derry

Only time will tell how they do. Schneiderlin was allowed to play the way he liked with us and the structure took account of that. At MU he will have to compete, adapt and fit in with LVG, that may not be that easy. Making the blend work is the secret ingredient which often fails with a multitude of star players that just don't gel. I'm not so sure it's going to be that easy for them.

So far last years pickings have been underwhelming at their new clubs. This year Clyne has to step out in the unforgiving atmosphere at Anfield in virtually the same crap defence and James Milner in off the wing playing CM with Henderson, what could go wrong? Schneiderlin like Lambert has been playing for a team that has been built around him, now he has to go to MU and fit in to a star player set up with a back four that isn't that convincing and a new keeper. Time will tell but is his groin a continuing weakness as last season. Alderweireld to Tottenham suffered from hamstring weakness last year and probably only played CB for about half our games with a few at CM and RB. Spurs are asking a lot to expect that he will stay fit and shore up their poor defence. My point, if last years don't improve drastically including Shaw and this years three seamlessly step in and improve the performances of their new teams there may well be a reaction where teams will be less likely to pay lots for our players. The question is it the talent or the blend at Southampton?

0927 on newsnow.

I would think we offered enough to be taken seriously and Clasie stood down from the friendly.

We put another nail in the TH coffin today. Schneiderlin to MU. It looks like TH are now just competing for best of the rest, wonder how that will work out?

The first team looked balanced but the second team was just a collection of individuals with no shape or teamwork. Soares doesn't seem to grasp that standing off opens the door. No Schneiderlin again.

I had a PM from Willow, they are installing a new system.

Who the hell cares what any other team thinks or does. Saints are our team and the supporters in the main come from or have connections with the area. That'll do nicely for me.

Another way to deal with it. On the centre back front move on and buy a replacement. On the AM front take it to the bitter end and give no agreement.

Edited just for you.

A little bit of conjecture! Last summer we took TA on loan. But was it? From something that has happened way back that I can't remember the details a foreign loan isn't a loan. Saints would have completed a permanent transfer for an agreed fee and received his international clearance and his registration, a contract was in place to buy the player in 2015 for £6.8m unless AM activated a clause allowing them to buy him back for £1.5m before a defined date. The date has passed and Saints have their player as soon as AM accept the agreed £6.8m but in the meantime hold the international clearance and registration as AM had failed to buy him back. Skacel as mentioned on this thread and Lampard were also tied up in this sort of arrangement.

From THFC, Levy in Madrid for weekend to tie up transfer, Medical done Monday (whenever), Terms agreed so why isn't it all done and dusted? Problems? If it isn't announced shortly it could get interesting.

IMO If it is a legal issue, both AM and Saints will be consulting lawyers. If there is anything in the contract that causes problems AM's lawyers would advise them accordingly and more than likely delay the transfer until the legal problem is resolved. There also could be a registration problem ie. who holds the international clearance that last season was with Saints. If that hasn't been transferred back to AM there would be a serious problem with maybe nobody but Saints able to register him. If he signs for Spurs and the Premier League accept the registration it is a done deal. If there is financial fall out that would be resolved by agreement or in court. IMO If he doesn't sign today there may well be a block on the move until resolved.

It may be that the termination was beneficial to Osvaldo, enough to allow him to negotiate a lucrative contract with say Boca. By freeing him there may have just been a ex gratia payment so that he can sign for somebody without fees etc. It would make little sense otherwise. Saints may have got out of jail there.

What a ****! Rodgers played southern League for Newport IOW, Koeman was one of the best defenders in the world playing for Barcelona. He hasn't taught his defenders how to defend up to now and I can't see it happening with Clyne either.

Mugabe looked interesting when he switched to right back. Hesketh looks close to breaking through but I think Stephens and Turnbull need to step up to the Championship on loan. Centre back is a difficult place to develop early.

As far as I'm concerned they are players of a rival team so there is no way I would wish them success. I do think that they are a lot worse than their opinion of themselves. Bringing in another load of players to add to an already large fairly solid squad will cause disruption as some of last years squad disappear and others slip down the pecking order. I don't think we are too far away in terms of performance compared to them. Last season the difference was their win at St Mary's, hardly a gulf. I like the way we are going, nearly £40m coming in and probably beefing up the 25 compared to last season. Time will tell although I did enjoy watching Newport (IOW)'s finest struggling to find a blend. Stoke 6 Liv 1 my favourite.

Tadic had a groin strain that needed rest but he just wouldn't stop training and wanted to play. In the end the club pulled the plug on him and made him rest. His injury restricted him and must have been a big factor in his play.

Best club. Southampton ( I'm biased) followed by Swansea. Why? because we behave best in the face of all the pressures of the Premier League. The Leibherr and Krueger leadership is classy, something the others haven't got. The scale of the growth of the club is way ahead of all the others. Liverpool, no thanks, unscrupulous with a vastly inflated opinion of its worth. Tottenham second to Liverpool. History is irrelevant because it's all about this season not about the past. It is also about the foundations for the future.

Any player going to Spurs needs to look at the long view. They are redeveloping WHL and looking likely that they will be tenants of MKD for three years which could well have an effect on their results. They may not be quite so successful in their away years. Still the money would be better.

He had a very ineffective spell in the latter third of the season. Most of the comments about his performance inferred that he was making sure he didn't get injured before the end of the season. Unless he signs a contract and commits himself I think it's time to move him on for the best price. I wouldn't be surprised if the England Liverpool connection hasn't been in full tapping up mode during the international break. Reducing our exposure to the England connection would be no bad thing. I suspect that Toby has had the same treatment from the Belgium Premier connections.

What a load of shapeless, unimaginative, sterile crap.

Stoke 6 Liverpool 1. There is no doubt they pay higher wages. As far as I can see Liverpool consider themselves as underperforming in sixth place and that they really have to challenge to win the Premier League. I agree with that so therefore they have to buy the players that will make them the equal or better than the top four. To buy the sort of player to do that doesn't come cheap at least £30m a time. Time to take their pants down again I think. £10m Brendan? :lol: you cannot be serious:mcinnes:

Is it the coaching or is it the intelligent talented footballers response to playing at a higher level with and against better players. The poorer players never seem to improve. The great players of past years would still be the great players if they were playing today, especially with the non contact. Just British players, Greaves, Best, Charlton, Law, Marsh etc would have thrived.

More importantly for me, how good is the coaching that players are allegedly exposed to for over twenty years after joining a club. JWP for example, dead ball excepted, can't shoot, tackle or beat a man. How can that be after eleven years coaching. For me the most improved player over the last four years is Fonte. I wonder how much of that is the man's own intelligence and the effort he has made to improve himself and survive in the Premier.