Professor

Sorry you got a bit of stick for your post yesterday. It's just that supporting the club from a pessimistic standpoint is a painful way of doing it. There are two ends to every telescope and in this case, you can rightly point to three players sold, but each of those sales makes good sense in different ways, and of course, the club can't move forward with the squad if it never creates any vacancies. The same facts can be looked at with optimism:- Wanyama - a good player certainly, but also a liability for giving away free kicks and earning cards, yellow and red meaning he only played for about two thirds of last season's games. Prepared to run his contract down until he could leave for nothing at the end of next season. Mané, also prepared to run his contract down but with two years to go the club were able to get a massive fee for him. Far more than many think he's worth with a poor attitude at times and long periods when he contributed less to the team than could have been expected. Pellé - brilliant servant for two years but age catching up with him so instead of watching him slowly decline over one more season, the club have banked a large profit against his purchase price. Bearing in mind that Charlie Austin was bought in Jan to replace Pellé, the club has three new players in the squad for the coming season and still has upwards of £40m available for further strengthening. The new long contracts for the core of the team and prospect of bringing one or two talented Academy products into the squad all look like a clear sign of ambition, which isn't just about buying expensive players, some of whom turn out to be flops.

As Sir Humphrey Appleby would say, its a very courageous decision to change a successful way of playing. The previous system achieved 6th Place in the table and it would have been even better if not for the run of poor results from the end of November through to January. For now we must put our faith in the Manager and accept that he knows what he's doing. Only results will tell and either he'll be praised as a hero after a few weeks, or fans will be calling for his head. Clive knows that perfectly well, and wouldn't be making these changes unless he was confident that the outcome will be positive. To carry on as we were was no guarantee of success because all the teams around us are trying to improve as well. The only thing I'll say with confidence is that it won't be boring.

Les Reed's comments indicate that the loan to Rayo Vallecano is very positive for Gazzaniga's future with Saints. He wouldn't be loaned out if the club were thinking of moving him on and instead they are getting him better prepared for first team action. Nice to see the mention of Paulo gaining experience to prepare for European games, which confirm's the club's ambition as to the level at which they intend to compete.

Seeing pictures in the gallery of Puel taking part in Saints' last training session was a reminder that defector Koeman was rarely, if ever, seen doing anything physical on the training ground. RK didn't really need to put on a tracksuit just to stand around watching, whereas Puel looks as if he throws himself into it. Odd that Koeman, who was was very fit as a player, seems content to allow the pounds to pile on.

HITC Sport must have some impressive sources to have produced this story about Fonte but it fades into insignificance against their other scoop, that Shane Long could be a target for, wait for it........................................Middlesbrough! The gambling addicts could make a fortune..........or not.

Re the mention of Schweinsteiger being off-loaded by Man U, it seems reasonable to assume that our club would not be in the market for a 31-year old, unless he was goalkeeper. But its reminder of what a cruel business professional football is. One moment you are feted as captain of your country's international football team and all too soon you are facing the slow decline that all footballers experience when they reach their 30s, with your club saying you are no longer wanted. Just as well that it's well-rewarded during the good years.

Interested to see the post by SuperSAINT that Adnan Januzaj might be moved on by Man U. At 19 he was in the Belgium World Cup squad and although only got on the pitch for just over half of one match, its an achievement to get into the Belgium squad. It does seem that he fell out of favour at United, spent the first half of last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund and although he returned to United in Jan this year, he only had four appearances and wasn't picked by Belgium for Euro16. Januzaj is still only 21 and has shown that he is a technically gifted player. If he's overcome his reputation for diving and is prepared to work hard, he is certainly young enough to get his career back on track. Attacking midfield is an area people are saying Saints should strengthen and this one might not be too expensive. If SFC thought they could get him to realise his potential, he could be worth a lot more in years to come.

My dream is that we win at old Trafford on 19th August by so many goals that Mourinho throws a huge tantrum on the touch-line, attacks the referee, and is sacked on the Saturday.

If only Beowulf had applied for the manager's job, or even Director of Football. Instead we have people running the team who don't have the faintest idea of what they are doing.

