September One - Judgement Day

[Batman]

What is good, is that the club are very clearly backing the manager

he seems to know an awful lot about these players and seem a tad removed from being scouted so to speak

 

Pelle

Tadic

Mane

Alderwierald

[Fowllyd]

Utter b*ll*cks. I might be overly negative, but I rarely apply sarcasm and sneering to my responses, and I dish out a fraction of what I get in terms of abuse.

 

Two points. First, your posts are frequently laced with sneering and insults to other posters. Second, if another poster were to describe one of your posts as "utter b*ll*cks" you'd be complaining about abuse.

[Puddings and Monkeys]

Staying balanced throughout the turmoil was never about point scoring or acting superior - it's about acting like an adult. Pragmatism and emotion need not be mutually exclusive.

 

Some have said that you can only work with the information you're given but that goes both ways. So many ridiculous assumptions were made and conclusions jumped to about who would be leaving; Katharina Liebherr's intentions; the board's and staff's competencies etc. All without the possession of facts or substantiation. Basing opinions and emotions on diddly squat is instantly setting yourself up to look daft.

 

Over-use of terms such as 'fire sale' and 'meltdown' were media constructs as much as anything. Incorrect terminology angled towards crafting a narrative and - if you believe the conspiracies - carefully targeted by friends of the 'big boys' towards destabilising our remaining playing personnel. It's been an interesting contrast to see how little we've been talked about since the signings started rolling in.

 

The so-called 'silence' from the club was punctuated by relatively frequent statements. When they talked, it was claimed they said the wrong things. When they remained silent and asked for our patience that was wrong too. Some of the comments and slurs directed towards our club's owner and board were nothing short of shameful. Even on the less extreme end of the scale, the sense of entitlement and constant need to have metaphorical heads patted was frankly embarrassing. Perhaps that's just indicative of modern society.

 

A difficult situation was dealt with by maximising return from the disruptive want-aways and carefully reinvesting it in quality replacements. Minimal panic buys and a relatively steady flow of incumbents spread across the entire transfer window. Krueger and Reed asked for patience. They have delivered us a strong, charismatic manager and a strong, deep squad in an incredibly short space of time. A squad whose performances so far have hinted towards a continuing stability and cohesion. In my eyes they have been vindicated and deserve immense credit.

 

Absolutely bl00dy nailed it!! Especially your comments about this episode being a reflection of modern society.

[aintforever]

I was worried about relegation but the board have come through and pulled together a decent squad, hats off to Kruger, Reed n co.

 

It's a bit early to start noshing each other off though, one win over West Ham doesn't mean a lot.

[shurlock]

Staying balanced throughout the turmoil was never about point scoring or acting superior - it's about acting like an adult. Pragmatism and emotion need not be mutually exclusive.

 

Some have said that you can only work with the information you're given but that goes both ways. So many ridiculous assumptions were made and conclusions jumped to about who would be leaving; Katharina Liebherr's intentions; the board's and staff's competencies etc. All without the possession of facts or substantiation. Basing opinions and emotions on diddly squat is instantly setting yourself up to look daft.

 

Over-use of terms such as 'fire sale' and 'meltdown' were media constructs as much as anything. Incorrect terminology angled towards crafting a narrative and - if you believe the conspiracies - carefully targeted by friends of the 'big boys' towards destabilising our remaining playing personnel. It's been an interesting contrast to see how little we've been talked about since the signings started rolling in.

 

The so-called 'silence' from the club was punctuated by relatively frequent statements. When they talked, it was claimed they said the wrong things. When they remained silent and asked for our patience that was wrong too. Some of the comments and slurs directed towards our club's owner and board were nothing short of shameful. Even on the less extreme end of the scale, the sense of entitlement and constant need to have metaphorical heads patted was frankly embarrassing. Perhaps that's just indicative of modern society.

 

A difficult situation was dealt with by maximising return from the disruptive want-aways and carefully reinvesting it in quality replacements. Minimal panic buys and a relatively steady flow of incumbents spread across the entire transfer window. Krueger and Reed asked for patience. They have delivered us a strong, charismatic manager and a strong, deep squad in an incredibly short space of time. A squad whose performances so far have hinted towards a continuing stability and cohesion. In my eyes they have been vindicated and deserve immense credit.

 

Again a black and white post -yes talk of asset-stripping and firesales was unhelpful and ignorant, though this was never a majority view (at least on here); at the same time, your suggestion that silence throughout was deliberate and well executed is spurious. It doesn't accord with the picture presented by dispassionate observers like Blackmore or the unease expressed by senior players like Fonte.

