How do you solve a problem like Van Dijk

[angelman]

What did the club leak? His rather unpleasant utterings when he demanded a transfer? The fact that he refused to play for the team paying him a fortune. Not negative? Really? Why would you not be ****ed off with van Dijk for his actions and be happy with Reed for keeping a quality CB for another season or two? You seem to have your priorities mixed.

 

AFAIK, and I am happy to be corrected, the club said that he was not for sale. The manager, was asked whether vD would be playing, and he said no and that his head wasn't in the right place (or words to that effect). And that's it. If that is leaking info, then so be it.

 

All I heard ALL summer, was how Liverpool were about to sign him. How there was an agreement in place. How Anfield was his preferred destination. How vD and his agent were going to do this or that, or wanted this or that. All Liverpool, Liverpool, Liverpool. How with their new signing of vD, they were going to be one of the favourites for the league. Blah blah ****ing blah.

 

If anything, the clubs stance of taking all this shît in the face of the whole media continually telling them what was going to happen is to be highly commended.

[Faz]

I've never particularly liked van Dijk but has he actrally said or done anything negative? All of this seems to have come about from the club washing its dirty linen in public again through a series of well placed leaks. The same has happened with so many players and managers before always with the effect that some of our fans are left hating our players and viewing Les Reed as their hero.

 

In a galaxy, far, far away.

[ringwood]

well when he returns perhaps we should give him a new song , something to the tune of you'll never walk alone !!!!!!

[pluto]

He never plays for Saints again, its that simple.

[Colinjb]

We've got Van Dijk, Virgil van Dijk.

I just don't think you understand?

You signed a fat contract.

Just play you greedy tw*t.

We've got Virgil van Dijk

[CB Fry]

I've never particularly liked van Dijk but has he actrally said or done anything negative? All of this seems to have come about from the club washing its dirty linen in public again through a series of well placed leaks. The same has happened with so many players and managers before always with the effect that some of our fans are left hating our players and viewing Les Reed as their hero.

 

Post of the decade.

[ashnats]

He never plays for Saints again, its that simple.

 

Thanks!

 

everyone - you can stop speculating now, it's decided, he never plays for us again - we can lock the thread now.

[LuckyNumber7]

I've never particularly liked van Dijk but has he actrally said or done anything negative? All of this seems to have come about from the club washing its dirty linen in public again through a series of well placed leaks. The same has happened with so many players and managers before always with the effect that some of our fans are left hating our players and viewing Les Reed as their hero.

 

Obvious troll is obvious.

[angelman]

He never plays for Saints again, its that simple.

 

Surprised you are still interested in Saints what with their temerity to make that Aston Villa home game, the last one of the season, a Cat A and the hump you got because of it.

[ericofarabia]

I've never particularly liked van Dijk but has he actrally said or done anything negative? All of this seems to have come about from the club washing its dirty linen in public again through a series of well placed leaks. The same has happened with so many players and managers before always with the effect that some of our fans are left hating our players and viewing Les Reed as their hero.

 

Ok ..... where should we start?

 

Skulking off to Blackpool to meet with Klopp without asking for the club's permission, knowing this is completely against the laws of the game.

His statements in his Transfer Request letter ......

"Insulted" that the club would not let him go to Liverpool ..... they never actually put in an offer for him, and we all know why!!

Talked to management about desire to leave "6 months ago" whilst all the time letting the club go to the efforts of getting him through rehabilitation. He has spent the vast majority of his new enhanced contract

either injured or not in the right frame of mind to play. The club are fully justified in expecting some sort of return for their investment in him and promotion to Captain.

"Disappointed that enquiries from numerous clubs have been rebuffed" ..... er .... no official approaches were ever made by any club!! Maybe because you'd already spoken to them illegally and they didn't want

to end up like The Scousers did.

Posting sulky pictures in Social Media ... grow up.

Refusing to participate in various pre season photo shoots.

Now the window has closed, not facing up to the fact he has a contract with us to fulfill and needs to man up, accept the situation and do what the club are paying him handsomely to do ... play Premier League Football.

He needs to grow up, stop listening to his leech of an agent, and stop acting like a spoilt brat, fight for his place in the team, show commitment to the cause and apologise to The Club, fellow players and fans for his actions and would state that he'd like to rejoin the group.

