Jimmy_D

https://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?58431-Puel-Sacked-Reported#.WTcq3RMrJ-U

Jeez, reading their forums... It's like the tiny-minded ****wits think buying a few players off of us obliges us to sell them whoever they want and they can go about it however they like. The thought that we might be keeping him seems to be completely alien to them.

Yeah, there's absolutely no precedent for that at all. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/liverpool-transfer-ban-academy-players-two-years-fine-embargo-a7668771.html

Umm...

It's weird. It's like they think it's already a done deal, legally binding, and Saints are just trying to delay the inevitable, or are bitter about there not being an 'auction'.

We're not the bitter ones here pal

Probably because Chelsea and Man City have had representatives meeting representatives that skirt the rules without breaking them. There are media reports that Klopp himself has swayed van Dijk himself. That would be illegal tapping up that actually breaches the rules, if true.

VvD would be legendary on a MLT level in my eyes if he's done that

I particularly like how they seem to think it's sour grapes or posturing, and we're guaranteed to let him go because it's our business model. Can't possibly be that we might actually want to keep hold of a player we have on a long contract, and would have no hope of replacing for any fee we got. There's the difference between us and an actual selling club. We don't need the money. Yes we sell players, but it's always for other reasons, usually the player pushing to leave, or they're on a short contract, or backing ourselves to spend the money better than the club buying off us. Can't see us turning round and selling to Liverpool now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40170351

'VvD to stay at Saints' doesn't sell many papers.

If we really were a feeder club to Liverpool, they wouldn't have to pay through the nose for our players, we wouldn't have used the money to finish above them last season, and to **** all over their only hope of silverware this season.

I honestly think you might end up surprised this time round.

Sounds like Liverpool's representatives have contacted VvD's representatives to tap him up and agree a deal. Think all of this is coming from Liverpool leaking it, including the £60M fee. No indication as of yet that Saints themselves are settling for anything less than the £70M asking price we've put on him. With 5 years left on his contract, we can afford to hold out for it too, pull a Schneiderlin/Wanyama on him if we need to. That could change if VvD decides to pull a Lovren/Lallana on us.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/15319368.Saints_will_fight_for_van_Dijk/ Aaand another one. Feels like a Saints have been talking to the press themselves to offset some of the Liverpool/Chelsea/Man City planted stories.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/10900569/man-city-fear-chelsea-and-liverpool-will-drive-price-up-for-virgil-van-dijk Narrative has definitely subtly changed away from 'done deal' in the last couple of days. Means at least the press are considering the possibility he'll be here next season and want to avoid making themselves look completely daft. Could (probably?) be wrong now, and could obviously change as well, but my gut feeling is we'll be watching him in a Saints shirt for next season at least.

I'd seen quotes about us being able to turn down offers before. This is the first one I've personally seen that's just flat out quoting us as him not going anywhere. True that it doesn't mean much though.

I hope that Mirror article is as accurate and well informed as speculated. First time I've seen an article quoting Saints stating that VvD isn't for sale and won't be leaving.

Played well, probably deserved to win, point is decent but feels like it should have been more, especially with their keeper being MotM.

Unfortunately not. The Premier League gets an extra Champions League spot and one less Europa League spot in the case that someone outside the top four wins the Europa League.

I personally think he'll be here at least for next season, much the same as Wanyama and Schneiderlin. With five years left on his contract we really can call the shots, it's an option for us to decide he's more important to the club than the money, and it'd be more than half a decade from now before any other club could do a damn thing about it. The club will probably have a few people asking for refunds if he does go, considering the wording and him literally being front and centre of our advertising for season tickets, on top of the manager specifically saying he'll be here next season.

Good result!

About time he saved one! Bloody good save too.

I have no problem whatsoever with Puel deploying these tactics, it's worked against Liverpool 3 times so far this season and gives us the best chance of winning.