[Katalinic]

Staying balanced throughout the turmoil was never about point scoring or acting superior - it's about acting like an adult. Pragmatism and emotion need not be mutually exclusive.

 

Some have said that you can only work with the information you're given but that goes both ways. So many ridiculous assumptions were made and conclusions jumped to about who would be leaving; Katharina Liebherr's intentions; the board's and staff's competencies etc. All without the possession of facts or substantiation. Basing opinions and emotions on diddly squat is instantly setting yourself up to look daft.

 

Over-use of terms such as 'fire sale' and 'meltdown' were media constructs as much as anything. Incorrect terminology angled towards crafting a narrative and - if you believe the conspiracies - carefully targeted by friends of the 'big boys' towards destabilising our remaining playing personnel. It's been an interesting contrast to see how little we've been talked about since the signings started rolling in.

 

The so-called 'silence' from the club was punctuated by relatively frequent statements. When they talked, it was claimed they said the wrong things. When they remained silent and asked for our patience that was wrong too. Some of the comments and slurs directed towards our club's owner and board were nothing short of shameful. Even on the less extreme end of the scale, the sense of entitlement and constant need to have metaphorical heads patted was frankly embarrassing. Perhaps that's just indicative of modern society.

 

A difficult situation was dealt with by maximising return from the disruptive want-aways and carefully reinvesting it in quality replacements. Minimal panic buys and a relatively steady flow of incumbents spread across the entire transfer window. Krueger and Reed asked for patience. They have delivered us a strong, charismatic manager and a strong, deep squad in an incredibly short space of time. A squad whose performances so far have hinted towards a continuing stability and cohesion. In my eyes they have been vindicated and deserve immense credit.

 

The best post I have seen on here for a while - an excellent and accurate summary.

[Halo Stickman]

Staying balanced throughout the turmoil was never about point scoring or acting superior - it's about acting like an adult. Pragmatism and emotion need not be mutually exclusive.

 

Some have said that you can only work with the information you're given but that goes both ways. So many ridiculous assumptions were made and conclusions jumped to about who would be leaving; Katharina Liebherr's intentions; the board's and staff's competencies etc. All without the possession of facts or substantiation. Basing opinions and emotions on diddly squat is instantly setting yourself up to look daft.

 

Over-use of terms such as 'fire sale' and 'meltdown' were media constructs as much as anything. Incorrect terminology angled towards crafting a narrative and - if you believe the conspiracies - carefully targeted by friends of the 'big boys' towards destabilising our remaining playing personnel. It's been an interesting contrast to see how little we've been talked about since the signings started rolling in.

 

The so-called 'silence' from the club was punctuated by relatively frequent statements. When they talked, it was claimed they said the wrong things. When they remained silent and asked for our patience that was wrong too. Some of the comments and slurs directed towards our club's owner and board were nothing short of shameful. Even on the less extreme end of the scale, the sense of entitlement and constant need to have metaphorical heads patted was frankly embarrassing. Perhaps that's just indicative of modern society.

 

A difficult situation was dealt with by maximising return from the disruptive want-aways and carefully reinvesting it in quality replacements. Minimal panic buys and a relatively steady flow of incumbents spread across the entire transfer window. Krueger and Reed asked for patience. They have delivered us a strong, charismatic manager and a strong, deep squad in an incredibly short space of time. A squad whose performances so far have hinted towards a continuing stability and cohesion. In my eyes they have been vindicated and deserve immense credit.

 

Excellent post.

[saintbletch]

A bit of rewriting of history going on here.

 

You are trying to make it sound reasoned and reasonable - if only it was just "concern and debate" as you put it, but it clearly wasn't. It was nasty and vindictive with plenty of personal abuse thrown in as well - I'm sure you remember the awful comments directed at KL and LR; well done to those who said them, you must feel very proud. And it wasn't a communication vacuum from the club - how many times did you want them to say the same thing?

 

Despite your well-written post, what happened was people (some of them the usual "suspects") jumping to illogical conclusions in a frenzied way, reminiscent of the residents of Paulsgrove hounding out that Paediatrician a few years back. It was a "me, me, me", "I want and demand it now" response when something a bit more considered was required; it was arrogance and self importance and OTT outrage. It was the Jeremy Kyle show at its very best and I fully understand the need for some of those involved to be "too busy at work to post on the forum at the moment".

 

Yep, that's a valid response Puggins and Monkeys, but it wasn't my intention to re-write history. I was simply documenting one side of the argument. You've now provided the balance, so thank you.

 

But I'd stand by that statement; there was cause for concern and debate.

 

By implication there was no cause for personal attacks. That behaviour wasn't justified, but then again, when can it ever be justified?

 

Did you really feel it needed condemning? Did I need to say it?

 

As for the communication vacuum, again that's a valid qualification you make. I probably was lazily grouping Les Reed's initial communication into the silence that preceded it.

[saintbletch]

Staying balanced throughout the turmoil was never about point scoring or acting superior - it's about acting like an adult. Pragmatism and emotion need not be mutually exclusive.

 

Some have said that you can only work with the information you're given but that goes both ways. So many ridiculous assumptions were made and conclusions jumped to about who would be leaving; Katharina Liebherr's intentions; the board's and staff's competencies etc. All without the possession of facts or substantiation. Basing opinions and emotions on diddly squat is instantly setting yourself up to look daft.

 

Over-use of terms such as 'fire sale' and 'meltdown' were media constructs as much as anything. Incorrect terminology angled towards crafting a narrative and - if you believe the conspiracies - carefully targeted by friends of the 'big boys' towards destabilising our remaining playing personnel. It's been an interesting contrast to see how little we've been talked about since the signings started rolling in.

 

The so-called 'silence' from the club was punctuated by relatively frequent statements. When they talked, it was claimed they said the wrong things. When they remained silent and asked for our patience that was wrong too. Some of the comments and slurs directed towards our club's owner and board were nothing short of shameful. Even on the less extreme end of the scale, the sense of entitlement and constant need to have metaphorical heads patted was frankly embarrassing. Perhaps that's just indicative of modern society.

 

A difficult situation was dealt with by maximising return from the disruptive want-aways and carefully reinvesting it in quality replacements. Minimal panic buys and a relatively steady flow of incumbents spread across the entire transfer window. Krueger and Reed asked for patience. They have delivered us a strong, charismatic manager and a strong, deep squad in an incredibly short space of time. A squad whose performances so far have hinted towards a continuing stability and cohesion. In my eyes they have been vindicated and deserve immense credit.

 

A good summary.

[ant]

your suggestion that silence throughout was deliberate and well executed is spurious. It doesn't accord with the picture presented by dispassionate observers like Blackmore or the unease expressed by senior players like Fonte.

 

I don't believe my emphasis was on it being well-executed. More that every time a spokesman commented, their words were distorted and used out of context. It got to the point where it was perhaps more sensible to do business and then explain. At several junctures they faced with lose-lose PR situations which could only be alleviated by holding hands up and saying, "look, we'll sort this in due course." At no point have I claimed that the board got absolutely everything correct this Summer.

 

Surely I wasn't the only one to find Blackmore a little hysterical throughout the whole ordeal?

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Blimey some intelligent debate

[Papa Shango]

My thoughts on some of the recent dealings http://thesaintshub.com/201415transferroundup.html

[eelpie]

5th highest spenders, but with a profit of 30 million, I see what you did there saints..*rollyeyedsmilything

 

We stlll owe around £30 mill for the Staplewood improvements, so at this time our historic debt could be cleared.

Or could we keep this as a loss-making expense to offset tax?

 

Are there any other Premiership clubs who are paying their way (apart from perhaps Arsenal)?

[doddisalegend]

Staying balanced throughout the turmoil was never about point scoring or acting superior - it's about acting like an adult. Pragmatism and emotion need not be mutually exclusive.

 

Some have said that you can only work with the information you're given but that goes both ways. So many ridiculous assumptions were made and conclusions jumped to about who would be leaving; Katharina Liebherr's intentions; the board's and staff's competencies etc. All without the possession of facts or substantiation. Basing opinions and emotions on diddly squat is instantly setting yourself up to look daft.

 

Over-use of terms such as 'fire sale' and 'meltdown' were media constructs as much as anything. Incorrect terminology angled towards crafting a narrative and - if you believe the conspiracies - carefully targeted by friends of the 'big boys' towards destabilising our remaining playing personnel. It's been an interesting contrast to see how little we've been talked about since the signings started rolling in.

 

The so-called 'silence' from the club was punctuated by relatively frequent statements. When they talked, it was claimed they said the wrong things. When they remained silent and asked for our patience that was wrong too. Some of the comments and slurs directed towards our club's owner and board were nothing short of shameful. Even on the less extreme end of the scale, the sense of entitlement and constant need to have metaphorical heads patted was frankly embarrassing. Perhaps that's just indicative of modern society.

