Van Dijk out for 3 months!!

Pretty much bang on. Anyone who can't see that the board deserve some criticism over this, I don't think will ever criticise them. Biased, rose-tinted spectacles, call it what you want. But for my money, it's defending the indefensible. (And it really makes it difficult to have any meaningful future debates with them).

The board may have not tried at all. They may have tried half heartedly. They may have tried their absolutely backsides off. It doesn't matter now. They sold Fonte and didn't replace him, even after Virgil got injured. End of the story. And nothing can be done about that now. One of my closest friends is someone who will support Les at every turn, but even he concedes that Les has dropped the ball on this one, and it's probably his worst moment in his time with us.

Directing criticism at them doesn't have to equate to everything being doom and gloom, wanting Les sacked, the knives being sharpened etc.

 

Those grim twitter posters saying that we won't see VVD in a Saints shirt again should have it explained to them that he is injured, not dying.

 

Come on mate surely we can discuss the bad as well as the good and the irrelevant?

 

Please see my post above.

 

Constructive criticism is fine, what we don't need (DM), when the team has come up short of our expectations, is a bunch of grumbling mongrels telling us who is to blame and whose fault it all is, we don't need to be constantly told, because it is simply preaching to the converted, we already know what is wrong. When you are feeling down you don't need more **** poured over your heads by self opinionated moaning minnies whose efforts won't make the slightest difference in the long run.

 

Well I hope I've missed your point,I haven't even started moaning yet.am I in that list of people in your post?
All I said was surely we can discuss it.or is it happy stuff only now.

 

I've not seen that to be honest. And it's in no way what I'm implying.

 

I was agreeing with your point, and as I said constructive criticism is fine, we are all well aware of the shortcomings, we simply don't need OTT lectures on a subject that we are all well up to speed on, repeated ad nauseam, as if we could do anything about it..

 

Yep,I misread it,guessed I had,getting old is ****.
That is a poor excuse isn't it?

 

Wonder how this impacts on a possible move in the summer transfer window

 

Explains why there were news reports that we were willing to take Tasci even if he's out for a month or more.

 

Having seen Stephens and Yoshi against Liverpool, I'm not that scared of Man Utd or any other team really (although I'm sure there will be some touchy moments). I'm just frustrated as I would have hoped after the fiasco and missed opportunity of replacing Pelle and Mane effectively in the summer, that Les would have been on the ball for this Fonte situation, which many have said the writing was on the wall for a long time before Jan. He wasn't. Maybe target A, B, C and D all went up in smoke but for once I think paying a small premium would have been a safer bet then having a gaping hole in our defence. Reed has to hold his hands up to this one, and get ready for a busy, positive summer. If not, I can see his head rolling.

I also have a feeling deep in my loins that VVD might stay for one more season.

 

MY - JS is fine
JS - FG not fine

 

First of all the good news. Anyone who saw us at Anfield will know that Stephens and Yoshida make a decent centre back pairing and benefit from the protection offered by the man mountain in front of them. Bertrand was immense that night too, not just in his defensive duties (apart from allowing Lallana to dispossess him and set up a chance before anyone thinks I didn't notice) but also as the "out" ball. He set young Nathan galloping off to great effect in the first half. So let's stop talking of moving players about and just hope that no other bugger gets injured.

So let's look at where we are. We have been screwed by a mixture of ill-luck - obviously Virgil's injury - and something going wrong with the Saints/Fonte love in. But to suggest that the board in general, and Reed in particular, are "at fault" staggers me. I cannot and do not believe that every stop wasn't pulled. In the past we needed to replace Adam Lallana and hey presto - Dusan Tadic. Promising young England full back buggered off to Man U? Never mind, have a slightly more mature model for a third of the price. Lost your Rickie? Don't worry, here's an Italian striker with something to prove.

This time it didn't happen. Why? No idea. But I'm bloody certain it won't have been for the want of trying. Sometimes **** happens. Now I'm off. I can't believe I've read someone suggesting Reed's head will roll. FFS!!

 

Who is FG?

 

Haha, I'm guessing that 'head rolling' bit was aimed at me. The man is responsible for recruitment...two consecutive transfer windows he has let the ball drop massively. To think he won't be feeling a bit of pressure from Kat if his failure to recruit adequate replacement(s) results in us sliding towards the bottom of the table then that is naive thinking in my opinion Also the difference of Lallana, Lambert, Shaw etc is that was conducted in the summer when we had a full two to three months of pre-season to buy and bed players in - not in the middle of a season where we currently have the third worst form in the league.

 

Florin Gardos I assume

 

I don't think there's anyone above Les paying terribly close attention to our transfer dealings, at least in terms of their effects on the pitch. He isn't likely to face much pressure.

 

Is he really that high up the pyramid that questions wouldn't even be asked about him making the odd error of judgement, or signing/not signing a player? I'm not having a go, just genuinely interested.