I think he has a lot to offer given his recent success. Wiki says, so make what you will of it, "Rasmus Ankersen (born 22 September 1983 in Herning, Denmark) is an author, public speaker and director of football at Southampton Football Club.[1] He is the co-founder and CEO of Sport Republic, the major shareholder of Premier League club Southampton.[2]" https://www.hampshirelive.news/spor...-sport-republic-investors-southampton-6445003 "First and foremost, we were looking for good people, experienced investors who can take us forward and know how to do it. And I think in Dragan [Solak], Henrik [Kraft] and Rasmus [Ankersen] we have found that. "I have met all three and spent time with all three, and they are good people, first and foremost, and that's the most important thing to me and everyone at the club."
I don't think there will be no input. But I'm not sure we can expect the same level as he gave Brentford
Oh I think we will. I keep saying you don't w*** away £200m+ on a football club and then watch it rot. Gao actually didn't mean to as it was China that changed the goalposts after years of 'encouraging' spending abroad. We won't spend huge (Newcastle, West Ham, etc), but we should be able to hold our own now. (Not directed at you Greg), and I have tried not to take the bait for a couple of days now, but you just can't please some people and they just want to moan. For years we want Gao out and to be bought by a progressive thinking person/group, we get it and now more moaning. If this football lark was as easy as some make out, maybe there would be more than 7 different winners of the Premier League in the last 30 years....
Exactly. All this "it'll be the same as with Gao" talk is just bizarre and based on precisely nothing. No, we're not going to suddenly be splashing £30m on a player - we know that. But the idea there's essentially going to be no investment is, frankly, weird.
My comment was based purely on him not being part of the actual Saints set up and still being in the holding company. Could be nonsense and I hope it isn't the case and he is very involved
For the record I am not in the “it will be the same as Gao” camp. Some people just want to be negative. I’m just uncertain about how this new structure actually works . For example we already have someone in the job Ankersen did at Brentford
That's a fair comment. No one really knows what this summer is going to hold. Apart from the fact that it won't be the same as last summer under Gao.
One of the big things I suppose is if any team REALLY wants JWP. If they do then we’ll probably sell and it will be another summer trying to replace one of our better players as well as adding to the rest of the squad. But yeah it’s too early to really have a clue what’s going to happen
To be fair those who are saying that this summer will be vastly different are basing it on precisely nothing too. There's no evidence to suggest that we'll have much more funds available, we still don't know what (if anything) has been done with the loan. There's been hints in both directions but as we all know actions speak louder than words and it's impossible to know what will happen. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.
It is someone’s though. And that someone/group won’t want to lose it all. I don’t think we’ll spend £30m+ per player, but we won’t be stagnant and will hold our own. Edit: let’s imagine the saints Not606 clubbed together to buy the club and put someone in charge. Wouldn’t we have planned to spend or would be have just scraped together enough to buy the club and then watch it all go. If you live in a £250k house you may have the income to buy a £750k one, but you don’t as you know you can’t afford the running costs. That is all I am saying.
Yeah I agree with most of that and the owners are sure to have a plan of sorts. I'm just not sure how the ex Brentford guy fits in at this point as you can't apply the "won't want to lose money' argument to him - he's an employee ultimately.
I don’t think it’ll be vastly different. But it will be a move forwards from what we’re used to, of that I’m pretty certain.
So ignoring rumored unannounced extensions (bar McCarthy as that feels almost certain), what do we reckon? For me; Out Forster Caballero Lewis Stephens Long Djenepo Walcott Maybe out Redmond Elyounoussi Bednarek In (First Choice) GK - Currently rumoured Dragowski / Bazunu - although these would be squad signings, we really need a new first choice. CB - Tarkowski pls (on a free - wouldnt usually advocate for relegated centre backs, but Burnley have a better defence than us). Frankly I think we need a second CB too. AM - Cornet pls (£17.5m release clause) ST - Currently rumoured Delap / Broja (Squad) LB CM - Salisu and Bednarek having the highest interceptions in the PL suggests to me that a porous CM area is a big part of why we are so poor at the moment, Romeu and Diallo not up to the job?
Put bids in for Pope and Collins this evening. Way way better than anything we have at the moment. Cornet well worth the £17.5 million as well and would be better for having a season in the premier league.
Leeds already strengthening. €30 million for Brenden Aaronson from RB Salzburg. Probably a replacement for Raphina? Really hope Sports Republic don’t piss around as this is going to be the biggest transfer window for us for many years after this pathetic end to the season.
