Midfield_General

He was Everton’s player of the year in the Prem 2019/20 under Ancelotti. Goes to show what a manager he is, because that genuinely ranks as a more impressive achievement than winning the Champions League five times.

Pope is also not great with his feet so doesn’t fit our model unfortunately, which is a shame as he’s otherwise a very solid top flight keeper.

Unless we’re going to stick with 3-5-2 with Fraser as wing back, we need a left back too. Manning would get absolutely destroyed in the Prem and I think we’ll need to do better than Perraud.

Lots of other players left around that time and were sent off warmly by the fans and by the club with best wishes messages and highlights reels. When he left, the club put out the type of one-line statement they only saved for players who had caused trouble behind the scenes or conducted themselves extremely badly. No thank yous, no best wishes, just 'we can confirm he has left'. It's pretty clear that there was a reason for that. There was a very strong rumour at the time that he had gone on strike and refused to play in order to force the move through. While that was never confirmed or denied by the club, given that he had been there for 14 years and was our captain, for his time to end that way it's pretty clear that the way he conducted himself to get the move seriously pissed the club off and they felt very let down by him. For a club which is generally pretty supportive of letting players further their careers, that does not reflect well on him at all. Whether he actually went on strike or not we don't know, although there was enough credence to the rumour that he felt he had to come out and deny it. But it's clear that he didn't behave well towards the club that had nurtured him from the Academy to the England squad, and who made him captain. For those talking about 'showing class', he then came back with Liverpool as a player and showed his own class by goading the Saints fans while they were dicking us 6-1 at home. I know that for a fact because I was there and saw him do it. And that ad in the Echo that he took out of himself was a joke - he thought he could act like a twat behind the scenes and then just brush over it with some faux-sincere badge-kissing shit from his PR team and that the supporters were so thick they'd just eat it up. People say 'oh but he was young then' - he wasn't, he was 26. At that age you know perfectly well how to conduct yourself. And all this stuff about what a great example he'll set our young players? What an absolute crock of shit. He set the worst possible example you could set to any young player. Players leave - fine, of course they do. Some players act like twats to force transfers - whatever, that's up to the them. But for anyone wondering why not everyone is welcoming him back with open arms, well, those are the reasons. It's not just blind hatred of someone who left, he brought it on himself. There's a reason players like Lambert are still universally loved, they left too but they didn't act like cunts doing it. Now he's an injury-prone sicknote at the arse end of his career, and we're convenient for him again because he can still get paid without travelling too far and can get back for the kids, apparently we should all welcome him back with open arms. Some people might be alright with that, and again, that's up to them. Some people aren't however, and think he burnt his bridges when he took the decision to take a giant shit on the club, and that what goes around comes around, and that he should fuck off. I'm one of them.

And then force transfers when they get offered more money elsewhere, despite being captain. What a super role model he is for 'the kids'.

And so what if you’re the captain, who cares? Just ignore that, take a shit on the club that nurtured you from the academy to the England team, disrupt everything and force that shit through to make sure you get your transfer away! This is the guy that people think we should bring back to ‘set an example’. Prick.

He acted the prick when he left and now he's just looking for a final easy payday close to his house so he can spend more time with his kids. He basically said as much when he said why he was leaving Brighton: "I feel like I've played quite a lot of football this season, maybe a little too much." "I've been speaking to my family throughout the year and the biggest influence on my decision was that my kids needed me." https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c03ddzkgll3o Cool, a footballer who wants to play less. Really sounds like he wants to go the extra mile and give everything for the cause. Is Winston Bogarde available? He's played for some really super duper big clubs too and would bring some much needed experience to our group of callow youths.

How do you know what deal we're offering him?

Their missus might though (Allegedly)

Quite aside from being a dickhead, from those quotes that he gave to Brighton at the end of the season it sounds like he just wants a final pay day somewhere near his house. If all that matters to him is where he's based, let him sign for Ringwood. I really hope we're not paying him much.

