Over the past few months we have seen our fill of the national media predicting doom and gloom we do not need our local paper to follow this path.
The Daily Echo is today carrying a story claiming that the odds for Saints to be relegated have tumbled from 40/1 at the end of last season down to 4/1, whilst it is true that this is the odds currently being offered the headline of "Saints' Premier League relegation odds tumble from 40-1 to 4-1" does not reflect the betting pattern throughout the summer, indeed the actual article itself goes on to explain this which makes it slightly disconcerting as to why the paper would want to print a headline that would only stir up discontent amongst supporters.
The reality is that Saints position in the relegation betting table has barely changed since May, yes the odds have come down slightly but so has the odds for most other clubs as the market opens up as the season approaches.
Back at the end of May I did a story on the betting odds for relegation,back then we sat as 13th favourites for the drop with only the 7 clubs that finished above us considered less likely to go down, indeed on the 30th May although we were in that position a look at the major bookmakers saw a price with most of between 7/1 and 10/1.
Fast forward to today and the odds are not that much different, most firms are offering 4 or 5/1 on Saints, the only difference is that Saints have slipped down the betting table in terms of position, West Ham, Newcastle and Stoke have moved above us so that we are now 10th favourites for the drop although it has to be said their is little between the odds being offered for those 3 clubs and ourselves, Stoke who surprisingly now occupy our former position of 8th in the table are like we were back in May anywhere between 7 - 10/1 for the drop.
So the Echo headline does not fit the reality, the pattern over the summer has been fairly constant, our position and odds have changed little but what change has been gradual and has not been a tumbling as the Echo is suggesting.
Indeed in no way shape or form do the bookmakers see us as anywhere near favourites for the drop and neither do the punters as there has been no drastic shortening of odds due to money being waged on Saints to go down, in short the bookies see us exactly as they did back in May, one of a number of clubs who could finish anywhere between 8th and 17th and if we look back historically on the Premier League the reality is that sides finishing 8th rarely repeat the feat the following year whether they lose players or otherwise.
Im surprised that the Echo has put up a headline like this, usually its reporting is quite balanced and informed, despite what some supporters like to say, at the moment however Saints supporters are feeling very fragile, they need to see some positive action and that being reflected in positive news in the media, at the moment there is very little coming out of St Mary's and that is why the Echo feels the need to try and drum up some interest, but red top type headlines is not the way to do it.