Defectors Watch

[OldNick]

as much as I dislike Liverpool you really have to admire their inter play when they are clicking. Klopp will make them a title contender if not this season , next

[ENSKIED]

I suppose he has to something right, sometime, but watching the match replays I noticed that the Chelsea defence were AWOL. Their defending was non-existent.

 

When the cross came in.... there were 5-6 Chelsea players holding hands in front of goal, whilst there were 5 Liverpool players totally free in the far post area.

 

Lovren had a totally free header and could hardly miss. Chelsea were atrocious.

 

Dave be fair, you must have watched lots of football down the years? Any player, even the world's greatest can and do miss sitters. Lovren took it well and painful I know but he has gradually become immense for Liverpool, along with Lallana, Clyne and of course the mercurial Mane.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v04htGzxNaM

[Dangermouth]

Dave be fair, you must have watched lots of football down the years? Any player, even the world's greatest can and do miss sitters. Lovren took it well and painful I know but he has gradually become immense for Liverpool, along with Lallana, Clyne and of course the mercurial Mane.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v04htGzxNaM

 

Morning you Scouse git (no we've never met, but it's nice to see you come and post here and it's usually both intelligent and sensible so you're showing the Southerners up). I had you down to finish 3rd this season - City will win it - best players nothing much to do with the manager other than he doesn't have the failings of his predecessors and it'll be Spurs or Arsenal who'll just pip you. I think Puel has more chance of being UTD's manager after 3 years rather than Mourinho and I do wonder if they actually will challenge for the title during his undoubtedly fractious tenure.

 

Do please tell your scouts you've bled us dry, however, unless you want a back up to Clyne in which case how does £90 million for Cedric sound? Cheap? Ok, 200, after all you are our best customer and after we've all finished laughing at Pogba we'll need to find someone else to provide us with amusement.

 

Any tips for us on how to deal with the Sunday-Thursday schtick? It's new to us you see.

[Shroppie]

I suppose he has to something right, sometime, but watching the match replays I noticed that the Chelsea defence were AWOL. Their defending was non-existent.

 

When the cross came in.... there were 5-6 Chelsea players holding hands in front of goal, whilst there were 5 Liverpool players totally free in the far post area.

 

Lovren had a totally free header and could hardly miss. Chelsea were atrocious.

Except that he didn't have a header. He scored with his foot.

 

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[Shroppie]

I have to confess that I really can't feel any animosity towards our Liverpool defectors any more.

 

I like Klopp, think they're playing great exciting football and it's good to see it's built around ex-Saints. Yes, sad that they left, but it's water under the bridge.

 

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[Saint_Tony]

Quite painful seeing Liverpool playing well. If they'd bought an extra defender or two in the summer they might have had a chance of the title. With no European competition I think they're certainties for a top 4 finish

 

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[OldNick]

I have to confess that I really can't feel any animosity towards our Liverpool defectors any more.

 

I like Klopp, think they're playing great exciting football and it's good to see it's built around ex-Saints. Yes, sad that they left, but it's water under the bridge.

 

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sadly it probably will be the closest to us ever winning the league.

[hutch]

I'm resigned to finishing behind United, City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea every season, so none of their results bother me. Everybody else is a target.

[Heisenberg]

Will be interesting to see how Liverpool get on.

 

Will be a good indication of how well we could have done if we didn't sell our best player and lose our manager each year.

 

Liverpool are the that ambitious club that we coulda, shoulda been.

[hutch]

Will be interesting to see how Liverpool get on.

 

Will be a good indication of how well we could have done if we didn't sell our best player and lose our manager each year.

 

Liverpool are the that ambitious club that we coulda, shoulda been.

 

Yeah, it was nice for their fans to get a night out under the floodlights last night. It must have reminded them of the old days.

[Dark Munster]

Will be interesting to see how Liverpool get on.

 

Will be a good indication of how well we could have done if we didn't sell our best player and lose our manager each year.

 

Liverpool are the that ambitious club that we coulda, shoulda been.

