Graffito

Yes you've made it. You are now officially a witless ****.

Quadrupled in price but not in value. Price inflation.

I think this is the source of the rumours.

It's the skewed economics of football which is largely culpable here, certainly not the club nor even, to an extent, the player. I do think Liverpool's conduct has been reprehensible and it may have the effect of keeping the price, when he goes, lower than it might have been had they been above board in their dealings and allowed the market to set his price. But we can't expect any support from a complacent PL and a weak FA on Liverppols underhand methods. There's an air of inevitability about all of this. It's been seen at our club and others time and again. The players will go, one way or another. I just so hope Coutinho goes to Barcelona and the "we are not a selling club" gets rammed down the bearded tits throat.

He scored a sitter, literally a sitter, from 40 yds against Palace a few seasons ago.

It's all academic because Lowe isn't in charge but He didn't actually commit to expansion in that statement. He says if ST numbers approach 22k, a review would be necessary. And what may have been a trigger point then probably wouldn't apply now.

So the group draw's been rigged to avoid the only tie in which any of us would have been remotely interested.

That's the spirit. Spoken like a true Saints fan.

I think he isn't quite saying that. He's saying that we would have been more successful if we hadn't sold our best players - "They have had a decent team for a number of years, but are not successful by recognisable sporting standards because they sell their best players." He could have argued the same of. Man Utd if they hadn't sold Ronaldo, Liverpool Suarez or Tottenham Bale. As we know, it's the pecking order, the way of football, based on financial capacity. He ignores or doesn't recognise that Saints have been implementing a strategy for sustainable development over a period of years which has been relatively successful. Saying we'd have probably been more successful had we not sold our best players, as if we wouldn't have preferred to have retained them, is stating the bleeding obvious and a non point.

I have to disagree with you there. "They are not successful by recognisable sporting standards", by which I take it he means winning leagues and tophies, the kind of success which comes largely to the big six clubs with the big resources. So he goes on to compare Saints with broadly similar clubs, Swansea, West Brom, Stoke, and to assert that Saints are less successful. That's highly debatable. No compelling evidence is given for this view. He puts forward Stoke reaching as many finals as Saints and Swansea winning the LC, and both going further in Europe than Saints. And they and West Brom having "survived" in the PL longer than Saints. But for Swansea's single LC triumph, these are largely different criteria of success from his "recognisable sporting standards". He asserts that Saints' success is "largely financial" (though doesn't say what that financial success entails). He acknowledges that it is "indisputably a well run club" and that Saints has a "fine academy". He ignores Saints finishing 8th, 7th, 6th, 8th in the past 4 seasons. This isn't a club which is aiming for survival as he implies. The general tenor is entirely negative and not for the first time. His arguments are woolly and poorly argued imo. It smacks of prejudice. Hardly a surprise considering he works for Dacre.

I just read something describing him as El Flaco, The Skinny One. Sorry to disappoint.

It's Maurice Pilgrim if you want the anglicised version. Mo Pilgrim to his mates. Good name I reckon.

The Newcastle of German football.

Aldridge has a gob on him. Suggesting Van Dyke go on strike to get a move. Is there no end to the arrogance of that club and its associates.

I see it says that he's been interviewed by both and should he be offered offered the Saints job he would take it.

You say heneeds to sort out....

Pile given the opportunity to stay if he changed his playing style, according to MLT. This also explains the delay in sacking him, apparently. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/thomas-tuchel-rules-himself-out-10628079

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/jun/15/claude-puel-southampton-premier-league-expectations Puel won't have any problems finding another job, the public perception being that he did a reasonable job in the circumstances. The pressure is now very much back on the Board, LR in paricular, to find a better replacement and back him.

Gimme ten.

Or no big decisions, in or out, before ownership is resolved.

Southampton born and bred. Big game expert. Does his best work out in the field. Linked with Wolves, lions, tigers, seagulls, foxes, Eagles, wildebeest. Surprised his name hasn't cropped up before.

Well you may know this. I couldn't possibly say, there is too much uncertainty. My guess is that nothing significant will happen on the coaching and playing side until ownership arrangements are clear, and this is being driven by Liebherr not by club officials.

Reported here and previously that it's KL and her team which is progressing the deal and that SFC has declined to comment. The CE has gone (sacked?). I do wonder the extent to which club officials have a handle on any of this, which is a worry. The team needs an overhaul. It's all very well saying no players will be sold (The Times) but what about acquisitions? What's the position with the manager? A lot of unanswered questions.

So what can be done?

Shabby way to treat someone. Very disappointed with the club for doing this. If the club doesn't want him then sack him and pay him off. No way can he stay after this.