Think we are getting caught up in that old conundrum...if they are willing to come here, they can't be good enough. Only players who say 'never in a million years' as they spit in our eye is worthy of a place.
http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/31072014-gallery-ryan-bertrands-career-to-date-1794714.aspx Sorry if Bertrand's gallery posted before, but love the picture of a skinny Cork in his first suit
I think people had set their hearts on other players and then decided unreasonably that Bertrand was only fit to play for a non-league side. He is an experienced player yet young enough to become Southampton quality stamped. May or may not be a hit here, but then Osvaldo failed (and most people were happy with that signing). We can't lose more than a year's salary and may get 1st dibs on a decent player.
Good grief - I think all the people moaning about Ryan need a reality check. A few years ago we were buying our best players from Bristol Rovers. Now we get a young England international schooled at Chelsea by Englands best ever left back and he's not ****ing good enough???
At some point we need to stop comparing now to then though. There's no point saying "5 years ago x was happening" - it's pretty irrelevant really.
and now everyone hates the scousers and north London yobs and yet it seems they want to be just like them. We are Southampton and I want to be thrilled when we beat them, not expect to beat them. I know, no ambition blah blah. Only Blackburn have won the premiership apart from the big 5 and that was 20 years ago. Its much less likely to happen again in the next 20 years barr a freak season like we nearly had last season. My Saturday afternoons will always be dominated by whoever the Saints put out on a Saturday afternoon. I'm a **** fan, not concerned in the slightest about "the club" and who's running it as long as it's still there to delight me or torment me when they're playing and I can lose myself for 2 hours and forget the rest of the world.
I never complain about anything, because I just remind myself that I'm not living through the industrial revolution.
I don't expect Targett to be launched into 'away at Anfield' when there will be some high emotion on both sides and fans baying for revenge. I think Bertrand will start this game and Targett will be gradually brought into the side. And Carrick and Berbatov and Sol Campbell. Being UEFA/Europa League isn't much of a draw to players if they have a chance at one of the big clubs. Wouldn't have surprised me in the slightest if some of Tottenham / Everton players would have jumped ship to Man U this season if they had been bid for. This also ties into the Fonte talk. Yes he seems happy, seems to love Saints and seems to want the Captain's armband however we have seen this before. Only difference is that the others have been linked with Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham whereas Fonte has been linked with Cardiff!!! To add to this if there is any truth at all in Spurs preparing a bid for Fonte we might then see if he really does love Saints (if they bid more than Levy's usual 50p and a packet of crisps)