Adam Lallana - Medical at Liverpool

[Plumstead_Saint]

Is it just me that feels Shaw and Lallana's exits are nowhere near as painful as Lambo's?

No, you're not alone ;-)

[doddisalegend]

Is it just me that feels Shaw and Lallana's exits are nowhere near as painful as Lambo's?

 

Not really no. Shaw, like Oxo before him, has barely been here long enough for me to grow attached to him. Adam has come across as a bit of a p rick in this whole thing. Rickie is a Legend who I find impossible to dislike.

[wild-saint]

i actually am past giving a **** who goes now. whatever happens we will have pretty much a new side, new hereoes. they may turn out better than we had, they may be relegation fodder. the point is on the day the season starts we will be level par with every other club and full of hope and expectation.

 

isnt that what football is really about? it is for me.

[Leicestersaint]

Everything has changed. We are now aiming to avoid relegation.

[austsaint]

We couldn't reasonably expect to keep hold of shaw and lallana not bothered about. 25m for a player who can't head, last more than 60 minutes and has one good season at 25 years old is very good business. As long as we spend the money well we'll be stronger.

 

Agree with this. Of the players who have left and those who may move soon, Lallana is the one I think we will miss least. Played out of his skin for most of last season under MP and I suspect that will be the best spell he will ever muster. Throw in the way he has gone about things since seasons end and the sale price and departure seems about right.

[doddisalegend]

Everything has changed. We are now aiming to avoid relegation.

 

Does the pretty words and aims of Europe that is the main aim of every club in the PL outside the top 7 including us it was last season and it will be every season.

[kpturner]

i actually am past giving a **** who goes now. whatever happens we will have pretty much a new side, new hereoes. they may turn out better than we had, they may be relegation fodder. the point is on the day the season starts we will be level par with every other club and full of hope and expectation.

 

isnt that what football is really about? it is for me.

 

Yep

[saintstriumph]

I agree. I am here for the Saints, have been since 1956. The last few seasons since lowe went have been some of the best times I've had supporting Southampton FC. Been to many grounds never been to before. The current Journey is over, we start again. We are in a better place now than we were 6 or 7 years ago.

[melmacian_saint]

If I could ask Adam some questions, I would ask him this:

 

Do you think you would've been given 3 years to settle in a first team anywhere else?

Do you think any other club would've made you captain despite the presence of other senior members and you not being the best performer, in such a crucial season like the first one back in the PL after a long time?

Do you think any other club (especially a recently-promoted, non-top club) would've allowed you to have the freedom to play in at least two different positions, sometimes in the same match/half, and let you play your game without overloading you with tactical obligations?

 

 

Who knows what his answer would be, but my answer to these questions is quite clearly NO.

 

Lallana had potential, but it was never the sort of Walcott/Bale/Ox/Shaw door-smashing story. He was a player that we put our heart on developing, and very, very, very few players around the world get the approach towards their development Adam got from us. Anywhere else he would've been a talented kid with no confidence who could make a living as a footballer but never a PL highlight. He is now and I dare to say it's more to do with us than him.

 

I wish you well Adam, but don't be surprised if another club doesn't understand or care about you as much as Saints did.

[Vegas]

I really couldn't care less that Lallana or Shaw are leaving/left. Would I prefer them to stay? Yes but only if they are committed. The minute they are not, get the most you can for them and move on. Until we break the plateau above our position in the league last year, we are going to have a hard time keeping players of great quality. Let's face it, Lallana's first season in the Premier League was ok'ish. He gets one real good season under his belt and he's off. He's just as likely to have a crap season next year as good one imo. Onward and upward I say, who are we getting in?!

[Faz]

The fact is even if we were to win the effin' Premier League our team would be ripped apart, just like Atletico Madrid's is/will be. Enjoy the current flawed heroes, and then get ready to appreciate and enjoy the next lot.

[doddisalegend]

The fact is even if we were to win the effin' Premier League our team would be ripped apart, just like Atletico Madrid's is/will be. Enjoy the current flawed heroes, and then get ready to appreciate and enjoy the next lot.

