Why so many rumours about our best players leaving?

[jasoneuelllfanclub]

Is it just media making up usual crap or have other clubs got wind of something happening at St Marys?

 

We are use to countless rumours about our best players, especially during the transfer windows but to see so many stories outside the window makes me wonder if the club need to balance the books or something during the summer.

 

Lets hope it is just media rubbish

[Bearsy]

someone clearly thinks we're open to offers ain't it, dunno if it's the buying clubs or the media or both. Hope it's just speculation tho!

 

Maybe Bik Kat thinks of the £30m+ of debt she wrote off and thinks she'd quite like to have her dollar back. You couldn't blame her, £30m would come in handy in these straightened times.

[Bucks Saint]

We used to have one or two decent players. Now we have quite a few more. Hence the increase in stories

[Saint Charlie]

Simple: very good players playing at a club that isn't in Europe.

[kpturner]

What rumours?

[trousers]

We used to have one or two decent players. Now we have quite a few more. Hence the increase in stories

 

^This

 

Simple: very good players playing at a club that isn't in Europe.

 

^and this

 

 

Edited 20 March, 2014 by trousers

[WealdSaint]

I think that the bigger clubs, together with many other people in football, view us as smallish Prem club and that therefore all our talented players are ripe for the picking.

 

To date this has probably been correct. This is quite an important time because if we hold this squad together over the summer we can move on to the next stage. However, if we sell more than a couple, we will forever be viewed as a club that finds good youngsters that the big boys can buy at their time of choosing

[Under Weststand]

We have a good crop of players that other teams would like, if some of the big boys come with real intent & make big offers will we have the resolve to turn them down, and will the players be happy to stay with the club?

This summer will be very telling for the direction the club is intending to go.

[Wes Tender]

We haven't yet really been put to the test, which is that when the big clubs come calling, we have actually told them to go a take a long walk off a short pier. We can say that our best players are not for sale all we like, but until the situation arises where a substantial offer is received and then turned down, the media will continue to believe their own hype that we are still the small club that had to sell the family silver to keep afloat.

 

Because in one breath when they write this guff they mention how we are the club that produced Walcott, Bale and Oxlade Chamberlain and then sold them, their little brains make a connection that all of this new batch of stars will go the same way whenever any of the big four come knocking. Yes, all players are available for a price, witness Manchester United being forced to sell Ronaldo and Spurs having to sell Bale, but the media and those big clubs need to realise that it is we who have the strong hand of not needing to sell and then having many suitors after the same players. Talk about us accepting £10 million for some of our players is really laughable; double it or treble it in some cases and we might sit up a take notice.

 

As stupid as some of these media stories are, no doubt it helps to sell their rags and at the same time keeps the plastic fans of those big clubs happy to read about their clubs' interest in buying players of quality. And it is those same fans who arrogantly believe that if their glory teams express interest in a player, that player must be orgasmic at the prospect of even sitting on their bench for half the season.

 

Fortunately, our youngsters are a very level-headed bunch and realise that there is still plenty of time for them to stay here with their mates who they have grown up with, get plenty of match time under their belt, develop still further and then be able to command much higher fees when they decide to move on.

[Turkish]

What is interesting to note is that none of the players seem desperate to leave, as we were led to believe they were only here because of Cortese and would go if he did. They are still performing well and seem happy, no sign of the predicted meltdown, even some on here predicted. Could it be that they weren't here simply because of the chairman after all?

Edited 20 March, 2014 by Turkish

[Whitey Grandad]

We used to have one or two decent players. Now we have quite a few more. Hence the increase in stories

 

Yup, simply this.

[Lallana's Left Peg]

What is interesting to note is that none of the players seem desperate to leave, as we were led to believe they were only here because of Cortese and would go if he did. They are still performing well and seem happy, no sign of the predicted meltdown, even some on here predicted. Could it be that they weren't here simply because of the chairman after all?

 

I think we need to wait until 1st September before we draw any conclusions.

