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Kreuger Interviews 29/07/2014


davesaint

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I'm just transcribing it, will upload the rest when complete...

 

SSN: ...why have these players been sold?

 

Krueger : "Good afternoon, quite clearly we entered the transfer window with a plan. We have a clear strategic approach to this summer and we did not put any players for sale, what we did say was we would watch the process, we would listen and we would look for how the team was gonna evolve out of our rebuild, and it was quite clear that we had multiple players interested in taking a shortcut to Champions League football and we set premiums on the players and we reached those premiums.

 

It was in the best interests of the club and in the best interests of our rebuild to make these deals and to continue to go forward with players and with a team that wants to go the hard way into Europe".

 

SSN: So you say they wanted to go the hard way, the players who are still there. You're suggesting that the players who have left have indicated they wanted to leave in the first place?

 

K: "Yes, I mean there was interest there. We saw that interest brewing a little bit before the World Cup and quite clearly we stayed patient, we didn't make quick deals in any way shape or form, our executive level has been working outstanding hours and have put good deals together that give us a strong position to reinvest and a strong position to rebuild"...

 

SSN: Has Financial Fair Play had anything to do with it as well?

 

K: "No, none of these deals were made on financial reasons alone, I mean we were completely ready also to have players stay in Southampton even against their desires, [if] we didn't reach our target prices, and these were not financial decisions. Now we have finances and once again we're excited to to continue in the rebuilding process. In the next few weeks we will have players coming in, we will have transfers to strengthen the squad and I can understand some frustration maybe in and around our fans, but we needed to stay silent to bring in the best deals for the club".

 

SSN: So you have got the finances and you've got some good players there already, but the Southampton fans will want to know about what the latest is on Morgan Schneiderlin and Jay Rodriguez because they're heavily linked with moves?

 

K: "They are part of the core that we have decided to keep in Southampton, Jay Rodriguez and Morgan Schneiderlin are not for sale and they will be a part of our club as we enter the new season and in and around Jay Rodriguez and Morgan Schneiderlin and the rest of our core players we're excited to continue to build forward - but all of those stories are false."

 

SSN: So just to reiterate... the Southampton fans have guarantees that Schneiderlin and Rodriguez will still be at Southampton come September..?

 

K: "That's correct. And it is come September that's judgement day and I think people need to realise, we are in a process right now, that the match is far from over, and on September 1st let's have a conversation.

 

SSN: Southampton fans will be delighted to hear about that, they also want to know about players coming in, you've reiterated that you are looking to bring players in, now we do understand that you're expecting to sign 3 players by the end of this week, why are you so confident, are those deals close to being done?

 

K: "I mean, just like we have, in and amongst our plan it was to get the right deals and the right players. Ronald Koeman has done an outstanding job with his staff thus far in our preseason we're extremely pleased with the work that's going on at St Mary's and we know that we're going in the right way but we also know that he needs more players and that we need more depth in our line-up, and it's not about getting them in today or tomorrow it's about getting in the right players and the right deal that fits the way Ronald wants to play, the way we wanna play. We want to continue to play attractive football in Southampton and we will do that, and we want to, er, we want to give him the players that are necessary. Of course we would all like to see these in sooner than later [that bit wasn't clear?] but we will make the deals at the time and we feel they are right for the club".

 

SSN: I appreciate that but do you feel these 3 players that you're targeting at the moment - I know you say you don't mind when they come in, but are Southampton fans - can they expect these deals to be done in the next few days?

 

K: "Again I don't want to put that pressure on anybody, I believe that we are very close to a few deals, and that by the time we're kicking off against Liverpool - of course for Ronald and his staff it's much better that we get them in tomorrow so that he can begin the process of building and integrating them into the team and into the system of play - that we are, we are working as quickly as possible to make that a fact. I don't like to speak in definites when I don't know"

 

SSN: Ok that's fair enough, Mauricio Pochettino last season and before that Nigel Adkins they relied heavily on the youth system, they clearly were impressed with Southampton's youth system, from what you know so far, is Ronald Koeman also as impressed?

 

K: He's very excited, number one we have the most beautiful facility in St Mary's, now our new training ground is world class and it's bringing a lot of energy into the team and the squad and he's very impressed with the work that's going on in the Academy. You look at our leadership group there, and under the leadership of Les Reed what's happening and and Martin Hunter our Technical Director there, it's just outstanding, and it continues to be that, we are not only building great players there, we're building great people and it's these values and this character that we're looking for in the players we bring in now in the transfer market so that we truly have a squad where everybody is pulling in the same direction.

 

SSN: And what qualities was it about Ronald Koeman that actually attracted him to you?