Entitled to your opinion, Saint86 but don't think its right to state this opinion as if its a fact. We can't know what the club's assessment is and they may believe that in Austin they have Pelle's replacement as well as Shane Long clearly at his peak. Wanyama only managed about 2/3rds of the season and had weaknesses of his own. Romeu may be regarded as his replacement added to which we have Hojbjerg. Mane also had his issues with times when he didn't perform well, was sometime a poor team player and we can't forget his goal drought. Redmond may be a different player, but one who brings something new to the team and we have Rodriguez. Others may take the view that the team is as good as last season, although I accept that shouldn't rule out further strengthening to compete as well this year as last and to cope with the Europa League. It's always worth remembering that paying a lot of money for a player is no guarantee that he'll do well with his new club. We've had our own experiences of that, as have several other of the so-called big clubs who have seen some big signings failing to deliver. Splashing the cash might feel good but it can soon go sour.

As a few people have done, it's possible to take the pessimistic view of Florin's recovery from a bad knee injury, followed by a set-back during recovery and comparison with Killer can make things look black. But the evidence is just as persuasive to the opposite view. We are told that Gardos was close to full recovery and has suffered a set-back, but that it's not serious. Looking at the efforts the club are making are to get him back to fitness seems to suggest that the physios are giving positive reports. He is still a young player in his mid-20s and more likely to overcome an injury than an older player, as Svensson was when he suffered his knee injury. Even Svennson did come back and was still playing at a lower level in Sweden well into his 30s. Time is on Florin's side and as a full international CB, he clearly has the ability to perform at the highest level. Once fit, Saints would be fortunate to have him as one of the four CBs. In the meantime, whilst Yoshi will be the first choice sub, the two younger CBs, Stevens especially, may get an opportunity for some game time, without which they can't be expected to develop the experience for first team action. It would be great to see a fully fit Gardos in the side at some point this autumn.

It's all happening at Everton. Not only have they signed our former back-up keeper, the now 33-year old, Stekelenburg but also an 18-year old GK from Oldham and another 18-year old, a forward from Coventry. Everton fans must be ecstatic to see the money being splashed as promised even if Koeman hasn't taken half the Saints' squad with him as some thought at the time. They are being linked with virtually every Dutch player who is thought to be looking for another club but if they lose Stones, signing goalkeepers might not be enough.

Forster Cedric Fonte VVD Bertrand Clasie Holbjerb, Davis Tadic Long Austin But doubt if Puel knows yet.

The importance of this initiative by the club to give key players these extended contracts can't be under-estimated. The core of the team is being settled for the next several seasons and as a strategy to combat the loss of players this is extremely important. For Long to be added to the list is great for him and also for the club.

Being a football fan and being a pessimist often go together. Fully understand where adriansfc is coming from because as Saints' fans we have to cope with our in-built fear factor. Fear that our favourite club will let us down by employing an incompetent manager or not providing the manager with players who are up to the job. But there is another way of looking at it. Pelle was a goal threat but likely to have been less so this year as time caught up with him. Instead we have Charlie Austin who some people seem to have written-off just because he had been injured before he was signed and had another injury soon after. But in between he did score the winning goal at Old Trafford and is already being tipped for a solid career with Sam Allardyce's England, simply because he is a goal threat and a proven goal scorer. He's also 6 years younger than Pelle. True, we've lost Mané, but £34m for him looks like daylight robbery, because as goal threat he was a bit hit and miss. We all know about the goal drought last season and the times when he wasn't considered an obvious first choice for the side. Redmond may not be a Mané replacement, because he's a different kind of player but his quality is shown by representing England u-21 and as a winger he brings an ability to assist as well as to score. Then in midfield the club has brought in Højbjerg who looks to be a strong addition where a gap had been left by Wanyama, not that Victor was there all the time due to his suspensions. On top of this we have JRod who has now had the time needed to overcome his injury and is going through a proper pre-season. By any measure, JRod is a goal threat. None of this means we don't need to strengthen further such as the No.10 type player mentioned by some. Although I'm confident the squad is good enough there is a need for greater resilience, but some of that might come from a player or two who are already with the club if Puel is convinced they are good enough. More signings? Yes, hopefully, but I wouldn't be surprised if none are made until after the friendly matches by which time the season will have begun as per last year when VVD was brought in.

Doesn't have to be one or the other. All the laws of the game should be enforced so that matches are won fairly and not by cheating. People who have doubted the enforcement are right to question whether this will be enforced any better than the infringements that going on all the time with grappling and diving only being penalised now and then. Referees seem worried that they will have to send too many players off but if that's what it takes, so be it and the authorities would have to decide how to deal with the new situation. As for Chelsea, I suspect it may be Man U who will have more problems because I doubt if the Chelsea team did the ref confrontations without their manager encouraging it.

