So it turns out that the BBC are reporting that Harry Redknapp is to be unveiled (though not literally, one hopes) as Southampton’s third manager of the season. The club website says that "rumours are rife" but isn’t denying anything as far as I can tell, so the St. Mary’s Revolving Door™ looks set to be back in full effect today. I suppose it’s good timing, with the transfer window about to open in January, but this is going to help the Saints/Pompey rivalry not one jot.

Last night, England were denied victory in the quarter-finals of Euro 2004 by a dodgy Swiss referee with a ridiculous blond goatee and highlights. In case you missed it (where were you? Timbuktoo?) England led in the 3rd minute, Portugal were all over England like a rash, they equalised in the 83rd minute, before Sol Campbell’s 89th minute winner was disallowed for an apparent foul on the goalkeeper by John Terry. Portugal took the lead in extra-time, then England equalised five minutes later.

Then we lost on penalties.

Again.

Don’t blame Darius Vassell. Anyone could have had their penalty saved. Blame Urs Meier: the new bogey-ref of international football, taking the place held previously by Kim Milton Neilson after he sent off David Beckham in France ‘98. Can we have Pierluigi Collina next time, please?

I shall finish with a quote from Bill Bailey:

bq(Bill Bailey).
I’m English, and as such I crave disappointment.

So His Gingerness is leaving Southampton at the end of the season. He will be missed, as he’s taken Saints up a notch from the annual relegation dogfight to pushing for European places.

bq(http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3381791.stm).
Southampton have confirmed that manager Gordon Strachan will leave the club in the summer to undergo a hip operation.

Gordon: all the best—I’m sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Thanks for the memories, especially beating Spurs 4-0 last year and the Cup Final.

Great day for The Saints yesterday: a comprehensive 3-0 win over local rivals Portsmouth, with a direct-from-a-corner goal by "The New David Beckham" (Jason Dodd), a superb individual effort by back-from-injury Marian Pahars and a diving header by James Beattie.

Saints are fourth in the league again. Unless we keep winning, though, we could just as easily be in the relegation zone, like The Skates. We’re closer in points to our old rivals, 12 14 places below us, than to Chelsea, one place above us. This season is freaky weird.

Oh no. Just when things have got onto a fairly even keel at Southampton, rather than the annual relegation dogfight, along come—let’s face it, struggling—Leeds, wanting to poach our manager! I know Strachan used to play for Leeds, but he’s managed Saints so well since his arrival that it would be madness for him to leave for the Premiership’s bottom club. Wouldn’t it?

Maybe he feels he’s done all he can, and that he needs a new challenge. There has been no approach from Leeds, according to the Saints FC web site, but BBC Sport reckon that Leeds would have to compensate Saints to the tune of £500,000, and that Saints are lining up former Dell favourite Mark Hughes as his replacement!

It’s all a bit reminiscent of the Wayne Bridge episode, when the club said “Wayne’s not going”, and then he went. If Mark Hughes did replace Strachan, I’m sure that would be a good thing. Strachan has done brilliantly, but is limited somewhat by the size and quality of the squad. My only fear would be if WGS leaves and is replaced by someone clearly not cut out for the job, like Stuart Gray in the wake of Dave Jones Glenn Hoddle’s departure.

As usual, time will tell. But I’ll be blowed if Leeds’ current woes end up costing us our manager…

With everything to do in Bucharest, Southampton failed to do anything. Well, they tried hard, and Gordon is rightly proud of their efforts, but the list of destinations on this year’s European Tour is rather short, and will get no longer.

I guess this is what’s good about supporting a team that isn’t Man Utd or Arsenal: you have to take the rough with the smooth, the bad times as well as the good. While last year’s cup run and league placing was exhilarating, I’m glad in a way that success has to be worked hard for, and that it doesn’t come automatically, as it seems to do for some of the larger teams.

Here’s to the slow and deliberate hard workers of the world!

Southampton beat Spurs 3-1 at White Hart Lane, with two goals from Beattie (that’s an average of a goal per game now) and one from Phillips. I thought we might extend our clean-sheet run (we managed over eight hours of football without leaking) but at least we won!

Saints are now fourth with 12 points — only one point behind new leaders Chelsea. All the teams above us have played a game more, though. This was already the Saints’ best start in 20 years — can it get even better? Let’s hope so! Unbeaten in six — that’s pretty impressive for a “little” team from the south coast.

Oh, and Pompey lost, which is the icing on the cake. It just wasn’t right to be below them in the table…

BBC SPORT | Football | Premiership | Beattie sinks Man Utd

To be honest, I would have been happy with another 0-0 against Man Utd, as they’ve been scoring goals for fun, but to get a win against the champions was sweet indeed!

Like me, these people are Bored of the Beckhams!