Interesting from Big Sam

I find it amazing on here how many of our fans are not bothered by the quality of players that have left or 'may be' about to leave our club. The fact is we will not keep getting away with it like we did last summer. Some will argue that there are signs already that this summers recruitment may not have been as fruitful as last summers. If Wanyama and Mane leave so late in the window we really could have big problems as we may not be able to get replacements in before the window shuts. I agree with BFS that RK needs to put his foot down and say 'nobody is leaving until i am happy that the replacements are lined up and that they are of adequate quality'.

They have said no one is leaving so what's your point?

3 good responses. While I agree that it is alarming the amount of turnover we have had, it is not the board's fault, but the very nature of modern football. Every single player we lost these past 2 years (but would have loved to have retained) went to a traditional big club that will pay 2 to 3 times the wages - wages we cannot afford to pay.

 

We have been a victim of our own success. The board has fostered this success as is there is obvious quality in the club from top to bottom. The ManU's and Liverpool's of the world are not plucking players from Newcastle, West Brom and Sunderland. If we were poor, no one would even take notice of us.

 

We will always be in a constant state of recovery (if we maintain our general quality), but the only recovery that is going to occur is to maintain mid-table status. Last year we got to 7th, this year could be 12th, the next year we may inch up to 8th, the following year back down to 13th.

 

The best players will be plucked from the team whenever we threaten the Top 6. The best players understandably will willingly go, and we will fall back.

 

There is a ceiling in this league for clubs like ours (look at the final table for the last 2 decades) and it will be not be allowed to be broken. There is not much "the board" can do about it.

I cannot understand why so many people fail to grasp this.

3 good responses. While I agree that it is alarming the amount of turnover we have had, it is not the board's fault, but the very nature of modern football. Every single player we lost these past 2 years (but would have loved to have retained) went to a traditional big club that will pay 2 to 3 times the wages - wages we cannot afford to pay.

 

We have been a victim of our own success. The board has fostered this success as is there is obvious quality in the club from top to bottom. The ManU's and Liverpool's of the world are not plucking players from Newcastle, West Brom and Sunderland. If we were poor, no one would even take notice of us.

 

We will always be in a constant state of recovery (if we maintain our general quality), but the only recovery that is going to occur is to maintain mid-table status. Last year we got to 7th, this year could be 12th, the next year we may inch up to 8th, the following year back down to 13th.

 

The best players will be plucked from the team whenever we threaten the Top 6. The best players understandably will willingly go, and we will fall back.

 

There is a ceiling in this league for clubs like ours (look at the final table for the last 2 decades) and it will be not be allowed to be broken. There is not much "the board" can do about it.

Wise words indeed. All we can do is hope for is some sort of stability in the longer term once we have established our place in the upper half of the table.

I find it amazing on here how many of our fans are not bothered by the quality of players that have left or 'may be' about to leave our club. The fact is we will not keep getting away with it like we did last summer. Some will argue that there are signs already that this summers recruitment may not have been as fruitful as last summers. If Wanyama and Mane leave so late in the window we really could have big problems as we may not be able to get replacements in before the window shuts. I agree with BFS that RK needs to put his foot down and say 'nobody is leaving until i am happy that the replacements are lined up and that they are of adequate quality'.

I totally agree & it was nice to hear Big Sam say what a lot of us are thinking. "You can't keep selling the best players & try to replace on the cheap. It's not good for the club or the fans."

We'll just have to wait & see if tge club are true to their word. Out of interest, having watched our performances so far, how many of those who called myself and others bed wetters for saying we wouldn't finish top 10 still think we'll be up there? I stil don't think we've got a cat in hells chance. We're this year's Hull City.

Personally, I don't even think Koeman will last the season.

I totally agree & it was nice to hear Big Sam say what a lot of us are thinking. "You can't keep selling the best players & try to replace on the cheap. It's not good for the club or the fans."

 

We'll just have to wait & see if tge club are true to their word. Out of interest, having watched our performances so far, how many of those who called myself and others bed wetters for saying we wouldn't finish top 10 still think we'll be up there? I stil don't think we've got a cat in hells chance. We're this year's Hull City.

 

Personally, I don't even think Koeman will last the season.

What does your Hull City supporting mate think?

They have said no one is leaving so what's your point?

Didn't les say the same thing last year? I recall him saying the players were under contract and we expect them to honour them?

