Frank's cousin

Sadly don't think we will see more than 2 Saints in the final Squad, Lambert and Lallana. Lambert because he deserves to - he may not have scored as many this year but he contributes so much more... In addition he has that boyish infectious enthusiasm that makes a real difference in a squad. Adam is now a shoe in..... But inevitably, Welbeck, Sturridge and Rooney will be the other 3 strikers... Think Sturridge will do well, but most likely we will see the same Rooney.... Bad first game and then in a huff for the remainder of the tournament, trying to do everything himself and forgetting football is a team game.... And for some strange reason, Milner will go.... Shaw, I think will also miss out as Roy gives Cole a last ego trip... JRod, should go IMHO, but will miss out Shaw, as Roy suggests they are too young and their time will come.... Just wish he would see benefit of talking them all, they play together, are on form and have the spirit that can take you a long way in tournaments - something we always lack with the 'golden' spoilt, rich generation that never seemed interested...

Sorry Viking, can't agree . Listened to 5live from 3 pm... And every time they went to SMS, during and after game, they were waxing lyrical about hoe beautiful we were playing... Especially the the England boys... Fact is that the game has no baring on the top or bottom..

I am with you on this... What makes me laugh are those who insist that if we sell Shaw, and buy a decent left back, we can still somehow be better.... It does not matter how much we sell him for, or how much we spend...all that matters is whether we get a player in AT LEAST AS GOOD as the one sold.... Otherwise we will be weaker. And can someone name me a better LB than Shaw that re could get...? For us to improve we have to keep the best until we see the best out of them... Shaw will go one day... But why sell him at 18, when genuine ambitions could see him here until he is 22/23 etc. my belief is that under NC we would have been more likely to keep all our players... I hope that under KL we see the same determination... But sadly I don't have the same confidence in that... Really hope I am wrong.

Unfortunately, Jeff, they are like the shi tiest tabloids - who brass neck it - spout so much sheidt yet blatantly deny or ignore the next day... Yet like staring at a car crash, we return and get sucked in... Well at least we know what they are so it's a start. Trouble with these web forums is that if you want to actively participate, the trolls go with the territory...

you really a brain short to **** with me matey boy... LOL . It's like whoosh over your head - you seem to be getting all wound up which is funny.... The comedy laughing icons simply don't mask the stupidity of your response - 'trying to find a magical short cut to success' - do you really think folk can't se you making up total ****** to try and make a point? Do I really need to point out that never has anyone every suggested short cuts, easy routes, or your fantasy magic.... It really is quite simple- we wanted to have a side with 50% home grown. If you get lucky, coach well and have drops of talent that stays, who knows what can happen.... That was the 'how'. You seem to think anyone gives a sh it about you opinion on how realistic or otherwise that may be... Trust me we know your 'opinion' and no one does . This is about positive attitudes to challenging expectation... It's called aspiration. You should try and add some to your life. Might get you to put on some trousers and get out from that computer and enjoy life a bit...

GS gets all worked up if your stated ambition appears to be what the 'establishment' considers to be lacking in realism.... He worries himself that some might be laughing at us, as his ego is so fragile.... What he fails to understand is really a very simple concept. The club has shown that over the last 4 years, there was an aspiration to challenge the expectations - and to me - having that attitude is never a bad thing no matter how 'realistic' or otherwise it may be... GS et al, seem unable to appreciate that as a positive concept or attitude, or that it contributes to the positive feeling within the club....

Delusion implies those who strive for such lofty heights have lost all sense of the extreme difficulty of achieving it.... That's where you, GS and Turks, hypo etc, seem to miss the point... No one is under any delusion. It's why Cortese asked How? Because we can't do it by spending our way there.... Is there another way? Some believe there is, even if the odds are stacked against it... All good players that you would need to buy begin careers some where... So I guess the club believe they just need to get a few decent crop over successive years and KEEP that talent together. That is is the biggest challenge... And quite rightly we would be extremely lucky of we don't lose more than 1or 2 after this season.... So very slim chance of ever being able to keep the best for long enough to see what could happen... I'll say it again - my biggest diss ointment about NC leaving, is that I believe our chances of keeping the talent for a little bit longer were higher under him... I just hope I am proven wrong.

