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Gary Hooper


Pilchards

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Yes its a rag, but in their defence I browsed at an edition of the People in our local supermarket in 2001 to see a most unlikely suggestion on the transfer rumours page that Gordon Strachan was to take over at Saints. Well thats a load of ******** I thought. Same evening, Gray was announced sacked, and fifteen minutes later teletext said WGS was at the helm.

 

On the topic of Alan Nixon though, didn't we have some issues with him on his reporting about Saints some years ago ? Possibly in the WGS to Leeds fortnight .

 

The Mirror group papers and the Daily Star have to have the worst record for their factual reporting and rumours coming to fruition. They are just trash that print anything that chavs will want to read. No doubt they will get the odd story right but with regards to the Strachan rumour that turned out to actually be true they may well have guessed based on the fact it was pretty obvious that Gray was under pressure and Strachan had just been sacked by Coventry, basically doing with the Mirror does best - putting 2 and 2 together and making 5 (in this case they actually made 4 for once).

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The Mirror group papers and the Daily Star have to have the worst record for their factual reporting and rumours coming to fruition. They are just trash that print anything that chavs will want to read. No doubt they will get the odd story right but with regards to the Strachan rumour that turned out to actually be true they may well have guessed based on the fact it was pretty obvious that Gray was under pressure and Strachan had just been sacked by Coventry, basically doing with the Mirror does best - putting 2 and 2 together and making 5 (in this case they actually made 4 for once).
Difference here is that the source will almost certainly be The Daily Record, who although part of Mirror Group, are very close to The Old Firm and usually pretty accurate with their reporting north of the border.
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same thought I had Dr.Who...(my post #45)

 

..I wonder what Dalek thinks about it ..(oops!... maybe I shouldn't have said that !)

 

Without hijacking the Hooper pie in the sky thread. You think of the best centre backs of the past and present, and they do not have pace. Bruce, Pally, Adams......

 

He thinks about Hoodle, and when he saw this thread, he probably thought it said 'new Hoddle link'

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Apparently we've been bumped back again with another approach, a 'feckin huge' offer according to Nixon on twitter.

 

We should have given this up ages ago...!

 

Yep it's ridiculous. Get sharp in and conclude the window in style. My worry is we will get no one and have a 'we tried' attitude whilst failing to strengthen further in January which would be a real shame.

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Yep it's ridiculous. Get sharp in and conclude the window in style. My worry is we will get no one and have a 'we tried' attitude whilst failing to strengthen further in January which would be a real shame.

 

It's like a re-run of the summer at the mo! But Hooper instead of Jay-Rod.

 

Will have to wait and see what materializes, but we're still pretty active by the sounds of it.

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It's like a re-run of the summer at the mo! But Hooper instead of Jay-Rod.

 

Will have to wait and see what materializes, but we're still pretty active by the sounds of it.

Problem is as you say, we sounded like this in the summer! A striker and CB on loan would be the perfect window and Adkin's statement about taking full advantage of the window will be true.

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Yep it's ridiculous. Get sharp in and conclude the window in style. My worry is we will get no one and have a 'we tried' attitude whilst failing to strengthen further in January which would be a real shame.

 

We should not just sign anyone for the sake of it, but Sharp would strengthen the side, as would Collins.

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I was out last night with a couple of agents (Bournemouth about to sign a pretty prolific striker) and the general view is Southampton don't have any money to spend. Wealthy owners yes, but limited funds available.

 

I think it's quite clear we have a fair bit to spend, so I would ignore their views! We just seem to be targeting players that clubs will never let go, ever.

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I was out last night with a couple of agents (Bournemouth about to sign a pretty prolific striker) and the general view is Southampton don't have any money to spend. Wealthy owners yes, but limited funds available.

 

Not a bad impression to give.

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Alan Nixon has been talking about Hooper on Twitter this morning after some questions from Saints fans

http://twitter.com/reluctantnicko

 

Heard some remarkable stuff on Hooper thing just now. Still don't see it happening. So probably Sharp.

I know what Saints offer is now. Feckin huge. But Celtic have said no. Shocked

Not getting new deal. Background fascinating. But can't be writing it.

 

re a question about Jay Rod he said

Burnley can't sell him right now. U tried with bundles last time. Didnd't work.
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I wonder if Hooper would hand in a transfer request? Probs the only thing that would force a sale.

