Saint J 77

Yes it is very clever use of wording. The club has moved forward through the eyes of the accountant.

We've progressed significantly? I would hate to see the boards version of lack of progress!

If there is any shred of truth to this, then it would most likely be Cortese with a new rich backer. I doubt he will come back now though.

Providing players of Champions league quality for the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea , Liverpool, Man City and Man Utd for years to come

I am seriously starting to wonder if this might actually happen soon. Remember he seemed to spend a long while sorting out his contract with his lawyers, he might have had some promises broken already and good reason to walk.

This is my feeling too. This is fast becoming one big joke. Something seriously rotten going on with all these first team players leaving. Apart from the cheats down the road has another Premier League side ever sold so many first team players in one summer?

If it is a loan I wonder how long it will be before he upsets Inter and he is our problem again?

All positive stuff then

Oh yeah ...oops! How could I forget that? Super Jono quicks finest hour!

Yeah thats right... Saints coming back from 2 down to win doesn't happen often. The only other time I remember that happening was the 4-2 win against Fulham at home in 2002/03 season

I didn't go to that game but I was at Reading away that year. That was a pretty great day out too. The fans in full voice. Bradley Wright-Phillips scored a brace and Reading scored a disallowed equaliser, letting us off the hook a little, but overall I felt we deserved it that day. It was probably one of the best performances I saw from the team during that season. Although I remember Preston away turned out to be another good one, Reading away sticks in my mind.

Even the commentators were $hite back in those dark days.

Cheeky Feckers, 67% reckon he is too good for Southampton.

I was just laughing I didn't say do it, nor did I think there was an actually chance the club would do it But it would be nice to put some of these spoilt brats in their places.

hahaha

I didn't think last seasons top could be beaten as the worst saints shirt I had ever seen, but this is utter $hite! Thats another season I'll be saving my cash then.

I agree but maybe in the years to come someone will emerge who is good enough to wear it, but until then leave it empty.

Right now I will be happy if we just avoid relegation this season and anything else will be a bonus. Then build for next season hopefully with a squad and manager who want to stick around to see what they can achieve together.

You are not alone, I was gutted to see Rickie go. while I am sure both Lallana and Shaw will be missed on the pitch, they will not be missed in our hearts. Like Mauricio Pochettino, I've never felt Shaw was going to stick around. So now he has finally left it doesn't really surprise me. I was shocked to see Rickie go though. I hate Brendan Rodgers for it! If he just sits him on the bench all season and ruins his last few years at the top as a bit part player, when he would have been a big player for us, I'll be p isse d. Lallana has apparently wanted out for some time now. I would say I hope he goes well and thanks for all he has done but quite frankly I don't care what happens to him now. It sounds like he has become a bit of a prima donna. And as far as I am concerned the less of those in our team the better.

Will we ever get to keep hold of any of the good players who come through our academy? It seems clear that the answer will always be No! We've essentially paid £30 million on the training ground to help produce talent for the lazy "big clubs" who can't produce their own. So essentially, Luke's transfer, when it is confirmed, will have paid for the training ground. So Yeah it will bring money into the club but the team itself will never truly progress on the pitch as it was intended. The investment in training ground was made with the intention of one day developing a first team of talented players that had played together for years. That dream as it currently stands is unachievable. We are currently funded by a billionaire and have just had our best season in the league for years, yet we still can't convince players to stick around. Heads will always be turned by the big team willing to offer vast amounts on wages and who can promise the glory of trophies. No one seems to play purely for the love of the game anymore which is probably why the England team are so $hite!

Thanks for this. Its great to get a better understanding of our new manager from those truly in the know. Depends on what your expectations are for him this season. I'd be happy to have an average season, compared to last season, if it means he steadies the ship keeps us in the premier league and builds for next season and beyond. I think we are in good hands and have high hopes for the future of the club. I think if the fans get behind him and give him time he will do a great job for us. I enjoyed this quote from the Lowdown article... "He has guts and isn’t afraid to try something completely new. As far as results go Saints were pretty good this year, and I do think Koeman needs some time to adapt, but I think he will do a good job, and that Saints have chosen a great manager."

haha love it

I have a busy family life which is why I don't post often on here but thanks for your concern John. I'm only posting my thoughts, that seem to be shared by the majority of Saints fans I know. Friends, family and work colleagues have all said the same to me recently.

The media love in was earlier in the season when Cortese was still here and was written by his favoured journalist. They wrote the positive stories. And yes I too felt slightly uncomfortable by the brown nosing from the press. I can't remember a time before when there had been so much postive spin on our club by the national media. I'm not asking for an unrealistic level of support from the national press, just a more balanced view. For example not forgetting who Rickie Lambert played for until his very recent transfer, and that he has yet to kick a ball for Liverpool.

I've often wondered why the national media seemly dislike us. I know some of the current anti Saints agenda is Cortese stirring but its not just the papers the TV are at it now too. During the Brazil Croatia match the when the commentator mentioned Lorven the first thing he said was " Lorven who has handed in a transfer request at Southampton" you could almost hear the smile on his face. I'll quote from League 1 Minus 10 to save me a bit of typing here as he says exactly what I've been thinking... "Then there was Liverpool’s Lambert – no matter how many times you say it or hear the ITV **** commentators say it – it doesn’t make it any easier. Saints are never mentioned in connection with him now. It's like we have been airbrushed from history - it's now Liverpool - rejected - beetroot - lower leagues - England - Liverpool." As soon as we got 3 players in the England team the press has done their up most to unsettle and move those players on. So it's not just Lambert airbrushed from our history but any player who makes the England squad. When Poch left us for Spurs and Lambert got his dream move to Liverpool It felt like I could almost see the little turds high fiving each other knowing a potential collapse at the club had began. I bet they are annoyed they currently still have to say Lallana and Shaw of Southampton. I'm hopeful that Koeman's potential/impending appointment might stop this surge of anti saints talk but I doubt it will. There seems to be a lot of bitterness at our recent success. I know historically we've never been a popular club in the eyes of the national media but why is it they do not want us to do well? Don't they realise that wishing all young talented players are playing only for the big clubs is actually hurting our game? It would be much more beneficial for England for our young team to stick together but they can't wait to see our team torn apart and us destroyed. For some reason it seems to hurt some journalist to think little old Southampton could aim big and ruffle the feathers of the "big clubs". So why does our National press seem to dislike Southampton so much? Why don't they want other clubs other than the big 5 challenging for domestic honours? Surely a club like us succeeding would make a more interesting story than it being ripped apart?