At the end of the day we have let probably more first teamers go in the past 12 months then any other top flight team. I don't think anyone is annoyed we lost them, more annoyed we lost them all in such a short space of time.

I totally agree & it was nice to hear Big Sam say what a lot of us are thinking. "You can't keep selling the best players & try to replace on the cheap. It's not good for the club or the fans."

 

We'll just have to wait & see if tge club are true to their word. Out of interest, having watched our performances so far, how many of those who called myself and others bed wetters for saying we wouldn't finish top 10 still think we'll be up there? I stil don't think we've got a cat in hells chance. We're this year's Hull City.

 

Personally, I don't even think Koeman will last the season.

Bless.

Didn't les say the same thing last year? I recall him saying the players were under contract and we expect them to honour them?

At the end of the day we have let probably more first teamers go in the past 12 months then any other top flight team. I don't think anyone is annoyed we lost them, more annoyed we lost them all in such a short space of time.

So Les and Ron saying no one else is leaving isn't good enough?

We've sold the two players we all knew we were going to sell. Two. Just two. Two. That's less than three but more than one. Two.

Who gives a f**k about last summer? We sold them and did better than ever. It's water under the bridge and those players were all replaced more than adequately bar Lallana.

As a few of us said last season, we'll be fine. Not as good as last year, but fine. If people thought we'd be as good as last year though, I think they're pretty unrealistic in their expectations (naive I would probably say).

Calm down, have a pint and a smoke and realise that last season will probably be the best season we will have for the next 10 years.

As a few of us said last season, we'll be fine. Not as good as last year, but fine. If people thought we'd be as good as last year though, I think they're pretty unrealistic in their expectations (naive I would probably say).

 

Calm down, have a pint and a smoke and realise that last season will probably be the best season we will have for the next 10 years.

12

Didn't les say the same thing last year? I recall him saying the players were under contract and we expect them to honour them?

At the end of the day we have let probably more first teamers go in the past 12 months then any other top flight team. I don't think anyone is annoyed we lost them, more annoyed we lost them all in such a short space of time.

No the club said they had no wish to sell which is not the same as "we won't sell". The club can't be held responsible for how the fans interpret things the club say. Ralph came out last summer and said neither Jrod or Morgan would be sold last summer and what do you know they weren't. They've been pretty adamant that Mane and big Vic won't be sold this summer and as yet they haven't been so why wouldn't we believe them?

12

 

Oh definitely. Take that any day.

As a few of us said last season, we'll be fine. Not as good as last year, but fine. If people thought we'd be as good as last year though, I think they're pretty unrealistic in their expectations (naive I would probably say).

Calm down, have a pint and a smoke and realise that last season will probably be the best season we will have for the next 10 years.

This

We had a great season last time out but that seems to have deluded some of our fan base into thinking we are some sort of sleeping dragon destined to become one of the big boys of English football. Just finishing 7th ever year would be a massive ask given the clubs resources even more so this season with Europe (if we progress to the group stages) we should be aiming to finish top half and grab a cup somewhere along the line but even then a ****ty season is always a possibility.

Oh definitely. Take that any day.

Finishing 8th and a cup run is better than 12th - who'd have thought it...

All this boll ocks spouted about selling our best players and replacing them on the cheap is laughable. Anyone would think we sold Schniderlin and replaced him with some unknown from league 1 for £250k. We're replaced him with a highly rated young player from Chelsea and a Dutch international rated one of the best young midfield players in Europe for a combined fee of £13m. Last season we replaced Shaw with a player who cost £10m, Lallana with a two players who cost £10m, we are about to spend £10m+ on a centre back.

What exactly do people expect? That we replace them with better players who cost more? or we replace them with better players who cost the same. Because guess what, if a better player than Shaw, Schniderlin, Clyne, etc was available for the same price, Man United, Liverpool, etc would have signed them instead. We aren't replacing the outgoing players with league one nobodies and Carlos kickaballs, they are invariably young, highly rated international players or players who like Bertrand who have ability but whose career has stalled for whatever reason. Selling at top whack and replacing with two young players with potential is a good business model, of course they won't all work out and some will take longer than others to settle but not everyone can be brilliant straight away, less than a year ago Mane was the worst player we've had since Ali Dia, now he's the next £25m player we can't afford to lose. Still carry one moaning, trotting out recycled lines from talk sport and match of the day, with an Everton comparison every fifth post, some absolute clowns on here.