 

The Club said from the very start he was not for sale, despite all the pressure from The Scouse Media Luvvies and ex players alike, they stuck to their guns. Any bad press VVD got was from his own ill thought out actions from the start.

All he had to do was ask the club for permission to speak to other clubs, and who knows if a suitable bid came in he might have been on his merry way. Don't blame Les Reed FFS.

[pluto]

Surprised you are still interested in Saints what with their temerity to make that Aston Villa home game, the last one of the season, a Cat A and the hump you got because of it.

 

Yeah because its called ripping off fans you plum.

[angelman]

Yeah because its called ripping off fans you plum.

 

Ripping off fans? LOL you tool. Did you whinge like a little girl about Stoke being a Cat A last season, for it was a Cat A as it was last game of the season? This year it is a little different as there is no Cat C. Our last game vs Man City is Cat A (when last year it was Cat B). Maybe you can whinge about fans being ripped off because there is no Cat C. Maybe you can whinge that Crystal Palace is a Cat A, because it is as it is on New Years Day.

[S-Clarke]

Ah, is pluto still having a little cry about that.

 

It feels like it's an appropriate moment to share this picture.

 

[eelpie]

Any one who boos one of their own players is an idiot

equally if anyone sings his name they are the same

 

Boo Liverpool instead when they next come here. They're the chief villains.

[Pamplemousse]

Virgil Van Dijk, Virgil Van Dijk

I just don't think you understand

You signed a six-year deal

We don't care how you feel

F*** off Virgil Van Dijk

[alpine_saint]

This is not going to go away though. The LFC fan sites are now busy predicting they will sell him in January. Their entire argument appears to be that illegally turning players heads has a shelf-life.

 

[pluto]

Ripping off fans? LOL you tool. Did you whinge like a little girl about Stoke being a Cat A last season, for it was a Cat A as it was last game of the season? This year it is a little different as there is no Cat C. Our last game vs Man City is Cat A (when last year it was Cat B). Maybe you can whinge about fans being ripped off because there is no Cat C. Maybe you can whinge that Crystal Palace is a Cat A, because it is as it is on New Years Day.

 

Yes thanks for pointing out how the club rip fans off based solely on a date and until around 4 seasons ago it never use to happen.

 

If Crystal Palace last season was low priced, why should it be this season the top price based solely on a date ?

 

Utter disgrace

[martel]

Ok ..... where should we start?

 

Skulking off to Blackpool to meet with Klopp without asking for the club's permission, knowing this is completely against the laws of the game.

His statements in his Transfer Request letter ......

"Insulted" that the club would not let him go to Liverpool ..... they never actually put in an offer for him, and we all know why!!

Talked to management about desire to leave "6 months ago" whilst all the time letting the club go to the efforts of getting him through rehabilitation. He has spent the vast majority of his new enhanced contract

either injured or not in the right frame of mind to play. The club are fully justified in expecting some sort of return for their investment in him and promotion to Captain.

"Disappointed that enquiries from numerous clubs have been rebuffed" ..... er .... no official approaches were ever made by any club!! Maybe because you'd already spoken to them illegally and they didn't want

to end up like The Scousers did.

Posting sulky pictures in Social Media ... grow up.

Refusing to participate in various pre season photo shoots.

Now the window has closed, not facing up to the fact he has a contract with us to fulfill and needs to man up, accept the situation and do what the club are paying him handsomely to do ... play Premier League Football.

He needs to grow up, stop listening to his leech of an agent, and stop acting like a spoilt brat, fight for his place in the team, show commitment to the cause and apologise to The Club, fellow players and fans for his actions and would state that he'd like to rejoin the group.

 

The Club said from the very start he was not for sale, despite all the pressure from The Scouse Media Luvvies and ex players alike, they stuck to their guns. Any bad press VVD got was from his own ill thought out actions from the start.

All he had to do was ask the club for permission to speak to other clubs, and who knows if a suitable bid came in he might have been on his merry way. Don't blame Les Reed FFS.

 

you really cannot argue with any of that, say's it all

[Saint Billy]

Just carry on as we are and forget about VVD. He has blighted our summer but he is not going to spoil our season.

 

The fool can kick a ball about in his garden until January as far as I'm concerned.

[saintadam]

When is it realistically to think he will be back in the starting eleven? Assuming he has been in full training all summer, he should be quite ready to go .

 

Ofc I'll take it for granted he has his head back on.

