Apologies if already posted in any form... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24092977 This is going to upset the traditional apple cart. First Lovren mentions Champions League at Saints, and now Wanyama says it too. Do those pundits, who talk about Saints players being good enough to join the top clubs, have to change that well worn track now, and add a caveat..? After all, two top players are saying they're here for the journey, alongside the present company. Not sure that Osvaldo has said as much, though I think he just likes being coached by Poch again. It must be in his thoughts as well though. Is it time for supporters to back chat when the usual pub talk of Shaw, Schneiderlin, etc... will be going through the exit door within a season or two..? If it is, I'm almost regretting tired pundits like Hansen and Lawrenson are looking for the retirement lounge. I'd love to see the looks on their faces.
I have little doubt that the players and management truly believe that we can reach CL; Wanyama is probably the fourth or fifth player to mention it at this point (Boruc did, and I believe that Schneiderlin has as well). If we finish, say, 7th-11th, I think that most of our players will keep believing in the dream and will be happy to remain. But the question is whether they will keep believing if we don't show that upward progression every year...it's easier to believe that the team is on a near-linear upward progression when it hasn't taken a setback yet. Hopefully, it never will, but things are rarely that tidy.
It was a bit of a shame that the foot came of the gas after we won at Reading and went 11th and looking upwards. I know it didn't cost us anything more than a few million quid but Nicola will have probably had words about that; a few places were slipped.
Yep, forgot that Boruc had mentioned it too. Didn't know Morgan said things in that direction. Yet more reason to take it seriously then. At least we can say that nobody is leaving who is important to the show. How many of us are either cynical, hopeful or convinced, I wonder..?
To be fair to these players, they are only answering questions. Wanyama was asked directly "do you believe you can play in the champions league with Southampton" and he said "well someday, sure", which is a perfectly reasonable answer I think. You'd get similar answers from players at virtually every club in the league.
Well, not really. The specific question is asked because it is known that the club's ambition is in that direction. The question wouldn't be asked at a number of Premier League clubs. Not so long ago it wouldn't have been asked of a Southampton player. That's obvious, surely.
I'm really confused...where are the shrunken clowns??? We've got a drunken Italian looking chap up and to the right, but haven't seen a shrunken clown?
Maybe, but Wanyama was asked in the context of his move from a champions league side; the preceding questions were "what do you make of celtic's group?" and "won't you miss playing in games like that?" so he may well have been asked the question about his future champions league prospects no matter which club he'd joined.
It's quite annoying that we're seeing headlines like "Victor Wanyama: Southampton player targets Champions League" because it just makes people take the piss, as if we're talking about this year.
Which kind of answers the question of why he came to Saints in the first place. Previously, Wanyama's calibre wouldn't have signed for Saints. They may well have signed earlier in their career and improved, but this is a guy, along with Lovren and Osvaldo, who can be considered as good enough already and ready to go, even if they have room to improve. I've no doubt that other players of their calibre will be added. It may take a couple of seasons, but the direction of movement is the right one. One thing's for sure. Saints aren't planning to do this on the cheap. They appear to be doing it the right way in getting the necessary standards high enough by bringing in high quality players, then calling upon the Academy to make its own contribution to the squad. It's a tall order, but if other clubs can do it, that makes it possible.
Coco was down on his luck. The holiday season was nowhere to be seen and the childrens party scene had long dried up. In desperation he replied to the advert, "subjects wanted for scientific study".
I have Nolan, O'Brien, Lallana and Schneiderlin all in my FF team. If we fail to score/the twat Nolan scores, I won't be 100% annoyed!
It's happened before. There was a lad on Saintsweb who would have the lineups the night before a fair bit, was always right. If that line up is right, I'm chuffed. Clyne <3
