ARmy Rumour SErvice

**Schaden** · 03-05-2012, 11:03

Oh...those Saints...

**Goatman** · 03-05-2012, 11:51

Originally Posted by Schaden

Oh...those Saints...

yup.....may I refer the Honourable member to the first post?

- Hope the Rattenfanger is in fine form still and keeping the verdammt rodents at bay ?

From the roundup of fan blogs:
Championship 2011-12: the bloggers' end-of-season report | Football | guardian.co.uk

Southampton Dream or nightmare? To say the season exceeded our wildest expectations is a gigantic understatement. To begin with I was expecting a season of consolidation following promotion from League One. After all, Saints were just starting year three of a five-year plan to return to the Premier League. Right from the thrashing of Leeds on the very first day, it was clear that Nigel Adkins was aiming a whole lot higher than consolidation. Never out of the top two all season is real consistency and the only slight blemish was allowing Reading to overtake us at the death.

Top marks Without doubt Rickie Lambert, he took to the Championship like a duck to water. Imperious. Jos Hooiveld comes a close second. An inspired signing from Celtic this season.

Bottom of the class It has to be Bart Bialkowski, the reserve goalkeeper. He only started one league game, having done well in several cup games, but he had an absolute nightmare at home against Blackpool.

The gaffer Nigel Adkins may talk in cliches, but he may well also turn out to be the best manager we have ever had. Always upbeat and never ever moans about anything.

Best moment The final day after the first goal against Coventry. The whole weekend then passed in a haze. Simply wonderful!

Worst moment Losing to Reading at home, after having more than 70% of the play, 23 shots on goal and nine on target with only a single goal to show for all the pressure. They had three shots on target and scored 3 goals. Mugged.

Best fans Coventry. Showing dignity and spirit in the face of utter misery. Been there, done that. I hope they manage to recover as we did.

Worst fans Nobody. Not even Portsmouth's fans …

Hugh Collins, itsbeautifuloutside.co.uk

**Goatman** · 08-05-2012, 16:52

Saints fans make the case for defence
6:00am Saturday 5th May 2012

By Adam Leitch

Almost half of Saints fans believe that Nigel Adkins’ summer transfer priority should be to bolster his defence.

In an exclusive dailyecho.co.uk poll, almost 2,000 supporters voted on where Saints should strengthen before their Premier League campaign kicks off.

And 42 per cent want Adkins to add to his defensive ranks with 25 making a central midfielder their priority, 21 per cent a winger, eight per cent a goalkeeper and just four per cent a new striker.

Saints did have the second best defensive record in the Championship, conceding just 46 goals over their 46 league games.

But they are short of Premier League experience with only three of the Saints defence having featured in the top flight a handful of times.

Full story in today's Daily Echo

The poll is at Saints Transfer Rumour Round-up - Summer 2012 (From Daily Echo)

**Goatman** · 10-06-2012, 20:40

Saints FC Pre-Season matches to include Ajax and Udinese

Saints' 2012/13 pre-season schedule is currently as follows:

Saturday 14th July - 5.15pm: Markus Liebherr Memorial Cup, Arsenal & Rangers (home)

Wednesday 18th/Thursday 19th July: Opposition to be confirmed

Saturday 21st July - 7pm (local): Évian Thonon Gaillard (Stade Joseph-Moynat)

Saturday 28th July - 3pm: AFC Ajax (home)

Saturday 4th August - 3pm: Wolverhampton Wanderers (home)

Tuesday 7th August - 7.45pm: Bristol City (away)

Saturday 11th August - 12pm: Udinese Calcio (home)

Ticketing details for Saints' pre-season fixtures and further information on the Club's summer schedule will be announced on saintsfc.co.uk in due course.

**Goatman** · 18-06-2012, 15:39

Dear Tazman, arright La?

Got any room on your floor for an old bloke with his own roll mat and sleeping bag for the evening of 1st December like...er...wack ? ( calm down, calm down!)

Southampton 2012/13 fixtures

SOUTHAMPTON fixtures for the 2012/13 Premier League season:

August

18 Man City (A)

25 Wigan (H)

September

1 Man Utd (H)

15 Arsenal (A)

22 Aston Villa (H)

29 Everton (A)

October

6 Fulham (H)

20 West Ham (A)

27 Tottenham (H)

November

3 West Brom (A)

10 Swansea (H)

17 QPR (A)

24 Newcastle (H)

27 Norwich (H)

December

1 Liverpool (A)

8 Reading (H)

15 Chelsea (A)

22 Sunderland (H)

26 Fulham (A)

29 Stoke (A)

January

1 Arsenal (H)

12 Aston Villa (A)

19 Everton (H)

29 Man Utd (A)

February

2 Wigan (A)

9 Man City (H)

23 Newcastle (A)

March

2 QPR (H)

9 Norwich (A)

16 Liverpool (H)

30 Chelsea (H)

April

6 Reading (A)

13 West Ham (H)

20 Swansea (A)

27 West Brom (H)

May

4 Tottenham (A)

12 Sunderland (A)

19 Stoke (H)

**pandaplodder** · 18-06-2012, 16:33

Originally Posted by Goatman

...which I know has the potential for confusion - but to be clear Southampton FC rather than rugby club or ecclesiastical types.

Southampton FC | Saints FC Scores, News, Transfers, Fixtures

Big game today which will either confirm Saints rejoining the Premiership - or a flood of calls to the RSPCA as 31,000 cats get kicked all over St Marys if Coventry, against all the form, somehow stagger out as winners....

Come on you REDS

Oh I was expecting a thread on the good folk of St Helena

**Goatman** · 19-06-2012, 12:11

Yup....that'll be another one who carefully avoided reading the first post ?

There are many native Saints in St Helena - due to the influx of Southampton sperm following frequent visits by 17 Sport & Leisuretime....