Vegard Forren - Signs

[Thedelldays]

Its happening!!

if we stay up...and dont sell any of our best players (including keeping puncheon)

we will need to ship out about 6-8 bods

and get in far better players in their place..

 

would definitely need a top top keeper.....a top top CM and a top top wide player (regardless what we do in jan)

basically, talking about £35m AGAIN in the summer

 

 

that is to even have a sniff at top 6

 

 

players out and replaced by some that are miles better.......

 

boruc

kelvin

richardson

fox

hammond

sharp

guly

de ridder

lee

barnard

Edited 28 January, 2013 by Thedelldays

[Matthew Le God]

Alex Goring Crook ‏@alex_crook

Vegard Forren also told me he believes @SouthamptonFC can be a top four club within three years. Lofty ambitions

 

Deluded.

 

What is?

 

The deluded thinking.

 

Forren is saying that based on what Cortese has told him. Do you know what Cortese told him?

[hypochondriac]

if we stay up...and dont sell any of our best players (including keeping puncheon)

we will need to ship out about 6-8 bods

and get in far better players in their place..

 

would definitely need a top top keeper.....a top top CM and a top top wide player (regardless what we do in jan)

basically, talking about £35m AGAIN in the summer

 

 

that is to even have a sniff at top 6

 

 

players out and replaced by some that are better.......

 

boruc

kelvin

richardson

fox

hammond

sharp

guly

de ridder

lee

barnard

 

And top six is a world away from top four as well.

[SuperSAINT]

Deluded.

 

If Cortese truly believes we're gonna do that with academy players, we are gonna go through a serious amount of managers...

[hypochondriac]

This is not going to happen. I think we could be in Europe in this time. 5 years maybe?

 

If you asked me 3 years ago that we would be in the premier league, some would have said the same.

 

Premiership football in that timescale was always possible though pretty unlikely. This is pretty much impossible and a club of our size getting regular top four is completely unprecedented. We will not be top four in the PL in three years. Feel free to dredge this post up in three years time.

[stug76]

They are some ****s on here who will be eating large slices of humble pie when it happens!

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

Alex Goring Crook ‏@alex_crook

Vegard Forren also told me he believes @SouthamptonFC can be a top four club within three years. Lofty ambitions

 

I wonder how he can possibly have got that idea. Highly unrealistic. Let's hope he plays better than he thinks.

[SuperSAINT]

Wasn't Clyne talking about getting into Europe with us when he signed?

[Thedelldays]

They are some ****s on here who will be eating large slices of humble pie when it happens!

unless the "family" are prepared to throw serious cash at it...then it wont im afraid.....we MAY do a newcastle and have THAT season.....but to sustain it and become a top 4-6 club...it just wont happen unless someone is happy to write off millions

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

Forren is saying that based on what Cortese has told him. Do you know what Cortese told him?

 

Yes, he told him that Saints will be a top four club within three years.

[Matthew Le God]

unless the "family" are prepared to throw serious cash at it...then it wont im afraid.....we MAY do a newcastle and have THAT season.....but to sustain it and become a top 4-6 club...it just wont happen unless someone is happy to write off millions

 

Yes' date=' he told him that Saints will be a top four club within three years.[/quote']

 

Does Cortese strike you as the kind of man that would have ambitions he knows he isn't able to fund? Do you not think he is fully aware what it would take to achieve such aims and if he has the funding to do so or not?

[Thedelldays]

Does Cortese strike you as the kind of man that would have ambitions he knows he isn't able to fund? Do you not think he is fully aware what it would take to achieve such aims and if he has the funding to do so or not?

we shall see....seeing as we have already taken out 1 loan...suggest there is NOT someone willing to write off £100m at the moment.....in order to sustain a top 6 club......I know you will come back with this and that..but I dont really want to hear it whilst we are more than likely going to get relegated than being a top 4 team at the mo

[Matthew Le God]

we shall see....seeing as we have already taken out 1 loan...suggest there is NOT someone willing to write off £100m at the moment.....in order to sustain a top 6 club......I know you will come back with this and that..but I dont really want to hear it whilst we are more than likely going to get relegated than being a top 4 team at the mo

 

None of us know the purpose, size or repayment plan for that loan.

