Should Virgil remain captain?

Liverpool mouthpieces (Melissa Reddy & Paul Joyce) both were saying Liverpool would go to £70m if needed.

Literally every transfer involves add-ons. So even if we ended up with £55m after a sell on clause - is that not enough?

 

We weren't selling to Liverpool, no matter what they bid. That's what I heard from someone who works at the club, at least.

 

Yeah, its like people make stuff up so they can batter Les with it. We were being pressured unfairly, not been offered riches beyond our wildest.
We made the best of a crap situation.

 

I see the opposite on here if anything. People seem to embellish everything that comes out of the club to avoid criticising Les & the gang.

 

Do we have any idea how the '£70m' would have been given, had a bid ever been made? I'd be amazed if it was up all up front, so how much would we actually have to spend if he had been sold?

 

What have I made up? Lots of media reports were saying Liverpool were willing to bid £60m minimum for VVD. Liverpool themselves said they would only bid if they were invited? Les could've opened talks with Liverpool, then said they couldn't agree a fee if they were trying to lowball us, this would've been better than the scenario that did happen.

 

Again, anything to not make the board look bad. Saints didn't want to sell to Liverpool for any price, so Liverpool didn't bid to avoid worsening relations with us. Do you think all transfers work on one off payments? (Hint - they don't) Any replacement signed would be paid for in installments and through add-ons. It's how transfers work. The fact is, Van Dijk would have been the most expensive defender ever. Is he good enough to justify that? Not for me, IMO.

 

Of course I know that I'm not stupid. That was my point. If the deal was crap for Saints, and we have no idea whether it would have been, then we should not have entertained it. No one has a clue as it all hypothetical.

I was glad they wouldn't sell to Liverpool. If he's that good there will plenty of takers when Saints want to sell.

 

I agree and to go back be step further, this whole bollocks around VVD has only acted as a smokescreen to the Boards inability to actually buy attacking player(s).

 

How do we know it would be a crap deal when we wouldn't entertain talks? Liverpool were clearly desperate and would likely have given us what we asked. He's not £70m worth of good, that's the point. City & Chelsea weren't willing to pay that because he's not worth it.

 

Beddy obviously made a mistake when he only locked one of the VvD threads

I would have sold him for £60m+ Mostly, I wouldn't have gone to far below that as we are looking at £25m+ to buy proper improvements over the players we already have in todays market and for me you need to be able to buy improvements for 2 positions if you're going to weaken one to justify it.

But i'm also happy with keeping Virgil and there are certainly merits in that. Having a top class player is always going to be a win - win situation.

 

Which makes it all the more surprising that they didn't sign anyone else and sold one of their better CB's.

 

Yep, it's going to ruin their season. I have no complaints about that.

 

I wouldn't of sold him for 70 all upfront fwiw.

 

Yeah that's so true. Remember when we were weak at CB and CDM and didn't bring in any players for those positions too? God damn being so distracted. I'm sure they did it on purpose seeing as we didn't address any other issues...

 

You're correct, we have only just replaced Fonte this summer with Hoedt. We didn't replace JRod and sent Gallagher on loan. I'm not suggesting for a minute we didn't try to sign someone, but not actually completing it is a failure in my view. Poor planning and phasing and yes, for all the plaudits Lea and the Board have deservedly received they should also stand up and be counted when they got it wrong.

I'm more fuming with the club over this than ever as I felt Puel was harshly dealt with yet we have handed a worse hand to MP2.

The form from last season and carrying into this one for me could see us in a relegation battle. The manager now has to decide on a plan (formation, tactics and people) and stick to it. I think it was Fats who said he hasn't settled on his team yet and I agree, but add his honeymoon period is now over and he needs to nail those things starting this weekend. I'm not suggesting he needs to win this weekend but they need the plan to identify our brand and stick to it.

I'd personally keep Boufal in the hole and tell the team to get he ball to him whilst making supporting runs.

Easy

 

I would have been tempted if it was abroad.

 

I'd have rather sold him for £70 to Barnsley after that open letter from their Chairman

 

Really? Why?

 

Enough is enough. If we didn't hold firm this summer then I believe it's likely we never would have. Plus we would have been a laughing stock had we still sold to Liverpool after the whole reporting them to the league.

He'll play and we'll bloody need him to as well judging on our lack of goals so far.