Gloucester Saint

and that’s where the odd one might happen if a player actually wants to be in and around the first team, is in their national squad, and the new manager makes it clear they are unlikely to be in the first team picture. If you’re confident you’ve got takers at a similar level on a free, but that club might struggle with the fees and wages, and Saints new manager wants more headroom, it’s possible. Unlikely but possible.

Yeah, but citing X is like saying voters in some American states know anything about politics - ‘eg voting Trump because he’s going to make my supermarket shopping cheaper or because I care about the environment’.

Here’s the contract law https://www.easportslaw.com/news/terminating-a-contract-between-football-club-and-a-player Probably the only circumstances where it’s going to happen other than a club effectively going pop, eg Steven Davis and Rangers, is a mutual agreement where the player either has personal circumstances - partner given birth at the other end of the UK or overseas, terminally ill relative, combined with being unsettled/not needed at the current club, with some confidence that another club would want them as a free agent. The club has done it with Carrillo and Osvaldo before, so not totally unheard of, and there might be an instance where a player who has just broken back into their national team after injury gets displaced by a new first choice signing and would rather seek first team football at a similar level to stay in the national team picture. Their contract would need to be in the final year or so to make it with it both ways though.

We’ll junk the Equality Act 2010 if America junks the right to bear arms segment of the second amendment. Fair’s fair.

Hope so, one less ricket for SR to pay off.

Looks like it. When you’ve overpaid hideously for one Conference North calibre young Irish keeper, the SR way would naturally be to double down https://saintsmarching.com/shea-charles-could-complete-another-historic-transfer-move-involving-southampton https://www.skysports.com/football/video/30998/13351199/a-freak-goal-pierce-charles-howler-leads-to-ben-wilmot-goal

The obsession to find the next Livramento or Lavia has destroyed the club as a competitive entity, at least at PL level.

Not just us that aren’t convinced https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/southampton-urged-to-find-goalkeeper-replacement-in-summer/

He was shit on the X Factor as well.

Really good post. GK first choice is essential, and Ross Stewart can only be regarded as a bonus/impact player eg don’t count on him in planning at all, and if he manages say 10 starts, another dozen off the bench and half-a-dozen goals, that’s a real result. AMC is probably the only area we disagree on, and wide areas depends on who leaves.

Agree, has to be to do with aesthetics or that he already said no because based on what the club needs he is the blatantly obvious candidate. Him #1 choice, Rohl #2. Happy with either, not sure beyond that.

I remember the Scottish prisons case which IIRC had a trans rapist - there we go, that was it https://news.sky.com/story/isla-bryson-transgender-double-rapist-complains-of-transphobic-abuse-in-prison-12913882 In some sports it’s been an issue and I can see how there could be a significant physical advantage. Either way, it should bring some clarity now which has got to be an improvement. I’m fine with the judgement.

I just struggle to shake off my apathy about this particular issue tbh! But it got out of hand and the behaviour towards Kathleen Stock at Sussex University by trans activists was very unacceptable and dangerous. That couldve happened to a lot of people in their workplace. I’m sure that’s had a factor in today’s judgement.

Our grandparents generation didn’t trust banks after the Great Depression of the 1930s. Maybe the Banking Crisis of 2008 had a similar impact on MLG?

It’s not an accident Labour’s fortunes improved since they distanced themselves from it, and it didn’t help the Democrats last year. It’s an issue I’m very agnostic about and I’ve got nothing against trans people whatsoever. But hopefully there’s a decline now in people saying my pronoun is this/that. There’s a hundred and more issues of critical importance than this. One less poxy culture war issue for Badenoch and various tabloid hacks at the Telegraph and the Mail to bore on about.

This is so spot on it is staggering - the club’s management, scouting, executive not least Spors and SR board should be made to read it. Obvious Smallbone cannot function in a midfield two with a lanky teenage body shape, it’s in a three or not at all. Or Will goes on the protein shakes and weights to have a body to compete, although he will never be Wanyama or Declan Rice physically. How many times last season in the Champ did we leak goals for fun when Martin did it if Downes was unavailable and/or Charles not selected? Ditto Aribo. Then Juric and now Rusk/Lallana repeat the obvious blooper. As you say Glen, for guys on the salaries ours are paid to not observe this and simply stop doing it is just a joke. Whole club including the coaching and management, not just the appalling scouting, needs to fucking start pulling its finger out.

If you’re in the Okehampton area, don’t spill anyone’s drink in the Spoons https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg72jm8lnrdo

We all know exactly what he means by ‘homegrown’ https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/14/homegrown-criminals-el-salvador-deport/83090315007/

Reminded me of the darts.

Bit of both isn’t it? It’s not as competitive as the PL, certainly not the PL of old, but it’s still stronger than most European leagues. Even you’d agree that Saints haven’t got anywhere near the best out of their players in the way we used to 10-15 years ago when top clubs would sniff. Just Dibling and Fernandes of the current lot, and the latter is more down to the individual than anything else.

If Carlsberg did damning statistics about the state of coaching and management at Southampton Football Club…

As he’s on ignore, I’m guessing that was aimed at me? From the 72 year old Guided Missile (according to Companies House) to the younger, fitter, moderate drinking 40-something poster. And a broken clock is still right twice more often a day than he is. About Truss, Trump and anything else. Enjoy the tariffs on your pesticides John. Have a drink on it, you will anyway. And another 15 more probably after that. On your own.

I heard Duck likes a pony…

Most of the time that’s about right but if your pet has a rare illness only 30 animals have globally that can go south….

We have, since they were young, and thank goodness, because apart from the standard excess John Lewis have been brilliant. But Soggy does make valid points even though our vet has been around the block and doesn’t bombard us with extras, the younger and less streetwise vets don’t miss a chance to upsell. On the human front, it’s similar to dentists. Always selling extras like car salesmen. Which with a filling being £200 around here focuses the mind away from that tempting biscuit…