I totally agree & it was nice to hear Big Sam say what a lot of us are thinking. "You can't keep selling the best players & try to replace on the cheap. It's not good for the club or the fans."

 

We'll just have to wait & see if tge club are true to their word. Out of interest, having watched our performances so far, how many of those who called myself and others bed wetters for saying we wouldn't finish top 10 still think we'll be up there? I stil don't think we've got a cat in hells chance. We're this year's Hull City.

 

Personally, I don't even think Koeman will last the season.

You're not a bed wetter for suggesting we won't make top 10.

Of course not.

You're a MASSIVE bed wetter for saying Koeman won't make it through the season though.

Finishing 8th and a cup run is better than 12th - who'd have thought it...

I think he means finishing between 8th and 12th and a cup run. That was how I interpreted it, otherwise it doesn't make much sense as a point?

Nice to see I can have a few months in the background but you still like to follow me round.

I think he means finishing between 8th and 12th and a cup run. That was how I interpreted it, otherwise it doesn't make much sense as a point?

Switch the 8 and 12 and its finishing 12th and a cup run are better than finishing 8th. Perhaps that was the point...

I think he means finishing between 8th and 12th and a cup run. That was how I interpreted it, otherwise it doesn't make much sense as a point?

 

Nice to see I can have a few months in the background but you still like to follow me round.

yep me to

Switch the 8 and 12 and its finishing 12th and a cup run are better than finishing 8th. Perhaps that was the point...

Either way, what was your point? That you misunderstood what he was trying to say? When you going to pussy out on coming for a drink with us again anyway ****lock?

All this boll ocks spouted about selling our best players and replacing them on the cheap is laughable. Anyone would think we sold Schniderlin and replaced him with some unknown from league 1 for £250k. We're replaced him with a highly rated young player from Chelsea and a Dutch international rated one of the best young midfield players in Europe for a combined fee of £13m. Last season we replaced Shaw with a player who cost £10m, Lallana with a two players who cost £10m, we are about to spend £10m+ on a centre back.

 

What exactly do people expect? That we replace them with better players who cost more? or we replace them with better players who cost the same. Because guess what, if a better player than Shaw, Schniderlin, Clyne, etc was available for the same price, Man United, Liverpool, etc would have signed them instead. We aren't replacing the outgoing players with league one nobodies and Carlos kickaballs, they are invariably young, highly rated international players or players who like Bertrand who have ability but whose career has stalled for whatever reason. Selling at top whack and replacing with two young players with potential is a good business model, of course they won't all work out and some will take longer than others to settle but not everyone can be brilliant straight away, less than a year ago Mane was the worst player we've had since Ali Dia, now he's the next £25m player we can't afford to lose. Still carry one moaning, trotting out recycled lines from talk sport and match of the day, with an Everton comparison every fifth post, some absolute clowns on here.

This.

We can do little about players who refuse to extend their contracts. In that situation we can only make sure we don't get screwed on price and recruit wisely. Both Mane and Wanyama (or at least their agents) have made stepping stone comments very soon after joining so I am unsurprised that they're the next agitators.

Last year was exceptional on outs (combination of a team that had grown up together and many wanted to 'leave home' at the same time, ownership/management upheaval, doing well) and on in's (near the 100% success rate in recruitment).

Ongoing I would make it clear to any recruit and publicise that the we will sell no more than 2

Players a year and none in January. If a player wants to leave they need to book a slot. Leo exceptions. We don't care about BS in the media, we're doing it to protect the integrity of the team; "Only a fool breaks the two player rule."

Unfortunately I do have my worries about Cedric (better going forward than Clyne but slower) and Claassie (better vision than Morgan but lightweight in comparison). Time will tell.

The main difference being we paid bigger fees for each of Bertrand, Mane, Forster, Pelle, Tadic, Long, Wanyama and Lovren than anyone signed this summer.

 

Time will tell if the new lads are successful, but we haven't paid the big bucks (don't always need to) that we have previously and so far none have overly stood out as being quality.

Bertrand was a loan and Clasie cost more than Lovren.

I totally agree & it was nice to hear Big Sam say what a lot of us are thinking. "You can't keep selling the best players & try to replace on the cheap. It's not good for the club or the fans."

 

We'll just have to wait & see if tge club are true to their word. Out of interest, having watched our performances so far, how many of those who called myself and others bed wetters for saying we wouldn't finish top 10 still think we'll be up there? I stil don't think we've got a cat in hells chance. We're this year's Hull City.

