Dusic

In L2 and L1 where the role of a full back is slightly different to the PL. Not every player will make PL standard and we will have watched plenty of the player during his loan spells. In the youth setup here we were converting him into a CB but his loan football as mostly been at right back which is where he wants to play - perhaps we don't see him in that position long term?

Very different scenario surely? Ultimately we will sack Puel and pay him compensation because we don't want him to be our Manager anymore. Koeman we wanted to stay but only if he was committed for the longer term which he refused to do. IMO there is no way back for Puel now, his position is completely untenable as we have clesrly been looking at new Manager's and everyone knows about it. He would have zero respect from players, fans or the club if he were to remain. Can only assume we are working behind the scenes, just hopefully in a better way than the Fonte scenario in January.

They have all summer yet I guess so plenty more legs in this story...

Telling for me has been the improvement we have clearly seen when Bertrand has been injured and then has come back into the side. He is quietly one of the most allround full backs in the PL and a couple of levels above Targett and McQueen. Hence he is wanted by City and Chelsea...

£13m for Tadic would be an absolute steal for the buying club. Yes can be a bit inconsistent but proven PL player in his prime who unquestionably creates lots of chances. Certainly would cost more than that to replace him successfully.

Schmidt to Watford fell apart due to his wage demands...presumably knowing that he had a mega deal from China on the table. Could be similar with Palace and Saints if there had been any interest from either club.

Puel is clearly a goner. Why haven't we just announced it? Don't understand how that really benefits anyone, it just makes us look heartless and snakey.

Pep Clotet

So the last paragraph of The Times article suggests the PL have specifically looked to change the rules as a reult of not being legally able to block our takeover. Under the proposed new rules they would not have allowed Gao Jisheng to own a UK football team. Great...

Even if there is no announcement tomorrow it appears more and more likely that there will be soon, especially since the PL have seemingly closed the loopholes that prevented them being able to effectively challenge this takeover. That doesn't exactly inspire confidence in Lander. Clearly KL won't be investing further (Saints alone makes up two-thirds of her business portfolio) so we definitely need investment but surely there are less risky ways of obtaining that than something like this? PR wise alone we will take a battering if this goes through and surely it violates many of the principles that Markus Liebherr stood for. Very few recent Asian based takeovers have been anything short of an absolute fiasco, so confidence will be low with a minimal benefit being that our existing management team seem likely to be retained. Could signal some volatile times ahead... #quietsummer #beltandroad

http://www.przegladsportowy.pl/pilka-nozna/transfery,jan-bednarek-moze-trafic-do-southampton-za-rekordowe-pieniadze-transfery,artykul,790344,1,970.html Says he is in the Poland squad for the U21 WC so they are in no rush to agree a deal as he might generate more interest if he plays well, including against England.

CB aside our weakest position is central midfield, particularly the total absence of anyone with remotely similar attributes to Romeu.

Good to see us standing up for ourselves on this one. Long time overdue.

Interesting bit on 5live a couple of nights ago from Rafa Honigstein about why Tuchel left Dortmund. Essentially said he was a very abrasive character and rubbed too many people up the wrong way, particularly a lot of non playing club staff at various levels who he was quite rude to and a lot of people lost respect for him. Lots of his relationships broke down because of this, ultimately leading to his departure despite good results on the pitch. The captain Marcel Schmelzer got involved as he felt the squad were also losing faith in the man management style of Tuchel and this allied to the way he dealt with staff at the club was his downfall. Considering the Club like operate as a "family" and Krueger has clearly outlined our differential as "the way we treat people" then I imagine the above doesn't really match up well to what we want. Not saying we shouldn't go for Tuchel if we could get him, or that he isn't a good Manager. Just interesting background.

Players tend to get what they want in the end. Can't recall many times where a player moves to a club that isn't his preferred choice just because another club offer more money to the selling party. Unfortunately we know how it will end. Its all just posturing, we will reluctantly sell him to Liverpool, proving beyond all doubt that new contracts for players are simply a way to get more money when they leave (which we already knew).

Virgil's new Agent earning his money. Strange timing to change Agent shortly after signing a big new contract.

Saints Yesterday: ultra relaxed, no imminent bids, all speculation. Saints Today: so riled they are reporting Liverpool to the PL. Right.

This bit is actually a concern if they Reed et al are genuinely that unaware! "However, it is all quiet at St Mary’s, with no offers for van Dijk having come in and, for now at least, no imminent sense that another club is going to try and prise him away." #quietsummer

Nice ploy from Liverpool to reduce our bargaining power. Player goes where he wants and if they know he really wants to go there then why bid over the odds?

Was Huddersfield's stand out player whenever I watched them last season.

Shows the importance, especially at a club like ours, of having a powerful Manager. Exactly why Koeman was perfect in the circumstances we hired him in. We need another Manager of that type now, someone who instantly commands respect and is clear in his ideas.

Quite possibly does. Its clear he is leaving here and the delay in announcing would make sense as works well for all parties if he joins another club. A few posters on the St Etienne forum link also seems rather sure its Puel and will be announced soon. Just need Les and Willo to make a better choice this time around.

Where does this £70m come from? The report says its £60m. Also, we have money to strengthen the squad without selling our captain and best player (again) according to Krueger. #quietsummer

Saints wouldn't seem a particularly natural step after building up such a good reputation. Likewise Emery. It won't be either of them.

Would rather keep Clode.