Matthew Le God

None of you answered my question... What would you propose as an alternative? If the players are refused moves to clubs offering big wage increases and Champions League football then they will refuse to sign new contracts and their values will drop as they approach the end of their contract.

What do you propose as an alternative? Do you want Saints to only sign players that Champions League & richer clubs will never want? I'm glad you clarified that, I thought it may have been someone else's.

What form do you see this line in the sand taking? If the players are refused moves to clubs offering big wage increases and Champions League football then they will refuse to sign new contracts and their values will drop as they approach the end of their contract. Why is it a bad thing to be a "stepping stone" club? What would you propose as an alternative? Les Reed has openly labelled Saints as a "showcase club", in terms of the best up and coming talent across European football Saints would be in a good position to give them a chance to impress in the world's most high profile league.

I bet Celtic fans feel the same about Southampton... 2013 - Wanyama 2014 - Forster 2015 - van Dijk? It happens at all levels of football, there are only a handful of clubs at the very top of European football that don't sell their best players.

Saints in the last 2 seasons have had more higher quality players in their squad than any other club outside those finishing in the top 6/7. Champions League sides aren't rushing to buy lots of Stoke, Palace, West Ham etc players because they don't have many (if any) players they'd want.

a) Koeman was asked a question about Fonte at last week's press conference and answered it. b) Koeman was not asked about Mane today so had nothing to answer. His press conference today was before all this broke, are you expecting him to bring it up himself?

We are doing well, we've just had our best ever Premier League season and are playing in Europe. That was after a summer where lots of Saints fans, fans of other clubs & the press were writing the club off.

Perhaps Saints will say no this summer, but I can't see Mane signing a new contract with us. His contract ends in 2018, so its either sell in 2015 or 2016 at a big price or in 2017 his value will drop like Clyne's did in the last year of his contract. A few minutes ago you were saying its... So how do you know it will "catch up with us" if its an unprecedented situation?

"Letting" isn't the word I'd use. The players get huge wage rises, Champions League football and Saints get large sums of money to bring in new players.

'Schneiderlin mode' after refusing a transfer in 2014/15 was effective.

Saints do the same to other clubs. They may soon have Forster, Wanyama and van Dijk from Celtic in their squad.

The journalist who asked the question appeared to think Wanyama knew van Dijk well due to playing together at Celtic. van Dijk joined Celtic on 21st June 2013, Wanyama left Celtic on 11th July 2013. They'd barely know each other!

Why do you think that? Koeman has involved Reed with the first team (at training and matchdays) a lot more than most other 20 year old central midfielders in the Premier League.

Why would you think that? You can list all the non selling clubs in world football on the fingers of one hand, in fact you don't really need that many.

Both Bale and Surman left before the Liebherr takeover.

Walcott left before the Liebherr takeover, but he has also included Surman.

Or its the club is now in a different place to then. Shaw for example wouldn't have become a regular as a teenager if he was up against Bertrand at left back. Shaw was up against Fox and quickly overtook him. The bar of quality in Saints first team squad has risen and it may take our academy players until their early 20's instead of teens to be ready. Koeman as a manager of a top seven club gave debuts to 5 academy players last season and under 21 players are often training with the first team. How many other clubs do that in our position?

The academy system started in 1997, in the recent past Saints haven't had the need to send them on loan to Football League clubs. Between 2005 and 2012 Saints were themselves a Football League club. Bale, Walcott, Lallana, Oxlade-Chamberlain and others found it easier to break into our first team. In 2012/13 we were newly promoted to the Premier League and at the start of the season Fox was the left back, Shaw was able to quickly overtake him but he'd have found it a lot harder if Bertrand was at the club. The bar in 2015/16 is now extremely high for any teenager, but Koeman still gave debuts to 5 academy players last season and many of the under 21s often train with the first team. Any Saints teenager now would have to be exceptional to make it as a regular in our first team which is packed with senior internationals. In the past when Saints were a League One, Championship & newly promoted Premier League team themselves, teenagers were more likely to break through early. As a top half Premier League club it may take some until 20 to 23 to be of the quality we need, so loans to Football League clubs for them to gain experience make more sense than in our recent past as a Football League club or soon after promotion back to the Premier League.

I'm surprised anyone would even ask that. He isn't going to be sold to a Championship team, if he leaves it'll be on loan to gain experience.

The question Koeman was answering was if Romeu was the first choice transfer target for the role and not if he'd be first choice starter or not.

Isn't there a conflict of interest with Sky having the major Sports News Channel in the country and then making up stories which influence gullible people to place bets on Skybet? Skybet is the only UK bookmaker with a sister company that can influence the market significantly through "news" stories. Story in the Independent about it here... http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/ian-herbert-sky-sports-reports-sky-bet-reacts--is-there-a-conflict-of-interest-8807662.html

From his claim of a 23,000 capacity to the actual capacity being over 32,500 is quite a large margin of error. Every Premier League season at St Mary's has averaged over 30,000.

Can you give examples?

He also omitted Saints paid Palace a % of the Clyne deal. Its a simplistic way of looking at transfers as it doesn't take into account for example signing on fees, agent fees, other extras and that fees are rarely paid all upfront.

That second XI of subs wouldn't be a bad team. I think we now have the best depth we've ever had in the Premier League.