 

Personally, I don't even think Koeman will last the season.

Yeah lets just spend big on a player like Andy Carroll or Osvaldo! That'll please the fans and Big Sam.

Yeah lets just spend big on a player like Andy Carroll or Osvaldo! That'll please the fans and Big Sam.

Fans scream and shout for ''big signings'' all the time, but for clubs outside of the real elite, how often do they work out?

I bet Spurs were so happy and content when they spent £26m on Soldado, £35m on Lamela, £19m on Paulinho. Exciting times, that's all us fans want!

Not one of those worked out, not one.

We even had a little foray into the ''big name'' signings with Gaston and Osvaldo, and neither worked out at all. I'm much more content spending modest fee's on potential and improving them via the coaching at the club. Much less risk attached for clubs of our size.

If you look at the success at clubs of our size - Swansea have did well out of Bony who they bought for a modest fee, Gomis who was a free, Shelvey who was a couple of mill. None of those would have been seen as exciting signings, but they have all been huge successes.

Either way, what was your point? That you misunderstood what he was trying to say? When you going to pussy out on coming for a drink with us again anyway ****lock?

What's the hardman act in aid of, pal? Didn't realise you had a little gathering going and my absence rattled you. It's not something I overthink. More than happy to meet up, though Europa League nights tend to be no good as I go to matches

the guy wants to worry less about us and more about trying to get a job after being let go from yet another club

and sort yourself out you slurping fat slob

All this boll ocks spouted about selling our best players and replacing them on the cheap is laughable. Anyone would think we sold Schniderlin and replaced him with some unknown from league 1 for £250k. We're replaced him with a highly rated young player from Chelsea and a Dutch international rated one of the best young midfield players in Europe for a combined fee of £13m. Last season we replaced Shaw with a player who cost £10m, Lallana with a two players who cost £10m, we are about to spend £10m+ on a centre back.

 

What exactly do people expect? That we replace them with better players who cost more? or we replace them with better players who cost the same. Because guess what, if a better player than Shaw, Schniderlin, Clyne, etc was available for the same price, Man United, Liverpool, etc would have signed them instead. We aren't replacing the outgoing players with league one nobodies and Carlos kickaballs, they are invariably young, highly rated international players or players who like Bertrand who have ability but whose career has stalled for whatever reason. Selling at top whack and replacing with two young players with potential is a good business model, of course they won't all work out and some will take longer than others to settle but not everyone can be brilliant straight away, less than a year ago Mane was the worst player we've had since Ali Dia, now he's the next £25m player we can't afford to lose. Still carry one moaning, trotting out recycled lines from talk sport and match of the day, with an Everton comparison every fifth post, some absolute clowns on here.

I rarely agree with you, but this is bloody spot on.

All this boll ocks spouted about selling our best players and replacing them on the cheap is laughable. Anyone would think we sold Schniderlin and replaced him with some unknown from league 1 for £250k. We're replaced him with a highly rated young player from Chelsea and a Dutch international rated one of the best young midfield players in Europe for a combined fee of £13m. Last season we replaced Shaw with a player who cost £10m, Lallana with a two players who cost £10m, we are about to spend £10m+ on a centre back.

 

What exactly do people expect? That we replace them with better players who cost more? or we replace them with better players who cost the same. Because guess what, if a better player than Shaw, Schniderlin, Clyne, etc was available for the same price, Man United, Liverpool, etc would have signed them instead. We aren't replacing the outgoing players with league one nobodies and Carlos kickaballs, they are invariably young, highly rated international players or players who like Bertrand who have ability but whose career has stalled for whatever reason. Selling at top whack and replacing with two young players with potential is a good business model, of course they won't all work out and some will take longer than others to settle but not everyone can be brilliant straight away, less than a year ago Mane was the worst player we've had since Ali Dia, now he's the next £25m player we can't afford to lose. Still carry one moaning, trotting out recycled lines from talk sport and match of the day, with an Everton comparison every fifth post, some absolute clowns on here.

It's all relative. There's still a big difference between selling a left back for £30m and signing one for £10m; or generating £25m for your star midfielder (£28m if you include the Cork money) and spending £13m on their replacements; or buying a right back for £3.5m when you got £10m for one.

Why are some of you getting all worked up over Big Sham? He's a has been and if you get a chance to look at his record you'll understand why he's no longer a Manager of a football club!

Nothing is 'interesting' from this bitter man.