[Saint_Tony]

Well sadly with our very respectable league position and a number of outstanding performers this season, a lot of clubs will be sniffing around several of our players. It's going to be a long summer, instead of praying we sign someone, I'll be hoping the likes of Lallana and Schneiderlin stay put. Shaw leaving is inevitable, especially if he goes to the World Cup, but wherever he goes, it will be a decent transfer fee.

[JackanorySFC]

What is interesting to note is that none of the players seem desperate to leave, as we were led to believe they were only here because of Cortese and would go if he did. They are still performing well and seem happy, no sign of the predicted meltdown, even some on here predicted. Could it be that they weren't here simply because of the chairman after all?

 

To be fair there is no doubt that Cortese created an environment that the players absolutely loved. From the small amount I know there was a lot of uncertainty when he left as the players genuinely had a bond with him and respected his judgement in terms of recruiting the best staff and building the best facilities to help the players progress. You have to appreciate Premier League footballers (and a lot further down the Pyramid to be fair) are incredibly ambitious and self confident, they had a Boss that reflected those attributes and, whether we appreciate that or not, they thought he was the nuts!

 

However, KL done a superb job steadying the ship, we got through January and now Ralph seems to be coming across very well and, most importantly, the players are still getting the same levels of TLC they were getting before. No sign of a melt down at all! Poch is a huge part of that of course, but he needs the support from different areas of the club. So far so good, I don't see any reason why that will change. A new contract for Poch will probably signal no sales (minus those surplus to Poch's requirements) and be absolutely huge.

 

I don't think we'll sell anyone Poch isn't happy to lose this summer. No player wants to leave, especially the young lads that have been together since 8 years old. With the new TV deal, even the cost of the training ground will be more than covered. Our players have low basic salary's (amongst the lowest average in the Prem apparently), heavily incentivised that with bonuses bring it up to a very competitive level (Cortese's idea, and common sense really, don't know why more clubs do it?). A lot of clubs offer goal/ appearance/ win/ clean sheet money, but we link to loads of key areas apparently. Complicated but lucrative if players perform well. This season is a success to the players will earn good money (provided they play, Gaston for example, will not have earned anywhere near what is reported his salary is as he hasn't started often).

 

When the finances are published (March usually so hopefully soon?) that will tell us a lot.

 

Re the original OP. Simple, we have a crop of young English players that are getting a huge amount of attention. Chelasea, for example, seem to have a policy of hoovering up young talent and farming out on loan to stop competitors. Gallagher (and his parents) know it would be a crazy move for him and the Club (Reed in particular) know he'll be worth way more than £5m simply by keeping him around his mates, playing and retaining the bond they've created coming through the ranks together.

[trousers]

http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/34434/saints-warn-the-premier-league-they-may-be-unable-to-field-a-side-next-season

[Bearsy]

http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/34434/saints-warn-the-premier-league-they-may-be-unable-to-field-a-side-next-season

 

good work by the uglies

[Window Cleaner]

Is it just media making up usual crap or have other clubs got wind of something happening at St Marys?

 

We are use to countless rumours about our best players, especially during the transfer windows but to see so many stories outside the window makes me wonder if the club need to balance the books or something during the summer.

 

Lets hope it is just media rubbish

 

Because your average football fan or footix as the French call them thinks that the best players should be playing in the best clubs, if you're not at a top 4 somewhere or other club then it's because you're not good enough and certainly not because you like where you are and don't particularly want to go anywhere else. Our good season is starting to draw attention to our players as are the England call ups thus people are willing to believe that they should be elsewhere playing a yet higher standard of football and there's not an agent on the planet who'd not want to cash in on that.

[Goatboy]

http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/34434/saints-warn-the-premier-league-they-may-be-unable-to-field-a-side-next-season

 

Someone should leak that to the press.

[Dig Dig]

Club need to take firm stance on our approach to the summer. Enough easy PR wins about history and communication, get Poch signed, give him a decent budget and let him know players aren't for sale. The knock on effect will be players not having their heads turned because they feel that we won't progress any further.

