Shroppie

Absolutely. It beggars belief that you can be totally disloyal then demand a loyalty bonus! Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Ah that's good, as it means Coutinho will leave because he wants to leave. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

That's a really clever idea. What Van Dijk wants more than anything now is to create a feeling of rejection by the club and fans, and this will help enormously. He wants a situation where his position at the club seems untenable so that we have to let him go, and cheaply, to cut out losses. But once he has gone .... Cracking song. [emoji6] Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

I hope you're right. In my mind, this is the crunch with Liverpool. They've manipulated our players in the past to the extent that they think it's normal and justifiable. They also think they're above punishment. If we cave in on this one, they will just carry on and the implications for Saints really are very serious. The moment has to come when we make a stand, or we might as well just give up altogether, and if Les and co don't realise that, the anger amongst fans will make the rumblings over Puel fade into insignificance. The outcome of this is absolutely critical to Saints' future. And thanks for an excellent post. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

It's just sad, but makes me angry at the same time, that players no longer buy into club loyalty, being part of a team that develops together and wins together. We'll never see another LeTiss. Money has ruined the game and it's all many players care about, egged on by leeching agents. But it's also reflected in newer generations of fans, who only seem to be bothered about how much we spend in each window, needing instant success. The media, and in particular Sky, have developed the measure of spend as equating to success: that's why they so hated Leicester's title - it spoilt their vision. Of course I want to see Saints stay in the top league and do well, but I sometimes yearn for the League 1 days when we were a club and team together without any prima Donna individuals. We march on together? Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Yes, but as I said above, the stakes are so high for the agent, massive pressure is applied. Agents have no concern for the game. Just money. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

As is nearly always the case. The current state of affairs is appalling. Agents are money-grabbing leeches. They have destroyed the concept of club loyalty and the stakes for them are so high they will stop at nothing. Even encouraging a client to sign up to a long contract is to their benefit. Initially they take a cut from the improved deal, then 12 months later they engineer pressure for a move. The fact that the client is on a long contract simply increases the value, because of the cost of buying out the contract, and gives the agent a cut of a bigger fee plus extra for negotiating an exit from a long contract. The clubs lose, the player wins (at least financially), but the agent totally wins. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

But if we'd pressed it, would they have had any option? Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Because he was happy to grab a bigger salary for a year and I'm sure his agent told him not to worry about getting out of his contract whenever he liked. Only at our price, and never to Liverpool. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Then don't sell him! Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

They didn't decide not to investigate it. We agreed to withdraw? it (or put it into abeyance) in return for an apology and agreement that they wouldn't pursue their interest. Which makes the new situation interesting. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

That's simple. Giving in and accepting £40m from Liverpool would alienate the fanbase in a devastating way. If the club were worried that the fans had fallen out with Puel, they'd better realise that selling VVD to Liverpool would provoke a sh!tstorm that would make Puelgate fade into insignificance. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

It's a bizarre situation. He wants to leave, so it can only be a cry for help. "Please someone come and get me and pay me a massive salary' The only club he knows want him is Liverpool, but he only knows that because of illegal approaches. If Liverpool renew interest on the basis that they've heard he wants a move, that's an interesting can of worms, because they avoided getting into trouble by withdrawing interest. Watch the Scouse wriggling now to try to maintain this is now a new situation, and nothing to do with illegal approaches. Saints MUST reaffirm that their complaint was only withdrawn because Liverpool withdrew interest, and if they renege on that, reopen the issue. And, of course, refuse to do business with them. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

I'd add a third. We have to secure a replacement first. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Absolutely. If he refuses to play, we fine him 100% of wages and give no access to training facilities. He's still contracted to us and stays and rots until we decide to let him go. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

I still think, if he does go, at all costs not Liverpool. If they show interest, reopen the complaint. After all, it was their tapping-up that started this. Refuse all offers from them. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Agreed. Exactly what I said a few hundred posts back. It's like a two-year-old having tantrums. "I want!" Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

This. We're almost at the point where contracts are meaningless. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

It's still far from certain whether the end is now or next year. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Yep. His stance is that Virgil is training alone as he has to sort his head out, not because we are accepting that he'll move. That was exactly the Morgan situation. Although MP does acknowledge that players are business, and makes it clear no player is bigger than the team. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Cue another massive wave of bin-dippers prematurely celebrating. I still believe they can't touch him unless they put in a formal offer. Which we'll hopefully refuse. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

That certainly ups the stakes. But we reached the same point with Morgan, and stood firm whilst he got his head round the fact that he wasn't going. Saints will lose a lot of face if they cave in. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Been sent to train with the U18s [emoji6] Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

I'm still pretty sure he wants to go but the club have said a strong no. His body language and absence from matches suggest he is mounting some sort of protest, but it hasn't exactly been publicised as much as you'd expect by his agent. So maybe it's just SFC giving him time out to come to terms. Maybe we'd take a stupidly big offer now, but as each day passes, it's less likely. We need time for a replacement and I sincerely hope we won't mess up again like with Fonte. Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk