VVD already on his way ???

[Colinjb]

Dortmund, Atleti and to an even greater extent the Portuguese clubs do it (notably Porto). In recent years they've turned over the likes of Falcao, Mangala, Fernando, Pepe, Jackson Martinez, James Rodriguez, Hulk. **** loads of talent has gone through there, more than most European clubs.

 

Next on the line for them will be the likes of Barhami, Oliver, Neves (who is a top, top midfielder). They turn it around pretty well, they have some close links with South American clubs and they bring over some awesome talent at times.

 

It's part of the game really, the transfer merry-go-round. As other's have pointed out, if clubs didn't want our players then we're doing something wrong. The fact clubs keep coming back to us for our players is because we recruit well, we know what we're doing and we know how to execute it. Our scouting and recruitment is the envy of most. And that's why none of what we do is down to luck or is what i'd call a gamble. It's good planning and a sustainable model for clubs below the elite to operate on.

 

It may be a little easier for Portuguese and Spanish clubs who to a certain degree can get around the work permit rules we have here for South American talent. But, your point does stand.

 

We are doing it right.

[Dusic]

Dortmund, Atleti and to an even greater extent the Portuguese clubs do it (notably Porto). In recent years they've turned over the likes of Falcao, Mangala, Fernando, Pepe, Jackson Martinez, James Rodriguez, Hulk. **** loads of talent has gone through there, more than most European clubs.

 

Next on the line for them will be the likes of Barhami, Oliver, Neves (who is a top, top midfielder). They turn it around pretty well, they have some close links with South American clubs and they bring over some awesome talent at times.

 

 

Only difference is those teams do it and also win trophies.

[CB Fry]

Only difference is those teams do it and also win trophies.

 

Dortmund are far bigger, more prestigious and richer than we are and still sell through players.

 

The likes of Porto (or Ajax, which could also be mentioned) is the small matter of, err, them being the biggest clubs in their country and playing in a league they can win, and win domestic cups fairly easily.

 

It's not that difficult to understand is it?

[Badger]

Only difference is those teams do it and also win trophies.

 

As I commented on this earlier:

 

True, although the continual qualifying for European football is not a fair comparison that we can necessarily achieve. Many of the clubs who continually produce the quality players are probably bigger clubs in their domestic set up than we are. Ajax are probably the best example of this, Celtic another.

[Super_Uwe]

I think we'll keep him until the end of the 2017/18 season at the very least. I don't think for one second he'll be seeing out his 6 year deal, but who knows? I would never have predicted where we are now seven years ago when the club almost ceased to exist.

 

But I am under no illusions that he probably joined us with the intention of doing really well and then being given the chance to move on when it suits both parties. I can't say I love it being that way, but it is a realistic approach to the huge amounts of money in football, and it does mean that we have certain control over how things play out.

[SW5 SAINT]

This is a relevant comment

 

I am sure it irks us all that we lose good players and I am sure Celtic fans are peeved that they have lost 3 of their best players to us.

 

However it is a natural progression

 

Even massive clubs like Pompey lose players to even massiver clubs

 

How is it possible to be more massiver than pompey?

[manji]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/14916283.Puel__Enjoy_Van_Dijk_while_he_s_here/

 

Its clear the Echo's headline is deliberately provocative, but the message is the same...

Oh its another Echo clickbait bull**** story. That some on here thrive on.

[Lord Duckhunter]

 

But why oh f**king why does it always have to be f**king Liverpool!? Their chief scout must have the easiest job in the world.

 

Probably because Man C , Chelsea or Arsenal didn't want them , didn't need them or didn't think they were worth our valuation.

[St_Tel49]

All of that's fine provided Les and co. don't pretend that we are going to be a club playing in the CL anytime. Mid-table mediocrity is the best we can hope for, about where we are now.

 

Quote on BBC gossip "Liverpool are lining up deals for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk, 25, and midfielder Sam McQueen, 21, which will cost the Reds £40m in January." What does that make McQueen worth? £-10m? If Virgil is sold for less than £40m, the board really wants its collective head testing.

How is being in the Premiership mediocre?

[Stevie61163]

I Believe that when VVD does eventually go it will be to one of the truly big clubs. Barcelona, Real, Man Utd or Man City.

I do not believe that it will be this summer it will however be the summer after.

