"So far, the Gaos have had complete faith in the existing executive team to drive the club’s direction and transfer strategy." This is the most interesting line in the article and tells us that it has been the board and mainly Reed that have been driving the direction of the club in the last few years, nowhere to hide now Les.
I don't know but I just get this gut feeling about Gao that we are going to be ok under his ownership.
SiS: hiya Mark butty! what's appertaining? We were expecting some news yesterday! Mark: couple of hic-cups SiS SiS: not enough money? Mark: no, that German bloke with the Canadian accent came up with the cash but when he said I fit like a glove he actually meant glove puppet SiS: ??? Mark: apparently there's a fat geazer who pulls the strings and will have his hand up my arse SiS: and will pick any new players? Mark: too ****ing right mun! I've got some pride! SiS: ah well it was nice while it lasted. What you plan to do then? Mark: there's been this Russian bloke on the phone, reckons he's got 200 million to launder SiS: fair enough. seeya but!
They are still making too much of the VVD situation, they still had a whole month to spend the funds after he went at the start of January, the biggest error was failing to invest in quality then IMO.
No point in spending for the sake of it though. If the right player didn't come along or come along at a reasonable price, better to keep the money till a gem comes along. It is hard to get players in the January window...better to buy in the summer.
Yes, but we wouldn't be spending at all if we had got relegated, that's my point. There has been too much gambling with the future at the club recently, time we made better footballing decisions.
We're going to buy some players! Exciting! When does the window close I'll be back then just in time to see them arrive? or just in time to be told that we tried really hard but we're good enough anyway.
Hmmm, he is cheap though, and plays a high press energy tactic according to someone who doesn't know anything. Five year deal.....................
When did this thread go back on topic? I came here hoping to read about the 1982 World Cup. Now that was a good one
Our leadership must be the weakest piss poor spineless duo in the league. Publicly they have now stated that we are a small club with no power, that our official strategy is to sell players who want to leave - on their terms - and that ambition is not something we should be trying to have. Poor little Southampton, trying to play football with the big boys again. It is absolute bullshit. Cortese must be laughing his ass off at what we have become. Where is the respect going to come from? VVD went to fricken Blackpool to meet with a rival manager and agreed to leave the club without Liverpool even contacting us about his availability. They issued a grovelling public apology and ended their interest (lol). We simply couldn’t sell him on that basis. We are not to be bent over whenever another team fancies some, we may as well pack up and sell the stadium. We then hit them with the biggest fee ever for a defender in January and put that saga to bed. Their assumption that we operate a self service checkout for players may well have cost them a league title and several million pounds, let that be a lesson to the rest of the league. If you are Southampton player you will play you heart out for the badge. If you don’t you will find yourself training and playing under 23 football. If you give us everything we will look after you and we will give you every opportunity including a move to big teams. You see us right and you will prosper. If not, don’t expect to have all your dreams come true. Nothing in there is contrary to being nice and treating people with respect. In fact it is about respect on equal terms. Ralph is pathetically weak.
