The Virgil Van Dijk Stays at Southampton Thread

I do blame Virgil....he has been disrespectful. He would have eventually got a move in a year or two after doing some good work for us. He may even have got it this season if he had behaved well and a club paid silly money for him. Saints gave him a chance in the EPL...giving him a chance to shine if you like....we deserve something back for that.....especially after being out injured for so long. He was colluding in an attempt to leave on the cheap (relative term).

 

The issue with the waiting part is that as football is such a fast changing environment the opportunity may not be there for him in 1 or 2 years. The opportunity appears to be here for him now as he is flavour of the month, have to take it when it arises I think. As I said before the meeting clubs behind your clubs back thing is just the way transfers work now. We will be doing it with whoever we sign this summer, and have almost certainly done it in the past with players. Don't hate the player hate the game springs to mind

 

Peace

We've always had good, friendly stick between us and the Liverpool board... even when you're on a wind up but always good natured. Anyone giving digs about any shocking events that take human lives is sick.

Back to the nice wind ups ... looking like you let a winner go to Celtic and replaced him with a nearly man

 

Can we change the title to:

Dijk is a ****?

 

Fran, of all the people on here, I'd expect you to be spelling his name right! That's at least twice now.

He may be a Dick but he's not a Van Dyke.

 

Piskie , Is that HIAG's mate ?

 

The awards night. Maybe he'd seen the interview with a squirming Adam Lallana, from a previous awards night and decided that he didn't want to be put in the same position?

On another note, if he really wants to go to Liverpool, and Liverpool really want him, how about a compromise?
He plays for us, Liverpool pay his wages. Seems fair.

 

Perfect, for our first home game of the new season, the team can come out to this song?

 

'Mate' is one way to put it

I prefer the term 'lover'

Piskie a good lad though, my fellow retired psychonaut

Shame I can't tag him on app

Can they draw Celtic in CL play off?

As much as I dislike Brenda, it'd be ****ing hilarious if he knocked them out of the CL

 

You know we all recognise football has changed but somehow we're refusing to accept it. We complain like hell when people like Mane are allowed to leave (£35m was a steal at the time though he is worth more now) but conveniently forget he actually forced a move to us from his previous club. If memory serves me correctly Tadic forced a move to come here as well. Likewise, it was clear VVD was coming to us from Celtic long before he signed. It was only the timing that was in question. Yet still Celtic did a tribute video when he left. Meanwhile at Southampton, as VVD (or his agent) tried to manipulate a move to Liverpool, most fans are looking for a public execution of both him (for talking to Klopp) and of Les Reed (because he did not prevent it). I think we need to look at ourselves a bit (me included) and start to adapt more to the current state of affairs.

For example, we should see the positive of Saints being a stepping stone. Seeing the likes of Mane, VVD, Schneiderlin and maybe Bertrand (!) even for only a year or two is so much better than it used to be for Saints. We are a real pull for players looking to establish regular football in the Premier league. Similarly, we should look with pride at our academy players such as the Ox, Walcott, Chamberlain and Shaw (I've purposely excluded Lallallallana from the list). All these players (both categories) have helped make Saints a sustainable financial model quite unique in the modern era.

There will still be the occasional 'loyal' player that we can truly describe as legends such as Terry Paine, Frannie Benali, Jason Dodd, Matt Le Tissier, etc. They may not all be world class but they are special to the club. Surman would have been another had our financial position not been so dire. And of todays crop, JWP deserves far more respect than he gets from certain sectors.

I just think there's more to celebrate than to feel down about.

 

Dyke likes ****s?

 

Great post Mowgli.

 

i assumed we got permission for VVD? I assumed the condition of not leaving until after champions league came from talking to Celtic.

 

Celtic wanted to sell him...got the money and the promise of more if he was sold on.

 

*cough* Been saying basically the same for years on here. The only difference is I feel fans have every right to call out how players act (like Lallana, Lovren and now Van Dijk).

I don't mind when a player leaves as I have said most of this week. What I do mind is how they go about leaving. I will call out the club when I see it acting wrongly as well.

 

I think football supporters can be extremely judgemental, way before all the facts are in. They also have a tendency to apply any sparse news as the whole deal and then explain it the most extreme terms. Honestly, sometimes a newspaper tabloid could do no better.

 

Probably. We'll never know for sure because clubs never officially say one way or other. Same as we'll never know whether Saints and Liverpool spoke (the complaint was about the direct contact between player and manager). But reading this article (which seems to indicate talks did take place between the clubs), you don't need to change too many words for it to apply today http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/34060123

 

according to Sky Sports News.
The broadcaster claimed on its transfers live blog on Saturday evening (21.54) that Van Dijk, Keane and one other centre-back were being considered, but after Lindelof completes his move, the Manchester giants will not sign another centre-back this summer.

United announced the news that they had come to an agreement with Benfica over a transfer for Lindelof, 22, on their official website on Saturday evening, but it is said the move is subject to a medical, international clearance and personal terms.

So United out of running for Virgil....not that I think they were frontrunners anyway. Interesting that United announced signing Lindelop subject to medical etc.....Saints never announce anything until after all the details have been sorted.

 

We all appear to believe it was Les that got angry at Liverpool, but it may have been the board as a whole. We try to do things the right way....so I would imagine there is a point when even Kreuger pops his cork. Being of a calm natures doesn't mean you never get angry...just that you save it for when it matters.

 

The new way in business is that traffic to website and social media exposure is king in terms of driving the brand forward. It makes sense to drip feed so the interest continues over a more prolonged period building up to the formal announcement of signature.