Matthew Le God

Can't get higher than 5th on Sunday.

No-one said that. Have you forgotten...Lambert wasn't in the squad against Plymouth on the opening day of the season. He also missed a number of friendlies in pre-season due to injury. Hardly a cover up.

I'd say bare minimum for the club is a playoff victory. Really don't want to go through that though and nor is it that great considering the resources available to the club relative to those of the other 23 teams.

Yes, I know. But very poor relative to where the club wants to be in a few years time.

They are far from fantastic at the moment. I would say they are okay training facilities relative to the clubs ambitions of being a top half Premier League team again. The club has been overtaken by a large number of teams (Premier League and Championship) in terms of training facilities in the last 7 years due to lack of investment keeping Saints up to date. Hence why they are going ahead with this development, as major improvement was required.

Considering the resources plowed into the club, anything other than the league title is disappointing. I'm sure however that the disappointment would be short lived if the club went up in 2nd place or through the playoffs. Failure to get promotion is a disastrous season.

Even at £3.5m it is a huge figure for a League One side. (I still don't think you have taken into account all the factors I listed and the figure would be closer to £5m) The training ground development would also be costing a lot. Stoke used the same architect firm and their development is far less extensive and cost them over £5m.

Hence why I said "roughly".

How do you make up £3.5m? Have you included loan fees for Papa Waigo and Guly? Players like that don't come here for free. Have you included agents fees for every signing? Have you included sigining on fees for every signing? Including free transfers of Harding, Jaidi, Connolly, new contract for Davis, Butterfield, Dean, Martin Have you included the compensation package for Adkins and Crosby? Have you included the transfer fees for Lambert, Fonte, Seaborne, Richardson, Dickson, Hammond, Barnard, Puncheon?

Sheff Utd currently without a manager complicates any transfer activity for them.

So the roughly £5m spent on footballing staff since the takeover has passed you by? That is a huge amount for a 3rd tier club to spend considering it doesn't have the revenue streams of a Premier League or Championship side. You really think the club has no money? Did you not notice the multi million pound upgrade plans for the training ground announced after Liebherr's death and the constant hints of squad investment by Adkins and Cortese.

It is being discussed here. http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?27078-Big-News-on-Solent-(NOT!)

I said "quite often one of the clubs largest".

Boxing Day is quite often one of a clubs largest crowds of the season. Saints are bringing a lot of fans, there will be more than usual amount of home fans and more in corporate seats than normal. They will have ordered food and drink for this match and other things like programs. A postponement of a boxing day fixture would have a large financial impact on a team.

There is an 11 minute video previewing the Charlton match on Saints player. What more do you want?

But if Saints were going to strengthen the side anyway regardless of player sales, then it makes no sense to sell him to a club who may then get 15 years service out of him.

Keep up? I was just posting it for someone else's benefit.

http://www.uhy-uk.com/media/download/turnaround-and-recovery/PFC%20-%20November%20report.pdf

All three League One games and two Championship games in London on Boxing Day are at 1pm, the only Premier League London game on Boxing Day in London is at 12pm. I imagine this is for a deliberate reason and probably on request of the Met Police.

Some players mentioned here in this thread... Hull City have made bids for Matty Fraytt (source BBC Leicester reporter) and Aaron McLean (source Peterborough official webite). A bid for Charlie Austin by Hull has been rejected.

Walcott, Bale and Jones were all sold when the club was on a downward spiral desperately trying to delay/avoid administration and didn't have a rich backer to support the clubs ambitions. By the time Chamberlain is 19 years old he could (in theory) be a Premier League player with Saints and still have most of his career ahead of him after playing regularly for Saints for 2 seasons.

Jonjo Shelvey was sold to Liverpool in a deal reported to be worth up to £5m. At the time, Charlton Athletic were desperate for cash to avoid administration, Shelvey was still only a bit part player for them in League One. Yet people happy to see Chamberlain sold by a financially very secure club for as little as £4m or even £1m!? Unlike Charlton, Saints aren't desperate for cash and are in a stronger position in the negotiations. Chamberlain recently signed a 3 year deal, he may have 15 years left as a professional for any new club, Saints will spend on players regardless of if he is sold or not. It therefore makes no business sense to sell him unless the bid is absolutely huge. If true that the top English clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool think he has the potential to play for their first teams then it is clear they think highly of him and is very valuable indeed. I'm glad none of you lot are running Saints and selling players like Chamberlain for £1m - £4m.

David Prutton - Was released on a free by Saints. The others were all sold when the club needed money. The club no longer needs money from player sales and is spending money on bringing in players. If the current players see that the club is progressing and for the first time in 125 years the owners are investing in the club, they will be more likely to stay.

Why is it unbelievable? Kenny Jackett was looking for attacking players and he could see that Jason Puncheon wasn't playing for Saints as Chamberlain was being preferred.

Dropping out of the first choice starting XI also played a factor. Chamberlain has been more effective, Puncheon 7 years older wouldn't like to play second fiddle. Holmes ( until the inevitable injury) and Dickson/Harding provide cover out wide for the small number of games between Puncheon leaving and the January window opening.