Transfer Rumours The 2015 Summer Transfer Window Thread

In a way I kind of understood Cortese's lack of sensitivity towards Saints' history. He wanted to turn Saints into a club that qualified and won things at every level. Well they hadn't done much of that in living memory, apart from the FA Cup in 1976. I hear he was slightly disappointed that we weren't promoted as Champions both times under Nigel's stewardship, and I understand that as well. He's a different type of person to most of us. To him there is 1st and then losers. So if he was going to change the club overnight, having a history largely consisting of mediocrity didn't exactly light the fire under him. Anyway, his era is over and his achievement has helped us in record time. In a way I don't fancy him at Liverpool. He could light a serious fire under them.

 

Liverpool needs a kick up the arse. They are a side that are living in the past both inside the club and those that follow them and all you ever hear about is their history from inside and outside.

Cortese would go in there and break up all the jobsworths, hangers on and then restructure things so that they are ready for modern football. If he was there over the past 2 seasons I expect Gerrard may well not have been getting many games.

They would probably have qualified for CL easily this season as well. a Club with their turnover and following should be doing much much better than they are.

 

Is there any actual links for this Cortese stuff? As a google search brings up only a thread from Saintsweb?

 

Its probably BS. I was just saying that if it were true it would be good for Liverpool. They as a club are like one of those old companies that used to be a really successful and popular brand name but go out of favour. several rebrandings, repositioning themslevs in the market before they go bust.

They are like a Comet or Woolworths. EVerybody used to use them, We all remember them and have fond memories..........but we didn't go there for years and then they were gone.

 

Absolutely, better brands came along and displaced them, just as Man City and Chelsea have with Liverpool. It shows that nothing is permanent in football, which incidentally is why, with a sustainable plan, including stadium expansion and increasing our commercial revenue, we might be up there ourselves in a few years. We're not that far off being better than Liverpool already.

 

That's fighting talk. Love it!

 

But....but...but....Liverpool have won the European Cup loads of times and we were really good in the 70s and we have the bestest fans and bestest song and everyone should bow to us and our innate superiority. Plus we had STEVIE G - the greatest player, no, the greatest MAN ever to lace up a pair of boots......AND NEXT SEASON IS OUR SEASON....


(currently in a transitional phase you see...)

 

Someone who insists on working without restraints and takes out high-interest loans working for FSG? It would be a disasterous appointment, yet another ill-thought out decision by the leadership of that club.
He'd give them a blueprint to work in, sure, but they'd need to get the right people in (the bit they already can't do right). Plus, they could just as easily get the same blueprint by, oh I don't know, looking at what us and Swansea already do and riping it off!

 

I don't think it's an ill-thought out decision by their club as it hasn't happened, and despite the fun, it probably never will.

 

But Saints aren't a Top 6 club and probably never will be unless Spurs and Liverpool go bust or something. If Saints couldn't do it this season when both Spurs and Liverpool had one of their poorest seasons they haven't got a chance when each club sorts itself out.

Saints just don't earn anywhere near the money needed to finish above Spurs and Liverpool and never will do and that's why even if Spurs/LFC have an absolutely abysmal season. they'll still both finish above Saints. Saints have hit their glass ceiling I'm afraid unless they get in a sugar daddy now that FFP has been booted out.

I can't see any realistic way with the way things currently stand that an argument can be made for Saints to finish above the bigger clubs. There just isn't any evidence from recent seasons that makes this a realistic ambition. Saints had as good a season as they could have. Massively over-achieved (like LFC did in 13/14) and that wasn't good enough for 6th.

 

Unfortunately this is absolutely spot on, this is why I would like us to focus on the cups.

 

I agree with you apart from the word "never", we could do it in an odd season, but don't kill our dreams. Something needs to happen to make it a consistent event for sure. We are still in a transition phase ( a word you guys like a lot ) it is just that our transition phase over the last 6 years has been one of massive upward growth, but it doesn't mean we have finished. We may well take one step back, but over all I believe we are still evolving. We may surprise you one day soon. We may not.

One thing I can tell you though... right now, it is much more exciting supporting Saints than Pool

 

While I see your point, I think you're wrong (I would, I'm a saints fan!). I think we had a great season, but I don't think we massively over-achieved. Equally, I don't think Liverpool or Spurs underachieved. Things kind of panned out as they should have. Revenue does make a massive difference, but incidentally we have a sugar Mummy, who happens to view a sustainable progression as the way to build things, with youth development key to the progress of the club.

As has been posted elsewhere, the club is on a massive upward trend in many way, revenue being one of the major ones and while it will take time to catch up, we are doing it quickly by acting in the right ways and playing the right football. Our revenue will continue to grow as the club will, our streams will continue to be diverse (and that includes player sales) and our recruitment will continue to be a strength that enables us to realise significant revenue from our player assets.

Saints will continue to progress, and it may be slower than many of us would like, but we will continue to do it despite the status quo.

 

I actually think we under-achieved this season. We could, and should, have finished in the top 6 or with a bit of extra luck in the top 4. If you think of all the times that Graziano hit the woodwork, if half of those had gone in it could have meant the extra 10 points necessary to catch Man U and Arsenal. If Morgan, or Toby, or Fraser, or all three of them, hadn't got injured the same might have happened.

And just look at the thread DTLW posted about the increase in value of the club. We are now the 9th richest football club in England, and rising all the time. Status quo? I fart in its general direction!

 

you sound more like you're trying to convince yourself than us.

 

All ifs n buts, any team can point to certain injuries/moments in a season. but after 38 games, you finish where you deserve to. We finished below Liverpool simply because they took 6 points from our games and us 0.

 

Liverpool were without their top two goalscorers from last season and have underachieved. Saints were without their top three goalscorers from last season and have overachieved. It's a funny old game...

 

Liverpool didn't really underachieve, they should finish about 5th every year and they were only 2 points off it. The top 4 this year are so far ahead of Liverpool/Spurs that it would be a shock if either got in the top 4 in the near future (like it was when Liverpool got in last year).

 

So, the point being made is:

Saints can never achieve success because Liverpool and Spurs can always buy success? Well, in my book, that's no kind of success. I'd rather finish 7th every year and be proud of what we earned than finish 2nd-6th and worry we'd spent poorly.

Big Club = Lazy Club
Little Club = Inferior State of Mind
Southampton = Neither of the above & proud.

 

Of course we can gatecrash the top 6. Just say we'd have unearthed a 25 goal a season man (such as Bony, Remy when QPR got him, Austin etc). That's all that stopped us finishing 5th this time around.,..