Liverpool are a huge club who've achieved it all. Their ambition is to regain the level they are expected to achieve. That's quite different than for clubs our size.

[Heisenberg]

Liverpool are a huge club who've achieved it all. Their ambition is to regain the level they are expected to achieve. That's quite different than for clubs our size.

 

OK so because we've never won the league we should accept that we will never win and be happy to just be in the same league as these winners?

 

Sorry pal but show me a good loser, I'll show you a loser!!

[CB Fry]

OK so because we've never won the league we should accept that we will never win and be happy to just be in the same league as these winners?

 

Sorry pal but show me a good loser, I'll show you a loser!!

You don't accept we probably won't ever win the league. You winner you. Just remind me what difference it makes?

[Heisenberg]

You don't accept we probably won't ever win the league. You winner you. Just remind me what difference it makes?

 

Under the current ownership and "plan" we will not win the league.

 

However realistically could the below team win the league? Weve had the players and managers last few years, we just sold them.

 

Manager - Pochettino or Koeman

 

GK - Forster / Boruc

LB - Shaw / Bertrand

RB - Chambers / Clyne

CB - Alderweired, Fonte, VVD, Lovren

Mid - Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Tadic, Höjbjerg, Davis, Lallana

Att - Mane, Boufal, Pelle, Long, Austin

[Dark Munster]

OK so because we've never won the league we should accept that we will never win and be happy to just be in the same league as these winners?

 

Sorry pal but show me a good loser, I'll show you a loser!!

Who's saying that? Being realistic about where we currently are in the pecking order doesn't preclude being ambitious in the long term.

[Dark Munster]

Under the current ownership and "plan" we will not win the league.

 

However realistically could the below team win the league? Weve had the players and managers last few years, we just sold them.

 

Manager - Pochettino or Koeman

 

GK - Forster / Boruc

LB - Shaw / Bertrand

RB - Chambers / Clyne

CB - Alderweired, Fonte, VVD, Lovren

Mid - Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Tadic, Höjbjerg, Davis, Lallana

Att - Mane, Boufal, Pelle, Long, Austin

We offered improved contracts to most we sold. Is it the club's fault they refused to sign? Many were sold with one year left on their contract.

The only player I think the club should've held on for one more year is Mane.

[Heisenberg]

We offered improved contracts to most we sold. Is it the club's fault they refused to sign? Many were sold with one year left on their contract.

The only player I think the club should've held on for one more year is Mane.

 

IMHO yes it is the clubs fault - top players want 2 things; decent wages and a genuine chance to win medals. We offer neither and will continue to lose top players until we change things

[Lighthouse]

We offered improved contracts to most we sold. Is it the club's fault they refused to sign? Many were sold with one year left on their contract.

The only player I think the club should've held on for one more year is Mane.

 

And written off £20m in value. Financially speaking, keeping Mané for another year was about as good as the whole Osvaldo saga.

[Heisenberg]

And written off £20m in value. Financially speaking, keeping Mané for another year was about as good as the whole Osvaldo saga.

 

We could have got £20m+ for Mane next summer easy! WBA turned down £20m+ offers for Berahino this summer

 

We sold Mane for same fee as Sissoko ffs

[Saint-Fred]

Under the current ownership and "plan" we will not win the league.

 

However realistically could the below team win the league? Weve had the players and managers last few years, we just sold them.

 

Manager - Pochettino or Koeman

 

GK - Forster / Boruc

LB - Shaw / Bertrand

RB - Chambers / Clyne

CB - Alderweired, Fonte, VVD, Lovren

Mid - Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Tadic, Höjbjerg, Davis, Lallana

Att - Mane, Boufal, Pelle, Long, Austin

 

Actually without selling Shaw lallana lovren etc we Could never afford to have bought all of Tadic/Mane/Pelle/Long/Forster so there is no real situation where we could have ended up with that squad/team.

[CB Fry]

Under the current ownership and "plan" we will not win the league.

