VectisSaint

Sue, haven't received mine yet either (the post just arrived). I received mail from the Club on Thursday that at least implied they had been sent, and some people have received theirs. I was expecting them yesterday, but I guess it may be another day or so.

Belgians play for Spuds.

Boruc

Oh good, I'm glad you cleared that up

I guess you don't watch football at all then, if you seriously think that. 5 goals last season as a DM (and 5 two years prior to that as well) pays testimony to the fact that actually he can shoot, and is one of the better midfields at that particular skill. Admittedly he wasn't too good at it in his early days, but if you are seriously trying to say that was one of his flaws then you should think again. Try watching the video on Twitter now, I know it only shows the good things but hey ho, it also demonstrates that he was actually very good at hitting the target when all around him were woeful. I look forward to the day when Ward-Prowse scores 5 in a season from open play, or Steven Davis or Dusan Tadic for that matter.

So the thread title can be amended now. Sad day, our best player over the last few years by far, but he's played an important part in what we have achieved, and we have played an important part in what he has achieved. I fully expect him to go on and be a great player, shame its for Manure, but at least its not with the Bindippers or the North London yobbos, but a proper top 4 team. Good luck Morgan. Now lets see the 25+m spent wisely on replacements (plural because he cannot be replaced in the singular). Sounds like Les possibly expects Clasie and Reed to take up the cudgels, at least in part.

Will be very surprised if Morgan becomes a bench warmer at United. Schweinsteiger is relatively short term and will not be available, week in week out. Morgan will more likely become the central pillar the midfield is built around. Comparing him with Shaw is just silly. As they say, you don't know what you've got till its gone.

Why are you looking to blame anyone, and for what? CL isn't such a long way away, after all we could win the EL this season and qualify (unlikely I know). When the original 5 year plan was put together that wasn't even a possibility.

Agreed, but as an individual it is very difficult to see how he can be replaced like for like. I never said he was irreplaceable, we will probably bring in Clasie and maybe someone else, alter our system a little to suit what we have. But I think it highly unlikely that we will find someone as good as Morgan at what Morgan did and not have it affect the team. Sometimes one has to realise that we have lost a player who is so good (and will show this in the coming years) that his loss will be felt. I don't think any of the players that went last season, or Clyne or even Toby for that matter come into this category of player.

Really? Did anyone serious actually say this. Rickie was already on his way out in January (was going to Wet Sham), he was never going to be the biggest loss last summer, in fact I would say he was the least of our losses, apart from being a talisman. If you think Morgan is easily replaceable then you are a little deluded (in my opinion). You don't easily replace players that will probably prove to be world class.

This, everyone else has been replaceable. Morgan is the key to our team, and is one of the best players in his role in Europe (maybe the world). We may buy players but we will not be able to replace him like for like.

So, that would have been £5m then.

Interesting idea, planning to sell tickets for a match against an unknown opponent on an unknown (1 of 2) date at a kick off time to be announced.

Out of interest are you talking £s or Greek Drachma.

Neither will be sold for anything like £20m (in my opinion). I don't think we will see another 20m player leaving us for a while.

I wonder if the add-ons ever kicked in that would take it to £1.2m (1.5m euros). 1.2 was not the initial fee. Still at least Morgan chose us instead of the Skates, and he was brought in by Lowe at the same time (just after to be precise) as that great asset Paul Wotton. Did we make £20m+ on him as well? OK, so Lowe has to take some credit, but really, amongst everything else he did, this was really just one thing he lucked out on.

Good to see Liverhampton are now a Showcase Club for the Top 4.

and before that it was Branf**t. Not always a good thing.

Why is this so difficult to understand? If no-one meets our valuation Morgan stays with us, which is the ideal position. What would be the point in having an agreed valuation and then accepting something lower. Why is there a panic to sell? He has 2 years left on his contract. He stays with us, we benefit from having our best player playing for us under the terms of the agreed contract, which we have budgeted for. If someone comes in for him next summer, fine, as long as they meet our valuation, which if we have not extended his contract would be less than now.

LOL, lets not count some of u21s as u21s because it does not fit your agenda or back up your post. Really couldn't make it up with some of the drongos on this forum these days.

On the other hand, need to remember that our two best U21s have not come back for pre-season yet. I think we are beginning to see though that the conveyor belt of talent that is much talked about is not as good now as it was a few years ago, where are the 16/17 year olds that break through now, we are still looking for 20 year olds to push on and apparently its not happening.

Perhaps it would be better to see how we get on this coming season before we try to extend his contract. Giving him an extra year or years before we know how he will cope with second season syndrome would be foolish. In any case, a PL manager lasting 3 seasons is almost unheard of unless its Mr Grumpy Wenger.

Just got back in, relying on this site and Twitter to know what is going on, bunch of depressives on here, no-one has anything good to say. Its pre-season guys, first 45 minutes for most of the players. Twitter at least gives some balance. Still, suppose its good training for the match threads for away games for the coming season. Posts such as "FFS" or Bugger" really are about as useful as a chocolate teapot and people have the temerity to say the commentator is bad. LOL.

Would that be the same sky sources that said Toby would sign for Saints and Spuds on the same day. I think we can ignore. Man U if they have got BS.

... or do we keep said player who knows what the valuation is and gives every impression of being willing to stay if no-one comes in with said agreed valuation. Why will he be disenchanted? He has 2 more years on his contract and is seemingly more likely to stay now than he was last season. I do wish people would stop trying to get rid of our best player, when the best solution all round is that he stays with Southampton. If he only had one year left on his contract the situation would be slightly different. My guess is that he will still be here when we start our EL campaign, it will be interesting to see then whether he is named in the (EL) squad.