Reading posts on the transfer thread fans don't think we have chance of any big names joining ,is this through not believing we do aim to be top 6 ,our salary capping or that we are just not a big enough club to tempt a top top player ?
We're just not there yet. I have no doubt in NC's plans though. Fully on board with that. It's all about progression.
I think there's a contradiction in the question. To convince people who don't believe he is serious Cortese has to pull off an signing they consider unrealistic. We aspire to play in Europe but there are obviously clubs that can offer what we aspire to right now. If you have choice between European football today and the possibility of European football tomorrow you're probably gonna choose European football today. As yet we've only signed players that the big clubs weren't that interested in.
The only names I've seen where people have largely said we have no chance of getting them are Pirlo and Honda. I think the fact that the likes of Wanyama and Flamini have been considered as realistic signings shows a ton of ambition. Obviously, though, we're not going to sign one of the biggest names in world football.
Evolution not revolution.... | Football Southampton Sport News 24/7 by Saints Alive Published on 07/09/2012 08:29 AM 34 Comments "As everybody is aware, Southampton Football club is just into the fourth year of a five year business plan, as set out by the new owners in the summer of 2009. The club has achieved the goal of reaching the Premier League and now the target must be to remain there although only Nicola Cortese knows which position he will be happy with after sanctioning the spending of £30 million pounds on transfers this summer. The players that were brought in covered all areas of the team with 2 keepers 2 defenders 2 midfielders and 2 forwards, of course we could have bought a complete new team but in my opinion that would've meant losing the continuity of back to back promotions and the team spirit and understanding that has been carefully nurtured by Nigel Adkins and his staff. Everyone will have an opinion on who they think will "cut it" in this league but ultimately that is what NA is paid to do and if he feels that certain players deserve the opportunity to show what they can do then fans should respect that at least until we have settled into the new season. Nigel Adkins has often spoke about the need of having the right characters in the dressing room and he obviously feels that the existing players can do a job for us and have the ability to win games at the top level. It is way too early to be pushing the panic button yet and there is the winter transfer window if further quality is needed. To some fans, whoever we bought in the summer it was never enough but new additions will continually be added within the budget that is allowed along with the academy products given a chance, it is an ongoing project and fans should just be a bit patient as the results will come. We have a young, exciting squad, whose best years are ahead and will grow together to become a real force in the English game. Nicola Cortese and Nigel Adkins have the same vision for the future, I urge fans to not lose faith too early and back this young team to the hilt onto future success. COYS!" I wrote this article in September last year when some people were questioning the summer signings (Didn't we sign Gaston Ramirez for £12 million or did I just imagine that?)...Nicola Cortese is very ambitious, but he is also a pragmatist, he knows that we are never going to compete with the wages paid by the likes of Man City and Chelsea, thats why the ultimate aim is to produce our own players and try to succeed with young, hungry players that have a team spirit and are schooled in "The Southampton Way" of playing. I think that the most telling quote from Nicola Cortese, after he declared that he was staying at the club was when he said " I was delighted with the togetherness that the staff and players showed, it can take years to achieve this". I will repeat what I said last September, "We have a young, exciting squad, whose best years are ahead and will grow together to become a real force in the English game."
I don't think it's so much about one more individual as having a better squad. At the moment we have no one that can come in/challenge Shaw, Clyne, Morgan or Cork, that's three signings without necessarily improving the first 11. Then Poch has to decide what happens when playing Rickie up front isn't working, or he needs a rest. So I think 1-2 attacking players of some type are needed there. To do all of that in a Summer might not work, players might not be available and signings might not come off, like Buttner last year. And there are the ones we have already got, hopefully some will step into a bigger role (Ward-Prowse, Mayuka). For me the question is where will we be in two years.
It's promising young players with a future in front of them we need to be signing. That's the strategy, I'm sure. we neither need nor can afford to sign Wayne Rooney or a similarly established big name. Pity we didn't get Coutinho in January, and also that we couldn't hold on to Oxlaide-Chamberlaine. The fact that we were in the running for the former, and fought to retain the services of the latter, are proof of the club's ambition.
I'd have thought the sacking of Nigel Adkins in January, was evidence enough of his ambition. I digested that decision for two or three days in disbelief and then the level of Cortese's ambition dawned upon me. I don't need to see a "name" or any more announcements; I realize this guy is serious with his ambitions.
Monaco are showing the type of money(including tax breaks) that is required to attract players without European football. It's likely we'll have to get players from clubs which are mid table and lower in the major European leagues. Based on the interviews from Pochettino, it sounds like we know who we want and now football is over in Spain I'm sure we shall start to see things progress this month.
Actually I think part of the attraction for Monaco is the promise of European football. The French league is weak in depth compared to the other top divisions, and I think it's seen that any club with a decent amount of money can easily storm right into the Champions League spots. Footballers are as motivated by money as anyone else, but just like anyone else they also take other things into consideration such as location and pride in their work. Monaco offers money, but also offers a lovely place to live and a real shot at trophies. Footballers want all three of those things.
We cannot compete for ready-made off the shelf stars...they want high wages and to be at a club at the top now. However, top clubs cannot employ every good player. Hopefully, we'll sign promising talented players who are still hungry for success and willing to help us achieve it. We want team players that fit into our present squad, but with the ability to climb to the next level.
Id really like Lukaku and believe that would be the kind of signing i think is realistic and shows intent
Like FLT has said, the departure of Nigel Adkins was a signpost to Cortese's ambitions for the club. He wanted a manager from Europe who had a growing reputation among the professionals. Set aside that he left Espanyol at the bottom of the table. That is relatively unimportant in this context. The important thing is that he'll draw players. Nigel, for all his success was unknown in Europe. Another thing - before last season, the banter went round... Ooh, we might sign Ramirez..!. Pundits said no, and one notable one said, with a confident smirk, He won't be going to Southampton..! [Start from about 3m 50secs for the full effect]. OH REALLY..? http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19314163
The kind of players we need to get anywhere near the Champions League are dissapearing fast. Neymar, Falcao etc. these are the players we need to really compete, what chance do we have. I think its good to have ambition but why did our manager say something so stupid as getting saints into the champions league in a couple of years if he had no intention of signing any top players. I was previously perfectly happy for Saints to take their time with signings, but now its costing us, most of the kind of players you need to get into the Champions League have already signed with other clubs.
Uh, I'm hoping that you're joking here. Signing players is not as easy as saying "I'll take him", and magically having them under contract. Neymar went to Barca, spurning offers from other top teams, because he wanted to play for Barca...we could have offered any amount of cash and he'd still have wanted to sign for Barca. Falcao signed for Monaco because they are paying him an unbelievably large pile of money and it likely allows him to move to Real Madrid in a year, which is what he wants (and which was unlikely to happen directly, given that he was property of their local rivals). In a dream scenario where we get to Europe, it happens not because the best players in the world woke up one day and decided to sign with us, it happens because we signed players with the potential to be the among the very best, and in reaching that potential they carry the team to a level of success that convinces them to stay.
