Fitzhugh Fella

Should the club who has long dined out on the fact it has the best academy in the land, have won some silverware by now? Sorry to be slightly critical here but can't see the point of continually feeding other clubs so they can win trophies if we don't get to at least win one ourselves, even if it is the FA Youth Cup. Maybe last season was our best chance which should have been taken. No doubt many on here will take my post as being deeply sacrilegious but flame away anyway.

Absolutely spot on

Minty I accept the potential wisdom of waiting until the window is closed before we criticise the close season as a whole, but along the way, we surely are free to vent our spleen at being patronised by Gareth Rogers on a day when we sell our two England WC stars. I am pretty sure all the kids who lashed out on Shaw and Lallana shirts last season are absolutely delighted our academy is doing so well financially. Come the end of the window no doubt you will be saying "but wait until Xmas until you judge" and then "wait until the end of the season". Me I prefer to judge each action the club is involved with on the day. I may get it wrong (Pochettino) or right (Steve Wigley) but at least I am not living in the future never never land you seem to expect us to wait for before commenting.

The trouble is even with money in the bank it is not easy to replace players with the calibre of the ones departing. If it was, L'pool and United would have circumnavigated us and bought the ones we presumably are eyeing up?

But Minty you are just as extreme the other way ie never ever criticise. Always looking for a silver lining may well be an attractive trait in a personality but as far as raw passion goes you come over a bit sterile and sanctimoniously unemotional in some of your posts. You have to surely concede fans have the right to be disappointed by the fact a team that finished 8th in the Premiership can't hold onto an 18 year old for just a bit longer. I also think Rogers statement to be a bit crass, we really do not need to be reminded that our academy is just a production line to feed bigger fatter clubs who are too idol or rich to nurture their own youngsters. Yes we may have loadsa money in the bank but if that was all I was bothered about I would get a season ticket at the LSE.

Anyone remember where a fair share of the Shearer money went?

I remember everyone raving about the money we got for Shearer until Branfoot spent most of it on Dixon and Speedie

You make it sound so easy. Good proven players at £10m apiece do not grow on trees

No I confess I haven't but weren't they sacked for non-footballing reasons?

I was impressed with Ralph's personality, openness and desire to build bridges. As for his capabilities to make good footballing decisions I have no idea. I am more concerned with Reed mainly from things I have heard re the Dodd and Williams dismissals. He flopped badly at Charlton and considering the importance of his position at SMS it is crucial he gets some very big decisions coming his way, spot on. I am crossing my fingers.

Whatever the rights and wrongs or the pluses and minuses of Shaw's transfer, the truth remains the very good side of last year is no more and a rebuilding we must go and quickly. We need at least 3 forwards for example to replace Lambert, Osvaldo and Rodriguez and now a full-back. I am sure Lallana and Lovren are on their way too, so RK (himself a new boy on the block) is going to have to buy a lot of players in a short period of time and then gel them into a team capable of competing in the toughest league in the world. No easy task. Money in the bank is no substitute for proven quality players who have already cut it in the Prem. I am apprehensive to say the least and Reed is yet to convince me he is the right man in an increasingly important position.

Whatever the rights and wrongs or the pluses and minuses of this transfer the truth remains the very good side of last year is no more and a rebuilding we must go. We need at least 3 forwards for example to replace Lambert, Osvaldo and Rodriguez and now a full-back. I am sure Lallana and Lovren are on their way too, so RK (himself a new boy on the block) is going to have to buy a lot of players in a short period of time and then gel them into a team capable of competing in the toughest league in the world. No easy task. Money in the bank is no substitute for proven quality players who have already cut it in in the Prem. I am apprehensive to say the least and Reed is yet to convince me he is the right man in an increasingly important position.

So if we had held on to Rickie until after the WC we could well off eked out another half million from the Scousers?

flogging you a horse dead are or straws dead at clutching will leave you to work out my gist +

That's wrong - that applies to players whose contract runs out. I checked with the club and they said Lambert is officially a Liverpool player

Err because they have not qualified for the CL next season?

Fair and reasoned post - and one I agree with - which is a nice thing to say considering we often do not see eye to eye!

Time for Roy to blood all those who have not started yet v Costa Rica

Well I won't lose much sleep if it is all the same to you. The best access ever given to Hagiologists was under the reign of Rupert Lowe, I don't think you will find much evidence of me defending him. Sort of blows your theory out of the water. Independent my arse!

Bang on cue, I was waiting for your comment. Nothing like a bit of jealousy to bring out the venom. For the record, I have no idea about RK's abilities as a chairman of a football club, but one thing I would hazard, having personally spoken to him and heard him is that he was very fan and community orientated while also being interested in our history, something that has been conspicuously missing in recent years. No doubt Manji, in your sour little world, that means little. However to most Saints fans I reckon that means quite a bit, and even if he has left or is leaving I would say the six months he has been here have been of value.

"take it or leave it" offers usually imply the vendor is eager to sell, which in this case is patently untrue.

I think he said "different" not "better".

He did hand in a transfer request and the club did not ignore it so the Mail story yesterday was half correct. This I am 100% certain about.

So it's not a woman, that narrows it down a tad!

£1000, never had you down as a Guardian reader? I also agree with you which is a real worry. I have just had an exchange of e mails with the Echo and I would like to point out that those who cover football/Saints ie Gordon and Adam still do a fine job. There is a lot of politics going on (like life in general) and sometimes things are printed which they themselves are unhappy with. My criticism was for the Echo in general but like you said standards are slipping all over the place.