 

 

OK so because we've never won the league we should accept that we will never win and be happy to just be in the same league as these winners?

 

Sorry pal but show me a good loser, I'll show you a loser!!

[Batman]

And written off £20m in value. Financially speaking, keeping Mané for another year was about as good as the whole Osvaldo saga.

 

Rubbish

[Lighthouse]

We could have got £20m+ for Mane next summer easy! WBA turned down £20m+ offers for Berahino this summer

 

We sold Mane for same fee as Sissoko ffs

 

All depends on who's bidding. Because Palace and Stoke were both after him, that pushed the price up. With Clyne and Wanyama, Liverpool and Spurs were the only clubs seriously bidding so we got less.

 

Either way, a player with only a year left puts us in a much weaker position to negotiate.

 

Also Mané was not the same as Sissoko. The former was anything up to £38m with add ons, the latter is £30m. With that margin for error you might as well say we signed Redmond on a free.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Under the current ownership and "plan" we will not win the league.

 

However realistically could the below team win the league? Weve had the players and managers last few years, we just sold them.

 

Manager - Pochettino or Koeman

 

GK - Forster / Boruc

LB - Shaw / Bertrand

RB - Chambers / Clyne

CB - Alderweired, Fonte, VVD, Lovren

Mid - Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Tadic, Höjbjerg, Davis, Lallana

Att - Mane, Boufal, Pelle, Long, Austin

 

Manager Redknapp

 

GK David James

RB Glen Johnson

LB HH

CB Sol Campbell , Distan

Mid Diarra, Krancjar , Muntari , Mendes , Diop

Forwards Defoe Kanu

 

If only we'd shown the same ambition we could win the cup and be as prosperous as them .

[wadesmith]

Under the current ownership and "plan" we will not win the league.

 

However realistically could the below team win the league? Weve had the players and managers last few years, we just sold them.

 

Manager - Pochettino or Koeman

 

GK - Forster / Boruc

LB - Shaw / Bertrand

RB - Chambers / Clyne

CB - Alderweired, Fonte, VVD, Lovren

Mid - Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Tadic, Höjbjerg, Davis, Lallana

Att - Mane, Boufal, Pelle, Long, Austin

 

Surely we had to sell a lot of the players above, in order to buy a lot of the players above? Ie they couldn't ever have played in the same team?

[Faz]

I see Luke Shaw has come in for some direct criticism from Mourinho. Coming after Van Gaal's criticism for his fitness, it looks like we got the better end of the Shaw/Bertrand scenario, plus £20m profit. Bertrand is just as good a defender, but offers much more going forward imo.

 

I appreciate Luke is still young and learning, but he's on big wages and so big pressure comes with that. He has to be the finished article at that price/wage - a bit like Pogba, who also doesn't look to be the finished article.

[John Boy Saint]

I see Luke Shaw has come in for some direct criticism from Mourinho. Coming after Van Gaal's criticism for his fitness, it looks like we got the better end of the Shaw/Bertrand scenario, plus £20m profit. Bertrand is just as good a defender, but offers much more going forward imo.

 

I appreciate Luke is still young and learning, but he's on big wages and so big pressure comes with that. He has to be the finished article at that price/wage - a bit like Pogba, who also doesn't look to be the finished article.

If anyone at United thinks even for that kind of money Shaw is the finished article, then their buying policy round the twist. But after 3 managers I would imagine that the fact that they bought the future potential rather than the finished article has been lost along the way, not forgetting that he is English and home grown heavily loaded his price tag. Missing last season with a nasty injury doesn't help his cause.

Looking at the United team and Joses finger pointing blame games, you can see that Shaw is probably one of the easier players to pick on. Especially when you think that not long after leaving us Mummy and Daddy Shaw were reportedly seeking a meeting with United because young Master Shaw was not getting the support and affection he was getting only a matter of weeks before from Saints............... I have no sympathy, he decided that he wanted the £100k and to swim with the big Sharks, either learn to swim faster or just become flotsam, United have the spending power to just shrug their shoulders if he wilts and fades out the door.