 

Statements from RK about accepting what the "football gods" decide regarding players leaving don't help.

[Saint Rees]

Yet another! sigh...

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2585223/THE-TRANSFER-COLUMN-Moyes-chasing-Lovren-bids-rebuild-United-defence-Monaco-say-Falcao-not-sale.html

[Chez]

What is interesting to note is that none of the players seem desperate to leave, as we were led to believe they were only here because of Cortese and would go if he did. They are still performing well and seem happy, no sign of the predicted meltdown, even some on here predicted. Could it be that they weren't here simply because of the chairman after all?

 

it might be worth waiting until after the summer transfer window to see how committed players are to the new regime, but IMO if you keep paying the players enough wedge they will be more than happy to stay. There is a lot of chat about players wanting champions league football, but it didn't seem to worry Rooney and he's not alone. Pay top dollar and you keep the vultures at arms length. That's how Moyes kept many players at Everton - he paid them more than the going rate as we found out when Mikel Arteta left for Arsenal and had to take a wage drop supposedly.

[toofarnorth]

Because they are a talented bunch. I'll be happy if we get through the summer unscathed and add a new CB and striker.

[Window Cleaner]

Because they are a talented bunch. I'll be happy if we get through the summer unscathed and add a new CB and striker.

 

 

Nowhere near enough for moving up a notch, we have too many weak areas with insufficient cover. 4 players minimum, otherwise we'll be running faster to stand still. I'm sure those that deal with such things know that though. If we want to progress we can never,ever have Gazzaniga or Davis in goal again.

[SaintRichmond]

I think that the bigger clubs, together with many other people in football, view us as smallish Prem club and that therefore all our talented players are ripe for the picking.

 

To date this has probably been correct. This is quite an important time because if we hold this squad together over the summer we can move on to the next stage. However, if we sell more than a couple, we will forever be viewed as a club that finds good youngsters that the big boys can buy at their time of choosing

 

It is far simpler than that

 

All our young talented players view us as a Team NOT Qualifying for C.L Football

 

As that is where all the Mega Money is, if an offer comes in from Teams who ARE or WILL be in Europe, then THEY WIIL LEAVE

 

It is not Rocket Science is it ??

[pap]

someone clearly thinks we're open to offers ain't it, dunno if it's the buying clubs or the media or both. Hope it's just speculation tho!

 

Maybe Bik Kat thinks of the £30m+ of debt she wrote off and thinks she'd quite like to have her dollar back. You couldn't blame her, £30m would come in handy in these straightened times.

 

That's 30,000,000 items from Poundshop. It must be tempting.

[Ohio Saint]

It's going to be a long summer

 

This.

[ottery st mary]

http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/34434/saints-warn-the-premier-league-they-may-be-unable-to-field-a-side-next-season

 

 

The ugly inside article ....really made me laugh.

 

Maybe easier for all those said BIG fish...

 

if we drove the team bus around each of their grounds and let them pick their desired player/s.

 

Start with Man Utd......they need at least 4/5 of our mighty Saints.

[St_Tel49]

Well sadly with our very respectable league position and a number of outstanding performers this season, a lot of clubs will be sniffing around several of our players. It's going to be a long summer, instead of praying we sign someone, I'll be hoping the likes of Lallana and Schneiderlin stay put. Shaw leaving is inevitable, especially if he goes to the World Cup, but wherever he goes, it will be a decent transfer fee.

Why?

[Toadhall Saint]

It is far simpler than that

 

All our young talented players view us as a Team NOT Qualifying for C.L Football

 

As that is where all the Mega Money is, if an offer comes in from Teams who ARE or WILL be in Europe, then THEY WIIL LEAVE

 

It is not Rocket Science is it ??

 

In your opinion.

 

How about they want to stay here? Not every player holds money as their reason for being. Playing good football in a good side does motivate some. Anyway they are all multi millionaires as it stands.

[Saint_Tony]

Why?