 

yep

[miserableoldgit]

I think that this is what has upset me about Lallana. How long ago did he say this? I thought that just maybe he was a little bit different to most modern footballers loyalty-wise. Perhaps Clattenburg was right after all....

 

 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[Professor]

Feeling very cynical about the Premier League. It isn't a genuine competition except for the 5 or 6 hugely wealth clubs. The rest just slide up and down the lower part of the table with some sliding up and down into and out of the league below. If any club gets towards the upper part of mid-table, the Big Five or Six strip them of their most valuable assets. Not just Saints - after all, even Everton lost their manager, one international and nearly lost a second. The days when teams like Notts Forest, Derby, Ipswich, could rise to the top no longer exist, drowned in the pig's trough of money that these few clubs have out of all proportion to the rest.

 

Selling players valued at £20m or £30m and bringing in players for £10m or £12m is not replacing them, its just providing some cover and cements the club's place as second rate. IF by some accident a transfer-in turns out better than expected, such as Lovren, the player is quickly on the conveyor belt out of the club. The future in this is about on a par with Motherwell in the SPL.

 

It needs the fans to turn their back on the Premier League when a club's best players are poached for anything to ever change, but that isn't going to happen, so we might as well resign ourselves to being second rate and wonder who we will sell next year. Not that this years sales are necessarily over yet.

[angelman]

Prof, I agree. I don't really mind selling all the players. if we bomb next season then chances are I'll just give up on football and leave the money obsessed cesspit to others.

[saintpat]

Selling Lallana for this money is decent business. He's been really good for us but he wants to move. I believe he's making a massive mistake, he's going to be bench warming and will lose his place in the England squad within 12 months. Don't get me wrong, he's a good player but he won't be mollycoddled at Liverpool like at Saints. He's going to find it far tougher than Luke or Rickie. It's a shame but he clearly feels he's better than us, time for all of us to move on. It simply proves there is no loyalty in football anymore, but we knew that already and in truth if you were going to be paid twice what you were already earning, how loyal would you be?

[martel]

Feeling very cynical about the Premier League. It isn't a genuine competition except for the 5 or 6 hugely wealth clubs. The rest just slide up and down the lower part of the table with some sliding up and down into and out of the league below. If any club gets towards the upper part of mid-table, the Big Five or Six strip them of their most valuable assets. Not just Saints - after all, even Everton lost their manager, one international and nearly lost a second. The days when teams like Notts Forest, Derby, Ipswich, could rise to the top no longer exist, drowned in the pig's trough of money that these few clubs have out of all proportion to the rest.

 

Selling players valued at £20m or £30m and bringing in players for £10m or £12m is not replacing them, its just providing some cover and cements the club's place as second rate. IF by some accident a transfer-in turns out better than expected, such as Lovren, the player is quickly on the conveyor belt out of the club. The future in this is about on a par with Motherwell in the SPL.

 

It needs the fans to turn their back on the Premier League when a club's best players are poached for anything to ever change, but that isn't going to happen, so we might as well resign ourselves to being second rate and wonder who we will sell next year. Not that this years sales are necessarily over yet.

 

Excellent Post Professor and agree with everything you have written, enough is enough and would love to be able in some way to unite fans from the bottom 10 of the premiership and the whole of the champion ship as a start, changes are required, would love to hear what other fans have to say, personally I would like the top six-seven teams from the premiership to Fxxk off with the same number from the Spanish, Italian and other top european leagues and form there own Euorpean Super League.

[doddisalegend]

Feeling very cynical about the Premier League. It isn't a genuine competition except for the 5 or 6 hugely wealth clubs. The rest just slide up and down the lower part of the table with some sliding up and down into and out of the league below. If any club gets towards the upper part of mid-table, the Big Five or Six strip them of their most valuable assets. Not just Saints - after all, even Everton lost their manager, one international and nearly lost a second. The days when teams like Notts Forest, Derby, Ipswich, could rise to the top no longer exist, drowned in the pig's trough of money that these few clubs have out of all proportion to the rest.

