Giordano

That article just says theres been a sounding out by Fiorentina. They wont pay him what we will pay and they need to sell jovetic to man city in any case before they can do anything else- he is clearly one of a number of possible replacements should Jovetic leave. I suppose thats a compliment because it shows that the italian clubs regard Gaston highlly in almost dame terms as a Jovetic...

Ive read the original interview in italian and the google translated version is, typically, misleading.it still looks like a deal nearly there to me. The bottom line is that the President has promised gaston he can go and that he also says that Talks are NOT over. In other words its just another part of the haggling. He wants more money simple as that.

Diamanti has had a contract renewal press conference today. Basically staying at Bologna as their "fantasista". Think Bologna wanted to make sure he stayed as he is their star player now - scored penalty against England in the Euros btw....maybe now he is sorted they can chill a bit with our boy Gaston...

Tadanari Lee fits the formation that NA likes to play perfectly, pacy right winger/forward....he is better than Rodriguez i'd say in that role - so if hes fit then he may well feel upset he isnt starting. But then again so might SDR, Chappers, and a certain Rickie Lambert! But he's clearly not fully fit and is being brought back to full fitness cautiously. So its Bollicks basically. Incidentally, when did he learn enough English to eloquently express his disatisfaction to fans in private?

Might be fun to go to his official Facebook and let him know that he is wanted by Saints... http://www.facebook.com/G.R.pagina

Interesting that Inter look close to signing Uruguyan wingback Alvaro Perriera for a similar fee to what we apparently offering fior Ramirez. Hes a left footer six foot plays mainly left back for Uruguay, currently at Porto. 26 years old. Inter previously reported as interested in our left footer Ramirez but if they letting Maicon go i guess this lad is the replacement and with Cassano in their team now they dont need an advanced playmaker any more- cassano is king of assists in seria A.....meaning they less likely to get in for Ramirez....fwiw...ho hum...

I think that the world-wide repurcussions of this purchase add value from NC's perspective. Ramirez is an International "name" player already at a young age. He is the playmaker for the 3rd/4th best team in world football - Uruguay and i think Nicola sees him as an emerging world superstar along the lines of others from Seria A in recent years such as Cavani, Lavezzi, Hamsik, Inler Menez etc. With Ramirez in the team and any level of EPL success we have got a lot more chance of attracting and developing a world class squad. Cortese is playing high stakes to puit Saints right up there on the top branches - and this is EXACTLY the kind of purchase to do that...as is Tadanari Lee btw...its all very logical if you view it that way.

Thought you might like a summary of the player from the Italian point of view ...it was written / published 28 July in the Corriere dello sport. ROMA - Caccia aperta a Gastón Exequiel Ramírez Pereyra, centrocampista d’attacco, sinistro naturale. Ventidue anni il prossimo 2 dicembre. L’asso del Bologna è nella top ten dei più richiesti. La lista è lunga: Liverpool, Inter, Juve, Napoli, Wolfsburg, Manchester City... e il prezzo sale. I 13,5 milioni di euro per rilevare tutto il suo cartellino, preso nel 2010 dal Bologna a rate dal Peñarol per circa 3 milioni di euro, adesso non bastano più: si parla di 15-16 milioni. Asta coperta. Il contratto con la società rossoblu scade a giugno del 2016. Il Bologna resiste, ma c’è la fila! La procura del calciatore è della Corner Association targata Diego Heredia Triguero, licenza in Spagna, che ha il totalizzatore sempre in funzione. E’ l’asso emergente della scuderia. Un niño de oro, indossa la numero 10. My translation: Open season for Gaston Exequiel Ramirez Pereyra, naturally left footed attacking midfielder. twenty two years old on 2nd December. The Bologna ace is in the top ten most wanted. The list of suitors is long ~: Liverpool, Inter, Juve, Napoli, Wolfsburg, Man City....and his price is rising. The original $13.5M euros to buy him, having previously joined Bologna fronm Peneral for $3m euros is no longer enough, his price has now risen to between $15-$16million euros. They have bases covered as his conteract is until june 2016. Boliogna will hold out - but theres a qyueue for Ramirez! The players agent is Diego Triguero, registered in Spain and hes got his calculator ready to hand! Ramirez is the emerging star of the squad, the next golden child in the number ten shirt.

actually adds something new- a problem with the agents fees....

hes got an injured right calf so he will not be playing anytime soon.

