The world appears to be crumbling around Will Still and his side. The Saints languish 20th in the Championship table.
Many of us have already been venting our frustration from the safe standing 'terraces' in the Northam, or in the away end at Bristol City, or at Blackburn in the last couple of weeks.
It's cold and dark outside. I've got the flu. Life as a Saints' fan could hardly be any worse. What a great time to be taking on the job of running a fan website devoted to Southampton FC.
Saints fans: we have plenty to talk about
Yet every day, there's still (pun intended) plenty to talk about and fresh hope when it comes to the Saints. Although, Some serious questions need to be answered first.
- Will Léo Scienza win this season's crossbar challenge?
- How many times will Caspar Jander straighten his hairband against Preston North End?
- How much does a taxi from Leicester to Blackburn cost (ask Cam Bragg)?
- What is the largest number of central defenders that Will Still can name in his starting eleven?
So we're here to kick start the Saints' debate with opinionated analyses and informed reportage. In addition to our weekly features, you can get all of your Saints news, transfer rumours, match reports, match predictions and opposition insights, right here on Saints Marching.
I loved them as a nipper, I'll love them till I die
My name is Paul Blake, the new Site Expert for Saints Marching, and I am delighted to introduce the breaking of this new dawn for the site. As with all the other sites in FanSided's network, my goal is to produce high-quality, fan-centered content focused on Southampton FC.
Southampton born and bred, I have been a Saints fan for 47 years. I've witnessed the few highs and the many lows - and yes, even the Rupert Lowes.
My first game, standing down at the front of the Archers Road terrace at the Dell, was back in 1980. I was seven years old then, and I was so short that my eyes were barely above pitch level. We beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 on a cold Saturday in December. Both goals went in right in front of me, and that was me: a Saints fan.
Okay, so who am I to write about the Saints? Firstly, I'm a fan - pure and simple. Secondly, I'm at every home match, pitchside, taking photos for the sports press. Finally, I'm pretty well qualified: I have a Degree in Sport and English, a couple of football scouting Level 2 qualifications, and a PE teaching qualification.
At the end of the day, though, football is all about opinions, and qualifications count for very little in the world of football.
Like everyone, I hope that Saints can turn a corner and start winning matches. I've seen enough to suggest that we can do that, but all too often, there's a sharp reminder of how embarrassingly awful we were last season, and the confidence just drains away.
Saints fans know that through the good, the bad, and the Iain Dowie - we will laugh together, debate together, and above all go marching in together.
"It started in a chapel...in 1885;
I loved them as a nipper,
I'll love them till I die."