Saint_clark

Saints are clearly aware that players can develop late, hence the reason for keeping the ones they saw potential in into their mid 20s.

As above, it's from the Metro, but ONLY the Metro (unless the original source is unreleased as of yet).

Quote from here; http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/03/jose-fonte-speaks-out-about-failed-manchester-united-transfer-6107619/ But no idea where they got it from? If true then it's a disgraceful thing to say but...something about it seems odd to me. Why would he be speaking only to the Metro? The way it's phrased as well just doesn't sound like the way he speaks. Why would he repeat the question back to them?

How are Villa doing? How have Boro done since they signed Alves? How are Norwich doing? Spurs again they have much more money, Andy Carroll for Liverpool they have much more money, Shevchenko for Chelsea, really? You've also taken one part of my post which was, as you say, just an example.

Yes, but Liverpools turnover is much higher than ours, especially commercial revenue. You cannot compare that to our situation.

As I posted above if you add up all the transfer fees since the last set of accounts we've reinvested (roughly) £70million of (roughly) £95million brought in. One of our biggest complaints as fans is that players are able to kick up a fuss and leave whenever they want...the club have done their best to address this by paying extra money to tie players down to 5/6 year contracts. Yes players can still kick up a fuss, but unless we get what we want (which will be extortionate in this market with contracts that long) they won't be going anywhere for at least 3/4 years when their contracts are about to expire and we'd accept less - so it's in the players interests to continue playing to the best of their abilities if we decide we haven't got a fair offer. Personally, I would never want to see Saints spend as much or more than they brought in.

But possibly invest less in their infrastructure, or have been in the Prem longer and have better commercial deals, or haven't had two useless wage-draining former record signings in their squad for the last few years.

So since then we've got a fair chunk of wages off the books - Boruc, Mayuka, Hooiveld, Clyne, Aldeweireld, Schneiderlin, Osvaldo, Ramirez, Davis, Mane, Wanyama, Pelle. All of those in transfer fees add up to just under £95million brought in. Added to the wage bill - Cedric, Martina, Clasie, Romeu, Van Dijk, Austin, Redmond, Hoejberg, Pied, McCarthy, Boufal. Transfer fees combined for those is just over £73million. So a £20million profit, plus to my eyes that should be quite a bit of savings in wages. The next set of accounts should show a reduction in the debt and an even healthier financial state...if not there may be a case to be made for asking Les Reed to clarify what the debt is. (To me this also shows that we do in fact reinvest a reasonable amount of the money we bring in). Disclaimer - these are estimates from soccerbase. I also left Juanmi out completely seeing as he was signed and sold in the same period.

They're so desperate to find a stick to hit us with that they seem to have forgotten you can travel to other places in the world without using a football clubs official travel package.

I find it very hard to believe our debt is increasing that much when we own all our assets and our wage bill is comparatively low. Bit of scaremongering going on me thinks.

I'd wager that it won't make general sale to be honest...if it makes it to the members stage it will sell out then.

The away end is on the South side of the stadium right? Looks like the best bet for getting back to Waterloo is Pudding Mill Lane to Canary Wharf, then transfer to jubilee line to Waterloo. All the info online is saying head for Stratford. Might have two spare tickets for this by the way, if anyone wants to register an interest and I'll let them know either way.

Pleasantly surprised that I'm guaranteed tickets having done 6 aways last season.

In fairness with the 5 year contracts for all our best players no-one should be leaving next summer so that's the time to improve.

I think Gardos will be ahead of Yoshida when fully fit.

Only retrospectively, claiming that players from the past were not up to scratch. Which is strange. Anyway I largely agree with him. Lets not forget our squad last season was put together with Europa League games in mind, we just crashed out early...look at how much game time Juanmi, Jay Rod got. You've got Gardos back from injury, you've got JWP another year more experienced having just won an international tournament - he's still only 21, we shouldn't write him off yet. We've got a strong crop of youth players a year closer to the first team...Sims, Jones, Olomola, Hesketh, Slattery, Valery, all have been touted as having huge potential. Pretty sure our head of youth development said at last season awards that Alfie Jones was one of the best prospects this club has produced. And we've done things the right way when others are going crazy.

I can confirm that I did, indeed, mean Sibley

Seems like he's trolling to me...

Puel said he wanted two more before we signed Boufal so don't be surprised if we announce something late on. Weren't Toby and Mane last minute announcements?

I think it's been blown out of proportion to be honest. He'll probably be on the bench V Arsenal.

Shame there's no worth to doing the Arnhem game. That travel package won't go ahead, which means there'll be at least 100 tickets going back on sale at some point after the rest have sold out...

He has the audacity to claim he's running it at cost as well.

Well that's a huge amount of pressure right off the bat. I think that article is placing too much emphasis on stats as well - I wouldn't call Mane particularly selfish.

Thanks for the update. Always rated him and had we signed him at the same age today as we did then, he would have flourished in our current set up.

Their Israel one was £599 when I checked yesterday.