Just be thankful for the attention you get, leaves most of us so very jealous... As to what I mean, well, maybe work on your delivery as most folk with a medium sized brain recognise an element of joy in your tone when providing us with the latest negative piece of 'negative' media related information.... Given that on examination and on history, at least 90% of the gossip both good and bad spouted in the media turns out to be total rubbish... Or at best never happens as things change... Maybe most are just a little bit interested as to why you sound so happy when you are able to provide us with a link... Or why some May question the source, it's accuracy, or indeed your motivation. I hope that helps as the last thing we want is you feeling victimised... That would indeed be bad forum form

CB, could you let those of us ignorant of what went wrong, facts kind know, so that we don't blindly follow.... After I understand that our deal was done in the championship v WBAs prem deal, but we had an opportunity to have a new sponsor if they were prepared to buy out aap3s contract... Heard we were close, but could not get a final deal deal signed by deadline, as is quite common in business... So why did this occur... Please provide details and sources as it's an important point.

You guys continually spouting this ******, suggest either Trolling or you are just plain stupid... which is it? So just for the record ...one last time.... Good = who cares! great if true! no harm done if not! maybe a few get over excited BAd = bad vibes so quite rightly most rational intelligent folk will want to understand whether the source is a trusted one, or whether there is any evidence, or if it's just gossip etc... Barry, dear boy, if you want to Troll, do yourself a favour and do so with just a little bit of intelligence, so that you are not so obvious....

As mentioned above, in part this is down to our wanting to pass every ball out from the back... And now and again mistakes are made... As admirable as it is, there are times when a foot needs to be put through the thing. even in first half when we dominated, got the feeling it just needed their mid field to be more aggressive to undermine our procession. Without Morgan or Big Vic, we don't really have anything to counter a more agree some midfield as Spurs showed second half. one of those days... Again. But it is a young side, and they will gain experience... If we are lucky enough to hold them together... ... Is it just me or is TS the most dislikable opposition manager right now? Looks more like someone who has just tarmac 'd your drive whilst you out and is now demanding payment ....

aye, and I'll defend your right to think of him as a ****... I might ask you why, and if you respond with a load of made up rubbish about 150 mil or just base it on rumours you have heard on a web forum, I might find it a bit odd that you are comfortable forming opinion on people based on rumour and gossip alone and perhaps worse, made up rubbish... But apart from that you are entitled to hold whatever view of him you choose to.

Do you not recognise how odd your first comment is... You offer a criticism that somehow it irks me that someone else has a different opinion, yet it obviously irks you that mine differs from yours.... Someone not liking or him or not is irrelevant. Having a genuine good natured laugh... Again no problem. Offering repetitive inaccurate and made up rubbish to support an opinion is just a bit pathetic... Not sure why you have suddenly become an apologist for those who are obviously just seeking a reaction all of a sudden either. You are also forgetting a simple fact of life. Whether someone likes him or not, is NOT the issue! that is opinion based on 99.9% rumour and gossip as most of have never met him... And even if we all had its quite normal that some would like , some would hate, most indifferent.. All equally valid opinion. What is FACT is what we have achieved. Yes it was supported financially, but if GS wants to try and undermine an achievement by suggesting it was down to 150mil spending (forgetting 110mil+ revenue) in that time, then it's fair to challenge that inaccurate rubbish, designed just to irritate, andNOT offer a fair opinion. IF you can no longer tell the difference! then it's a shame you are happy with defending the obvious WUMing.... Makes feck all difference in the grand scheme of things... Only difference it makes is Steve get one less fiver to support the site as it's just not worth it.. Which won't matter either unless more do same and he can't afford to keep it going... I won't lose any sleep over it and GS et al can retire happy... And look for a new social outlet

