Frank's cousin

Haha.. I do admire and love optimism and fair play to you guys to have such an outlook. But for me the problem is straight forward - if Lovren and Morgan go.... We will have in effect lost 5 CL international quality players. Yes we will have some cash in the bank, but suspect KL will be looking to recoup some of her director loans from this.... So please tell me how we will be stronger because I can not see how we will ATTRACT 5-7 players who are better than the ones just sold, even if we can afford them and KL makes the funds available....

Sorry but this BS. Yes 99.9999% of us would move jobs for a 50% pay rise because most people earn less in a year tan AL was earning at Saints in a week. This myth that footballers are somehow in 'need' and must go from £45k a week to £80k a week to secure their futures is total Bol, lox. 1. If you can't set yourself, family and grand kids up for life when earning 10mil in 5 years then they must be morons. 2. Why should footballers be exempt from having to work after they finish playing anyway... Many folk retrain in their 30s and 40s looking to do something else... And most have not earned 15-20mil in that time to allow them the luxury of financial security whilst doing so.... So yes we might all want to double or triple our income, but let's not pretend that Adam 'has to move to secure his family' rubbish ... If money DID play a part then it's GREED not NEED, end of.

Again very ill advised - the vitriol is there because most can not understand why someone who has any love or respect for the fans or the club that developed him, would treat it so allegedly shabbily the moment he is chased by another club. There are sporting reason for going- but I maintain that as a sports person in a TEAM sport, the good of the team should always come ahead of personal glories... And it's not like a lower league player going from £1000 a week to £10k a week, where it's a life changing opportunity.... Thee is no Necessity or life changing when already set for life on £45k a week.... No our players who have left have gone for personal glory. Forgetting that the club that developed them could have progressed further had they been as dedicated to it as they would like us to believe from their post departure rhetoric. TBH, this is not about the lack of class Adam has shown, but about footballers in general, putting their personal glory ahead of that of their club and team mates.... Short cuts to trophies and even more cash... Adam is not alone, but on this occasion illustrating that his advisors are thick as shied tiff they believe a few empty words in an ad will make up for it all. With Lovren, and Morgan also likely to go, at what point are we 'allowed' to question what our club has been doing and the way it interacts with it's playing staff?

Grand scheme of things , eg in real life, I am sure he is a normal bloke etc, and it's only football, so in real life no one really bares him any ill will or grudge.... However, in the mad bad and totally obsessed artificial world of football extreme obsession, he is a **** On a more serious note, I do think he was old enough and smart enough to realise that his badge kissing antics and 'saint for career' stuff, was pretty stupid... Football is fickle, but you don't Sh*t on the fans of the club that developed you... And the club is perfectly entitled to feel betrayed... He signed a five year deal a short time ago.... Afterall The whole 'short career stuff' is also Bol lox. Why should footballers not have to work after 35ish... The rt of us do and plenty need to retrain etc during their working lives without the luxury of having earned 15 mil + beforehand...when you ear £200 per week, going to £500 or £1000 makes a real difference to the lives of your family... When on £45,000 per week ... Going else where to get more is just Greed, end of...

...Nah what is MOST surprising, is how some on here still believe we will be alright.... Sadly the fact that some on here accept it is even worse

