Dan Johnson

The Longer this rumbles on, the more I think he'll stay. It’s been common knowledge since the beginning of March that Sherwood would be sacked at the end of the season so the Spurs board must have a candidate in mind by now. We’re all lead to believe that MP is first choice, if that’s true, I struggle to understand what the holdup would be, and why hasn’t there been an approach from Spurs yet? Quite frankly I expected an approach from Spurs almost immediately after Sherwood left, yet a week later nothing has materialised? I think it’s pretty obvious MP is holding out for Spurs. When the news breaks that Spurs have approached a manger, whether that’s MP or not, is when we will finally hear something, it’s quite obvious that it all hinges on their appointment. My gut is they’ll go with Frank De Boer, he’s been pretty vocal on his desire for the Spurs job. Ronald De Boer (Ajax Youth Coach) spoke with the Dutch media last night saying his brother is interested in the Spurs job & would still listen to what Spurs had to say & is “Desperate” to manage in England. Quoting Ronald “For Frank, he doesn’t have to go. Of course if clubs like Tottenham and other big teams come [in for him] he is willing to listen to them” The Spurs fans are hugely in favour of De Boer, who has a much better Win Ratio & CV than MP in terms of deliverables. The rumor on the Spurs form (the fighting cocks) is that De Boer went on holiday for 2 weeks after the Dutch season finished (3rd May) & only returned on Monday which is why there hasn’t been any movement on their new manager. A few ITKers also claiming they know it’ll be De Boer… http://www.thefightingcock.co.uk/forum/threads/new-manager.10456/page-23 Odds are also shortening on De Boer to spurs

No ones left or been sold yet

http://www.footballdirectnews.com/premier-league-news/49622-spurs-make-contact-with-mancini.php

Best of luck Guly. You'll always be welcomed back to St Marys as a fan, if I ever run into you I'll buy you a pint!

SSN reported that we're looking to activate a clause in Steven Caulkers contract, liked from the SUN apparently

Personally I think it's a little more complex than that, which is why very few clubs make these kind of statements. If the club demands a player honour his contract, it's quiet conceivable that a player could react badly to that demand and subsequently his effort\performance & of course value would fall as a result. No club (business) wants an asset to depreciate so if a player really does want out, i think overall it's in the best interest of both the club & the player to let them move on, providing the club adequately compensated. Of course there's an arguement that a player signed a 5 year deal so he shouldnt have an issue if the club demands he see that out. However, contracts work both ways, long term contracts are as much about the club protecting their assest as they are security for a player. We certainly wouldnt want to be in the posistion of losing someone like Lallana for free.

I agree, likely because no decision has been made on his future. However, playing Devils advocate, they could be delaying the news to announce at the same time a player departs to soften the blow.

3 in the running for the Spurs job rafa benitez Frank De Boer MoPo Of those I would say Mopo is the biggest gamble and with his track record levy needs to get this right because 1 more failed appointment and i think fans will demand his head.

He has been exceptional, don't get me wrong I'd be gutted if we lost him, but if someone said we'd get £20+ million for him at the start of the season they would probably have laughed in your face. True but he was allot younger than Lallana, almost 10 years so. Agreed, no one saw it coming either. Maybe I'm being harsh on Lallana, but when I think about £20million+ players I want to see proven consistency at the highest level, this season aside he's not shown that, granted for most of those seasons he was playing outside of the top flight. If MoPo agrees to their sales as long as he gets all the funds and we get £20m+ for him, £27m+ for shaw, £10m for Osvaldo and we're left with a £60million+ war chest I think we're be better off next season.

It depends how you look at it I suppose. We'd get near on £50 million for the pair & with the possibility of Osvaldo\Gaston & the TV money boosting the transfer kitty it may make sense to ship them out early to gurantee funds to MoPo. If the replacements for Lallana & Shaw are slightly weaker but we're able to buy additions that make the squad stronger overall, is it a 1 step back, 2 step forward approach?

Adam was terrrifc for 2 seasons in league 1 & in the Championship, he was OK last season. To pay £20+ million for a player who has had 1 very good season in the Premier League is a massive gamble on Liverpools part. I question his posistional sense as he drifts inside way to often when asked to play out wide, during our championship year & last season he left Danny Fox massively exposed on numerous occasions. He gets away with it a little more now as he had a world class left back behind him. He certainly fades massively in the second half of games, it's no coincidence he is the most subbed player in the premier league this season. £20+ Million is massive money for Lallana, make no mistake it's a gamble on Liverpools part. 1 good season does not a player make...

I'd say £20-25million is a realistic figure.