[angelman]

Wasn't there always a concern over his fitness and growth? Or was that the "justification" in selling?

[Super_Uwe]

I see Luke Shaw has come in for some direct criticism from Mourinho. Coming after Van Gaal's criticism for his fitness, it looks like we got the better end of the Shaw/Bertrand scenario, plus £20m profit. Bertrand is just as good a defender, but offers much more going forward imo.

 

I appreciate Luke is still young and learning, but he's on big wages and so big pressure comes with that. He has to be the finished article at that price/wage - a bit like Pogba, who also doesn't look to be the finished article.

 

Yeah I saw that this morning as well.

 

I noticed that Schneiderlin got a run-out in the Europa League, then didn't even make the bench for the Watford game. Not happening for him at all this season.

[Whitey Grandad]

Wasn't there always a concern over his fitness and growth? Or was that the "justification" in selling?

 

I think the justification was the big cheque that was being waved in our faces.

[richard]

Yeah I saw that this morning as well.

 

I noticed that Schneiderlin got a run-out in the Europa League, then didn't even make the bench for the Watford game. Not happening for him at all this season.

 

Come home Morgan.

[Saint IQ]

Come home Morgan.

 

If Koeman wanted Clasie I would swiftly buy Morgan back and sell him to Everton. Problem with Clasie is he's decent but not much better than and a very similar player to Reed, who is a product of our youth system and should really be playing more at his age. He's never really disappointed whenever he's played too.

[scotty]

Wasn't there always a concern over his fitness and growth? Or was that the "justification" in selling?

 

I faintly remember something like that as well, a long time before he moved. Can't recall where though, might have just been a rumour on here.

[Nordic Saint]

If Koeman wanted Clasie I would swiftly buy Morgan back and sell him to Everton. Problem with Clasie is he's decent but not much better than and a very similar player to Reed, who is a product of our youth system and should really be playing more at his age. He's never really disappointed whenever he's played too.

 

Clasie is a very poor version of Schneiderlin. He really isn't like Reed as he doesn't have that teriier-like aggression. To me, it always appears that Clasie and Ward-Prowse are nice lads so they don't really offend anyone but they have very little impact on a game. either offensively or defensively.

[david in sweden]

It wasn't a header mate but other than that you are right

 

of course it wasn't, I see that now.

 

In my own defence, I was so shocked at seeing so many Chelsea defenders " ball-watching " that I didn't pay that much attention to the manner of (Lovren) scoring.

 

That sequence ought to go in a training video on..... " How NOT to defend "

 

I don't think I've seen so many unmarked players available with a scoring chance....Lovren was closest and did well NOT to miss.

[doddisalegend]

I see this is Everton's best start in (10?) years. Koeman is really something else as a manager.

 

Doing his usual early exit from the cup though...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37345998

[Miltonaggro]

Doing his usual early exit from the cup though...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37345998

 

 

The Toffees push for the Champions League is on! Itsh all about the ambishion...

[ENSKIED]

Morning you Scouse git (no we've never met, but it's nice to see you come and post here and it's usually both intelligent and sensible so you're showing the Southerners up). I had you down to finish 3rd this season - City will win it - best players nothing much to do with the manager other than he doesn't have the failings of his predecessors and it'll be Spurs or Arsenal who'll just pip you. I think Puel has more chance of being UTD's manager after 3 years rather than Mourinho and I do wonder if they actually will challenge for the title during his undoubtedly fractious tenure.

 

Do please tell your scouts you've bled us dry, however, unless you want a back up to Clyne in which case how does £90 million for Cedric sound? Cheap? Ok, 200, after all you are our best customer and after we've all finished laughing at Pogba we'll need to find someone else to provide us with amusement.

 

Any tips for us on how to deal with the Sunday-Thursday schtick? It's new to us you see.

 

Hi DM, thank you for your very kind post.