 

Because he's the best left back in the country. By all accounts from round that area of the country as well. As much as we'd like him to stay, he isn't going to. I won't begrudge him a move either, he's good enough to play for a better team. We've got to be realistic, if he was playing for another team at our level you'd expect him to move on

[Bearsy]

if he was playing for another team at our level you'd expect him to move on

 

i would, but then i expected baines to move in the summer. I've got a feeling that it will become more common for smaller prem clubs to hang on to their players, purely cos everyone in the prem has got so much dollar that they can hold out for mega money + buying clubs ain't gonna want to keep paying massively over the odds.

[david in sweden]

mainly I suppose that 's because nearly all of the " top sides " have players leaving or retiring in the near future.

 

Chelsea fans have likely seen the last of Frank Lampard, and John Terry doesn't look as sprightly as he once did. Ashley Coles's contract goes out in the summer, I think...and so on.

 

Despite paying Rooney £1 million a month ...Man U still have problems in midfield and certainly in their defence. Giggs must surely retire sometime, and Carrick is very poor, Ferdinand is on the way out and Vidic has already said he's going. Some others; Cleverley and Smalling have been found wanting, and Welbeck always looked good ALONGSIDE Rooney, but otherwise looks rather ordinary on his own.

 

Arsenal haven't won a trophy in almost 10 years, but have taken advantage of buying Walcott and Alex O-C.....Wenger will come back for Schneiderlin in the summer.

 

Man City have enough money to buy anyone they want, and may well look in our direction.

 

We have attracted a lot more attention from the media this season, and people are beginning to take notice. Maybe it's time for one or two to move on ..and bring in the next generation Acceamy lads?

.....however, I don't expect to see more than one player on the move in the summer....the rest is just media hype. There aren't enough good young English players around, and we have the best of them.

Edited 20 March, 2014 by david in sweden

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Let's be real, we have several very good players who have been with us for a good few years, and if they get the offer of Champions League football they would be mad to turn it down.

 

Morgan in particular needs to leave, it seems, if he is to get international recognition. Lallana may well get a big move - if he stays it will be due to exceptional loyalty. Shaw appears to be as good as gone. If we can get away with losing just those three and replace them then we've probably had an ok summer.

[Goatboy]

Let's be real, we have several very good players who have been with us for a good few years, and if they get the offer of Champions League football they would be mad to turn it down.

 

Morgan in particular needs to leave, it seems, if he is to get international recognition. Lallana may well get a big move - if he stays it will be due to exceptional loyalty. Shaw appears to be as good as gone. If we can get away with losing just those three and replace them then we've probably had an ok summer.

 

Says who?

[shurlock]

To be fair there is no doubt that Cortese created an environment that the players absolutely loved. From the small amount I know there was a lot of uncertainty when he left as the players genuinely had a bond with him and respected his judgement in terms of recruiting the best staff and building the best facilities to help the players progress. You have to appreciate Premier League footballers (and a lot further down the Pyramid to be fair) are incredibly ambitious and self confident, they had a Boss that reflected those attributes and, whether we appreciate that or not, they thought he was the nuts!

 

However, KL done a superb job steadying the ship, we got through January and now Ralph seems to be coming across very well and, most importantly, the players are still getting the same levels of TLC they were getting before. No sign of a melt down at all! Poch is a huge part of that of course, but he needs the support from different areas of the club. So far so good, I don't see any reason why that will change. A new contract for Poch will probably signal no sales (minus those surplus to Poch's requirements) and be absolutely huge.

 

I don't think we'll sell anyone Poch isn't happy to lose this summer. No player wants to leave, especially the young lads that have been together since 8 years old. With the new TV deal, even the cost of the training ground will be more than covered. Our players have low basic salary's (amongst the lowest average in the Prem apparently), heavily incentivised that with bonuses bring it up to a very competitive level (Cortese's idea, and common sense really, don't know why more clubs do it?). A lot of clubs offer goal/ appearance/ win/ clean sheet money, but we link to loads of key areas apparently. Complicated but lucrative if players perform well. This season is a success to the players will earn good money (provided they play, Gaston for example, will not have earned anywhere near what is reported his salary is as he hasn't started often).