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

Does Cortese strike you as the kind of man that would have ambitions he knows he isn't able to fund? Do you not think he is fully aware what it would take to achieve such aims and if he has the funding to do so or not?

 

Why are you asking me? I just answered your questions as to what Il Duce said to our new star centre back.

[hypochondriac]

unless the "family" are prepared to throw serious cash at it...then it wont im afraid.....we MAY do a newcastle and have THAT season.....but to sustain it and become a top 4-6 club...it just wont happen unless someone is happy to write off millions

 

And not only that but keep writing off millions for a number of years. I agree it is possible that we could get one unbelievable year and then there is a tiny possibility we could get fourth. All this talk is folly at the moment though as we are currently in a relegation battle. It will look even more absurd should we go down.

[Thedelldays]

None of us know the purpose, size or repayment plan for that loan.

the fact there is a loan is enough for me...

 

any other club (like west ham) have debts and it is bad....we have millions of debt..yet that could be for various good reasons...give over mate

 

im not going to go tit for tat with you..I have made my position on this and whilst we are sat in 15th place, blown god knows how many points this season and face getting a spanking at OT in a few days...I dont really want to hear about us going for the champions league...it is utter fantasy

[S-Clarke]

I think we'd need to improve every area of the team. There are even plenty of players in our 11 at the moment who would need to be replaced in order for us to achieve it. People will say that Everton got there etc, but that was before Man City decided to get rich. Football has changed a hell of a lot in 7 years.

 

In the current day and age we'd need to spend 100m+ to get close. So, 30m in every summer for the next 5 years - whilst keeping hold of the stars - might mean it's possibly, but it's still such a long shot. We're still Southampton at the end of the day, and no matter what people say we will never be able to stop our star players leaving for Man City, Liverpool, Man Utd, Real Madrid etc...so that in it's own will stop us IMO. Great ambition, but I'm still of the opinion that he's incredibly far fetched.

 

We can wait for the academy to produce the standard, and it may well get us there, but in a decade..maybe. Not 5 years. We'd need enormous investment.

[Matthew Le God]

Why are you asking me? I just answered your questions as to what Il Duce said to our new star centre back.

 

Do you not think he sold the club a little more than just "we'll be top four in 3/4 years". I think its likely he would have outlined the project to Forren and his agent in a lot more detail than that. For example Alexander Buttner mentioned in interview of the Saints' plans for a 50k stadium etc.

[stug76]

And not only that but keep writing off millions for a number of years. I agree it is possible that we could get one unbelievable year and then there is a tiny possibility we could get fourth. All this talk is folly at the moment though as we are currently in a relegation battle. It will look even more absurd should we go down.

 

He's starting to crack, c'mon enjoy the ride!

[Thedelldays]

And not only that but keep writing off millions for a number of years. I agree it is possible that we could get one unbelievable year and then there is a tiny possibility we could get fourth. All this talk is folly at the moment though as we are currently in a relegation battle. It will look even more absurd should we go down.

the spurs owner is stinking rich....he ploughs untold millions into the club...from his pad in the west indies..

 

sustaining a top 4 challenge.....signing top internationals...very very good wages and ploughing money into the northumberland project....costs an utter fortune....

[Thedelldays]

Do you not think he sold the club a little more than just "we'll be top four in 3/4 years". I think its likely he would have outlined the project to Forren and his agent in a lot more detail than that. For example Alexander Buttner mentioned in interview of the Saints' plans for a 50k stadium etc.

50k stadium...we never even sold out for arsenal at home......ffs

[Turkish]

Does Cortese strike you as the kind of man that would have ambitions he knows he isn't able to fund? Do you not think he is fully aware what it would take to achieve such aims and if he has the funding to do so or not?

 

When he showed you his spreadsheets and bank statements with evidence of all his funding and went through his ambition with you was it impressive?

[S-Clarke]

the spurs owner is stinking rich....he ploughs untold millions into the club...from his pad in the west indies..

 

sustaining a top 4 challenge.....signing top internationals...very very good wages and ploughing money into the northumberland project....costs an utter fortune....

 

And then we've got to keep hold of our star players. Which on it's own is impossible when the big players come in.

 

Clubs who have been in the top 4 recentley - Everton and Spurs for e.g. , can't even keep their top players - which is why even they are finding it hard to sustain a top 4 position. They sort of fliter in and out.