sorry Weston, don't quite agree- input that Adam is any different to most others so perhaps unfair to single him out for abuse, but a couple of comments: 1. He is 26 not 17/18 and so he should perhaps have been a little more careful with comments about this club, given that everybody knows things change quickly in football - such badge kissing and loyalty statements are designed to d endear players to fans - to 5 mins later see that it it was just like ever other players rubbish from one who has given so much is perhaps even more disappointing 2. The short career thing- sorry we should put this to bed. Even if he only earned 30k a week for 5 years.... That is 7.5 mil - set for life and even if not why should a footballer expect to retire completely at 35 ish - does he suddenly lose the ability to work? Many normal folk need to retrain or change career a number times due to work events beyond their control - without previously having earned multiple millions, so to say its some sort of necessity that they move from 30k to 100k is simply wrong. I am not saying we would not all do it, but the motivation is money and greed, not necessity.... 3. Sporting opportunity. Some would argue, myself included that it would better to win one trophy with the team and team mates who are 'yours' and be part of something that has grown and developed, than to join a side that is already there's... To me that is a short cut -understandable yes, normal in the game, yes, but football has more transfers than any other sport because of the money involved in the deals and agent cuts, sign ons etc. it's what has driven the monopoly of the top clubs on success, and goes hand in hand with what the Sky money has delivered. We have got to the place where most fans now accept this is the natural order of things because they simply can't remember 84 and the missing European competition for several year because of the Heysal ban... And to me that is as depressing an acceptance as you will find in the game - fans no longer dreamers, just 'realists allowed' - realist who know their place and 'understand' players wanting to leave to get success rather than staying and driving success.... Again Adam is just doing what everyone else does, go looking for success elsewhere, but to accept this with good grace is to accept the principle that all is fine with the game and it's competition ideals... It is not 4. Yes it is wrong to suddenly single Adam out, he is after all just doing what anyone else would do- and I appreciate that you know things a little more, and quite rightly are showing loyalty.... Sadly there is none of that left in the game.

We do have a unique situation though- in that is not just 1 or 2 key players who have left. It's looking very likely that we will lose 4-6 and all of those being spine or the experience that led to our progress. It's going to be a huge challenge for any manager, to firstlly try and attract replacements of a similar calibre, the gell them in time for the start of the season etc. In addition, we hear rumour that faith will be placed in the next wave of academy starlets... None of which have yet shown they are of that level...yet... All in a division that is unforgiving of any weakness from day 1. Yes, Ronald May do something great and we all hope his experience and name will help us attract some quality and build a more flexible team tactically... But to expect him to be able to do that in 2 months let alone 1 season is naive. Can anyone name a club that has sold 5 or more key players - the heart of the side - and done better the the following season, irrespective of who they have bought? I can't think of one. Probably easier to find many examples of clubs that have seriously struggled as a result. I would pose one question though. Forget the Liebherr rescue for a moment - because it should be irrelevant when looking to judge the strategy for progress - but what would those who still remain positive and supportive of the direction the club is going think if exactly the same was happening but being driven by a someone like Lowe? Surely, the mature and sensible approach is to judge actions and outcomes, not personalities. We don't yet know the outcome of the current actions, but it easy to see why. Some are worried and expressing that concern, given what we have seen so far, instead we get sound bites about how great it is that we can sell our best talent for so much... Fantastic 'business' yes, but when did fans start applauding good business when it left us weaker on the pitch? Its almost as if because we came close to the brink and were rescued by a decent man, some on here are now unwilling to accept that the club can any wrong, or that the 'rescue' is a get-out-gaol-free' card... Well all some are saying is that it's card that can only be used for so long... If we struggle this season and end up going down, will you guys still be as defensive of the regime?

Reminds me of another quote:(or close to it) " but they were good them Mexicans boss " " yeah boss, they were were really good" "come on, round of applause for the Mexicans, hey lads"

Clarkey, admire the optimism, but not so sure of your blind faith towards the board.. First up there IS a difefrence between us selling Shaw and Man U/Liverpool selling best players - and that difference is that they still attract replacements of the same calibre or better... we will NOT have a LB better than shaw at the start of next season... and that makes the side we put out weaker... ...at what point will fans understand that selling Lambert, Shaw, possibly lalllana, Lovren and who ever else will mean we have a huge hole - and with JRod out till nov/dec even with reasonable replacements - how long to gell? Part of out success was that this spine had been together for some time. Ultimately we cant do anything about it and yes we carry on supporting the side as normal... but the fact remains that if we were serious about progressing as Les seem to keep mentioning and suggests is KLs aim to, we would not have sold an 18 year old academy graduate who signed a 5 year deal only last year at the first opportunity. I just wish the board would stop treating fans like they are idiots and just say that 'as long as we stay in the prem, we will be happy'.... because selling your best talent, and worse potentially selling the entire spine is NOT going to see us progress no matter how much money we get in... trouble is, there are many fans for whom such a lack of serious ambition is no longer making us happy.

