Matthew Le God

The rules for this hypothetical team were set out in this thread when the discussion was started on 3rd May with the question... "Just out of interest which Burnley players do you think would get in our team?". On the 3rd May... Bertrand was a Southampton player. He also remains a Southampton player until 30th June 2021 and that is 6 weeks away!

The 1970s called for you (yet again) and wants its opinions back! 🙄

It was two formations... the normal 4222 without the ball and pressing to win the ball back, transitioning to 343 with the ball with Redmond and Walker-Peters as wing backs

I doubt it... https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/obituaries/paul-allen-dead.html

The only issue with Gao is he hasn't invested, but I can't see why that should stop him being an owner. Sure it would have been great if he invested in the club, but he hasn't been a disaster by any means. He has allowed for seemingly good appointments in management positions like Semmens and Crocker and seemingly allows them to get on with the running of the club without detrimental interference.

You have completely missed the point. If we are comparing squad then you compare squads in the current season, not now vs the future when players have left in the summer. Of course Taylor is better than having no left back, but for the majority of the season Bertrand was our left back and he is better than Taylor.

Taylor is not better than Bertrand. Bertrand remains a very good player, as the media links he has had to leaving us for Leicester, Arsenal, AC Milan and Man City suggest. He isn't leaving us to go to a weaker team, he'll be moving to a better team so isn't on the decline that some people think he is. It is irrelevant that Bertrand is leaving in the summer to the comparison, the comparison should be first XI vs first XI in the 2020/21 season. We don't yet know who our left back next season is for a comparison to be made with Taylor.

I don't see why Salisu and Vestergaard can't play together. If Vestergaard refuses to sign a new deal this summer then it probably makes sense to sell him whilst he still holds some value. I agree that Tella is looking like he going to be more of an attacking threat than Redmond. But I still think Redmond is worth keeping even if not first choice.

1) We need four senior centre backs, they will all get game time so I'd rather we do all we can to keep Vestergaard. If he were to leave he'd need replacing. 2) Tella came on for Ings and played as a striker. Ings remains the better player.

You have to go back a long time to before they existed. Parachute payments have been around for 15 years!

No I didn't say that. I'm puzzled why you have twisted my words into thinking I did.

1) I didn't accept that. If the sample size was small... like Bournemouth's 5 seasons, then you would have a point. But 44 of the last 55 years for Saints in the top flight is a colossal sample size. You can't fluke your way to 44 of the last 55 years in the top flight by not being a club of a decent size. 2) You've named some trophies a handful of clubs won 40 to 50 years ago. That doesn't really help you. Of those teams only Villa have been a top flight team longer than us. Ipswich, Forest and Derby winning a trophy due to good management doesn't really mean much. We were only 3 points off winning the top league in 1984.

Nope, you clearly haven't understood any of it and twisted what I said into something else entirely.

22 goals in 64 league games is pretty good, especially as his second season was for a team that finished 20th.

1) If the sample size was small... like Bournemouth's 5 seasons, then you would have a point. But 44 of the last 55 years for Saints in the top flight is a colossal sample size. You can't fluke your way to 44 of the last 55 years in the top flight by not being a club of a decent size. 2) We've averaged circa 30,000 every Premier League season at St Mary's 3) Regarding stadium capacity... St Mary's is the 17th biggest club ground in England, so it is in the top 20 4) A similar sized club being 2 leagues below doesn't mean you should be below your current level. That is a flawed point.

No he isn't. A club that has spent 44 years out of 55 in the top flight is clearly one of the size where being in the league isn't a fluke. Far too big a sample.

Southampton have been in the top flight for 44 of the last 55 years, but co-commentator Efan Ekoku thinks they "have done well for a club of their size to be in the top league for the last 10 years". 🙄

That article contains the quote from Hasenhuttl... "they were absolutely not unhappy". So where in the article is the telling off?

343 with Redmond and Walker-Peters as wing back when in possession, 4222 when not in possession.

More likely to be the reverse. We pay Liverpool extra in fees if he doesn't play.

A loan with a view to buy is what the article claims the intention is by Saints.

Daily Telegraph says £150k per week https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/10/05/ruben-loftus-cheek-heads-fulham-loan-chelsea-decide-against/

He's behind you!

No he didn't.

Appointing one more person to the existing staff in the department doesn't mean it isn't already underway.