You're right. He obviously conducted himself in a way that made everyone at the club love and respect him. You can just feel the affection for him oozing out of the official statement when he left, with not a single word of thanks or good wishes towards him. What a guy.

Yep. He was 26 when he left us, he wasn't some naive kid who was badly advised or had his head turned. He was also our captain. To those saying what a great example he would set the younger players - what sort of example did he set our younger players when, as our captain no less, he allegedly went on strike to force his way out of the club? Why would you want to bring that person back, in any capacity, let alone to 'set the example'?

Also acted the cunt when he left, refusing to play for us to force through the transfer to Liverpool. Got the ‘one-line leaving statement’ treatment which is saved for the dickheads so clearly pissed a lot of people off at the club. Goaded our fans when he came back to St Mary’s and Liverpool hammered us in that evening game. Showed his true colours then so not sure why he would be welcomed back by club or fans after that. It’s not like he’s going to make much impact as a player and if we’re looking for coaches who are former players then surely there are some out there who set a better example and showed some loyalty to the club when we needed them to. (And that full page ad of himself that he took out in the Echo was absolutely cringeworthy as well).

The extended highlights including build-up and aftermath celebrations are free on ITV player

It's been his tactical flexibility and his willingness to change to suit the occasion/ opposition over the last few weeks that I've found most refreshing. Earlier on in the season it didn't look like he had it in him, so I agree that I think we're seeing him grow and improve as a manager, and that's great. I'm still perplexed by the apparently blind loyalty to Baz, as the swap to McCarthy felt to me like such a pivotal piece of how we've got through the play-offs the way we have, and that was an enforced change, but that conversation has been done to death and it's for another day. Right now I just want to bask in the feeling of winning and say well done to each and every one of the players and staff, as they all played their part in what will go down as one of the most memorable and enjoyable seasons in our entire history.

+ another proper defensive mid

Absolutely this. I’ve been very frustrated with him at times this season but he has come through for us and he’s delivered. He’s also schooled Farke three times, home, away and at Wembley, which given their history I’m sure must have given him great satisfaction, although he’s been too classy to say so. I’ve also been really impressed how he’s handled himself over the last few weeks when the pressure has been on. He’s been the model of calm and has been a superb leader. His insistence on giving all the credit to the players and his staff reflects exceptionally well on him. He’s been a class act. He deserves every last plaudit for what he’s achieved this season, absolutely fair play to him. I hope we back him properly in the summer and I look forward to seeing what he can do in the Prem (hopefully with us not Brighton!) Well done gaffer.

Where was he when we needed him? Couldn’t fuck off quick enough, now he wants to bask in reflected glory? Fuck him.

And he's a Saint... get him in https://x.com/MenInBlazers/status/1794745721146720452?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet

Fabulous Just fabulous Absolutely ruined. What a day COYS

Happy with that

That slapping sound you can hear emanating from the South West is the sound of 20,000 Plymouth Argyle fans all facepalming in unison: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cw44xx1w1d8o

Maresca in the mix for Chelsea: https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/may/23/chelsea-enzo-maresca-new-manager-thomas-frank-kieran-mckenna Man Utd going for Tuchel: https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/may/23/thomas-tuchel-manchester-united-if-ten-hag-sacked

It was still a lot, considering it was right before kick-off - I think it was about £350, although my memory's a bit hazy. My mate got one too off the same bloke for the same price, also in the Saints end but in a different part of it.

A load of tickets always end up with touts so there will be some available on the day - it just depends what you’re prepared to pay. For the 2003 FA Cup Final I got into the Saints end with a ticket I got off a tout right outside 10 minutes before kick off. If you hold your nerve, eventually there’s a tipping point where if they’ve got any left, they just need to get rid of them or they’re the ones who lose out. So take a wedge of cash, stand outside, keep your ears open and chance your arm, and you may well get in.