Disagree... We underestimate how important the LB. position is... Because decent ones are rare the price is stupid... Because if you look at All successful sides they have quality on BOTH flanks enabling more attacking options... Partly why we were good last season... And back in 2003 when Mazza and Bridge... We were one of the few sides that carried a threat on both sides and that contributed to the progress and relative success... Only got to look at us being average at best when Shaw did not play.... If what some folks seem to believe that KL is SERIOUS. About progress, you don't let 18 year old talent leave for 30mil ... Sorry you just don't. Maybe if stuck in the CCC or L1 but not a side that just finished 8th in the Prem with a youthful side that had not reached its full potential...

This is our problem and why we should be fighting tooth and nail to keep them... The amount means nothing if we can't replace with players at least as good... We go backwards - yet too many seem to accept this as inevitable... When in reality we hold long term contracts, just not prepared to demand our players honour them... Player and agent power has become unbareable combined with the 'I want it now ' generation and greed associated with the game.... Lallana at 26, you can sort of understand, Shaw at 18... We'll f*ck him... It's this impatience to run, when he has so much time that makes him no different to any of the other mercenary t wats ...

Not urge, as I understand it it's just permission to speak that needs to be granted by the club holding the registration... No deal needs to even be on table before, although that is the usual way it works.... As not much point agreeing personal terms if the clubs can't agree a fee... So not sure what to believe... If they really had wrapped up personal terms a month ago, then the stuff Les reed said about no bids could still be true, as he never mentioned anything about 'not' giving any permissions for our players to speak with other clubs.... Of cause it could be done and dusted with just the agents agreeing .... Easy and plenty of ways around the tapping rules, which i suspect will be ditched soon as almost impossible to police effectively.

Sorry but whether lallana is worth 10, 15, or 30 mil is not the point. What we accept is all about what it would cost us to find a replacement equal to or better than him who would be willing to come here... To ensure we carry on progressing... Same with Shaw. The price is not what he is worth but what we think would allow us to find an equal replacement after, agents fees and sign on and bonuses have been taken care of... If we don't replace with equal or better we go backwards. too many seem to now accept that there is nothing anyone can do, that unless a club spends 200mil, they will never get better than 8/9th and accept players will leave .... Sorry but we can, we can keep them and get them to honour there contracts and invest modestly to build on last years progress. The club just needs to have the balls to do it. Fans are complicit in what the prem has done to football if are ' accepting' that it's just the way things are...

70mil? Cheeky bid for Saurez if you ask me, just to **** off those scousers ;-)

Indeed... Adam in some great positions a couple of times and Sturidge shots wildly....

sorry but cant be so bullish - it does not matter whether we get 10 mil or 40 mil really, unless we can attract or bring through a LB that is equal or better than Shaw, we will be weaker in that position... and as we have seen, being able to defend and attack through both flanks plays big part in success - we saw it with Bridge and Marsden, and its why decent LBs are so desirable and expensive. Yes we can buy more players, but we can only put 11 on the pitch and so if we do not have as good an LB next season, the side is weaker whatever cash is available. We are also a club that will struggle to attract players of equal quality... IF we are serious about progressing and building on last season, we don't sell 18 year old talent and think we did well screwing Man Utd... they will be the ones laughing knowing they can get 10 years + at less than 4 mil a season, or sell later and get all their money back and possibly more.... and have had maybe 5-6 years of his talent... It amy be inevitable that we cant hold on to these players, but kidding ourselves that if get 'decent' money, its OK, and yet remain a progressive and developing club is naive

which is kinda scary ;-)

well he is renowned for attention seeking so would not be surprised of he were making this up... but it would not surprise me either if true... its all about the money for our players... the fact so many are desperate to move and cash in at 18/19 rather than stay and develop by playing in a 'lesser' side says it all - modern generation of 'I want it nows' simply dont give a sheidt.

