remains a player, and no more. The way he has flirted with the riches on offer at Man City, in defiance at his employers and the fans who pay his already astronomical wages, has been scandalous. But even worse has been the way the football commentariat has sought to defend his right to do so, given his status as "more than a football player," "Mr Chelsea" and other such piffle. If Chelsea meant so much to him, he would not have batted an eyelid at City's advances, not used them as leverage to secure a bit more cash. Do those extra few grand a year matter so much John, really?

This counter-view is gracefully articulated by Matthew Syed in The Times today, who makes mincemeat of John Terry's hollow and belated announcement of "total commitment" to the Blues. Mr Chelsea? Only if it pays.

OS marches into Twitter-age

2009-07-23T17:09:00.003+01:00

Change afoot at St Mary's. I thought cranes, rather than social networking sites, were Markus Liebherr's thing but that has not stopped the official Saints site joining up. From now onwards, hidden hands at the club will be twittering away, relaying news to followers about what is going on "behind-the-scenes" at SFC.

How disappointing then, to access the page and find nothing more than news updates of the type already to be found on the OS site. Behind-the-scenes? I was expecting a bit more. Maybe, 'Just seen Stern John stubbing his toe mid-flounce after seeing contract offer. V funny'. Or even 'Pardew found crying in kit-room. Squad depth to blame'. Now that would be more realistic.

New team given St Marys welcome

2009-07-20T12:49:00.005+01:00

Saturday's friendly at home to Ajax saw new owner Markus Liebherr and new manager Alan Pardew given a St Marys welcome. Over 20,000 fans turned out to witness the start of a new era on the south coast as the new team watched from the stands. Four Ajax goals overturned Joseph Mills' opener to give the Dutch giants an expected victory but the real work starts today, with Alan Pardew taking over at Staplewood and attempting to mould a team that can compete in League One.

New owner Markus Liebherr

New manager Alan Pardew, with a suspiciously bleary-eyed Claus Lundekvam in the background.

Photos: www.saintsfc.co.uk

What a summer; interesting season in store as Saints step back from the brink

2009-07-17T20:16:00.005+01:00

Nearly a year ago, while reflecting on what had been an awful twelve months for SFC, I wrote that the club's affairs "contain more twists and turns than the Middle-Eastern Peace Process." That was disingenuous of me. The past twelve months have seen two changes of manager, fan uprisings, administration, relegation to League One and the club coming to within days of being wound up.

Events in the Middle-East seem positively serene by comparison.

The Summer Sales

For many, the recent takeover saga has been too much to bear; here is a re-cap.

After the club's heart-breaking, if inevitable, descent into League One was finalised in May (not by a looming ten point penalty, but by a season of poor performances), attention turned to graver matters. The search for a buyer had begun as soon as administrator Mark Fry entered the fray at the start of April. But despite plenty of bellicose talk of his hopes for a sale, flogging the once mighty SFC turned out to be a tougher task than initially thought. The task of saving us proved too much even for the man who had done so often before as the Matthew Le Tissier-backed bid fell through. The club's future looked bleaker with every day that passed and player sales (Andrew Surman- shame, David McGoldrick- less so) were required to keep the club operating.

As the club not so much flirted as had an open affair with being wound up, fans lost faith in the ceaseless tide of rumour and speculation about potential buyers. And then, three months on, at last a deal was struck.

After Dutch Revolution, Swiss Evolution?

Southampton Football Club is now owned by Mr Markus Leibherr, a Swiss industrialist. To the surprise of few, shortly after the £13m deal was completed, Mark Wotte was removed from his post as Saints manager. A shame in some ways as his heart was in the job, but a higher level of management will clearly be required if Saints are to advance from the mire they find themselves in. The job of steering the club to a better future has been handed to English manager Alan Pardew, who signed a 3 year deal early this morning. Despite recent disappointment at Charlton, Pardew has a successful track record from his days at Reading and West Ham, taking the latter to within penalties of the FA Cup.

