The Virgil Van Dijk Stays at Southampton Thread

Annoys me when people say Liverpool need him...as if we don't. Are they saying that we are so much better than Liverpool that their need is greater...thought not.

 

They said that of Lambert, Lovren, Lallana and Mane. And each time the disrespect to our club was incredible.

 

The joke is on them, as surely anyone with two brain cells to rub together can see what they're doing. Our own Saints supporting pundit on Sky Sports, His Majesty Sir Matthew Le Tissier, doesn't enter into that kind of nonsense, even to big up the club he loves. Maybe after the window slams shut on Thursday night he will have something to say about it.

 

Tbf I think they do need Virgil more than us. I think we will finish in roughly the same spot with or without him. He could really help Liverpool though in possibly making a genuine title challenge.

 

Matty is very good at engaging with WUMS without any aggro....a lesson for a lot of fans. Must be a very good natured chap.

 

Go and sit in the corner and think about what you have just said. And don't come out till you are truly sorry.

 

Which is a very good reason in itself for not selling to them.

 

Are you trying to temp the scousehampton cronies to come back and argue their "justified reasons for trying to sign him?"

 

I actually disagree with this. Liverpool will finish as 'almost-beans' for the next few years and VD won't change that.

VD in our side though, playing like he can will transform us. As I said on another thread, we are one or two players hitting form away from having a great season.

 

How about a complaint to the BBC or some kind of regulator.
Sadly would not change much and would probably be laughed at

But if the BBC can't advertise then Murphy shouldn't be allowed to schill for people either

 

I don't agree. It's a shame you feel that way. I don't see why their need is greater than our need. I wouldn't put their possible success above what we could achieve by keeping our best players, but them I am a saints fan

 

Me saying they need him more than us is not me saying we should sell him btw. I can just see the pundits point as I feel if we properly invest the money we would have a better side than by just keeping VVD. It is too late to do that now however. If we were to receive a 75m offer in the next 2 days I would probably sell and reinvest the cash in the next couple of windows to try and make the team overall better, but I know that is not a popular view.

 

And Liverpool have done very little despite taking the cream from our team, so we shouldn't let them waste any more of our players.

 

Article on tapping up from the BBC

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40678998

 

I can understand the view of those who want to sell and re-invest and if you look at this situation in isolation then selling might be the best move. For me though, when you consider the last few years and how many players we've sold to Liverpool after they've acted up in the summer it's probably time to say no.

I'll be very interested to see how van Dijk reacts if he's still here at the end of the week. There haven't been that many players who've actually sat out half a season or so. I can only think of van Hooijdonk, Tevez and Berahino. He also has to consider how that would affect his "brand". If he wants big sponsorship deals and endorsements then a squeaky-clean reputation helps a lot.

 

I get the rational, but it's about changing the culture slowly. This is what the club are alluding to. We've done ridiculously well with re-recruiting, but by the law of averages, it's going to come a cropper at some point. This won't necessarily be in a drastic way, but we may find ourselves in a position like now, with missing pieces like a lack of a AM.

 

I look at tapping up as similar to goofing off at work. Virtually everyone does it but you at least try to hide it. You might browse the Internet but you don't stick your feet up on the desk and read the paper in full view of the boss while singing I Don't Like Mondays, which is the equivalent of what Liverpool have done this summer.

 

I understand that but in the long term I don't think putting a foot down will help us necessarily. If we refuse VVD his move then it may put off players signing long term deals with us, as they know they are stuck here if A big team comes in. If we sell him, for what would be a world record fee for a defender, then players would (hopefully) still be happy to sign those longer term contracts which enables us to get those huge fees for them and reinvest, in theory getting the team better to maybe on day be good enough to be in the European spots regularly.

I get that we can't rely on top recruitment every year because we will eventually get it wrong but this is the only way I can see we can progress, short of getting in an Abramovich type

 

Yeah I don't see the big deal really, and the agents solution of every player having a release clause chosen by 3rd parties would be terrible. Basically just allow the big teams to cherry pick whoever they want and not pay the premium for doing it.

 

Get rid of the bloody agents .