AUDIO: Les Reed interview
- Thread starter - Doing The Lambert Walk
- Start date
-
Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
-
Well that is as clear as you like. He turned down both a significant increase in pay and a year's extension.
Not much more that we could do, surely?
Another year and a pay increase offered and rejected
Obviously his agent has already lined up a massive deal with one of his other client/managers that will see everyone make a few additional million quid so sad to see you go Jose as you have been a great servant however you have become another greedy bast**d. Goodbye
Another year and a pay increase offered and rejected
Obviously his agent has already lined up a massive deal with one of his other client/managers that will see everyone make a few additional million quid so sad to see you go Jose as you have been a great servant however you have become another greedy bast**d. Goodbye
Super agent talks to Man U manager to establish interest.
Interest confirmed.
Fonte initiates move.
Everybody under estimates Saints digging their heels in.
That's probably the ball park.
Interest confirmed.
Fonte initiates move.
Everybody under estimates Saints digging their heels in.
That's probably the ball park.
Shepherd's Clearing
Well-Known Member
This is why I don't admire football players - just their skills, but off the pitch I really don't give a toss what they do and listen to little that they say.
I neither condemn or applaud what Fonte or the club has done. It won't the first time this has happened to Saints (and many other clubs) and it won't be the last. The club won't collapse and anyway no matter how good a player is they can't play forever so one day they will leave.
Probably the timing is not that good for the fans on top of the 'feel sh*t factor' that seems to be pervading the club at the moment.
I think he needs to be shipped out though as a he could (or has) become a bad influence and we really could do without that.
I neither condemn or applaud what Fonte or the club has done. It won't the first time this has happened to Saints (and many other clubs) and it won't be the last. The club won't collapse and anyway no matter how good a player is they can't play forever so one day they will leave.
Probably the timing is not that good for the fans on top of the 'feel sh*t factor' that seems to be pervading the club at the moment.
I think he needs to be shipped out though as a he could (or has) become a bad influence and we really could do without that.
I like the fact that Les didn't put the knife in, but complimented Jose on his previous career here and said he had been professional. No one asks to leave without being on a promise, so we can expect an offer to come in shortly. I suppose we should admire Jose for not accepting a pay rise as he could have done so and still put in a request to leave.....so he has been clear since the summer that he wanted to leave (which we all thought anyway).
Unless Fonte is about to be sold I think it's a bit odd that Les is giving an interview about this. Not much to that clip really, although I very much liked the bit that went something like "I'm not going to go into the details of what was offered. What was offered was an improved, extended contract." 
I think he was wise to give the interview....we always say we'd like to know what is happening. Just leaving it up in the air with Jose asking to leave would have led to no end of speculation.
Yep. 100% behind Les. We knew it wasn't right, Fonte has been a brat since the summer. Its commendable he has put in some really good performances, but that does not paper over all the uncertainty he has created.
I'm not criticising him for speaking, I just think it's odd if Fonte's staying. If he's about to leave then it makes perfect sense but if he's staying then surely the club would want to smooth things over as much as possible, not generate large amounts of media coverage on the topic of our captain's unhappiness? So I'm not sure what the point of these comments is if he's staying. To try and get the crowd at St Mary's to boo him when things are going badly instead of Forster?
Shepherd's Clearing
Well-Known Member
Has anyone seen Les' interview in the Echo? I knew he'd say we had the same problem last season and overcome it. I just knew it.
Also Claude and Eric are here for the long term and he was brought in for his European experience because we intend to be playing in Europe regularly. I would suggest we didn't play much in Europe this season and how is his European experience going to help when we aren't in Europe next season? Also we don't want to be like Leicester and win the league (?) and be in a relegation fight the next season.
They're THREE POINTS behind us Les, three points.
I am now starting to lose faith in the 'I'm never wrong' man at Southampton FC.
Also Claude and Eric are here for the long term and he was brought in for his European experience because we intend to be playing in Europe regularly. I would suggest we didn't play much in Europe this season and how is his European experience going to help when we aren't in Europe next season? Also we don't want to be like Leicester and win the league (?) and be in a relegation fight the next season.
They're THREE POINTS behind us Les, three points.
I am now starting to lose faith in the 'I'm never wrong' man at Southampton FC.
Les has confidence in what we are doing in the long term....after all, you run a business in the long term and it has worked till now. Do we really want him to express doubts in public? An army is facing a battle that they cannot avoid...does a General come out and act confident or does he visibly panic in front of his men? God for Claude, Southampton and St Marys!*
*With apologies to the Bard.
*With apologies to the Bard.
I don't think you should apologise to those Everton lads they deserved to be barred.
Blimey, fair play Les. Doesn't pull any punches there. Fonte is properly backed into a corner.
It's a shame he hasn't accepted the new contract, but if his agent has lined up an even bigger one then fair play I guess.
Another hero bites the dust.
It's a shame he hasn't accepted the new contract, but if his agent has lined up an even bigger one then fair play I guess.
Another hero bites the dust.
Wish someone would explain exactly Fonte has done to be called a "brat" and "sulk" and a few other similar things? Doesn't seem to be any specific incidents to back this up, just a few "ITK types" spreading it around. I believe the club told him off for posting his own thoughts on Instagram, but that's hardly subversive stuff, is it?
As far as I can see, he's been to every training session, hasn't feigned injury, has sat on the bench for Europa games when he knew he wasn't going to get on, has played well when he has played and he is still the captain. If there was that much doubt about him by the club and manager, why wasn't he stripped of the captaincy back in September?
He is also one of the most popular players in the dressing room and most of the younger lads really look up to him. I think current events will harm, not improve the mood amongst the players.
I believe Saints fans have an inbuilt belief that all players should be like Saint Matthew of this parish, who came, played and stayed. He was a one off in so many ways. Nobody played like him and not many behaved like him. Today it's all money and trophies and greedy agents.