[Turkish]

Do you not think he sold the club a little more than just "we'll be top four in 3/4 years". I think its likely he would have outlined the project to Forren and his agent in a lot more detail than that. For example Alexander Buttner mentioned in interview of the Saints' plans for a 50k stadium etc.

 

Here we go again. FFS

[Matthew Le God]

50k stadium...we never even sold out for arsenal at home......ffs

 

Umm... Article went up on the OS that we sold out 3 weeks before the Arsenal game at St Mary's kicked off.

 

And that was for a game with Saints in a relegation battle.

[Matthew Le God]

Here we go again. FFS

 

Did Buttner not say it then?

[Thedelldays]

Umm... Article went up on the OS that we sold out 3 weeks before the Arsenal game at St Mary's kicked off.

 

And that was for a game with Saints in a relegation battle.

what about all the other games?

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

Do you not think he sold the club a little more than just "we'll be top four in 3/4 years". I think its likely he would have outlined the project to Forren and his agent in a lot more detail than that. For example Alexander Buttner mentioned in interview of the Saints' plans for a 50k stadium etc.

 

To me it doesn't really matter what il duce proclaims from his balcony. The harsh reality is that this is utterly unrealistic. As another poster has already said, if we have any player of a top 4 standard there will be nothing we can do to stop them moving on. Let's concentrate on not getting relegated before we start all this silly talk again.

[Matthew Le God]

what about all the other games?

 

What about them? We've sold out a number of them, are averaging over 30k and are in a relegation battle. If we can average over 30k in a relegation battle, imagine how many would turn up if we were fighting towards the top of the league.

 

Why did you bring up the Arsenal game? Clearly nonsense, we sold out 3 weeks before kickoff.

[S-Clarke]

Umm... Article went up on the OS that we sold out 3 weeks before the Arsenal game at St Mary's kicked off.

 

And that was for a game with Saints in a relegation battle.

 

If I'm honest, our attendances this year haven't really strengthened the argument for us needing a mega stadium. Against the top sides we'll always sell out, as quite often neutrals come along to see the ''big players''. It's how it works in the top league.

 

Our attendances against the likes of Wigan , our first game back in the PL in 7 years, wasn't a sell out. At this moment in time a 50k stadium would be embarrassing for us. Would look like MK Don's ground with all the top tiers empty!

[Matthew Le God]

If I'm honest, our attendances this year haven't really strengthened the argument for us needing a mega stadium. Against the top sides we'll always sell out, as quite often neutrals come along to see the ''big players''. It's how it works in the top league.

 

Our attendances against the likes of Wigan , our first game back in the PL in 7 years, wasn't a sell out. At this moment in time a 50k stadium would be embarrassing for us. Would look like MK Don's ground with all the top tiers empty!

 

As I said...

 

If we can average over 30k in a relegation battle, imagine how many would turn up if we were fighting towards the top of the league. I imagine given Cortese commissioning AFL to come up with early ideas that he shares that viewpoint.

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

As I said...

 

If we can average over 30k in a relegation battle, imagine how many would turn up if we were fighting towards the top of the league. I imagine given Cortese commissioning AFL to come up with early ideas that he shares that viewpoint.

 

Just over 30k

[S-Clarke]

As I said...

 

If we can average over 30k in a relegation battle, imagine how many would turn up if we were fighting towards the top of the league. I imagine given Cortese commissioning AFL to come up with early ideas that he shares that viewpoint.

 

To be honest, I think we need to be selling out every week to even be considering a 50k stadium. Sod the average attendance.

 

I wouldn't even entertain the idea until I saw 32k sell outs most weeks.

[Bearsy]

And not only that but keep writing off millions for a number of years. I agree it is possible that we could get one unbelievable year and then there is a tiny possibility we could get fourth. All this talk is folly at the moment though as we are currently in a relegation battle. It will look even more absurd should we go down.

 

ML left provision for the development of SFC in his estate, the next installment is due 2014 in accordance with the 5 year plan.

Edited 28 January, 2013 by Bearsy

[stug76]

If I'm honest, our attendances this year haven't really strengthened the argument for us needing a mega stadium. Against the top sides we'll always sell out, as quite often neutrals come along to see the ''big players''. It's how it works in the top league.

