How many do you think will be sold if any?

A bowl with no soul.

Why doubt him now? Because he arbitrarily decided he was leaving here for good two months ago, only returning with a "oh actually this is my last post" bombshell which only achieves a bit of rabble rousing among those who seem desperate for something to complain about.

 

My hunch is that his source left the club in February (around the time of his previous "final post", when a number of people left the club in the wake of Cortese's departure), so he had nothing to bring to the table anymore, and now he/his source has decided to throw the cat among the pigeons to try and stir things up, trading on the solid reputation he had built previously.

That all sounds plausible.

My only nagging doubt is that it seems pretty clear to me (based on his posting history going back as far as 2007/2008 ) that THEVMAN's connection is specifically with Lallana rather than with 'the club' per se. As such, I'm struggling to link the comings and goings in January with THEVMAN calling a time on posting on here.

Yes, the timing would tend to suggest that THEVMAN had a contact in the club who is no longer there but there's still a missing piece of the jigsaw somewhere given Lallana is still at the club. It begs the question: Who was connected to Lallana and left the club at around the same time as Cortese?

I could of course be putting too much emphasis on THEVMAN's pre-Liebherr era posts (where most of his posts were clearly linked to Lallana)

All good fun (I feel an earlobe survey in my waters)

A bowl with no soul.

Repeating it just makes you come across as more of a bellend (if that's possible).

When were you last in St Mary's out of interest?

p.s. Chomp, chomp, chomp

I think no-one we want to stay will be sold. Osvaldo and Ramirez might well leave. Shaw will be down to him really but think he'll stay another year.

 

So 2 out, 3 or 4 in.

This is the important part. Of course, if they protest enough, 'we' might not want them. But the fact remains, we have a transfer budget without player sales.

I don't quite understand why people are so desperate to hang on the words of somebody who suddenly disappeared for weeks when it became clear that the "meltdown" everyone had been predicting was a load of nonsense.

 

While information provided in the past may have been accurate, that's no guarantee that information provided now is equally as reliable. Sources come and go, football club employees who you are friends with lose their jobs, the world continues to rotate.

But it's not just that, is it Steve?

It's a combination of a hell of a lot of smoke. The big clubs desperately needing exactly the kind of players we have - and supposed competition between them; "if we don't get him, one of the others will". The resultant prospect of a huge pay increase. Media reports from some increasingly reliable sources. Their ability to play at Champions' League level and the unlikelihood that we can provide it in the forseeable future. The absence of many recent "I'm happy here and don't want to go" comments from key targets (probably other than Lallana). The uncertainty surrounding Pochettino. Lovren's short time here, which has prevented him from developing any real club loyalty. Schneiderlin's own comments. The usual, never-ending, out of sight bullsh*t from agents who make a load of money when their player moves. The list goes well beyond a post by one poster.

Perhaps the biggest root cause is Pochettino's unwillingness to commit himself and the club's inability to change that. Early days I know, but not helpful given the interest in players that might stay if he does. Everything could change if we wrap MP up for another three years. I really hope he stays - not so much for the results (which have been rather patchy and should have been better) but because I love (most of) the football we play.

So, I'm hoping they all stay but expecting three to go.

And if it's out of our hands, which it largely is, my test of Katharina's commitment and the club's commitment doesn't pivot on whether we sell but on what we do with the ton of money we'll get for them.

I'm quite hopeful that we could end up, for example, weaker at LB but stronger defensively.

And hope is a big part of being a fan. For most of us anyway.

This is the important part. Of course, if they protest enough, 'we' might not want them. But the fact remains, we have a transfer budget without player sales.

Cheers Guan. Is that the £35m you mentioned in another thread the other day? And do you know if 'the board' would recycle ALL transfer receipts into the 'transfer budget'? In other words, if we were to sell Shaw and Morgan for £30m and £20m respectively (arbitrary round figures for illustration purposes) would we end up with a transfer budget of £85m (£35m + £30m + £20m)? Or would any transfer income go towards paying off, say, our deferred transfer payments early?

Cheers!