Quite the continental sophisticated gent of late. First step on his stab at the RM job - if only he were given the chance

no. but thanks for counting

Good show. Now only 76 out of 82 have been negative and still only 24 references to Everton.

The main difference being we paid bigger fees for each of Bertrand, Mane, Forster, Pelle, Tadic, Long, Wanyama and Lovren than anyone signed this summer.

 

Time will tell if the new lads are successful, but we haven't paid the big bucks (don't always need to) that we have previously and so far none have overly stood out as being quality.

We could have paid more for the players we signed this summer. I am sure the other clubs would have been ok with it. What were we thinking?

I find it amazing on here how many of our fans are not bothered by the quality of players that have left or 'may be' about to leave our club. The fact is we will not keep getting away with it like we did last summer. Some will argue that there are signs already that this summers recruitment may not have been as fruitful as last summers. If Wanyama and Mane leave so late in the window we really could have big problems as we may not be able to get replacements in before the window shuts. I agree with BFS that RK needs to put his foot down and say 'nobody is leaving until i am happy that the replacements are lined up and that they are of adequate quality'.

We don't know that he isn't saying that. For that matter we don't know that they haven't put their foot down and said Mane and Wanyama aren't going. You will notice that last year, we were not forced into any late sales. We did our sales early so that people would have more time to complain.

The board need to put their foot down with Koeman as much as vice versa. We've been sh#t since January and he seems insistent on signing dross from Holland. The quality of our recruitment has plummeted in recent years, whilst we've signed a few decent players, the core of top performing players were by and large ones signed pre Pochettino which is ridiculous considering the money spent since.

This makes no sense. Our current top performing players are Fonte, Mane, Pelle, and (if he were healthy) Bertrand.

3 good responses. While I agree that it is alarming the amount of turnover we have had, it is not the board's fault, but the very nature of modern football. Every single player we lost these past 2 years (but would have loved to have retained) went to a traditional big club that will pay 2 to 3 times the wages - wages we cannot afford to pay.

 

We have been a victim of our own success. The board has fostered this success as is there is obvious quality in the club from top to bottom. The ManU's and Liverpool's of the world are not plucking players from Newcastle, West Brom and Sunderland. If we were poor, no one would even take notice of us.

 

We will always be in a constant state of recovery (if we maintain our general quality), but the only recovery that is going to occur is to maintain mid-table status. Last year we got to 7th, this year could be 12th, the next year we may inch up to 8th, the following year back down to 13th.

 

The best players will be plucked from the team whenever we threaten the Top 6. The best players understandably will willingly go, and we will fall back.

 

There is a ceiling in this league for clubs like ours (look at the final table for the last 2 decades) and it will be not be allowed to be broken. There is not much "the board" can do about it.

Good response. English football needs reforming with an actual salary cap and more even revenue sharing.

Since that is not going to happen we are stuck unless we get lucky in a breakthroughs season. That almost happened last year. My only real criticism of SFC was the sale of Cork. I think the benefit of keeping him for our Champions League run outweighed the small amount of money we got for him. Imagine if we had him to play during Wanyama's two game suspension and Schniederlin's injury. But that is water under the bridge.

I totally agree & it was nice to hear Big Sam say what a lot of us are thinking. "You can't keep selling the best players & try to replace on the cheap. It's not good for the club or the fans."

 

We'll just have to wait & see if tge club are true to their word. Out of interest, having watched our performances so far, how many of those who called myself and others bed wetters for saying we wouldn't finish top 10 still think we'll be up there? I stil don't think we've got a cat in hells chance. We're this year's Hull City.

 

Personally, I don't even think Koeman will last the season.

But what is the alternative? Refuse the sell them and have them be disruptive and then lose them for nothing? And we have to replace them on the cheap because the club's wage structure cannot afford to buy players to replace them not on the cheap.

It's all relative. There's still a big difference between selling a left back for £30m and signing one for £10m; or generating £25m for your star midfielder (£28m if you include the Cork money) and spending £13m on their replacements; or buying a right back for £3.5m when you got £10m for one.

I don't see the big difference unless the 3.5m one isn't good enough. And if that is the case, that is also the real problem.

What's the hardman act in aid of, pal? Didn't realise you had a little gathering going and my absence rattled you. It's not something I overthink. More than happy to meet up, though Europa League nights tend to be no good as I go to matches

What was your point, answer the question? Surely if you had a problem with understanding the post you should have replied to VFTT and not myself? So why did you reply to me in a sarcastic manner (you're first post on this thread as well)? For someone who says they don't pick me out, you have a surprisingly good ability at doing so.

