Gordon Mockles

I want to go to one of those these days just to test if they’re not preprepared questions and pointless. I have a few testing questions to ask and will see if they come back to me. That’s a proper acid test of a fan forum. Lol

Gao won’t replace back room staff on 40k a year. He certainly won’t bring in a player on double that a week. Does anyone realise how much we paid as a loan fee for Kevin Danso? Ridiculous amount. 3 1/2 million for a loan fee. Seems every club sees us coming. We really need some football people on our board to oversee and prevent us wasting any more money. Cynicism aside I’m not even joking but I wouldn’t put it past us to sign a player trading expert in February. He’ll probably be given a lift by Matt Crocker

I wouldn’t worry about it too much Turkish. Some appreciate your efforts but certain people either have an agenda or they “wanna make America great again”, if you catch my drift. A few of the comments on here people are a little alarming in their essence. It’s amazing & saddening how we can smash an atom but not a prejudice.

Wouldn’t be a bad idea. Look where they are in the table. Liverpool signed most of our team and look where they are in the table Apparently we tried to sign Maddison. You know things have slipped & the diligence, ambition & quality have fallen away from your club when your club board is full of people with no interest or idea about football & the best they can manage is to boast about players they didn’t manage to sign.

Fair enough but I just think he’s one of those players that we have to sell by date and there was a reason why he wasn’t playing Macbeth, ask yourself that. As I say l, it’s only my opinion and he used to be a really good bulldozer (like Viafara) but I don’t think he has all that much to offer now.

To be fair, the most tedious and irritating part of this thread is the people complaining that it’s not on topic. Now there are pages of senseless whining which is hollow and devoid of substance. Errrrr, and off topic. I wanted to come on and read about Saints potential transfers and discuss some old comments made by the club relating to this transfer window. Oh, wait!!! Errrr, also, all of these topic bigots are actually off topic so can we just sensor their views as they’re not the same as mine? Fin fact, I came onto here with a certain expectation of comments and I haven’t been satisfied the direction in which the conversation has taken since I want to read plain delusion and false rumour links so could this be rectified please mods? Perhaps everything from page 3 removed if you don’t mind?! (I’m clearly joking because I don’t mind other people having an opinion or discussing a more left field angle unlike some of the massive bells on this website!!) Lol I bet half of them wanted a second referendum. ;o)

Oh you’re a barrel of laughs. I bet you’re one of those people who are still on Facebook then complain when people post holiday photos. “I can’t harmony and can’t abide civilised discourse!” Lol If you’re struggling to grasp the concept of social media, try Craig’s list. Or another options if dissident opinions offend you, don’t go on social media, doofus. Incidentally, the club PR record is entirely embedded in the transfer window and absolutely to do with the January transfer window thread just for clarification but thanks for your right wing / Draconian view on differing opinion & freedom of choice. The reason we haven’t signed in consecutive transfer windows is because the club may possibly mislead but that’s speculative of course. To some, the club only sign players after making pinky promises (pinky promise sounds a bit like Quincy Promes! Lol) and they never, ever drip feed rumours and definitely not to The Telegraph or Jezza. ;o)

Definition of insanity is going through a 5th (or more?) Gao transfer window and actually expecting a transfer in general!! Do you not look at history and learn from it? This football club is powered by optimism and delusion. I prefer them to our current shirt sponsors

Egg

Wanyama is past it and injury prone. No thanks. Concentrate on new and promising talent. I'd like someone like Gbamin of Everton, Ndidi of Leicester or Denis Zakaria of Vestergaard's old club. Give em the lanky totem pole back and part swap him for Denis.

Thank you. Hard to be succinct when I have to show multiple articles and explain why I linked them. Post Leicester defeat and Quincy Promes assurances to the fans were made to newspapers and emanated from SFC. They don't have to say "I promise" and no club ever will in an article during a transfer window but if you see a club saying so in the press throughout Jan, please link it. ;o)