 

As Clarke says, it sounds like we are still active...

 

I think it's too late tbh. Celtic will not let him go now, no matter what. I've kind of felt that since day 1, so I'd love to know what information we've been getting which has kept pulling us back - his agent is obviously talking. But if the club don't want to sell, and it looks like they've rebuffed £6m+, then there's no point wasting any more time and we need to go all out and get Sharp.

 

2nd choice or not, he's still a bloody good player at this level.

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I was out last night with a couple of agents (Bournemouth about to sign a pretty prolific striker) and the general view is Southampton don't have any money to spend. Wealthy owners yes, but limited funds available.

 

That is either a good cover or pretty much as it is. I would imagine the club is being backed by the owners but the remit is also that it learns to stand on its own two feet. We are going to reach the promised land in a sustainable way and i think that this was the plan from the outset. We are not going a Wham, hence the fairly modest outlay in the summer. No, this summer is about consolidation, we have a plan and we won't swerve from it. This was how I saw it back in June and why I made my comments known.

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We should not just sign anyone for the sake of it, but Sharp would strengthen the side, as would Collins.

 

Agree with this. A player must be better if possible. A squad of the same becomes just bloated and will get us nowhere. It will just be like the dark days of Luggy, Wiggley etc.

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I think it's too late tbh. Celtic will not let him go now, no matter what. I've kind of felt that since day 1, so I'd love to know what information we've been getting which has kept pulling us back - his agent is obviously talking. But if the club don't want to sell, and it looks like they've rebuffed £6m+, then there's no point wasting any more time and we need to go all out and get Sharp.

 

2nd choice or not, he's still a bloody good player at this level.

 

Or we wait until next summer and see what is available.

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I think it's too late tbh. Celtic will not let him go now, no matter what. I've kind of felt that since day 1, so I'd love to know what information we've been getting which has kept pulling us back - his agent is obviously talking. But if the club don't want to sell, and it looks like they've rebuffed £6m+, then there's no point wasting any more time and we need to go all out and get Sharp.

 

2nd choice or not, he's still a bloody good player at this level.

 

This. And I hope if there's one thing we've learned from the summer window it's that we need to go for second choice now rather than make another offer.

 

Having said all this, who would be particularly surprised if we signed neither Sharp nor Hooper but a striker none of us had even considered?

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I think it's too late tbh. Celtic will not let him go now, no matter what. I've kind of felt that since day 1, so I'd love to know what information we've been getting which has kept pulling us back - his agent is obviously talking. But if the club don't want to sell, and it looks like they've rebuffed £6m+, then there's no point wasting any more time and we need to go all out and get Sharp.

 

2nd choice or not, he's still a bloody good player at this level.

The question is is he going to be at the next level?
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I think it's quite clear we have a fair bit to spend, so I would ignore their views! We just seem to be targeting players that clubs will never let go, ever.

 

Are you sure? What evidence suggests we have funds to spend? Actions & all.

 

Why the continued failure to actually land our key targets? Followings Adkins U turn, Puncheon's return & what I suspect are rumours on a hiding to nothing, then evidence would suggest otherwise. Even with the Oxo money, I am yet to be convinced we have funds available. Players seem to be there for the taking, we've done it before (Fonte, Cork, Ricky, Lallana, etc.) & I would like to see it happen now. To reinstall my confidence in our owners & in our ambitions. I am not stirring, just expressing my gut feeling. I'd be overjoyed at a marquee or reasonably big signing. It would erase the combination of doubts I currently possess.

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Are you sure? Then why the continued failure to actually land our key targets? Followings Adkins U turn, Puncheon's return & what I suspect are rumours on a hiding to nothing, then evidence would suggest otherwise. Even with the Oxo money, I am yet to be convinced we have funds available. Players seem to be there for the taking, we've done it before (Fonte, Cork, Ricky, Lallana, etc.) & I would like to see it happen now. To reinstall my confidence in our owners & in our ambitions. I am not stirring, just expressing my gut feeling. I'd be overjoyed at a marquee or reasonably big signing. It would erase the combination of doubts I currently possess.

 

But why would you make substantial bids for players, if you didn't have the money? Seems like a bloody waste of time.

