Matthew Le God

Since then, we have signed Ramirez. In order for Ramirez to play Ward-Prowse is the most likely to make way. Reserve simply means backup to the first choice, it doesn't mean they won't play or start. To see Ramierz play is more of a draw then to see Ward-Prowse play. Are you disputing Lambert is more of a draw to the fanbase than Rodriguez? Rodriguez is a good player, but I don't know how to break this to you, he is reserve/backup to Lambert.

Have I said they aren't good players? Have I said they won't play or start in games this season? No on both counts. All I said was they are not in the first XI, and anyone that is not in the first XI is a reserve or backup to those that are. For example... - Lambert is our first choice striker, Rodriguez is his reserve. - Boruc will be the first choice keeper, Gazzaniga will be his reserve. - Davis and Schniederlin are the first choice central midifeld, Ward-Prowse and Cork are the reserves. etc etc

If a player isn't in the first XI, he is a reserve to those that are. We only had one or two players that would be in our best XI playing tonight.

Well they aren't first choice players, so that makes them reserves to those that are. Our three big players, Lallana, Ramirez and Lambert all weren't in the squad at all today. They are the real draws to attract fans, and our fanbase knew it would be the backup players and youngsters vs a lower league team tonight. An attendance of nearly 10k with that in mind really isn't that bad.

How many of tonight's team would be starters for the 1st team if everyone was fit? Two, Yoshida and maybe Hooiveld. Our first XI will be... Boruc Clyne Hooiveld/Fonte Yoshida Fox Schneiderlin Davis Lallana Ramirez Puncheon/Mayuka Lambert

Tonight was pretty much a reserve game for £15 vs lower league opposition, just days after a game that cost over £40 per adult.

- MK Dons were playing a team two league above them. - Leeds were playing big team from the League above. - Chelsea are the European Champions. - Man City are the English Champions. - West Ham were playing another Premier League side. Saints were playing a team from a lower league and every Saints fan knew it would be Saints reserves playing tonight. 9,000 for want was pretty much a reserve game against lower league opposition and you are complaining?

Did you, when was that? In any case tonight was pretty much a reserve game in terms of the Saints team/subs and it was against lower league opposition.

He was poor. He is a bottom half Championship player at best and a decent League One club is probably really his level. His positional sense, technique and awareness is shocking, I dread to imagine him playing for us in a Premier League game. He is not going to improve to the level we need at this stage of his career, he is far too limited for top flight football.

He went off injured.

We had a circa £30m net spend bringing in 8 players, which was the 7th highest net spend in the whole of European football this summer. So wasn't that bad a summer.

http://www.owlstalk.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/180552-match-day-thread-southampton-vs-sheffield-wednesday/#entry4007953

They've announced that very early.

Well if he is really on £90k p/w, that helps me in my never ending "debates" with Kraken, Turkish etc with the scale of the resources and ambition behind Saints. From the 135 minutes in a Saints shirt that Ramirez has played so far he looks to be an extremely talented player.

Why did you complain? This has been in place for some time, so isn't really a shock. All you had to do was pay in cash and you wouldn't be charged the booking fee.

I didn't "move the goalposts", my original point would be that there would be very few if any 21 year olds in world football that would be on £90k p/w. I asked which players might be on such wages. All people have done is support my point by naming very few players, and those they have are playing for some of the biggest and richest clubs in the world and also in European competitions. Do you not think that Saints had little need to offer Ramirez anywhere near those kinds of figures considering we were the only team with a bid accepted? AN upgrade on his wages at Bologna, fee for joining, agent fee and the offer of Premier League football should suffice.

Not an error at all. I merely said "very few if any", not an uncommon phrase to use. Which therefore makes it even more unlikely they are paying someone £90k p/w.

That is an odd way of using the phrase "very few (if any)" out of context. My statement simply says there won't be many and there is the possibility it might be none at all. Finding a handful of examples does not make me wrong, it actually supports my statement, I merely said there is also the possibility there could be none, not that there definitely is none.

I said "very few (if any)", and given the mere handful of names listed, I appear to be right. Plus they are all at some of the world's biggest and richest clubs playing in European competitions.

All listing the handful of players from some of the world's biggest and richest clubs did is support my point that it is unlikely a player Southampton signed without competition from other bidders for £12m, would need to be offered anywhere near £90k p/w.

So no need to offer him huge money then, merely an upgrade on what he was getting at Bologna plus the offer of Premier League football would do.

So what point are you trying to make? All people are doing is listing a handful of players that play for some of the biggest and richest clubs in the world.

So you are comparing Ramirez to key players at Chelsea and Man Utd? Saints were the only team to bid for Ramirez and his wage at Bologna wasn't that great, simply no need for them to go so high above every other Saints player. Neymar's sponsorship deals are separate from his wages so not really relevant as the club isn't paying him for that, his sponsors are.

So a player that is a regular (and seemingly key player) for the European Champions and cost them £32 million, is on similar wages to a Southampton player that cost £12m? That is one example in the whole of world football then (I won't count Neymar as Santos won't be paying him anywhere near £90k p/w).

A Brazilian club paying £90,000 per week to one player? Really?