Matthew Le God

He won two awards and the photo shows him holding two trophies. So... yes

One of the least effective walls in the history of football!

Amazing how many Saints fans underate him, he really is a class act. Ward-Prowse was named third best player at the Toulan tournament and also won 'Goal Of The Tournament' for strike v Brazil.

What about the following season when he scored 8 Premier League goals?

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After he starting following Saints, he started following Spurs. What should we deduce from that?

Random musing thread #42

Ronald Koeman certainly didn't leave Feyenoord on bad terms based on this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC0t8RhGalE

In an ideal world that is what should happen, but there are not many examples of clubs doing that and it working out for them.

How do you keep hold of players capable of playing at Champions League competing level, if you aren't Champions League competing level yourself?

Because even with £50m spent we wouldn't be at Spurs level. Pochettino leaving doesn't by default mean Saints lack money or ambition, its just Spurs offer more.

Swansea signed him for £12m, they reportedly want £20m+ for him now.

Is that not what you've just done here... Saints spent £37m and £36m in the previous two seasons, after selling lots of players you know think we'll spend less. On what is that based on?

The club has spent £73m on players in the previous two seasons, given the significant increase in TV revenue spending this summer regardless of player sales may have been at a similar or increased level.

"minimum of a £50m transfer kitty" and "the amount available for transfers at Southampton is likely to be increased should any of the club's stars command substantial fees".

"Minimum of a £50m transfer kitty" and "the amount available for transfers at Southampton is likely to be increased should any of the club's stars command substantial fees". That wording suggests the £50m is regardless of player sales and it is the minimum he will get. So if Shaw and Lallana go the £50m minimum figure will rise. May seem unlikely, but thats how they've worded it.

I thought as the forum is being drown in numerous negative random musing threads, something like this should have its own thread to cheer us all up (if true).

Daily Express claims Ronald Koeman if appointed will get a "minimum of a £50m transfer kitty" plus "the amount available for transfers at Southampton is likely to be increased should any of the club's stars command substantial fees". http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/479575/Ronald-Koeman-promised-50m-transfer-kitty-as-Saints-close-in-on-Pochettino-replacement

A bigger stadium and surrounding development of the site would help change perceptions of the club nationally and internationally. Unlikely to happen or not, it is something along these lines Saints will need to move up a level in the eyes of the football world. Something like this perhaps...

Puel is the manager that signed Dejan Lovren for Lyon.

Well that is clearly nonsense! As no bookie has Garcia currently at shorter odds than 14/1, with the highest being 25/1. If someone had put £8k on at 25/1 this morning they would stand to win £200k and the market across all bookmakers would quickly be suspended after odds quickly dropped. In any case, would a bookie even take a £8k bet at 25/1 for something that is down to a human decision rather than a sporting event and can easily leak?

Which assets are being stripped? If Lallana goes it will be because we got a huge price and he wants to play Champions League level football with Champions League level wages. Not as a result of an asset strip. Same would apply if Shaw, Lovren and Schneiderlin leave. Saints have a number of players capable of playing Champions League level football and earning Champions League level wages, but can't offer it to them. If they are sold it doesn't by default make it an asset strip. If Liebherr really wasn't as interested in the club as the OP claims, she wouldn't bother going to home and away games as often as she has since Cortese left. Nor would she bother with things like attending the annual staff game. She's owned the club for 4 years and had ample opportunity to sell the club at a profit in that time, instead she's invested.

Ben Smith ‏@BenSmithBBC 2m Stalemate in Lallana's proposed move to #LFC. Player wants future sorted before WC. #SaintsFC want to wait. Not the action of a club during a firesale is it? A firesale is selling players for bargain basement prices. A club mid firesale would have accepted the £20m bid, let alone the £25m bid they appear now to have rejected. If Lallana has a good World Cup his value will go up which probably isn't the case for Lambert.

Ben Smith ‏@BenSmithBBC 2m Stalemate in Lallana's proposed move to #LFC. Player wants future sorted before WC. #SaintsFC want to wait. Not the action of a club during a firesale is it? A firesale is selling players for bargain basement prices. A club mid firesale would have accepted the £20m bid, let alone the £25m bid they appear now to have rejected. If Lallana has a good World Cup his value will go up which probably isn't the case for Lambert.