The appointment, together with the equally-important news that Kelvin Davies will be staying, is what fans have wanted and shows that the new owners are serious about restoring SFC to prominence. It remains to be seen whether that can be achieved, but with the club safe and a solid, proven manager in place, fans have a lot more to look forward to this season.

Let's just hope the next twelve months prove less stressful than the last twelve.

Good news at last

2009-05-29T16:43:00.002+01:00

At last. Nearly two months after Saints went into administration, serious progress has been made in the fight to save the club. The administrators have entered into a 21 day period of exclusivity with the Matt Le Tissier-backed Pinnacle group, who have been negotiating on behalf of wealthy investors.

Fans should be cautious- this news does not mean a deal has been done. It does, however, indicate not only that this group is serious but that the administrators believe them to be so. Crucially, it also means wages at the club can be paid for the month of May; the group stumped up a non-refundable £500,000 deposit in return for being granted exclusivity. Hopefully now the end is in sight.

The future wasn’t orange… will it be red and white?

2009-05-10T12:17:00.007+01:00

The following article was printed in sports weekly The Pink on Saturday

With Saints’ fate already decided, last Sunday’s final-day defeat at Nottingham Forest was not as costly as it could be have been, but it still marked a sorry end to a sorry season that few fans of the red and white will want to remember.

Younger fans (myself included) will certainly be hard-pushed to remember a season that provided such misery, week after week. But the summer break by no means amounts to a respite: with a buyer still to be found the club’s future hangs in the balance.

The club’s relegation was certainly the final nail in the coffin of the supposed ‘Dutch Revolution.’ While parts of the season were characterised by the sort of free-flowing ‘Total Football’ promised upon Jan Poortvliet and Mark Wotte’s arrival on the south coast, neither managed to successfully combine youthful flair with results.

And while Saints fans will be accustomed to relegation by now, the club’s administration at the beginning of April added a new shade of grey to the misery. We all knew the club was in trouble, but it was a stark reminder of the financial ineptitude which has characterised our time outside the top flight.

However, it would be futile to engage in the blame game now. Until the future of the club is secured – hopefully without the assistance of the various directors who got us into this mess – looking for a buyer must be the priority.

Let’s just hope he or she wasn’t a season ticket holder at St Marys this year. Seeing just five home wins all season must surely be some sort of record and would be enough to put anyone off. The fact that ticket renewal forms aren’t being sent out until a buyer is found may be a blessing – any forms received following our horror defeat against Charlton would have been thrown straight in the bin!

Though there have been glimmers of hope, this has been a season with relegation written all over it. Our slow start could have been dismissed as typical of Saints, but our persistent failure to pull away from the lower reaches of the league indicated the problems ran much deeper than that.

Our lively young side may have played some pretty passing, but they were being consistently found out in the tough, physical environs of the Championship. As the season wore on, the ‘Dutch Revolution’ was exposed as a financially-driven strategy aimed at keeping the club solvent. It may have been done with the best intentions, but football clubs rarely thrive when the bank becomes too much of a factor and the side’s failure to win during either October or December saw us enter the new year in relegation peril.

Encouraging wins away at places such as Reading and Preston brought some relief from the agony but were ultimately outweighed by our terrible home form. Fans probably guessed the game was up after the Charlton defeat. As the crowds returned to St Marys in the club’s hour of need, the players got stage-fright and fluffed their lines on the big stage.

Our failure to stay up means we will begin life in League One – a tough league at the best of times – ten points behind. Our cause will not be helped by the player sales that will inevitably take place this summer. But the current Saints squad is not one fans have grown to love. Others will follow the departing Ryan Smith (“world-class,” apparently) and Rudi Skacel (an overpriced underperformer).

It may be best for a clean slate, both financially and tactically, in League One. Few Saints fans at the FA Cup final in 2003 could have guessed the fall would be so steep, nor the pain so great. But the priority now must be on shoring up the club’s future and halting the decline. And who knows – we might experience a promotion one of these days.

Saints bow out of the Championship... will they ever return?

