Wonder how much each youngster costs from arrival to end point (either leaving or entering the first team). Obviously this has all been worked out by the club...the Academy becomes more valuable as player prices rise. Not only the money you get for some youngsters, but the money you save on the lads who do eventually play for Saints. This will easily offset the money 'wasted' on kids who leave for nothing. This is part of our planning and huge investment has been put into it, so it has to be central to our plans. We have expectations for Saints (which are being met), but it is nothing like the expectations of an Abramovich...therefore we can ease a talented lad into the team rather than buy yet another 'star.' I'm proud of our club.
I wonder how many PL club fans are jealous of the way our club is run? I suspect the answer is "lots".
Looked at the team going through their paces at the Maryland Terrapins ground. Who would choose a terrapin as their alter ego? I think our name should be the Southampton Smugs.
Living in a place where Saints fans are few and far between and there is a huge mix of supporters of different clubs I can tell you that most people laugh at us a lot due to not keeping hold of our players, and most think it is down to the owner just wanting money.
Yeah it is quite amusing some of the "BANTZ". An example, in the pub on Saturday 2 of the people I was with are Everton and Liverpool supporters. We were sat there having the usual football chat and they did a little cheers to "letting Saints bring in the players and managers and then we just take them when we want", which I found pretty funny.
This is another thing, I say "well we can't afford to pay the wages/pay the fees that other clubs do" and they are shocked that a fan gives a **** about the financials of the club. "Well done on winning the balance sheet trophy again" "who cares, it's not like it's your money" and possibly the best "if you don't spend the mega bucks then you can't compete" (that was said pretty much straight after the end of this season when the Mane rumours had come to the attention of the Liverpool fan, so after we had competed well enough to finish above them)
Next time ask them how many Premier League trophies Liverpool and Everton have compared with, say, Leicester? In fact, Liverpool and Everton have the same number of Premier League trophies as we do.
I suspect the number of them dwindles during the close season as they see us lose some of our star players again. Come October/November time, that number rises again.
I think we care, because in 2009 we came so close. I remember listening to a report on a potential takeover when we had about 24 hours before the club would fold, on my knees praying it would go through. It did, thankfully. That's why I care about transfer fee's & wages.
What fans say to fans of other of another club and what they actually think are two very different things.
I live in Brighton, so obviously most people are "fans" of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. From my experience, these guys know **** all about football. I get much more sense out of fans of clubs such as Seagulls, WH, Crystal Palace, etc. Broad generalisation, but true.
Same here, I get sensible discussion with the Swansea fan in work and even the Arsenal fan but the Man Utd and Liverpool supporters just make snarly comments, though the Liverpool supporter has been a bit quieter recently...
When I lived in Egerton Forstal, in the Kent Weald, back in 1996-2000, the number of Saints fans were the biggest group, according to my informal pub surveys during quiz night. Yep, surprised me too.
I am at a summer school here in deepest Somerset. Today was the day of the Summer Fete. I spotted a youngster with an Athletic Bilbao shirt (which looks much nicer than Saints' new shirt (just an opinion mind) Guess where he was from??? Palma de Mallorca with neither parent having a link with Bilbao!!
Just imagine if these glory hunters did switch alliance to Brighton. There would be a need to increase the capacity of the stadium considerably. Same with Saints if everybody in the SO postal district started supporting Saints.