 

A difficult situation was dealt with by maximising return from the disruptive want-aways and carefully reinvesting it in quality replacements. Minimal panic buys and a relatively steady flow of incumbents spread across the entire transfer window. Krueger and Reed asked for patience. They have delivered us a strong, charismatic manager and a strong, deep squad in an incredibly short space of time. A squad whose performances so far have hinted towards a continuing stability and cohesion. In my eyes they have been vindicated and deserve immense credit.

 

Bang on

[Batman]

We stlll owe around £30 mill for the Staplewood improvements, so at this time our historic debt could be cleared.

Or could we keep this as a loss-making expense to offset tax?

 

Are there any other Premiership clubs who are paying their way (apart from perhaps Arsenal)?

 

how much did it cost if we STILL owe £30m?

[The9]

Blimey some intelligent debate

 

This is what happens when there's absolutely no defence for some of the extreme positions adopted in the past 2 months - and the date on which we were asked to judge shows us in a much more stable and promising position than that of the last week of July, when many toys were flung and some of the more childish positions were adopted.

 

Having just re-read Crab Lungs' post, all of what he said may still be true - but it looks more and more that the departing players used Cortese and Pochettino's leaving as an excuse to bail and make themselves more money. I can't even be critical of the club for ignoring phone calls or not liaising with players who, by most accounts, had already decided to go and nothing was going to stop them. The club may indeed be "for sale", but that doesn't mean the owner is actively seeking a buyer.

 

The Chambers deal was different, and fortunately served as a tipping point - and you do have to wonder what would have happened with Schneiderlin and Rodriguez if it hadn't been - but since then, the board's played a blinder in keeping them AND Boruc... with the obvious rider that we don't yet know the true abilities of some of the signings and whether they'll be up to standard.

 

The main thing I've learned from this summer is that Financial Fair Play is the unfunny joke most people anticipated it would be, and that we shouldn't place too much emphasis on player loyalty, because it pretty much doesn't exist in football any more, partially because of those restrictions.

 

Personally I've also resigned myself to us regularly losing our top players and needing to replace them on an annual basis, but that's ok, at least that's more interesting than just coming mid-table all the time. Though the last time I complained that mid-table was boring we went on a 7 year tour of the Championship and League One...

[doddisalegend]

I don't believe my emphasis was on it being well-executed. More that every time a spokesman commented, their words were distorted and used out of context. It got to the point where it was perhaps more sensible to do business and then explain. At several junctures they faced with lose-lose PR situations which could only be alleviated by holding hands up and saying, "look, we'll sort this in due course." At no point have I claimed that the board got absolutely everything correct this Summer.

 

Surely I wasn't the only one to find Blackmore a little hysterical throughout the whole ordeal?

 

yes he had clearly struck up a relationship with some of our longer serving players over the last few years (Lallana in particular) that made him come across as a little less than impartial at times.

Edited 2 September, 2014 by doddisalegend

[Son of Bob]

I think we have more strength and depth to the squad than we did at this stage last season. I see no reason why we can't match, or even surpass last years league position. Well done to RK and the board for turning things around in this window. I have a new found spring in my step this morning!

[sadoldgit]

Staying balanced throughout the turmoil was never about point scoring or acting superior - it's about acting like an adult. Pragmatism and emotion need not be mutually exclusive.

 

Some have said that you can only work with the information you're given but that goes both ways. So many ridiculous assumptions were made and conclusions jumped to about who would be leaving; Katharina Liebherr's intentions; the board's and staff's competencies etc. All without the possession of facts or substantiation. Basing opinions and emotions on diddly squat is instantly setting yourself up to look daft.

 

Over-use of terms such as 'fire sale' and 'meltdown' were media constructs as much as anything. Incorrect terminology angled towards crafting a narrative and - if you believe the conspiracies - carefully targeted by friends of the 'big boys' towards destabilising our remaining playing personnel. It's been an interesting contrast to see how little we've been talked about since the signings started rolling in.

 

The so-called 'silence' from the club was punctuated by relatively frequent statements. When they talked, it was claimed they said the wrong things. When they remained silent and asked for our patience that was wrong too. Some of the comments and slurs directed towards our club's owner and board were nothing short of shameful. Even on the less extreme end of the scale, the sense of entitlement and constant need to have metaphorical heads patted was frankly embarrassing. Perhaps that's just indicative of modern society.

 

A difficult situation was dealt with by maximising return from the disruptive want-aways and carefully reinvesting it in quality replacements. Minimal panic buys and a relatively steady flow of incumbents spread across the entire transfer window. Krueger and Reed asked for patience. They have delivered us a strong, charismatic manager and a strong, deep squad in an incredibly short space of time. A squad whose performances so far have hinted towards a continuing stability and cohesion. In my eyes they have been vindicated and deserve immense credit.

