http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...s-sad-and-whos-plain-bored.html?frame=3580443 The happiness index for PL clubs: we are apparently 8th. The one they asked seems hard to please...he gave Ron 13/20. I know that we would have given a different view now than during our poor phase, but 13/20...really
Really?! I wonder if you went back to the person in question and told them they basically gave Ron a 6.5 out of 10, what they'd say... Not fair or accurate, in my opinion. Maybe they just asked a very miserable saints fan!
Ron got 17/20, I believe. The score is under the paragraph, not on top. So not so screwy. The chap gives 13/20 for happiness with players.
I think a happiness with players score of 13/20 is a bit miserable though, don't you? I'd say about 15-16/20
http://www.umaxit.com/index.php/articles/southampton-virgil-van-dijk-transfer Nice little review of Virgil and our recruitment system....of course they have to ruin it by saying that he might look to move on. Not even 1 year into a 5 year contract
Can't see that happening with the length contract he has. Saints seem to have put the brakes on departures unless they are nearing the end of their contracts as demonstrated last summer with Wanyama and Mane. They mention Toby as if we let him go even though he was never ours!
Agreed. I don't think it got as close as that. Alderweireld claimed all season to want to stay at Saints because he was enjoying himself so much and because he loved the club [so he said]. But all the time it was down to Athletic Madrid to decide what they wanted to do with him. If Saints were guilty of letting anything slip, it was their attention to the loan contract details, in that they never fully realised that some club would slide in at the last moment and make an offer Athletic and Alderweireld wouldn't refuse. Personally, I know I'm guilty of believing there might be some honour in a good solid contract between two companies. And I think Saints might have been guilty in that way too.
Lots on Austin's twitter site about the CA Football Schools...which he started to teach kids skills and to enjoy football. Didn't know that....well done to him for reaching out to the community.
Actually I was looking back at some of his quotes and they were always a little short of 'I want to stay'. It was more like, I want to stay unless... The closest he came to saying that was a quote in the Express - "I’m not going to lie: if they made me an offer, I probably would accept. I’m just so happy there." When Athletico started making noises about wanting him back because he was having such a good season with us, his language notably changed to "Atletico can make me return because I still have two more years on my contract, Southampton can buy me, another club can make an offer…" There was a clear invitation there! I think it was his international duties and chats with Vertonghen that turned his head. I've said before it's all history and there is little point in dissecting the detail too much (even though I just have!!) but I honestly don't think the club could have done any more. They thought they had him but he had a better offer. We just need to accept that Spurs offered more money and a chance to team up with his international buddy. Anyway, lets look on the positive side; there are a few clubs spitting bullets that they missed out on Charlie Austin so you win a few and lose a few.
It was mentioned right at the beginning that we didn't have an option on him in the usual sense, so it was media and gossip that clouded the issue. Atletico always had the right to have him back....our only hope was that he wanted to come to us and a deal could be struck, but at the last minute he chose Spurs.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/...yama-talk-through-7424611#obbVxV3GUCgqtmIr.97 Short video with Victor talking about his footballing journey from Kenya to the UK.