 

It was confirmed by the Donny chairman that they accepted a 3.5m bid from us last summer for Sharp, he didn't want to join for personal reasons. It was also confirmed via various sources, and even Paul Jewell that we offered £5m for Jay Rod.

 

I'm pretty sure we've offered a similar amount for Hooper. If the selling clubs don't want to sell, then there's not a hell of alot we can do. I think it's clear the money is there, but we may be running up a few blind alleys with it.

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But why would you make substantial bids for players, if you didn't have the money? Seems like a bloody waste of time.

 

It was confirmed by the Donny chairman that they accepted a 3.5m bid from us last summer for Sharp, he didn't want to join for personal reasons. It was also confirmed via various sources, and even Paul Jewell that we offered £5m for Jay Rod.

 

I'm pretty sure we've offered a similar amount for Hooper. If the selling clubs don't want to sell, then there's not a hell of alot we can do. I think it's clear the money is there, but we may be running up a few blind alleys with it.

 

What did Paul Jewell have to do with Jay Rod?

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Back in the summer before our game, he confirmed he approached us for Rickie, and said they themselves went after Jay Rod and then heard what we offered and knew he'd be out of their range etc.

 

Oh yeah, that does ring a bell.

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I was out last night with a couple of agents (Bournemouth about to sign a pretty prolific striker) and the general view is Southampton don't have any money to spend. Wealthy owners yes, but limited funds available.

 

Yep. Exactly what an ex player told me in hospitality last week. No danger of going bust, but limited funds to spend.

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But why would you make substantial bids for players, if you didn't have the money? Seems like a bloody waste of time.

 

It was confirmed by the Donny chairman that they accepted a 3.5m bid from us last summer for Sharp, he didn't want to join for personal reasons. It was also confirmed via various sources, and even Paul Jewell that we offered £5m for Jay Rod.

 

I'm pretty sure we've offered a similar amount for Hooper. If the selling clubs don't want to sell, then there's not a hell of alot we can do. I think it's clear the money is there, but we may be running up a few blind alleys with it.

 

A good point but, as you mention, running up blind alleys isn't of much use. However, on this occasion I am not so sure the funds are as readily available as the club make out. Anyone can bid without commitment.

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A good point but, as you mention, running up blind alleys isn't of much use. However, on this occasion I am not so sure the funds are as readily available as the club make out. Anyone can bid without commitment.

 

But for a club in Southampton's position, that would be weird.

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A good point but, as you mention, running up blind alleys isn't of much use. However, on this occasion I am not so sure the funds are as readily available as the club make out. Anyone can bid without commitment.

 

Oh please, what shyte. If they didnt have that sort of money they would spend thier time looking at players who they could afford and thought that would improve the side.

 

This isnt football manager 12, its a multi million pound business and run by intelligent professional people. Do you really think they turn up in the morining and say " what shall we do today, i know lets fax a £50mill bid in for rooney."

 

The bids are the final stages of a year of scouts looking a a multitude of players, talking to agents about values / wages etc.

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The thing that I don`t understand with this supposed "Conspiricy Theory" that Saints are just making big bids to appease the fans is that the club does it`s business privately, never confirming or denying anything. Any information seems to come from the "selling" club. Why don`t Saints give out the info if they are trying to appease? Or is this part of the master plan - get the other club to spill the beans?:?

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Hooper would be better than Sharp if we completely ignore cost. However, with Hooper apparently unobtainable for realistic sums we'd be better off taking Sharp now that he's available for a cut-price £1.5m due to his buyout clause. For that money others are right to point out that we should be able to buy, see how he turns out and sell at a profit if need be. Done.

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The thing that I don`t understand with this supposed "Conspiricy Theory" that Saints are just making big bids to appease the fans is that the club does it`s business privately, never confirming or denying anything. Any information seems to come from the "selling" club. Why don`t Saints give out the info if they are trying to appease? Or is this part of the master plan - get the other club to spill the beans?:?

 

You're not very good with conspiracy theories are you? How much effort do you think went into fooling the world about the moonlanding, and that's small fry compared to Hooper to Saints. And we know Cortese monitors the forum, planting little snippets here and there no doubt - what else has he got to do with his time? Its not like he's running a multi-million pound business or anything.

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