Verbal Kint

I think we'll be fairly solid defensively overall (although I fear we could ship a few tomorrow) but our season rests on Tadic, Pelle and Long. We probably need to score 40 goals to be ok and we can rely on Jay to be pushing double figures probably, as well as 10 or so spread out through the rest of the team. If Long, Pelle and Tedic can get 20 between them then we'll be absolutely fine.

They've been saying that for 2 months. And yet they still have Jones and Smalling at the back. Pathetic really

What a load of ********. He hasn't been "won over" in the slightest and he certainly doesn't see his future here. He simply isn't being allowed to leave. He wanted to go a week ago. He still wants to go now. He will want to leave in January He will want to leave whenever he has the opportunity to join a bigger club on more money, the latter being the important part. Whilst wearing the Saints shirt and remaining professional in training he shouldn't get stick as it's just counter productive. But he doesn't deserve any support whatsoever until he publicly apologises for his behaviour this summer and starts to put things right. Until then I'll reserve my support for the team and the players that actually want to play for us

Would you take him fwith 75k a week wages?

Welbeck earns 75k a week at United. I doubt Hull can/will offer him that and I'm pretty sure the same posters suggesting him now as a good signing wouldn't be saying the same if we paid 14 million for him and matched those wages

How much do you think Welbeck will be demanding in wages compared to Long?

I like Long and have done so for a long time as he looked perfect for MP's pressing game last season and I think with better service he might add a few more goals and do ok. But I would have liked us to sign him in January when we could have got him for significantly less and taking that into account (and knowing this obviously isn't a RK signing) you can only come to the conclusion the board is starting to panic. I accept the situation has changed somewhat since January with Jay's injury but I still get the impression Les isn't particularly comfortable at the moment. Still, they asked to judge on September 1st which is fair enough. 2 centre halves and another attacking player and suddenly things look much better

This

A lying, backstabbing, badge-thumping Judas is how he'll be remembered. The echo nonsense simply demonstrated the arrogance of the man. A chance to write or have any picture he wanted and he chose a picture of nothing but himself. The fact he wore the armband for 2 years makes his behaviour even worse.

5 year contract worth 15 million plus bonuses? i'd be very surprised if we were in a position to offer him that

Doubt they'll sack him, but i do find the targets at that club very strange. They have the 5th/6th best squad and they have the 5th/6th biggest resources. I fail to see how they can better that on a consistent basis, and if they do finish outside the top 4 then you're likely to get sacked. MP went for one reason only - £££££

He'll want Isgrove's pace so that we have a threat on the counter attack. Too many times last season without Jay we were paceless in attack and teams could squeeze us high and suffocate us

Probably go on strike. Just like the others

We know that Liverpool will play with a high line and try and get Coutinho on the ball as much as possible. I'm guessing Koeman will start Isgrove and try and use his pace on the counter attack. Sit deep, limit the space in behind and hope we can steal something

Pelle 5-10 Jay 5-10 Tadic 5-10 Add 10 from the rest of the team combined as well but we are still short. We need more attacking options, i'm sure Koeman and the board know it too and will rectify it

I'd rather have Guly back

Of course it is. It's blatant what they're doing, that's why they had 26 players out on loan last season. Buy them young and cheap (poached more often than not), send them on a few loans to allow them to perform well and see their value rise, sell them at a profit. They have zero interest in developing young players themselves

That badge kissing ****** Lallana would have to be captain. Never have I been more disgusted by the behaviour of a footballer. A complete and utter disgrace

I think you're wrong to think these players were happy to stay here earning 30-40k a week and push for a top 6 finish when they had the chance to earn 100k at bigger clubs. And personally I won't criticise them for that as ultimately it's their career and how they choose to live their life is up to them. But i do object to Chambers talking about emulating the class of 92 and then ****ing off to Arsenal after making 21 appearances, or Lallana thumping the badge every week and telling the world he wants to be here forever, and then joining Liverpool to double his money at the first opportunity

Despite what Cortese would have everyone believe, you can't crack the top 4 without serious backing and the fact is NC didn't have that backing. He shouldn't have gone around selling top 4 football to players when he had no way of delivering it. That is without doubt part of the problem we have today as undoubtedly the current board not showing enough "ambition" for the players really means they won't spend the necessary money to go where they thought they were going - the Champions League. And don't blindly believe Crab's post last night about players being "happy to stay" if the club showed some ambition. It's easy to say that, but when confronted with the offer of a 100k a week contract elsewhere I think even NC would have struggled to hold on to them. That doesn't absolve Reed and co of responsibility for this mess as the way this has been handled is unprecedented in it's incompetence. Selling 7 first team players is bad enough (3 or 4 should have been the absolute maximum), but doing so without replacement deals lined up is inexcusable

Naughton, Rose and Holtby

People will disagree with the title, but if you do accept we had to sell them there is simply no excuse for not having replacements lined up with fees agreed etc before you confirm sales. Judging by Guan's last post it would appear as though that isn't the case. Pathetic from Reed

It is absolutely incredible that this has been allowed to happen without the board having concrete plans for replacements in place. Incredible

Les Reed has totally ****ed this up hasn't he? I feel like an idiot for thinking someone with his experience might actually know what he's doing. What a nightmare

Despite being disappointed by all the sales, we have got very good prices for them. 25m for Morgan, 20m for Jay