 

Post of the Summer

[Unbelievable Jeff]

Again a black and white post -yes talk of asset-stripping and firesales was unhelpful and ignorant, though this was never a majority view (at least on here); at the same time, your suggestion that silence throughout was deliberate and well executed is spurious. It doesn't accord with the picture presented by dispassionate observers like Blackmore or the unease expressed by senior players like Fonte.

 

Again, you say Blackmore is dispassionate, and that Fonte expressed unease, but Blackmore got his info from players that wanted to leave, and from Fonte, who wanted a new contract. It seems that you have been played as badly as he was in trying to make the board out to be the bad party.

[Unbelievable Jeff]

I don't believe my emphasis was on it being well-executed. More that every time a spokesman commented, their words were distorted and used out of context. It got to the point where it was perhaps more sensible to do business and then explain. At several junctures they faced with lose-lose PR situations which could only be alleviated by holding hands up and saying, "look, we'll sort this in due course." At no point have I claimed that the board got absolutely everything correct this Summer.

 

Surely I wasn't the only one to find Blackmore a little hysterical throughout the whole ordeal?

 

You certainly were not, and it was something I regularly criticised through the first 2 months of the Summer. You notice as soon as the 'concerned' players got their way and left the Tweeting about unhappy players started to dry up.

 

It was all a ruse to blame the board, and not the players.

Edited 2 September, 2014 by Unbelievable Jeff

[stevegrant]

It doesn't accord with the picture presented by dispassionate observers like Blackmore or the unease expressed by senior players like Fonte.

It's worth bearing in mind that Blackmore's thoughts over the summer have been "angled" to an extent by the fact that nearly every one of his close sources within the club has been sold this summer. The only one that remains is one whose contract situation is yet to be resolved...

[Wes Tender]

Staying balanced throughout the turmoil was never about point scoring or acting superior - it's about acting like an adult. Pragmatism and emotion need not be mutually exclusive.

 

Some have said that you can only work with the information you're given but that goes both ways. So many ridiculous assumptions were made and conclusions jumped to about who would be leaving; Katharina Liebherr's intentions; the board's and staff's competencies etc. All without the possession of facts or substantiation. Basing opinions and emotions on diddly squat is instantly setting yourself up to look daft.

 

Over-use of terms such as 'fire sale' and 'meltdown' were media constructs as much as anything. Incorrect terminology angled towards crafting a narrative and - if you believe the conspiracies - carefully targeted by friends of the 'big boys' towards destabilising our remaining playing personnel. It's been an interesting contrast to see how little we've been talked about since the signings started rolling in.

 

The so-called 'silence' from the club was punctuated by relatively frequent statements. When they talked, it was claimed they said the wrong things. When they remained silent and asked for our patience that was wrong too. Some of the comments and slurs directed towards our club's owner and board were nothing short of shameful. Even on the less extreme end of the scale, the sense of entitlement and constant need to have metaphorical heads patted was frankly embarrassing. Perhaps that's just indicative of modern society.

 

A difficult situation was dealt with by maximising return from the disruptive want-aways and carefully reinvesting it in quality replacements. Minimal panic buys and a relatively steady flow of incumbents spread across the entire transfer window. Krueger and Reed asked for patience. They have delivered us a strong, charismatic manager and a strong, deep squad in an incredibly short space of time. A squad whose performances so far have hinted towards a continuing stability and cohesion. In my eyes they have been vindicated and deserve immense credit.

 

 

A very well written summary, as was Saintbletch's. Both very good posts putting across the perspectives from two different viewpoints.

[Unbelievable Jeff]

It's worth bearing in mind that Blackmore's thoughts over the summer have been "angled" to an extent by the fact that nearly every one of his close sources within the club has been sold this summer. The only one that remains is one whose contract situation is yet to be resolved...

 

It doesn't matter how many times you tell him Steve, he will continue to ignore this fact, as will others that want to justify their childish, impatient reactions over the Summer...

[sadoldgit]

There's obviously nothing wrong with being concerned, but there's little need for post after post of negative drivel or for people to be personally insulting the people who run the club.

 

To be honest this summer made me far more concerned about the overall state of Premier League football than it did about Saints.

