The Virgil Van Dijk Stays at Southampton Thread

Football wins. Yes. Southampton wins... only time will tell. If VVD comes good for us then great if not then that's £60m we could have had, wasted.

 

£70M and it'll still be £70M when we're good and ready to sell.

 

Or more. He'd have to stink to go lower in this market place.

 

Apparently unless you are a paid up member of Saintsweb (£5 per year), you cannot send messages through their system. They have started a scheme whereby someone can register as ITK. Tom28 wanted to do it but it doesn't seem like he wants to pay the £5 for the privilege.

 

That's good crowds. I agree about the first touch, that and the incredible ability to somehow find space (top players and the higher up you go, it's unbelievable). Whenever I played against ex-top players, no matter how fat or unfit they were, their first touch and ability to find space was mesmerising.

 

Yeah I've played with a few players who went on to be pros and a lot of players who have played at a high semi pro level and it really is something to behold. The way they control it that inch or 2 differently to you or I, but it gives them an extra seconds time due to their body weight is incredible.

I had a mate growing up who played in an U18 side and he played against some (now) top players. Remember him telling me the story of when he had to mark Fabregas when they played Arsenal and the coach on the side was shouting GET TIGHT TO HIM at him the whole game and he eventually just shouted back at him "GET TIGHT? I CANT GET ****ING LOOSE TO HIM" said he didn't get within 5 yards of him the entire game

 

The thing that surprised me when I came up against ex pros was not so much the obvious skill levels that were still present, but the subtle off the ball stuff the you never really see in the amateur leagues.
I remember playing against Micky Earls and Roger Fry who were both at best only fringe players with Saints, who both pushed, shoved, grabbed and elbowed you every time you got near them.
Happy days.

 

Sounds like a Ponzi scheme to me.

 

I now play walking football (3 touch). 1st touch is critical!!!

 

Some have said that I've played walking football for years... long before it was created!!!

 

When I was 18, I played against a 40 year old Billy Bonds. I remember thinking that I'd have a field day as a super fit kid against an aging, old man.

Never could I have been so wrong. I didn't get a touch. He outplayed me, out ran me and certainly left me battered and bruised!!

 

I found the big difference was when you play at a high non-league level and come against an ex-top flight professional. That is when you realise just how much better those players are, even though it looks easy on the television.

You think you're a good player and then they show you just how far off them you are.

 

Terry Paine probably still carries the bruise I left him when I was about 14. (That's when he played for a Winchester side in a cup match)

 

I played against some old geezer when I was at Uni. I was only just better than crap, admittedly, but this bloke made me look even more stupid than ever. "Who's he?" I asked as I examined my bruises at half time. "Bill Nicholson, Spurs manager. He likes to have a kick about with his mates". After half time I suggested that he should concentrate on management as his playing days were over. I think I could still feel his boot up my arse when they won the double.

Course, it's also why I love watching live football. A while back, when my daughter first expressed a love for Man Utd (I tried waterboarding and everything) I started taking her to Old Trafford. It was the time of the lead up to the Treble. It's interesting watching a game where you are not investing anything emotionally (all Saints games are spent in a fug of nervousness!) as you really see stuff. Ryan Giggs in his pomp, for example. But the one who got me was Andy Cole. He was slagged off in a number of quarters, not least the armchair fan club who would have struggled to have found Manchester on a map. Yet when Scholes played one of his inch perfect passes at 100 mph, Cole would kill the ball and turn in one movement. More often than not it would lead to a chance at goal, and he scored quite a few too. Not being used to such luxuries when watching Saints I was spell bound

 

Is it too late for a red card? You kicked one the greatest of Saints legends? You git!

 

I played once against the goalkeeper from Woking, who decided to play outfield with us. Even as a goalie, he was ten times better than any of us.

 

I remember being marked by Chris McMenemy one time. Not an all-time great admittedly but still a top player compared to me. Anyway, he was a great bloke, every time he knocked me over he helped me up again!

 

Am sure if Terry Paine had been that upset he would have given his retribution; certainly was not a shrinking violet when it came to dishing it out!

 

He sounds a gent? Swift kick in the gonad's, then helps you to your feet?

 

I didn't mean to.........well actually I was giving as good as I got that day. Although in fairness not from Terry........but some of his mates thought as I was a light weight and they could bully me. Now that was a silly thing for them to think. Terry just got in the way at times.....it also annoyed him ' cause he couldn't catch me.........