This just in !

[bhaexpress]

Yes, I know, another SCC thread but this one has a Brighton edge to it.

Saints have had it tougher than Brighton says Harding

Apparently their name makes them a bigger scalp than the team who is top of the table, well done Daniel, another feeble excuse.

 

[Sam Ovett]

That's just pathetic

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Considering we have always been a furlong or two ahead of Southampton, one would think that teams would want to put one over the league leaders, not an also ran. What a dull and pathetic excuse. I hope he gets smashed to pieces by one of our players.

 

[fire&skill]

Dan Harding claims Southampton had it tougher than champions Brighton this season as the teams prepare for Saturday.

The Seagulls have already sealed the League One title while Saints are currently in the second automatic promotion spot, level on points with Huddersfield but with a game in hand.

Harding was one of five Saints players named in the division's team of the year last weekend, compared with just three from Brighton.

The left-back, who began his career with the Seagulls, admits his old club are worthy champions but says Southampton have suffered from being a bigger scalp.

"They have had a fantastic season and all credit to them. They have done really well and deserve to be where they are," he said.

"But it also shows that when people play Southampton maybe they think they have to step up that extra 10 or 20% making our games harder, which is something we have had to live with this season. Hopefully we can get over the finish line."

The two teams square up at Withdean Stadium on Saturday.

But aren't Saints 10/20% better than all the other clubs? So that cancels that out? I'm confused

 

[Easy 10]

ANOTHER excuse to add to the list then

 

[Mr Burns]

In all fairness to Harding, hes hardly the sharpest tool in the box, and is probably just repeating something he's over heard.

 

[Scotty Mac]

he may have a point in terms of teams wanting to get a victory over a name rather than the side leading the table

in 2007/08, what did teams in league one celebrate more - a victory over swansea, or defeating leeds? similarly the season before, i imagine most teams were more excited about beating two-time european champions nottingham forest than the league winners scunthorpe united

not sure whether it is really relevant in this case however - for a start, southampton quite clearly don't have the same pulling power as leeds as is shown by the fact that every home team does not have a sell out whenever they visit. and what did they actually acheive in the top flight to make them a name, other than scrap against relegation 95% of the time?

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

I ALWAYS hated Harding. ****. ****. ****. ****. ****. ****.

Basically reading between the lines he is saying Stains are everyones cup final so the opposition up their game.

Did I say he was a ****. And a **** with stupid hairdo as well. ****.

 

[pasty]

You know I can't wait for next season. Whether SCC get promoted or not, they will once again pale into insignificance once we re-establish our PROPER rivalry with Palace. SCC have provided some fun as temporary gobshite promotion rivals, but next season they won't even appear on my radar unless we play them (which I sincerely hope we don't).

 

[Notters]

You know I can't wait for next season. Whether SCC get promoted or not, they will once again pale into insignificance once we re-establish our PROPER rivalry with Palace. SCC have provided some fun as temporary gobshite promotion rivals, but next season they won't even appear on my radar unless we play them (which I sincerely hope we don't).

This. I actually dreamt last night that we HAMMERED them at Selhurst Park and I really think it could happen. It's what I've been waiting for all my life!*

*Though I see it's now £30 to sit in the luxury of the Arthur Sh*te stand.

 

[Alex]

he may have a point in terms of teams wanting to get a victory over a name rather than the side leading the table

in 2007/08, what did teams in league one celebrate more - a victory over swansea, or defeating leeds? similarly the season before, i imagine most teams were more excited about beating two-time european champions nottingham forest than the league winners scunthorpe united

not sure whether it is really relevant in this case however - for a start, southampton quite clearly don't have the same pulling power as leeds as is shown by the fact that every home team does not have a sell out whenever they visit. and what did they actually acheive in the top flight to make them a name, other than scrap against relegation 95% of the time?

In our 27 years of top flight football, our average league finish was 12th position. A lot of the time the league had more than 20 teams in it too. I would hardly call that struggling, but each to their own.

 

[Alex]

You know I can't wait for next season. Whether SCC get promoted or not, they will once again pale into insignificance once we re-establish our PROPER rivalry with Palace. SCC have provided some fun as temporary gobshite promotion rivals, but next season they won't even appear on my radar unless we play them (which I sincerely hope we don't).

Don't worry, be safe in the knowledge that you little rivalry will never be anywhere near as big as ours.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

In our 27 years of top flight football, our average league finish was 12th position. A lot of the time the league had more than 20 teams in it too. I would hardly call that struggling, but each to their own.

It feels that way as through out much of the nineties you relied on Le Tiss to save you in the final games.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

This'll be the same Dan Harding who told the club that nurtured him from zero that he was going on holiday and then turned up in the press wearing a Leeds shirt presumably.

 

[ROSM]

In our 27 years of top flight football, our average league finish was 12th position. A lot of the time the league had more than 20 teams in it too. I would hardly call that struggling, but each to their own.

And you were all so nice to Ian Branfoot when he was your manager. Or what about Chris Nicholl who was a solid loyal player of yours.

You see it's all about context, you may have averaged 12th but that's history now - a lot of people I know who are saints fans genuinely felt the team was underachieving under those managers but would actually sell all 6 of their left hand fingers to have those days back again. As it is this season you've managed about 4th over the balance of it. You may make it second and I hope that you do - I'd rather visit St mary's next season than the Galpharm.

 

[ROSM]

Don't worry, we'll get Dean Hammond's perspective tomorrow 'I was forced out of Brighton and I landed on my feet. Dean Wilkins is the only person who has ever understood me.'

 

[The Large One]

So other teams up their game against Southampton - and they don't know what to do about it?

Wise words, Daniel. Insult your colleagues, why not?

 

[Scotty Mac]

In our 27 years of top flight football, our average league finish was 12th position. A lot of the time the league had more than 20 teams in it too. I would hardly call that struggling, but each to their own.

due to my age, i only remember from the 90s onwards. and until gordon strachan came along, it was struggle after struggle that was usually only survived thanks to the sheer brilliance of matt le tissier

either way, dont think you can deny that most of league one isnt really that bothered about southampton in the same way that they were when leeds and forest first came into this league (with the exception of brighton!). id put the interest at around the same level of that as charlton. and if harding reckons that that causes teams to raise their game to an extra-human level, then he is seriously deluded

 

[peterward]

Now say after me

"Our rightful place is in the Premier League"....

"We're better than everbody" ....

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

To be fair he did say

"They have had a fantastic season and all credit to them. They have done really well and deserve to be where they are," .

Its called towing the company line and every person across the land in professions of all types do it daily for their employers and the people that pay them. Its a crock of shit and he knows it but it keeps him in their good books.