 

K: He has no ego, it's amazing, when I look at Ronald Koeman and I see the kind of human being he is, if you look at his background, he can come in with a swagger, and he could be quite, er, telling everybody what to do. He leads by example, he's a person who is there for Southampton, he has a long term vision and wants to build with us long term, he's not just in it for any short term stint to get to the next level, he wants to be with us and he's there for all the right reasons. I have not seen one egotistical move on his part, everything has been in the interests of the group, he understands what we need to do, he's been extremely patient with the Executive Board which I want to say is doing an outstanding job, a whole new group that's come together here only in the past few months, and Ronald has become a key piece in the puzzle of keeping the Saints on that level that everybody saw them last season.

 

And we know it's going to be a challenging season, we realise that nothing will be easy and every day we will have to fight and work hard but we are doing that now behind the scenes and our fans will be pleased with the final product I'm sure".

 

...my recording ran out at this point, the rest of it was about challenges of being able to beat anyone in the league, results might not come immediately.

Edited by The9
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From the Echo: BIG claim if true:

 

“We see them as part of a core and the core we’ve got right now and in place is a core that is where Ronald would like to go and they a part of that core.

 

 

That's plagiarism...

 

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know - Donald Rumsfeld
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Well, there was only really one stand out comment in amongst all the pre-empted waffle. ''I guarantee that Morgan and Jay will be here by September, absolutely gaurentee. They will not be sold and they are part of this''

 

Now, if they are sold - then the board have just opened themselves up to an absolute hammering on protest levels, and they've just put Ralf out there to be hung by the masses. If either are sold now, then every single person on the board needs to go - their positions will then become untenable.

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Well, there was only really one stand out comment in amongst all the pre-empted waffle. ''I guarantee that Morgan and Jay will be here by September, absolutely gaurentee. They will not be sold and they are part of this''

 

Now, if they are sold - then the board have just opened themselves up to an absolute hammering on protest levels, and they've just put Ralf out there to be hung by the masses. If either are sold now, then every single person on the board needs to go - their positions will then become untenable.

How would anybody buy Rodrigues with his injury. He will be fattened up for slaughter at Xmas and then sold in January.
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Well, there was only really one stand out comment in amongst all the pre-empted waffle. ''I guarantee that Morgan and Jay will be here by September, absolutely gaurentee. They will not be sold and they are part of this''

 

Now, if they are sold - then the board have just opened themselves up to an absolute hammering on protest levels, and they've just put Ralf out there to be hung by the masses. If either are sold now, then every single person on the board needs to go - their positions will then become untenable.

so in theory they could be sold on the 1st September and he'd be off the hook. Anyway there is going to be a massive problem because Morgan wants to leave.

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Interesting that someone has finally uttered the words 'not for sale'.

Should have happened much earlier.

Maybe debacle that was Chambers departure has had some positive repercussions as well as the serious negative ones in terms of loss a quality academy player.

Still in an utter mess but maybe they can dampen down the vibe of Saints as a crisis club that must be deterring decent potential signings.

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This is the message that should have gone out after the sales of Lambert, Lallana and Shaw - a much more definite not for sale.

 

However, I have zero confidence that we will stick to this based on what's happened to date. I suspect Morgan will ask to leave and then we will cave in again saying that we had no choice. I think Jay is more likely to stay but only because of his injury.

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and if a massive bid came in? talked himself into a corner, Im not sure if he was true to his words in his last interview
Yeah, too right, we don't want any of these public guarantees of players staying do we, what a joke! Edited by Sour Mash
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"I believe that we are very close to a few deals"

 

"For Ronald, it's best to get the players in tomorrow. We are working as quickly as possible."

 

"Our fans will be pleased with the final product, I am sure."

 

re-signing Cork and Fonte tomorrow would be a start.

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So what we have heard so far this afternoon is that J Rod and Spider are staying, and that we are working on 3 signings before the weekend, which are a GK, defender and forward who will be 'young, english talent'.

 

So let's speculate and say it's Forster, van Dijk and Ings coming in. That would mean, if Krueger is true to his word, a side/ squad more like:

 

------------------Pelle--------------------

---J Rod------Ramirez------Tadic----

------------Spider----Big Vic---------------

Targett—Fonte—Van Dijk----Clyne

-----------------Forster-------------

 

Subs: Boruc, Yoshida, Davis, JWP, Cork, Gallagher, Ings

 

Squad: Gazza, Hooiveld, Sharp, Mayuka, Isgrove, McQueen, Reed + youth players

 

Still need a proper LB, and another forward of PL quality. And bearing in mind J Rod won't be fit until October, probably a wide player too. And the wider squad is very weak once we start getting injuries.

 

But it would look better…

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