[Mallagroth]

We're going to soon find out if he has any backbone. He's going to need a pretty good one to carry his head back into Saint Mary's after his antics this summer. Hope he does and we can all get on with enjoying the rest of the season.

[altoniansaints]

Did he return to first team training today as rumoured before the weekend?

[angelman]

Yes thanks for pointing out how the club rip fans off based solely on a date and until around 4 seasons ago it never use to happen.

 

If Crystal Palace last season was low priced, why should it be this season the top price based solely on a date ?

 

Utter disgrace

 

If you really do need the reason explained, then I'm afraid you might be a bit simple to understand, so it would surely be best for me not to waste my time.

 

Utter disgrace my arse.

[GarrettIvo]

you really cannot argue with any of that, say's it all

 

Nordic will find a way I'm sure.

[Vancouver Saint]

1. Demonstrate you want to wear the shirt again (say sorry and mean it)

2. Prove you're worthy of wearing the shirt (be fit / ready to give 100% / merit denying somebody else the privilege)

3. Prove you're worthy of earning the Captain's armband again (this will take time IMO)

4. Have a serious think about the relationship with your agent...how did his advice work out for you?

 

...then, we learn to forgive and move on...wouldn't take more than three good games

[SaintMB]

I'll be more than happy with Jack, Maya and Hoet being our first team centre backs this season if van Dijk wishes to continue to destroy his reputation.

 

It'll be interesting to see how MoPe manages to keep everyone happy, should the exile return to the fold. I hope he makes him work for his spot.

[farawaysaint]

Ah, is pluto still having a little cry about that.

 

It feels like it's an appropriate moment to share this picture.

 

 

7 sodding years ago... Jesus I'm getting old.

[Wimborne_saint]

Did he return to first team training today as rumoured before the weekend?

 

Guessing we will find out in the next few days when all the players return from international duty and the club start to preview this weekends game.

[trousers]

Guessing we will find out in the next few days when all the players return from international duty and the club start to preview this weekends game.

Unless the club's social media department decide not to show footage of him to keep people guessing...

[The Fat Controller]

We've got Van Dijk, Virgil Van Dijk

We hope you like sitting in the stands

You want to be a scouse

And probably sold your house

And now you've F*•ked off all our fans

[Dusic]

If he starts playing for us it wouldn't bother me. He is our best player and I'm aware not everyone who plays for us probably wants to be.

 

He was a ****, but ultimately I want Saints to win and he would give us a much better chance to do that.

 

Next time he plays for us I won't be booing or singing pointless chants about him. What does that achieve?

[trousers]

If he starts playing for us it wouldn't bother me. He is our best player and I'm aware not everyone who plays for us probably wants to be.

 

He was a ****, but ultimately I want Saints to win and he would give us a much better chance to do that.

 

Next time he plays for us I won't be booing or singing pointless chants about him. What does that achieve?

 

Nothing

[Shroppie]

If he starts playing for us it wouldn't bother me. He is our best player and I'm aware not everyone who plays for us probably wants to be.

 

He was a ****, but ultimately I want Saints to win and he would give us a much better chance to do that.

 

Next time he plays for us I won't be booing or singing pointless chants about him. What does that achieve?

Absolutely. What's the point of fighting to keep a player only to try to undermine him?

 

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[SFC-TID!]

Minor update.

 

He has been training and training well, on his own everyday since deadline day.

 

He is still fuming.

 

Don't expect him back with the 1st team anytime soon.

[angelman]

Minor update.

 

He has been training and training well, on his own everyday since deadline day.

 

He is still fuming.

 

Don't expect him back with the 1st team anytime soon.

 

I don't expect him back at all. But boo ****ing hoo for him being sulky. Stan Collymore is actually correct when he writes "He looked as if he’d gone a bit ‘Big Time Charlie’ when he started posting moody pictures on private jets and I wouldn’t expect old-school pros like Steven Davis to accept that" although Davis has come out and said he would be integrated.

[Faz]

Minor update.

 

He has been training and training well, on his own everyday since deadline day.

 

He is still fuming.

 

Don't expect him back with the 1st team anytime soon.

 

He can fume all he wants, provided he ultimately uses that as an impetus to play well and get his dream move - to Bayern or PSG, or Barca.

[doddisalegend]

Minor update.

 

He has been training and training well, on his own everyday since deadline day.

 

He is still fuming.