Exactly and I avoided saying any more due to being perceived as cynical enough but a big gripe of mine (many I hold with Gao) is he sheds staff to free to the wages bill without any intention of replacing yet the PR agencies profess differently hence the links. It took a year to replace Reed. Ross Wilson is blurred as he is either DOF or RECRUITMENT. Now, we have neither until Crocker starts (again, nothing on date as to when. Mushrooms us fans, left in the dark) but we also claimed to be getting new coaches, player trading expert as well as defenders. Burac was even cited but this was likely too good to be true but what an addition and show of intention/ambition it would be.....which is exactly why I knew it would be more fan social engineering. It's ludicrous how the club PR machine now works and how deceitful and dishonest it has become. Just be honest and respectful to the fans. They show their devotion enough and we've not had much to celebrate. Of course Gao wants to do the minimum possible. Hence why I want him out and he's the worst type of owner. Begs the question, why did he even buy the club? What were his intentions unless it was merely the location of the port and waterside develop and casinos and cargo trade links with China, hence the state involvement but I am digressing. Sign some good players please......ideally defenders!!!

Anyway, back on track and onto less tedious observations, what is happening with Maehle or Pongracic? I thought or naively hoped we may have moved swiftly in this in this precarious season/window but wishful thinking. The Le Harve rumour about the lower league Striker – Tino Kadewere - sounds like the cheap, untested and uninspiring gamble we always seem to take (if even true) and never seem to learn from. Maybe paper talk. He may be decent but I would much rather someone like Bowen. Saying that, I was keen on Adams and I am very torn about whether he needs time (he does but we can't afford the luxury of giving him time this season) or whether he is a little lacking from what I expected. Defence is clearly the issue. 2 choice defenders would galvanise the squad. Maehle does sound decent but we never really know how they’ll adapt to the pace and physicality of the PL. Elyounoussi sounded good. Osvaldo looked and sounded decent but turned out to go full Michael Douglas on Jose Fonte. Jordie Clasie I was a big fan of prior to his signing and he was a flop (what do I know?!) and I was a big advocate of Gabbiadini who I still feel was woefully mismanaged. My point is, we need to recruit better or - if we take cheaper gambles which clubs of our ilk clearly will have to do more than the big clubs – we need to coach them harder and support them more to squeeze the absolute max out of them. There seems to be something fundamentally wrong with our coaching in key areas (transition of youth to first team, goalkeeping coaching and other elements but hats off to whoever coached and sorted out our defence in the last month, outstanding work) since many players do not seem to be getting the moral support or progressing/adapting quick enough (forget how much they earn) yet many seem to move elsewhere and instantly seem to do well (Forster, Gazzaniga, Elynoussi, etc.) It may often be they are in less quality or less physical leagues (Scotland) or Spain or France which may suit their style more and afford them more space and time on the ball but I don’t think this is always the case. Just an observation. Please bring in quality cover (or even an upgrade) for Bertrand and, ideally, Soares and Valery as our RB position has no defender capable of tracking and marking and all the quality attacking teams know this since it has been an issue for 3 seasons and they must focus on it. Leicester totally did. I will be very interesting to see who starts Saturday and how they set the team up.

Jeez! The post and links I took the time to post were examples of the club talking pish and examples of going back on their word or simply. The club isn't a 10 year old child. They're not going to make a boy scout salute and say "I promise to sign this player". Get a sense of perspective. I couldn't find the post Leicester Telegraph link but that was the main article which made all these assurances, promises is a choice of phrases. Assurances would be a better term. Pedantry aside. I'm sure you can get the gist, even if some appear not to for the sake of being enigmatic or a shorter adjective.

Forgot to add the links I found from Les re: VVD and not selling and not selling multiple players again (they then completed the same fire sale) next season and also the broken promise to Lemina & Morgan when it was revealed they could move on to other clubs and it seems we were bringing players in to offer our club as a stepping stone which is ludicrous really but enough club criticism. I just couldn’t tolerate any more lies and deceit. You get the gist. Heard the stepping stone transfer rumour but never wanted to accept or believe it but seems what Lemina said did tie in with other rumours. Terrible system in which to run your club but let’s forget all that now and hopefully bring in some new players. I just want the club to be honest. Hard enough to tolerate this behaviour in politics

