Daft Kerplunk

Let VVD go and watch the Bertrand sh!tstorm follow.

Puel wasn't terrible but he wasn't that good either in terms of motivating the players which is what we need as the problem was and is the quality of the squad. Both managers/coaches can only work with what they have and there are very few if any academy players coming through to make a genuine (meaning more than a couple of games) impact and put pressure on the first team players. Ronald could motivate players and had a genuine game changer in Mane. We have a couple of decent players and hopefully MoPe can get the team spirit and commitment to a high level to make up for players who are decent pros but not great.

Do you really believe that last bit? There is no way the jobs of Ralph or Les are remotely on the line if they sell VVD. Not a chance. Reputation amongst some fans, absolutely but not their jobs. Shame Virgil has been terribly advised by his agent and followed it. One day maybe the players will realise they are being mugged by these parasites who use them to get rich out of the limelight whilst the player gets the hate.

We need to sell Virgil asap or we will lose our net spend champions title!

Yesss, just in time to get a couple of new players in before the transfer window shuts. Unless most of the money has ended up in a personal Swiss bank account of course...

Best of the rest outside the top 7 as Everton have gone in to that. We are 8th, the best of the rest.

Definitely agree. It's not ideal that he wants to go but there are reasons. He does need to go now though, if only for us to be able to use the cash to strengthen the first team. And quickly.

Regardless of whether Les has done a good job or not (which looking at the transfers since a well know manager or over ambitious chairman was in charge haven't been that strong), he is absolutely untouchable as a vice chairman now. He's basically accountable to himself. We will see how the next couple of weeks go before the end of the transfer window but the self belief of the club may well be well ahead of the reality of the quality in the playing squad. As well as Ralph, I bet some of the board haven't even been watching football properly for longer than a few years. They obviously listen to Ralph but forget that many of us have been watching top level for decades and know that the squad isn't at the level that they want to tell us it is.

Anyone watching tonight might believe a relegation battle may be on the cards. Reality check for Les and the director dream team

If we get the money we want, he's gone. The 6 year contract he signed with us benefitted us as much as him as it means we have a degree of control over the money we get. Shame that we lose him really but I don't think his heart was in it as much after RK left and was replaced with the less inspirational Claude. Ah well, we will absolutely smash the net spend league this year once his fee is in the bag.

Dave Watson has Les' ear. GKs with new contracts, and not necessarily overly justified given that Stuart Taylor is probably here for the banter and FF had a long term deal anyway. Ah well, maybe some more key players signing longer term deals soon to get us all excited for the coming season...

He can do it but he often hold s on to the ball for too long. But maybe the new coach will encourage him to release the ball earier as Gabbiadini begins to make his runs.

We could do with signing a midfielder who can pick out the runs of Gabbiadini far earlier than we did last season. That was my main hopes for signing this summer but they are few and far between and expensive. If we don't sign anyone of note, but don't sell anyone then perhaps we've done better than recent windows but not to buy anyone of note would be an interesting choice for the club to make.

I agree on not having sleepless nights over it but I don't feel as confident as you that he won't go this summer but I'll be delighted if he doesn't.

It could just be the transfer of money from Chinese to Swiss banks. The thought is that it would be easy but there's probably a fair bit of paperwork to do for someone/a company to pay an individual for an asset of this type from a Chinese point of view.

It could just be the transfer of money from Chinese to Swiss banks. The thought is that it would be easy but there's probably a fair bit of paperwork to do for someone/a company to pay an individual for an asset of this type from a Chinese point of view.

Everton are benefitting from the fella who moved there from Leicester and Ronald's status in the game. They are certainly signing first team or those challenging for a place players. Looking forward to our signings who will make a quick impact when they come on board the good ship.

Nothing in the text says that top players won't be leaving. It is carefully worded so it can't be used back saying that with any accuracy. Nothing different than usual.

With VVD, J-Rod and maybe Bertrand and Cedric all leaving, there could be a bumper kitty available for Les and co.

When it comes to the time taken to announce pre-season friendlies we are pretty sh!t really. Why is every other club able to announce theirs early and we bumble along and wait until what seems like the last minute? And still no proper international matches like other premier league teams and it looks like the US has been forgotten about now too after going there last summer. Maybe the Chinese takeover will make us so wealthy we won't have to bother with them to make more revenue or increase our fan base ��

When it comes to 'The Southampton Way' not working with all managers, I would imagine the problem with Ronald and Les was a clash of egos. Les is the football king at Saints but RK was clearly head and shoulders above when it came to his status in football. He also worked under Cruyff who was the manager who had overseen Barcelona's transformation to a club producing talent on a regular basis therefore had an example of where the manager was in charge of everything football related. Ronald was a great appointment at the time and this new appointment could do with being of the same calibre, or a brilliant young coach like Poch who can get in and galvanise the players and doesn't mind working within a defined structure. This will be hard as there aren't many coaches like him around.

I am sure I read/heard that Howe likes to have control of all the football matters so that probably rules him out for The 'current' Southampton Way. All managerial appointments are important, but we are just getting used to the idea that each one each one or two seasons is the most important ever! Which this one is of course.

Good luck Claude. Decent man. Not given the tools to play the way he set out to play really but you can only work with the tools you have. When Les said he thought we had the best midfield options in the league, the fella was always on a hiding to nothing. Anyway, we can only hope that the 'looking for a new coach' corporate message is similar to the takeover where it is actually probably imminent and the deal is all but sewn up.

I don't recall us being that good against Everton, although there was plenty of excitement from fans about beating RK. But I'm pretty sure I recall it being a fairly average game after our early goal. I could be wrong though but the rest has been pretty dire. One thing I do think though having watched the u23s a couple of times when Martin Hunter has been coaching is that their play is very similar to that if the first team so maybe the style of play is more a reflection on how Les sees this as a way to play. If he's happy with Puel, you can only guess that it is matching how we as a club are supposed to play under The Southampton Way message.