Some of the comments I have heard and seen over the past few days have been nothing short of disgraceful and some need to get a reality check.

Sometimes I write a story with my heart clearly on my sleeve and this i one of them, yes I can see why some would be upset by going out of Europe so cheaply, but it is not the end of the world as we know it, merely a set back in a long path forward.

Apologies to the two people that stood behind me in Denmark for the comments I made to them, but I like several others around them were enraged about the tirade of abuse aimed at our own players with barely 15 minutes of the game gone, two people with us walked out and found another seat, as they felt that it was going to end with them punching them.

Now that is not the way to do things, I am certainly not condoning that, but you have to ask why someone would travel over 1,000 miles and spent a considerable sum to scream abuse at Graziano Pelle and Ronald Koeman for 90 minutes rather than offer encouragement to the football team they purport to support.

Now I know everyone has a right to an opinion, but opinions are for the pub or internet message boards not for the when you are watching the team play an important match, I understood those who shouted abuse at the players at the end of the game, I felt their frustration, however the sizeable minority who were heckling, no that word is not strong enough "abusing" players of Southampton Football Club before the games are barely 15 minutes gone need to take a reality check.

Saints have come long way in the past six years and last season we made a big jump forward, sustaining the gains made was never going to be easy, however we have a great base to do so.

Yes there will be players wanting to leave, but that is not the fault of the club, the Premier League is big business these days, there is little loyalty, all a club like Saints can do is try and manage the situation, of course we do not want the mass exits of last summer, but the reality is that success is always going to be followed by the big clbs wanting our players, this is nothing new its been happening for 50 years.

The reality is that the players that leave our going to bigger clubs, I dont like typing that, but it is true, if they were going to Leicester City or Sunderland then I would be worried, but they are not, the sad truth is as we get better players we get players whose ambition stretches beyond Saints and at present we cannot do anything about that.

So when I read the social media comments or hear about the so called supporter phoning 5 live and demanding that Ronald Koeman be sacked I am dumbfounded. Ronald Koeman came here a year go and performed a miracle and now he is being slagged off because he hasn't (yet) repeated that this season.

But lets get a reality check, we have a great squad, our issues are about injuries to it at the moment which has meant we have been unable to play the side we have wanted to, when we do then im certain things will change.

But for some that is not good enough, they accept nothing other than winning games (every game) and think that every player sold is a step backwards, yes it might be temporarily, but we have a long term strategy in place, we have to be patient.

So perhaps some supporters should remember this and back the team not scream abuse at individual players, lets be blunt the season has barely started and if we beat Norwich today by two goals we will rise to 9th in the table only two points off the top four, if we do that where is the meltdown in that, it will be a solid start and with players coming back from injury will give us a good springboard.

But this doesn't appease some supporters, every game not won is a setback, every setback is terminal.

Football is all about long term lets remember that and get behind the team, not behave like spoilt children everytime things don't go our way.

Reality check, last season we had our best season in 30 years, in terms of league position there has been none better in all of that time we have had only our second European campaign in that same period, we have a manager who really pulled things round in a stormy period, indeed I can't think of anyone else who would have been able to do what Ronald Koeman did for us. This season we have only played three league games, WTF do some people want !

One thing I should make clear though, 90% of our support is brilliant it gets behind the team and stays behind it, however that is being ruined by the other 10% for whom nothing is ever good enough, most of the Saints fans in Denmark where superb as they have been in the other away games this season and the home games as well, this rant is not aimed at them, its aimed at the other 10% whom Im sure will give the standard hecklers reply that they have paid their money they re entitled to their opinion, that is true, but why do we go to the game and why are we called supporters ?

