"First of all itâs very clear that we are in control. We are in control of all the player transfers. All the top players are under long term contracts. Any transfers that take place will be under our terms" ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Actually, Ralph, no, you are not in control. If a player says he wants to leave, you have no control over that. Actually, Ralph, no, it won't be under your terms. The player & his agent have already told the other club how much it will take to get a transfer done, you may reject the first bid to save face, but you'll take the next one. It really is all bullshit.
And Liverpool know fully well that Lambert wants to leave and join them, so they put in a silly offer to start, just to test the water. Lambert is a "distressed asset" in business speak, you never pay the market price for such.
Well I can tell you my liver will have to be up to the challenge this weekend. He hates Saints more than anyone right now because when they disappoint me I take it out on him.
Forensic analysis of Kreuger's speech will not reveal any outright lie, but he uses words to build a wall behind which he hides the truth. We have to agree to a sale, so we are in control, but whereas many would read his words as a sign we will not sell, it does in fact mean only that we will try to get the best money we can. His words are designed to deceive...two half truths don't make a truth, they make a lie. I always thought he sounded like a fool, but gave him the benefit of the doubt as he used American- and business-speak which to English ears always sounds stupid. I will never believe a word that man says again.
If Saints continue to say no sale......then no Sale it will be. The player will have all sorts of covenants in their contract which if met then the club does not have a choice perhaps. I think we are getting paranoiac in thinking that Pochettino's decision to leave us will mean every decent Saints player wants to disappear. Of course they will be disappointed even upset.....but they will have played under different managers before and will do again. The trouble is if you think about it most teams above us in the league do not have their quota of English players. Katrina will not have expected to have such problems (assuming that she is not about to asset strip) We will see what the new board are made of. If they can get in the right manager in, in the players eyes, that will make a lot of difference to attitudes. The likes of Liverpool, United, Tottenham and co are trying to play on Katrina's inexperience and are hoping she wants to asset strip. Hopefully the new manager will have the balls to stand up to any want away's and get their confidence to play for Saints as the are contracted to do!
This is where strong leadership comes in...a firm hand is needed. Not the time for pragmatism and getting the best we can out of things...a few senior players told no would cut down the requests from the second string. The team have been very happy...they probably expect a few players to come in and go, but not a mass exodus...if the special feel of the team goes, so will the players. Saints have been special...you don't get this kind of rapport very often. Starting again with a new team will lose something wonderful. Better to graft some quality onto the squad we have.
