It's over with, now we can move on. I've got to hand it to the board, by delaying selling VVD to Liverpool until January they've managed to scupper Liverpools title chances. They'll have a very strong second half of the season and I can see them finishing closest to City, who will likely drop points later on as Pep likes to rotate towards the end of the season, especially if City go deep in the CL.
I don't really hate the Yossers from The Lane Ides, I just pretend to as I am surrounded by the bastards.
I get upset at the thought of them all (Liverpool ex-Saints, and the rest) ripping the piss out of Saints in the dressing room as yet another one arrives. Though I guess its vice versa in the Saints bank manager meetings.
My main concern is that British clubs get ripped off in the January window anyway, and ones facing a potential fight against the drop, with £75m in their pocket, plus a gaping hole in their defence get ripped off more.
Les knows this, he's always said we avoid the January transfer window unless one of our targets becomes available. However, our situation means we need to be active this January and thankfully it sounds like he's been proactive and has some deals for incoming players already sorted before the VVD sale was announced.
Well, to date it's been penny wise, pound foolish. We mucked about in summers past and failed to get players in, and now the result is that we're going to have to spend over the odds to rescue the situation. Being cheap can be very expensive.
The extra value on the fee is nothing more than agreed compensation on the fact that we will have to buy in January (and to appear more to fans who will feel the club has vindicated itself in holding on to him for the first half of the season) - its real value is the same amount as his fee in close season would have been, if not less. We have gained nothing, but have wasted some time, as a previous poster has said. And also we have proved some vague point. Not knocking the club, btw. This exposure on the fee and its place as a record-holder will certainly help us attract better talent moving forward.
But what was the alternative? Sell at the first sniff? They were playing games in the summer, the money has now been put on the table.
Possibly. I imagine that Saints have some leverage in this market by providing high sell-on fees, so that we can negotiate away transfer fees with that eventual promise.
Exactly. The same thing that got us relegated when Lowe was in charge. January isn't the best time to do business but our transfer activity has been poor over the last 18 months and that's left us in a hole. We now need to dig ourselves out because relegation is far more costly than spending a few extra million on a transfer fee.
I am really concerned we sign Danny Ings, or someone of that standard. Yes he was a alright player, before he got injured, but we need a lot better quality than that. Time to spend some big dough!
Big dough no guarantee though. Time we got back to spending clever dough like the good old days - eg VVD Ryan Mane Oriel Morgan
