Ralph Krueger post-EFL Cup interview

Well Cuco is out of contract, Caceres hard to say what's going to happen but he is too. Agree Jay will go so we're going to need 3/4 before any others even go.

 

Yes, the difference is this time though that those aren't first teamers, so we aren't replacing directly into the first team and hoping new players hit the ground running/promoting previous seasons bench players to first team.

 

Tbf, it's been more like 3 key players or match winners per season. This season it was Pelle, Mane, VW and latterly Fonte.
The change has to be Saints shipping in and out players that they decide on. Not the other way around. When we start doing that then we'll know we've turned a significant corner.

 

I suspect we're going to see a fair bit of Caceres coming up. Anyone else watch the warm up and wonder what the bare thigh thing was about!?

I thought JS was a little naive for the Lingaard goal tbh.

 

That's a typical perception of a football fan. Stand back and look at things objectively and you'll see that by and large this board does what it intends to do. And as for 10 things the board says, I'd like to know the 10 things the board says per season, because they generally don't say much.

 

Cuco won't be missed. Nor (and it pains me to say it) will Jay. Though I do look forward to people who've been calling them out as being poor shouting blue murder when they've gone. They'll probably turn out to have been World Class.

The player I think we're going to lose this summer whom I would desperately like us not to lose is our CB.

Yup, Maya (fabulous yesterday) is out of contract in Summer 2018 so I expect him to go. We'll regret that.

Vin

 

Few off the top of my head:

Ralph Krueger: "We are not factoring in a big player sale". One month before our big exodues of 2014.
Les Reed: "There will be no firesale". One month later, Shaw, Poch, Lallana, Lambert were gone. Lovren and Chambers were going.
Les Reed: "Contract talks with Clyne are going increidbly well, and remain confident of keeping him". One week later. he's gone.
Ditto the above with Ronald Koeman. (though that's probably more down to Koeman being a snake )
Also not forgetting the Toby saga - did Reed comment on that one, publically? Sure he did, but might be misremembering.

As much respect as I have for Les Reed and the board, some of their public statements have come back to bite them on the ass. Just rather they kept quiet on big things like players leaving and contract discussions etc

Your taking my words too literally TSS ... 9 times out of 10 is just a figure of speech.

I love this board, I think they're great for us.

 

Then may I suggest you be a little more selective in your description.? You're coming across as a disaffected Saints supporter, when really you're no more cheesed off with what happens every close season than anyone else.

 

A disaffected Saints supporter? I've been one of the most positive on here this season, barely criticised the board, the team or Puel throughout.

 

I think you have to take out the Les Reed contract renewal comments. Those aren't intended to do anything but put pressure on the player. And they aren't false. I bet in Clyne's case the talks were going well; why would Clyne's agent burn his bridges with Saints while negotiating with Liverpool? When LR brings it out in the open the subtext to the supporters and agent is "We've done all we can, the final offer's on the table, now it's up to the player". It puts pressure on the agent/player. That's how I've always read it.

As for keeping quiet, I don't recall a single renewal of contract that ended up happening that was even mentioned before it finalised. They are remarkably good at keeping quiet.

I think LR gets a bad press on this because the only time he does go public is in a last-ditch attempt to put pressure on to keep the player after we think it's gone south. Les is the sacrificial scapegoat in that circumstance.

Some guesswork in all that but it's how I feel it probably plays out.

Vin

 

I do like Ralph, on a personal level. I think it's partly the management babble.

Probably think more about player sales in a couple of months, but from here I think Van Dijk is about 60/40 staying, and no one else who we want to keep will leave.

 

genuinely decent way of looking at it - hadn't considered that interesting possibility before.

 

McCarthy and Valery will be given a chance to replace Cuco. We also have Pied.

 

Sorry I thought I replied to this earlier...

That's true to an extent, bar cb obviously. Very likely that our starting cbs at the start of next season are different to the 2 that started this season.

 

I am usually all for spending but how will Jack Stephens make the next step into the quality defender he is clearly intended to be if we buy in another defender? Maya, VVD and Stephens is enough for rotation. We just need a back up - and that can also come from the youth set up. What we desperately need is another quality playmaker. Spend big on that (or black box a bargain?) and keep as many players as possible!

 

If we are happy with Caceres and he wants to stay, that could be your four CBs.

Obviously if Virgil leaves then it's different.

 

Jack has done very well and I'm sure will get game time next season. Remember he is young and will get better with experience. I think Virgil will be here next season at least and will be a good example and teacher....by the time he moves on, Jack will be ready to take over as one of our main CBs.

 

This will be interesting....Kreuger was a bit shifty about Ross Wilson and now it has been mentioned on South Today that he is talking to Rangers.

 

Whatever your historic posture, your previous couple of posts suggested you were mightily pissed off.

 

If Caceres can prove his fitness and get offered a contract next year he will provide that backup of CB and RB. 5 CB of VVD, Yoshie, Stephens Gardos and Caceres is enough without Europe with one or two U23 getting a game or 2. If VVD is sold then we will have to look for a quality replacement, but I think he will be a Saint next season