Still crazy after all these years

So winter starts next Saturday as the Football League re-commences. The season starts at 12.45pm as Saints take on Millwall as St Marys in the first live game of the season. So before anyone else kicks a ball we may only be -7 points!

So how do I see this season? Well I have none of last season's hope, but as we were relegated, I also expect to be less wrong than I was then!

We start this season in a completely different state (& league!) than a year ago. Then, we frustratingly played some great pre-season football especially against West Ham (and again a bit later against Birmingham in the Carling Cup). All too quickly the cynics were proved correct, however, as the youth and inexperience (and some injuries) proved that we were too weak for the Championship. While JP seemed to talk a good game, in reality the financial peril that club was in (and of which we were mainly unaware) meant that he, and latterly Wotte, had little option than to opt for youth. That it had an unhappy ending is an understatement.

So season 2009/10 starts with Saints in League1, but now we have a proven English manager, no financial worries (but a 10 point deduction) a new wealthy owner and a fairly threadbare squad. Some of last season's problems remain in that defensively we still look vulnerable to crosses (no jokes) and scoring goals looks dependant on adding to the squad. The charade of administration and funding the overheads while we found a buyer has robbed us of one quality player and a striker who did know where the goal was. There is also no guarantee that others won't leave before the end of the transfer window. Both Saganowski and Rasiak have been expected to look elsewhere, having spent part of last season out on loan. While the financial need to reduce the wage bill is gone, sensible financial control may suggest that we could get either younger or better strikers for the same or less money. Time will tell.

Our new manager Alan Pardew has put his back room staff together and his main priority will now be strengthening the squad and, for once, some money may be available, again time will tell.

In reality this should be a season of consolidation, with our first task to get to 0 points as quickly as we can. Thereafter mid-table mediocrity seems the best we can hope for, but who knows. If we get a tall defender, score some goals and confidence begins to build then maybe, just maybe we could squeeze into the play-offs and that, as we know, is a lottery thereafter!!!!