The9

Hmm, was nice to hear some positivity and an unequivocal statement on Schneiderlin and Rodriguez, but I'm as committed to "waiting and seeing" before August 17th and September 1st as I was before. Obviously three signings is a start, but that's not covering £90m of transfer fees and wages as claimed, so there would need to be plenty of others too. The time for the "ok I was wrong"s is Sept 1st with 6-8 quality new players, and even then it'll be "wait and see" on results.

There's a reason I transcribed Ralph's SSN comments verbatim on here.

That's as maybe, but with that decision made, blabbing it all over the media wouldn't have helped. I completely agree re: getting replacements in (and the cost as a result) but that's done now and it didn't hurt Spurs doing their deals post-Bale (the quality of players signed isn't the question, only the method).

Yeah, you're just wrong on this one. You don't have to believe him, but there's certainly a lot of substance. Rodriguez and Schneiderlin won't be sold (will still be there on Sep 1 if you add what he said on SSN) We are close to adding 3 players All the funds from sales will be reinvested in signings and wages All significant.

Yes, because saying "these players are available/want to leave" would have meant they went for far less for no good reason.

From SSN earlier: http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?51210-Krueger-Comments-(verbatim)-from-SSN-4pm-29-7-14#.U9fJSuNdWSo

He answered every question, if you actually read it.

It's not a bloody summary, it's everything that was said (in the first 4/5ths of the interview).

I specifically added it for effect where he did it, expect where I got bored with doing it. And then my bloody TiVo moved on an hour and I lost the last minute or so of no news of interest. EDIT: I've now removed the repetition and the er and you knows for, er, youyouyouknow clarity.

I've transcribed the first 4/5ths of it (til my SSN got an hour behind)...

I'm just transcribing it, will upload the rest when complete... SSN: ...why have these players been sold? Krueger : "Good afternoon, quite clearly we entered the transfer window with a plan. We have a clear strategic approach to this summer and we did not put any players for sale, what we did say was we would watch the process, we would listen and we would look for how the team was gonna evolve out of our rebuild, and it was quite clear that we had multiple players interested in taking a shortcut to Champions League football and we set premiums on the players and we reached those premiums. It was in the best interests of the club and in the best interests of our rebuild to make these deals and to continue to go forward with players and with a team that wants to go the hard way into Europe". SSN: So you say they wanted to go the hard way, the players who are still there. You're suggesting that the players who have left have indicated they wanted to leave in the first place? K: "Yes, I mean there was interest there. We saw that interest brewing a little bit before the World Cup and quite clearly we stayed patient, we didn't make quick deals in any way shape or form, our executive level has been working outstanding hours and have put good deals together that give us a strong position to reinvest and a strong position to rebuild"... SSN: Has Financial Fair Play had anything to do with it as well? K: "No, none of these deals were made on financial reasons alone, I mean we were completely ready also to have players stay in Southampton even against their desires, [if] we didn't reach our target prices, and these were not financial decisions. Now we have finances and once again we're excited to to continue in the rebuilding process. In the next few weeks we will have players coming in, we will have transfers to strengthen the squad and I can understand some frustration maybe in and around our fans, but we needed to stay silent to bring in the best deals for the club". SSN: So you have got the finances and you've got some good players there already, but the Southampton fans will want to know about what the latest is on Morgan Schneiderlin and Jay Rodriguez because they're heavily linked with moves? K: "They are part of the core that we have decided to keep in Southampton, Jay Rodriguez and Morgan Schneiderlin are not for sale and they will be a part of our club as we enter the new season and in and around Jay Rodriguez and Morgan Schneiderlin and the rest of our core players we're excited to continue to build forward - but all of those stories are false." SSN: So just to reiterate... the Southampton fans have guarantees that Schneiderlin and Rodriguez will still be at Southampton come September..? K: "That's correct. And it is come September that's judgement day and I think people need to realise, we are in a process right now, that the match is far from over, and on September 1st let's have a conversation. SSN: Southampton fans will be delighted to hear about that, they also want to know about players coming in, you've reiterated that you are looking to bring players in, now we do understand that you're expecting to sign 3 players by the end of this week, why are you so confident, are those deals close to being done? K: "I mean, just like we have, in and amongst our plan it was to get the right deals and the right players. Ronald Koeman has done an outstanding job with his staff thus far in our preseason we're extremely pleased with the work that's going on at St Mary's and we know that we're going in the right way but we also know that he needs more players and that we need more depth in our line-up, and it's not about getting them in today or tomorrow it's about getting in the right players and the right deal that fits the way Ronald wants to play, the way we wanna play. We want to continue to play attractive football in Southampton and we will do that, and we want to, er, we want to give him the players that are necessary. Of course we would all like to see these in sooner than later [that bit wasn't clear?] but we will make the deals at the time and we feel they are right for the club". SSN: I appreciate that but do you feel these 3 players that you're targeting at the moment - I know you say you don't mind when they come in, but are Southampton fans - can they expect these deals to be done in the next few days? K: "Again I don't want to put that pressure on anybody, I believe that we are very close to a few deals, and that by the time we're kicking off against Liverpool - of course for Ronald and his staff it's much better that we get them in tomorrow so that he can begin the process of building and integrating them into the team and into the system of play - that we are, we are working as quickly as possible to make that a fact. I don't like to speak in definites when I don't know" SSN: Ok that's fair enough, Mauricio Pochettino last season and before that Nigel Adkins they relied heavily on the youth system, they clearly were impressed with Southampton's youth system, from what you know so far, is Ronald Koeman also as impressed? K: He's very excited, number one we have the most beautiful facility in St Mary's, now our new training ground is world class and it's bringing a lot of energy into the team and the squad and he's very impressed with the work that's going on in the Academy. You look at our leadership group there, and under the leadership of Les Reed what's happening and and Martin Hunter our Technical Director there, it's just outstanding, and it continues to be that, we are not only building great players there, we're building great people and it's these values and this character that we're looking for in the players we bring in now in the transfer market so that we truly have a squad where everybody is pulling in the same direction. SSN: And what qualities was it about Ronald Koeman that actually attracted him to you? K: He has no ego, it's amazing, when I look at Ronald Koeman and I see the kind of human being he is, if you look at his background, he can come in with a swagger, and he could be quite, er, telling everybody what to do. He leads by example, he's a person who is there for Southampton, he has a long term vision and wants to build with us long term, he's not just in it for any short term stint to get to the next level, he wants to be with us and he's there for all the right reasons. I have not seen one egotistical move on his part, everything has been in the interests of the group, he understands what we need to do, he's been extremely patient with the Executive Board which I want to say is doing an outstanding job, a whole new group that's come together here only in the past few months, and Ronald has become a key piece in the puzzle of keeping the Saints on that level that everybody saw them last season. And we know it's going to be a challenging season, we realise that nothing will be easy and every day we will have to fight and work hard but we are doing that now behind the scenes and our fans will be pleased with the final product I'm sure". ...my recording ran out at this point, the rest of it was about challenges of being able to beat anyone in the league, results might not come immediately.

