15 Sep 2016 00:02:17
After struggling so hard over the last three seasons to achieve something for our great club I am so disappointed with the supporters. We have managed to reach the group stage of the Europa League which is just honestly astonishing considering where we were just a few years ago . We are in this competition which could ultimately put us in the CL if we win it ( probably won't I know but who knows, look at Leicester ) and the ticket prices have been lowered to attract a good attendance. How is it then that there are about 4000 tickets left for tomorrow night, frustrating. It makes me think that we still have part time supporters who will turn up in their droves for the Inter Milan game but give Sparta Prague a miss. We need a full stadium for all of these games to inspire the team because if they think we don't care that much about this competition it could rub off on them. Tottenham had 85000 at Wembley tonight to play Monaco, admittedly it was in the CL but I reckon we would have struggled to fill St Mary's had we have been in a similar situation. Just hope everybody gets a grip tomorrow and fills the remaining seats to give the team the best atmosphere possible. So annoying.

1.) 15 Sep 2016
15 Sep 2016 08:25:28
struggling?
I don't understand what you mean.
There's been hard work, but not a struggle
It annoys me that fans continue to look backwards (look where we were so and so years ago) when evidence would say that looking forward is a more optimistic view, after all isn't one of our slogans 'we march on'?
It's a great testament to the club, players and fans where we are now, so let's look forward rather than being eternally grateful that we were in League 1 in 2009
Best of luck to the Saints tonight.

2.) 15 Sep 2016
15 Sep 2016 09:01:27
I think you have read my post all wrong Will. By saying struggling it means the same as battling to get where we are today so it is a totally positive statement . Just stating that the team deserves total support for tonight and the forthcoming games and it seems many so called supporters would prefer to sit at home and watch it on BT sport. That to me is not getting behind the team in a positive way and the stadium should have been sold out days ago. No wonder the board have no plans to expand the stadium when we can't even fill it for a game that occurs once in a lifetime for some teams and for many others never at all . I am being positive about our future but it seems some don't seem to care that much otherwise they would be there tonight.

3.) 15 Sep 2016
15 Sep 2016 09:47:24
I think it's a little naive to expect fans to turn out in droves, on a Thursday night, to watch what I reckon most of us would judge to be a B team from the far reaches of Europe. Dragging 30k+ to Southampton for this sort of fixture would never be easy. Of course Inter are a more attrative fixture so they'll drag the fans in. Comparing us to Spurs in the CL is ridiculous because, sadly, they are a much larger team and it isn't hard to find that many people in a place that big against quality opposition; you can sleep soundly knowing that it wasn't all die-hard Spurs fans.

We should be proud of what the club has achieved over the past few years; it's terribly impressive. It's also a lot more exciting this time than it was playing Steaua Bucharest only to fall at the first hurdle all those years ago. But we're starting to sound a little like Liverhampton and Everton fans going on about the past and attacking anybody who raises a concern over the future! Time to look forward.

4.) 15 Sep 2016
15 Sep 2016 10:14:50
Ben we took 44000 to Wembley for the JPT when we were in League 1. Your statement about this B team from the back end of Europe is just plain crazy . They have played many times in the CL and this competition as well. I agree we should win this match but please don't try to convince people they are a pushover, they won't be . Your statement about people dragging themselves out on a Thursday night states exactly what I am saying . If it was 3 o clock in the morning on a Sunday I would be there. The team needs total support at all games . I just don't understand your logic on this one but there you go everybody has their own opinion, this is what this site is all about.

5.) 15 Sep 2016
15 Sep 2016 11:56:59
B team! I dread to think what other clubs rate us then. Tonight will be a tough game as the vast majority of European games will always be for us. I too am amazed this hasn't sold out days ago. Cortese said himself that Saints fans were holding back the club (re: ground development) due to not filling the stadium on a regular basis. I'm not sure that's been the case since he left but I think he was right back then Unfortunately we just don't seem to have a large enough permanent fan base to warrant another 8k-10k seats. Hopefully more successful ventures into Europe will be the catalyst for more fans to creat a higher ticket demand (game after game) and even a season ticket waiting list etc. Only then can we look at expansion to make it financially viable.

6.) 15 Sep 2016
15 Sep 2016 13:27:39
Well good luck for tonight and let's hope they keep it tight and hold concentration. Even Roko has sent a tweet wishing the guys luck. Decent of him. Think a narrow win for us is possible.

7.) 15 Sep 2016
15 Sep 2016 22:22:57
I know what we can do in terms of crowds, I've been to all 2 cup finals we've reached in my lifetime and at least 1 of them was a pleasure to attend! Sadly, fewer league games since we hit the Prem but money is money and they stopped being affordable. As n1ghtf1re said we just don't have a big base; which I can't understand seeing as Soton is definitely a football town!

I don't take the result as proving my 'B team' statement right (Inter proved anyone can lose to anyone), that was based on the relative stature and ability of both club and league. For example, I would consider Celtic a B team because, despite being well known globally and playing in the CL, they haven't got the players to match even Saints and their league is possibly the only league with fewer frontrunners than La Liga!

Sadly I had to follow the game from under a desk on a phone! Hardly ideal. Sounded like I missed a good one though : (

8.) 16 Sep 2016
16 Sep 2016 11:02:05
The one thing I would say why the attendance was not a full house and that is the timing of the match to suit the TV and the incredible amount of time it takes to get to and away from the stadium. I live in Shirley and after leaving the ground immediately after the game I got home at 11.10 pm due to crazy traffic problems. I understand fully that people living outside of the City and having to work the next day would way it up and decide watching on TV was the better option. I am sure the fan base is there but basically the ground is in the wrong place and puts many off attending plus the very poor parking facilities are a major factor. Truly 100% supporters like myself and many others will turn up no matter what but quite a few thousand are maybe not quite so dedicated.

9.) 16 Sep 2016
16 Sep 2016 17:34:41
16000 at the San Siro last night.

10.) 16 Sep 2016
16 Sep 2016 18:46:46
Spartas performance really surprised me last night, I thought they were very poor. Really pleased we capitalised on it though. I guess I know nothing about foreign teams and our own team selection lol. I thought we played proper European style football last night, keeping the ball and being patient, drawing out the opposition and trying to catch them out. I felt it worked very well but against what did appear to be a poor team in the end (B team after all lol) . I was worried when I saw the three lads chosen at the back but apart from one or two lapses in concentration from Maya and Targett, I thought they were very comfortable. The penalty taker situation was a bit embarrassing and Claude didn't seem to have an answer for it post match which annoyed me but I'm sure it has been dealt with. Two good goals for our CFs, who I admit I never gave much hope for this season, will hopefully kickstart our season with that boost of confidence.