Here’s a couple as you are either completely blind or just blinkered to noticing when the club prevaricate and breaks promises. Only, SFC never make promises and they never ever make any comment in the press as they never leave a source name but they are happy to put articles out. Do you honestly think a credible *cough* (Murdoch) newspaper would actually print a mainstream PL football article from any less than credible resource outside the club after a Premier League record away defeat? Here’s a handful of links to stop you bemoaning or using the excuse that the club don’t talk to the press (or lie) Put it down to unsubstantiated press or agent rumour. Clubs don’t play the game apparently. If we all did that, we would never have anything to talk about and the sport would be squeaky clean. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/15472177.saints-chinese-takeover-completed/ Upon Gao’s takeover: Mr Jisheng Gao said: "Together, we have the passion and motivation to build on Southampton’s excellent progress in recent years as we look forward to an exciting next chapter for the club." How’s that building going Gao? *** https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/southampton/transfer-talk/news/saints-to-return-for-promes-in-summer_317684.html Quincy Promes saga: Southampton are reportedly "hopeful" of securing a deal for Spartak Moscow forward Quincy Promes this summer after failing to acquire his services in January. The 26-year-old was the top transfer target for the Saints in the winter transfer window but they failed with a final offer of £25m for the player as the deadline approached. The newspaper says that the south coast club are happy to remain 'patient' and "they're not rushing to sign an alternative because they believe the 26-year-old is the right player for them". The reality : Saints were so keen in the pursuit of this player, we went back in the summer after the initial 25 million bid was refused, with an even greater offer?! Really? Even more bizarre that Spartak Moscow refused the deal and wrote off an extra 7 million by accepting a lower bid when Promes signed to Sevilla for 18 million in the summer. I appreciate value can fall late in contracts but I don’t believe this is the point here. I get the inflated fees in the PL but I sense someone is not quite telling the truth in this scenario. Rumours I heard, the subtext, instinct, the actions alone. It stinks. No-one is under any illusion transfers are difficult and extremely problematic with parasitic representatives and agents & club clauses, etc. Everyone wants a piece of the pie & contracts often include a number of obstacles but think laterally. Don’t swallow the club narrative and ignore their stupid punch lines. Just bring a little integrity and honesty back and treat fans with respect. . https://www.espn.co.uk/football/soccer-transfers/story/3618189/sevilla-announce-signing-of-quincy-promes-from-spartak-moscow Upon sacking Les Reed and the time to replace him: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/nov/08/southampton-sack-les-reed-pressure-mark-hughes The club said it was time to “take constructive action and provide new drive and direction to our football operations team”, promising to “search for the right replacement” for Reed. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6367005/Southampton-sack-vice-chairman-Les-Reed-promise-thorough-review-football-operations.html Southampton sack vice-chairman Les Reed and promise a 'thorough review' into their football operations after poor Premier League start. Seems they didn’t share or do that. If they did, what the hell went wrong? 3 relegation battles in a row suggest they haven’t learnt and only offer words as weak platitudes. In response to the post Leicester Telegraph article. We at least got the DOF but I can’t help but think that was done for the wrong reasons - to pacify the fans - who they monitor and most were ready to revolt. Why can’t they improve the club for the ambitious, betterment of the club and sporting success? In a dire situation, the club now tends to put in a plethora of promises and false platitudes, proverbial carrots dangled and, in this case, multiple carrots but at least one FINALLY came through although when in January is our DOF starting? The need is urgent. Those saying that the club making promises and breaking them will just alienate the fans are simply myopic, deliberately obtuse, stupid or shortsighted because the club have systematically operated in this manner for over 3-4 years, getting worse by the year. They seldom seem to have the inclination or will to share the more substantial and interesting news, as the OS once did. Considering the current regime have numerous PR companies, sponsorship and tech savvy Chinese IT firms attached (and mainly marketing people rather than useful, sporting expertise), I find it completely negligent, bewildering and distasteful we get so little fan friendly & socially based dialogue from what should be a community based football club. Just form an honest and transparent dialogue and communicate about the club for the fans. That and a couple of shrewd signings which was promised in Nov but the quantity of signings goes down by the week. We are accustomed to the goalposts being moved from the initial, BIG lie to to a smaller, more palatable lie. “A new senior recruitment figure who will occupy a similar position to the departed director of football operations, Ross Wilson, will also arrive before the next international break”. Assurance no. 1. How did that go? We have Matt Crocker as DOF. As far as I am aware, he has nothing to do with being a senior recruitment figure as touted by the club. Possibly intimated by Jordan Sibley. Also, “The new director of football has been identified and will be expected to work with the scouting network in finding a profile of quick, high-energy players that suit the Hasenhuttl style. The partnership with Hasenhuttl is expected to be along the lines of that between Graham Potter and his technical director at Brighton and Hove Albion, Dan Ashworth, formerly of the Football Association”. Steve Walsh was mentioned and it’s gone deathly quiet so was it another red herring or did we mess this up and just not succeed in having the prospect accept the contract of employment?! It could equally have been messed up by the demands of the player trading expert. Assurance no. 2. How is this going as this was apparently established with Ralph and Matt and this mysterious recruitment figure yet we have heard nothing? I’m not saying it hasn’t happened but generally when the club do something (anything) positive, they tend to shout it from the rooftops and make non-attributed interview across at least three or four media outlets and about 3 or 4 iterations in The Echo. “Currently in 18th place, in January they will address the most pressing problems that they have at full-back and centre-back. There is an acceptance that the club do not have the right profile of player in every position to suit Hasenhuttl's pressing-style game.” Assurance no. 3. As per usual, the PR Machine launched the juicy sound bite, then downplayed it by the week with the usual expectation lowering system they use. £50? you didn’t give me £40. I can’t lend you £30 but if you really need £20 I can help you but I’ve only got £10? that’s the mentality we deal with. 2 months months later, it’s much less assertive but I do personally believe we will at least get a full back but the mood is wildly different from the original assurances. Total game playing. I just hope we don’t have the weekly member of the playing (or coaching) staff reading a contradictory, Surkov style script in the Echo later this week when they monitor further fan discord in the aether of social media. Fans have had enough of this ridiculous charade. I had hoped part of the “major restructure in the last 12 months” was replacing 100% of the key staff we lost. We have Crocker who is still not in place. I don’t count pushing untrained, inadequately qualified staff (in situ) as a suitable replacement. You get what you pay for. I hope those links and articles share a little more light. On a more positive note, aside from all the prevaricating & misinformation from our carrot dangling club, I do believe we will bring in a defender. I think Ralph is at the point where he may not stay if they break any further promises to him for another season and I’m fairly certain he’s had a lot promised from the outset. That is the subtext I read and impression I have had and I believe it’s why Danny Röhl left. I believe Gao & his representatives have formed some working system with the club and perhaps a better understanding. They cannot sleepwalk through another transfer window. January may see a different understanding between our owners but, crucially, it needs to see a couple of defenders. Protect your investment Gao. #GalvaniseOurDefence

