Dan Johnson

I think it was good management by Roy, he made it clear that Shaw would make his debut but decided to take the spot light off him a bit by bringing him on at half time. It was the right move for me, in Shaws case anyway.

At first, I’d be ecstatic. Joining a club that finished 8th with a £50 million budget for new players and a board that had sold their vision of success based on sustainability and hard work. I’d be disappointed shortly after when speaking with Lallana & Shaw, it became apparent that they weren’t willing to stay at the club under any circumstance & didn’t, no matter how hard I tried to sell it, buy into the future of the club. I felt it in the best interests to let them move on and bolster my transfer budget by £60 million A club statement announcing their departures states that with my blessing, Southampton have come to an agreement with the buying clubs and that both have left Southampton. The statement was put together to show that the board allowed me to have the final say, and that they weren’t selling the players from under me and that I am in full control of footballing matters. However the general fan populous are disappointed, they think I’ve now been appointed as I’m a yes man, I come into criticism from media & fans for not being stronger & fighting for both players to stay. I’m frustrated by the transfer market as player purchasing chains mean that the players I want, won’t be sold until their club can find a replacement, and the club further back in the chain finds a replacement for a replacement. As I wait on the availability of my number top targets, I sign a player on the recommendation of our scouts, after the players the scouts have discovered in the past, Bale, OX, Walcott, Shaw, Chambers, Lallana I trust their opinion unquestionably. He’s a striker, he comes cheap but it’s announced as an undisclosed fee. His professional record isn’t very impressive in terms of goals per games ratio, but he’s played in fits and spats at his old club, he’s young & he was bought for the future. The fans turn on me again, I’m taking the cheap option, it further enhances the opinion of those with an agenda that the board are asset stripping and this is the kind of signing fans should start expecting. I attend my first fans forum, I’m inundated with questions on transfers, why haven’t we signed anyone, I try to explain to the fans that the transfer market is frustrating and that it’s not as easy as just having a bid accepted, availability of 1 player can be impacted by 4-5 other transfers. In my first friendly I play an experimental system, I’ve ideas on how to break down teams when they come and “park the bus” some of the players are still learning the system and while it’s only a “test” of the new system and the result is unimportant, we lose 2-1 to Bristol Rovers. We’re without any of the world cup players & I rest a number of keys player yet the fans are unimpressed, I don’t know what I’m doing & they’re certain we will be relegated. The negativity from fans has spread to the local media & in turn to national press, the press run reports of the club being in “disarray” & quotes unconfirmed sources that the players are “unhappy and looking to move on” Shortly after, Nicola Cortese releases a piece in the media saying if he was chairmen he wouldn’t have allowed Lallana & Shaw to leave, the fans jump on it & blame the current board for lack of ambition. The negativity in the press discourages our transfer targets from joining Southampton, despite having deals agreed with both player & clubs they fall through 1 by 1, once 1 player decides not to join Southampton because of the press reports other agents get wind of those decisions and then encourage, with no substance, that there must be something negative happening at Southampton and their clients should now, look elsewhere. First game of the season is Tottenham at home, despite a good performance we lose 2-1. Fans inundate phone ins stating unfounded rumour as fact, and that if they were manager they’d have done this and that and we wouldn’t be in the mess we are now. I resign 3 days later

I thought the same about the Poch situation as it rumbled on, after 2 weeks & no approach I was sure he was staying... Think it's just how long these things take, I suspect there's all sorts of legal/contract/sporting decisions that need ironing out before it's all sorted, all this going through an agent too... It's probably just as frustrating as dealing with estate agents

The good thing about this discussion is, they're both excellent so we're benefiting either way. I think Chambers has the potential to be top draw, as already mentioned by Marino, Chambers will eventually make the move to Center Back... that I am sure of. He reads the game better than Shaw IMHO & with his height & aerial presence he'd slot in well at the back. Although he'd being asked to play right back at the moment, so you can compare them from a full back perspective, I think both their attributes are quiet different

I think it's good practice in all businesses to interview all candidates Daily star reporting that Koeman has flown to the UK for taks with Southampton, according to the BBC Gossip Column, guessing they're just late reporting the news...

