saint1977

Cheers, much appreciated. You've done well to retain Benitez, who is in the next bracket up from Koeman and should see you go up as top of the league. I find it interesting that Erwin and Jan haven't agreed their moves yet so some of the ITKs were correct on that aspect it seems. Erwin has long been rumoured to be the smart people manager in the set up so if he decides not to go to Everton it could be like Hoddle minus Gorman - which never ended well. Personally I think Erwin will sign on today to show solidarity with his brother but the fact he clearly has reservations speaks volumes and probably feels his brother is there just for the money as well! Oh well, let's hope we get a replacement with international profile. Have an open mind on Redmond if he signs, has the raw materials to be a top player and bolsters our flagging home grown percentage. Needs to find a final ball but ditto Sterling and he went for four times that amount. Saints are the ideal club to take his development on.

Glad it wasn't just me thinking that. Paco Jemez would be a hugely risky and unnecessary appointment and fans would be rightly skeptical. If he is so brilliant and had been punching miles above his weight in La Liga - why aren't the likes of Sevilla chasing him? Sounds like Ian Holloway when Blackpool had their season in the PL. Pellegrini looks like the sensible option at present out of the names thought to be under consideration. Vitor Periera doesn't inspire me, nor Howe. Hope K Billy's two un-named targets the club have in mind are better than some of the dross appearing on this thread.

Hoping that he isn't for 2 reasons; 1. It would mean England are going back to the bad old days of picking young players and discarding them after 3 tests. I'd hope - and believe - James will get at least the Pakistan series. 2. I wouldn't want to expose a talented player to drag himself down to Hampshire's level. At the moment, it really is like a pub side and most of the squad are not good enough for professional cricket. Is it worth holding a trials day for the southern minor counties and clubs to find some talent? Stephenson came from Devon leagues near me and Surrey found Tim Linley that way

Another corking post, along with Conor's excellent offerings. We're the Saints and we'll be fine. Can't believe people are moaning at the board about investment, look at how much has been invested since 2009 and the season by season improvement. Proud to be a Saints fan. KL wrote off about 33m alone to get us in the PL yet I don't see that posted anywhere. I just hope we hold out with Everton until we unveil our new manager so we get our PR spin in first and remember we hold the aces on releasing RK. Will wear my Saints shirt today with pride.

Despite a couple of excellent seasons I'd be horrified if we paid RK £7m pa - good manager but his CV is boosted significantly by his time at SFC - hopefully he has another Valencia moment at Everton. For that money, you could attract a genuinely elite manager. As long as we don't do something massively stupid like choose AVB or Howe, we will be fine. There aren't many better jobs available at present, could end up with better than RK. Everton beware - this owner could be Randy Lerner mk2 or could stay around. New ground to finance as well and will always be in Liverpool's shadow whatever they do.

Agree on AVB, not convinced by him at all and doesn't stay anywhere. FDB, Emery, Pellegrini - the next appointment has to be at that level. RK and his greedy new agent can do one, worse than MP, at least MP went to a bigger, better club and paid his buyout even because he believed in his own abilities. Didn't like the way he behaved but RK no better and thought he had more class.

Just to clarify, I'm not criticising the commercial side of the club which performed well last year. My critiques are aimed at the playing and coaching sides, which had the winter to get their house in order and flunked it. They knew we only had 2 D1 quality top order Carbs and Vince, and one of those is on England duty. They have been unlucky with the Topley and Edwards injuries but the bowling looked thin over a whole season even without those. They knew we needed compromise agreements with the likes of Tommo and Aams to free up wages and didn't deal with it. That's why White has to go.

Today was pathetic. Hants are very limited side and would struggle in D2 this year if we are being honest but we saw what could happen when they give 110% v Notts. If they give fractionally less than their best, they will get huge hidings like this one and like they had at Lancs. To not try is unacceptable in any walk of sport or employment. Adams has totally had it and should have gone on a compromise agreement over the winter. Galling to see Fuller taking wickets against us, should have been a bowler Hants were in for last year. Some posters on here won't like seeing these facts, but if SFC is a well run machine with a clear strategy, HCCC is a shambles with no leadership or vision. Major surgery was clearly needed over the winter to make us competitive and White bottled it. White out!