 

Selling players valued at £20m or £30m and bringing in players for £10m or £12m is not replacing them, its just providing some cover and cements the club's place as second rate. IF by some accident a transfer-in turns out better than expected, such as Lovren, the player is quickly on the conveyor belt out of the club. The future in this is about on a par with Motherwell in the SPL.

 

It needs the fans to turn their back on the Premier League when a club's best players are poached for anything to ever change, but that isn't going to happen, so we might as well resign ourselves to being second rate and wonder who we will sell next year. Not that this years sales are necessarily over yet.

 

Not that I'm disagreeing with most of what you say ........but it feels like a load of saints fans are just waking up to the fact that this is how the PL is. It was just the same last time we where here. It's not just the PL every league has haves and have nots we where the wealthy big club and acted just the same (along with Norwich and Leeds) in league 1 did we not?

[SaintRichmond]

Selling Lallana for this money is decent business. He's been really good for us but he wants to move. I believe he's making a massive mistake, he's going to be bench warming and will lose his place in the England squad within 12 months. Don't get me wrong, he's a good player but he won't be mollycoddled at Liverpool like at Saints. He's going to find it far tougher than Luke or Rickie. It's a shame but he clearly feels he's better than us, time for all of us to move on. It simply proves there is no loyalty in football anymore, but we knew that already and in truth if you were going to be paid twice what you were already earning, how loyal would you be?

 

 

OK Valid points

 

Now, what is your thesis for

 

A) Lovren

 

B) Schneiderlin

 

C) J Rod (when he's fit)

 

You go on about loyalty.?? OK It works both ways. The Club have been "disloyal" to the Players IMHO, because they have changed the Goals and Aspirations that were Marcus's. Katharina's are nothing like the same

 

I for one can understand why there is a Player Exodus. Brought about by the Lady in charge. Cortese could no longer deliver the dream that was Markus's and he left

 

Pochettino felt let down, because the objectives sold to him by Cortese were no longer in existance, he felt "betrayed" so he has left

 

The Players, who played for their Manager, felt "betrayed" and are leaving as soon as they can. Les Reed ... " we want to keep all of our best players "" well, he's doing a great job at that

 

And, as a Supporter, I feel betrayed, by all of the above, and I want my ST money back

[Halo Stickman]

Let’s look on the bright side fellow Saints, it’s not our mums and dads, spouses or partners, kids or best mates deserting us, it’s just a bunch of blokes most of us have never met who happen to have played for our club these past few years but now want to play for someone else. All we need to do is replace them with some different blokes who want to play for us. They might be better, they might be worse, either way most of us supporters will still be here next summer when we can watch it happen all over again. The Beautiful Game; the Premier Experience; the Southampton Way; Football, bloody hell; Money, Money, Money – it’s one of those, innit?

[CB Fry]

Not that I'm disagreeing with most of what you say ........but it feels like a load of saints fans are just waking up to the fact that this is how the PL is. It was just the same last time we where here. It's not just the PL every league has haves and have nots we where the wealthy big club and acted just the same (along with Norwich and Leeds) in league 1 did we not?

This.

 

Just staggering how so many people are acting surprised at this.

 

It was obvious last season when people like me were begging for us to really go for the cups and Europe and others on here were full of how we weren't ready and how we would "build" for that, and how not ready for Europe we were, and how the team needed more seasons. Just deluded and was never going to happen.

 

As soon as a club like us gets close to the sun it does not mean the next season they will get even closer/smash the glass ceiling etc. It means the stars and/or manager gets picked off.

 

Maybe next time people will understand the time to go for glory is the season you are in, instead of pipedreaming for some "when we're really ready" time over the rainbow.