I don’t subscribe to this Loyalty Malarkey when it comes to Football Players. Why have players got to be Loyal? Yes Southampton gave them a "Chance" but it's no different than a plumbing firm giving an apprentice a "chance" or becoming an intern at a Law Firm... if we subscribed to that line of thinking no one would ever move on from their first job because we're all given a "chance" at some point Players are just employees, employees with ambition. In essence, the reason Southampton has done so well over the last 5 years is because we've shown and thus attracted players with ambitions. First to play at a higher level, then in the Premier League and now at International and European level. If a player has the ability to play in the champion’s league & the ambition to do so then he's going to want to do that, it's no different to you or me having career aspirations. For me, it's allot easier for a club of Southampton’s size to sell a vision of premier league football when in the lower divisions and attract those ambitious players than it is for us as a premier league club to sell a vision of the champions league. That ambition that has served us so well in attracting & keeping those players is ultimately going to be the same reason we probably end up losing some of them... that’s life. For some people, no amount of money can curb ambition, these are the most humble of people... they do what they do because they love what they do and they want to be the best they can be.

If he was English or European he would be linked to every top 4 club in the premier league, the fact he's from Ireland means his performances go under the radar. He has been, without question, top top class this year

Have you seen Henderson play this season? He hasnt missed a game for Liverpool *****il Saturday) and has been exceptional! He has to go!! I agree with Smalling, but Jones & Milner do a good job

We were told on Friday by the most senior football figure at the club, categorically, there have been absolutely NO contact from other clubs regarding transfers and that NO one will be sold if we want them to stay. Yet people STILL insist on speculating because they’ve got a mates taxi driving dad who took a guy who claims to be an agent to the local co-op & told them that Lallana & Shaw are off. If you want the media to stop speculating about their future, then we also need to stop claiming we know they’re off & spreading idle bull**** gossip

IS there a live feed anywhere?

He would be a loss, but there are plenty of Left backs available, as I said, not of Lukes standard but a left back (when you receive a £30 million transfer fee) would be allot easier to replace than a 25-30 goal a season striker or some form of midfield playmaker.

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£30 million is INSANE for a left back, even if he is world class. I'd sell every day of the week for that amount of money. You don't win games with Left Backs, and as Gary Neville once said, no school kid grows up saying "I want to be a left back when I grow up" It's a position you stumble across, a position where players are a dime a dozen I don't draw comparisons with Bale here, I don't think he's as good, I don't think he'll make his way into midfield... for me, £30 million for any full back is an offer that simply can not be refused. It would be different if it was a 25 goal a season striker, as they're irreplaceable, but a left back. While we wont get anyone of Lukes standard a decent left back could be had for between 5-6 million & I don't think the fate of any team whether it was promotion\relegation\European qualification or winning the title has been decided because they had a world class left back. Re-invest wisely and we'll be a stronger team next year without him

What are the knock on effects for us. Lots of rumors that Lallana & Shaw have been linked with a move to Man Utd, with a continental manager the likely successor will they still be looking to the likes of Lallana or will they be looking to Europe? I'd say that Van Gaal is very high on the replacement list, does this mean that Spurs may now look more closely at MoPo?

Chambers has all the attributes to be an exceptional center back. He reads the game so well and has the height and pace required...

According to http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/ the following players are out of contract at the end of the season & if I was playing football manager they’d all be on my short list Prem players Seb Larsson Jolen Lescott Anthony Pilkington Nicklad Bendtner Marc Albrighton Lukasz Fabianski Micah Richards Championship Players Kasper Schemichel Chris Eagles Bungesliga Aaron Hunt (wolfsberg) Promera Division Diego (Atheltico Madrid) Mateo Musacchio (Valencia) Ligue 1 Jeremy Menez (PSG) Batetimbi Gomis (Lyon) Guillermo Ochoa (AC Ajaccio) Jimmy Briand (Lyon) Serie A Urby Emmanuelson (Milan) Turkey Manual Fernandes Hugo Almeida Luke Shaw sold for either £30million+ or £25 million & Ryan Bertrand. Spiderman sold for £15million Osvaldo sold for £15million Rameriez sold for £10 million Transfer budget of £12 million Giving me a total transfer budget of around £82 million I’d be looking for Left back to replace shaw Midfielder to replace spiderman Atatcking Midfielder to replace gaston striker Center back Keeper So 6 players in total they would be Left Back - Urby Emmanuelson – Free Center Back - Micah Richards – Free or Steven Caulker Goalkeeper - Kasper Schemichel Or Lukasz Fabianski or Guillermo Ochoa – free Attacking Midfielder - Erik Lemela - £15 million Striker 1 from Loic Remy Wilfred Bony Michu Christian Benteke Danny Welbeck Stevan Jovetic Jimmy Briand Jeremy Menez Center Midfielder 1 from Fabian Delph Aaron Hunt

If shaw goes to Chelsea and we get £25 million & Bertrand in exchange I think that would be good business.