Selling the better players!

[Pilchards]

I can remember in the past how we sold our star players to survive or because we could not match their ambitions at the time.

You just knew we would never bring another great player in as it was never our style, we had to produce within for another big star before he was sold.

Here's a few in the past:-

 

Danny Wallace - totally gutted at the time.

Alan Shearer - that really did hurt, we had the best English striker in the country but sold him before we could enjoy more.

Kevin Davies - Really was becoming special after scoring some quality goals live on sky.

James Beattie - Great local hero of ours and when he was on form you knew he would score that day.

Theo Walcott - Massive talent that everyone was talking about, this guy was super special for our club but we sold him way to early IMHO

Matt Le Tiss - Almost went to Spurs, that was one transfer that would turn a grown man to tears, MLT was that good.

 

Now it brings me to my point, its for the first time that I can ever remember If Saints sold Chamberlain, Morgan, Lallana or Fonte that I would not be bothered.

For I know we will bring a better player in and that I finally trust someone that's running our club.

[saintscottofthenortham]

We'd really struggle to replace Lallana IMHO. When we are missing him we really are not the same team and I would be pretty damn down in the dumps if we sold him.

 

And as for Fonte, if we sold him... Well, I'd slash my wrists that instant.

[John Boy Saint]

We have players that in league 1 just scared the whatsit out of opposition players and managers, this bought the rest of our team time to maximise the holes left by magnet players like Lallana sucking folks in to get the ball off him. And defenders looking over their shoulders to see Rickie in their vicinity and just hoofing it anywhere into the stand to our advantage.

 

The players listed in the original post all gave the side this quality of taking 2 or 3 players out of position and allowing the less gifted players in the side the room to be more effective.

 

The best exponent of this was Matty, if he was on the pitch, no matter who we played, every opposition feared that at any moment he could make them look very silly at the expense of a goal, which just gave the less able that few extra seconds to be more effective. I always thought that if Glenda had brought on Matty for the second half that fateful night at Tranmere we would not have lost so embarrassingly.

 

The nice thing now is we are a club on the up and once again we have players who teams fear ( which needs to be quickly established in NPC) but for the first time in eons we do not need to sell!!

[Dellman]

If Saints sold any of Chamberlain, Lallana, Fonte or Morgan I would be very upset indeed because we are building a squad who play together and who belong to us which is better by far than big imports who may or may not gell but I take Pilchards point: we don't need to be a selling club for the first time (ever?) and it's a good feeling

[Pilchards]

Which player left you most gutted when we sold a player?

 

I say Shearer, knew he was going to be a star and it was proved right.

I love the fact you can say England's best player play for my local, never lasted.

 

If Lallana did leave say Monday I would not be gutted as I know we have plenty of good players to entertain us now unlike before.

[aintforever]

Losing Walcott p!ssed me off the most, it seemed I only saw him play a handful of games before he left to the Tappy-Tappy School of Win F*ck-all in London. At least we got to watch Shearer play a bit.

[Stepgar]

Lallana is truly gifted and the only person that I can really think of who is deserved of the no. 7 shirt. This has always been put aside fir the most talented of players.

[Minsk]

Which player left you most gutted when we sold a player?

 

I say Shearer, knew he was going to be a star and it was proved right.

I love the fact you can say England's best player play for my local, never lasted.

 

If Lallana did leave say Monday I would not be gutted as I know we have plenty of good players to entertain us now unlike before.

 

Selling Steve Williams to the Arse upset me the most, followed by Shearer.

[Sour Mash]

I can remember in the past how we sold our star players to survive or because we could not match their ambitions at the time.

You just knew we would never bring another great player in as it was never our style, we had to produce within for another big star before he was sold.

Here's a few in the past:-

 

Danny Wallace - totally gutted at the time.

Alan Shearer - that really did hurt, we had the best English striker in the country but sold him before we could enjoy more.

Kevin Davies - Really was becoming special after scoring some quality goals live on sky.

James Beattie - Great local hero of ours and when he was on form you knew he would score that day.

Theo Walcott - Massive talent that everyone was talking about, this guy was super special for our club but we sold him way to early IMHO

Matt Le Tiss - Almost went to Spurs, that was one transfer that would turn a grown man to tears, MLT was that good.

 

Now it brings me to my point, its for the first time that I can ever remember If Saints sold Chamberlain, Morgan, Lallana or Fonte that I would not be bothered.

For I know we will bring a better player in and that I finally trust someone that's running our club.