 

When the finances are published (March usually so hopefully soon?) that will tell us a lot.

 

Re the original OP. Simple, we have a crop of young English players that are getting a huge amount of attention. Chelasea, for example, seem to have a policy of hoovering up young talent and farming out on loan to stop competitors. Gallagher (and his parents) know it would be a crazy move for him and the Club (Reed in particular) know he'll be worth way more than £5m simply by keeping him around his mates, playing and retaining the bond they've created coming through the ranks together.

 

Cheers -very interesting info. Would be curious to know which areas we tie incentives to.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Says who?

Ok I guess we don't know about Shaw. If I was him I would stay. But if he wants to leave and we get a big offer then its best that he goes.

[NickG]

Wonder how many posters saying it is inevitable that Shaw will go this summer were saying that he wouldn't sign a contract and would leave last summer?

Remember these papers who have him sold did the same in the lead up to him signing a 5 year contract (as he said he would) last summer.

 

Players will leave sooner or later but I don't think the exodus is a done deal, just as the reported exodus in January didn't happen.

 

Don't think we should underestimate the positive team spirit at the club, must have an amazing atmosphere for likes of Shaw, JWP, Chambers, Gallagher, Reid - playing together in youth side of a league 1 side, sticking together and playing in the first team for a successful side - international recognition. Plus seeing older team mates going from lower league players to internationals.

The comments and videos from players are more than just saying right things - its obvious they like and respect MP.

They all seem level headed and will be very wealthy here. We have shown they can get England recognition with us - bizarrely Chelsea's established international is worrying about losing his place to a boy at saints!

Guess a very personal thing, how much does champions league mean? Worth giving up everything here straight away?

I dont know how summer will go but reckon we maybe pleasantly surprised!

 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[SaintRichmond]

In your opinion.

 

How about they want to stay here? Not every player holds money as their reason for being. Playing good football in a good side does motivate some. Anyway they are all multi millionaires as it stands.

 

It would be Great if it happened, BUT ..... has ANY SFC player said he wants to stay, and forfeit the Mega deals that CL teams can , and will offer

 

Le Tiss was Loyal ....... but he was a one off

 

I bet you there will not be ONE of our "Stars" that will decline a move and stay will Saints

 

And, unfortunately, because of what I think will be an Exodus, Pochettino will go as well ( He won't want to start from scratch again will he ?

[Goatboy]

It would be Great if it happened, BUT ..... has ANY SFC player said he wants to stay, and forfeit the Mega deals that CL teams can , and will offer

 

Le Tiss was Loyal ....... but he was a one off

 

I bet you there will not be ONE of our "Stars" that will decline a move and stay will Saints

 

And, unfortunately, because of what I think will be an Exodus, Pochettino will go as well ( He won't want to start from scratch again will he ?

 

I'll take that bet. What odds are on offer?

[Crazy Diamond]

Why? Because good players will attract interest.

 

Is it that hard to fathom?

[shurlock]

Why? Because good players will attract interest.

 

Is it that hard to fathom?

 

True though the uncertainty at the club doesn't help.

[Crazy Diamond]

True though the uncertainty at the club doesn't help.

 

Not sure I agree. Good players putting in good performances will always attract outside interest, regardless of perceived uncertainty.

[DuncanRG]

Not sure I agree. Good players putting in good performances will always attract outside interest, regardless of perceived uncertainty.

 

That is literally it.

 

Just be glad that all reputable stories - bar one or two regarding Shaw - are about clubs being interested in our players and not the other way round.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[david in sweden]

or..... because we are one of the very few Prem.clubs with exciting ENGLISH prospects who people know something about ..or may even have seen them playing in a match.

 

...whereas if people mention the name of ..a South-American who plays in a mid-table side in a European country, it's not so exciting when you only have a 3 minute clip of his best game on You Tube to go by.