Fonte Joins West Ham - £8m Official

[angelman]

This is a very sad day.

 

A good and old friend died just before Xmas aged 44. I found that a very sad day. I found his funeral just as sad.

 

Tomorrow, I will wake up, get the kids' breakfast ready and carry on as normal. I'll hopefully do that on Sunday, before picking up my old man. That might be a sad day, because the dementia he has might mean that it is his last game at Saints. I'll come back from the game feeling happy/ambivalent/dejected do the normal things in the afternoon, and go to bed knowing life's OK. I'll wake up on Monday morning, get the kids' breakfast ready, get them ready for school, go to work etc etc.

[saintwbu]

Be interesting to see what Jose posts on Instagram about us, if anything. Would think a thank you to the fans is in order, if there's no such thing then i'd be surprised, he is very active on there so would be strange!

[simondo]

Sad but inevertable

[angelman]

Be interesting to see what Jose posts on Instagram about us, if anything. Would think a thank you to the fans is in order, if there's no such thing then i'd be surprised, he is very active on there so would be strange!

 

Is that what is important to younger people these days???

[shirleysfc]

We should be good for a penalty against West Ham now

[disconnect]

Well he's well and truly c**ked that one up hasnt he. Wet Sham? Really?! I suppose their fans think they're the best club ever, but most of those I've met are cockney idiot lad types who arent on the brightest side. They probably think they're getting some sort of bargain here with the Euro's winning centre back - little do they know he's likely to wrestle someone down for a penalty in the first few games. I dont wish him well - he was the captain and paid very well (with the offer for more) but it wasnt good enough for someone who spent a few weeks hanging out with Mr Ego Ronaldo and just proved himself to be as greedy as the others (but with less ambition).

 

A move purely fueled on money - I'd suggest we all print off some 'monopoly money' to throw at him from the crowd when he returns!

[warsash saint]

A player on £250,000 a month, yet still wants more! Sick of the pure greed in the Sky era!!

[Greedyfly]

Without comment either way on the transfer, isn't it a funny coincidence that when they're here the players are the best persons ever...yet when they leave they're all 'Billy Big ********' ****s. Lovren (that one I can believe, actually), Lallana, Pochettino, Koeman, Alderweireld etc. Is it just possible they aren't the problem?

[Dangermouth]

Good or bad deal is not the point and not relative. I don't care how much we got for Koeman, I dont care how much we get for Fonte.

 

And what's good in the first place? We don't know yet, Puel hasn't won me over and let's see how it goes without Fonte but yaaay 13 million pounds or what ever?

 

It says a lot that they were willing to move sideways. So you can be happy about that we got 'good' deals for them but I'm not and that's all I'm going to say about it.

 

 

 

Someone who looks past the trees. More of us should question this move and the events surrounding what seems to be happening at the club because we are in a precarious position and are likely to be for quite a while. We aren't too different from the clubs below and around us.

[DT]

I really hope there's a plan. But we're being to feel a bit brexit

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[angelman]

Without comment either way on the transfer, isn't it a funny coincidence that when they're here the players are the best persons ever...yet when they leave they're all 'Billy Big ********' ****s. Lovren (that one I can believe, actually), Lallana, Pochettino, Koeman, Alderweireld etc. Is it just possible they aren't the problem?

 

You are presuming that most sane people think your list is full of ****s. Personally I see a bunch of nummamorous people, and their behaviour is what nummamorous people do. I think that there is a certain naive hope from many of us, myself included, that someone will break the mould. But they don't.

[Forester]

You can't blame Jose for wanting to get one last payday after he has found success so late in his career. He probably never expected to be as successful at the Euro's as he was, and whilst he will be well paid compared to the average man on the street, it is only natural that he tries to benefit financially from that success.

 

Saints were never going to offer him the length of contract he wanted at the wage he wanted, and that I agree with. Saints cannot afford to have a 35 year old, who may or may not be in the team as a regular as one of the highest earners at the club. You need to make that decision on an annual basis depending on ho the individual has performed, even Chelsea with their riches do the same with Frank Lampard, John Terry, and anyone else around the 35 year old mark.

 

That said, I'm sure West Ham wasn't what Jose intended when he handed in that transfer request but if they are prepared to pay him what he wants then so be it. It'll be interesting to review the 2018/19 season and see how many games he actually plays in.

 

Best of luck (except against us) and thanks for the memories Jose.