Of course he’s not. Jeremy Wilson is the favoured hack of the club and was the man at the end of the phone to Les so often for club articles. Sam Wallace writes occasionally but Jeremy Wilson is the main point of contact and club favourite.

You rarely see much in fairness. Should wipe that egg away. How are the club accounts doing this January? Have we enough yo to sign anyone with your intricate knowledge of the wage bill? It’s fairly essay concept to grasp if you tried and you are capable of thinking. Using Quincy Promes as an example: The club want to appear to be pursuing players but failing on the bid. Making a multitude of excuses which lay at the door of others. Truth is, if any club were in serious talks, a player won’t play a PL or cup match, let alone a pointless friendly. Also, historically, when Saints are seriously considering signing players, they have back up targets. I think the phrase is “tyre kicking”.

Saints have alluded to plenty, including transfers, and have never stopped being indirectly active in the mainstream press so I’m perplexed as to how people fail to grasp or assume it’s merely PR agencies and agents. Are you suggesting the Telegraph article interview following the Leicester match was by the tea lady or some fan on the way home? Are you thinking journalists would ignore the greatest away defeat in Premier League history and not want a direct interview with the club? Do you not think that if a non-club spokesman made outlandish promises on recruiting key, management staff & transfers, on behalf of the club to a national broadsheet, the Saints press secretary would not have picked the phone directly up to the Telegraph and contested an immediate retraction? Or did the people dream up the articles in the Telegraph and the regular nonsense in the daily Echo? This Website used to have credibility or are the administrators on some sort of retainer? You often offer a bizarre defence to the club against a wealth of information to the contrary or is your memory shorter than mine? Look at the resources. 21st century journalism is often done in a much more divisive, dishonest and distasteful manner these days so no-one is public facing & no-one is answerable. It’s much like the American model for running a website, you can spend days looking for contact details and when you do it’s a dead-end phone line that’s not even manned. Boring I know. I digress. Under Gao, previously Kat, the board have constantly changed the narrative from having to sell to buy and then we did that & it changed to excuses about the wage bill which were partly true but, like austerity, a half-truth perpetuated by a much bigger lie. Then there was Ralph’s massive rebuild - particularly focusing on the twice (successive) relegation battling defence which should’ve been done last summer. The result was the very last minute loan signing of Kevin Danso who was never actually played more than one match I believe in the right position. A ludicrous oversight & possibly the most stupid behaviour since Kat took control and broke the train set. All of these actions were backed up by numerous press articles and direct club releases to The Daily Echo and The Telegraph as well as the usual tabloid newspapers, many of which have seemingly lost interest in Saints. Historically, in the past 3 years, Saints board have made a series of ever-changing promises. Often via the club’s favoured mouth piece, Jeremy Wilson and the club direct line to him. Les Reed was always in contact. I’ve had various bits substantiated from various people close to the club. I’m always very reticent to say that on this website as it’s the Southampton way to attack anyone who even suggests at having information from anyone which is hardly a big thing. It’s irrelevant anyway because you just need to look at the information on the web before even speaking to anyone and it’s fairly clear to read between the li(n)es. You are deluded if you think the club do not play the game and play the fans like a fiddle. Clubs are no different to the reporters and rumours spun by agents, etc. This strange mindset of fans unable to accept negatives emanate from the club are often the same people berating others for questioning Gao from the outset. Look at the Quincy Promes transfer saga and how either Les or someone completely run the clock down to dangle the carrot to the fans & I actually heard this exact rumour from a friend who had heard the hierarchy actually boasting about it before it happened. How (allegedly) arrogant is that?! Personally, I believed it because of the way things panned out and how the player was playing a pointless friendly when no player with serious