Cheers Guan. Is that the £35m you mentioned in another thread the other day? And do you know if 'the board' would recycle ALL transfer receipts into the 'transfer budget'? In other words, if we were to sell Shaw and Morgan for £30m and £20m respectively (arbitrary round figures for illustration purposes) would we end up with a transfer budget of £85m (£35m + £30m + £20m)? Or would any transfer income go towards paying off, say, our deferred transfer payments early?

 

Cheers!

Good point, Guan 2.0 and KBilly Supersound have also been quite accurate in what they've posted as well as the VMan. So pick your source depending on your outlook I guess - half-full or half-empty glass!

I love the club and will support it whatever, unlike one or two of the sad little trolls on here. Barry - I went with a Yeovil mate to watch them at your place (Fratton) last season and how you have the front to call SMS, a modern, comfortable stadium not covered in graffiti and surrounded in an ocean of dog poop like your 'historic' rust-bucket I'll never know. Yeovil fans wound the skates up a treat and I enjoyed watching you slip to the bottom of League 1. If 90 minutes of sporadic 'ner ner ner' and a bookshop owner with BO is your idea of an atmosphere, you can stick it where the sun doesn't shine skateboy. Enjoy the conference in 2015/16, if you even make it that far.

Shurlock - agree with your follow up post.

More fool you for believing it in the 1st place.

Where does it say I believe it?

Liebherr invested money in here to make money, if the company was sold that goal has been acheived, there are more glamourous Cities and clubs that have not had investment in them, we have a bowl stadium with no soul, dont be soft.

Non Saints supporter continues to bait Saints fans.

You are a strange person.

Chip on your shoulder or just nothing better to do.

Have you seen today's reports that Luke Shaw has "favourited" (yes this is a phrase for those of us who don't use twitter) a tweet saying he is off to manchester united in the summer. Apparently "favourited" tweets are visible to the public.

Anyone else think he is enjoying messing around with the media attention? Seems to have a track record of fooling around on twitter.

Or do people think that it seriously means he is off to united?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2031035-southampton-defender-luke-shaw-favourites-tweet-linking-him-to-man-utd-transfer

But it's not just that, is it Steve?

 

It's a combination of a hell of a lot of smoke. The big clubs desperately needing exactly the kind of players we have - and supposed competition between them; "if we don't get him, one of the others will". The resultant prospect of a huge pay increase. Media reports from some increasingly reliable sources. Their ability to play at Champions' League level and the unlikelihood that we can provide it in the forseeable future. The absence of many recent "I'm happy here and don't want to go" comments from key targets (probably other than Lallana). The uncertainty surrounding Pochettino. Lovren's short time here, which has prevented him from developing any real club loyalty. Schneiderlin's own comments. The usual, never-ending, out of sight bullsh*t from agents who make a load of money when their player moves. The list goes well beyond a post by one poster.

 

Perhaps the biggest root cause is Pochettino's unwillingness to commit himself and the club's inability to change that. Early days I know, but not helpful given the interest in players that might stay if he does. Everything could change if we wrap MP up for another three years. I really hope he stays - not so much for the results (which have been rather patchy and should have been better) but because I love (most of) the football we play.

But pretty much all of those issues were issues a year ago as well, and yet last summer Pochettino stayed (when he probably gave stronger hints that he'd leave than he has done this time around, oddly), all of our top players stayed, and we strengthened the team with three big-money signings. In the meantime, we've improved dramatically in the league, made progress in (and then needlessly tossed away our place in ) the cups and four of our players have been capped by England with the strong likelihood that three of them will be going to the World Cup.

The absence of a raft of "I'm happy here and I don't want to do" quotes is arguably down to Cortese leaving and not forcing the media department to ask leading questions in Saints Player interviews that result in endless "I love it here and the chairman is doing wonderful things". For me, I don't necessarily think the players need to constantly remind everyone they're happy here, the evidence is there in front of our eyes.

Cheers Guan. Is that the £35m you mentioned in another thread the other day? And do you know if 'the board' would recycle ALL transfer receipts into the 'transfer budget'? In other words, if we were to sell Shaw and Morgan for £30m and £20m respectively (arbitrary round figures for illustration purposes) would we end up with a transfer budget of £85m (£35m + £30m + £20m)? Or would any transfer income go towards paying off, say, our deferred transfer payments early?

