Shepherd's Clearing
Well-Known Member
So far signs from club seem to indicate we are planning to cash in on investments and rely on the academy.
Transfer Rumours The Summer Transfer Rumour Thread 2016
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It's the 8th of July. We don't have our first scheduled preseason match for another 15 days.
Soundbites coming out of the club don't sound too promising though. The whole "we won't over pay for players" is basically saying we're not looking to compete with Premier League clubs in the transfer market & we'll take punts on players who are cheap (8-12m bracket). There's a certain arrogance about the club I don't really agree with - it's nice to have confidence in the recruitment department but it's no where near perfect.
I think Saints have decided to try and get the Academy conveyor belt back on track...a gap between the Academy and the first team had developed. This may be due to a fall off in standards or the lack of interest from Koeman. They have always said they don't want to bring in players who just block the kids pathway. However, I can't see the board deciding not to spend where needed, especially with the group stage in the Europa this season. There is no guarantee that we make the Europa next season....we can't miss this opportunity. Chance to blood youngsters in the other cups. I suggest we are more likely to buy a few very good players, but resist buying in numbers that we don't need if a couple of youngsters are ready to step up. All a matter of balance.
Good business, but we are getting very light on proven, reliable strikers. Shane Long has never been prolific and although his work rate is fantastic it doesn't win you games alone. Austin's injury record doesn't bode well for Southampton's Goal Machine, as some people might consider him. And, in the few games Jay played in towards the end of last season, he wasn't showing even a suggestion that he might be coming back to a reasonable playing standard. However, there is hope there, as he did show a bit of form earlier in the season before his foot surgery. But, if Saints are supposed to be giving the Europa league their best effort, and maintaining/improving their standard in the Premier League, then they are going a slightly odd way about it so far.
There is a part of me that feels why do we have to do this to ourselves every season, undermining whatever was achieved in the previous 12 months, then managing to claw it all back somehow, and more. It's a bit beyond my comprehension. Call me naive, but I presume they want the fanbase to grow.? It doesn't grow by uncertainty.
The thing is, the standard required to break in to the first team is so high in the Premier League, that realistically you're lucky to get 1 or 2 players every 3 years who are genuinely capable of reaching that level. It's the same across all of the top leagues in Europe, of course we have a better record that most clubs in this respect, but it's borderline foolish to believe this is a sustainable model - if it was, every club would do it. I spoke to a friend who's a coach up at Man City who told me that most academy players & parents don't expect to break in to Premier League squads, they just want to develop as best they can to carve out a decent living in the game.
Definitely harder in the EPL....but the Academy is part of the great plan. We must expect the club to do everything, including taking calculated risks to promote it, though, as I said, I don't see them not strengthening the team this summer.
Whilst it is important, I feel the club need to be careful in overplaying the importance of it. We've already seen prospects leave because they were unhappy in the set up for whatever reasons. Possibly due to the club making promises to parents that they can't keep.
It remains to be seen whether we'll actually be a stronger team next season, I suspect nearly all departures will be replaced, but whether we improve or not is up in the air at the moment.
Agree with this. I would be shocked if we spend less than 40mil total.
Unfortunately, in the present market, you can look at both of our big sales (SM & VW) and realistically say we did not get top dollar. In fact, we may well find that our income from those sales matches income from far weaker premier league players. If the club isn't proposing to spend 40-50M as a baseline minimum - beyond the single, solitary signing so far - then I agree with the above. They are arrogant in the extreme. Our team now looks workmanlike at best.
Anyway, I'm sure the club is bluffing with its deliberate cheapskate soundbites. They think people lower their prices to cheapskate clubs...
Anyway, I'm sure the club is bluffing with its deliberate cheapskate soundbites. They think people lower their prices to cheapskate clubs...
Well we won't compete with certain clubs, we know that because we can't unless we change a structure that is frankly, working. I'm also not sure about arrogance either. I think the club has earned a right to be quietly confident with their business, as it has served us well thus far.
I like the next man get frustrated when we loose quality, but until we are a 'rich club' its the way its gonna be!
It's a bit difficult to decide to get the Academy conveyor back on track. You can't flick a switch and suddenly out pops half a team per season. A gap between the Academy and the first team certainly developed. They simply weren't good enough to play in a first team, for a club that wants to be in Europe on a regular basis [Saints words, not mine]. Besides, I don't think the Academy has ever been off-track. There has always been a clear path to the first team at Saints. But the youngsters should know that if they don't make the grade they won't get there, just like everywhere else in the Premier League.
If the Pelle rumour that he's off to China is true - good to see he's out of the EPL. See no sense of selling players to rival clubs if it can be avoided.
I, for one, will be sad to see Pellè go. He has been great for us. He was also fantastic at the Euros, and could still be an asset next year. This deal is very similar to the Lambert deal, in that it kind of makes financial sense, but it still makes me sad. Thanks for the memories Grazi, you beautiful man.
Last season:
Pelle: 11 goals 6 Assists
Mane: 11 goals 6 Assists
I think we definitely need to replace as this is a lot of goals/assists to lose.
It also can't be good for the likes of VVD / Forster / Bertrand etc, to see the likes of Mane, VW and Pelle leaving with rumours of no need to replace, as this is a smack in the face to the talk of on going progression and challenging for honours, of which must have been promised for the new extensions recently signed.
We have lost so far this summer: Davis / Stek / Mane / VW / Juanmi and now Pelle.
With a guaranteed 6 games in the Europa League and only 1 signing so far, I am praying that the Comments in the Daily Echo are Very Wide of the mark.
Pelle: 11 goals 6 Assists
Mane: 11 goals 6 Assists
I think we definitely need to replace as this is a lot of goals/assists to lose.
It also can't be good for the likes of VVD / Forster / Bertrand etc, to see the likes of Mane, VW and Pelle leaving with rumours of no need to replace, as this is a smack in the face to the talk of on going progression and challenging for honours, of which must have been promised for the new extensions recently signed.
We have lost so far this summer: Davis / Stek / Mane / VW / Juanmi and now Pelle.
With a guaranteed 6 games in the Europa League and only 1 signing so far, I am praying that the Comments in the Daily Echo are Very Wide of the mark.
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