[Goatboy]

OK Valid points

 

Now, what is your thesis for

 

A) Lovren

 

B) Schneiderlin

 

C) J Rod (when he's fit)

 

You go on about loyalty.?? OK It works both ways. The Club have been "disloyal" to the Players IMHO, because they have changed the Goals and Aspirations that were Marcus's. Katharina's are nothing like the same

 

I for one can understand why there is a Player Exodus. Brought about by the Lady in charge. Cortese could no longer deliver the dream that was Markus's and he left

 

Pochettino felt let down, because the objectives sold to him by Cortese were no longer in existance, he felt "betrayed" so he has left

 

The Players, who played for their Manager, felt "betrayed" and are leaving as soon as they can. Les Reed ... " we want to keep all of our best players "" well, he's doing a great job at that

 

And, as a Supporter, I feel betrayed, by all of the above, and I want my ST money back

 

If I had the money I would gladly buy your season ticket from you just to stop your constant whining. Man up.

[Turkish]

This.

 

Just staggering how so many people are acting surprised at this.

 

It was obvious last season when people like me were begging for us to really go for the cups and Europe and others on here were full of how we weren't ready and how we would "build" for that, and how not ready for Europe we were, and how the team needed more seasons. Just deluded and was never going to happen.

 

As soon as a club like us gets close to the sun it does not mean the next season they will get even closer/smash the glass ceiling etc. It means the stars and/or manager gets picked off.

 

Maybe next time people will understand the time to go for glory is the season you are in, instead of pipedreaming for some "when we're really ready" over the rainbow.

 

I'm pretty sure quite a few of our 'intelligent and enlightened posters' have been at pains over the last few years to assure us that players would all turn down big money moves to big clubs to stay at Southampton and play with their mates. That all you need to make the champions league was a decent a academy and a good manager and the rest would all a lot into place. It was going to happen, it was inevitable in fact, because they once said man would never climb Everest. Or something.

[angelman]

Managers have one goal to work towards. Its always the same and doesn't waver. Saying NCs dream is no longer there is a ridiculous argument. Dreaming with other peoples money is never going to work and NC was naive if he thought it would. I don't think he was naive, just arrogant to think hr could do as he pleased with KL's money.

 

The goal is still there.

[beatlesaint]

I think that this is what has upset me about Lallana. How long ago did he say this? I thought that just maybe he was a little bit different to most modern footballers loyalty-wise. Perhaps Clattenburg was right after all....

 

 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

Yes, for those who cannot understand why Lallana is getting so much stick then for me this is the answer.

That was said just over a year ago if memory serves.

[beatlesaint]

If I could ask Adam some questions, I would ask him this:

 

Do you think you would've been given 3 years to settle in a first team anywhere else?

Do you think any other club would've made you captain despite the presence of other senior members and you not being the best performer, in such a crucial season like the first one back in the PL after a long time?

Do you think any other club (especially a recently-promoted, non-top club) would've allowed you to have the freedom to play in at least two different positions, sometimes in the same match/half, and let you play your game without overloading you with tactical obligations?

 

 

Who knows what his answer would be, but my answer to these questions is quite clearly NO.

 

Lallana had potential, but it was never the sort of Walcott/Bale/Ox/Shaw door-smashing story. He was a player that we put our heart on developing, and very, very, very few players around the world get the approach towards their development Adam got from us. Anywhere else he would've been a talented kid with no confidence who could make a living as a footballer but never a PL highlight. He is now and I dare to say it's more to do with us than him.

 

I wish you well Adam, but don't be surprised if another club doesn't understand or care about you as much as Saints did.

 

Excellent post

[SaintRichmond]

If I had the money I would gladly buy your season ticket from you just to stop your constant whining. Man up.

 

I'll take instalments !!!!

 

I sincerely hope you enjoy the oncoming season.

 

My whining ??? I expect you would of been great on the Titanic ... " keep baling chaps, I think we've got it licked "

[Goatboy]

I'll take instalments !!!!

 

I sincerely hope you enjoy the oncoming season.

 

My whining ??? I expect you would of been great on the Titanic ... " keep baling chaps, I think we've got it licked "

 

You would have been ok. Plastic floats;)

[musesaint]

I've never been so disappointed by a Saints player. Never. All the talk of finishing his career with Saints in the PL. One really good season and he runs for the money.