 

Yes, the reason I commenced posting on here was due to the fact Liverpool were in a sense plundering your club, loving football as I do not just my team, ergo Southampton FC is as important a club as say Real Madrid is, as is say lowly Rochdale FC to any other club we care to mention and I grew concerned over the last few years that the "obscene" money suffusing the game may well cause its ruin, I now have developed an affinity for the Saints and of course a number of Scousers have been instrumental in helping develop this great club, rattling a few off the top of my head; Case, Adkins, Lee, Lambert with honorary Scousers once removed in the form of Ball and Keegan. In essence then it can be debated that Big Business has to a large extent hijacked the game we all love, so let's be honest here, if that's IF the Saints had been able to hang on to their finest, is there any doubt they would, with the right manager also on board, be challenging Real Madrid, Barca and Bayern et al for the ECL? The sad part is that Mane, Bale, Lovren, Lallana, Clyne, Shaw, et al are now showing for the respective clubs that that would probably be the case.

 

This knowledge brings pain, as is evident with Saints fans [as indeed it would with most football fans] as they hope their defectors in the Mane fail [sorry couldn't help that]. It would be "nice" to have seen the Saints indeed hold on to their prime assets, unfortunately money rules and the players like most of us follow the big money and Saints fans, as indeed West Ham fans of not that long ago, in regard to Cole, Ferdinand, Lampard, Carrick, Johnson, Tevez, Mascherano etc. are left to lament the constant sale of their prime assets. IMHO if West Ham had been able to hold on their best at that time the they would, with the right manager at the helm, have won the Title what, say 4-5 times?

 

As for Saints and the Sunday-Thursday schtick you mention I think most Saints fans understand that your squad isn't deep enough in terms of experience to pull off a combined EL and EPL high-spot, one or two major injuries could prove crucial. Though having said that footy can surprise us - that's one of its endearing traits in that the likes of Real Madrid or Barca, [sevilla] should with absolute, undoubted certainty defeat the likes of Saints every time, however, there is always that undercurrent of footy uncertainty, so the likes of Bradford go to Stamford Bridge and put 4 past Chelsea. So hope within us fans springs eternal, however, overall the teams that spend the most always tend to win the most. So if anything will undo the Saints it will probably be squad depth and cutting-edge experience. Yet that hope, however seemingly slim, will among many of us never be denied! Here's hoping that the Saints win the EL!

[farawaysaint]

Hi DM, thank you for your very kind post.

 

Yes, the reason I commenced posting on here was due to the fact Liverpool were in a sense plundering your club, loving football as I do not just my team, ergo Southampton FC is as important a club as say Real Madrid is, as is say lowly Rochdale FC to any other club we care to mention and I grew concerned over the last few years that the "obscene" money suffusing the game may well cause its ruin, I now have developed an affinity for the Saints and of course a number of Scousers have been instrumental in helping develop this great club, rattling a few off the top of my head; Case, Adkins, Lee, Lambert with honorary Scousers once removed in the form of Ball and Keegan. In essence then it can be debated that Big Business has to a large extent hijacked the game we all love, so let's be honest here, if that's IF the Saints had been able to hang on to their finest, is there any doubt they would, with the right manager also on board, be challenging Real Madrid, Barca and Bayern et al for the ECL? The sad part is that Mane, Bale, Lovren, Lallana, Clyne, Shaw, et al are now showing for the respective clubs that that would probably be the case.

 

This knowledge brings pain, as is evident with Saints fans [as indeed it would with most football fans] as they hope their defectors in the Mane fail [sorry couldn't help that]. It would be "nice" to have seen the Saints indeed hold on to their prime assets, unfortunately money rules and the players like most of us follow the big money and Saints fans, as indeed West Ham fans of not that long ago, in regard to Cole, Ferdinand, Lampard, Carrick, Johnson, Tevez, Mascherano etc. are left to lament the constant sale of their prime assets. IMHO if West Ham had been able to hold on their best at that time the they would, with the right manager at the helm, have won the Title what, say 4-5 times?