By that time his stock will have risen and he will be worth well in excess of £50 million

however I do believe that the club need to play a bit more hardball with potential suitors not just accept the 1st offer made.

If Everton had accepted the 1st offer made for Stones he would of been sold for £30 million

the "Southampton Way" is a great model for progressing clubs....its not luck that we are where we are today

Stop the moaning and squabbling and being a **** about things and enjoy the ride

This is our team, our club and we must get behind it and support it through thick and thin or in Pompey`s case thin and thinner.

Realistically we are not going to win the league but we have a great chance in all other competitions

Enjoy the ride guys and accept our position in English football

[verlaine1979]

Some on here keep harping on about using the TV deal to boost player wages, but FFP rules do not allow any club to do this. The revenue from centralised TV deals is not counted as part of a club's 'own revenue'. These come from commercial/sponsorship deals, player sales, match day income and any UEFA prize money. A club can increase it's wage bill by £19M based on its 2012/13 wage costs as a baseline, but can exceed it if 'own revenue' allows. As far as I can ascertain this means that we would be able to increase the wage bill to £66M to be compliant with the rules, however with a 2015/16 wage bill of £60M we are only able to increase the wage bill this season by £6M, which probably allowed us to tie a few down to 'longer term', more lucrative contracts but does not allow us to compete with the very top clubs.

Some bemoan the fact that we sell disproportionately to Liverpool. If you take their baseline of £132M in 2012/13 increase it by £19M it increases their wage budget to £151M, however, last season they spent £152M which means effectively they have to lower their wage bill by £1M. So it seems like FFP is working in our favour, but Liverpool, Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal have such global profiles their 'own revenue' specifically that from commercial/sponsorship deals more than compensates for having to comply with FFP rules.

 

http://www.financialfairplay.co.uk/financial-fair-play-explained.php suggests that for clubs with a wage bill of £60m or more, an increase of £4m + any additional commercial revenue + player trading profit is permitted. Over the last few seasons we've had consistently large profits in our player trading, and over the summer we saw probably the biggest single leap in commercial revenue in our history through the new kit and sponsorship deals. That suggests we could've increased our wage bill quite substantially if we'd wanted to.

[Give it to Ron]

http://www.financialfairplay.co.uk/financial-fair-play-explained.php suggests that for clubs with a wage bill of £60m or more, an increase of £4m + any additional commercial revenue + player trading profit is permitted. Over the last few seasons we've had consistently large profits in our player trading, and over the summer we saw probably the biggest single leap in commercial revenue in our history through the new kit and sponsorship deals. That suggests we could've increased our wage bill quite substantially if we'd wanted to.

 

Don't you think we did when tieing the players down to longer contracts though? Those that signed a new contract are hardly likely to take same wages are they.

[angelman]

How is being in the Premiership mediocre?

 

What is the point of being in a competition that you have little to no chance of winning? Are you happy just making up the numbers?

[cambsaint]

Realistically we cannot keep him anu longer than he wants to stay.

I am sure he will interest Real Madrid, Barca, as well as the usual PL suspects.

If we are lucky we will get about £50 mill and he will earn over £150K a week.

 

We obviously cannot keep him at those levels.

Remember that Levy is struggling to keep a £80K a week ceiling, so we must be realistic, be grateful we had him for a couple of his formative years, in which he has become one of the best if not the best CB in the PL

We must also thank him for doing the decent thing and signing a long contract so he won't go on the cheap.

I can never understand why fans get emotional about players moving on.

The players have about ten years to maximise their income and cannot be blamed for placing themselves and their family first.

Most of those who criticise players such as Lallana would move a for a couple of thousand a year let a few million.

I hope he will stay this season, and we may be fortunate as he doesn't have to go for the first bidder but can wait till the club he reall fancies come in for him.

I expect he'll be in Spain next season.

As for loyalty, never expect any loyalty from an employer these days. There is no marality left anymore.

[doddisalegend]

What is the point of being in a competition that you have little to no chance of winning? Are you happy just making up the numbers?

 

What's the alternative though? join league 2 and refuse promotion every season? Petition to join the Welsh league? The only way I can see to make football a level playing field is to turn it amateur with players playing for free and remove money from the sport altogether and that isn't going to ever happen.