 

I am with you here Cat. SFC just happened to get caught up in a situation that came about through the success of the previous few years and the club's inability to compete on a level playing field with the top clubs financially. In any business employees will be tempted by bigger and better wage packets and bigger and better employees. In other years players would be spread around a fw mid table clubs. This season, the best picking were mostly situation on the South Coast. The new Board were caught in a sh*t storm before they knew it and it is no surprise that the media had a field day with them. Nothing to do with SFC, just unfortunate timing and circumstances. With nearly £1b being spent on people this summer Premiership football is big business and big news. Frankly I find the whole circus just as obscene as the Bernie Ecclestone Circus. It is all about money and the punters roll up day in day out to fund the ever expanding show.

 

I heard a lot on hear about SFC being a laughing stock. Frankly I have heard many more jokes about Manchester United by that is by the by. The people I have spoken to (I live in Kent) have been very sympathic towards SFC and see what happened hear as symptematic of all that is wrong with the Premiership today.

 

What is good is that we seem to have come out of the otherside not only intacked but also in a position to flick the bird to all of those saying we were out of our depth and shouldnt be playing with the big boys.

[berkshiresaint]

Cracking window but then again I always had faith in the board, (unlike some)

 

As I see it we have strengthened in every department:

 

Forster improvment on Boruc, Boruc huge improvment on KD or Gazza.

Bertrand CL winner & really good LB on par with Shaw

Alderwierald CL Winner potentially best DC we have ever had, Gardos Huge improvment on the back ups previously available.

Tadic is just awesome!!

Pelle really starting to think he will become a "Saints legend"

Manager huge upgrade on MoPo.

 

Well dome Les, Ralph & our wonderful owner who it is evident has just as much love & ambition for this club as her father did

[Minty]

Thing is, EVERYONE is going to have an opinion which is swayed by those they talk to or who they get more information from. Even me, despite my seemingly perpetual status as someone 'on the fence' and with 'splinters in my arse'! Blackmore is no different, and to a certain degree part of his job is to relay things that he hears from various sources and transmit it to fans, which he did. I think he's pretty good at retaining some balance and putting across different sides, but it was an emotive time for a lot of people, so I can see how it might come across.

 

Emotions are a big part of football, which is a good and bad thing depending on where and when and why. Whilst I'm usually one of the first to say 'let's wait and see', I also accept with hindsight that people are different, and some are more susceptible to their emotions than others, and the worst thing you can do to someone whose emotions are up because of the goings on, is to then tell them to calm down and wait and see, or that they are being negative! FF and I have had some exchanges on this and I know he's got ******ed off with me at times because I come across as unemotional, and have been quick to jump on him (and others) when, in my view, they have taken an overly negative stance.

 

I'm certainly not one for digging up old posts to show people up. Things could've worked out differently. They still might. Football is a game after all, and its those good and bad surprises that make it what it is. I just happen to not worry about the bad stuff any more.

 

The main thing I think we could all do with remembering is that we should all be a bit more tolerant with others.

[DT]

Can't believe we've failed to sign anyone today. Useless.

[ringwood]

not often a new manager gets his own team so quickly, Pardew in L1 after the meltdown of admin, this team is now RK's red and white army,

 

no tinkering with formations but the same old players to be convinced of a new man, but from back to front a new team, and honestly which of the new players had we even heard of? no cliques or we never used to do it this or that way .

 

If your lucky enough to be in the squad its because RK wants you not because you were part of the furniture

 

COYR's

[beatlesaint]

Despite some pretty rocky times, especially in July, you have to hand it to the club and say they have delivered by the cut off date of 1 September.

 

I admit to doubting them on several occasions but they have invested the money that has come in whilst still leaving themselves some in reserve should a January signing or two be needed.

 

Its always a gamble when signing a new player as to how they will adapt to The Premership so I hope for all our sakes the promise these new players have will bring the results we want. If they dont then you can hardly blame the board or manager, nobody has a crystal ball.

 

But the lack of ambition so many accused the club of and that many of us questioned at times has been well and truly answered. Onwards and upwards ! COYR's

[shurlock]

It's worth bearing in mind that Blackmore's thoughts over the summer have been "angled" to an extent by the fact that nearly every one of his close sources within the club has been sold this summer. The only one that remains is one whose contract situation is yet to be resolved...

 

We don't know who Blackmore has spoken to - all we know that is he is very well-connected.

 

Either way, you don't give Blackmore much credit if you think he's been unable to use his discretion to contextualise his sources and sniff out bias (quite apart that it's consistent with what supposed ITKers like Guan have said).

 

Can tell you that's journalism 101.

Edited 2 September, 2014 by shurlock

[eelpie]

My thoughts on some of the recent dealings http://thesaintshub.com/201415transferroundup.html

 

A well considered analysis.

