Saint Albert

Why are ex-Liverpool players so well-represented in the media? Anyway, another one (Nichol) is angry that we reported his ex-team for tapping up VVD: http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/820548/Liverpool-Transfer-News-Southampton-Virgil-van-Dijk-gossip-rumours

The size of our CBs is definitely a valid concern if we have to fill a VVD-sized hole in our defence. If a partial trade deal is on I just think we should take the best defender available rather than the largest. Les and Ross could always look to other sources for a big defender. A benefit of the deal would be the possibility of improving the team's depth at the CB position by bringing in two class players.

I'd be very sorry to see Cedric go. Is Pied an adequate replacement for him as first choice RB? I'm not sure but he seemed OK the few times he played toward the end of the season. This is shaping up to be a transfer window of inflationary valuations. Juventus have proven to be pretty good at fleecing PL teams (Pogba) so turnaround is fair play in my book.

I read somewhere a few weeks ago (can't remember where) that he's not interested in joining a smaller club. It was West Ham that were interested at the time.

It's a good reason to deal with Chelsea. They sound pretty firm on the 50m bit though, and I think that Ake is a 20m rated player. Dominic Fifield has a very similar article in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jun/22/antonio-conte-chelsea-sign-leonardo-bonucci-virgil-van-dijk-juventus-southampton

Interesting read. It's obviously good to keep emotions out of these transactions but 40 million plus Ake plus screw you Liverpool doesn't sound too bad to me.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/06/22/mauricio-pellegrino-emerges-southamptons-first-choice-vacant/amp/

I recall they did not react favourably to Sterling when he pushed for a move to City, as well. I wonder what Aldridge and Quinn had to say about that?

Hopefully he moves out of the frame soon.

Saints and Palace both want Pellegrino. FdB "waiting in the wings": http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/southampton-crystal-palace-next-manager-mauricio-pellegrino-frank-de-boer-a7801476.html

No I don't think that anything's been said about him yet..fingers crossed.

Exactly. Romeu comes across as a top bloke, but before silly season started I really thought that VVD was different and above all this nonsense. More fool me. I probably underestimated the corrupting powers of sports agents.

Liverpool need to understand that no amount of money can buy their way out of this level of disrespect and misconduct. If we sell to them they just won't get the message and next year it will be Romeu getting video messages from Klopp and hanging out with him in Blackpool.

This summarizes my thoughts on Puel quite well. I was initially sceptical about the rumours of Puel losing the players but there was just too much info out there to continue dismissing it. Because of this it would have been a mistake to persist with Puel, especially as the club further weakened his position by not providing him with public backing at the end of the season. I'm warming up to the idea of Pellegrino becoming the new manager. If you believe what's in the papers he seems the most likely man.

Short?

Incorrigible bastards.

Perhaps Liverpool issued that statement to appease Saints and make the PL's investigation go away (I'm not actually sure if the investigation is concluded, underway or if it ever occurred). As the next phase of their cunning plan, they today brief only a few respected media sources instead of every media source they've ever dealt with, and instead of the media version of explosive diarrhea that got them into trouble a few weeks ago they do it in a low key way by burying it in articles about a different transfer. Next step: toys ejected from pram. Then more pressure in the media suggesting their interest in VVD is not as over as they once said it was, until they make contact with Les. Many Liverpool fans think that this will still happen, you just have to read the blogs, Twitter or visit the general transfer discussion thread on RAWK. I think that Liverpool are the only club stupid enough to pay £60-75 million for him. I hope that Saints hold firm just to spite the scousers.

Yes I am sure that VVD is getting some persuasion / instructions on the art of forcing a move.

From reading the Telegraph article by Bascombe, Liverpool are waiting for VVD to throw his toys out of the pram before they swoop back into the picture.

He'd have a better shot at making the starting 11 with Southampton...at least that's what I'd argue if I was trying to get his signature. He's coming off a season of few starts with Dortmund.

"Sources close to the club" saying Saints want Pellegrino: http://www.espnfc.com/english-premier-league/story/3145687/southampton-close-in-on-mauricio-pellegrino-appointment-sources

This used to be Edmonton's nickname. We had signs and everything at the city limits. Then we stopped winning at hockey or even the CFL. The City took the signs down a few years ago. Must have shipped them south to Pittsburgh.

Dyche would be an excellent appointment for Saints or Palace.

In fairness the Canadiens haven't won the Stanley Cup since approx. 1991 so they're more like Liverpool than Real Madrid...living off long-expired glories.

If (like me) you don't know too much about Pellegrino this is a handy read. It seeks to explain why PL teams like Saints and Palace are looking at him: http://www.eurosport.com/football/liga/2016-2017/mauricio-pellegrino_sto6219543/story.shtml