interest would play a friendly with a serous move in contention. Then did we actually go back to them in the summer as the club alluded to? Of course not. Judge people by their actions and then their words will never fool you. I’ve been highly suspicious of the way the club operate ever since that revelation. For that exact reason, I have paid close attention to how the club has operated in the past 3 years and I’ve got a long list of resources I can point you towards. It’s pointless anyway because the recent article revealing Gao looking to sell was a shock but a welcome one, if true, from my view. It all made sense anyway so I’m inclined to believe it. Also ratifies all the ever-changing excuses from the club when they just basically lied to cover the fact that Gao had invested no money whatsoever and has little money or interest (shock). Can’t really hide that and even the most idiotic fans can see the money we generated to buy last season’s transfers was likely from within the coffers, the clubs existing finances without any additional input from our (originally purported) new owner who was touted as progressing club forward. That was the nominal transfers as we had previously lost scores of players and it was far from the big rebuild to which the club alluded. We didn’t even improve the defence which was the key area Ralph had said he wanted to address, in numerous articles. The massive rebuilding was promised. Gao did not deliver. A huge, immensely stupid and complacent mistake that nearly cost us. It still may. Gao looking to sell ratifies absolutely everything that has been said and the lies the club have made for the past few years so why do people still defend those points? They were at best half-truths and flimsy excuses. Some excuses are understandable but I can’t stand the barefaced lying when it’s constantly being changed to a new excuse. Meant with the greatest respect, wake up and smell the coffee. It is now surely beyond obvious so why are you still peddling the same weak defence? I appreciate i’m massively over stating my point & giving you an overly hard time but you’re not the only poster making comments like this but most of the smug ones have gone quiet. Wimpish tossers. The countless bits of evidence are there including the Telegraph article post Leicester, promising wholesale change. We may finally get some of the promises and we can’t have everything but time to stop dangling the carrot Saints. We finally got a DOF who should be here any day but that was the bare min. Why can’t we have an article about that in the echo, something at least of substance? Some honest, transparent journalism. Long overdue under this dynasty. The club read comments and realise fans don’t trust them and should make effort to win back fan trust. Winning trust does not mean peddling Jimmy Case out to talk about how great China and Gao is because Jimmy quite likes Chinese meals. Stop running the club like our disastrous political landscape. If they keep peddling false hope and lies to the people, people will tire and some will turn their back on football. Lying is a cowardly and divisive way to run a football club but it seems to be the way or modern media. Very Edward Bernays (another Austrian) or Vladislav Surkov. Social engineering. Accept the fact, the club is run in quite an insidious manner now and Gao seems to have mainly focused on marketing and media while divulging nothing. Highly suspect. The club aren’t the innocent angels you profess. Not many in football are. We all love and support our club in differing ways but we don’t have to love, support, trust, like or even believe a word that is uttered by the owners of our club but we don’t have to love or support the management/board if they’re lying twunts. Kat and Gao have made zero effort to even try and win favour or connect with the fans. It seems with the billionaire lifestyle, it creates a disconnect and a distasteful, Adam Smith like maxim. More for ourselves and less for everyone else....and f*ck the fans. They won’t even try to engage or win them over because money talks and it appears most don’t really care what their underlings do, even if they are the paying customer base. That alleged attitude, is a mistake. Fans - many of whom don’t stacks of cash to spare - have watched dire football amidst insufferable prevaricating for seasons now. We’ve been treated with utter contempt and if people want to rant or day dream, let them but drop the holier than thou tone by suggesting the club haven’t alluded to anything. They clearly have, on more than one occasion. Then they have moved the goal posts, constantly. Actions speak louder than words.