The answer is we go to see our team do its best and we go to support them, some need to look up the word supporter and then realise what that entails and that we should be supporters not "Slaggers"

Photo: Action Images

densham41 added 10:31 - Aug 30 I have to agree. You support your team through think an thin. The good times and that bad times. I was gutted Thursday night, that's the only way to describe how I felt, however Southampton for me is in my heart, I have an emotional connection to the club. That connection has given me some of my greatest highs and lowers lows. You have to support your City and that city is Southampton. Players will come and go, owners will come and go. But long after I'm gone St Mary's ill remain. Being at the Square in Arnhem, singing when the saints go marching in with 2000 Saints fans will live with me forever. Support the team, support the city and we will get back there sooner than later. Emotionl plea now over

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legod7 added 10:53 - Aug 30 Before I retired I found the best way to get my workforce to do things the way they should be done was to ask them. Not to yell and shout like some of my fellow bosses. A contented workforce should be a happy workforce with more productivity . All this yelling and shouting abuse by "fans" gets you absolutely nowhere whereas encouragement will ALWAYS gets the best out of the players. Whatever line of work you are in.

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IWOZTHERE added 11:02 - Aug 30 Bad Times make the good times even better! Agree with most of your article 101%. Not going to dwell on it but at the moment I've got a bit of a problem with just what the much vaunted 'long term strategy' actually is ?
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nomorerumours added 11:07 - Aug 30 You are 100% spot on Nick and these are precisely my my sentiments too. I have been so upset by some of these fans' abuse and also the more widespread negativity on various threads, particularly in the Echo, that I have decided to break my 8 month silence. Of course we are all disappointed by being knocked out of the Europa league and not reaching the group stages as well as our first 3 poor EPL results. There will always be that minority negative fringe who criticise almost everything and want instant gratification. I am more alarmed by the large number of normally loyal fans who have been taken in by this totally unwarranted negativity. As you say we need to be patient - very patient. Some will always try and blame the board, the manager or particular players or all of them. Our long term plan continues to take us in the right direction. There will always be a few temporary set backs. We do have a deeper squad and have strengthened in many areas and I am happy with all the new signings. The quality is there but will take a little time to show itself. We have been very unlucky with injuries. When Jordy is fit I think he will prove one of the bargain buys to join the whole of the EPL this season (I predicted this for Sadio immediately after we signed him for last season - just look at videos). He and Ryan are due to return after the international break and, hopefully, they should be finding their match fitness (along with the steadily improving JayRod) in time for the ManU game at the end of September. I believe that we will finally sign Virgil and he will almost certainly hit the ground running. If Spurs (or Arsenal) do make a grossly inflated bid for Victor of well over £20m and if he has really asked to leave, then we should let him go. We seem to have been associated with a whole host of quality DMFs and CDs (if we do not get Virgil) and many of these are still potentially available. So, I am confident that can replace Victor. I do not believe that ManU are really after Sadio and we do need to hang on to him as he cannot be replaced. We will steadily move up the table and I believe that we can get into the top 6 by Xmas and hold on to that for another European campaign next season. So give time for the team to gel, for us to get up to full (or fuller) strength and we'll all be rewarded for our patience. This is a great club and is just embarking on many years of success.

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Del_Bianco added 11:16 - Aug 30 Agree 100%. It's been going on for a while. I'd hate to see some of our so called fans in bad times if they are like this when we are in a decent period.
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saintmark1976 added 11:41 - Aug 30 Sorry nomorerumours but could you explain what exactly our long term plan is please? Is it to break into the top five or six places in the Premiership or just to be happy to finish in the top ten? Are we serious about competing in cup competitions or as recent results suggest we view them as a necessary evil best avoided at the first opportunity? Is it our intention to blood some mor e of our own home grown players or are they all to be lent out on loan repeatedly? Are there any plans to extend the ground and reduce prices or are we just happy with the Sky money? My own feeling is that a lot of the present discontent is caused by the club consistently failing to give the fans any firm indication of its true intentions going forward.In summary I feel the club,probably due to poor communication with its fans, gives the impression of lacking direction thus allowing wild speculation and opinions to fill the vacuum.

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Jesus_02 added 11:58 - Aug 30 Completely agree with supporting the team on the day. But I can't see that we should be content with 1 win in 9. That's 1 in 6 before we started selling the second half of the team. It's not jut been the id sale has it Nick. We have sold our entire first team in just I've a year. Koeman did wonders lay year. But everyone apart from Les was less confident we could do the same . Don't doubt it we are facing a serious struggle this year. Forget Europe, forget the cups 40points is our aim. 1-0 caulker to score is my (Betting with my heart ) prediction Come on saints!!!!!