 

Sorry - what is the point of this thread? You know that if we were to sell any of our better players, we would bring in a better replacement? Right.............................

[jawillwill]

I was livid when we sold MLT!

[Tom28]

Lallana and schneiderlin must stay. Chamberlain is just pace and dribbling, that's what gets the high fees these days but there are more important players to the team.

 

Im sorry but there's a reason why 'pace and dribbling' attracts the 'high fees' and that's because players with those abilities are the most important players to the best teams.

[Dellman]

Oxo's got a lot more than 'just' pace and dribbling. he's a goalscorer as well and he's physically tougher than Theo so if he was worth £10m and another £5m fir Oxo....and by the way, biggest transfer disappointment--when we sold Charlie Wayman to Preston (just to let you know how old I am!)

[Professor]

I can remember in the past how we sold our star players to survive or because we could not match their ambitions at the time.

You just knew we would never bring another great player in as it was never our style, we had to produce within for another big star before he was sold.

Here's a few in the past:-

 

Danny Wallace - totally gutted at the time.

Alan Shearer - that really did hurt, we had the best English striker in the country but sold him before we could enjoy more.

Kevin Davies - Really was becoming special after scoring some quality goals live on sky.

James Beattie - Great local hero of ours and when he was on form you knew he would score that day.

Theo Walcott - Massive talent that everyone was talking about, this guy was super special for our club but we sold him way to early IMHO

Matt Le Tiss - Almost went to Spurs, that was one transfer that would turn a grown man to tears, MLT was that good.

 

Now it brings me to my point, its for the first time that I can ever remember If Saints sold Chamberlain, Morgan, Lallana or Fonte that I would not be bothered.

For I know we will bring a better player in and that I finally trust someone that's running our club.

 

Agree with the conclusion. If Corteses is true to his word, it doesn't matter if players leave as we should expect the replacements to be better.

But looking back, I don't think sales were ever just to raise money, although obviously they had that effect. With the brief exception of the Channon/Keegan years, Saints have never been seen by quality players as having the potential to provide a medal-winning career. Most of those who left did so of their own accord, not because the club wanted them to go. We will know there has been a change if we are in The Prem and are a club that top players want to join.

[CityRanger]

Rod Wallace, Gareth Bale.

 

Not talking about the same level but Blackstock going when we only had journeymen who didn't give a toss in his place.

[Professor]

Rod Wallace, Gareth Bale.

 

Not talking about the same level but Blackstock going when we only had journeymen who didn't give a toss in his place.

Rod Wallace was another example of a player who simply did not want to stay at Southampton. He chose not to renew his contract and was sold to Leeds where he won a Div1 Championship the following year, but Leeds were going into decline and he never won anything else with them in 7 years.

[STEVEADAMS]

Was disappointed when Mark Wright, Rod Wallace, Dean Richards and Gareth Bale left. Shearer yes wasprobably the most upsetting as I always thought we sold everyone too cheap. Selling MLT would of literally killed me. Looking back over the years we have had some great players.

[Pat from Poole]

Branfoot sending Jimmy Case down to Boscombe in his first few days as Saints manager was a pretty bad start to a far from glorious reign.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Gutted to see the likes of Bale and Walcott go as it was a clear sign that the strategy of bringing through youngsters to fill the squad was but a pipe-dream of an egotistical Chairman that only had half a vision, no money to see the project through and no guts to sell the club to get the money needed to push on to the next level.

[Mr X]

It sounds harsh but saints always have and always will be a selling club! I personally believe we will not have anywhere nr the kind of financial backing now Markus (rip) has passed on the liebherr familly will put in the bare basics to keep us going no more and no less.

[Verbal]

I personally believe we will not have anywhere nr the kind of financial backing now Markus (rip) has passed on the liebherr familly will put in the bare basics to keep us going no more and no less.

 

I'm not sure we know that for sure yet. It could be the case - but the summer signings will give us the best indication of the Liebherr family's intentions about their level of involvement and investment in the club.

[Matthew Le God]

It sounds harsh but saints always have and always will be a selling club! I personally believe we will not have anywhere nr the kind of financial backing now Markus (rip) has passed on the liebherr familly will put in the bare basics to keep us going no more and no less.

 

So why did the club announce plans for a training ground upgrade before Markus died, then after he died they announced that the were going to build a training facility 3 times more expensive than they originally intended? Kinda blows away your theory...

