Miltonaggro

Defoe overpriced and heading towards over the hill, but Begovic is a very good keeper (much more accomplished and reliable than Forster) and Ake is one hell of a prospect - so fair play to the little Cherries for having a good go. The plus is that with Ake going there seemingly without a counter-bid, VVD may well be staying, but the plan will be to partner him with Stephens / Yoshida - could work as long as we don't get a £70m bid in the last week of the window. Tick tock...

He knows Sammy Lee from his time with the Benitez coaching staff at Liverpool, now that would be a popular return...

Very good, but the prawn sandwich brigade wont like it - so passé...

Happy with that. Passionate, well thought of, and looks like he could still do a job at centre back! Welcome mush!

Charlie Austin, bringing up the rear, looks knackered.

Spot on! Remember how the bestest fans on earths reacted when Gerrard wanted to move for money and medals a decade ago - death threats towards him and his family. Lovely club - http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/why-gerrard-did-not-sign-for-chelsea-7187920.html

Self-pity City par excellence!

That just about covers it, have a good weekend!

How much was he charging for extras?

Once again...

Fingers crossed...

As a former inner city PE teacher Les Reed knows an inspirational teacher when he sees one, the government should see sense and make him Minister of Education (plus expenses).

Thanks for breaking the good news Wimborne! Both look superb, home provides a contemporary twist on the Patrick classic, and the black and turquoise / pacific blue (?) away number is also miles better than this year's awful effort.

Superb, and been wanting a return to this for years!

The shat hat...

More likely to be Barry Spunk!

Hilarious...

Ditto, preferably before Countryfile...

I'd volunteer to carry him in a sedan chair, wearing flip-flops...

Lol! Yup...

Agree with that Badger. Both super footballers but just past their best, similar in many ways. I remember McMenemy at the time saying having CG at the club injured through most of his contract was 'like having a fabulous diamond locked in a safe to which you've lost the combination!' - we had to put up with just a few flashes of brilliance.

August 1981 Dave Armstrong for £680,000. What a record signing that was, brilliant on the ball and something like forty league goals from midfield in his first three seasons. Should have got more than his three England caps.

Very, very good shout, and a Biesla disciple like Pochettino. Here's hoping...

Good grief! I'm actually saying blaming 'idiotic' fans for wanting to 'aim higher' however misplaced, is not solely the premise of idiotic fans - some of whom aren't middle aged men from Soton grafted to an Internet message board but part of the 'developing market' Krueger has been trying to break into. I don't believe in the Easter bunny, but quite keen on eugenics...

It's not just the fans 'expectations' thought is it LD, its the declared expectations of the club. If our aspiration is now survival and cup runs then fair enough (it has been for most of our history), but perhaps there should be a statement to that effect, or perhaps a video. There are so many public examples for our idiotic support to gauge expectation over the past few years, here are just two of the gems: Leslie Reed BBC interview April 2015: "We'd like to think we have the structure to reach the Champions League in the next five years…But it's important to be established as a top-six club over that period...we are confident over the course of the coming years we will play in Europe and we are confident we are right to have an aspiration to play in the Champions League." And Ralph Krueger around the same time to the Echo: “What the fans of Southampton need to know is that, as popular as the big clubs are, there’s an anti movement out there in the world looking for freshness and newness, and in certain areas of the United States there’s people that think we’re a bigger club than Man United.” Bullsh*t two years ago, bullsh*t now, but it's coming from the two most senior people in the club after the owner, the voices of SFC. The club can't turn the clock back to 1973 and wait patiently for relative success amid a few ups and downs, it has to protect itself in the marketplace like any other multi-million pound company. I personally thought Puel was an odd fit to deliver 'the Southampton way' on appointment and having seen him in action (so to speak) it's clear that there is a groundswell inside and outside SMS that feels the same. He's a dead man walking and no amount of loyalty, or fan fluffing on behalf of Reed and Krueger, is likely to save his neck.