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corkcitysaint added 12:18 - Aug 30 I think it was the manner in the way we lost rather than the loss itself. We really need a win today to boost the confidence in the team. It would be great to get out of the bottom 3 before the international break which would put a different spin on things. To be in the bottom 3 over the coming period whilst still early days, does breed negativity in the team. We need to get back to our confident, free -passing game of early last season. Hopefully, once the window shuts and our squad is settled and those injured return, we will get back to our best. Here's to a win today.

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nomorerumours added 12:22 - Aug 30 Response to saintmark1976: You seem to have a very short or very selective memory. Our club's ambitions have been stated on a number of occasions by Ralph and bought into by the board, our manager, the team and the club. You can easily find several of Ralph's speeches/interviews on the internet and on Saint's website. Some fans seem to choose to forget this or perhaps they do not agree with it. I fully agree that this is the way forward The plan is to steadily strengthen the club financially so that we can become self sustaining and start to compete with the big boys in terms of paying higher wages and buying quality players. If you try to do this too quickly it would lead to bankruptcy and relegation. We need to be sustainable and look to gradually improve our league position. We will lose out to the biggest clubs more often than not during the next few years. We will continue to buy in good replacements and have an excellent recent track record on finding good value young players. There will be the occasional misfits but the Les/Ron/black box combination seems to keep us ahead of the game. Yes, we have an excellent academy and many promising youngsters. We have blooded some of these in our squad and a few in first team games. Surely, if they have true potential but they are not yet up to EPL standard, then to loan them out to Championship or League 1 clubs is the right approach. It gives them regular competitive football at a decent level gaining vital experience and a chance to develop further. I believe that Sam Gallagher, for example, will have a good experience at MK Don and come back to us ready to make his full break through next season. Of course I am not settling for just a top 10 finish. I believe that top 6 should be our minimum target and also to fully embrace all the cup competitions. It has been stated repeatedly that the club can only go for a larger stadium once it gets near capacity crowds in the majority of its matches - not just playing the top teams. I agree that ticket prices are rather too high and that should be reviewed. The club (and I) are not just happy with the "Sky money" but it all goes into the long term investment pot. We have been steadily increasing our wages bill and that often goes unnoticed when transfer business is calculated on a money in/money out basis. Your comments saintmark1976 seem to suggest that you are falling into the trap that Nick, I and some others are trying to steer you clear of. That is wanting almost instant gratification. Please be much more patient.

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SaintGeorge added 12:33 - Aug 30 Cobblers Misery and moaning are part of the fun.Some people seem to have forgotten footbal is somethign we *enjoy * it's not a duty - nobody signed anyone up to a contract of support. In fact - if you want positive news all the way, you should be supporting Man U. The whole point of Saints is precisely their brilliance, mediocrity and uselesness and the full range of emotions you get out of them.

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Ali_Diarea added 20:40 - Aug 30 I have to disagree with Nomorerumours, it really doesn't feel like there is a long term strategy for the EPL. It's great to see that the squad has grown in size and quality since last season despite the loss of two more internationals but I think losing out to Spurs with the transfer for Toby when we should have been in pole position shows that we are prepared to accept that we are still a small club that isn't prepared to compete with teams that we should be aspiring to compete with. In Caulker we've replaced an international centre back with someone with large question marks hanging over him and this represents a huge step back for the first team. Romeu for scneiderlin is another backward step for the first team but it seems the club are happy to justify it by adding more squad players, presumeably to equip us for the Europa League! The only way we can truly move forward is by having a better starting 11 year on year and at the moment it doesn't appear like the board is prepared to do that.

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saintmark1976 added 20:45 - Aug 30 Evening nomorerumours and thanks for your well thought out and coherent reply together with your concerns in regard to my long and short term memory.Also it is pleasing that you wish to help me avoid falling into traps and that you appear able to speak for Nick and some others in this regard also. Returning to the football content of your reply, perhaps you would enlighten me as to exactly how you see the long term financial position of the club is improved by selling your best assets to the very teams with whom you wish to complete thus making it even more difficult to break into the top five or six positions and the extra revenue such success provides .Surely at some point in time you need to speculate to accumulate or remain happy to accept that we will never ever make the "big time" and just be seen as a feeder club for the big boys? Turning to our youngsters I am minded of the old football expression "that if you are good enough then you are old enough" and fail to see any recent evidence that going out on loan to lower league clubs allows them to return a better player and gives them access to our first team. In regard to our current ground do you seriously believe that failing to fill it on occasions by the odd thousand or two is the reason why it will not be extended?Again, speculate to accumulate,increase the capacity and reduce the prices. Look at sunderland as an example, a very poor team with a bigger stadium and cheaper prices.Result-bigger average crowds,greater exposure and more revenue. Reference "instant gratification". Having seen my first Saints match at age seven and bearing in mind that I am shortly to get my old age pension,yes i would not mind some! Finally please do not leave it another eight months before you next post a comment. It is reading,respecting but not necessarily agreeing with the strongly held views of other fans that makes Nick's site so entertaining.

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bstokesaint added 21:35 - Aug 30 Good article Nick. I understand the frustration of some supporters about recent results and basically throwing away last year's success without much more than a whimper. The constant speculation over some of our better players and the quality of the newbies has also caused much negative feeling. However, some of the abuse I've seen levelled at Ronald, his coaching staff and the owners/board has been embarrassing. It says to me that some people have lost the concept of reality and have been acting like spoilt brats. I'm certainly not proud of those "fans". I've certainly unfollowed a number. There's a line and I don't like to see that crossed. I've said it before we sound like a message board you'd see at a 'top 6' club where your fans live 3,000 miles away and everything is "sh1t" if your club don't win. It's probably the crowning difference between a fan and a supporter. I'd take the latter all day long.

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ChristchurchSaint added 21:35 - Aug 30 Have to agree with you 100 per cent Nick- of course we are not happy with what is happening but when we get injured players back and the new ones settle in, I am sure we will see totally different football.
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SanMarco added 23:54 - Aug 30 The whole point of football supporting for some people is the chance to get very, very angry and shout vile abuse very, very loudly. It has been the case for years and it is one of the downsides of all seater stadia that in a big crowd you can't just walk somewhere else - if you are unlucky enough to be near them you are stuck with it. I find that people rarely tackle them - probably because they seem unstable and because they are hardly likely to listen to reason. So yes I agree 100% with that part of the article. I am not sure it is relevant to link it to the sort of debate that nomorerumours and saintmark1976 are having. The screamers and shouters are irrelevant to the facts of the matter - which are, well, open to debate and discussion, a thing that is done admirably well on this site and long may it continue...

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NewburySaint added 08:46 - Aug 31 Agree whole heartedly with the majority of this article in particular supporting the team during the game and keeping any negative thoughts & comments to yourself until the players have left the pitch. But I disagree that players leave us just to go to the bigger clubs just because it's a bigger clubs. The majority of our players are leaving us because we show a lack of ambition to build on anything good or successful we do, and it just goes hand in hand that the bigger clubs have more ambition and more money to give because that is how they are. And this lack of ambition to build on anything good or successful we've done isn't a new thing either, it is historical, that's how we are as a club.

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BarnetSaint added 09:48 - Aug 31 Spot on Newbury. I would also add that there is 1 more fundamental reason for the continual player departures you don't mention, and that is the salary levels we operate at. Unless i'm wrong i believe we pay at the lower reaches of the premier league which when you think of the sky money, our very wealthy owner and the millions accrued in player sales, its somewhat frustrating.( yes i know we've come a long way in a short time, want to be sustainable etc etc but this is a fundamental issue for us.) Maybe thats why Swansea, with several excellent players are not linked with other clubs, yet every man and his dog comes sniffing round our better players. Just want to add one more point, i thought Saints fans were excellent yesterday, could have been very downbeat after thursday but great support.

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ItchenNorth added 14:23 - Aug 31 Spot in Nick.
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