Does anyone else feel the same?

Have you seen the average attendance figures.? They keep creeping up, season upon season. Sadly, they only rise in tens and hundreds because of the stadium's limited capacity, but fans are really not put off. Our expectation levels are lower than the club puts upon itself, so don't feel that any small exodus of players is but a hiccough.

 

We make players look good and sell only to the top sides...I even get a bit offended if they want to go to a team like Spurs. The only answer is to employ less attractive players. We lost players the last time we were in the EPL, but generally lost them to a lower grade of team. I think we are all a bit wistful for those wonderful promotion years where players stayed with us for the ride.

 

Glad you didn't change anything. Totally echos my thoughts!

 

Can't help feeling this might have been discussed before. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be. I remember thinking the same thing when we sold David Webb and Martin Chivers to Chelsea and Spurs respectively. Then we sold Shearer, Kenna and Flowers to Blackburn. Stevie Williams and the Wallace brothers followed. Then there was Mark Wright, Neil Ruddock, Wayne bridge, Andy Townsend. The list goes on and on......

The difference now is that loyalty lasts from 8 years of age to about 22 as opposed to 18-24. So when we see players like JWP, Reed, Targett and Isgrove breaking into the first team we should feel proud and when they go to better themselves we should wish them the best of luck ( Lallana excepted of course). We may need a few transient Europeans to fill the void whilst the next batch develops but if they stay too long they will hold up the development squad.

Enjoy the ride. Every now and again there will be a rare gem that truly loves the club and stays. Fonte being the classic example. Possibly JWP too.

 

I haven't related to Saints players for a few years now. It's why I don't get annoyed etc if a player leaves. I support Saints and cheer on the players that play for us. But it is only Saints the club I really care about.

 

Hmmmm can relate to what you are saying.........I am not so sure the club do not care about the fans.........the following for any club dives dramatically if the management don't take into account how the fans feel about things. I think you are right come next summers transfer window if there is a similar exodus I am not sure the fans will be so understanding and will query more as to the clubs future intentions.

 

Well Wanyama is 99% going next summer, unless his agent suddenly becomes less of a money grabber. Mane and Jay will if they have a good season. So you should start now.

 

Wanyama will know what happened to Morgan's wages when he went to United plus of course how much more all the others are getting. We need to pay more to keep our players and we will only be able to do that if we get a bigger stadium and we increase our commercial income. As for this thread I refer you to one I posted a few weeks back http://www.not606.com/threads/no-more-heroes-any-more.308703/

 

Not sure about that. The whole thing has brought me out in a cold sweat...

 

Less reference to Pompey. They are not our rivals at the moment. You might be able to apply that adjective to Chelsea's support should they ever have a few bad seasons.

 

Playing devil's advocate let's not forget that a club would have no qualms about getting did of players they no longer consider required too. Some players have a conscience and use their excessive salaries to good effect in their own communities (not many I know, but good example is Drogba). I know this is easier to do if you have a lot to start with, but maybe the agents should be the focus of complaint and concern. These are just the leeches you find whenever money is around.

 

for 'did' read 'rid'

 

Whoosh.

 

It's a no win situation for a club of our size and status.
Despite the amount of money we receive from Sky, the big clubs will always have more money than us, and as a result we will continue to lose our better players to them.
I take heart from the fact that none of the players, that left us last summer, have improved, and could easily find themselves playing at Stoke or West Brom if they continue in the same way, this season.
Our real problem will come if we start losing players to teams that are currently looking up at us.
As for making players honour their contracts, that's like trying to hold in a curry f@rt, when in company.
You know, that letting it go will cause a stink, but better to let it go than allow the pent up f@rt cause a belly ache and internal unrest.

 

Surely if the greed and commercialisation of the modern game gives my arsehole a headache, that's a physiological effect?

 

Not to mention the pies...

 

We need to sell more pies. That revenue is vital, and buying a pie is a better long term investment than getting a player's name on the back of your shirt.

 

Certainly more satisfying sometimes.

 

It's when you let the curry fart out, and more than just gas escapes, then you have a real problem.

 

The underlying problem for me is the way the EPL has been set up and run. The richer clubs get richer at the expense of the others in the EPL (never mind the poor sods in the lower leagues - 'we're all right Jack'!). Football seems to learn slower than other sports and does get around to adopting technology etc. long after other sports do, but probably the toughest one to crack will be wage caps for teams - which is happening more often before in sport (e.g. you have a maximum pot of money for the season and you distribute out how you seem fit but you all work to the same limit). That is a leveller that the big teams would always resist but it seems to me the only way to redress some balance. It could happen (not saying it will) and I think would be good for the fans and the clubs with aspirations other than survival. Provide as much an incentive to stay as an inducement to leave. I live in hope...