 

Don't expect him back with the 1st team anytime soon.

 

 

As football is a team game I'm not sure training on his own is going to do much for his footballing skills. He might be physically fit but 18 months of not kicking a ball, in a game, isn't going to make him more desirable to big teams next summer.

[Turkish]

The other players are set to give him a book of condolences on his failed move this morning so at least it'll feel like he's at Liverpool.

[Shroppie]

Minor update.

 

He has been training and training well, on his own everyday since deadline day.

 

He is still fuming.

 

Don't expect him back with the 1st team anytime soon.

It's getting difficult to see how he doesn't understand that he's now damaging himself, and his reputation, far more than he's damaging Saints. It can only be pig-headedness and a totally misguided belief that Saints are worried and will cave in.

 

I can see no reason why anything will be different in January, but he and his agent probably think it will be. I assume the other reason is that his agent is now getting desperate as we're now seeing a significant move away from player power and the "force a move" tactics aren't working any more. That means a big shift and an end to easy paydays for agents.

 

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[Bad Wolf]

If he isn't going to play I'd rather we just cashed in.

[Millbrook Saint]

If he isn't going to play I'd rather we just cashed in.

 

Can you not see, this is exactly what he/his agent wants/expects. We give in now what do you think will happen next time a player feels like joining another club

[trousers]

If he isn't going to play I'd rather we just cashed in.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-fulfilling_prophecy

[Shroppie]

If he isn't going to play I'd rather we just cashed in.

Absolutely not. The principle is now far bigger than one sulking player and desperate grasping agent. Forcing a club to cash in because they've got a bloody-minded player refusing to do what they're paid a fortune to do has become a standard ploy of agents and players who don't give a toss about any club, or the game - just their own wealth.

 

For the good, even survival, of football as a team game, where the success of the team is more important than individual profit, the stand being made now has to continue. Even to the extent of watching a player being made to see out a six-year contract, destroying themselves in the process.

 

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[benjii]

If he is being a plonker, I would simply tell him that the longer he goes on being a plonker the less likely we are to listen to any offers next summer (and that January is a no-no regardless).

[Shroppie]

If he is being a plonker, I would simply tell him that the longer he goes on being a plonker the less likely we are to listen to any offers next summer (and that January is a no-no regardless).

This. Eventually he may get it into his thick skull that his agent is still trying to play by yesterday's tactics, and it won't work.

 

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[angelman]

Never sure if the Express gets anything right, but Liverpool and Saints might have similar issues .....http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/850110/Liverpool-news-Philippe-Coutinho-Champions-League-Barcelona-transfer-gossip-rumours

 

So this supposed power swing away from the player and back to the club, might just turn out with players refusing to play and be a rather hollow swing. And then what do you do?

[farawaysaint]

Never sure if the Express gets anything right, but Liverpool and Saints might have similar issues .....http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/850110/Liverpool-news-Philippe-Coutinho-Champions-League-Barcelona-transfer-gossip-rumours

 

So this supposed power swing away from the player and back to the club, might just turn out with players refusing to play and be a rather hollow swing. And then what do you do?

 

Fine them wages and laugh?

[SonicBoom]

WTF does he have to be "fuming" about?

Did we tell him that he would be allowed to move to Liverpool? No.

Was he told when he signed his second contract in two years that he could walk out whenever he wanted? No.

 

He is not "fuming". He is sulking - if what you say is true.

 

There is a way back, get your head down, train and play. BUT, it's this sort of report - that he's fuming - that really will turn the fans against him.

It's done, you didn't get a move, we know you don't like it, but shut up, and do what you are handsomely paid to do.

[Shroppie]

Never sure if the Express gets anything right, but Liverpool and Saints might have similar issues .....http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/850110/Liverpool-news-Philippe-Coutinho-Champions-League-Barcelona-transfer-gossip-rumours

 

So this supposed power swing away from the player and back to the club, might just turn out with players refusing to play and be a rather hollow swing. And then what do you do?

A classic question of who blinks first. Club needing the money and rid of a rotten apple, or player seeing his career vanish.

 

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[beatlesaint]

With The Netherland's World Cup hopes taking a bit of an upturn over the weekend you would think he would want to be part of their next two make or break matches at the beginning of October.

 

He needs to be very careful and think about what he's doing rather than being led by the dangly bits by an agent who doesnt give a toss when he plays as long as he gets his cut !