Glad to see the discussion has moved on from Sébastien Haller. The report about Koeman's interest may have been sparked by the player's Dutch connection but perhaps Ron knows that Haller is French. Fun to see the Liverpool Echo still boasting about Everton's fabled buying power as they report interest in a player for about £8m who seems to have been turned down by other English clubs. So far, Everton's, muscle in the transfer market doesn't seem to have got them very far. Wonder if their fans as still fired up as they were when they claimed half the Southampton team would be moving to Merseyside? Although, to be fair, if they want to see Mané play they can always go over to Anfield.

Was hoping he might be competing for a place on the bench this season and the occasional playing time under Puel but maybe a full season on loan will help set him up for next year. Some major stars are already fixtures in the their club first team by the age of 20 but plenty of others, Jamie Vardy for instance, take longer to reach premier league standard. Its just that with the coaching facilities and sports science at Staplewood you might hope that talented players would be ready sooner. Does McQueen have the making of a premier league player or is he one who will be sold off to a football league club? Probably too soon to say, or the club would be selling him now instead of offering the loan.

Thank you for making my point more clearly. Much as we would like it to be different, this is the way it is. The big city clubs with national and international brand recognition have an advantage that clubs like Leicester and Southampton have little hope of replicating. But some of those big clubs do have off years, as Chelsea and Liverpool have shown with no European competition next season. The excitement comes from trying to do this to some of them, even if briefly. The recent 5-year contracts show there are players willing to commit to the club and we shouldn't be too concerned that there are others for whom the prospect of a bigger salary tempts them away. The vacancies have been well used as opportunities to improve the squad so its not always a bad thing even if a well-respected player moves on.

What to do? Well maybe players would want to stay if Southampton could win the Premier League title and go on to compete in the Champions League. Hang on though. Leicester have done that and they are still losing players, even to clubs not playing in European competition at all. There's an easy answer to keeping players which is to pay them obscene wages along the lines of the You Know Who clubs. Do that and not only will the current ones want to stay but others would be beating down the door to come here. There are obstacles of course; the club has to have enough money to do it, and even if Katherina were to offer a few hundred million, there are the Fair Play rules. C'est la vie.

Interesting that while Koeman was here many fans accepted some of his bad decisions and bad judgement because he seemed a 'good bloke' and the team was doing OK, or even in the latter part of last season, doing well. But now the snake has gone its possible to see some of the inexplicable decisions he made without the rose-tinted glasses. Under-use of Tadic, as well as failing to motivate and encourage such a talented player was a prime example of poor management that could have seen us lose a key member of the team. Very much hope that Les Reed is working on that new contract and that Dusan will soon be committed for another 5 years.

France are bearing a terrible brunt of the terrorist attacks in Europe and they have our sympathy and our support. The lunatics responsible will never achieve their aims. It may take a long time for that to sink in to minds that are so twisted but we can wait them out and oppose them every inch of the way as ISIS loses territory and influence. A shame that the UK response has to be led by Boris Johnson who is derided in much of the World and especially in France but that mustn't get in the way of letting all French people know that we stand very firmly beside them.

Fully accept that my opinion is only that of one unsophisticated fan but I see Yoshida as an excellent 3rd CB. As said, 20 Prem games last season and in addition a regular full international. With Gardos back from injury plus Stevens and Turnbull CB doesn't look a problem to me.

Never that keen on a new manager who wants to bring players from his previous club because it looks a bit lazy when there are many others who should be considered. Sometimes it works as most of Koeman's Dutch connections have been successful but looks like Les Read wanted to take a broader view. Koeman was always clear that as manager he didn't have the final say on recruitment so perhaps this low wage offer carries a message for Puel.

Not really because the fee for Mané was like picking Liverpool's pocket again. The player didn't want to be here and allowed his lack of enthusiasm to show. His form was intermittent and there were plenty of times when he wasn't an automatic selection. Redmond may not be his replacement but with JRod, Austin and Long there are some excellent first choice attacking players in the squad even before looking at the back-up from the promising younger players, and having cleared Mané out has opened a gap for Redmond to have the wide role. Also worth remembering that the club has received £64m in transfer fees, half being from the Mané deal, of which only £24m has been spent so far. With £40m still available there is every possibility of another 2 or 3 more transfers coming in. As with Højbjerg, we may not hear about them until they happen but one of Kelvin's new roles could well be to show new players the way around and do the introduction to the club.