[sandwichsaint]

I Believe that when VVD does eventually go it will be to one of the truly big clubs. Barcelona, Real, Man Utd or Man City.

I do not believe that it will be this summer it will however be the summer after.

By that time his stock will have risen and he will be worth well in excess of £50 million

however I do believe that the club need to play a bit more hardball with potential suitors not just accept the 1st offer made.

If Everton had accepted the 1st offer made for Stones he would of been sold for £30 million

the "Southampton Way" is a great model for progressing clubs....its not luck that we are where we are today

Stop the moaning and squabbling and being a **** about things and enjoy the ride

This is our team, our club and we must get behind it and support it through thick and thin or in Pompey`s case thin and thinner.

Realistically we are not going to win the league but we have a great chance in all other competitions

Enjoy the ride guys and accept our position in English football

 

Playing a dangerous game looking that far forward. What he's worth is what he's worth today. He could lose form or he's always just one injury away from being the player he could have become.

If we were offered silly money this year it would be a massive gamble to hang on for silly money plus one in the following year. We don't 'need' him under our model, cheaper replacements are always available and once he has reached the level where he has out-grown us and we have received a suitable (derisory) offer he will be on his way.

 

cf Mane, we cashed in, some would say a year too early but we've got the money in the bank and the world hasn't stopped turning without him.

[Saint IQ]

I Believe that when VVD does eventually go it will be to one of the truly big clubs. Barcelona, Real, Man Utd or Man City.

I do not believe that it will be this summer it will however be the summer after.

By that time his stock will have risen and he will be worth well in excess of £50 million

however I do believe that the club need to play a bit more hardball with potential suitors not just accept the 1st offer made.

If Everton had accepted the 1st offer made for Stones he would of been sold for £30 million

the "Southampton Way" is a great model for progressing clubs....its not luck that we are where we are today

Stop the moaning and squabbling and being a **** about things and enjoy the ride

This is our team, our club and we must get behind it and support it through thick and thin or in Pompey`s case thin and thinner.

Realistically we are not going to win the league but we have a great chance in all other competitions

Enjoy the ride guys and accept our position in English football

 

Are Man City a truly big club? They can't even sell out their stadium week in week out. I'd say Barca, Real, Man United, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and unfortunately Liverpool are the truly big clubs, although the bin dippers haven't won the League for about 25 years they've competed for it, won the Champions League and easily sell out their massive stadium every game.

 

When talking about spending power you can add Chelsea, Man City and PSG to the list, although they wouldn't be where they are without ridiculous billionaire investment.

[Winnersaint]

What I find interesting is the 'he will only go to one of the really top clubs' idea. That's as maybe in VVDs case, but so far none of our departures have gone to Man City or Chelsea and those that have transferred to Man U and Arsenal (Shaw, Schneiderlin and Chambers) have hardly ripped up trees. Just putting it out there but do we as Saints fans have an over-inflated opinion of the ability of our best players. Those that have gone to a team below very top level, Liverpool, have been more successful. Makes you think?

[meatball]

Quickly scrolling through the comments and was just wondering 'is this forum still being moderated?'

Seems like the trolls can say and do whatever the like. Shame really, used to have some good conversations

and knowledgeable posters on here.

 

Can anyone recommend a forum where people write their own match reports and sensible conversations are

held without trolls ruining the threads?

 

IBO (it's beautiful outside). Only one troll on there and he is mild mannered and sometimes quite funny. The rest are great people who love Saints, most of them very knowledgable.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[spyinthesky]

What I find interesting is the 'he will only go to one of the really top clubs' idea. That's as maybe in VVDs case, but so far none of our departures have gone to Man City or Chelsea and those that have transferred to Man U and Arsenal (Shaw, Schneiderlin and Chambers) have hardly ripped up trees. Just putting it out there but do we as Saints fans have an over-inflated opinion of the ability of our best players. Those that have gone to a team below very top level, Liverpool, have been more successful. Makes you think?

 

I reckon you make a very fair point

 

There were quite a few voices raised recently re Charlie Austin for England.

 

Much as I admire Charlie, if he is truly England standard, then we really do have a problem with the national team's aspirations to be a leading football nation.

[Mowgli]

I totally understand how we operate, have enjoyed the success the strategy has brought us and look forward to seeing the next group of talent come into the team and play in our colours.

