Saint-Fred

Does anyone really think if someone comes in for VVD he will still be here in August?

Yep we held out for a long time on this one..we certainly are the tough negotiators..every other club must think we are a soft touch.

As much as I love the Saints I cannot see why any player would view us as anything other than a stepping stone. If I was FF VVD Tadic or Bertrand I would be planning my next move as well. Maybe not for this summer but in the next year or so. Players want to win things and if the opportunity to go to a club who actually might win something then they have to take it? Of course a bit of extra cash would be nice too..

He have more chance than at our club with no manager and selling its best players every year!

Pretty much par for the course I suppose. We are the club that finds an unknown turns him into a star and he moves on. Its worked for us so far so can't complain.

They forgot to tell jack Schitt the bit about bandying that name around..got it confused with pellegrini so we all got used to that name...DOH!

If we know he is going then I can't see it affects replacements..if we keep Liverpool waiting it detracts from other targets they may pursue, once they have him they can focus on the next deal, if it's up in the air they will have to consider multiple options as well especially with a big money purchase. Why do they come to us first? Because we cave quickly and they can build their squad at leasure dealing with the more difficult clubs? And if we sell first everyone knows we are desperate for a replacement. If we hang it out maybe someone else's first choice won't happen and they will come in for him to and start a bidding war? Surely we cannot be so strapped for cash we cannot buy first and then sell him 6 weeks later?

If true the disheartening thing is once someone is linked with our players they go pretty quick but when we want someone it takes an age...even if he is going make them wait until the end of August...why let him have a full pre season with them when for example Celtic kept us waiting until after the start of the season for VVD? We may not be able to stop it but we don't even delay it? No wonder it feels like we leave the door open for anyone wanting to leave. Oh but we might not say thanks to them when they go..that will show them.

Even five years ago I never dreamed I'd see a saints team with so many 8+ million pound players! Unbelievable really..

I know but none of them were as aggressive with their reply as you! Sometimes people misunderstand what people write and that's fine, I am happy to have to explain but no need to be so aggressive eh?

Sorry yes I was just putting Mane in Vardys shoes not saying what we should do in response to the previous post saying he would have been sold by Leicester. I believe that we probably have offered a good wage and its up to him if he fancies staying. The problem we have is that we either pay top money or the players move on, even then it may not be enough. IMO the club did the right thing with VVD as soon as its apparent it's worked out tie them down on a long deal, letting it get down to 2 years seems to not be working for us! Payet will be an interesting comparison..West Ham have checked a bucketload of cash at him via a new contract but will they be able to hold on to him?

The policy we have of selling players for top dollar and using it to strengthen the squad considerably has worked IMO. It's frustrating players are leaving but if we do get two or three in for Mane IMO it may be a good move. My fear is we skimp on the quality and try to find 3-5 million bargains like Juami, Romeau, Cocu and end up padding the squad with players who may not add to the quality. We did that under Lowe and it didn't work. There are good replacements out their for Mane and Wanyama but at some point we will need to break our record transfer to progress. Fingers crossed we get the right manager! I agree with the sound bites .just tell the truth and keep expectations in check, top 4 isn't a reality with nine or ten clubs probably outspending us and taking our best players seemingly at will?

I didn't suggest we would or should..I was referring to a fictional situation where he played for Leicester and the poster put Mane in Vardys place. I therefore corrected him that Mane in fact may not have been sold immediately he would have a new contract offer the same as Vardy has. I don't think we have the 9th highest I thought RK said we were bottom 6 or something like that for playing budget?

Lol why is it so hard for you to ****ing understand I was not making any reference to Southampton but a fictional situation at Leicester...idiot

Personally I didn't see the harm in RK seeing out his contract however many (probably the majority) did and said it was unacceptable for him to go into his last year without signing a new one. i would assume all of those posters would support Reed and his actions 100% so no I can't see they would to see him held to account.

You mean like they have sold Vardy? If Mane was there he would currently have a. Very decent wage rise sat in front of him to encourage him to stay.

It is hard to understand when you look at the Deeny situation!

Not sure this is accurate?

Hh So why was he so determined just to see the last year of his contract out without signing an extension? Why did he sign a three year deal with Everton? Is a three year deal not the same as signing an extension with us for two more years? No because they were paying 6 million per year. It is and always will be about money nothing else. Wouldn't have a clue about the rest and take that with a pinch of salt.

He is never going to say it was for money is he? However if it wasn't about the money Everton would have offered him 3 million a year and he would have gone instead of having to throw so much money at him that he couldn't turn it down. I think he wanted to see the last year of his contract out then go and I personally don't see why that would be an issue. Many do though and If the club have decided we need someone for the next few years of the plan and changing next summer was the wrong thing to do then they have played this correctly. Especially if we take some of Evertons money too! Lol Appointing the right man next is vital...and I hope koeman enjoys his Liverpool slums and gets relegated...

Apparently the new Everton owner wanted to ensure he kept the same ethos as Martinez at the club so scoured high and low for anyone who could ensure the Everton players could still moan all season that the reason they were ****e was the manager was upsetting them rather than taking any blame themselves. RK was the number one choice apparently as he met this criteria. I am ITK on this as I know the famous Everton fan and scouser Jimmy Kranky.

the last line says a lot." Looking forward to working with a management team which shares our ambitions and values!" lol. Or am I reading too much into it?

Yes and i wouldn't be surprised if any player signing a five or six year deal insisted on the same type of clause.

Vardy didn't have that when he joined from fleetwood, this was written into his new contract at the back end of last year, when they paid him 80k plus a week. i wouldn't even start to suggest any figure FF might have. He may not have one but it would not surprise me as they seem increasingly common.