mhm... alot to read into what looked like an emotionally drained Adam (suspect he also knows he will be on bench tomorrow with Welbeck moving to the left, Sterling on Right, and Rooney/sturidge in the middle) - He has not yet met Koeman, so its difficult to read anything into that - that first meeting and how RK deals with these players who are 'keen' to embrace new horizons (and wedge) will be key. Not feeling 'sorry' for him as he is a millionnaire footballer who has a lovely family, baby and is set for life... but still affected by various pressures. Just dont think nhe is the **** some are making out just because he is not bleeding red and white.

Difficult to judge, but he did look like he had been through an emotional experience. I know its fashionable to have a go at him because of all the press related stories etc, but we do tend to forget he is 26 - OK not 18, but 26, recently selected for the WC, and all of a sudden he is coverted by bigger clubs + MP has left etc who undoubtedly had a mentoring role in his development - alot to take in, alot that would easily turn many a 26 year old head in multiple directions... thik we do need to cut hjim some slack and see how this all pans out - he has not turned in the fricken devil over night simply because he is tempted by other other clubs...

... and a couple of nasty runs end of nov and end of jan, playing 3/4 big sides in a row twice... thast 18 points the ;-)

.... I give up on auto correct..... Apologies

Just find it quite odd that given we are told that football should be this all consuming emotional part of life by the uberfans - yet they are the first to criticise those that get 'over emotive' when things happen that are beyond our control as fans - and it's this lack of influence that is often the cause of frustration etc. with respect to NC, MP. And RL leaving in sequence and the potential impact on this, not quite sure why some on here don't welcome the debate from both sides... Ultimately, all I am interested in as a fan is to see a commitment to incremental progress- luck plays a huge part in what that means in terms if results, but we can clearly see when a club is 'walk as well as talk'. In our case, I don't believe anyone is wrong to question whether we will hart next season in as a competitive apposition as last. - and even with strong appointment in RK, we are still not sure whether key players will stator go, and who we can be tin...and he'll, before Aug18. unfortunately, ralf did himself and the luck favours when speaking in public -to much business speak that sounded like BS and with RL effectively sold the day after, it left him looking foolish... Even if RLs case was unique, it's the perception it left.. All the infighting guff is the result of those who seem to need this site as a substitute for other pleasure in their lives... As opposed to treating it for what it is, a forum for exchange in opinion... Not serious all the time no, but most don't welcome the constant **** take...

Love tHe fact that us Brits do gallows humour like no one else Great name apppointment and we cant argue with that - but lets hope he is able to to 'stem the tide' and put all the exodus rumours to bed. Always said it matters not who we appoint, what is important is that the players buy into his approach, and want to stay in a united side - our progress has been all about a TEAM effort where we are greter than the sum of its parts... but with some quality - Wishing RK all the best to build on the foundations laid by Pards, Adkins and MP - thast all we ca ask.

Got to be careful you don't get paranoid!;-) There is no agenda, no dislike of us and as some have said above, over the course of last season we have more than our fair share of media plaudits as a result of our youth development and lack of fear in integrating them early in the first team. With that relative success comes more rumour and gossip as the top teams all want to grab our players... And it's stories about ten top teams that always sell more papers... As they have ten largest 'neutral' or national support... So very simple really. I appreciate it can seem like they are just ignoring our part in player development and focussing on the players and optical buying side, but that's the story... Not 'player gets better at saints...oh and by the way he might interest Arsenal.' if we do do get a high profile name like RK or even a highly rated up and coming Tuchel, I am sure we will get some positive column inches.