Fair point... But what you seem to misunderstand is us 'cult of Cortese' types actually want KL and Krug' to be better. For us to achieve more under their leadership than we did under NC. Will make us extremely happy and full of gratitude etc. that does not mean, we need to slag NC off or conveniently forget what was achieved under his watch, to score cheap points on a web forum, or simply to wind up and get a few reactions. The difference between some of us and the likes of GS, hypo et al! Has nothing to do with the level of support or otherwise we will give KL and Krugs, but the simple fact they won't simply get tons of it because of few fan platitudes... As said before, I would rather we win games and progress further, than worry about fricken shirts, parking and Franny's bathroom carpet.... I just wonder how important all these 'nice ' fan - friendly' lovey things will be if we sell 3-4 top players in the summer and see a decline in quality next season. Of course that could have happened under NC as well, but I suspect it would have been less likely.... As said above, just hope I am proven completely wrong and you can all bump this and laugh... Nothing would please more.

All too true Westie... which reminds me, must get down again before the end of the season and catch up with you guys...sure you owe me a beer! ;-)

'Throw enough sh*t, some of it will stick'... they get some right by chance alone.... Better get used to the summer rumour mill though because at some point we will see stories linking just about all our players with 'Big' moves... and not forgetting Poch...linked again to Spurs this morning on BBC. Cant doi anything about it, and will see what happens, but suspect at least 2 will go... which will be bad enough.

old old posts... TBF that site is one of the few where there is good light hearted banter between Skates and saints, where they know each other. Nobody being dicks....

TBF to Steve, you are kinda damned if you do, damned if you don't... Look at the flack many on here gave Frattonizer over on POL for his 'scummer cull' - he's actually a reasonable bloke, but their forum was being plagued by a few dickheads who ruin it for all, yet many more think he was OTT and draconian.. Personally all for freedom of speech and if GS wants to use this as a way of making an arse out of himself so be it, he is free to do so.... What is perhaps surprising though is that there are obviously still enough folks prepared to £5 to see him do it....

As as it's your game and you are making up the rules as you go along, please can you answer the following to ensure we are working within a REALISTIC set of parameters. We all know how important realism I so you. when you say 150 mil in 4 years, I presume that INCLUDES approx. 100-120 mil of revenue from commercial sources that you would get in that time, naturally with approx 65mil for that first season back, so can we say a combination of 120mil in income + say an additional 35mil investment from our owner? that would be a good one as it is pretty representative of a club we all love, so we could use this as a kinda fun game to see whether anyone could get any club from L1 to mid table Prem in 4 years on back of an additional 35mil form a rich benefactor, or whether it takes a bit more.... But let's not stop there, let's try and ensure we also give 4-5 places to home grown talent, and play attractive football. Great idea this Glasgow! and there was me originally thinking you were just trying to score a cheap point against the now departed ex Chairman... How wrong I was....

How dare you use data to support your pov - this a not allowed and only unsubstantiated hypothetical questions are encouraged that don't contain veiled WUMing. not that Glasgow is a WUM, this forum has none as trousers has expertly demonstrated, but Glasgow has his figures wrong and is asking the wrong question as a result - which does make him look rather daft. To get from L1 to the Prem, cost saints an estimated 35-50mil over and above commercial revenues INCLUDING the 14 mil purchase of the club and any money we had already spent on the Academy development. So to respond to Glasgows interesting question - but first to make it REALISTIC (after all anything that is not realistic is frowned upon) which L1 side would I chose and take back to the Prem for only say 25mil over 3 years? Obviously Wolves of Sheffield United....