 

Thank you for sharing this, Papa.

[eelpie]

Mods, there are so many well argued views here on one of the most historically important times in Saints long history, is there any way of saving this thread for posterity for future historians?

 

I certainly would like to read through it again in a few years time.

[lifeintheslowlane]

Can't believe we've failed to sign anyone today. Useless.

 

Don't panic...the loan window opens on the 9th.

[DT]

Don't panic...the loan window opens on the 9th.

Is that when Jay Rod goes? ;-)

[Saintandy666]

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2014/09/01/premier-league-transfer-window-grades-which-team-did-the-best-business/

 

Analysis of each team's transfer window here. We're ranked third!

[stevegrant]

We don't know who Blackmore has spoken to - all we know that is he is very well-connected.

 

Either way, you don't give Blackmore much credit if you think he's been unable to use his discretion to contextualise his sources and sniff out bias (quite apart that it's consistent with what supposed ITKers like Guan have said).

 

Can tell you that's journalism 101.

He's certainly able to do so. At times this summer, my opinion is that he has chosen not to, having been swept up by the apparent negative momentum over much of the summer. He (and the BBC in general) has been unable to break exclusives as he has in the past, often being beaten to the scoop by either Gordon Simpson or Simon Peach, the latter of whom was barely in the country for most of the summer, so it's understandable that he's been frustrated by that.

[Dr Who?]

I am defiantly 100% positive again and it feels good.

[Just a Fan]

Thing is, EVERYONE is going to have an opinion which is swayed by those they talk to or who they get more information from. Even me, despite my seemingly perpetual status as someone 'on the fence' and with 'splinters in my arse'! Blackmore is no different, and to a certain degree part of his job is to relay things that he hears from various sources and transmit it to fans, which he did. I think he's pretty good at retaining some balance and putting across different sides, but it was an emotive time for a lot of people, so I can see how it might come across.

 

Emotions are a big part of football, which is a good and bad thing depending on where and when and why. Whilst I'm usually one of the first to say 'let's wait and see', I also accept with hindsight that people are different, and some are more susceptible to their emotions than others, and the worst thing you can do to someone whose emotions are up because of the goings on, is to then tell them to calm down and wait and see, or that they are being negative! FF and I have had some exchanges on this and I know he's got ******ed off with me at times because I come across as unemotional, and have been quick to jump on him (and others) when, in my view, they have taken an overly negative stance.

 

I'm certainly not one for digging up old posts to show people up. Things could've worked out differently. They still might. Football is a game after all, and its those good and bad surprises that make it what it is. I just happen to not worry about the bad stuff any more.

 

The main thing I think we could all do with remembering is that we should all be a bit more tolerant with others.

 

BRILLIANT POST

[Dellman]

I am happier on 'Judgement Day' than I expected or dared hope after the exodus and although I don't know Les Reed and might not recognise him if I saw him he must share some praise and credit with the manager in spite of all the abuse he gets. Has anyone noticed that we will be sending ELEVEN players on international duty (I think) and for eleven different countries, surely that must be some sort of record?

[stevegrant]

I am happier on 'Judgement Day' than I expected or dared hope after the exodus and although I don't know Les Reed and might not recognise him if I saw him he must share some praise and credit with the manager in spite of all the abuse he gets. Has anyone noticed that we will be sending ELEVEN players on international duty (I think) and for eleven different countries, surely that must be some sort of record?

Potentially a record for us, but almost certainly not for other clubs.

[sadoldgit]

Thing is, EVERYONE is going to have an opinion which is swayed by those they talk to or who they get more information from. Even me, despite my seemingly perpetual status as someone 'on the fence' and with 'splinters in my arse'! Blackmore is no different, and to a certain degree part of his job is to relay things that he hears from various sources and transmit it to fans, which he did. I think he's pretty good at retaining some balance and putting across different sides, but it was an emotive time for a lot of people, so I can see how it might come across.

 

Emotions are a big part of football, which is a good and bad thing depending on where and when and why. Whilst I'm usually one of the first to say 'let's wait and see', I also accept with hindsight that people are different, and some are more susceptible to their emotions than others, and the worst thing you can do to someone whose emotions are up because of the goings on, is to then tell them to calm down and wait and see, or that they are being negative! FF and I have had some exchanges on this and I know he's got ******ed off with me at times because I come across as unemotional, and have been quick to jump on him (and others) when, in my view, they have taken an overly negative stance.

 

I'm certainly not one for digging up old posts to show people up. Things could've worked out differently. They still might. Football is a game after all, and its those good and bad surprises that make it what it is. I just happen to not worry about the bad stuff any more.

