If Shaw leaves, he'll cease to be of any interest to me whatsoever, except when he plays us. So he can go where he wants, but I don't really see why he'd want to go to a team who finished one place above us.
Archers, is that your only real judgment on United, one of the biggest clubs in the world? I thought you had a little wider vision than that. He will be a first choice left back there for years if he continues to perform as he can. He'll play in front of 75,000 people every other week He'll double his salary, maybe more He'll have a much better chance of winning cups, leagues and playing in the Champions League He'll be joining a giant of a club that is just about to enter a new era and in business speak, "better to follow on after no success than follow salesman of the year"... he's joining at a very low position for them, a position that most people think is false or temporary. He'll give himself a better chance of displacing Baines as England leftback earlier. He'll be playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world. Most people who have a little ambition in them, often want to perform their job at the highest level possible; that's one option to get there.
Thought it was obvious I was being flippant? However, they still look to me like a club in decline. Their squad needs major surgery if they are to compete for major honours next season. They face massive competition for a CL place, as aside from City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, they'll also have to contend with Everton and Spurs. The leveraged buyout has left the club saddled with huge debts . Much, though by no means all, of their recent success is down to one man. A man who is irreplaceable in terms of his influence over the club, and his ability to inspire belief. All the points you listed above could have been made about Liverpool 20 years ago. Or Leeds United 40 years ago.
I can never really understand this attitude, its rather like booing players when they return to the club to play against us because they have betrayed us. Its rather like me changing job for 4 or 5 times my current wage, then coming back to my old workplace to find that I'm about as popular as a turd in a lucky dip? Good luck to the guy, hope he does well.
It's like when people talk to me about the most expensive player in the World and say "didn't Tottenham do well to bring that player on" and I say with pride, "yes, but it was Southampton that made him"
Shaw, Lallana, everyone. One more year PLEASE. Just see what will happen. The big money move will still be available next year if you want it. But, we just might do something incredible so that you won't.
Where did I say I wished him any ill? I just won't really give a toss about his future career, like I don't really give a toss about any ex Saint until they come to St Marys. Though I do make an exception for Bale, because **** me, Real Madrid? I'm secretly very impressed.
Yep, as I was saying on the United match thread after taking the mindset of 'Well as long as we get stupid money for them I can't be too disappointed if they leave', I've realised I really would be a bit gutted if this is to be the end of this team. I really don't think our first team is that far off United, Spurs or Everton at all (although United and Spurs investment this summer may dwarf ours), and certainly if the likes of Lallana, Rodriguez and Shaw keep progressing at the level they have then we already have a lot of the quality we need to get right in amongst them. We could have already achieved so much more this season but that is entirely acceptable if it is all part of our progression, but for it to be cut short now would be a real gut punch.
So its ok for Gareth Bale to go to a glamour club, but someone like Danny Fox effectively doesn't exist any more because he's gone to Forest because we don't need him any more. So Luke we used to love you, but now you no longer exist.
Do you really follow every former saints player's career with as much interest as Bale's? What's Wayne Thomas up to these days?
Nah, still wish all the best to Danny Fox. And Billy Sharp. Even David Connolly, though that one's a bit of a stretch. But they didn't choose to leave.
We all deal with the transfers in different ways, hurts more when the player wants out, but time will heal & hopefully the academy will plug the gap. I'll wish them well, but then they slowly drop of the radar, sad but true.
I don't think any booing was implied. All he said was he doesn't take any interest in players after they've left. I don't think that's particularly controversial is it?
Never said he booed ex-players, I'm just always surprised at the attitude of supporters when a player dares to leave us.