I should behave and ignore, but no sweat, will indulge you... So let's take you comments in turn if only to demonstrate you failed to understand the points made.... 1. Re. Improving the quality of the side with 2-7 mil players.... Of you can , if the players you are replacing are worse. We replaced Richardson, hooiveld, Davis etc. all the players you mention replaced non prem standard players who were all rated at less than 1mil... Please provide me with a name or two, were a 30mil+ rated player has been replaced by one rather under 10 mil who is better and has thus meant we don't miss the talent that has gone..sensible mind, not wher clubs have paid stupid money for rubbish or where they have just failed to settle... 2. Re. Turning my nose up at 12-15th in the prem. Yep got me on that one... Sorry but being in the prem without ever having a chance to be better than 12-15th is not appealing. Goes against the principles of sporting competition, if you simply accept this as the best you can hope for. If this is the sum if our ambition, seriously what is the point.... We don't know whether, Krugs ans KL want more than this, I hope they do, and you don't need to sling 100s of millions at it to achieve more. You just need to recognise when we are blessed with a number of big talented players coming through at the same time and fight tooth and nail to keep them... For a few seasons at least... Think Bayer Leverkusen... CL final when they at a 22k capacity, but kept a crop of talent together until it was 22-23, not sold at 17-18... 3. Re. Being 'mental' - well if wanting more than accepting that we can never compete is mental, then yes I am completely ****ing crazy. And glad I have higher standards of expectation and am not content to with also rans... 4. Re. Getting his hands on dead guys cash.... That is really low even by your standards... They were friends, close friends and Marcus trusted him. I suspect NC just wanted to deliver on Marcus's dream with funds Marcus probably intended to spend... How does spending on the the academy after Marcus's death, equate with your thinking? If it was ego and success by spending a 'dead guys cash' Why bother with 30 mil on the academy? Jus spend it on players and go for it surely.... Seriously, he 'spending a dead guys cash' says more about what a twisted fe key you are than any of your posts. Whatever you think of me, is irrelevant, but that is insulting to both NC, and Marcus, with the faith he had in him.... 5. Re supporting someone else for CL football..... Perhaps the best illustration yet of how you just don't get it, or at best refuse to accept it, in an effort to WUM. It's not about only wanting to support is we get CL football. It's about wanting yo see the club have aspirations beyond the glass chilling so many seem happy to accept. It's about how hard someone tries, not a outs whether we achieve it or not... But the ambition needs to be backed with a genuine fight... If it is we can be proud of our clubs whatever our position or outcome. If you don't get that, you probably never will, as you seem to be unable to see past you dislike for me and actually comment on the points raised. i genuinely hope Krugs and KL turn out to be the best we nve ever had... There is no love in for NC, don't know the bloke, so can't comment, and given his rep, I suspect, KL and Krugs would be more pleasant company for dinner or pint. But I don't need nice people running the club I support. I need bastards who get things done and deliver. Whilst he was her NC did. I hope Krugs has enough of the bastard in him to tell other clubs that Shaw and Lallana are going nowhere..... To me that is not too much to expect.

indeed, but some let their obvious dislike for the mans baffling need to remove Franny's bathroom carpet, cloud their judgement. But wanted to pick up on what you posted earlier on whether he is qualified or not. I think looking at his background, his experience etc in the world of sport and the transferable skills he will have, I think he will do a good job as a chairman. If KL is a chip off the old block, then she will be a decent honest and likeable owner. Both seem decent people and wise enough to listen ad learn and thus do a good job. ...but, it's the parameters or objectives of their job that is open right now. Will the strategy continue as before, or will we see what some say is a 'realistic expectation' - an acceptance that we have plateaued and this is the best we can hope for... My belief is that it is. Selling a Shaw for 30 mil... Will always weaken the side, unless you spend 30 mil on a replacement. Buying 2 or 3 19 mil players ever happens as all this does is double or even triple the wage cost.... So most likely if we sell a 30 mil asset, we will get two 7-8 mil rated players , neither of which improve the first team... The road to the bloated squad. It is also about the statement it makes, one goes, more will want to, and we are back to where we were under Lowe. If we start losing players in the summer, I suspect we will be back in 12-15th place before too long. Shaw aw signed a new contract not long ago under Cortese's direction. Sure contracts mean little these days apart from symbolism, but I do think that whilst he was here, there was a genuine belief that we could do more than many think is probable - and that younger talent would stick around to see what happens... Sadly I don't think we have the same desire now... Just my opinion based on the language and comments made... Hopefully i am wrong.

