The Official Southampton FC Thread
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RichB said:
Shnozz said:
We have always had a strong academy but have struggled to offer the top level of football befitting some of these star youth team players...
Tell me about it 
Glen Johnson, Ferdinand, Lampard, Carrick, J Cole, Defoe not a bad England line up
all gone 
We were forced to offload the likes of Bale and Walcott to service debt. Chamberlain left because we were in League 1, his head was turned by his old man and Wenger was prepared to offer a ridiculous amount of money (FWIW, I'm certain his development as a player would have been better continued at St Mary's, but that's another debate)..
The Southampton of now is not the same as the Southampton of then. If players want to leave, then so be it - let them go. But, currently at least, we are not in a position where we are forced into a firesale of our best assets just to make ends meet.
For me, key to everything over the next couple of months is Pochettino committing his immediate future to Saints. If this happens, I can see the playing staff being assured on the club's ongoing commitment to improvement and most (if not all) of our better players choosing to stay at SMS - for now, anyway..
The Southampton of now is not the same as the Southampton of then. If players want to leave, then so be it - let them go. But, currently at least, we are not in a position where we are forced into a firesale of our best assets just to make ends meet.
For me, key to everything over the next couple of months is Pochettino committing his immediate future to Saints. If this happens, I can see the playing staff being assured on the club's ongoing commitment to improvement and most (if not all) of our better players choosing to stay at SMS - for now, anyway..
I'm talking about further back than that though mate.
Even when we were the second longest team to remain in the English top flight we could never hold on to our prized players. Thinking Shearer, the 3 Wallace brothers, Flowers, Mark Wright and then later years the Bridges, Beattie, Richards etc.
Even when we were the second longest team to remain in the English top flight we could never hold on to our prized players. Thinking Shearer, the 3 Wallace brothers, Flowers, Mark Wright and then later years the Bridges, Beattie, Richards etc.
Shnozz said:
I'm talking about further back than that though mate.
Even when we were the second longest team to remain in the English top flight we could never hold on to our prized players. Thinking Shearer, the 3 Wallace brothers, Flowers, Mark Wright and then later years the Bridges, Beattie, Richards etc.
We were a completely different beast back then, too.Even when we were the second longest team to remain in the English top flight we could never hold on to our prized players. Thinking Shearer, the 3 Wallace brothers, Flowers, Mark Wright and then later years the Bridges, Beattie, Richards etc.
Financially hamstrung by a capacity of just 15k in the Dell, we did exceptionally well to cling on to top flight status as long as we did. And it was only through the sale of at least one 'star name' per season (it seemed), that we were able to compete financially, even with those teams occupying the lower reaches of the league.
I'm not saying that we currently represent more of a draw than the big 4 or 5, but we are no longer in a position where players have to be offloaded simply to balance the books or service debt.
When Cortese was at the helm, players like Clyne snubbed 'bigger clubs' in favour of a contract at St Mary's after being sold on 'the project'. This summer will be very telling as to which direction 'the project' is likely to be heading. If it's backwards, then I agree that we could see a few faces moving on to pastures new - after all the hard work, it would be a crying shame if that was to happen..
What encourages me is the academy and the youth set up. You can talk Bale, Walcott, Oxlade- Chamberlin, but Lallana, Chambers, Shaw, Ward-prowse are on their heals and then we have the next crop..... a tasty left back to replace Shaw if he decides to leave or to let him push up the park.
Was disappointed on Saturday as people talked about Everton playing badly and they might have, but we deserved the win and based solely on the way we have played this season, I'm disappointed not to have more points. (If you had given me 8th and 50+ at the start of the season I would have jumped at it)
Was disappointed on Saturday as people talked about Everton playing badly and they might have, but we deserved the win and based solely on the way we have played this season, I'm disappointed not to have more points. (If you had given me 8th and 50+ at the start of the season I would have jumped at it)
I predict 6-3 to us.
Guly with a hat-rick, Jos to head one in from the halfway line (he'll be hanging back so as not to lose his marker). Guly will then hit another brace before leaving for PSG in the summer.
Utd will be 6-0 down, before Giggs has enough, tells Wayne-has-his-arse-hair-on-his-head-Rooney to f
k off and brings himself on. He scores four times, three times in the net and once with MP's missus. MP has a meltdown (in broken English), smashes RG's face to bits and declares he's going to spuds. Because MP has left, the squad is unsettled as to their direction as a club and Shaw, Adam, Clyne, Chambers and Spiderman all leave for pastures new. We start the new season disastrously. Giggsy feels bad and, as a man of honour, offers to come and manage us instead when Utd appoint Neil Warnock after months of speculation.
But we still beat Utd 6-3. Again.
Guly with a hat-rick, Jos to head one in from the halfway line (he'll be hanging back so as not to lose his marker). Guly will then hit another brace before leaving for PSG in the summer.
Utd will be 6-0 down, before Giggs has enough, tells Wayne-has-his-arse-hair-on-his-head-Rooney to f
k off and brings himself on. He scores four times, three times in the net and once with MP's missus. MP has a meltdown (in broken English), smashes RG's face to bits and declares he's going to spuds. Because MP has left, the squad is unsettled as to their direction as a club and Shaw, Adam, Clyne, Chambers and Spiderman all leave for pastures new. We start the new season disastrously. Giggsy feels bad and, as a man of honour, offers to come and manage us instead when Utd appoint Neil Warnock after months of speculation.But we still beat Utd 6-3. Again.
Kitchski said:
But we still beat Utd 6-3. Again.
Let's hope they arrive in a grey strip...Ah, that got me wasting 5 mins on youtube. Great memories of the Dell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6J-4RIRsms
Edited by Shnozz on Wednesday 7th May 11:29
Shnozz said:
Kitchski said:
But we still beat Utd 6-3. Again.
Let's hope they arrive in a grey strip...Ah, that got me wasting 5 mins on youtube. Great memories of the Dell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6J-4RIRsms
Edited by Shnozz on Wednesday 7th May 11:29
Have got the 76 final, the 6-3/3-1 vs Man Utd (Lovely chip Matty!)
If you listened to the press, we won't have any team left in 2 months
Shaw - Man Utd, Chelsea etc
Morgan - Arsenal
Lovren - various
Lallana - Liverpool, , various
Chambers - various
Clyne - various
Lets hope that they stay and that we can build a team around them.
If you listened to the press, we won't have any team left in 2 months
Shaw - Man Utd, Chelsea etc
Morgan - Arsenal
Lovren - various
Lallana - Liverpool, , various
Chambers - various
Clyne - various
Lets hope that they stay and that we can build a team around them.
8th in the league, a record points total for the premierhship (but not the top flight) and a season where many players have stood up and been counted. Of course the team have made mistakes, but generally we've done pretty well, dominated posession and considered ourselves unlucky on a few occasions which is better than prior premier league seasons.
It seems that the vultures are cicrling for our players, but lets hope that some of them decide to stay and that we can strengthen. Alam and Luke are the main concerns, but Poch leaving would be a challenge as he plays the way the fans want.
If you had given me 8th before the season started, then I would have been pleased... let the building begin
It seems that the vultures are cicrling for our players, but lets hope that some of them decide to stay and that we can strengthen. Alam and Luke are the main concerns, but Poch leaving would be a challenge as he plays the way the fans want.
If you had given me 8th before the season started, then I would have been pleased... let the building begin
Liverpool make an offer for Lallana according to the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27371960
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