Spot on

[Whitey Grandad]

Over it already.

[saintwbu]

Is that what is important to younger people these days???

 

I wouldn't describe it as important but it could be reflective of his attitude. If after 7 years he decides not to publicly thank the fans who paid his wages (like Schneiderlin, Lambert, Lallana, Wanyama, even Toby i think! have all done), then it'd probably give a clue as to how he feels about the club. Just curious, that's all.

[Saint in Paradise]

Some people say that Jose wanted to go to Man Utd but in the end he has had to settle for West Ham.

 

Sounds very similar to a mate of mine in the UK who drove a BMW which was starting to need a lot of money

spent on it to keep it at its best, badly wanted a Bentley but in the end financial problems forced him to get

an Audi.

[Saint_clark]

A player on £250,000 a month, yet still wants more! Sick of the pure greed in the Sky era!!

 

Agreed, that's £248,800 a month more than me and i'm getting by.

[Daft Kerplunk]

End of an era and that's the entire promo team gone. Wonder what the next era will be like

[RonManager]

End of an era and that's the entire promo team gone. Wonder what the next era will be like

 

The club will do a 'Blues Brothers/ Barnstoneworth United' and get the old team back together.

[Saint Albert]

Well, good luck Jose I suppose. Could have been a Saints legend.

 

I keep on reading comments in the media along the lines of we have Gardos and "highly-regarded" Jack Stephens (Telegraph's account of the transfer, for example). I can't help thinking that the club is laying track in the media and there will be no CB replacement this transfer window.

[angelman]

Well, good luck Jose I suppose. Could have been a Saints legend.

 

I keep on reading comments in the media along the lines of we have Gardos and "highly-regarded" Jack Stephens (Telegraph's account of the transfer, for example). I can't help thinking that the club is laying track in the media and there will be no CB replacement this transfer window.

 

It may well be the case, and if so, while I won't be disappointed with using what we have, I will be disappointed by Les saying that he would only go when we had a replacement.

[VectisSaint]

It may well be the case, and if so, while I won't be disappointed with using what we have, I will be disappointed by Les saying that he would only go when we had a replacement.

Les says a lot of stuff.

[St Marco]

Good luck to him. He was massive for us and Imo is still a very good defender.

Shouldn't have sold him until we got a replacement in but hopefully we will get someone just as good in soon.

[speedlemur]

I can accept the clubs policy, but only if they stick to it. Replacements before or just after a sale. Needs to be this window, otherwise they are giving up on the rest of this season.

[Saint Albert]

"Thank you champ for everything you have done for me and also for the club, was a pleasure to play with you! #saintslegend #champ #gutted" -VVD's twitter.

[washsaint]

Only decent money if it is spent on a replacement. If it's not, I would rather he stayed. I would rather he stayed and Puel went to be quite honest.

 

He still is a very good player.

 

A good and old friend died just before Xmas aged 44. I found that a very sad day. I found his funeral just as sad.

 

Tomorrow, I will wake up, get the kids' breakfast ready and carry on as normal. I'll hopefully do that on Sunday, before picking up my old man. That might be a sad day, because the dementia he has might mean that it is his last game at Saints. I'll come back from the game feeling happy/ambivalent/dejected do the normal things in the afternoon, and go to bed knowing life's OK. I'll wake up on Monday morning, get the kids' breakfast ready, get them ready for school, go to work etc etc.

 

Absolutely 1000% spot on. I lost a good friend at 36 who leaves a 2 year old daughter at the beginning of the month. That is a tragedy, that is sad day.

 

So many snowflakes bleating over what, at the end of the day, is simply a sport. I reckon the corridors of power at St MArys must be full 24x7 with anonymous posters on a message board claiming to know what is going on behind the scenes, etc.

[Donatello]

Standing by what I said earlier, there isn't too much to be disgruntled about (with regards to this transfer in isolation), but boy does it feel weird seeing him in a West Ham shirt.

 

As for the remainder of the season, I'm just not sold on the idea of Stephens and Gardos as our alternatives. Stephens is glaringly untested at this level, and Gardos, with whatever quality he may have, hasn't played consistently in two years. Factor in that one of these players would be playing regularly under our rotation system (assuming we're not dumped out of both cups), and it feels a little precarious.

[Dusic]

Its just the same as Lallana. He was so **** lol and we have Tadic.

