Fabrice29

Has it been confirmed if we are in or out of this yet?

John Ruddy is pish.

Well that simply isn't true.

Only player to have won Euro's and the JPT?

This deal is now off.

He's been more consistent for us than any of those players. Including Dost.

Would he improve us? Yes. Would he improve us significantly? No. Would he improve us enough to fork out the money we would have to? Absolutely not.

Or the other way round of course...much in the same way as Liverpool were used to get us to ramp up offers for Ramirez.

Hence Eric Black per chance? Do you remember Pochettino by the way?

He certainly isn't a joke of a footballer. That said he really isn't what we need. We have enough Joe Allens in the squad.

A bunch being two? Both who have got the club into a position where it's in the betr possible place to replace them. One of them had a year left on their contract by the way.

The FA and Charlton of course have prospered since the guy holding them back has left. Look he's got his critics but he's been nothing but near perfect for us so how anyone can start blaming him for something that hasn't happened yet is beyond me.

So one is motivated when things get tough and the other isn't so much? Puel all the way for me on that basis. Completed Monday by the way.

Nice little leak by MP's people to hurry up the process for the Saints job.

Does Pellegrini have the hunger for it though or is it just a pay day? That's what I would be weeding out during the interview. The others will have a point to prove. If Pellegrini does have it then his work for Malaga in particular is impressive and relevant.

Longevity is not a recipe for success any more. Fergie/Wenger and all that one man runs a club crap is gone. It's a lovely thought but this is the Jose/Pep era now. Managers dont want to stay for longer than 3 years or so because they can get pay rises elsewhere if they are doing well and know full well they could stagnate and ruin their reputation. Clubs dont want them to stagnate and if they are doing well then a better calibre of manager becomes available. Short term managers and long term people overseeing them is most logical and successful formula. I imagine this 5 year plan realistically involves 2 different managers.

Emery didn't win away from home in the league all season. Something to think about. What are his coaching credentials like? As that will be a big part of what we are looking for. I think AVB and Howe suit us nicely. Howe's lack of experience of where we want to be is something to think about as well though. Not sure how much AVB will fancy taking on the media here again though. Maybe it will suit him at a less intense club. FDB is fascinating. You have to wonder why he left Ajax with nothing lined up. Is he going to be that guy everyone looks at and leaves alone until he ends up somewhere and failing? Moyes seems meh but it would be foolish to write him off. He has to be on any shortlist really and a lot of what we are doing matches up with what he acheived at Everton so I can see the appeal. Pellegrini has the experience but will he have the hunger for it?

Not one of them even looks like De Boer or Reed ffs

You realise AVB has done more than just manage those PL teams dont you? He's had quite a bit of success too. Pellegrini has also been sacked by a PL team.

1 - It hasn't happened yet. No real proof it is happening either. Quite a lot of chatter though and we've had that many times before 2 - Did we actually write that article? 3 - We are in the best position we have ever been. So calm down. If it happens we are in quite a good position to rectify it. It was happening next year anyway, we just put that plan into place a little earlier

User Actions Follow Ben Grounds ‏@Ben_Islington Koeman set to pledge his allegiance to Southampton. No offer was on the table from Everton #saintsfc #efc Curve ball! Or not. So dull. Hope it's done tomorrow one way or another.

What does that achieve? Until something is signed it wont be announced. I tell you what a phone call would achieve... a fan pleasing video from the DOF saying how everything is going fine.

It's not though is it? If you had a contract with still a year to run on it and your company offered you a new one you wouldn't be in a huge rush to sign it would you? Certainly wouldn't cancel or end early any holiday plans you had and you'd probably wait until your first day back before getting down to it. The guys on a break ffs.

Don't really see why there is such an outcry over Wilshere and Henderson specifically. Both been part of the squad for a while now, Wilshere bailed England out single handily at one stage in the qualification. Drinkwater has just come into the squad, he was always going to be vulnerable. I think he should have been picked by the way but can see why he isn't. The idea of picking the squad based on form is quite funny. You build a squad for 2 years only to throw it all out of the window because of someone having a good few months just before the tournament. If England are to do anything in the tournament the best players will need to perform. Thats Jack Wilshere at his, that's why you take him.

Stoke have a lot of money behind them to be fair but lets not go down the route of being jealous of them again. The reason they end of there is because nobody else wants them. The majority are players that were overhyped in the media but never good enough to get a move...or failed in a move..and then ended up at Stoke.