Fixed it? As we all know, we become easier to sell the less valuable we are - but if the owner wants to make a profit, that's going to be a lot more from selling a Prem side.

If anyone says ""We are a debt-free, cash-rich club, unlike many of our competitors that will suffer the ravages of a transfer embargo as early as January 2015, when they fall foul of the Financial Fair Play regulations. "This strong position does not come easily, or without cost, in the way in which we sometimes have to operate. "Please be assured that the club is in the best possible hands as we are in this for the long term." start worrying. That's from Blackpool's Chairman. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28542883

I would imagine the concept of "pulling the plug" would involve refusing to pay employees. There are a LOT of worse things than, erm, downsizing.

If you want the Football League's Fit and Proper definition in full (not the same as the Prem's which I haven't tracked down yet): http://www.football-league.co.uk/regulations/20130704/appendix-3_2293633_2128209

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/oct/07/fit-and-proper-person-test "There are several grounds on which you could fail it, but the most important are that anybody with an unspent criminal conviction involving dishonesty, or who has run a football club into administration twice, cannot take over at a club."

I thought Godwin's Law was about a fan on the board?

Don't mess around, you bring me down.

The "players coming" bit was reported on Sky's ticker only by positions anyway, it was only Amy wotsit's tweet that said "young English players" added to the end of what was on SSN ticker.

We hadn't sold any players the last time she attended a match...

This has always been the elephant in the room with my "value is still included in the club for a sale" argument. Looks like we shed the players to make the price low enough for a buyer (as per Crab Lungs' post, which was also the first time it was mooted on here), will know if the replacements are underwhelming and if a sale is forthcoming - still a big risk though, what if the buyer doesn't want a Championship club?

Still.

Bertrand is also crap and overpriced. I'd rather we focused on "cheap but good" than "young and English", we've got plenty of those already.

Because he's crap and overpriced (transfer fee and wages) - even without the question of whether the owner is spending less than you'd hope on players that would have been a bad bit of business.