saintbob40

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misrepresentation_in_English_law I will give you that one for free...........

Best example of the Peter Principle I have ever seen.......

Don't worry Les Reed has it all in hand..... :badger:

Rudderless ship. Les Reed is a coach ( and from an FA background..) and is inexperienced in these matters. Unfortunately he has a large ego and enough bluff and bluster to convince the owners otherwise. Not a good start to the summer.

Must have missed that. I thought he had one year to go and had not signed a new contract yet........same as Cork.

...and the Saints are happily letting Fonte's contract wind down to zero......absolutely nuts!

Les Reeds background is as a coach. Being on a transfer committee doesn't necessarily qualify him to negotiate with agents, players, clubs and his own board on transfer matters. The rudderless ship perception is one that I have heard a few times. Then again if it is inertia and the status quo you are looking for then perhaps this is a masterstroke! Let's judge the management team on where we are on 1st July.......

I think the management team are all hiding under Les Reed's new mahogany desk and the phone has been chucked into the fish tank. Fortunately Sir Les had the presence of mind to bring his favourite book for them all to read....."The Official FA Guide to Basic Team Coaching"...a modern classic described by many (...well one...) as unputdownable. They have sufficient water and provisions which should last until the transfer window ends.

West Ham 14 times on the telly......

MP is waiting on Spurs with every other decision apparently parked behind that......

Poyet very much in the frame. Doesn't much like working under a director of football at Sunderland.

Don't worry Sir Les Reed has got it all under control and no one will leave. I know because he told us so and I believe everything I am told....

It is one thing agreeing on targets as part of a committee but another thing entirely to deal with negotiating terms with the agent, clubs and players etc,etc. This is a completely different skill set where experience and contacts are needed. Lots of people can talk but not many actually do...... As to Cork and Fonte they both have a year left in June so the club needs to stick or twist. It doesn't make commercial sense to let their contracts wind down to zero and they leave on a Bosman for nothing next year.

This is a young improving squad who could with say 5 additions get to the top 6 without the huge amount people think being necessary and could be funded out of existing funds without tapping up Katrina for huge amounts of cash. The key in the first instance is to keep the manager, Lallana, Shaw, Morgan, Lovren, Cork, Fonte. These are tried and tested players who can play at the highest level –as we know every transfer in is a huge risk and the success rate is probably less than 50%. To keep what we have therefore is surely the best option….but it will cost….. This may involve a renegotiation of terms to bump salaries up to a level that is not quite what they could get at the big, big clubs but at least goes someway to acknowledging their true value in the market. This will not be cheap but lets say for the sake of argument another 30k per week for Lallana and Shaw ( £3 million ish p.a. increased cost), another 20k per week for Morgan and Lovren ( £2 million ish) and another 15k for Cork and Fonte ( £1.5 million). Then the manager-he may be easier if we do these deals so let’s say another £1.5 million p.a. for the sake of argument. In total that's an additional £8 million p.a. to maintain the status quo and keep the squad and manager together. Personally I would cash in on Rickie Lambert (£4 m) and I would also sell Osvaldo ( £6m) and Ramirez (£7m) . We also have two very good and young rights backs so the pragmatist in me would sell Chambers (£6m) also-this should give us say £23 m ( conservatively)+ £80 m or so for 8th place. We then need a GK (Kasper Schmeichel )for me on a free say 40k per week ( so £2 m p.a), another CB ( say £8 m transfer fee and 30k per week) and a striker say £15-20 m ( 60k per week-£3m p.a). Then a winger with pace and a back up striker (say another £10 in total-combined £50k per week). This is all within the realms of the possible. I doubt very much that it will happen and I have little confidence in Les Reed to make it happen. Reeds background is in coaching not in dealing with transfer/contract discussions as far as I am aware. The more likely scenario is that we lose some or all of the manager, Lallana, Shaw, Morgan Cork and Fonte. What then follows is anyone’s guess but it will be way below 8th place I fear.

I can do you a scarf for a tenner.........or 3 for £20.

Bit spotty though isn't he? Too ugly for our team.......

I think three of three will leave in the following order, MoPo (Spurs) pre world cup- then after world cup-Shaw (Man U)and then Lallana ( Liverpool). After this Les Reed will say I am responsible for all of this and will swallow a long samurai sword.

Does Owen Hargreaves fix his hair down with super glue these days? I find it most troubling, right up there with Lee Cattermole's Simon Cowell shorts up to the armpits look.

We desperately need pace in the side so Rickie can come short and we can stretch them on either wing...so the midfield has something to aim at and has options. Double up Clyne and Chambers on the right side perhaps? or perhaps 3 (with VW as the third CB)-5-2 ? Not sure I have any other solution to this pretty obvious deficiency.

Of after the game by the players car park if you wait for about one hour.

Wanyama is truly shocking on the ball. Without the ball he must be pretty scary to the opposition given his size and inability to time a tackle. More of a night club bouncer than a footballer. I guess it's a question of what you think constitutes a good footballer, but in my book the ability to find space, receive a ball and pass a ball are pretty high up the list.......especially in the current Saints team. Square peg in a round hole.

http://anfieldindex.com/5707/the-financial-importance-of-a-good-premier-league-finish-for-liverpool.html Best to look at all this in context. I think a lot of what has been said serves a dual purpose in that it gives scope to knock Cortese and perhaps sets us all up for a sale or two in the Summer. This article does however suggest that Saints could turn this around pretty quickly. Trick is not to sign any more expensive, disinterested marquee signings who would rather be elsewhere in the first place but renegotiate with Lallana, Shaw, Morgan and Jayrod and extend Fonte and Cork. I would then buy a bit strong No1 (i.e the guy who goes up for the headers) centre back ( Ryan Shawcross for say £10 m anyone?) and a young striker (...perhaps Ings....). The key though is to keep this group together as they are still young and will improve. Alas though I think we will lose at least two from the four of Lallana, Shaw, Morgan and Jayrod and Fonte and Cork will move on.....

Anybody else mystified by big Vics "missing in action" month or so?