Shame for Plymouth but pleased for Ardley, remember him being so gutted when Wimbledon were relegated at the Dell. Plymouth will have the Wembley money to reinforce next term and have to start as favourites to win that league. Skates will be amongst the favourites as well but won't be easy for them to get automatic, especially with those 3 big earners Cook wants out on the books. Wimbledon v MK Dons is mouth watering!

No, I can't remember anyway. He seems a decent lad, just never got on with what MP wanted to implement, made a good start under Nigel who had a more open system before Jack Cork came back from injury and career went into reverse after MP's first (and only) full season. Be interesting to see if he does go to Boro and how he gets on in the top flight, Boro will have to set up more defensively as a newly promoted side so Gaston will have to work hard over the summer on the defensive side of his game and ball retention.

Agree with you very much on the top part but not on your second sentence. Victor's disciplinary record is poor, he's in a position where you are more likely to pick up cards and Romeu gets his share of yellows as well, increasingly so Clasie. He's great at stopping the big boys and can be very dominant but in other matches (Norwich away) looked lost when the onus was on him to use the ball and when teams sat off. Where I disagree is that we could get by with Romeu and Clasie - not with Europa and I still have my doubts about Clasie as a defensive screen, good player overall, although a big fan of Romeu's. We'd miss that physical presence against your Man City's and Arsenals and it's essential not to skimp in buying a high quality replacement in central midfield although we could go for a big, strong box-to-box CM who can defend but had more goal threat. Romeu however actually looks a threat coming forward so might play slightly more advanced in some games. Clasie might play as the holding midfielder in the Europa games I've a feeling.

Brilliant win. Tino and Crane demolished the tail. Best may not keep this form and pace levels up but let's hope he does so long enough to get another couple of wins. McLaren has been our player of season so far and breakthrough knock for Alsop at 6. Top order still fragile and even more so minus Vince. Need to strengthen in that area.

Sensible; let's wait and see what happens. I trust the club either way. Can't help thinking about Guan's 'new direction' post a few weeks back though.

200/6 against one of the favourites so showing some fighting spirit, Alsop 57 no and clearly benefiting from dropping down the order. So that's one bonus point, let's hope the tail wags and we can get a couple more. We won't know if 250-300 is a good score until Notts bat. To survive this season, everyone is going to have to contribute runs from 1 to 11 with the bat and we'll probably need a few of the batters to roll their arm over to supplement the thin front line bowling. It's a bits and pieces side that should finish bottom by a mile, a bit like the Saints sides in the 90s minus MLT, but hopefully team spirit and getting a couple of helpful wickets might just see us over the line. We might have to sacrifice the T20 and 50 over stuff though and play the academy sides in that as the squad won't last across all competitions.

Thanks KBS. Not unexpected, Juanmi just hasn't worked out as a gamble, Tadic seems a little volatile having fallen out with his national manager and suspect the negative press stories about RK during our bad run came from his camp. VW and Mane were always going to seek a move although he finished the season well. Pelle has served us well but wants a crack at Serie A and get the impression RK will grant it given his age. Bit worried about how fragile J Rod and Austin are though, very reliant on Long unless we strengthen in forward areas with someone like Dost.

Soares and Tadic then. Cedric is mysteriously out of favour and has struggled to stay in the side under RK. Tadic enjoyed a strong finish to the season but quite a few stories getting into the press earlier in the year and suspected for a while he may be moving on to somewhere like Benfica. No way Bertrand should be allowed to leave this summer at any price - he gave that interview in the Star, make him honour it and no way we should sell him to Liverpool. Do a Morgan and tell him to get his head down. Let's also remember that VVD and Fraser signed new deals and they are a huge part of our spine. Victor is when he feels like it but his agent is always chasing a signing on fee, as is Mane's.

Will definitely be buying that, sounds great and will cover some of the best years I've had as a Saints fan.

And also had them sniffing around Bertrand, which will prove much trickier for Liverpool now. With the new TV and sponsorship deals, we'll more than cope. Take your point but our income streams are going in the right direction. Thought BT's coverage was appalling, dreadful lack of respect for Sevilla given their fantastic record in the competition and felt like it was being in the pub with Liverpool fans at times (Owen especially). Lovren looked like he was towing a caravan second half, Gamiero did him for pace numerous times as Pool threw players forward and 35 year Toure had to rescue him. Lallana barely touched the ball second half. As another poster said (Saint Tex), thanks for the £61.5m, the club used it well.