[Daft Kerplunk]

Well, good luck Jose I suppose. Could have been a Saints legend.

 

I keep on reading comments in the media along the lines of we have Gardos and "highly-regarded" Jack Stephens (Telegraph's account of the transfer, for example). I can't help thinking that the club is laying track in the media and there will be no CB replacement this transfer window.

 

The telegraph is where you read Saints news first, we clearly give it to them first so this is the way it is. I doubt there will be any replacement for Fonte this window, and if Yosh and Stephens (and Gardos if he ever comes back) do okay, then no need for replacements. When, because let's face it, it's inevitable, VVD leaves in the summer, wonder if we will get anyone else in or whether Turnbull will return and do a job saving us a stack of cash.

[Pamplemousse]

Why is everyone assuming VVD will leave in the summer? He's signed a long-term deal.

 

I mean, if a big club comes in with a huge offer we will probably accept it, but it's not like it's a given.

[LGTL]

The telegraph is where you read Saints news first, we clearly give it to them first so this is the way it is. I doubt there will be any replacement for Fonte this window, and if Yosh and Stephens (and Gardos if he ever comes back) do okay, then no need for replacements. When, because let's face it, it's inevitable, VVD leaves in the summer, wonder if we will get anyone else in or whether Turnbull will return and do a job saving us a stack of cash.

 

If we go into next season, or any season, with Yoshida, Turnball, Stephens and Gardos as our only CB's then we would finish bottom with a record low points total.

[Daft Kerplunk]

Why is everyone assuming VVD will leave in the summer? He's signed a long-term deal.

 

I mean, if a big club comes in with a huge offer we will probably accept it, but it's not like it's a given.

 

I appreciate your opinion, and I know you're uber positive but he will leave in the summer. As it stands with those in charge, that is absolutely inevitable, regardless of contract length. The only way it won't happen is if we get a stack load of money to invest in the team from our new Chinese investors/owners once that happens. If it doesn't, there is little way we can hold on to an asset like VVD with the football business as it stands versus the sort of football businesses that will bid for Virgil.

Edited 20 January, 2017 by Daft Kerplunk

[Daft Kerplunk]

If we go into next season, or any season, with Yoshida, Turnball, Stephens and Gardos as our only CB's then we would finish bottom with a record low points total.

 

Let's not rule it out just yet. Maybe Les' words about it letting Fonte go without a replacement being ready won't refer to internal candidates.

[the saint in winchester]

Saints offered him the same length of contract he has just signed and offered £70k a week. How much do you think West Ham are paying him?

 

 

Really? I thought this was about Saints not prepared to extend his contract beyond the 18 months? They would increase his salary but not extend his contract period? West Ham have offered the extra year he craved and have even raised the possibility of a further year on top of that.

Same length of contract? Really? 2.5 years? 3.5 years?

[angelman]

If we go into next season, or any season, with Yoshida, Turnball, Stephens and Gardos as our only CB's then we would finish bottom with a record low points total.

 

Well if we went in to next season with that lot + Fonte, then I don't think we would do much better.

[Nordic Saint]

End of an era and that's the entire promo team gone. Wonder what the next era will be like

 

The players feel the same way:

 

Virgil van Dijk ‏@VirgilvDijk 2h2 hours ago

 

Thank you champ for everything you have done for me and also for the club, was a pleasure to play with you! #saintslegend #champ #gutted

 

https://twitter.com/VirgilvDijk?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

[Saint Albert]

Why is everyone assuming VVD will leave in the summer? He's signed a long-term deal.

 

I mean, if a big club comes in with a huge offer we will probably accept it, but it's not like it's a given.

 

I hope that we can keep him for another year, but there is a lot of noise re. VVD in the media linking him to the likes of City for huge money. Recent history has taught me to lower my expectations on the star player retention front. Ralph's recent comments to Kicker magazine have not left me feeling optimistic.

[Noodles34]

Why is everyone assuming VVD will leave in the summer? He's signed a long-term deal.

 

I mean, if a big club comes in with a huge offer we will probably accept it, but it's not like it's a given.

 

[benjii]

Turnbull was sold.

[Matthew Le God]

The telegraph is where you read Saints news first, we clearly give it to them first so this is the way it is. I doubt there will be any replacement for Fonte this window, and if Yosh and Stephens (and Gardos if he ever comes back) do okay, then no need for replacements. When, because let's face it, it's inevitable, VVD leaves in the summer, wonder if we will get anyone else in or whether Turnbull will return and do a job saving us a stack of cash.