 

But why oh f**king why does it always have to be f**king Liverpool!? Their chief scout must have the easiest job in the world.

 

Celtic probably saying the same about us.

[Charlie Wayman]

I can never understand why fans get emotional about players moving on.

 

Can't you? Are you really a fan then? Just to spell it out to you... "because it happens all the bloody time and they are getting sick to the back teeth of being ripped off and treated as effing idiots"

[Colinjb]

Celtic probably saying the same about us.

 

Wouldn't doubt it! But even then, it's been 'only' three coming in that direction. To sell in the space of three seasons, Lambert, Clyne, Lallana, Lovren, Mané; then add in Van Dijk and McQueen as possible. That would have to be some kind of record, surely?

[Stevie61163]

Are Man City a truly big club? They can't even sell out their stadium week in week out. I'd say Barca, Real, Man United, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and unfortunately Liverpool are the truly big clubs, although the bin dippers haven't won the League for about 25 years they've competed for it, won the Champions League and easily sell out their massive stadium every game.

 

When talking about spending power you can add Chelsea, Man City and PSG to the list, although they wouldn't be where they are without ridiculous billionaire investment.

 

Man City area big club yes...that just opens another debate of what constitutes a big club by your analogy city aren't a big club because the don't sell out their ground that means that Bournemouth, Pompey and anyone else that sells out their ground is a big club.

To me a big club are a club that has serious financial clout, a club that plays regularly in the champions league, a club that regularly attract the top top players, a club that regularly challenges for the title.

English football is still ruled by the big four Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal. Teams like Liverpool, Spurs and and maybe Everton have a great history but as we stand right now are not one of the truly big clubs. Liverpool are the closest at the moment but if a player had a choice to join one of the big four or Liverpool which one do you think he would choose.

[saint77]

bloody hell liverpools DOF was born in southampton is that where there addiction to our players come from

[saint77]

and to make things worse he was a bloody skate employee for 6 years

[angelman]

What's the alternative though? join league 2 and refuse promotion every season? Petition to join the Welsh league? The only way I can see to make football a level playing field is to turn it amateur with players playing for free and remove money from the sport altogether and that isn't going to ever happen.

 

Give up on football is another alternative, or maybe to scrap FFP regulations and let more teams do a RB Leipzig, although I suspect somehow that they haven't broken FFP. I'm loving it that they are top. Pipsqueaks coming out of nowhere to lead everything much to the chagrin and dislike of everyone else. Just imagine if Bayern and Dortmund had 18 RB Leipzigs to face. There would be a level playing field where anyone can win.

 

Football is broken. I don't like it, but I get it. I think that I have now reached the stage where I don't actually care whether my club do things with integrity or not. No one else does. It doesn't really get us anywhere and we are picked apart at will by other clubs. Maybe the club hierarchy like it that way. So be it. It's their club, in as much as they own it, but it isn't really helping us move forward. So if they sell up, we get someone in who then decides to make us Man City Mk2, then do I care? Not in the slightest. Anything would be better than just hanging around and making up the numbers and wondering whether against all probability whether we might finish in the EL places, now that the big boys seemingly have got their act together.

[Dusic]

Virgeel.

[SKD]

In all probability - just klike you and me - he will join the club that pays him the most.

 

Still sniffing around on our clubs forums then.

 

Tend to disagree on this as VVD seems like an intelligent lad and will go where he feels is best for him. Anyway, if Chelsea, City, United ect really wanted him, there's no reason why they couldn't match or better your contract offer anyway.

[Saint-Fred]

What is the point of being in a competition that you have little to no chance of winning? Are you happy just making up the numbers?

 

Can you remind me what we have won in 100 plus years trying? Obviously it was all a waste of time and effort (with the exception of 1976) by that logic?

[angelman]

Fred, do you think we were closer to winning it in say mid 80s than we are now? Do you think we are closer to finishing in the European places now or were we more likely in the 80s?

[Tom & Gerry]

What is the point of being in a competition that you have little to no chance of winning? Are you happy just making up the numbers?

 

Yes.

