Hi guys, Recently I have been writing match previews and reports on a website called TheMatch. I post them in threads from time to time. I know that a couple lf you have read them and given me feedback for which I am grateful. For once I have deviated from the norm and written an article about how saints just don't do meltdowns. Please have a read and let me know what you think. Heres the link: http://www.thematch.co.uk/southampton-place-meltdowns-good-thing/ Many thanks, Saintsfcfan
Looking forward to the meltdown next season when we lose: Schneiderlin Rodriguez Clyne Mane And Alderweireld doesn't sign permanently!
Where are all these players supposed to go? The top clubs in the premier league have a plethora of attacking talent so I don't who will go in for Mane. Also JWP hasn't played enough games or developed enough for one of the top clubs to take a chance on him as a central midfielder. He is one of the few who I would guess is not daft enough to go and sit on Man City's bench (only club I have seen him linked with before) Gosh people on here are negative
Mine was tongue in cheek to be fair. Plus, haven't you heard?? We're having a meltdown and are getting relegated this year...oh wait.
saintsfcfan may welcome another meltdown , but I bet the people at the club don't. They may have known what was going on more than we did and may have developed a strategy to regain a sense of control, but they also must have been working their collective butts off. They won't want another summer like that. It was exceptional because we had a group of players who together looked fantastic and the answer to other teams' prayers, we were offered stupid money for them, and the said players got above themselves. This summer will be more usual in that a few players will leave and be replaced and we will realise that the world won't fall in. Toby...not confident he will stay, but we have Gardos. JWP...probably stay, but if he leaves it may be due to RK preferring a different style of player. JRod...unless he has a fantastic second half of the season, offers may be only reasonable, so will probably stay. Remember we will have learnt to play without him. Morgan...unless we have a wonder season, I expect him to go (but with thanks and a pat on the back). Clyne...we will probably resist offers as we are not short of cash. Mane...we will want to keep him if he is as good as expected, but may part with him for a good profit. Bertrand...expecting him to sign.
I'm enjoying thinking hypothetically about this. If we finish top four, do they all stay? If we finish in the Europa League places or win a cup and enter the competition, who stays? If we finish in 7th or lower - what happens then? I think the scenarios are as difficult to predict as where we will finish and are both tightly interlinked.
I must admit I haven't seen enough from Toby to suggest he's good enough to encourage a move to one of the 'bigger' clubs. Early days though...
Players come and go all the time, but last summer was a bit of a perfect storm. Cortese had already left, causing speculation about the ambition of the club. Then the manager left and the ship appeared rudderless for a while, so it's no wonder we had a mass exodus. If we had kept hold of Pochettino we may also have kept hold of Lallana and Lovren, but as a very wise man once said "**** em, we don't need em". Next summer some players will still want to leave if they think they're getting a better offer elsewhere, but they'll have to get past Ron on their way out the door. And Ron will have the backing of the board, so a repeat of this summer is pretty unlikely imo.
Time for stability, quality cover in most positions and some good youngsters in the pipeline. I for one have had enough of melting down and could do with continuing the building up.
I was going to make an interesting post on this thread, but I just can't clear my mind of the picture brought to mind by Fran's mention of Saint's Board's "collective butt" And no, please, don't do the obvious unpleasant gag.