[Verbal]

So why did the club announce plans for a training ground upgrade before Markus died, then after he died they announced that the were going to build a training facility 3 times more expensive than they originally intended? Kinda blows away your theory...

 

Not necessarily. Player signings are a better indication, as welcome as the training upgrade is.

[Matthew Le God]

Not necessarily. Player signings are a better indication, as welcome as the training upgrade is.

 

The training facility is costing more than the collective player transfers during the time Markus was at the club and has a specification that wouldn't look out of place at a top 6 Premier League club. Not the actions of owners doing things as Mr X says...

 

I personally believe we will not have anywhere nr the kind of financial backing now Markus (rip) has passed on the liebherr familly will put in the bare basics to keep us going no more and no less.

 

They could have kept the initial plans of simply being a good Premier League standard training ground, but instead have gone for a state of the art one that cost 3x times more and will get category one academy status.

Edited 6 June, 2011 by Matthew Le God

[Golden Balls]

Wayne Bridge for me. I thought we were really going places after the 2003 season. This sale made me realise we would never push on.

[St_Tel49]

It sounds harsh but saints always have and always will be a selling club! I personally believe we will not have anywhere nr the kind of financial backing now Markus (rip) has passed on the liebherr familly will put in the bare basics to keep us going no more and no less.

 

On what do you base that opinion? It certainly flies contrary to everything NC has said.

[Verbal]

The training facility is costing more than the collective player transfers during the time Markus was at the club and has a specification that wouldn't look out of place at a top 6 Premier League club. Not the actions of owners doing things as Mr X says....

 

No, I'm sure that's true, but you could argue that someone selling the club might do that (heaven forbid). Much less easy to achieve the same effect with higher transfer fees and increasingly expensive player contracts.

[hypochondriac]

No, I'm sure that's true, but you could argue that someone selling the club might do that (heaven forbid). Much less easy to achieve the same effect with higher transfer fees and increasingly expensive player contracts.

 

Yes that is the point. The club loses no value by getting new training facilities. Despite what I was told I am still waiting to be convinced that we have the same level of backing than we did this time last year.

[Matthew Le God]

The club loses no value by getting new training facilities.

 

It gains even more value if the owners see out the fruits of the training grounds and academy's labours, rather than selling it early and not seeing through Markus' legacy.

Edited 6 June, 2011 by Matthew Le God

[Chez]

now it brings me to my point, its for the first time that I can ever remember If Saints sold Chamberlain, Morgan, Lallana or Fonte that I would not be bothered.

For I know we will bring a better player in and that I finally trust someone that's running our club.

Are you saying that those players will only leave if the club knows it will replace them with better? That's a bold statement. Players hold the power these days not the clubs, so if Chamberlain or whoever force a move we're not going to hold them hostage to their contracts. And if Alex leaves I am struggling to think of a player we could realistically bring in that is better.

[Chez]

Yes that is the point. The club loses no value by getting new training facilities.

it adds a nice big fixed asset to the clubs accounts that can only help when it comes to selling the club.

[Paul Chuckle]

Tin Flowers was a gutter when I was a kid!

[Dibden Purlieu Saint]

We'd really struggle to replace Lallana IMHO. When we are missing him we really are not the same team and I would be pretty damn down in the dumps if we sold him.

 

And as for Fonte, if we sold him... Well, I'd slash my wrists that instant.

 

Agree 100%. Lallana makes us tick, but I don't think he'd leave us unless he was pushed.

[StVince1966]

colin clarke leaving for QPR and stateing he wanted to play for a bigger club was a whopper!

[hughieslastminutegoal]

Sorry - what is the point of this thread? You know that if we were to sell any of our better players, we would bring in a better replacement? Right.............................

 

There's been quite a few on here who haven't been impressed with Adkins signings/loans, so the opinion that we'd sign better is far from universal. I'm also yet to be convinced that the purse strings would be quite loose enough to do it; I still think we could have blown promotion this year when injuries mounted up and got in inadequate cover. Maybe we deserved a bit of luck at the end of the season, but we certainly got some. (Cue those who repeat the ludicrous mantra "you make your own luck" - luck is still, well, luck.)

 

Nevertheless I am very glad to see NA's focus at this point is midfield, I don't think it's strong enough for the coming season yet.

[NickG]

far too early to judge a manager's signing record - one January window?

 

Often clubs are only looking at urgent needs to get us through the season. Adkins did a bit of business, and if you look at how we finished the season you can't say he fell short.