Matthew Le God

Four months ago... http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/can-barcelona-model-solve-englands-talent-drought-2215097.html I have heard from someone connected to Newcastle United's academy in the last few days that Saints, along with Chelsea and Man City are likely to be the only academies in the English leagues to get category one status should the proposed changes to the academy system come into force (based on checks by the governing bodies). Newcastle would currently be getting a category 3, I don't know any others. This is based on the rankings from 1 - 4 for all youth systems, taking into account infrastructure/coaching etc and should be finalised later in the summer (possibly the end of June) ready to be implemented for the 2012/13 season. A real sign of intent that Saints are getting category one when clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Man Utd aren't as things stand. Although I'm sure they will want to get category one asap. It also brings a number of significant benefits for Saints, Man City and Chelsea over academies ranked 2, 3 or 4 as you can see in the articles below. Significantly higher ranked academies can work with under 9's to under 12's before the other categories and thus have the pick of the bunch. They are also getting rid of the 90 minute rule and there will be a new system of compensation for when youngsters move. Background on the proposed changes... http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2011/02/football_league_fears_over_pla.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8324495/Henry-Winter-Premier-Leagues-elite-plan-radical-overhaul-of-academy-system-to-help-top-schoolboy-talent.html This is how Cortese is aiming to compete with the "big boys" and Saints have already been making significant strides in this area. The upgrade to Staplewood and hiring of full time academy staff with UEFA badges (a lot of clubs have a lot of part time staff in the academy) and educational facilities onsite meaning more coaching time being the key ones. Planning permission was granted in February 2011 for the temporary training buildings Saints will use during the construction phase. http://web3.newforest.gov.uk/images/planningimages/169247_1.pdf On the 5th May 2011 you can see that the temporary buildings are now in place... The new academy system comes in for 2012/13, so they need to get it built by then. So things are moving along nicely towards this...

Yes they do. It just isn't very good.

Chris Coleman?

The Irish aren't a race.

Limericks >>> Haiku

There once was a man called Jordan Who protected season ticket news with a cordon Saints Web did complain And refreshed his domain He would forever be known as the ticket warden

How easy is it to move my season ticket? I'm guessing it isn't difficult for them and I can do it in the first window of season ticket renewal sales?

Discounts next season for all those that stayed up? They can check the post history of this thread to see who did.

It is uncanny Nick! It is almost as if they were copying and pasting their own previously made up bull**** and regurgitating it over and over again. Please tell me the Daily Mail don't do that?

The term "this evening" is subjective, many use it to describe the night as a whole, others for a shorter period. It is still the same night-time in which we were told the article would arrive. We were told it would be "later this evening" at gone 9pm, so clearly it is being used as a term to describe the night as a whole. So it isn't late (yet). Ask again at 6am.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1393431/Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain-urged-join-Arsenal.html A number of strange things in that article. - Why does Saints selling Walcott to Arsenal 5 years ago mean they have a "strong relationship"? Especially with Saints under new ownership and management. - Where have they got "Southampton are hopeful of achieving £10m for Oxlade-Chamberlain" from? I doubt the club have told them this. - Where have they got "failed with a £5million bid to lure him to the Emirates earlier this year" from? Yes, Cortese said there were bids, but he didn't put a figure on it. - Why doesn't a Mail "journalist" (in its loosest terms) want to put their name to this article?

Which is more likely, Championship offers from those at the top or bottom? Last season he was on loan at relegation scrapping Barnsley, this summer Notts County are offering him a deal. Saints could do much better, Harewood is very much on the decline. Bids for players like Jack Cork show Saints' ambitions for the season.

That is in reference to this story... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1393018/Amy-Childs-leaves-club-Marbella-footballer-Jack-Cork.html Not the transfer rumours.

He is getting contract offers from bottom half League One clubs like Notts County for a reason. What makes you think he would be good enough for a Championship promotion campaign?

Of course it is, since the thread started you have had five "owners". A new owner doesn't mean the saga or this thread is over by any means. No point closing the thread, especially as football clubs owned by those with connections with the mafia will only end in tears. You have to question why a legitimate businessman would choose Pompey ahead of a number of other clubs in England that offer a better business decision (infrastructure and fanbase etc) for a similar or better price than it would cost to make Pompey a Premier League regular again. Any businessman that does so is either dodgy (possibly money laundering) or inept in business and can't see better opportunities even when they are available.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Arsenal-transfer-news-Nicklas-Bendtner-set-for-12m-move-with-Bayern-Munich-expected-to-bid-Denilson-8m-Sevilla-target-article743321.html

Well he is in the 23 man squad for the under 21 European Championships a week later, so you would think so.

Yes, I am certain based on the exact wording of the transfer window rules. It says "midnight", so at midnight and not a second afterwards. Though obviously no-one would be available to process transfers at the FA's offices until the morning after, so it doesn't really matter.

Nope, you are both wrong, it is the 2nd day. The transfer window opened at midnight on Monday/Tuesday.

What makes you think this takeover will go well? None of the others have, and these guys look far from what I would want running my club given their murky backgrounds and links to the Russian mafia. This is just another disaster waiting to happen.

I didn't mean beat directly, more that he was deemed good enough to make the 23 man squad and Lallana wasn't. I'm not even saying Cork is better than Lallana or vice versa, just using it to answer the question of how good Cork is, being in the squad for England gives an indication of his quality.

Well he beat Adam Lallana to get in the England under 21 side for the European Championships this summer and was a regular starter at a good Championship team this season.

Why do you think that? The longer it takes, the harder it will get. - Next season will see 3 clubs with £32m worth of parachute payments left (maybe less with Pompey) and 3 clubs with £48m worth of parachute payments left. The season after another 3 clubs with £48m of parachute payments will join the league and so on. Yes, some of them may go straight up, but the recent increase in these payments and extension over 4 years instead of 2 means it will get harder and harder as the years go on for clubs without the payments to compete with those that do. - If Saints get again promoted next season there is a reasonable chance players like Chamberlain could stay to play for the team in the Premier League. If Saints don't get promoted quickly the squad may be broken up and the club having to rebuild. Saints will want to use the momentum they have to get up as quick as possible and that means a push for promotion in 2011/12. Cortese doesn't strike me as a man to be consolidating in the Championship when he doesn't need to.

How many League One, Championship or Premier League teams have training facilities as good as those being built at Staplewood? It is on a par with those in the top six of the top flight. That is being done without Premier League or Championship TV money. It is clear evidence of huge ambition being backed up with real money. They aren't building it as good as they are in order to hang around in the Championship or even the lower reacher of the Premier League for years to come. If they wanted to do that, they would have used a smaller scale development of Staplewood.

You mean newly promoted Saints joint 4th favourite to win the 2011/12 Championship with Skybet?