This is the latest from Gazzetto dello Sport that i can find published- its from 21.17 last night.... http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Squadre/Bologna/ The agent doing the deal ( and according to the reports "representing us" is not Nicola - its a guy called Vogorelli and he is also flogging his boy Gabbiadini as the lined up replacement for ramirez to Bologna so i think he is on double bubble and highly motivated... At that point there was still no deal, todays "news" sounds like a deliberate leak....im still trying to put together the pieces of whats really happening though via Italy....

Thanks to Buctootim for finding this.... http://www.goal.com/it/news/7/calciomercato/2012/08/21/3321121/i-tifosi-del-bologna-possono-sorridere-salta-il-trasferimento-di-?source=breakingnews The interesting thing is the last sentence. The correct (accurate)translation is "that in the transfer market you never know". Elsewhere in that supposed article (that i cannot find in the gazzetta online btw) is the revealing comment that " the two parties (meaning saints and bologna) remain VERY CLOSE. Also that Ramirez is going to be an unhappy as he was positive about the deal we offered. Its not over. This smells of finessing the deal. As supposedly "reported" they want a substantial up front and the rest in one year, the Penarol bit is not discussed. Its NOT the price we are haggling over- its teh payment terms. That is usually the last thing after the basic price principle has been agreed. IF we have access to the substantial amount requested up front i don't think NC will walk away. MY real fear is that this will flush out thh likes of tottenham or a. n other club...maybe milan for instance seeing as they just let cassano go...

Gazetta dello Sport also confirms Ramirez likely departure in an article by looking at Bologna's probable replacements...and possible tactical changes as a consequence. I think it would be beneficial to watch a few of bologna's games from last season to see how they got the best out of Ramirez (if we get him!) in a 3-4-2-1 line up - they are now talking of going to a 3-5-1-1 in consequence though im sure we already have done all that ...im not clear his role in a 3-4-2-1 tbh- will find out! From my research to date though it seems Ramirez has the Bologna team playing to his strengths as much as possible so he is designated playmaker but from a more advanced position than the classic quarterbacl- pirlo style playmaker....ramirez is given the ball as much as possible and given free rein to "make things happen"... http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Squadre/Bologna/20-08-2012/bologna-tormentone-51-incognita-ramirez-912310424824.shtml

Corriere dello sport have reported that Manolo Gabbiadini, aged 21 forward, ex of atalanta but now juve is training with BOLOGNA for the first time today as soon as a few technical details are resolved. http://www.corrieredellosport.it/calcio/calcio_mercato/2012/08/20-260313/Bologna%2C+per+Gabbiadini+primo+allenamento My take on it: if you are selling your 21 year old uruguyan star attacking player then it makes sense to bring in another young attacker- especially if he is a young Italian talent at the same time....that's good for appeasing fans and balancing the squad....it makes Ramirez departure more likely - though not necessarily to Saints ( though im hoping!)...im scanning all Italian news sites and media all day so fingers crossed....

I loved the Senagalese tackling and attitude. Reminded me of my Sunday league football mornings on Hackney Marshes Essex Senior league playing against some of the nastiest characters of East London in the eighties. A real throwback. That's real football before you were'nt allowed to "show your studs" ffs. Getting the ball AND the man was a real skill once and source of pleasure for players and spectators alike. Football is poorer for it now being "dangerous play" or some other PC nonsense. Getting your head slightly elbowed whilst going up for a header or even attempting to compete for a high ball with a keeper- no problem, get on with it, do it back next time. "Uncontested" drop balls - fekk that - football is a competitive game - get in there and take that ball. Sorry if that is not a popular pov. I actually love beautiful passing football of The Southampton Way variety and all that Cosmic footie stuff and really am dismissive of long ball hooffootball.....but i still have a part of me that respects the old school footballers who gave it and took it without whinging and rolling over holding their heads/legs/select part of body as if they been stabbed or something.Pansies.

