We all know that we have had three great seasons as we climbed from -10 points in League 1 to the Premier League. A lot of talk has been made about the need for players needed for certain places to strengthen our team/squad. My question is:- Can our wage structure be the cause of some knock backs or is the less well known/experienced manager another reason for our failure to date in obtaining the required signatures? I ask this knowing that I could be blasted away and made to look foolish by a couple of late signings, but feel it is a question worth asking.
Cortese has shown he won't be pushed around but I'm sure the money is there and all sorts of negotiations are going on behind the scenes. Worth waiting for the right player who will fit into the squad. Worst thing would be to panic buy uand ruin the team spirit built up over the last three years! We just need to be patient.
No is the answer to your question. The signings we have made, Clyne, Rodriguez especially (who were linked with bigger clubs than us) and also Davis are very good signings. I'm sure that other PL clubs would have been interested in Davis. Davis said himself he was convinced by the ambition of Cortese and Adkins. Is this you being nervous that we haven't signed a CB yet?
Centre back for starters. Many of our posters across all of the Saints forums have said we need a centre back and maybe two. Also that we still need a fast hard working quality right sided player up front. Adkins has also been quoted as saying we are looking still to further strengthen in a couple of places.
Yes, we still need to make signings, but why does that make us failures? It's not like we had a host of world class CBs lined up who have all turned us down. Is this really a thread asking if we're making the wrong move by not overspending and pissing money on players who aren't good enough?
I would consider it a victory that we havnt wasted millions on the wrong player, not a failure that the right player hasnt been signed yet. And it is a "yet".
I agree with you as far as the yet, but pray it is just that. I am happy with the players brought in but still hunger for news of a quality centre back at the very least.
A wage structure designed to keep your books balanced is common sense. Team spirit can also be fractured by vast discrepancies in wages (though there will of course be some variation). Every player probably respects the fact that players like Lallana and Lambert are on top wages, but no one has been parachuted in on massive wages (as far as we know) when they have not contributed to our promotions. A second point is that we want players for whom wages are important but not everything.
The use of the word failure is not as appropriate as I had intended. At no time did I intend to give the impression that I thought we were that. It was more a question as to possibly one or two players knocking us back because they expected more in wages etc. Please excuse my poor choice of word.
You'll be alright because Nicola's on holiday. Let's hope for your sake there is no internet where he's making sandcastles.
Thanks for the reminder Fran. I am not really concerned by our refusal to pay over the top for players such as the rumours have hinted like Butland, Hooper etcetera. Whether they will ever prove to be worth the sums requested only time will tell. Many thought we were gambling when we bought J Rod.
I'd rather have a strict wage structure than spend 110% of turnover on wages like some clubs we could mention cough Pompey cough.
OMG. where's that slappy face thingy me bob icon? I don't recall us "loosing out" to a big named CB yet? We probably will sign one or two. I heard one small rumour we were looking at the lad who sigend for Wigan. He didn't sign for Shammers because he doesn't speak English and I would suggest Roberto Martinez has an edge there. If you want my best guess, Iwould say we have already got the signature of someone on a bit of paper, maybe the Japanese lad, however he is still involved in a little pre-season tournament and not available yet. I would rather we keep the wage structure thanks and let's build this club up in the correct manner. Hopefully we will soon be increasing the upper limit of that structure as the millions of pounds from a higher gate (new capacity), increased winning revenues, a Eureopean campaign, etc, etc, start to roll on in.
We will pay over the top for a fee, if it's the player we want. When I met Cortese *salutes and bows* he said that he has no problem spending big money on transfer fees, but won't over stretch on the wages.
