VVD already on his way ???

[CB Fry]

"May 26, 2016 - we know we can get into the Champions League - over the next five years, we want to build a club that is ready for the Champions League"

 

There is a video of him saying it on that date. Haven't attached it but you can look it up. Now perhaps CB Fry will go back to sleep.

That's not a promise is it? If you pay attention to everything Les Reed says on this topic you'll understand what this club is trying to do. It's pretty easy to understand.

 

But if you want to continue being outraged that a club as gigantic as Southampton Football Club is slumming it in the Mid-table of the Premier League, fill your boots.

[trousers]

CB Fry is correct IMO. Getting ourselves in a position where we could be champions league qualification contenders 'within 5 years' was an aspiration, not a "promise" per se.

 

We were a whisker (one win) away from achieving it last season, a mere 1 year into the 5 year aspiration. We probably won't come that close this year but to say the aspiration has failed at this early stage is perhaps a tad premature. Maybe we should wait and see where we are in 3 years time then judge how successful Les has been in achieving his 5 year ambition? Call me old fashioned.

 

Maybe having a below par season this year (if that's how it transpires) will end up being a blessing in disguise as it'll free us up next year to have a distraction free crack at finishing higher up the Premier League table. One step back, two steps forwards perhaps. Who knows? I certainly don't

Edited 25 November, 2016 by trousers

[Saint Albert]

Man City are the latest team to be linked with VVD, albeit by the Daily Star. The Star claims that he is rated at 30 million and sought by Pep as a January replacement for Kompany.

[Saint_clark]

£30million, lul.

If we sell for any less than £40mil I'll be p*ssed and really, if the market was any kind of fair (I know it's not) he'd be going for £50million.

Maybe we should point to their acquisition of John Stones as proof his value is that high.

[adrian lord]

Man City are the latest team to be linked with VVD, albeit by the Daily Star. The Star claims that he is rated at 30 million and sought by Pep as a January replacement for Kompany.

 

Would not surprise me at all. VVD is that good. I'd want 45 mil as a minimum from those moneybags though.

[CB Fry]

We will sell him eventually, probably in the summer but we will not be selling him in January. No way, no chance, not going to happen.

 

We had all this rubbish about Mané last January and obviously it didn't happen and this won't either. June, sure. January, no.

[adrian lord]

Agree it will be the summer.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Saint Albert]

At this rate it might be easier to compile a list of "big" clubs not linked with VVD.

[Professor]

It really is no good anyone kidding themselves that players can be held to a contract right to the end. It can be done for a while but players who are aware of massive pay rises waiting for them will soon agitate for a move. If a player no longer has his heart in playing for the club because it is costing him a fortune, that will affect how he plays. It's not lack of ambition to be honest about the situation we are in. The club will keep top quality players for as long as they can but World class players will inevitably move to one of the top 4 or 5 clubs and once they know they have that potential they will do what they can to get there. Locking them in the dressing room and making them wear an ankle tag just won't work.

[nta786]

It really is no good anyone kidding themselves that players can be held to a contract right to the end. It can be done for a while but players who are aware of massive pay rises waiting for them will soon agitate for a move. If a player no longer has his heart in playing for the club because it is costing him a fortune, that will affect how he plays. It's not lack of ambition to be honest about the situation we are in. The club will keep top quality players for as long as they can but World class players will inevitably move to one of the top 4 or 5 clubs and once they know they have that potential they will do what they can to get there. Locking them in the dressing room and making them wear an ankle tag just won't work.

 

I do think we have got these players on such big contracts on the basis that 'play really well for us, and when the time comes, we will allow you to move onto a bigger club'. Guess we get the cash, and he gets his big move.

[Fan The Flames]

I do think we have got these players on such big contracts on the basis that 'play really well for us, and when the time comes, we will allow you to move onto a bigger club'. Guess we get the cash, and he gets his big move.

 

And we get two years out of a player that wouldn't come otherwise.

[CB Fry]

And we get two years out of a player that wouldn't come otherwise.

Correct. Someday, maybe, people might start understanding that can work perfectly.

 

If we are selling two or three players to CL level clubs every summer, then every season we'll finish top ten/do well in cups/or better/etc. If the first thing keeps happening then the second thing will also keep happening.

Edited 28 November, 2016 by CB Fry

[HKsaint]

I know he will go eventually, but can we get a better price? The transfer fee for mane is a shame and kloop also laughed us off.

[Toomer]

Think we need to change the line in his song from Clauds man to he scored against Milan.

[stedje]

Forgive me if is stated earlier, but are Celtic entitled to any sell on fee?

[spyinthesky]

I know he will go eventually, but can we get a better price? The transfer fee for mane is a shame and kloop also laughed us off.

 

HK

 

I think that most fans, me included, thought the reported £34m for Mane was a very decent deal for us at the time.

 

Doesn't really look like it now though

 

I guess that most Celtic thought £10m ish for VVD was reasonable but they will be reflecting on his value now.

 

Similarly we all thought £25m for Adam Lallana was an Ok fee especially as he struggled initially at first.

 

Now it is reported that PSG are looking to bid £45m for him.

 

Transfer fees have really gone mad!!

[Colinjb]

Think we need to change the line in his song from Clauds man to he scored against Milan.