2009-05-06T12:13:00.004+01:00

Saints' miserable season was finally brought to an end on Sunday as the side slumped to defeat away to Championship survivors Nottingham Forest.

Forest 3 - Saints 1

Saints were unable to end the season on a high note after BWP's opener in the first half was pegged back. It was a result, according to Mark Wotte, that summed up Saints' season, a cliche that has been pertinent to all too many of their recent results. The departure from the club of midfielder Ryan Smith (the next Ronaldo, apparently) and left back Rudi Skacel (a supposed big name who fans will be pleased to see the back of) have already been announced. Other players, along with significant wage cuts, will follow as the club seeks to negotiate a way out of its present state of limbo.

Saints remain in urgent need of a buyer and are unable to send out season ticket forms until one has been found. On life support, they will start life in the third tier on minus ten even if they survive the summer. A Leicester-style return to the Championship looks unlikely to say the least, but many fans would no doubt prefer a few seasons of stability in League One to seeing the club go out of business. It may be all they have to cling on to.

Red and White Bill

The Saints Fanzine – the jinx is over!

Saints 2 - Oldham 1

Win 2 tickets to Saints v Tranmere

Competitions: Terms and Conditions

Apologies...

Answers to the first Saints Fanzine quiz

Saints update

Pre-season reports

The Saints Fanzine has landed...

Graham Poll speaks to R&W Bill

A special announcement...

Marian Pahars interview

Martin Peters speaks to Red and White Bill

Terry Butcher England question

The Ultimate England Saints XI

The 125 year anniversary kit has landed

Shoutout to Coral Dugout

More news...

Pardew stays, Cortese goes off on one

Pardew - I just hope we get the chance to build on this

Saints update

Saints 0 - 0 Oldham

Yeovil Town 0 - 1 Saints

Bristol Rovers 1 - 5 Saints

Saints 1 - 0 Charlton

Saints 2 - 1 Leyton Orient

Brighton 2 - 2 Saints

Saints at Wembley: Player Ratings

Carlisle 1 - 4 Saints JPT Final Match Report

Saints triumph in Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final

New football trivia forum

Wembley preview

Football Filter Blog

Saints 3 - 2 Hartlepool

MK Dons 0 - 3 Saints

Saints 0 - 1 Swindon

Saints 1 - 0 Leeds (plus reaction to Cortese interview)

Tranmere 2 - 1 Saints

Who is going up from League One?

Saints 5 - 0 Huddersfield

Saints 5 - 1 Walsall

Wycombe 0 - 0 Saints

Norwich 0 - 2 Saints

Derby Day: The Fallout

Saints 1 - 4 Pompey

Football Filter Blog

Highlights and cup news

Saints 3 - 1 MK Dons

Exeter 1 - 1 Saints

Transfer window round-up

Saints 2 - 0 Stockport County

Biggest seating changes in history of St Marys' planned

Brentford 1 - Saints 1

Saints v Pompey - here we go again

Saints savour Wayne's World

Top six and Wembley still within sights as Saints bolster squad

Saints' cup still half full as 2010 kicks off with a win

Saints fail to end 2009 in style

Saints box clever to inspire festive cheer

Unbeaten away record ends as Leeds prove class

Wembley on the horizon as Saints continue march to the arch

Daily Echo banned from St Marys

Movin' on up - Walsall win sees Saints rise to 15th

At last - Saints look to the skies as drop zone left behind

Four games, fifteen goals - what have Saints been up to?

Saints march on... and top 50 Southampton players

Lambert magic ensures Saints remain unbeaten

100 posts... and a few points on the board too

***The first R&W B Videocast***

Progress visible as Saints go on run

Goal-fests at St Marys as Saints get positive points boost

Radio Solent Saints Fans Forum

Big beast Jaidi grabs important point

At last - we've won a game!

Saints draw heart from signings

Back in a fortnight

Pardew perplexed by daylight robbery

Is it rational to support Saints?

The round-up: Pardew's cup still half full

The first R&W B Videocast