http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...helsea-Manchester-City.html?ito=feeds-newsxml Its the daily mail, so probably just made up. Interesting read though
While I always start from the premise that I never believe the Daily Mail, there was an article in the i (the Independent's little brother) just before Christmas on people to watch in 2012. Luke was the footballer to watch, apparently. The article talked of our "close relationship" with Arsenal and seemed to imply that the boy would be off to join our other exports as soon as Nigel had finished polishing Luke's boots. It made me furious! It would seem he is quite a prospect and I look forward to his displacing Danny Fox when we play our first Champions League game. Until then, could the big boys kindly do one.
The Gunners face competition from Chelsea and Manchester City to sign 16-year-old Southampton left-back Luke Shaw, who is valued at about £4m even though he is yet to make his first-team debut. Full story: the Independent The Independant as well
This story was always going to appear at some stage, let's not be too bummed out about this. He won't be off for some time at least
"Valued at about £4m" probably translates to "Cortese won't let him go for less than double that, plus add-ons". If our chairman has demonstrated anything, it's that he isn't about to give a discount off of what he considers to be a fair price based on trifling details such as the fact that the player has never made a first-team appearance. Would imagine that Shaw will be in Southampton for some time yet.
There is going to come a time where Cortese says, enough..! Saints have coached and developed players for our purpose, not anybody elses. We won't sell off the best, leaving ourselves with the alsorans. There has also got to come a time where the so-called glamour clubs are going to find it cheaper to develop their own kids properly, and on a regular basis, instead of poaching from Saints especially, and other clubs with similar, if smaller reputations. Then the conveyor belt will not be so profitable, and the advantage could be lost. The time must come when the club itself [and fans] starts to directly benefit in success on the pitch, rather than just being bought off every time there's a special player about the place.
We should just enjoy the fact that we have got such a good squad of talented youngsters. We have had a few gems over the last few years but I can't remember a time when so many of the Academy look like they will become top players. Cortese has a vison for daints and the youth are a major part of it. In that big interview last season he was at pains to talk about bringing the youth through to the first team. The only ones who will leave will be the players who Nigel and Nicola don't think will make the grade.
And that time, hopefully, will be when we're in the Premiership, and it's part of the reason I feel more of a sense of urgency in getting there than others do...the vultures are already starting to circle over Shaw, Stephens, Sinclair and JWP, and those four could form the backbone of something special. If we can offer them first-team football in a year or two with a PL team versus reserve football with a top six club, we'll keep them longer; if we're stuck in the Championship for another year or two, it'll be far more difficult to keep the predators at bay.
With so much press about Shaw, I'm surprised that JWP has gone largely nder the media radar despite starting twice and scoring against Coventry. I can't see Shaw wanting to leave or Cortese allowing it either. He's clearly very close to our first team and will probably play a couple of games before the end of the season. I don't think he'd swap that for having to start again at Arsenal or any other glamourous club. He can also look forward to going on tour with the first team and having a great chance to show Nigel what he's about. Walcott, Bale and Chamberlain were all firmly in the first team when they left and I don't think Shaw will go anywhere at least until he is. Same with any of the others who are deemed good enough IMO.
I can't put down in words how angry all this gets me! the way the article implies that he's gonna leave no matter what and that we're just there to feed the big clubs! i'm getting really fecked off with it all! Thought it when Chamberlain was here and i think it now,players who have come through an academy should be made to stay at the said club until he's at least 20,at least that way we get some glory years from these potential stars! I say this with all my heart and soul F***OFF ALL YOU SO CALLED BIG CLUBS AND TRY WORKING HARDER AT YOUR OWN ACADEMIES YOU SCROUNGING F**KS! sorry for my outburst but i've had enough!
thankfully alot of the youngsters coming through are local lads - or have been with the club since they were around 8 years old, so they are saints fans ( even JWP is probably a saints fan now ) .If Oxo did not have such a tit for a dad then I'm sure he would still be here. We needed to sell Bale and Theo and Surman, so the only youths that have left the club is because the the club NEEDED the money, or not good enough. Hopefully we are not in that position now and NA requated the other day that the ideal is to haf half the team made from youth players, hopefully playing for the team they love like the Man U of the 90's
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...face-a-battle-for-saints-4m-teen-6287747.html Another article here talking about 'when Shaw leaves' as if its a given. Had a bit of a rant in the comments section...