I totally agree & it was nice to hear Big Sam say what a lot of us are thinking. "You can't keep selling the best players & try to replace on the cheap. It's not good for the club or the fans."

 

We'll just have to wait & see if tge club are true to their word. Out of interest, having watched our performances so far, how many of those who called myself and others bed wetters for saying we wouldn't finish top 10 still think we'll be up there? I stil don't think we've got a cat in hells chance. We're this year's Hull City.

 

Personally, I don't even think Koeman will last the season.

I was called a bedwetter and worse for suggesting this year we might struggle, yet I have read many posters saying we could be fighting relegation.

Bedwetters of the forum unite !

I was called a bedwetter and worse for suggesting this year we might struggle

Would sir like a broken clock for Christmas?

I was called a bedwetter and worse for suggesting this year we might struggle, yet I have read many posters saying we could be fighting relegation.

 

Bedwetters of the forum unite !

Your prediction this summer was higher than your prediction the summer before, I bet you are really p!ssed off at the opportunity this poor start would have given you.

Your prediction this summer was higher than your prediction the summer before, I bet you are really p!ssed off at the opportunity this poor start would have given you.

Yes, my rather high prediction of 15th or 16th could be proved wrong again at the end of the season

Ronald of course will be fuming inside. Having the team sold right beneath your feet each year will be insulting to him and leave him questioning why he is here.

He'll stay the entire season but can imagine he cannot wait to get out right now. When the clubs mentality is sell sell sell it's very difficult for a manager to build something.

Ronald of course will be fuming inside. Having the team sold right beneath your feet each year will be insulting to him and leave him questioning why he is here.

 

He'll stay the entire season but can imagine he cannot wait to get out right now. When the clubs mentality is sell sell sell it's very difficult for a manager to build something.

You put Alpine to shame. What a lot of nonsense.

I was called a bedwetter and worse for suggesting this year we might struggle, yet I have read many posters saying we could be fighting relegation.

 

Bedwetters of the forum unite !

3 games in. Two key players out injured and a new CH to come in. Arent you being a tad previous?

All this boll ocks spouted about selling our best players and replacing them on the cheap is laughable. Anyone would think we sold Schniderlin and replaced him with some unknown from league 1 for £250k. We're replaced him with a highly rated young player from Chelsea and a Dutch international rated one of the best young midfield players in Europe for a combined fee of £13m. Last season we replaced Shaw with a player who cost £10m, Lallana with a two players who cost £10m, we are about to spend £10m+ on a centre back.

 

What exactly do people expect? That we replace them with better players who cost more? or we replace them with better players who cost the same. Because guess what, if a better player than Shaw, Schniderlin, Clyne, etc was available for the same price, Man United, Liverpool, etc would have signed them instead. We aren't replacing the outgoing players with league one nobodies and Carlos kickaballs, they are invariably young, highly rated international players or players who like Bertrand who have ability but whose career has stalled for whatever reason. Selling at top whack and replacing with two young players with potential is a good business model, of course they won't all work out and some will take longer than others to settle but not everyone can be brilliant straight away, less than a year ago Mane was the worst player we've had since Ali Dia, now he's the next £25m player we can't afford to lose. Still carry one moaning, trotting out recycled lines from talk sport and match of the day, with an Everton comparison every fifth post, some absolute clowns on here.

The Bedwetting Fraternity should be forced to read this every morning before they start posting.

The Bedwetting Fraternity should be forced to read this every morning before they start posting.

It is just as relevant to the 'rose tinted spectacle brigade'.

It is just as relevant to the 'rose tinted spectacle brigade'.

Not forgetting us pragmatists who sit somewhere between the two in the garden of rationality.

I don't see the big difference unless the 3.5m one isn't good enough. And if that is the case, that is also the real problem.

Slightly disingenuous coming from someone who regularly reminds posters that success is correlated with spending. It might be that you can unearth the odd diamond at a reduced price. But you generally get what you pay for and we've been spending materially less than we've been generating in transfer fees as a trend.

Ronald of course will be fuming inside. Having the team sold right beneath your feet each year will be insulting to him and leave him questioning why he is here.

 

He'll stay the entire season but can imagine he cannot wait to get out right now. When the clubs mentality is sell sell sell it's very difficult for a manager to build something.