 

Cheers!

Good point, Guan 2.0 and KBilly Supersound have also been quite accurate in what they've posted as well as the VMan. So pick your source depending on your outlook I guess - half-full or half-empty glass!

 

I love the club and will support it whatever, unlike one or two of the sad little trolls on here. Barry - I went with a Yeovil mate to watch them at your place (Fratton) last season and how you have the front to call SMS, a modern, comfortable stadium not covered in graffiti and surrounded in an ocean of dog poop like your 'historic' rust-bucket I'll never know. Yeovil fans wound the skates up a treat and I enjoyed watching you slip to the bottom of League 1. If 90 minutes of sporadic 'ner ner ner' and a bookshop owner with BO is your idea of an atmosphere, you can stick it where the sun doesn't shine skateboy. Enjoy the conference in 2015/16, if you even make it that far.

 

Shurlock - agree with your follow up post.

Trousers, i can't say i know about adding funds from sales to the existing transfer budget, but when it's 'safe' to post, i will.

I can't speak for KBSS, despite us being friends (spoiler: not our real names), but the info i receive is not on a request basis. As Cardiff have recently shown, releasing information to anyone can have a real world impact on peoples livelihoods. The information i have now is relatively well known at the club, so most cannot be traced to a single source, which is good. The VMAN may be right though, if certain players cannot be talked round, then we may see some regrettable departures. I don't know who he talks to, but again, the end of season breeds this sort of open discussion within the upper echelons of the club. I can tell you that KL is completely in love with the club, and here for the long haul, despite what some allege. And Gaston is also very happy. But besides that, frowning and happy faces may be the limit of of indication i can give soon!

Oh, and just for the record Glasgow Saint is the worst Troll Bull****ter of all time. I know KBSS has a laundry list of everything he has wrong about the club (which is basically GS's posting history), and if his contact ever retires, you may get to see it!

Have you seen today's reports that Luke Shaw has "favourited" (yes this is a phrase for those of us who don't use twitter) a tweet saying he is off to manchester united in the summer. Apparently "favourited" tweets are visible to the public.

 

Anyone else think he is enjoying messing around with the media attention? Seems to have a track record of fooling around on twitter.

 

Or do people think that it seriously means he is off to united?

 

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2031035-southampton-defender-luke-shaw-favourites-tweet-linking-him-to-man-utd-transfer

An article that neglects to mention that he 'unfavourited' the same tweet within seconds and then 'favourited' the following thread that suggested that he might have 'favourited' the original tweet by accident (if you get my drift!). A case of "Football 'news' website in not publishing the full story" shocker....

But pretty much all of those issues were issues a year ago as well, and yet last summer Pochettino stayed (when he probably gave stronger hints that he'd leave than he has done this time around, oddly), all of our top players stayed, and we strengthened the team with three big-money signings. In the meantime, we've improved dramatically in the league, made progress in (and then needlessly tossed away our place in ) the cups and four of our players have been capped by England with the strong likelihood that three of them will be going to the World Cup.

 

The absence of a raft of "I'm happy here and I don't want to do" quotes is arguably down to Cortese leaving and not forcing the media department to ask leading questions in Saints Player interviews that result in endless "I love it here and the chairman is doing wonderful things". For me, I don't necessarily think the players need to constantly remind everyone they're happy here, the evidence is there in front of our eyes.

Don't disagree with most of that, but the attraction of playing at one of the big clubs must be powerful in their eyes - Schneiderlin must fancy his chances of replacing Arteta, Lovren must fancy his chances in either central spot at Liverpool or Man U, and Shaw must fancy his chances at pretty much any one of the Big Four (Liverpool included).

And that appeal increases if Pochettino leaves us.

Yes, we've had a good season but everything is relative. We haven't "won anything" (big in the eyes of players) and the manager at the heart of our progress (and theirs) is undecided about his future.

