Lucky, along with an understanding that the PL is really weak considering how much money flows through it. Plus, we have 8 seasons experience in managing expectations. The bar is set low and our squad should do enough to survive year in year out. Why Hodgson is hailed as some kind of miracle worker is beyond me, and as I've mentioned before he has still not bettered Pulis' finish. Next season should prove interesting.

Pretty much every seasons the majority of clubs other than Burnley, and sometimes the promoted teams start with either more money then us or rich owners who can chuck cash at the clubs, we don’t since Allardyce left we have broken even on transfers while Brighton have done £250m net. You can argue Parish should do more to look for a sugar daddy to sell us to fair enough but I can’t expect him to lavish money on us or begrudge him not doing it nor do I want to see him hawking our future so he can have some nice photos next to a £50m signing.
I don’t mind when people say that they would rather see us playing nice football in the championship then in the premier although to be fair can’t remember great football with Calvin Andrews upfront but there you go . There would also be outrage if the club was managed in that way.
This is premier league life, Southampton have spent the best part of the last 40 years in the top league, have a modern stadium, a larger turnover then us and have had a well-respected category one academy for 20 years and still as likely to be fighting relegation then worrying the top 10 .
Until the £20m investment in the academy pays off and/or the Old stand gets rebuilt it is likely to be the way we are, workman like organized and doing enough when needed, Hodgson is great for that.

Edited by Ketteridge (14 Mar 2021 3.52pm)

One supporter of hacking argued that without it "you will do away with the courage and pluck of the game, and I will be bound to bring over a lot of Frenchmen who would beat you with a week's practice -Blackheath secretary at first meeting of the F.A

Thanks for this - the reality of life in the Money-ruined PL for clubs like Southampton and Palace. 'Lucky' Hodgson has almost certainly assured, for the fourth season in a row, our continued presence in the PL. His remit was almost certainly to keep us in this megadosh league by whatever means were necessary.

It has not been pretty. WE can hope that next season, whoever is in charge, we will play more entertaining football.

I don't expect to be around then (70 in a few weeks time). Hope to live long enough, though, to see the new stand and a some of our youngsters make the grade (even, if like Southampton, we have to sell some to keep afloat).

I'm glad some others think like me. It really doesn't matter how bad it is (for now) as long as there is a legacy for a better future for the club.

I think there would be less moaning if we had a coherent plan where the club, rather than the shareholders and the players benefitted from the Premier millions. I just hope and pray there is one and I can feel better after a year of real pain.

My bet is that us safely sitting mid table on course for a record number of points is more important than looking pretty. My bet is that we will fill out the stadium every week. My bet is that our fans would not swap places with Brighton right now. My bet is that despite daily conversations trying to force the conversation about Roy, our fans are happy barring a noisy minority...

Agree to disagree of course, but utterly sick of people trying to force us to discuss this daily just because they cant get the consensus they want. Personaly I want Roy to get an extra season so we can get a squad that Roy wants but im not going to bring it up daily to try and force the issue...