 

As for Saints and the Sunday-Thursday schtick you mention I think most Saints fans understand that your squad isn't deep enough in terms of experience to pull off a combined EL and EPL high-spot, one or two major injuries could prove crucial. Though having said that footy can surprise us - that's one of its endearing traits in that the likes of Real Madrid or Barca, [sevilla] should with absolute, undoubted certainty defeat the likes of Saints every time, however, there is always that undercurrent of footy uncertainty, so the likes of Bradford go to Stamford Bridge and put 4 past Chelsea. So hope within us fans springs eternal, however, overall the teams that spend the most always tend to win the most. So if anything will undo the Saints it will probably be squad depth and cutting-edge experience. Yet that hope, however seemingly slim, will among many of us never be denied! Here's hoping that the Saints win the EL!

 

I want to like this post but it feels patronising I'm just going to assume you had the best intentions.

[ENSKIED]

I want to like this post but it feels patronising I'm just going to assume you had the best intentions.

 

"Assume as thou wilt sir, for thou must maketh it profound unto they very own self, if indeed no one else, while to others it is foolishness committed to words!" [Malory] "The truth comes in many guises" [Wittgenstein]. ;)For some of course the truth itself becomes contention. So farawaysaint instead of making assumptions that suit your own predilection [the first quote] why not take what is written to task and prove it's incorrect, it might make me spend a fiver, but it could be worth it

[SonicBoom]

All Man U fans I have ever met are swaggering, pompous, self important, arrogant, myopic, ignorant and self obsessed. I particularly hate that "you've only come to see United" song which sums up their attitude.

However this post seems to be from a decent fan of not only united, but one that can see the wider picture and has a genuine love of the game itself.

 

I don't know what to think. I'm going to have to go and lie down and re-evaluate everything I thought I knew about the world.

[farawaysaint]

All Man U fans I have ever met are swaggering, pompous, self important, arrogant, myopic, ignorant and self obsessed. I particularly hate that "you've only come to see United" song which sums up their attitude.

However this post seems to be from a decent fan of not only united, but one that can see the wider picture and has a genuine love of the game itself.

 

I don't know what to think. I'm going to have to go and lie down and re-evaluate everything I thought I knew about the world.

 

He's a Liverpool fan so if that was done on purpose well done

[Miltonaggro]

"Assume as thou wilt sir, for thou must maketh it profound unto they very own self, if indeed no one else, while to others it is foolishness committed to words!" [Malory] "The truth comes in many guises" [Wittgenstein]. ;)For some of course the truth itself becomes contention. So farawaysaint instead of making assumptions that suit your own predilection [the first quote] why not take what is written to task and prove it's incorrect, it might make me spend a fiver, but it could be worth it

 

I like Enskied. In terms of the vast majority of Liverpool supporters a rare grounded good egg, very much an Albert Speer!

[Shroppie]

I see Morgan reaping the rewards of his move. Gets to play in the big glamorous games against the likes of Northampton. ?

 

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[scotty]

I see Morgan reaping the rewards of his move. Gets to play in the big glamorous games against the likes of Northampton. ?

 

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

 

He's reaping the rewards of his move alright, I doubt I could begin to guess at his bank balance.

[Nordic Saint]

I see Morgan reaping the rewards of his move. Gets to play in the big glamorous games against the likes of Northampton.

 

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

 

Currently, getting slated on R5 for his poor performance. 'He's lost all confidence". Where will he end up? Bournemouth perhaps?

[St Chalet]

Morgan didn't burn his bridges when he left. He can do better than Bournemouth. I'd love to see him back, although suspect Spurs or a European move is more likely.

[Nordic Saint]

Schneiderlin doesn't even make the subs bench for Premier League games now. Bournemouth here he comes?

[SuperSAINT]

Currently, getting slated on R5 for his poor performance. 'He's lost all confidence". Where will he end up? Bournemouth perhaps?

 

Everton.

[Saints foreva]

Everton or Spurs.