 

The main thing I think we could all do with remembering is that we should all be a bit more tolerant with others.

 

This is the thing Minty. Total lack of tolerance. Not just to each other here but to the likes of the owner and the Board too. There was so much unpleasant abuse flying around this summer - much based on pure conjecture and knee-jerk reactions to rumours. You wouldnt think we all supported the same team here given the amount of flak that gets dished out. You just know that if we hadnt signed anyone yesterday and sold Morgan and JRod this forum would be in meltdown today. I am sure some were actually hoping that would happen so that they could have a pop at the Board again!

 

I am no saint. I never warmed to Cortese, happy to admit that. But I never wanted or hoped for him to fail so I could come on and have a pop at him. Boards, players, managers are all up for criticism as are we all. There are ways of going about it though that are acceptable and those that go way too far.

 

I cringed when I read some of the comments about Katharina, Krueger and Reed. I just hope now that they will be given a bit more credit and are no longer seen as a bunch of amatuer bumblers who are counting the days until they can sell off the club.

[Horley CTFC Saint]

The media played a blinder

[dronskisaint]

Utter b*ll*cks. I might be overly negative, but I rarely apply sarcasm and sneering to my responses, and I dish out a fraction of what I get in terms of abuse.

 

To add balance to your statement the abuse you do get is proportional to the amount of b*ll*cks you post....

[dronskisaint]

For what it's worth I think the board, manager and the scouting team have done extraordinarily well given the starting point...I could have a whole debate on the players' agents role in all this.

 

I like that our business was just that, our business..I liked it when Cortese adopted the 'Nothing announced until done deal' approach and I'm happy the board continue with it. It's not easy given the agents and media driving their own agendas but we came out of it well, I think.

 

I look forward to seeing this talented group moulded in to the team that our previous one genuinely was - there was a genuine bond forged through promotions, establishing ourselves as worthy PL tenants and surviving through managerial changes. This is now RK's test...if we get the same spirit going we'll be comfortable top ten and with ambition.

 

Good times continue...thanks Markus!

Edited 2 September, 2014 by dronskisaint
typo

[alpine_saint]

To add balance to your statement the abuse you do get is proportional to the amount of b*ll*cks you post....

 

Doesnt make it right.

[Saint George]

Peeps can re write history all they want. But however way you look at it, January - July was a total **** fest from a leaderless Southampton Board.....They got 'one' decision right and that was to appoint the best managerial candidate. The one that stood out so far above the others that only a group clueless chimps could have got it wrong.

 

Personally I'm proud i played my part in forcing the Board of fools to put the brakes on player sales.....If it were left to some of blind faith apologists on here, Morgan and JRod would have been at Spurs a month ago.

 

Make no mistake, 4 of our new signings are 100% down to Koeman, they wouldn't be here otherwise. **** knows where we'd be right now if he hadn't filled the leadership vacuum and dragged the Board of fools kicking and screaming into this season.

 

We had a solid proven top half team that needed 2-3 additions to push on this year but now we have a untested team with 'potential'...I know what i would prefer.

 

What's done is done though and we all need to move on. Kat's got her 30m back and the Club now have a leader in it's ranks that's been so desperately missing. So here's hoping we can at least fulfill that potential......Onwards and upwards.

[dronskisaint]

Doesnt make it right.

 

I only said it was proportionate - you were bemoaning the quantity

[Lallana's Left Peg]

No doubt the club has worked hard to try and manage a hard situation - replacing lots of good players.

 

I suspect we'll never learn the truth about what happened this summer and why, but I remain gutted that a team that was not only good but had amazing potential was on the face of it allowed to be broken up so easily. It just doesn't sit right.

 

Not a fan of loan deals - don't see why we should be making other teams players better its not a wise long-term strategy. Appreciate we have agreed a fee up front but that doesn't mean the player will sign.

 

There is a nice balance in the squad now, but it is clearly being shaped in the style of the Manager. Gone is all creativity from the centre of the park, playing between lines, and fluid formations. What we have is a midfield that will always consist of three solid players, width, and power. It's a new approach for us to all get used to.

 

But before we determine the transfer window a success lets remember that NO club has a transfer record that is better than 50/50. So of the players we've signed, history suggests only half of them will be a success. That is why I always prefer to keep good players regardless of the fee we could attract. It eliminates risk.

 

Season will be better than it looked a few months ago for sure.

[Toomer]

And the good thing is we have best part of two weeks before the next game for the players to get to know each other, not sure who is away on international duty apart from FF.