I don't normally post much on this type of thread but my perspective on the subject is this: NA is not looking at a finalised squad ready to play Man City first game. He is looking at creating a Premiership standard composition of players intelligent enough, fit enough and skilled enough to develop and bring on "The Southampton Way". It is a work in progress, and we need a squad with enough depth to mix and match the players, formations, tactics and vagaries of injuries and suspensions, cup runs and so on in order to both survive and to thrive. We will have set backs and we will make errors but he needs to have enough there to be able to react to any situation he can foresee. As long as each new signing increases the overall quality quotient and satisfies the other criteria then we are going in the right direction. That they be younger rather than older, full of potential rather than have peaked is yet another refinement. I am happy that the signings to date seem to indicate a continuity of thinking and thats a good thing.

Best Saints bet I've seen so far is a season match bet versus Wigan. We are 1.71 to finish ahead of them this season. I'm very confident we will finish ahead of Wigan but not inclined to place a large bet on it and wait all season to collect, i think the price will change only slowly over time so exiting will probably be tediously drawn out. It might be better to wait until we get the first 5 games out the way anyway- if we've lost quite a few the price might then be very tasty indeed and then worth an investment...

Bit harsh. Looking at our first team we don't have loads and loads of ex team captains, but a fair number, and I would'nt say that they act like "Chiefs" when what we need are "Indians". In fact I think that the captains are usually those who are prepared to make the biggest sacrifice for the team a lot of the time - the days of making the "best player" captain just because he's a billy big boots show off are long gone. The likes of Hammond, Davis, Richardson, Seabourne, Fonte Chaplow and new recruit Davis, even Cork was captain of England under 19's....are any of those describable as "chiefs" in the pejorative sense you insinuate? They are all or were all team captains...theres maybe others...If anything those names are players who in cycling terms would be called the gregari of the team - the hardworking water carriers.....i think that Saints success has been built on an ALL chiefs approach rather than the old fashioned "indians and chiefs distinction which i think you refer to.

You are correct. I knew i was looking at this all wrong..:-). But he is not a serial team "winner" looking at his history to be fair so far despite observers praising him as an individual player.

Hmmm....ex team mate of Danny Fox at Coventry, hmmmmm......ex England under 21 International, hmmmmm 25 years old,.....hmmmm 6ft 2"..........a young english premier league experienced centre back....hmmm....not yet really won anything so has a point to prove, ex captain of his club,...I have the clues and I'm sure there is a pattern emerging here but i dont know what it means... :-)

I do it at work all the time, every business does it. One of the downsides of being paid £10,000 per week is that if someone is better out there then you will lose your place. If you lose your place too often you wont get £10,000 per week for much longer. Thats what you subscribe to when you join pro football and if you are not with the programme you soon will be. It requires great mental strength to cope with it in the case of a footballer. Bridger is a perfect example - I would loved to have seen him play a few more seasons at a high level to see what he could achieve but instead all he will really be remembered for is taking the money to sit on the bench. Richardson and Butterfield are experienced professionals and know how to cope with it- Clyne supplanted Butterfield at Palace anyways so its hardly new for him. Players find there level - rarely does a poor player get promoted up the ranks until hes a superstar or ignored if he is a real talent ( though how Carlton Palmer played twice as many games for England than MLT is an obvious point of how it doesnt always work that way!). If Clyne is better than the others at RB the NA will play him, if he's not , 4 year contract or not, suggestions of promises of automatic appearances or not, he won't.

I like it, great idea.

well the breaking mirror story goes top of the list....personal terms time.....

If he was somehow convinced to join us for a season it would be like when Keegan arrived. Can you imagine him in our EPL team and what he could teach them about being a class act? And what it would do for our profile? Players like Lambert, Sharp, Guly, Lallana, De Ridder, Tadanari Lee even Barnard would learn so much. If we then had Jrod joining he would be learning from one of THE legends of world football. Obviously a pipe dream but he is going to be playing somewhere next year and has not ruled anything out apart from its not Italy. I'm allowed to think things like this because I can. :-)

Go and register in person at their box office. Takes 5 mins. Got four tickets there just now no prob family enclosure with my kids. --- I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?nqhd3m