 

My favourite player for years.

 

Hero to zero.

 

He can fcu*k off to scouseland

[Millbrook Saint]

Feeling very cynical about the Premier League. It isn't a genuine competition except for the 5 or 6 hugely wealth clubs. The rest just slide up and down the lower part of the table with some sliding up and down into and out of the league below. If any club gets towards the upper part of mid-table, the Big Five or Six strip them of their most valuable assets. Not just Saints - after all, even Everton lost their manager, one international and nearly lost a second. The days when teams like Notts Forest, Derby, Ipswich, could rise to the top no longer exist, drowned in the pig's trough of money that these few clubs have out of all proportion to the rest.

 

Selling players valued at £20m or £30m and bringing in players for £10m or £12m is not replacing them, its just providing some cover and cements the club's place as second rate. IF by some accident a transfer-in turns out better than expected, such as Lovren, the player is quickly on the conveyor belt out of the club. The future in this is about on a par with Motherwell in the SPL.

 

It needs the fans to turn their back on the Premier League when a club's best players are poached for anything to ever change, but that isn't going to happen, so we might as well resign ourselves to being second rate and wonder who we will sell next year. Not that this years sales are necessarily over yet.

 

Well put, this is exactly how I feel, more of a resignation to the inevitable. Sky and the Premier league have killed football in this country, all they are interested in is keeping the big teams at the top so they can sell the brand round the world, the rest of us may as well just be a reserve league for these teams on their european conquests, using us to try out players to see if they're worth buying.

 

The sad thing in all this is the fact that what makes the league successful is the likes of us, creating atmosphere at games for which helps the premier league sell itself. They know full well that supporters in this country are pretty much diehard supporters and no matter how much we're shat on will still keep turning up to support our team, if we didn't they might have to look at how to change the setup.

 

Would love fans of all the teams outside of these 'elite' clubs to boycott games against them until the premier league do something about the lack of competitiveness in the league, imagine how that would look on the tv around the globe, empty seats and no atmosphere every time one of these clubs play. Trouble is football is so tribal, when one club gets pillaged, like us at the moment, other clubs see it as an opportunity to take advantage and cement their position. Until all clubs fans can stick together and say enough is enough we'll just continue being shat on.

[pimpin4rizeal]

I think 25 mil for lallana is a rubbish price to be honest, the guy just finished in the top 6 in the pfa awards nominations making him one of the top 6 performers in the prem last year, would the other players go for this price? No chance.

Theres also the sell on clause with bournemouth , the fact he was our captain and best player,so why do we feel the need to only accept what liverpool are ready to pay?

Why couldnt we have said 60m or f off?

[Turkish]

Yes, for those who cannot understand why Lallana is getting so much stick then for me this is the answer.

That was said just over a year ago if memory serves.

 

Not to mention the constant badge kissing, chest thumping and claims to love the club over the last year.

[SaintRichmond]

Not to mention the constant badge kissing, chest thumping and claims to love the club over the last year.

 

 

Careful You'll be accused of whining

[Chicken With A Banjo]

Lallana is irreplacable as far as I am concerned. Far more so then any other Southampton player. I remember going to watch the home leg of thr FA youth cup final we lost against ipswich expecting to be dazzled by Walcott, who was rumoured to be atttacting the interest of real Madrid at the time. It was a front 3 of Walcott, dyer and lallana. Lallana was playing wide left and he was the standout performer for me. Walcott and dyer looked ordinary in comparison. Since then it has been clear to me that Lallana is a really special player. We won't replace him with like for like as it just doesn't exist.

[simo]

Has he passed his medical then ?

[Chez]

We are probably better shot of him.

 

Probably there were one or two Leeds fans saying the same thing as Cantona walked out their door.

[Chez]

 

Maybe next time people will understand the time to go for glory is the season you are in, instead of pipedreaming for some "when we're really ready" time over the rainbow.

Abso ****ing lutely. We had the best squad in years and this was the season to go for the cup win. Wasted opportunity that might come round for a long long time.