 

Fits very well with the line 'We're drinking in Milan' which I remember from the San Siro visit.

[SKD]

Think we need to change the line in his song from Clauds man to he scored against Milan.

 

Very tinpot.

 

Hate the whole song as it's just an outright copy sung by every club in the country. Can't we think of something better?

[SonicBoom]

A Mirror journalist today said that the "reported 40 million valuation now looks like more of a starting point than a selling price"

[Toomer]

Very tinpot.

 

Hate the whole song as it's just an outright copy sung by every club in the country. Can't we think of something better?

 

Every tin pot club has a version of OWTS now.

[HKsaint]

HK

 

I think that most fans, me included, thought the reported £34m for Mane was a very decent deal for us at the time.

 

Doesn't really look like it now though

 

I guess that most Celtic thought £10m ish for VVD was reasonable but they will be reflecting on his value now.

 

Similarly we all thought £25m for Adam Lallana was an Ok fee especially as he struggled initially at first.

 

Now it is reported that PSG are looking to bid £45m for him.

 

Transfer fees have really gone mad!!

 

I understand that a player's transfer value will change from time to time. Lallana left us for three years and VVD has been here for two years and they values reflected their performance during the periods respectively. However, Mane left us this summer only and just a few months after now, you also recognise the reported £34 million doesn't look like really decent. Mane was on fire in the second half of last year and his performance is consistent in Liverpool. I think that there was mis-judgement of the value of Mane made by the management.

[SuperSAINT]

Virgil has been immense with us and I hope he stays for an extra season, but when/if the big clubs come in, without a shadow of a doubt, we should be a looking at £60m.

[Pamplemousse]

Given the amount of clubs interested in him, hopefully we can trigger some sort of bidding war.

 

If he does go, I'd rather it was to a club like Barcelona or Real Madrid than another English club.

[OldNick]

Correct. Someday, maybe, people might start understanding that can work perfectly.

 

If we are selling two or three players to CL level clubs every summer, then every season we'll finish top ten/do well in cups/or better/etc. If the first thing keeps happening then the second thing will also keep happening.

I totally understand the concept and if you are out to pocket money then that is the way, but if the club could actually build a team that won things perhaps we would then be the club players wanted to join for glory not a leg up to better things.

Whilst it is nice seeing our players develop into top players at our club. there might be a day when we have to boo every club that visits due to them buying our players.We already have Libverpool,ManU,Spurs,Everton

[nta786]

Given the amount of clubs interested in him, hopefully we can trigger some sort of bidding war.

 

If he does go, I'd rather it was to a club like Barcelona or Real Madrid than another English club.

 

I'd rather sell him for £35m to Barca, RM, Bayern than to Liverpool for £60m- and make sure that foreign club sign a co tract which means they can't sell him onto an English club, if you are allowed such contracts

[mrfahaji]

Despite the interest from Liverpool, Man City and even perhaps the likes of Barcelona, I was hopeful we might keep hold of him for at least another season.

 

But now Everton are interested we've got no hope.

[GGalpin]

I'd rather sell him for £35m to Barca, RM, Bayern than to Liverpool for £60m- and make sure that foreign club sign a co tract which means they can't sell him onto an English club, if you are allowed such contracts

 

You are allowed to do that; it was in Cedric's contract that was leaked that we would have to pay Sporting big money if we were to sell him to Braga, Porto or Benfica within a certain time.

[The9]

I totally understand the concept and if you are out to pocket money then that is the way, but if the club could actually build a team that won things perhaps we would then be the club players wanted to join for glory not a leg up to better things.

Whilst it is nice seeing our players develop into top players at our club. there might be a day when we have to boo every club that visits due to them buying our players.We already have Libverpool,ManU,Spurs,Everton

 

As Kante proved in the summer, players aren't going to stay with teams that win things if they can get paid lots of money instead. The fact that the rules prevent us from paying the same kind of sums as the "top" clubs doesn't help.

[Saint Albert]

I hope that we can hold onto VVD for at least 1 more season. It sometimes seems like a forlorn hope, but he has a long contract. It will not be like Morgan, Mane or Wanyama where the bidding team had the whip hand because the player had 2 years (or in Wanyama's case 1 year) remaining. The ability of an interested team to practice the dark football arts by convincing the player to run his contract down is non-existent in VVD's case right now.

 

Hopefully VVD would keep his head down for another year. I suppose you could always argue that Lallana walked away from a long Saints contract, though, and then you look at a player like Berahino who seems to have self-destructed after Levy's attempt to unlodge and destabilize him only resulted in a pretty epic destabilization. Still, Morgan gave us one more year after a meltdown. We have a right to expect at least that from VVD.

[angelman]

As Kante proved in the summer, players aren't going to stay with teams that win things if they can get paid lots of money instead. The fact that the rules prevent us from paying the same kind of sums as the "top" clubs doesn't help.

 

I disagree a little......of course there is the money side of things, but his moving to Chelsea does make sense. Over the next 4 years, Leicester are likely going to be in CL once (this year), while Chelsea are likely to be in it 3 times (ie all but this year). And really, you need to strike while the iron is hot and if your status is sky high one season, it may well not be the next.