Transfer Rumours The Summer Transfer Rumour Thread 2016

Remember at their depths Lincoln playing them. Went to the Sincil bank first leg of the Coca cola (or rumbelows or whatever) the round before we played Saints I think in the mid nineties. Uwe Rosler scored in the first minute and we all thought "here we go". The mighty Imps came storming back and beat them 4-1.

Went to the return at Maine Road and it was one of the most intimidating places I have ever been. The walk from the car park to the away end before the game and back afterward is pretty scary with the "lovely" Man City fans providing a 200m "guard of honour" with the police on their horses making sure they don't get as close as the Tour de France fans. When the Imps won that away game 1-0 it was even scarier and never seen so many police at a football game. Quite litterally linked arms for the whole 200m and loads of mounted police.

City are a proper club. Had massive crowds down in the third tier. They aren't Chelsea who couldn't give tickets away when they were out of the top flight.

 

Na, he'd keep hitting the woodwork apart from nailed on chances.

 

But we could water the pitch EVEN more ...................

 

Yeah, calling City "classless" is a very lazy criticism just because they've come into money. Great team and far more classy than many.

 

I see Everton are being linked to Julian Draxler today.
I guess this is to go along with Witsel, Schneiderlin, Mata etc.?

 

It's also not a rumour, but my best mate is going up to the City academy to film a training session with Kevin De Bruyne today.
I've asked him to get him to join saints

 

Arnautovic...

 

Surely if he can walk on water he can run on St Marys?
Would we play with 12 if he joined?
Could he play as part of a front trinity?
I think the team might find him a bit 'preachy'

I'll stop now

 

In theory this is off-topic but given the Jesus related banter that is currently ongoing, here's a gag:


A religious man was caught in a flood. He clambered up on to his roof to avoid the rising water. When the water was almost up to the roof, a man in a boat appeared and shouted "Jump down! I'll save you". The religious man replied "No thank you sir. Go and save someone else. My Lord will save me"

Shortly after, when the water was over the roof and soaking the religious man's shoes, a lady in a boat arrived and shouted "Jump down sir. I will save you!" but the religious man said "No thank you. Save somebody else. My Lord will save me".

Shortly after this the water had risen above the religious man's waist as he clung to his chimney. A helicopter arrived and threw down a rope to him. The pilot shouted "Climb up! I will save you" but the religious man said "Go and save someone in need. My Lord will save me".

The religious man drowned and found himself at the pearly gates in front of his Lord. "I'm dead? But why? Why didn't you save me Lord?" And the Lord said unto him "You are having a ****ing laugh son! I sent two boats and a ****ing helicopter!"

 

Catching up on Musa's goals vs Barcelona yesterday. Oooooffff would have loveed to see him in a saints shirt.

 

Not sure I'd 100% agree.... The history of pre big bucks may be one thing and a massive thing to those City/Chelsea fans, however, the moment which the sheikh arrived at Man City and swept away the near £100 million debt wasn't an act of class, neither was the way they dispatched of the services of Pearce and Hughes, it's not particularly classy the way they are hoovering up young non English talent and preferentially playing them over English youngsters. It's not particularly classy the way that Chelsea have so many players out on loan on the off chance they come good, but even if they don't they Hoover up as much in fees as we spend in a window.

Although not blinded by red and white glasses, I'd like to think we've been slightly classier since we came into money.

 

Intimidating Lincoln fans doesn't seem a good example of their classiness

 

They've done a huge amount of good work in the area surrounding the Etihad, with a lot of redevelopment & jobs created for local people. New owner wanted to replace existing coaching staff - I fail to see the problem with that. From what I can tell from your post, you seem to have a certain distaste for anything that isn't British...

 

Far from it, I simply compare the approach we have as a club and they have... Both City and Chelsea. It's only my opinion, but if you come in and buy a club in a country, you shouldn't just steamroller things the way they have. The stadium wasn't built for City, it was built for the Commonwealth Games and the owners bought it from the Council in a similar way to the way Wet Spam have. The infrastructure was already built for them, they tagged on the end.

In terms of English/British players and coaches, I think they have a duty to the Premier League and national team to think England first. Nothing silly, but at least in the way we do at Saints.

Going back to the original comment about class, I think things need to be looked at slightly differently when teams get flooded with money. I'd rather be a Saint than an Iron or a Citizen, if ever Saints lost their class, I'd happily walk away....

 

Interesting last comment. I have often wondered what it would be like if Saints suddenly had a huge influx of mega bucks and bought success. I wonder how I'd feel.

One thing is for sure, I wouldn't be able to walk away.

 

young players will go to big clubs either because they think they are good enough or they sell their soul because of the big pay packet. Ryan did that when he signed for Chelsea as his mum was having a hard time with 2or 3 jobs to keep the family going, a noble thing for a young lad to do, even though it probably put his career back by 3 years. A young African kid could support his whole family by signing with City- its up to him if his career is damaged in the long run. Chelsea policy of hoovering up all talent and then loaning them out is one that has proved itself financially and for their first team. hopefully we will sone be in the position of attracting more foreign youngsters, we already have French and Portuguese

 

City and Chelsea were round about where we've been the last 2/3 seasons when their investment came. Let's not kid ourselves, if it happened to Saints we'd be dancing in the streets.

 

Speak for yourself. I certainly wouldn't be 'dancing in the street'.

Don't get me wrong I'd enjoy any success that came but would enjoy it more of it was achieved within our means and by better planning and infrastructure etc.

 

Money has been the deciding factor in footballing success for a long time now. Previously successful teams have usually had more money than their rivals and if anything more teams with wealth has meant the honours are shared out more.The accusations of teams "buying" success has come from the Liverpool and Man Utd infatuated media who are suddenly not getting things their own way.

 

It is strange how the usual top sides (such as United) criticise newbies who have come into money as if their own success doesn't rely on wealth. I think we have a nice balance...a rich owner who rescued us, but whose intention was to make us financially self-sufficient by having a good business plan. No doubt we were seen as having a sugar daddy in league 1, but have never heard it thrown at us since then.