Fitzhugh Fella

A pretty good analysis

Except Koeman himself said it wasn't complex and hinted if the club said what he wanted to hear then it could get sorted quickly.

You are probably right but they won't be happy - Cortese might have been more ruthless of course, but there is a different hand on the tiller these days. Of course if they have someone lined up things could be interesting.

He did say if the talk went well his decision could be quickly taken. With every passing day now the inference grows that there will be no extension signed. The question now is how the board will react. Stick or twist?

This, Mane will be v hard to replace!

No Saint Billy All I know is as of midweek the impression coming out of SMS was that he would not extend. How they "manage" that I was not told.

He has a very rare quality and that is on form he is unplayable. Harness his waywardness and you have a priceless player

the whisper I heard is he will see his existing contract out and that's it

Fraid not Hutch. The club want something tangible on a shelf plus you can't autograph a kindle!

Good Man

David has given me permission to re post something he wrote on the Saints List yesterday. Its basically his report back on talking to several players (particularly SRL) for our new book "Match of the New Millennium" which the club commissioned us to put together for publication this August. Thought some of you might be interested, particularly by the fact that Katharina still seems committed. Cheers - here's what he posted - In order to get interviews for the forthcoming MATCH of the NEW MILLENNIUM, 100 top games, 2001-16, my co-editor, Barry Webb, and I hung out at the De Vere Tuesday aftn and again Wednesday a.m. in which regard, Rickie was UNBELIEVABLE. He had his family (3 generations) with him, but agreed to give me 20 mins of soundbites re some of the 38 matches (out of the 100 in which he'd played - and scored plenty of goals). In which 20 mins, he rattled off his memories of so many games (there would have been more had he not been SO miffed by losing to Reading in the 2012 run-in). Only one player has ever done anything like that for me before, Matt Le Tiss, recalling 12 of the last 13 matches in the original MATCH of the MILLENNIUM. Rickie is a brilliant interviewee, with opinions nicely wrapped into his narrative - eg where he expected KD to kick long and how this contributed to his best-ever goal in a hat-trick v MK Dons; how intelligent David Connolly was to play with; mutual assists with JayRod and Lallana - the best attack he ever played in - in a 3-0 win at Fulham (one of Duncan's match-reports in the new book). So Matt and Rickie’s brilliance as PENALTY KINGS is not all that they share: eachhas a microscopic memory and the huge generosity to share it with us historians. That said, so many of those with lesser memories paused in the foyer to give Barry the benefit of the few games each remembered. We were privileged, indeed - though the icing on the cake was bumping into Katharina in the lounge and asking if she'd write the foreword to a book that commemorates both the 15th anniversary of the move to St Mary's AND the 6th of her father's untimely death. With Club President Terry Paine with us to explain what a foreword involves - he has, after all, written two for Hagiology - she agreed and confirmed her intent, what's more, when we accidentally met again the next morning. I appreciate that that's extremely name-dropping of me, but there will be those Listees who appreciate that this development is another indication that she is for REAL in her support. This afternoon was different. I'd arranged to meet Radhi Jaidi, who was brilliant - not least re what it demanded of him to step down from the Prem to discover that there was a competition -the JPT - he'd never heard of. Fantastic stuff. Oh, by the way, Rickie confessed that he was "nervous" to face Matt in that penalty shoot-out. But, as Matt said, on mic, what brill pens Rickie's were. All credit to Super KD for setting that up and to the three of them for the performance. How very lucky we Saints fans are to have been entertained by such committed, GENUINE guys. Enough! David

Not something I am too proud about actually

Just when I thought I had it all straight. Thanks for all the replies. Come on you Red Devils! Ugh

Se even though we are entering at a later stage ie 3rd Round instead of second, we will still be starting end of July and playing two rounds before the group stages. I thought it was just one round before the group stage. Damn it.

I hate to confuse matters but if Palace win the Cup I reckon by this we will have to play two qualifying rounds before reaching the group stages. On the 28 July/4th Aug and the Play-off Round 18 Aug/25 Aug? 2016/17 UEFA Europa League match calendar Stage Dates First qualifying round, first leg 30/06/16 First qualifying round, second leg 07/07/16 Second qualifying round, first leg 14/07/16 Second qualifying round, second leg 21/07/16 Third qualifying round, first leg 28/07/16 Third qualifying round, second leg 04/08/16 Play-off round, first leg 18/08/16 Play-off round, second leg 25/08/16 Group stage, matchday one 15/09/16 Group stage, matchday two 29/09/16 Group stage, matchday three 20/10/16 Group stage, matchday four 03/11/16 Group stage, matchday five 24/11/16 Group stage, matchday six 08/12/16 Round of 32, first leg 16/02/17 Round of 32, second leg 23/02/17 Round of 16, first leg 09/03/17 Round of 16, second leg 16/03/17 Quarter-finals, first leg 13/04/17 Quarter-finals, second leg 20/04/17 Semi-finals, first leg 04/05/17 Semi-finals, second leg 11/05/17 Final (Friends Arena, Stockholm) 24/05/17

Yea but this strop including him flouncing out of Staplewood midway through a training session

Actually this is the 10th time we have qualified for Europe although in 85-86 we were later disqualified along with all other English clubs because of Heysel

Here's another one - we have qualified 10 times for European Cups (inc the one when English clubs were banned because of Heysel) while "the city that never quits" have qualified once after they "bought" the FA Cup with money they never actually had.

Yep spot on and I gather pelle pulls a few strops in training too

"The City that never quits" headline is truly vomit inducing. Neil Allen is an embarrassment to his profession.

Maybe but I was surprised West Ham have sold 52,000 STs next season

Koeman's potential imminent departure?

The messenger (especially if he bears bad news) always gets shot on this forum, it's an occupational hazard. Some Saints fans just won't countenance anything negative said about the club, even if it's true. Unfortunately this particular story being reported by just about everyone might have legs, so today's presser is an ideal opportunity to quash things, if indeed it is just journalistic hogwash. Whatever I just hope Koemans future either way is sorted.

Worth the gamble I reckon

I refer you to the post of Florida Marlin (who has excellent connections) on another thread which indicates Howe did not "refuse" our offer The reason Howe was meh! at Burnley was domestic. His wife hated t'north, and didn't move up there. Howe is a big family man and perhaps his heart wasn't totally in it (which maybe doesn't speak volumes for his professionalism). There would be no such issues if he came here. For all his love of Bournemouth, my understanding is that he would jump at the chance to come here, and the myth that he previously turned us down can be discounted. At the time the myth 'he turned us down' was being created, he was actually being touted and offered to us by Eddie Mitchell who was desperate for the cash. We, in fact, spurned Mitchell's advances and said ' no thanks' and the myth that Howe turned us down was created as a bit of face-saving on Mitchell's part.