 

1) trying to stay up

2) trying to get in to Europe

3) trying to beat the the big teams

4) great matches

5) great players

6) great wins

7) hoping for a miracle

 

I've supported this team for nearly 60 years and never once did I think we had a chance of winning the league. Should I and thousands of other Saints fans ,and fans of clubs apart from the mega rich few give up. No because miracles do happen, and I'm sorry to have to break this to you, it would take a miracle.

[Saint-Fred]

Fred, do you think we were closer to winning it in say mid 80s than we are now? Do you think we are closer to finishing in the European places now or were we more likely in the 80s?

 

Well we are in Europe now so does that answer your question? And as English teams were banned from Europe in the mid eighties even Pompey have a better chance of qualifying now than we did then! :-)

 

We have never , realistically , had a chance of winning the top league in my lifetime, how far from winning it is a bit irrelevant? We could dream that we would but in reality we couldn't even win a cup (with one exception) let alone the league....personally I still enjoy the games, enjoy good football and hope that at some point we will win another major cup! And I do know that if we are in the premier league there is a much better chance of that than if we were in any lower league. (Despite our obvious exception to that rule)

[CB Fry]

Give up on football is another alternative, or maybe to scrap FFP regulations and let more teams do a RB Leipzig, although I suspect somehow that they haven't broken FFP. I'm loving it that they are top. Pipsqueaks coming out of nowhere to lead everything much to the chagrin and dislike of everyone else. Just imagine if Bayern and Dortmund had 18 RB Leipzigs to face. There would be a level playing field where anyone can win.

 

Football is broken. I don't like it, but I get it. I think that I have now reached the stage where I don't actually care whether my club do things with integrity or not. No one else does. It doesn't really get us anywhere and we are picked apart at will by other clubs. Maybe the club hierarchy like it that way. So be it. It's their club, in as much as they own it, but it isn't really helping us move forward. So if they sell up, we get someone in who then decides to make us Man City Mk2, then do I care? Not in the slightest. Anything would be better than just hanging around and making up the numbers and wondering whether against all probability whether we might finish in the EL places, now that the big boys seemingly have got their act together.

This makes pretty much no sense whatsoever.

 

We had an arriviste/underdog/unexpected team at the top of our league, er, six months ago.

 

I'm always incredibly sceptical about rants like this because I suspect you have no genuine interest in a league "anyone can win", just a league Southampton Football Club do win.

 

If you got your wish and the current top six was Burnley, WBA, West Ham, Middlesborough, Sunderland and Stoke I seriously doubt you'd be thrilled with the level playing field of it all. You'd be moaning more than you are now.

[Dalek2003]

What is the point of being in a competition that you have little to no chance of winning? Are you happy just making up the numbers?

 

Yes.

[Dalek2003]

Yes.

 

1) trying to stay up

2) trying to get in to Europe

3) trying to beat the the big teams

4) great matches

5) great players

6) great wins

7) hoping for a miracle

 

I've supported this team for nearly 60 years and never once did I think we had a chance of winning the league. Should I and thousands of other Saints fans ,and fans of clubs apart from the mega rich few give up. No because miracles do happen, and I'm sorry to have to break this to you, it would take a miracle.

 

Superb post. After the hard fought battles of the 1990's, staying up will always be our number 1 achievement.

[verlaine1979]

Don't you think we did when tieing the players down to longer contracts though? Those that signed a new contract are hardly likely to take same wages are they.

 

Additional commercial and transfer revenue was just under £30m (£20.8m transfer profit, +£5m extra from Virgin Media, £4m extra from Under Armour) + £4m of allowed increases, plus whatever wages we freed up when Pelle, Mane & Ramirez left (conservatively another £5m per season). So that's a hypothetical £750k per week that could be distributed in new wages. Obviously some of that money will have been spent elsewhere improving other aspects of the club, but I doubt we got anywhere near that kind of weekly wage increase, so it seems unlikely that FFP wage rules held us back on recruitment.

[Heisenberg]

Superb post. After the hard fought battles of the 1990's, staying up will always be our number 1 achievement.

 

That's the dream... are we the worst in the league rather than battling to be the best in the league

 

Bottom 3 is the new top 3

[djharvey]

Can't you? Are you really a fan then? Just to spell it out to you... "because it happens all the bloody time and they are getting sick to the back teeth of being ripped off and treated as effing idiots"

Best they go support Real Madrid then!