[Chez]

Yes, for those who cannot understand why Lallana is getting so much stick then for me this is the answer.

That was said just over a year ago if memory serves.

 

Things change. Getting a move to Liverpool, champions league football and a £25m contract were a million miles away at that point. My advice to you is to not bother listening to manager and player interviews because they are all a complete waste of time. It's all a load of ********, with them just saying exactly what the fans want to hear. Just watch the football...

[Chez]

I think 25 mil for lallana is a rubbish price to be honest, the guy just finished in the top 6 in the pfa awards nominations making him one of the top 6 performers in the prem last year, would the other players go for this price? No chance.

Theres also the sell on clause with bournemouth , the fact he was our captain and best player,so why do we feel the need to only accept what liverpool are ready to pay?

Why couldnt we have said 60m or f off?

 

Not sure about £60m, but agree with your post.

[Chez]

Lallana is irreplacable as far as I am concerned. Far more so then any other Southampton player. I remember going to watch the home leg of thr FA youth cup final we lost against ipswich expecting to be dazzled by Walcott, who was rumoured to be atttacting the interest of real Madrid at the time. It was a front 3 of Walcott, dyer and lallana. Lallana was playing wide left and he was the standout performer for me. Walcott and dyer looked ordinary in comparison. Since then it has been clear to me that Lallana is a really special player. We won't replace him with like for like as it just doesn't exist.

 

Strange you have that memory seeing as Lallana never left the bench in that game.

 

Just for the record we played 442 with Walcott on one side Dyer the other and best and mcgoldrick up front.

[Saint_Ash]

Strange you have that memory seeing as Lallana never left the bench in that game.

 

Just for the record we played 442 with Walcott on one side Dyer the other and best and mcgoldrick up front.

Maybe it's McGoldrick we should be getting 25m for.

[Chicken With A Banjo]

Strange you have that memory seeing as Lallana never left the bench in that game.

 

Just for the record we played 442 with Walcott on one side Dyer the other and best and mcgoldrick up front.

 

Upon researching it, it looks like you are right. Strange trick of memory or possibly erroneous reporting in the media. Perhaps I'm thinking of a different youth game of that era at St marys , but in any case thanks for the correction.

[Victor]

Prof, I agree. I don't really mind selling all the players. if we bomb next season then chances are I'll just give up on football and leave the money obsessed cesspit to others.

 

So much muddled thinking going on on this thread.

 

You don't mind selling players but are going give up on football if selling them results in our 'bombing'?

 

What's the alternative to the position we are in? Do you really want to be in the same position as Chelski or City - would you enjoy it the same as punching above your weight and blooding the noses of the heavyweights?

 

We have been lucky; we have benefitted from a rich investor when we were so nearly down with Stevenage, Portsmouth etc.. There are rich clubs and there are poor clubs; it has ever been thus. When have we been on a level playing field with Manchester United, Arsenal etc.? We are in the limelight because we have done well, we can take pride that the club has produced the most expensive player in Europe, the most expensive teenager.

 

We have money to spend and, probably, an exciting time ahead.

 

Rejoice for Christ's sake!

[ALWAYS_SFC]

OK Valid points

 

Now, what is your thesis for

 

A) Lovren

 

B) Schneiderlin

 

C) J Rod (when he's fit)

 

You go on about loyalty.?? OK It works both ways. The Club have been "disloyal" to the Players IMHO, because they have changed the Goals and Aspirations that were Marcus's. Katharina's are nothing like the same

 

I for one can understand why there is a Player Exodus. Brought about by the Lady in charge. Cortese could no longer deliver the dream that was Markus's and he left

 

Pochettino felt let down, because the objectives sold to him by Cortese were no longer in existance, he felt "betrayed" so he has left

 

The Players, who played for their Manager, felt "betrayed" and are leaving as soon as they can. Les Reed ... " we want to keep all of our best players "" well, he's doing a great job at that

 

And, as a Supporter, I feel betrayed, by all of the above, and I want my ST money back

