What's the point in Southampton anymore?

No it's Marian

And yeah it's much better, someone tell Gary he can take me off ignore now

 

I never thought of putting you on ignore, but it was hard work reading your posts with that monstrosity staring out.

A bit like talking to someone who keeps spraying spit in your face

 

They have bought Ings in but is on trial...........My worry is if he does prove himself and manages to excel a larger club could potentially come in and take him as they have done with a couple of our loan players in the past. I just hope Saints learned from their previous mistakes...........

 

It's not an option beddy it automatically becomes permanent next Summer.

 

Well what is the alternative? Sign players that the top clubs don't want? That won't end in glory either. Selling high and buying cheap is the only way we can ever realistically make it as a regular European challenger. As long as the money is re-invested + we spend PL revenue as well. It is a long shot, but it did work for a few seasons and we have only had one bad season since we adopted that model. It is the only way I can see that we can ever potentially break into the next level without someone pumping money in like Man City.

Of course under these new owners the plan appears to be different, ie just stay up and only spend what we receive from transfers.

 

OK thanks for that TLL I wasn't aware........if that is correct I am amazed they just didn't buy outright. Surely they had enough money..............?????

 

Sign players and hang on to them? Get some stability, and try to build a team?


There isn't a simple solution for a club like ours, because the PL is totally rigged and the title goes to those who have the resources to throw at it. But even the top teams know that it takes time to build a team, you can't just keep reassembling the parts every summer.

 

I think it was something to do with Ings only becoming available last minute so a loan with an agreed future fee was easier to get done in the limited time left.

I could be talking complete **** though and it may be that we are waiting for next season's money before committing to spending £20m

 

Carillo.

Presumably.

 

Could be a variety of reasons, it's not exactly unusual though for a club to offset payments into a different year.

Plus then they've got the added bonus of starting next summer £20m up on transfers when fans moan...

 

How? We can't hang on to any player who is good enough for the "next level" which is what we supposedly want to get to, we have proven that over and over again. The only way I can see is if we have an incredible season where we break into the top 4 then maybe players would be happy to stay (though perhaps not as Leicester still lost Kante the year they won the league). We then add some more quality to what I assume would be a pretty good team and continue to challenge top 4 for the next couple of seasons, thereby growing our revenue streams and being able to be sort of competitive with wages.

As I say a huge long shot but, as you say football is rigged to the richest teams and stability isn't a thing. We get a good player who can play at the top level, he won't be here long unless we are playing at the top level.

 

We'll just have to win the league then. Won't be this season, but maybe if we finish mid table and under the radar, keep the foundations of the squad together, and make a couple of shrewd aquisitions next summer...

 

Nah this squad is mid table at best with a couple of exceptions. Need a big clear out before we can think of challenging for Europe regularly, which will take time. Hopefully Vestergaard/Elyonoussi are the next VVD/Mane who we can sell on for big profits to speed up this process.

The reality is that we are in a league where it is exceptionally hard to do anything of any note and a lot of things have to go right for that to happen.

 

Well we’ll never have a squad of superstars, and we never have. So if we are going to win anything, it has to be with a well drilled team of journeymen plus a couple of quality players in key areas. Football is a team game, and teams don’t just happen, they have to be built.

Take out Vardy, Mahrez and Kante, and the Leicester side that won the league was no better than ours. As we have seen.

 

Spot on with your analysis Sm.
That's also the reason for Saints getting the "window extension" granted to allow the loan deal to go thru.

 

Cheers Les

 

As I'm sure you are aware, the Leicester season was a clear anomaly. If you look at the teams we would be competing with for top 4/top 6 they are all filled with superstars. I agree about teams being built, but having a load of superstars means that even if not a team, they have a load of players with the individual ability to win a game without being a team unit.

Finding Vardy, Mahrez and Kante is easier said than done as well, and all of them clicking at the same time, in the same season as a lot of the top clubs underperformed, whilst also not getting injured or banned is what I meant when a lot of things need to go right. If any one of them had shown the form that helped Leicester win the league for the season before then they would have been courted by the top teams and probably would have left the summer prior to Leicester winning the league.

 

Should I consider taking back the "like" then, if you refer to me as somebody else?

 

Well how else could you be so sure that my analysis was correct unless you were someone involved with the transfer?

 

But you just said earlier that it was to prove his fitness, which is irrelevant because even if he ends the season with only half a leg, we’re still committed to buying him.

The loan to rush through the deal makes a lot more sense, but you and the rest of the board need to work out which story you’re spinning!