Highly unlikely as that would use up our entire budget if the rumoured *cough* 30 million “war chest” is to be considered accurate in this modern day of information overload and misinformation warfare. Unusual to read a condescending and patronising tone in your previous response.

Good point and some rare logic. Best time to strengthen is now for the key areas as well mentioned. When you’re in a better position, easier to attract players & we would’ve struggled to attract anyone before Christmas but we have just had the best Christmas period I can remember (it’s so bloody tight points wise) and I’m astonished and proud of whoever is responsible as they have been clearly working hard from a defensive POV coach and special credit to Stephens who’s improved massively. His crossfield ball to find Ings was top drawer & didn’t draw enough praise (in the goal against Tottenham) plus he added a further assist some matches previous. Credit where it’s due. It will help in the meantime but we still need serious quality added to our defence.

He’s never going to leave a club mid-season, a club looking set to win their first league title in decades, even if he doesn’t figure in many matches, even on the bench. See that press inaccurate sensationalism and social media nonsense is at its best, reporting Ralph has been given a 30 million war chest. I think he’ll be going to war with one soldier! Hardly a warchest, more like the funds for one semi established PL player. Maehle could be a decent bargain if he proves adequate. If Bednarek & Stephens have formed a good bond, perhaps CB should be addressed in the summer and another full back acquired to back up Bertrand. I see the Le Harve youngster mooted but that’s just yet another Saints rumour so I don’t pay much attention as there only tends to be one rumour genuine in about 60 under this current PR machine. Even if Tino Kadewere rumour had legs, it’s another lower French league gamble and at 23, If he had real quality, I think he would’ve been noticed by now unless he’s a late bloomer so it could be rumours purely trying to generate a PL sale.

This was a concern and the ethos behind my earlier comment of trepidation. Yes. I was confused as to why they were mentioned. Clearly missing the point. Defensive mid and box to box midfielders, as well as CB & full backs (priority being LB & RB if we can sell/replace Valery & Soares.

Exactly but some people argue for the sake of arguing. Best to not even reply against that level of IQ. Listing all the squad players & those that haven’t even figured, those whom aren’t up to standard or those are out on loan is a strange argument at best.

Haha. Typical Saints web warriors. Criticising anyone who has a different opinion to them. Truth is, you have no idea whether we will sign anyone or not and your argument is pretty flaccid judging by our own manager stating we need depth in midfield and strength in defence. Judging by Gao’s history, it could be perceived unlikely we will spend but also - judging by our predicament - it could also be likely if our board are keen to protect their investment but don’t let that stop you chastising other for having a different opinion to yours. Kat may even offer financial assistance. What an odd little attitude you have!! Lol If we get a RB, I don’t expect it to be an addition. I would have expected Soares to be replaced and we definitely need back up to Bertrand at LB. That’s more important than the right and it was ludicrous to sell Targett without a replacement. Reed, Slattery, Smallbone, Hesketh and Sims are non-starters so I’m struggling to understand why you’ve listed every midfielder on our books because that’s an unrealistic and senseless argument. We are taking starting 11 and PL quality players with an ability to grind our results in a relegation battle. As a side note, I always liked the look of Harrison Reed & have struggled to understand how he hasn’t been able to figure more as he has a good engine but maybe the coaches know more than us, even the hyper critical forum members & club apologists that seem to have insider information on our finances and transfer intentions with their finger on the pulse of all things Southampton FC. ;o)