If I was Krueger /Katharina, I'd recognize the vulnerability and do everything I can to sign Pochettino to a contract extension ASAP. That's the key piece in this jigsaw of rumour. At least until then, all the other pieces are in play.

THEVMAN has posted something negative so for the 1st time ever he's being scrutinised

Classic SWF

Trousers, i can't say i know about adding funds from sales to the existing transfer budget, but when it's 'safe' to post, i will.

Thank you kindly

I can tell you that KL is completely in love with the club, and here for the long haul, despite what some allege. And Gaston is also very happy. But besides that, frowning and happy faces may be the limit of of indication i can give soon!

Thanks again....emoticon radar duly activated

Oh, and just for the record Glasgow Saint is the worst Troll Bull****ter of all time. I know KBSS has a laundry list of everything he has wrong about the club (which is basically GS's posting history), and if his contact ever retires, you may get to see it!

Cheers for the heads up....can't say I'd ever noticed....

THEVMAN has posted something negative so for the 1st time ever he's being scrutinised

 

Classic SWF

8.7/10

8.7/10

He has a point. Everyone knows VMAN is well connected. No point pretending otherwise just because he has a negative message.

We haven't "won anything" (big in the eyes of players)

Which makes our attitude towards the cup competitions even stranger, IMO.

Which makes our attitude towards the cup competitions even stranger, IMO.

Couldn't agree more.

He has a point. Everyone knows VMAN is well connected. No point pretending otherwise just because he has a negative message.

Who's pretending otherwise?

Non Saints supporter continues to bait Saints fans.

 

You are a strange person.

 

Chip on your shoulder or just nothing better to do.

No I am a Saints fan with a chip on my shoulder and I have loads to do its just that I dont do it.

Repeating it just makes you come across as more of a bellend (if that's possible).

When were you last in St Mary's out of interest?

I was at St Marys about 4 weeks ago, what has that got to do with anything? Have I missed a Rio type atmosphere?

No I am a Saints fan with a chip on my shoulder and I have loads to do its just that I dont do it.

To be fair, that's quite funny.

To be fair, that's quite funny.

That wont work as Artery is as funny as a banger.

Oh, and just for the record Glasgow Saint is the worst Troll Bull****ter of all time. I know KBSS has a laundry list of everything he has wrong about the club (which is basically GS's posting history), and if his contact ever retires, you may get to see it!

Meaning his contact is on the older side, not the sort of detail you should give out really :blush:

Obviously you can't answer but why last post ever?

he's going to man utd

I don't quite understand why people are so desperate to hang on the words of somebody who suddenly disappeared for weeks when it became clear that the "meltdown" everyone had been predicting was a load of nonsense.

 

While information provided in the past may have been accurate, that's no guarantee that information provided now is equally as reliable. Sources come and go, football club employees who you are friends with lose their jobs, the world continues to rotate.

Good to see someone is not totally paranoid. Honestly it really is pathetic, someone posts a vague rumour and everyone else goes into meltdown, Barry and Alps are pulling themselves off because they've apparently been proved correct.

Two things are certain, no-one on here knows who will be leaving the club in the Summer and no-one can do anything about what happens in the Summer. So why don't you all just calm down and wait and see.

Good to see someone is not totally paranoid. Honestly it really is pathetic, someone posts a vague rumour and everyone else goes into meltdown, Barry and Alps are pulling themselves off because they've apparently been proved correct.

 

Two things are certain, no-one on here knows who will be leaving the club in the Summer and no-one can do anything about what happens in the Summer. So why don't you all just calm down and wait and see.

Barry in the 3rd person is normally correct, you dont have to be Alan Partridge or Sid James to know we were sold a dream and a load of ****e, no I am not pulling myself off, more like laughing as such childlike expectations from 40 year old IT consultants (etc) pulling themselves off at the thought of Southampton making it in to the Champions League, keeping our best players, building for the future.

This is Southampton, lets keep it real.

I am a Saints fan with a chip on my shoulder

All we need now is a foolproof way of telling the difference in posting style and content between a "Saints fan with chip on shoulder" and a "Pompey fan on a wind up mission" and you're in the clear...

