Matthew Le God

That is the side of the "argument" I have taken the whole time. Yes, Cortese should be open to criticism, and I will do if I feel it is justified. However I have seen little in the nearly 3 years they have been here to be critical of apart from a few relatively small issues in the grand scheme of things. This really does seem to be a golden era in the clubs 126 year history and one we should all enjoy.

A key factor as you hint at is top flight status. That will make a difference and help the club keep hold of its academy products longer. Bale, Walcott and Chamberlain all left Saints whilst still teenagers and not able to play top flight games for Saints. Other middle sized Premier League clubs are at least able to stop the really big Premier League clubs buying players until they are at least in their early to mid 20's rather than teenagers.

It was announced long before Chamberlain was sold. It was actually first announced in late 2009 before Chamberlain even made his debut. Cortese has stated that even before Markus Liebherr bought the club the intention was to redevelop Staplewood.

Given Cortese's record of buying players from clubs in financial difficulties I think he is unlikely to be "fleeced". Fonte from Palace, Barnard from Southend, Richardson from Charlton, Stephens from Plymouth etc etc. Looking at the improved plans on the New Forest website, along with the additional ones submitted last month and still awaiting approval for the academy, Staplewood is going to be up their with the very best in the Premier League in terms of facilities. It is little wonder it is going to cost £15m given the costs of lesser training facilities at other clubs. In any case does it matter to any Saints fan that it costs £15m if it doesn't burden the club with unsustainable debt? Spending on infrastructure is key to building a long term business and has many benefits as I have already outlined that will create revenue. You again attempted to belittle me in post #67, and have been shown to be very wrong. I can only see this trend continuing if you maintain your view the club shouldn't and/or won't improve St Mary's.

BBC reporter Kris Temple just said it is costing £15m. Consider also that the £1m training dome is already built and remaining in place and the club own the land already so that £15m is all on the development rather than land purchases or indoor training facilities.

I'll just add it to the list of things you and Turkish will be wrong about in the coming years. Coming next up will be your surprise at the announcements of improvements at the stadium, soon to be followed Saints fans flocking in numbers. What makes it a "vanity project"? It will help the club achieve category one academy status, help attract youngsters and first team players, help provide a high quality training environment etc etc. If the Liebherr's have the money and aren't burdening the club with debt it can only be a good thing. It also adds value to the club unlike spending on wages. I'd rather they spent £15m on a training ground that will be in place for 20 - 30 years, than £15m on a player that the Saints academy could produce itself given category one status.

Oh dear Turkish. BBC reporter Kris Temple just said it is costing £15m. Consider also that the £1m training dome is already built and remaining in place and the club own the land already so that £15m is all on the development rather than land purchases or indoor training facilities. Apology time again for you?

Why that smiley?

BBC's South Today just said the new Southampton training ground is costing £15 million. Considering they already own the land and the training dome was already built years ago, that is a huge amount of money.

Interview with Reed, Lallana and Cortese now on Saints Player.

From left to right. Les Reed, Nicola Cortese, I don't know but probably someone from Leadbitter the contractor, Adam Lallana

It isn't on Sky, it is on the BBC.

That is how I saw him as well. I don't think Martin or Seaborne have the makings of being Premier League centre backs.

Even if they do, their prospects for 2012/13 don't look good even if they stay in business. With Charlton/Sheff Weds/Sheff Utd/Huddersfield etc coming up, Pompey would face another relegation battle with a squad even weaker than they have had this season.

I wonder if Reading thought the same last week at London Road...? 20th March 2012 - Peterborough United 3 - Reading 1

Poor old Aldershot How about... "Two teams in Hampshire, there's only two teams in Hampshire............... and the other is Aldershot"

I make it four games. Peterborough v West Ham and Portsmouth v Hull are the ones you are referring to. But... Leicester v Nottm Forest and Crystal Palace v Doncaster have an impact on Pompey's attempt to stay in the league. Forest and Doncaster wins would be nice.

Bialkowski hasn't been injured. In every game home and away Saints haven't had a keeper on the bench, Bialkowski has been warming up with Kelvin Davis on the pitch before kickoff. Plus he has been in full training the entire time. Saints haven't had a keeper on the bench because Adkins wants more outfield options to choose from.

In his previous interviews Cortese had with the BBC he even hints of (and uses the term) "a 10 year plan", on top of the 5 year plan commonly mentioned on this forum. The "5 year plan" is merely to get back to the top flight, which they are clearly ahead of schedule for. In any case just because they use the term "X number of year plan" it doesn't mean at the end of that period they won't to sell up. Just that that is the timeframe to achieve one aim, they then could set new aim once that is achieved. Which Cortese's use of the phrase "10 year plan" hints at.

That is rubbish Turkish. You really make this all too easy. The reason it is costing 3 times more is because there is a lot more to it now than was included originally. Anyone that has even had the briefest look at the plans for the development on the New Forest Council website before Liebherr died and then look how much more there is in the resubmitted plans after his death can see that. The main pavilion building is a lot bigger and now includes a lot more, there is a groundman building, security lodge, 3g pitch and improvements to the other pitches, new floodlights on a number of the outer-pitches and the main pitch, a stand with for two of the youth pitches, more landscaping of the entire site etc etc all ontop of what was announced originally. Plus in February 2012 the club submitted the plans for an academy building complex by the farm building on the site.

Yes, you can.

Given what he said in his two interview with the BBC in 2010 (in March on Radio Solent and December on South Today/BBC Website) and the statement on the OS after Markus died, both you and him can't be right.

So by saying that, you think Cortese has lied to us in his previous interviews with the BBC and the statement on the OS. Just saying "I've heard a few bits from a few fairly reliable people", doesn't make it credible to us, it is vague in the extreme.

It doesn't matter. It is still a booking and the referee was right by the rules he is given to work with. I'd guess they don't want players to cause a mass of people rushing to the front of the stand to meet the players, potentially a dangerous situation.