Was pretty obviously his agent and the player's outlook when he had either us or Cardiff to choose from. Spurs most likely destination as they need a player like him and MP knows his strengths and weaknesses. Arsenal need him but his passing is nowhere good enough for Wenger's liking. So I think it'll be Spurs but the message to Levy should be simple - £15m up front or we let his contract runs down. Might even be worth the club making that clear in the London media so there's no doubts and perhaps question Levy's ability or authorisation to sanction a deal of that size.

Spot on IMO. Agent doing job for clients, Ron won't have any more net money to spend there and would only have £100m - and it only says maybe as much as - if Stones, Barkley and Lukaku go. How would he any better off than his first summer here? His agent is trying to push Saints on giving him a bumper deal and transfer budget. If Ron does go, De Boer is very likely to be on our shortlist and a chance for agent to double money. Would be sad to see Ron go but if he does, since the takeover, we've appointed some superb managers. I reckon we'd go for Benitez but Pellegrini wants to stay in England and can see him being interested. So no panic from me.

Ref had a clear view of it though and watched it all the way through the incident. Not like say Dembele's eye gouge which was through a crowd of players and off the ball. The authorities generally tend to go with the ref's decision in those circunmstances unless it's an obvious howler. Players on both sides on yellows - and some tasty challenges masking a lack of ability in some cases (although Carey, Matt and Jervis for Plymouth and Roberts for Pompey are very good players at that level). Pompey keeping asking for red cards - but might want to be careful what they wish for...

Good lad, we trained him well. Quite right as well, Cook was a right plonker there and rightly sent off. Their centre forward hasn't even sneezed on Doyle and he's claiming he's got a cut on his dead. Must have the pain threshold of an ant. If Plymouth can keep 11 on the pitch, they'll win this as that keeper looks a liability.

Echo Bexy's observation on Lamela - that looked deliberate to me - and certainly Dembele will be getting a ban asap for the appalling eye gouge on Costa although Costa is no angel. I'd be surprised if Toby is fit as well, limped off heavily last night and might be ready for their final game maybe. All the more annoying Dier wasn't sent off as he could have been by Clattenburg although very hard game to ref last night (in more senses than one). Needed eyes in the back of his head but he did see Dier's second booking and the first foul was a borderline yellow/red although probably the correct decision to give him a yellow for the foul on Hazard. Alli missing too - come on Saints, let's get an overdue win at WHL. When was the last time we won at Sprus in the league or any competition? Mid 90s with two late MLT goals? Remember the cup game at the turn of 90s, wasn't that where it kicked off with Pompey in Covent Garden afterwards?

To answer the OP, I trust the board a huge amount, more than any other during my adult life and frankly that's a relief after years of Askham, Lowe, Wilde etc. Lowe did at least invest in infrastructure although it appeared to be mostly borrowed. Leon Crouch at least had the club's best interests at heart but was caught up in the Wilde overspending. The Liebherrs have earned that trust, with Cortese's and Reed's help to be fair, by investing well to get back-to-back promotions and building superb infrastructure. The club is in fantastic shapwe and until the Leicester miracle - and incredibly well done to them - Saints were the template for a great deal of clubs and I suspect will remain so. Manager recruitment was been highly successful - Pardew, Adkins, MP and Ronald to date - which has backed up the investment in players and facilities. When there were complaints that Cortese was neglecting the club's heritage and supporter relationships, KL and Ralph sought to readdress that. Ralph seems to be making decent headway in upping our commercial income - UA deal for example - and international profile. In short, anyone who endured the dreadful 1990s like I did is very grateful for the last 6 years which represent a very happy time to be a Saints fan. There are things which can be improved upon, of course, as there always are but who would have settled for our current position in 2009? Plenty to look forward to and be optimistic about too.

MP shown for what he is - enjoyed that. Well done Leicester. Dier should have been sent off but Toby's season looks over and Dembele and Lamela surely getting banned for disgraceful incidents. Great chance for Saints to win at WHL with the form we are in.