Unfortunately I have heard they may well be selling Chambers. Don't know why.

you dont have to be Alan Partridge or Sid James to know we were sold a dream and a load of ****e

two celebrities noted for their sagacity

THEVMAN has posted something negative so for the 1st time ever he's being scrutinised

 

Classic SWF

You have previously stated that he is only reliable for first team selection news. Are you now suggesting this is not true?

two celebrities noted for their sagacity

Is that the sequel to Rome Total War?

All we need now is a foolproof way of telling the difference in posting style and content between a "Saints fan with chip on shoulder" and a "Pompey fan on a wind up mission" and you're in the clear...

I can assure you, hand on heart I am not a pom*ey fan.

You have previously stated that he is only reliable for first team selection news. Are you now suggesting this is not true?

He doesn't know what he's suggesting. So many contradictions he doesn't know whether he is coming or going.

Southampton won't want to sell any of their core players. If MU, MC, Arsenal or Chelsea etc want any of them, the eye watering amounts they would have to cough up for players on long contracts will probably kill off their interest.

He doesn't know what he's suggesting. So many contradictions he doesn't know whether he is coming or going.

Thats unbelievable Jeff.

Unfortunately I have heard they may well be selling Chambers. Don't know why.

Me neither. The point of the academy is to produce players of a quality that avoids paying 10-15m+ for them. If you sell you have to replace, so what's the point?

Southampton won't want to sell any of their core players. If MU, MC, Arsenal or Chelsea etc want any of them, the eye watering amounts they would have to cough up for players on long contracts will probably kill off their interest.

I think that's going to be a common theme with trying to buy prem players. Now everyone's getting all this tv money it's more difficult to tempt clubs with cash. Much better value buying from other leagues.

I can assure you, hand on heart I am not a pom*ey fan.

I believe you (obviously) but can you help me out with how we can tell the difference?

I can assure you, hand on heart I am not a pom*ey fan.

Hand on heart, do you consider yourself to be a fan of anyone or anything? You come across as someone ( in the first, second or third person) who is a fan of nothing other than their own misplaced self importance.

The realists always knew this, the clappers actually believed a change was going to happen, ha ha oh how we all laughed at the Sky fans.

Aren't you a Sky fan seeing as you don't actually go to matches and all that...

Me neither. The point of the academy is to produce players of a quality that avoids paying 10-15m+ for them. If you sell you have to replace, so what's the point?

I'd agree with you Lee the only thing though is the owed transfer money and over budget training facility. Chambers sale could cover one of those, leaving clyne as an able replacement. This talk of commercial revenue increase in theory should prevent future sales but sounds like we need money in the shorter term

If one of Chambers or Clyne is to go this summer it will be Clyne.

Chambers is playing 90mins most weeks in the PL. He wouldnt get that at Arsenal or anyone else better than us.

If one of Chambers or Clyne is to go this summer it will be Clyne.

 

Chambers is playing 90mins most weeks in the PL. He wouldnt get that at Arsenal or anyone else better than us.

If the sale is owing to player choice I agree. If it's down to the club recouping money then we'd get more for chambers

If the sale is owing to player choice I agree. If it's down to the club recouping money then we'd get more for chambers

Club won't choose to sell anyone who is good, let alone an academy prospect.

Aren't you a Sky fan seeing as you don't actually go to matches and all that...

The other evening hewas posting his normal negative tripe on hyere at the same time as MOTD was showing Southampton.

If he is a sky fan, perhaps he had already seen the match. If he was a pompey fan he wouldn't have been watching Saints.

My money is on him being a Pompey fan. Whatever it is, he is not a Saints fan.

The other evening hewas posting his normal negative tripe on hyere at the same time as MOTD was showing Southampton.

 

If he is a sky fan, perhaps he had already seen the match. If he was a pompey fan he wouldn't have been watching Saints.

 

My money is on him being a Pompey fan. Whatever it is, he is not a Saints fan.

You would lose your money, I was posting when Southampton were on the telly? Heavens above he has a portable device that allows to him to interact whilst watching the tv? This guy is crazy.