Ivan Katalinic's 'tache

In which case, might just be a bit of face saving from Vieira?

How about Les tells them to f**k off unless they cough up £75m upfront. See if they misunderstand that.

Hold on there. Re-re-wind - Eric Black would still be part of the dream team?

Alanis Morissette as the new Southampton manager? Thanks for the heads up. I'd better get down Ladbrokes and stick a few quid on before the odds shorten...

Unfortunately, the original photo shoot was done with Claude & Eric wearing the home & away shirts & nothing more than a cheeky smile. They're now having to hurry through a new set of pics featuring Ralph & Les...

Some car keys too. Maybe he didn't realise it was that sort of party?

Crikey, there are some duffers on that list. Karanka's football was as dull as Puel's! And as for Adams, McClaren, Giggs, Moyes and Sherwood? Hopeless. Let's hope Les is able to attract Tuchel or someone as capable or with more interesting possibilities.

Thank you for the Cup Final Claude and for seemingly being a decent fella. I won't however miss some of the dullest football I've ever seen at Saints.

At the end of the season, Liverpool were reportedly close to a deal for Robertson and rumour was they were then planning to go for Maguire, too. Surely they should let them sign for us first and then buy them for an over inflated fee next year?

He's done really well in two loans which tells us he won't make it? Daft.

I've found the actual footage the Premier League will be asked to view to confirm whether or not VVD was tapped up:

If true, that's some way to pay back an enhanced contract and rehabilitation from injury. Also, if true, he should be stripped of the captaincy IMO. As for Liverpool, a fine will be insufficient. If clubs like Barca, Atletico & Real have had transfer bans in the past, in Spain, then Liverpool aren't so big as to avoid one for this.

Well, if he pays off the opposition so we can score more goals & win more games then I'm all for it. Might actually be a more cost effective route than adding to the squad.

Gone... According to the Express: http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/813866/Southampton-Claude-Puel-Premier-League-Marco-Silva-Sacked-Thomas-Tuchel-Virgil-Van-Dijk

Just because Virgil may prefer Liverpool, that doesn't mean we have to sell unless they hit our price, which Adam Blackmore has just said will be astronimocal & above £50m. With 5 years left on his deal we should have a chance to show some backbone but whether Les will when someone is waving the readies in his face is another matter.

Positive goal difference too...

Crikey! How big is the kitchen at St Mary's???

Takeover must be close then & they must be injecting plenty of lolly to make us a mega club...

Results & performances dipped? Players unhappy with the manager? Rumours Puel can't settle in England? This sounds like a job for "by mutual consent"!

...according to the Metro: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/metro.co.uk/2017/04/20/shane-long-narrowly-beats-marcus-rashford-in-race-for-premier-leagues-quickest-player-6587346/amp/ Reads like they're gutted it's not Rashford!

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/15206195.Southampton_3_1_Crystal_Palace___Puel_sweats_on_Bertrand_fitness_but_is_delighted_after_victory/?ref=mac Bertrand had a slight hamstring strain according to the Echo.

I like your thinking there. I have a vision now of a large spreadsheet-like table, entitled 'Player Sales by Year', on the wall in Les' office with years across the top and lists of player names below each of the years representing those who will be sold. For example, 2018 could have the names McQueen, Gabbiadini and Romeu as being those we intend to sell for huge fees that summer. Forward planning...

Our forward line without Gabbi or Charlie is... A lot of good stuff first half, but fizzled out second half when Howe added an extra man into midfield. Disappointing.

Looking at the list of clubs supposedly interested in him, if he were to leave, it'd have to go disastrously wrong for him to end up at West Ham. I mean what sort of mug would end up like that?

Didn't expect to get anything & we didn't. More concerned, now, about the injury to Gabbiadini to be honest!