It's Tuesday. No game until the weekend, so here's a cheery thought. It's clear that Saints are ramping up the ambition another notch and will undoubtedly go further very quickly, if I know our Nicola. The question is, how long have the remaining League One players got, in your opinion..? I loved the fact that 4 were on the pitch against WBA, with Kelvin on the bench, but it's going to happen one day. And it may happen sooner than we think. I give it 3 seasons and only Morgan will remain. Adam has got to step his game up dramatically or he will go. Maybe even Jason will rise to the challenge. The thought struck me again while watching Osvaldo Uncovered, and when they were suggesting where Danni should sit, Corky said, he could go where Frazer was... Here the entire list of them: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/southampton Rickie Lambert Adam Lallana Morgan Schneiderlein Guly Du Prado Jason Puncheon Jose Fonte Kelvin Davies Aaron Martin [although he doesn't have a squad number] Deano Hammond [ditto] Lee Barnard [ditto] Jonno Forte [ditto] Almost a football team left.
Think you are right TSS. Massive season for Lallana he needs to stay injury free and be consistent. morgan and Rickie will stay until they want out. The rest I'm afraid will move on.
Still a pretty decent team left as well, would do extremely well in the Championship. I agree with 3 years, though I think Adam will stay, he just won't be a regular in the side. Shoot me down, but I think we'll sell Schneiderlin within 3 years too, so there could be none left.
Three seasons is a long time in football. Kelvin will be coaching by then. Morgan and Lallana may still be with us, the rest will be gone. Rickie, of course, will be stuffed and placed in the boardroom.
Players move on for any number of reasons, but the important thing is that the spirit of the double promotion-winning team remains, and there will enough left who remember it for more than 3 more seasons I think. The reality is though, that although some players remain, this is not the same team that competed in League One.
Not sure how relevant it is, really. Jose, Rickie, and SKD will all have probably hung up their boots (or something akin to that); and Morgan will likely have been sold. I would say it's just as likely that Gaston, Osvaldo, and Victor will have moved on too. Punch will be somewhere like Palace. Bale probably won't play for Madrid anymore. Teams evolve in that time, and don't think it's a sign of our ambition or ruthless drive for success - will simply be what happens at all clubs over three years.
Did we give Sharp a pay rise when we were promoted to PL? I presume it must have been written into his contract. May have been mentioned elsewhere but didn't we give Guly a 1 year contract last year? I don't recall seeing it being renewed anywhere... This season we will only see Morgan, Rickie and Lallana +/- Puncheon (who seems inexplicably out of favour- MP just doesn't rate him?). Morgan will stay as long as he keeps form, as will Lallana but agree he needs to show more (consistency). The question is how many seasons can Rickie go on performing like this? Do we dare estimate?
Mauricio gave Punch a contract extension...pretty good player and was probably signed in case we didn't get someone in. Now he is surplus to requirements...but he has gained by having our contract to provide financial stability until he can find another team. I hate losing all these players, but we can't keep them as rather expensive pets.
Lambert Lallana Schneiderlin Guly Puncheon Fonte SKD Seven examples of why the PL's almost complete refusal to take a punt on lower league talent is farcical.
Well that would be the case for 'old' Saints. Why on earth would we sell Morgan/Vic/Osvaldo/Gaston these days?
Davis will retire here, become a coach and be our back up keeper this season. Eventually be an emergency keeper when Gazza improves, hopefully he gets some time on loan. Lallana will be here for the foreseeable future, even if he spends time on loan somewhere else. Schneiderlin will leave in a few seasons, I reckon. Lambert will retire here but I feel that starting this season, his importance and role at Saints will gradually grow smaller and in a few years turn into a squad player. Guly will go next season to Brazil when his contract runs out. Puncheon's going to Palace! Others will leave shortly.
This team will one day be ripe for a Dortmund- or Arsenal-style asset-stripping. The complete depressing futility of building something good these days! And incase fans of other teams come on here, no I am not comparing Southampton to either.
Thing is, we won't take a punt on lower league players either (and most of the fans on here are naturally hesitant when we hear our name linked to League 1 or Championship players) - we only did then because we were one! And perhaps those players are only what they are now because they got the chance to slowly develop through the leagues at our own pace. Rickie direct from Bristol to a top-flight team may not be the player he is now. Morgan would not have got the playing time at, say, Arsenal.
There's merit in what you say.......Unless you are an outstanding youngster like Chamberpot, then normally the big boy's will not give the lower league players a look in. In my view it is very shallow thinking as there really is some good young lads in those leagues with good potential. Trouble is, it costs such a lot of money to train them up to the standard you need and in our case we have such a good academy so rely mainly on that for the players of tomorrow.............
