Agree with this, but the references to Evans and Vincent Tan are a shade far-fetched and I've never suggested we bring $$ in without consultation and / or due diligence checks. In real terms, SW and DF have done well in a short time, not so much on the pitch but certainly in pruning out high earners, streamlining the wage bill overall, and integrating academy players ready for a Southampton-esque step up to first team action - as long as we reside in this division.
It is now, but they still put a strong emphasis on developing young players, but you're right that they've now succumbed to the rich owner model.
I want us to succeed through good management too. A sugar daddy who loads us with dept might be all the rage and it might get us fast gains, but its not always sustainable. The problem for me is that we have neither. Delia et al have made a number of shocking decisions and generally cannot be trusted to run the club well under the sustainable model. Things look borderline OK at the moment with several promising youngsters coming through ready to be sold to try to maintain the championship status quo, but that interview will forever haunt the rest of her time at the club. Fans will take many knocks and I personnally like supporting a club doing things the rightway; Self funding, adhering to FFP, ownered by fans who love the club and investing in youth. But Delia's distain for the PL and seeming contentment not to have to play in the brash horrible league leaves you with an unforgivable tenannet of no ambition. You want the best for your club and Delia is nort sure she even wants to give it. Add to that, I still don't think we got great value out of the Pritchard transfer, I'm not convinced that Webber or Farke would have been happy with it either. And inspite of positive steps with young player recruitment I still think it highlights the short termism and lack of ambition to get back to the PL. So what is better? Delia et al with their general lack of ambition and frequent ****ups? or the unknown and a chance at better things? Each to their own on that one. But if we start next season without Maddison as seems highly probable and then stink things up with further bargain basement signings in his place, for many me included I think Delia et al will have reached their sell by date. Webber is the last throw of the dice for me, fail to entertain and challenge for promotion in 2018-19 and I think we have to acknowledge Delia et al are limiting the club and all thoughts of better things rest with a new investor. Bah!
So your one beacon of self sustainability in the Premier League is being funded by super rich Chinese owners ? So we are attempting to compete with the best teams in the country without adequate investment by nurturing academy players over many years and selling them to pay the gas bill ? We have lost Brady Olsson Howson Pritchard and Ruddy and could let Oliviera Klose and Maddison go too before next season as well as others. We replaced Ollson and Brady with Husband Ruddy with a loan signing Howson with Vrancic and yet to replace Pritchard. If we continue to sell to survive we will end up with a weaker and weaker squad.
Sorry Cromer. I couldn't find a 'tongue in cheek' emoji. Like you I think SW is going about it in the right way but we're only in the second stage of a 3 stage restructuring. We're now in the 'bleak mid-window' stage with players leaving but none coming in yet. Hopefully that will change before it 'slams shut'.
But he's not cause he's a year younger than Alli & about 2 & half years behind in development terms I'd be very surprised if he's playing at Alli's level in a years time. We need to keep hold of him for the rest of this season and at least until January next season.
Absolutely Rick and I really would love to see more of our youth players gradually integrated into the first team, but realise that we also need several senior players as well to act as mentors in the way that Klose had a word with Lewis on Saturday. IMO, I'd like to see Phillips, Godfrey, Morris, Thompson and Abrahams added to the 1st team squad next season. Yes, but weren't they quite successful before the takeover by developing and selling players such as Bale, Ox and others???? Edit - I see Saints fans have seen what a poor buy Redmond has been and many decided that after his first few games. If ONLY he had the same mentality as JM????
Nothing I'd love more - and what an inspiration that would be for the next generation of youth and academy boys to get a chance under DF and co
This legendary fictional well run family club competing with the best in England through sensible self sustainable structures without the need of external funding is a fallacy in the same bracket as unicorn **** and a sold out Portman road . I think it's either foolhardy or ignorant to believe we can be the lone example.
But have these guys really done that well? The pruning of the high earners was easy, by virtue of the majority of them being out of contract and Howson and Dorrans wanting to leave. To really have impressed, how about getting rid of the leaches that are Naismith and Jarvis? OK with the stupid contracts handed to them that maybe impossible, but to heap praise on them for doing the blindingly obvious is silly. They extended Martins contract for pities sake! The youff have been given a chance, that maybe their doing well, or it may have been forced on them? I still think that Godfrey out on loan only to bring in Reed looks a mistake. A mistake they have compounded by doing it a again in January. We currently have two teams, with and without Tettey. With Tettey we are undefeated with only 1 draw in 8 (or is it now nine after Bristol?) Without Tettey we suck, I think Godfey being farmed out when there has been such obvious need for him as an option reflects badly on their integration of youth. Any fool except Neil could see Madders was ready to excel and had at least made his debut last season, Josh was already well involved in the first team, that leaves Lewis whom has been promoted with no previous. Credit to him for involving Cantwell on the bench, a carrot has been dangled. But I still think its an OK job not earthshattering. Bah!
When I said 'done well' I meant within the restraints, (largely fook all budget) imposed on them. Not exactly a silk purse from a pig's ear just yet but patience, as they say is a virtue. And one I'm not blessed with vast amounts of
Fair enough DD, but I was really referring to the way they brought themselves back from administration by selling valuable players and replacing them with talented young players they brought on. We are now in a position to do that with Murphy, Maddison and Lewis being the first wave, hopefully followed by Godfrey, Morris, Phillips, Jaiyesimi, Cantwell, Middleton and others. That might also be the means to attract inward investment in the future. EDIT: Olson was replaced by Dijks on loan, who was then replaced by Lewis and Husband. Brady was replaced by Wildschut and Murphy. I prefer Gunn to Ruddy, but Howson was replaced by Trybull and Dorrans by Vrancic. I don't have any problems with those replacements or the money the sales brought in or the wages saved. IMO, Pritchard will be replaced by a proper winger, not an AM playing out of position.
Put a line through the Ebuehi rumour. According to Twitter he's off to Benfica. Edit: another more interesting Twitter rumour (albeit just that) is Sonny Kittel: https://www.transfermarkt.com/sonny-kittel/profil/spieler/78950 Bit more along the lines of our needs and target market.
