Transfer Rumours The 2015 Summer Transfer Window Thread

JWP they're not being dismissed, their views that they posted are being discussed, countered or debated. What's wrong with that?

Sometimes people get too sensitive. I genuinely read some posts and wonder if people are realistic or not.

 

To be fair, my post was probably badly timed as you n gucci are having a genuine discussion. But it has been seen plenty of times on this board and I'm sure I'm not the only one to notice it. Someone raises a concern, gets a reply something along the lines of "You have to trust Les, look at last season." To some posters it seems that you can't do both, which is patently not true.

Like I say though probably badly timed.... though I'm not too sensitive thanks, just making a point

EDIT: for the bold bit, is this one my posts you're reffering to? If so please point it out.

 

That's fair enough, but wasn't last year the same? We don't know yet how these signings are going to work. Juanmi maybe the new sliced bread, Cedric could be the new Ivan Golac, Oriol the new Morgan.

Why be underwhelmed at this point. I ca understand being underwhelmed later in the season and things look distinctly low key compared to last year.

 

No, not yours, nor you being sensitive - that was a general remark.

 

Of course this season will be harder to finish 7th again. We are in Europe, which will put a strain on our squad. I still think we will finish 9th. The problem is some people expect too much, so get disappointed easy. Then you have some people thinking that us finishing lower in the league means we have failed.

 

I'm not convinced by Cedric, from what I've read from Sporting fans (they literally all said the same things about him) and the fact he struggled against Obertan defensively is a huge concern for me. I'd prefer to see Martina as our starting RB at this point in time tbh, he's looked decent from the little I've seen.

Last year I was realistic about who we lost and how we replaced them (I thought Bertrand was a great signing) - the low point for me was waking up with an awful hangover/comedown to Chambers being sold out of the blue, alarm bells were starting to ring at that point, but I was always confident in our replacements once they arrived.

 

I wish people wouldn't get so sensitive about the big clubs buying our players, that's far more irritating than people moaning about incoming signings. We may have some of the saltiest fans in the league, it's really cringey seeing some of the reactions.

 

Sadly, I think all if this (weirdly) is a sign of our progression.

Most in the media treat "little" Southampton as a fly in the ointment of the top 6 and as that, they label us as a perennial selling club, and the usual Google fact of us having 12 managers in 15 seasons.... Usual kind of stuff.

The facts are that we are in very uncharted waters as a club. English clubs do not take the sensible approach to wanting to do well. Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd, have all taken the option of buying rather than growing success... Their rich owners playing poker at the Champions League table-success breeding success and money. Even the in successful Man Utd are still welcome at the table despite having 2 "poor" seasons.

The approach we are taking is a new one, trying to take a financially viable route to the top table.

On that journey, we will have some players who wish to freeload, some who will sadly fall by the wayside and I think for a period as someone else mentioned... Our stick around club players/heroes will be in short supply until we reach our settled and sustainable top 6 status.

 

I see plenty of talk about the money we're making from cheap purchases and expensive sales. There seems to be a perception (not necessarily on this board but definitely elsewhere) that this is going to disappear into Katharina's pocket.

What's the likelihood that it's building up for the future? I'm inept at reading accounts, so I can't say so but has anyone on here looked knowledgeably at our clubs accounts who could answer the question?

Vin

 

They are building a war chest.

 

I'm gonna put my hands up and say I'm underwhelmed. I thought that with us securing European football and building our second incredibly impressive league finish in a row, that we would be looking to attract a higher calibre of player. Now let me qualify that first...I'm delighted with Clasie and reasonably pleased with Juanmi and Cedric. However, I was really hoping for a bit of a statement.

Alderweireld needed to be replaced straight away. Presumably the black box has identified VVD as his replacement but maybe we should have bid higher earlier to have him in for preseason. Furthermore, Morgan should have been replaced prior to selling him to give his replacement a chance to have a preseason with the squad...all the more so considering we've had a year to identify him!

So I have real faith in the board, you'd be mad not to after the last few years we've had. But I'm also underwhelmed this year, far more so than I was last year because I believe the losses of Toby and Morgan are greater than anything we suffered previously.

 

Rodgers mentioned that over an unspecified time span we are going to repay the extra money (20 mill?) that Katharina provided to clear a loan she wasn't happy with (the one Nicola took out soon after our promotion to the PL). The other loans from Markus and Katharina were converted to equity....in other words, money that probably can't be realised without selling the club as it now forms part of the value of the club.

However, I don't know why people get their knickers in a twist if money was taken from the club. May not like it, but the club belongs to KL. It isn't robbery if she takes income from it.

 

Our problem is that the type of players we want would probably not come to Saints. The reason we lose players like Toby and Morgan is that they want to go to a 'bigger' club. Therefore, the players we buy in will always be players with 'potential' rather than proven top flight players. Those top flight players will give us the swerve and go elsewhere. The present state of affairs will continue for a while until we are repeatedly in Europe (and I doubt we will be next season based on league position alone).

 

VVD wouldn't of been sold regardless of how much we bid, until Celtic know their European fate, as we all know. We wouldn't be able to get a like for like replacement for Schneiderlin, mainly because he's one of the best in Europe. Juanmi and Cedric look good buys, and will take time to adjust to the league and new teammates.

 

Agree regarding Morgan which is all the more reason try have tried to to have attempted to get his replacement in early doors to give him a chance to settle. Also disagree regarding VVD, everybody has their price.

 

Why pay over the odds for the sake of three league games?

Who would you have bought, how much would you have spent and what wages?

 

Bologna want Ramirez.
http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/08/bologna-target-sunderland-and-southampton-midfielders/

 

It does make me chuckle that a defeat/poor performance and a rumour seem to bring out a few doubters. Everyone seemed upbeat in the build up to the Vitesse home game.

 

Nature of 90% of football fans is it not? Look at United, was calling Woodward a hero a few weeks back when they signed Morgan and Schweinsteiger, now he's getting slated over the Pedro fiasco.

Just the way football fans are

 

What's wrong with doubt? This isn't Catholicism...

In all seriousness, a decision to sell Mane might be survivable, if it happened, but it would be a bad decision - and we have the right to doubt bad decisions, surely? However, I think everyone here trusts the board to make the best of it - but the best in this case would still have to be a disappointing admission that, even when we do not plan to sell players, we are all too easily whipped into giving them up.

As I have said twice: I am not criticising as I do not expect us to sell, but I reserve the right to criticise if they do allow this critically ill-judged move to happen.