Could this potentially be the highest profile manager Saints have had? I'd be made up, he'd be my chocie

Just to add to the airport rumors, my mate works at airport security at Soton airport & said Koeman passed through yesterday. whether that was outbound or inbound I don't know. Suppose could have flown in to London & out from Southampton

The following Dutch Players played under Koeman at Feyenoord & are in the 23 for the world cup. Which means if he is the manager we will be linked with all 5!! Stefan de Vrij - CB Bruno Martins Indi - CB & LB Daryl Janmaat - Right Back Terence Kongolo - CB Jordy Clasie - Midfielder

Damned if they do, damned if they dont.

Maybe the board have already made their posistion clear to Adam? That he wont be sold until after the world cup & when a new manager is in place.

Spot on for last season, although sadly we don't know what type of system we will be playing under our new manager.

With the Sticky thread on his move to Liverpool descending into an argument over the board & his fee, I thought I would create this thread where we won’t argue, we simply show our appreciation for one of the best Southampton signings off all time. Let’s try and keep this thread clear of *****ing, arguing, agendas & focus on the big man’s contribution to what was a golden era as a Southampton supporter! According to wiki 117 goals in 235 games! My favourite moments… His Penalty in the Johnston’s paint final when he was just little old League 1 Rickie Lambert His double Penalties against Millwall in the last 5 minutes when we simply could not lose The countless freekicks and this against Man City when everyone thought we’d be eaten alive in the Premier League… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5w1viK3zf4 I never celebrated a goal like I did that one, until Steve Davies scored a few minutes later 

From the sky article on why they suspended betting "As yet, we're unsure why it's proved so popular, but we had no choice but to shut up shop as the market became too one sided." Suggests to me people are just jumping on the bandwagon

There's nothing on the BBC website yet & the Sky piece mentions only about the run on the betting & subsequent suspension of betting. I struggle to believe this one at this stage, despite the fact it's being reported by SSN... they've got stuff wrong before.

SSN reporting fee is £8 Million

Thanks for that btw, good listen. Although the fans calling in... bloody hell, i thought this forum was bad!!!

Ditto

Ronald Koeman for me Look at his manager stats! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Koeman#Managerial_career 55% win ratio in 483 games!! Thats pretty impressive, 877 goals in those games to, thats nearly as good as 2 goals a game. 3 league titles as a manager, 5 cups. Huge reputation in the game, speaks english and his agent said in March he wants to manage in england... according to the same artical he is also leaving feyenoord this summer! http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11731/9209131/ronald-koeman-keen-on-swansea-job-according-to-director-john-van-zweden Just look at some of the players that have played under him in the last 13 years!!! At Ajax Zlatan Ibrahimovic Rafael van der vaart Maxwell Wesley Sneijder Jari Litmanen Nigel De Jong At Benfica Nuno Gomes Luisao At PSV Phillip Cocu Patrick Kluivert Ibrahim Afellay Alex Jeferson Farfan Valencia Raul Albiol Santiago Canizares David Villa David Albelda Fernando Morientes Ever Banega Juan Mata Joaquin David Silva Edu Feyenoord John Guidetti

They're also all *****ing about the lack of communication from the Tottenham board to the fans... "it just seemed odd that you think that a company like a premier league football team has no corporate responsibility to keep its customer base informed" Maybe it's not just this forum, maybe its football forums in general!

This. Any statement now wouldnt really say much. Maybe they're optimistic that he'll stay, and feel a statement could be counter productive. If he leaves I'm sure we'll see a clear statement from the board. For instance if it said something along these lines "Southampton FC is saddened to annouce that a deal has been reached for MP to join Tottenham, we would like to place on record that despite reassurances over the future direction of the football club & player sales, along with an improved contract offer, Mauricio felt that he has taken the club as far as he could. We would like to thank Mauricio for his great work over the last 18 months" Would people still feel the board are inept?! short of chaining him to a chair I dont know what else they could do. Secondly, allot have said they wouldnt welcome MP back after speaking with Spurs. What if the club made a statement and he turned them down?

Keep in mind that it's still, at this point, only speculation. There may not have been an offcial approach as yet, if the club comment they're potentially making MPs role here untenable.

They flew back on Friday

The reports must be hiding behind one of the cars or something...

If players leave, my feeling towards that defeat will sour as I tend to agree with you, if players stay of course then we have the same chance this year.