Southampton top four finish?????

[GT49er]

Not really bothered about other clubs in other leagues, and with no 'South Coast Rivalry' affecting my judgement in any way, I would say, "No chance".

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

I'm already rather cynical of FFP. The principle is sound and I agree that something has to be done to cap the huge debts around English footie clubs. Especially when the German model means that the footie is good, they attract top managers and players, the stadiums are magnificent, Clubs there seem to operate cost effectively and it is good value for fans too. But hearing average Prem clubs like Saints boasting about spending £100m on transfers season cannot be right. Is there some loophole they are exploiting?

The huge increase in Sky TV money and parachute payment system just make the playing field less level than ever. I'm not sure how Clubs like the Albion who are generating decent income from STs and big crowds, have blue chip sponsors and not having a s**t or bust approach to transfers are supposed to compete with those Clubs with each parachute payment that is probably more than Yeovil's entire turnover for two or three seasons?

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Is it not IF you bought Ronaldo, Alan Dzagoev, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Thiago Silva and Kompany........ then the chairman would demand a top 4 finish? In the stupid article thing?

 

[Postman Pat]

To finish in the top 4 Southampton would have to get an extra 32 points than they achieved this season.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

To finish in the top 4 Southampton would have to get an extra 32 points than they achieved this season.

I think you should change your name to Postman Stat.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

In the Southampton Evening echo this evening there is the launch of a fantasy transfer dealings competition, which is basically which five players would you choose for saints of money was no object.

But what really struck me about the introduction was that it said that Mr Pocchetino is EXPECTING a top four finish.

I could accept aiming for, or hoping for, or targeting even.... but expecting?

So my surmisings are:

1. Do delusions of grandeur pervade the whole club
2. Has he been mistranslated somewhere along the line.
3. Is he the new "Special One".

I had heard the same from their locals a week or so ago, it looks like they are going for it big style, will they explode?
There training ground has a mound of soil bigger than some mountains next to it, i was told they are having another 10/11 training pitches and lots of new facilities, does anyone know better detail?

Also it's been said our away dressing room is massive 3 times bigger than some, why do we give the away team such a perk?

 

[Perkino]

The top 4 has now become a top 5 with a big drop down to 6th place.
Liverpool in 6th were about as close to the relegation zone as they were to Man United.
Point is there is a massive gap, for Liverpool to make top 4 they'd need to have an exceptional season. For Saints to finish top 4 everyone except them would need to screw up regularly or loose half their squad to some bizarre air-born virus that kills most of their 1st team players in between the transfer windows

 

[HastingsSeagull]

The top 4 has now become a top 5 with a big drop down to 6th place.
Liverpool in 6th were about as close to the relegation zone as they were to Man United.
Point is there is a massive gap, for Liverpool to make top 4 they'd need to have an exceptional season. For Saints to finish top 4 everyone except them would need to screw up regularly or loose half their squad to some bizarre air-born virus that kills most of their 1st team players in between the transfer windows

Could be wrong but didn't Everton finish 6th and Liverpool 7th?

 

[Icy Gull]

Nothing wrong with dreaming, but imo that's all they are doing

 

[Canonman]

In the Southampton Evening echo this evening there is the launch of a fantasy transfer dealings competition, which is basically which five players would you choose for saints of money was no object.

But what really struck me about the introduction was that it said that Mr Pocchetino is EXPECTING a top four finish.

I could accept aiming for, or hoping for, or targeting even.... but expecting?

So my surmisings are:

1. Do delusions of grandeur pervade the whole club
2. Has he been mistranslated somewhere along the line.
3. Is he the new "Special One".

Who?

 

[rdigs24]

My Southampton supporting neighbour has actually placed a bet for 50 quid on this happening. How stupid can one be??

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Who?

Is this an ironic or sardonic "who", implying the poster is not interested in the matter in hand, in which case, fair enough.

If it is a genuine question asking what it is actually about, it is Mauricio Pocchettino, the manager of Southampton Football Club - aka the saints - expecting a top four finish for the coming season.

 

[Buffalo Seagull]

I reckon Liverpool will make the top 4 next season. Perhaps Arsenal missing out.

Just a hunch as rate Rodgers and what he is doing there

I think the bigger factor that might push Liverpool up there will be no European involvement for them next season. Rodgers won't have to rotate his squad nearly as much as he did last season.

 

[looney]

Odds i saw this morning in Ladbrokes were that Southampton were fith favourites for relegation.


This sums up for me why I hate Southampton. They must be the most delusional and bigheaded club in the country.

 

[Weststander]

Ston won't do it next season, or in the following seasons.

The top 4 will have the same 6 or 7 contenders for many years to come, with perhaps the odd interloper with a big stadium and big following, in a large city eg Newcastle, West Ham, Villa.

Ston cannot now get there by an Abramovich type scenario either, as outlawed by UEFA and the PL.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

My lad tells me that the rumour amongst all the Saints fans at school is that they are back in for Will Buckley.

Much as I love WB, and hope there's nothing in it, they'll need to aim a bit higher than that if they want to trouble the top 6.

 

[sant andreu]

I could accept aiming for, or hoping for, or targeting even.... but expecting?

So my surmisings are:

1. Do delusions of grandeur pervade the whole club
2. Has he been mistranslated somewhere along the line.
3. Is he the new "Special One".

2. He almost certainly has been mistranslated. 'Esperar' in Spanish can translate as 'wait', 'hope' or 'expect'. No other spanish verb translates as expect, except for possibly 'anticipar', which would obviously be translated into 'anticipate'. He is hoping for a top-four finish. Sorry to poop on the story

 

[el punal]

You must remember that this is Southampton. They are the best, they keep telling us this, so it must be true. They are now in their rightful place - in the Premier League. Next stop Europe.

You must also remember that they would have been League One Champions in 2011 if the had Nigel Adkins from the start of the season. Blah! Blah! Etc. Etc.

 

[BrianSwan]

I can see Swansea pushing the top 6 this season depending on how their summer goes, but I think Southampton aren't really going to get above mid-table any time soon.

Unless we make 3 brilliant signings I can't see it because of the Europa league commitment.