 

If we go into next season, or any season, with Yoshida, Turnball, Stephens and Gardos as our only CB's then we would finish bottom with a record low points total.

 

Just to let you two know... Jordan Turnbull left Saints on 15th August 2016. He isn't on loan, he joined Coventry City on a permanent deal.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37089943

[Daft Kerplunk]

Just to let you two know... Jordan Turnbull left Saints on 15th August 2016. He isn't on loan, he joined Coventry City on a permanent deal.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37089943

 

Any thoughts on the other points?

[BlakeySFC]

Fonte on the West Ham website:

 

"I told the manager in conversations that we want to win and we want to win trophies," Fonte told whufc.com. "The ambition is big and we need to aim high."

 

:lol:

[Mr Saints]

Why is everyone assuming VVD will leave in the summer? He's signed a long-term deal.

 

I mean, if a big club comes in with a huge offer we will probably accept it, but it's not like it's a given.

 

He is one of the best players in the country. He's gone come the summer.

[Verbal Kint]

The telegraph is where you read Saints news first, we clearly give it to them first so this is the way it is. I doubt there will be any replacement for Fonte this window, and if Yosh and Stephens (and Gardos if he ever comes back) do okay, then no need for replacements. When, because let's face it, it's inevitable, VVD leaves in the summer, wonder if we will get anyone else in or whether Turnbull will return and do a job saving us a stack of cash.

 

It's fairly obvious VVD will be replaced in the summer when he's sold. Obvious to everyone. Will Fonte be replaced in this window? Maybe not (although my gut feeling is we will) but I have no issue with them giving Gardos and Stephens a chance to prove themselves and if they aren't up to it then we will get another CB to replace Fonte in the summer.

 

Not ideal bringing in 2 CB in one window, but there you go, you just get on with it

[saint1977]

Any thoughts on the other points?

 

MLG ignored those because he knew you - and the majority of the fans - are right. Just read the club statement - very lukewarm and not appropriate. Starting to feel sorry for Puel - hate his style of play but having his legs cut from under him by Les 'read my lips, Fonte only goes if there's a replacement' Reed.

 

If VVD gets injured, Championship next year and if we lose this weekend we are serious contenders for the drop anyway. Morale is going to be very low v Leicester amongst the fans, hope we get an early goal or crowd could seriously turn.

[SW5 SAINT]

I wouldn't describe it as important but it could be reflective of his attitude. If after 7 years he decides not to publicly thank the fans who paid his wages (like Schneiderlin, Lambert, Lallana, Wanyama, even Toby i think! have all done), then it'd probably give a clue as to how he feels about the club. Just curious, that's all.

 

I think it was Sky that paid the wages to be honest..........

[cellone]

I think it may work out well for him there. A fresh challenge, good manager. He will bring them something new and plenty of experience at the same time. It will be interesting to see how it goes. A parting after so many years was never going to be painless but you can't blame a bloke for wanting to make a bit extra and something new whilst he still has it in him. It's either move or stay and slowly retire (not sure clubs do this so much anymore). I wish this had been done in the summer though, a quick split would have bee better for all.

[niceandfriendly]

We sell our captain for an absolute pittance, and Trump becomes President. What a day.

 

The good times are over, folks.

[Saint Without a Halo]

Why is everyone assuming VVD will leave in the summer? He's signed a long-term deal.

 

I mean, if a big club comes in with a huge offer we will probably accept it, but it's not like it's a given.

 

Err not a given if we had the will inclination and a track record of holding onto players, but our business model is always to sell on and replace with young prospects, let's hope we can keep up the success ratio in our recruitment

[HKsaint]

Very strange, while others are selling their fringe players, we are selling our core players (mane, pelle, fonte, wanyama, morgan, clyne and so on)

[Gunnery]

Very strange, while others are selling their fringe players, we are selling our core players (mane, pelle, fonte, wanyama, morgan, clyne and so on)

No other club of our size and stature has been able to consistently recruit excellent raw young talent like we have, one of the side effects is that eventually they will move to bigger clubs, the alternative is to have has beens and journeymen and be just another boring premier league club like Burnley, Bournemouth, Palace, Sunderland etc. Not sure why people don't understand this...?