ericb

£17m for a player who's bottom half of the premier league at his very, very best. Shame to see a local lad go but he's not good enough for us and never really has been (same as Gallagher, and arguably Stephens), i think his time at Fulham was telling, he was fine there, in fact almost good, but he's always seemed out of his depth at Saints and lacks pace or a football brain to make up for it. Good left foot on him for a cross to be fair, but we need to be looking at a much better standard of player than Targett in my opinion. Also had a peak at the Villa forum and found it funny they think we're being bitter about a squad player leaving us for them! Almost as if the fact that none of us seem bothered (or think he's not good enough) is a sign they've signed a good player. Modern football fans really are a weird bunch.

Yeah that was the day, memory obviously isn't what it was as i thought it was Henry so it must've been another player, but remember him being literally being apologised too.

I've been going since 84, had a season ticket since the mid 90s and do in the region of 15-18 aways a season. I saw Davenport, you clearly didn't see Todd. He's the only player i've ever seen another professional footballer take pity on during a game. Away to Arsenal Henry skinned him so many times, and made him look so bad, he actually apologised to him. The guy is hands down the worst player Saints have ever had in my lifetime (and i was there the day of the Ali Dia game)

That was slightly out of our hands though, we needed the cash to stave off admin (which happened anyway in the end) and Levy f*cked us hard and without lube because we couldn't say no. Also lets not forget Redknapp almost sold him to Birmingham in his first season there, and if he had no one would even be talking about it. Lee Todd was god awful, the worst player i've ever seen wear our shirt by some distance, but at least he played some games (badly, very, very badly), didn't cost that much and wasn't a replacement for Alan Shearer. Nor did Dave Jones say he'd score more goals in a season than Shearer would in the rest of his career, like Ian F*cking Branfoot did about Dixon and Speedie Yeah that was an odd one.

The worst transfer i can remember in my lifetime, and i'm old enough to remember Dixon and Speedie.

First of many stories about a buy out of i us I think Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just because it's one thing doesn't mean it can't be another, business tend to have more than one venture on the go at any given time. And by the way that word business is very important, because as fans we need to start separating the entity that is Southampton Football Club, from the entity that is Southampton FC the brand and business. Once people get past that they'll start understanding what's going on far better.

Other than the last three which are clearly wrong isn't it possible it's a combination of all of the above, although you've missed out another which is expanding business interests in China using the brand of Southampton F.C by setting up satellite companies under it's name

Austin was told he should be looking for a new club before the end of last season. There's no link to anyone coming in and him leaving, the club don't feel they need him anymore so assuming another club comes in he's gone. Biggest question for us is will anyone actually pay his wages?

That’s someone you should tell your kids to keep away from, and report to the police if you see him close to a school Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you think that you’re an idiot. Some of us sing home and away, don’t dress like noddies and think fancy dress ultras are cringeworthy as f*ck. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Those figures are wrong, i know for a fact that Shane Long is one of the highest earners and on the same wage as Fraser Forster

That guy has provided me with A LOT of laughs the past 12 hours or so, absolute freak show, as are his "mates". Mind you we have this...

Or just not dress like a total freak or noddy? It doesn't seem to be that hard for other clubs, but yet for some reason we really struggle with it.

I'm surprised they haven't launched it by having a player pose with it over a grey hoody, beer belly and whilst wearing "distressed" g-star jeans and lonsdale trainers so our supporters can see what it would look like when they wear it.

I have no idea how things are going to pan out, but i've stated all along that i don't think Gao is good for the club and i'm not convinced of his money, i'm also currently unsure if he has long term ambitions with Saints, certainly something i've heard have alluded to that. I do know that there's been business use of the club, particularly in China and it seems likely that he's hit a wall on extracting his money as the Chinese government don't want it to happen. Any firm and concrete suggestions of what would happen in the long term would therefore be a guess, but by all accounts self sufficient is the best case scenario right now.

Honestly i'd prefer not to do nudge, nudge, wink, wink, in fact i'd love to be able to openly talk about the sources because they're from people who worked alongside Gao in the UK and China, they would give real gravitas to what's going on, i'm sure Guan can put some pieces together btw, hence a few of the loaded questions i've put his way. I have spoken to others who are on here in person, and they know who the sources are and that there's little reason to doubt them (although as with any of things sands shift), but i'm being careful because ultimately people's jobs can be put on the line with stuff like this. I also understand the dismissive nature of people like Shurlock, it doesn't unduly bother me, but i'd ask all Saints fans to take a real concern in how the club is run and not assume it's being run well and everything else is conspiracy.

There's a part of me that wishes i could tell you the source so you could know just how right (and how wrong) you are... Have the Southampton fc backed "football business schools" training agents got up and running in China yet?

The council have turned the club down from buying land near the stadium and they were too slow getting in an application to buy the concrete works.

Not on here no, but the people i know in real life know what i'm on about.

Who says Gao is sticking around?

What the f*ck is racist about sacking a manager who's won 4 games in all competitions since the end of december and almost got his side relegated? It really doesn't help anyone making claims like that, all it does is demeans the actual efforts to get rid of racism from the game.

Ah i didn't see that!

Ings has signed, happened last week assume it'll be announced soon.

The game is totally f*cked isn't it? Way too much power in the hands of the rich clubs.