[Winnersaint]

Additional commercial and transfer revenue was just under £30m (£20.8m transfer profit, +£5m extra from Virgin Media, £4m extra from Under Armour) + £4m of allowed increases, plus whatever wages we freed up when Pelle, Mane & Ramirez left (conservatively another £5m per season). So that's a hypothetical £750k per week that could be distributed in new wages. Obviously some of that money will have been spent elsewhere improving other aspects of the club, but I doubt we got anywhere near that kind of weekly wage increase, so it seems unlikely that FFP wage rules held us back on recruitment.

 

Take your point, but perhaps that's for 2017/18.

[ART]

Ban and keep Alex Crooks well away from the club and you remove Liverpool's number one undercover agent. One wonders just how much Liverpool have been paying him to tap up our best players.

[beowulf]

Yes.

 

1) trying to stay up

2) trying to get in to Europe

3) trying to beat the the big teams

4) great matches

5) great players

6) great wins

7) hoping for a miracle

 

I've supported this team for nearly 60 years and never once did I think we had a chance of winning the league. Should I and thousands of other Saints fans ,and fans of clubs apart from the mega rich few give up. No because miracles do happen, and I'm sorry to have to break this to you, it would take a miracle.

 

Agree with 1-6

7.Miracles do happen ask Leicester City fans.

 

Saints almost won the league in 1982,Keegans back injury was a factor in why we didn't.Keegan subsequently moved to Newcastle because of the failure to strengthen the defence.

[Dusic]

Ban and keep Alex Crooks well away from the club and you remove Liverpool's number one undercover agent. One wonders just how much Liverpool have been paying him to tap up our best players.

I know for a fact, £0.

[ENSKIED]

Still sniffing around on our clubs forums then.

 

Tend to disagree on this as VVD seems like an intelligent lad and will go where he feels is best for him. Anyway, if Chelsea, City, United ect really wanted him, there's no reason why they couldn't match or better your contract offer anyway.

 

By the way, just out of interest you understand - how old are you?

 

So anyway I'll play with ya once again Kid; if you care to checkback on Mane, the hottest Saints peoperty in years best since MLT etc etc - as indeed he is proving - he was "always" going to Man U. . . . .

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/10/15/sadio-mane-reveals-why-he-was-right-to-choose-liverpool-over-man/

 

Now remind us, who did he sign for? . . . . .Sorta tuning in?

[St Chalet]

By the way, just out of interest you understand - how old are you?

 

So anyway I'll play with ya once again Kid; if you care to checkback on Mane, the hottest Saints peoperty in years best since MLT etc etc - as indeed he is proving - he was "always" going to Man U. . . . .

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/10/15/sadio-mane-reveals-why-he-was-right-to-choose-liverpool-over-man/

 

Now remind us, who did he sign for? . . . . .Sorta tuning in?

 

i think we'll just stick with our own trolls.

[Saint in NZ]

Who was that club that finished sixth last season and seventh the season before, then? Could have sworn that was us.

 

CL positions? Not when I last looked. Anyway, do you really believe that can be matched this season?

[Saint-Fred]

H

Agree with 1-6

7.Miracles do happen ask Leicester City fans.

 

Saints almost won the league in 1982,Keegans back injury was a factor in why we didn't.Keegan subsequently moved to Newcastle because of the failure to strengthen the defence.

 

We finished 7th that season, not really close to winning it!

[CB Fry]

CL positions? Not when I last looked. Anyway, do you really believe that can be matched this season?

So anything below the CL places is Mid-table mediocrity now, is it?

 

It doesn't matter whether I think we can repeat it this season, you said mid table mediocrity is the best we can hope for when I think we've beaten that in the last two years anyway.

 

If anything below 4th is mediocre to you then you're probably supporting the wrong football club. We are very likely to never finish fourth, so get used to it.

[Give it to Ron]

Superb post. After the hard fought battles of the 1990's, staying up will always be our number 1 achievement.

 

Must be disappointed you got relegated last season then.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Saint in NZ]

This discussion was originally about the board and Les Reed promising a CL place. Don't get me wrong, the last two seasons have been fantastic but this season is not likely to be. At last the club is showing interest in signing another recognised striker in Sturridge so that is at least a start. Incidentally, not likely to start supporting another club as I have been a Saints supporter for over 60 years.