Dig Dig

You used the same made up story in relation to Ryan Bertrand. Weirdo.

Not sure, I missed it!

update on England based Belgian players on Talksports soon from a journo apparently close to the players, including Toby.

I'd sell him for £6M

It will be lavishly put together and will be the most comprehensive run down of Saints orgies through history. It will make a great present for any Saints fan who is keen on their history and is available at the remarkable price of £64.99 plus postage.

6-7 million can't be classed as silly money. Yes, we need to be sustainable and all that but it really wouldn't make any sense to contemplate selling Fonte as we will likely already need a replacement for Toby. You can't dismantle one of the best defences in the league for an extra few million.

Going into full downplay mode: Clyne is a good player but not top 4 quality. If he wants to go and bench warm somewhere that's up to him. I'm not bothered as we will sign someone as good (if not better) for about £2M (someone from abroad probably) and still have loads of money left to sign 6 strikers and a back-up GK.

It really wouldn't make much difference, financially or otherwise. The only factors at play here are which clubs are interested who can offer Champions League football and how much money can they pay him.

Money ball comparisons are pointless and tiresome. Money ball works in sports which have specific "plays" which can take advantage of a players specific attribute regardless of other weaknesses in all around play. Long is quick and a nuisance for the opposition but lacks natural skill and composure. His first touch is often too heavy, his finishing lacking and his final ball mostly not up to scratch. However, give him enough chances, he is capable of doing some really good stuff but I'd have to say his best attributes are mostly without the ball rather than with it.

He's the England right back and plays week in, week out in the premier league. Not sure what you mean by him not being "top level"? Doubt he would drift in and out of any of the teams linked with him as unlike Shaw, he doesn't have the same fitness and maturity issues to contend with.

Not sure what you mean. The argument from NickG that he was a bit part 6th choice CM or whatever is the bit I'm arguing against. Why, when and how Cork decided to leave, I don't know and never claimed to.

Every manager we have had trusted Cork to do a job. We won a lot of games with him in the side, some big victories as well. I think you're over hyping Reed a little. Koeman has used him sparingly at best, even at times when either Wanyama or Schneiderlin have been unavailable. Cork is a better, proven player.

Cork had always played a good number of games and wasn't behind academy players in the pecking order, ever. We can water him down to be a bit part squad player but the reality is that it was never the case and with Schneiderlin and possibly Wanyama being in high demand in the summer, would we be better off in having Cork? Absolutely, IMO.

If anyone can get the best out of Jay, Koeman can. He'll probably be getting 30+ goals next year.

Great news if true, hopefully we'll see the Rodriguez we all knew prior to injury once more.

Probably agent posturing to keep interested clubs on their toes/force a firm bid for him even if his agent has already agreed something in principle with the likes of Utd.

He was brilliant for us. A stand out player in some of our most impressive wins in recent times. Definitely better than "ok".

He qualified the statement with a "probably" last year. This year, "not our intention". Of course, last year Reed did the interview a few days after Ralph's post Man Utd comments about speaking to clubs about our players which was in an effort to settle everything down but nothing was ever definite until the Schneiderlin episode later in the summer.

There is also the chance to win silerware consistently and Champions League football. We can't compete om that front in addition to the wages.

WTF?

Whilst everyone accepts that Schneiderlin and Clyne will be off in the summer, probably best not to raise any expectations. After last year, everyone knows we will sell players, get a premium and spend less on replacements.

Or a man embarrassed by the actions of stranger crassly shouting stuff out at him in a room full of people.

One of Saint Charlies better accounts

You've made a few references to speaking to players over a couple of threads, even with Toby's wife as well. You either have a knack of getting players to speak openly to you, are a pest or just plain full of ****.

Only if we're unsuccessful in our attempts to sign Ian Hulme.