I'm not sure he will be fuming. Most managers these days know - that unless he is at a top four PL club or one of Europe's elite - that his players are likely to be prey for a bigger fish.

He has worked within those parameters before and unless he does go on to manage Barca, it's a situation he and the vast majority of other managers have to live with.

Most managers have an intimate knowledge of players, and not just their own. After all it's their job to do so. He would have known before he came here last year which players at the club would be likely targets. If names like Schneiderlin, Clyne were unknown to him while ne was at Feyenoord and before he arrived here, he would not have been doing his job properly.

I'm not sure I would ascribe to any view that Les Reed would have sold him a bag of magic beans in his interview, regarding the club's ambition and that suddenly Ron is shocked and surprised to find his best players are being sold from under his feet without his say-so.

No manager would be entirely happy at losing his best players but he is a pragmatic realist. His previous jobs have also been under a European-style management system whereby the head coach has very little say in the recruitment of players and his role is to build the team with the players with which he is provided.

The payers would not have been sold without his endorsement. Les would have said to him: "We have received an offer for X, for £25m. Are you happy we accept it?"

I'm pretty sure he would have the final yea or nay, otherwise Wanyama, Mane and Rodriguez would be long gone by now.

There is also the considreation that most managers have a huge ego. They don't walk out or crumble at the first sign of adversity or a percieved insult. They see these as challenges and their professional instinct is to stand and fight and show they can come through them.

That's how managers progress on to bigger and better jobs. Prospective employing clubs are not impressed by managers who throw hissy fits. A club is unlikely to think well of a manager who resigned from his pevious club on a matter of high principal. He might do it them.

And what was it about Ron and what he did at Feyenoord where he lost his best players, which attracted Saints to him in the first place?

Not forgetting us pragmatists who sit somewhere between the two in the garden of rationality.

Indeed. Every year I hope for the best but fear the worst but appreciate that what will be will be. Even though we had a storming season last year that want good enough for some who continued to have digs at the club or certain players. I guess some people are never satisfied. Just three games in with big injury problems and still waiting for a new CH yet some seem to have written the season off already. I agree that we haven't set the world on fire yet and maybe we wont at all this season. Ron clearly has some work to do and at some point our luck with injuries has to get better you would hope. Things are still SO much better than the years we were in a downward trajectory. Staying competitive and in the Prem is a tough job for clubs outside of the top four. This was never going to be a doddle and every season the club has to start the marathon all over again - facing all kinds of problems and issues. We did really well last season but mostly in the first half of the season. Our form did tail off so, even without losing certain players there was no guarantee that we would be up there in the top four again.

Slightly disingenuous coming from someone who regularly reminds posters that success is correlated with spending. It might be that you can unearth the odd diamond at a reduced price. But you generally get what you pay for and we've been spending materially less than we've been generating in transfer fees as a trend.

Yep this basically. I don't think it's a difficult concept.

Sam is out of a job so needs to keep reminding people that he is a FOOTBALL GENUIS as his trophy cabinet no doubt attests. When managing himself I am sure he found these comments really helpful when others gave him advice and he now feels empowered to do the same himself. No doubt Ron and the club are rethinking their strategy for running the football club as we speak.

Oh and Sam, I have some advice for you too. If Hollywood ever make another Flintstones movie, you should audition for the part of Fred.

Yes. People are moaning about what happened at the club a year ago. Not moaning about what happened on this forum a year ago. They are moaning about what happened at Southampton football club a year ago.

Jesus, this thread is about comments from BFS regarding the number of players we have sold and he clearly isn't just talking about Clyne and Schneiderlin. Within all of this is a clear and obvious talking point around how sustainable it is to keep changing the first team and always get it right. We did well last year. Remains to be seen if we have replaced as well this year and there are question marks over other players now, including one of the successful replacements of last year.

I don't have any issues with Southampton FC, and no annimosity what so ever about last season. Why would I? I invest a lot of my time and money into following this club, it you think that I wouldn't enjoy success on the basis that last summer I said that selling 5 important first teamers is not a good thing to do in addition to losing the manager and coaching staff then I think you and S-Clarke are pretty deluded.

Have I missed something or do we sell our best players every year? It happened last year and to a lesser extent this year but I don't believe there is a plan in place to ship people out wholesale ever year. If the current squad are as rubbish as some posters would have us believe no one will want our players next summer anyway! On a more serious note, if a top 4 club comes in for a player with one year left on his contract, what is the club supposed to do?