 

Our attendances against the likes of Wigan , our first game back in the PL in 7 years, wasn't a sell out. At this moment in time a 50k stadium would be embarrassing for us. Would look like MK Don's ground with all the top tiers empty!

 

What if WE are the big team?

[S-Clarke]

What if WE are the big team?

 

Well, we're not at the moment and we will need to go some way to be that big team and overtake the likes of Man Utd/Arsenal, if that's what you're implying!

 

That will take decades....

[Matthew Le God]

Just over 30k

 

Yep, just over. So what? It is still a high average for a team in a relegation battle.

 

If the team were competing for 6th spot, attendances and demand would pick up even higher. Also bear in mind with capacity at 32k, every sellout we've had this season could have raised the average higher if the stadium were larger.

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

ML left provision for the development of SFC in his estate, the next installment is due 2014 in accordance with the 5 year plan.

 

You been hanging out with MLG recently Bearsy? Been studying all those statistics for FM together?

[S-Clarke]

Anyway, sod getting into an attendance debate in a player thread. That'll be boring.

 

Personally, I think we'll see Forren on the bench on Wednesday night...

[Matthew Le God]

To be honest, I think we need to be selling out every week to even be considering a 50k stadium. Sod the average attendance.

 

I wouldn't even entertain the idea until I saw 32k sell outs most weeks.

 

We are a newly promoted side in a relegation battle, Cortese doesn't intend the product on offer to remain that way. If the team improves, so will the demand for less attractive fixtures. If the stadium capacity increases = more revenue for better players, better players = larger capacity required, they go hand in hand.

Edited 28 January, 2013 by Matthew Le God

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

Yep, just over. So what? It is still a high average for a team in a relegation battle.

 

If the team were competing for 6th spot, attendances and demand would pick up even higher. Also bear in mind with capacity at 32k, every sellout we've had this season could have raised the average higher if the stadium were larger.

You misunderstood - just over 30k would be our attendance even if we achieved il duce's dream. Why on Earth do you think it would be more?

[Turkish]

Did Buttner not say it then?

 

How is what a player that didn't sign for us says relevant to Southampton FC attendances?

[hypochondriac]

the spurs owner is stinking rich....he ploughs untold millions into the club...from his pad in the west indies..

 

sustaining a top 4 challenge.....signing top internationals...very very good wages and ploughing money into the northumberland project....costs an utter fortune....

 

Lets not forget that even Spurs with all that have not got close to being regularly top four.

[Matthew Le God]

You misunderstood - just over 30k would be our attendance even if we achieved il duce's dream. Why on Earth do you think it would be more?

 

So you think the demand for tickets would remain the same if Saints were competing for the top 6 or in a relegation battle?

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

So you think the demand for tickets would remain the same if Saints were competing for the top 6 or in a relegation battle?

Pretty much, yes. Why wouldn't it?

[Turkish]

As I said...

 

If we can average over 30k in a relegation battle, imagine how many would turn up if we were fighting towards the top of the league. I imagine given Cortese commissioning AFL to come up with early ideas that he shares that viewpoint.

 

DO you not think we'd get a bigger crowd for a must win relegation match against QPR, the difference between 17th and 18th than a match against them that is the difference between 8th and 9th?

[Matthew Le God]

Pretty much' date=' yes. Why wouldn't it?[/quote']

 

Because it doesn't hold any logic.

 

So if Chelsea were in a relegation battle this year would they average the same as they did when competing for the league title? Before Chelsea were pumped full of money in the mid 1990's Chelsea averaged similar in the Premier League to what Southampton did in League One.

[hypochondriac]

Umm... Article went up on the OS that we sold out 3 weeks before the Arsenal game at St Mary's kicked off.

 

And that was for a game with Saints in a relegation battle.

 

Just say we got near the top four and Manchester United came in for our top striker. How would we stop them from leaving and sustain our challenge?

[Thedelldays]

where is the money going to come from to throw 20k seats onto SMS...AND maintain a top 6 club with goes at the cups and the europa league...?

[Matthew Le God]

DO you not think we'd get a bigger crowd for a must win relegation match against QPR, the difference between 17th and 18th than a match against them that is the difference between 8th and 9th?

 

If we were 6th, 7th, 8th, we'd likely be there because we'd have better players than we do currently, more international players etc etc and a more attractive product on offer to raise demand for tickets.