Dusic

I thought the same from listening to that. Ultimately Ings is irreplaceable for a club our size, Bertrand less so, although a replacement would come at considerable cost seeing as Bertrand would leave for free.

Again, why would he sign a new contract in January and then push to (and be allowed) to leave in the summer, just months later? What is the point of that, from either side?

Respectfully disagree. From Saints perspective, I am sure if they get him to sign a new deal, and the fanfare that will go with it, they would see him staying for at least two more years. Can you imagine the fan reaction if we sold him 6 months after heralding him signing an extension? From Ings perspective, if he wants to leave then why sign a new contract as it will 1.) Make a summer move more difficult as his price would go up. If a club would want him in the summer they would want him now and would be telling his agent not to sign as it would then make it much harder and more expensive to buy him in the summer. If he genuinely wants to go elsewhere then him signing a new contract is a stupid way to make that happen. 2.) Would make him out to be a bit fake when he then decided to leave just months after taking the acclaim for staying. His long term rep here would be ruined, and would be worse than if he didn't sign a deal at all IMO.

Personally I see it as signing with Saints and staying for a good while, or getting a big move - not both. No point him signing a new contract now and then moving in the summer. Beyond that he starts getting too old for a big move I would have thought, especially if a hefty fee is involved. Basically: he eithers signs and stays for 2/3 years or he goes in Jan/summer.

I see nobody else has the same info as Crook...

An Alex Crook special, no less.

As soon as Ings were to make clear he will not sign a new contract then his value would plummet as other clubs would know we had no real negotiating position - as happened with Hojbjerg. All hypothetical, but think it needs sorting one way or another soon.

For a top 6 club that kind of fee is nothing. They would get a player who can hit the ground running from the start and might give two or three years at his peak. I reckon a few of the top 6 will be looking at him. Why wouldn't they, he is class.

So do you think the players that take the knee are showing solidarity with the political aims of BLM and that is what their intention is behind the gesture?

A lost soul.

In hindsight, it would probably have been better for the players to have made a new gesture rather than one linked to an organisation. I say that because its clear that players are making the gesture to show they are against any racial injustice - a totally worthy cause that I would assume every single person is aligned with. They are not doing it to promote the whole manifesto of BLM and most probably don't know what any of that is. Also players kneeling in silence for a couple of seconds is not really being rammed down the throats of anyone IMO. From reading the Millwall forum, its clear that in the case of many the whole BLM Marxist thing is a convenient screen. Interesting topic for a first post after 5 years.

Speaking in the embargoed section of the presser, Ralph was very clear on contracts for Ings and Bertrand: - We have shown the players how much we value them and what we can offer them, within our limits - Ball is in the court of those players to decide if they want to sign. - If they do, great. - If not, we will find another solution - Later said he was still confident Ings will stay, as he knows what he has here and enjoys being the main man.

For a relatively low fee given contract status and also given his homegrown status its not beyond the realms of possibility that Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and City might all have some level of interest.

I'm sure for Ings it is a genuinely tough decision, and I don't know what the right deciaion really is, from his perspective. He is loved at Saints, and that must be special. But equally, he has worked his whole life to be a professional footballer, and there is a clear limiy of what he can achieve in the game staying at Saints. A move to a big club might mean he isnt a hero, but could mean he ends his career having won a title, played and scored in the Champions League, and who is to say he couldn't become a key player for a big side? He will certainly know what interest there is in him, which complicates matters. I wonder from a Saints perspective what they would do if he said he didnt want to sign a new deal? From a business sense you would sell ASAP, but that would be a big downer for the club, fans and rest of the squad.

Ings needs sorting ASAP.

Excellent news - wasn't expecting that.

I don't remember Forren standing out as one of the best young CBs in La Liga. I'm sure he will turn out to be a good signing, he clearly needs time... If he doesn't then the fee we paid was worth the risk as other players of a similar profile like Fofana, Godfrey cost nearly 3 times as much.

I am actually quite shocked these days if I see an U18 or U23 score and we aren't losing/have lost. Of course its not strictly about the results, but it surely doesn't help to have faith in what you are being coached if you are always losing. Today's result more disappointing because, give or take one or two this is essentially the best team we can put out at this level.

Definitely a mistake, we should have offered one year and if he didnt agree then let him go. However, it was all decided at a time when Adams looked to be a mistake and Long was a starting player. He is probably on good money so will be hard to shift in the summer, aside from a heavily subsidised loan. Doesnt help that he is poor from the bench, he probably needs a run of starts to find some form and he won't get that.

Learn what?

Fair score. Our lack of good sub options is a big problem. When you have 6 outfield subs and there aren't really any you really want to bring on then thats going to be an issue.

Most likely. And everything would suggest its a lucky escape.

Interesting comments from Ralph in todays presser saying we have been clear we want to extend some contracts but the requests are out of our budgetary range. In seemed fairly relaxed about it, hopefully not in Les Reed style though.

Martial always seems to do well against us. Think theor attacking pace will definitely cause us problems, but we should trouble them. Obvious, but will come down to finishing IMO.

https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2020/11/24/under-17-pl-cup-report--southampton-chelsea?cardIndex=0-2 U17s (didnt realise that was a thing) won a cup game and there was a start for the lesser spotted JR2.