Loss or agreed 7mil per annual investment that has seen the value of the club go from 13 mil to most likely 130 mil in 5 years... Would say that is not a bad return for 30 odd mil outlay training ground... Well do you know the budget and time for project completion? The truth mind, not what you have heard,.... transfer mistake that everyone/club makes... But we also had Lovren,, Wanyama, Rodrigues who ain't been so bad... Well given we were in L1 for 2 years and NPC, were sponsorship is generally lower! not surprising! return to prem was with sponsor already signed up in NPC.... Law suits - , carpet gate and a builder, now I don't know the full story.... And nor do you turnover of staff , not surprising given he had a Swiss work ethic and was demanding.... Shape up or ship out is another way of looking at it. My boss is also a complete nightmare... But fricken good at what they do - they deliver and demand sacrifice from staff... Some leave, some thrive, but we are successful.... offshore 'huge' debt - so tell us how much, over how many years and on what terms... Do you not Know? Well just as likely to to be short term cash flow needs to cover upfront transfer fees before sky revenues are paid... But then you probably know all this but like nothing more than to post your 'controversial' 'insight'....

Excellent - no thread is complete without the cut your jib old boy - another marvelous piece of intelligent insight - a monumentous contribution as ever - you must be proud - well done!

Whilst I agree with your interpretation of the interviews - in general there is nothing to be negative about, and that we need to see how it all pans out before drawing any conclusions - which is all sensible etc.... A couple of points I made easily still rankle ... And they are just my opinion, and nothing more. 1. The emphasis on commercial- I think some folks over estimate the the value of the commercial activity... Eg we would have to sell a million shirts to generate enough net operating surplus to fund a half decent player, or about 30 million pints etc... Seriously, the impact even doubling our current commercial revenues would have in available funding for team growth is small.... The big opportunities are in sponsorship etc but only for those clubs with global brands... A hotel and local commercial enterprises on surrounding land would with a few millions per annul, not the 40-50mil extra that starts to make a difference player wise. 2. The vagueness about player sales. Think we all understand that unless we can provide players good enough for CL football on a regular basis, the best will leave for clubs able to offer it... The modern era has always been like that.... But under NC there appeared a genuine desire and strong will t change the timing. Whereas historically the Bales, Walcotts etc had tended to leave at u18 due to the financial realities or our lowly position, the new way was about creating a genuine belief that if we stay together for a few years, let these players develop to their full potential BEFORE leaving, we would benefit from them... Which would give us maybe cyclical success. I did not get the impression that this remained a very strong focus/ strategy - May just be the way the questions went, and I will be v happy to be wrong, but just a suspicion we won't fight quite so hard to keep players for that bit longer... 3. Finally, everything seems 'sensible' - well I used that term to decent Lowe during his prem years. He may have been many of the things folks thought he was as well, but he was sensible from a money perspective... And I am just no longer sure being sensible with perhaps acceptance that 9-13th stable would we good for 'a club of our size' is enough to get excited about. Cortese was about a philosophy that 'ask not if we can win the league, but how' forget the probability associated with that, it's not the point. It's about the attitude of challenging expectations. The first step to improvement is NOT accepting, what is most likely, but asking how you make the possible , more probable... And I am not sure we got that message from that interview. so early days, and not to get either worried or too excited about. For some the better communications an appreciation of the clubs history will be more than enough compensation for a while if things don't progress as we have been used to over the last 5 years... I can't say that bothers me as I don't have an expectation for the club to love me back and be all touchy feely - I just want to see them win with style and get some benefit from the talent we have nurtured and developed... Do that and They will be a dream team. If they don't, sadly I will always have that niggling doubt about what might have been.