 

Did you cry as you typed that...lol...as Goatboy said "man up"

Have you sent a letter to SFC asking for your money back, add some of your post and they will surely oblige

[SaintRichmond]

Did you cry as you typed that...lol...as Goatboy said "man up"

Have you sent a letter to SFC asking for your money back, add some of your post and they will surely oblige

 

 

I'm very pleased that you are pleased that SFC is being run as you would like

 

Any comments of your own would be welcomed, but I won't hold my breath

[Weston Saint]

On a lighter note

 

Adam Lallana on his move to Liverpool

"It's a dream move for me. It just seemed the most logical way to avoid getting bitten next season".

[Fitzhugh Fella]

This.

 

Just staggering how so many people are acting surprised at this.

 

It was obvious last season when people like me were begging for us to really go for the cups and Europe and others on here were full of how we weren't ready and how we would "build" for that, and how not ready for Europe we were, and how the team needed more seasons. Just deluded and was never going to happen.

 

As soon as a club like us gets close to the sun it does not mean the next season they will get even closer/smash the glass ceiling etc. It means the stars and/or manager gets picked off.

 

Maybe next time people will understand the time to go for glory is the season you are in, instead of pipedreaming for some "when we're really ready" time over the rainbow.

Spot on

[S-Clarke]

This.

 

Just staggering how so many people are acting surprised at this.

 

It was obvious last season when people like me were begging for us to really go for the cups and Europe and others on here were full of how we weren't ready and how we would "build" for that, and how not ready for Europe we were, and how the team needed more seasons. Just deluded and was never going to happen.

 

As soon as a club like us gets close to the sun it does not mean the next season they will get even closer/smash the glass ceiling etc. It means the stars and/or manager gets picked off.

 

Maybe next time people will understand the time to go for glory is the season you are in, instead of pipedreaming for some "when we're really ready" time over the rainbow.

 

Post of the decade. As sad as it is to read!

[SaintRobbie]

I've been campaigning for years on here for a statue or bust of Matt Le Tissier at the Players Entrance at Saint Mary's with a plinth and LOYALTY in big brass letters on it.

 

Our youth set up should have LOYALTY as their motto. Ingrained into them before the agents arrive and tempt their parents.

 

Unlikely to work, but would still like a bust of LeGod there!

[Weston Saint]

Feeling very cynical about the Premier League. It isn't a genuine competition except for the 5 or 6 hugely wealth clubs. The rest just slide up and down the lower part of the table with some sliding up and down into and out of the league below. If any club gets towards the upper part of mid-table, the Big Five or Six strip them of their most valuable assets. Not just Saints - after all, even Everton lost their manager, one international and nearly lost a second. The days when teams like Notts Forest, Derby, Ipswich, could rise to the top no longer exist, drowned in the pig's trough of money that these few clubs have out of all proportion to the rest.

 

Selling players valued at £20m or £30m and bringing in players for £10m or £12m is not replacing them, its just providing some cover and cements the club's place as second rate. IF by some accident a transfer-in turns out better than expected, such as Lovren, the player is quickly on the conveyor belt out of the club. The future in this is about on a par with Motherwell in the SPL.

 

It needs the fans to turn their back on the Premier League when a club's best players are poached for anything to ever change, but that isn't going to happen, so we might as well resign ourselves to being second rate and wonder who we will sell next year. Not that this years sales are necessarily over yet.

 

This is how I feel. We do not have the income (under financial fair play) to pay the wages required to gain or keep players to take us to the next level. Just like those outside of the top 4 or 5. It is they way of things now and it will remain the way of things in the future.

 

I already have my season ticket so will continue to support this coming season but I think this will be my last year! Outside the top 12 at the end of next season and that will be it for me. Increase in season ticket more than inflation next season and that will also count against. I am lucky that I can afford Itchen central and Hampshire Cricket Executive Membership plus dining. However I am not going to continue to feed this obscene beast that is the Premier League unless it is on my terms. I will support from the armchair if we do not achieve my targets!