BBC Sport Article

Isn't Ben Smith in Cortese's pocket?
I look at the removal of players as a cleansing exercise and won't be surprised if it continues in January, until all of Cortese's chums and Pochettino's pals have been cleared out.
Or until some of the others realise that there are worse things in life, than playing for Saints, and commit to the club rather than an individual.

As for the 15 year old. Perhaps his parents know he won't make the grade, so are spinning it to help him find another academy place elsewhere, by using the Saints Academy as a reference as to how good he could have been.

 

Another article sent to me by a mate in the USA.
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-desolation-of-southampton/

 

Liked that more than most articles recently...came over as more balanced.

Can even forgive the use of the word 'gotten'...the English language has moved on since the 18C except in America.

 

That article is much more like it. There are pluses and negatives, mistakes and planned processes unlike the BBC one which just made out we were the footballing equivalent to Laurel & Hardy.

p.s. I use the word 'gotten' all the time. What's wrong with that?

 

It's not a word in British English, though it is in American English.

 

*Pedant alert*
It's still correctly used in British English in phrases like "ill-gotten", and even in American English, it's usage is more nuanced than often realised: http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/got.html

 

Gotten is a word that was in use here, hence ill-gotten, but is no longer used. America is a little backwater where our old words get abandoned

 

Strewth, so is Australia, mate..!

 

Well I still use it and yes when saying thing like 'ill-gotten' etc.

 

Language is organic. There is such a thing as poor usage, but no such thing as incorrect usage. If it conveys meaning, it works.

 

Tru dat

 

Yes, hence the American's use of the word pants to describe trousers. It's all very 19th century.

 

And purse for handbag.

 

Don't get me started! I work for an Amercian company and when they sent me my business cards, indent then back! The word "Color" is part of my title and it has a "U" in it!!!!

 

It's time to play "Guess FLTs job title"

I'm going for Color Commentator

 

Do you work for Persil?

 

No Dave, I don't.

 

Screen printing?

 

Auntie are definitely promoting that article now as though it is some kind of must read. Perhaps, like many other Saints fans, I'm over this, way after the Media even got started.

That article would only become properly significant if it helped to change the rules so that clubs who nurture talent could legitimately hang onto the players until they were at least 21-23. Then at least we may not have the laughable scenario where Wenger suggests that Arsenal could be providing the spine of the England team for years to come. Plus, clubs that decide to go the right way to success, by bringing through talent, could maybe end up challenging the boring situation the Premier League finds itself in.