Greenridge

And the clock is really ticking now. Not just to meet the Liverpool and window deadlines but to make sure they have some semblance of integration in to the team so that we're not playing catch up even before the season has got underway.

According to (the ever reliable!) wiki, Ripley's last England game was 1997 and he joined us in 1998 so not exactly 'long gone' but he should never have got there in the first place!

Can't be within the last 3 decades can it? I take it Stuart Ripley and Graeme Le Saux weren't playing for England when we got them?

So just a matter if time until the inevitable happens. I agree. In the meantime Artur will know one mistake and he's gone. That should help him relax and play to his potential or alternatively be up for it and focused but we know the life of a 'keeper - mistakes are part and parcel of the position.

There won't be much competition for places. We haven't paid £10m for a No.2. If it turns out we have then someone will be for the high jump!

Let's hope Artur is happy to stay and be no.2 or we're £10m down and no better off.

I'm just waiting for the "you lot moaned about loans and not spending money and now that the Club have you are still moaning". But £10m for a 'keeper? Where the hell did that come from. Bizarre.

As a 'Canadian-born German' it's been anglicized. It would be KRÜGER, not that it really matters.

We should replace a 'keeper to the tune of £10m for one mistake with a player who could quite easily do the same? Ok.

Yes sorry my mistake. Bayern of course. I appreciate the comments made by yourself and s.o.g about age etc and I wasn't trying to make a direct comparison, merely demonstrating what can be paid for a very good 'keeper. I think we most definitely do need another 'keeper but would be happy with a no.2 to Boruc. If Forster comes in and takes the no.1 spot (which he must do given the fee) then what happens if Artur gets the 'Morgan' and leaves? We'll be no better off indeed will be £10m worse off. I'd like to see us find a good potential young 'keeper - a sort of good Gazziniga if you will. Someone who won't throw a strop if he doesn't get the no.1 shirt for a year.

With due respect and playing devils advocate I'm not sure you're seeing the whole picture. I'll add that Morgans behaviour is not acceptable before I respond. Regarding your first point Kruger shouldn't have stated what he knew he might not be able able to commit to I.e. keep Schneiderlin. He should have found another way to answer the question without giving definitive timeline. He's a PR pro he should be able to do so. He only came out with that remark as an act of belated desperation after eventually twigging that the sell-all policy was going down like a two-week fly drive to the Ukraine on Air Malaysia. Wrt your second point then the Club shouldn't have let MS to believe he could leave which was clearly the case. You honestly don't believe Kruger didn't have discussions about him (and probably JRod) when being corporately entertained by Spurs officials in Toronto. Anyway Morgan is wrong and making himself look like a prime prat but there are (some) mitigating circumstances behind his petulant behaviour that I believe the Club must take some responsibility for. Just IMHO of course.

Reina to Madrid £2m. I'm all for us spending money but £10m on a 'keeper that we don't necessarily need. Really?

Ralph or Ronald?

That was from Koeman but it's difficult to know who / what to believe in these situations. I can't imagine Ronald (or the Club) would have been comfortable if he had said he was on strike.

He could have avoided giving a definitive answer. Of course we all know what the implications of this would be I.e that MS was leaving but it would be better than setting yourself up for a fall like he has done.

You have indeed missed the point but we are digressing from the thread.

In principle I completely agree as I've said previously. In reality that's not going to happen. We can't afford for it to for one thing. Our best hope is that we can get Arsenal and Spurs in a bidding war but it would seem only Spurs are showing any interest at this stage.

Could be both but, again only my opinion, it seems fairly obvious that discussions were at an advanced stage in recent weeks. Do you honestly believe Ralph didn't discuss this with the Spurs representatives who entertained him in Toronto?

The problem with leaving it to January is his value is likely to drop due to a number of factors; having not played, not many significant transfers in January and Spurs will probably made an alternative signing this window. So, whilst I agree with your sentiments we are better to get top dollar for him now and not have him drawing a wage and getting diddly squat in return. I don't think we're that well off to be honest.

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?51336-LIVE-Ronald-Koeman-pre-match-press-conference-Bayer-Leverkusen-Youtube-stream

I agree. Morgan is taking the flack and rightly so but I think the whole episode has been very poorly handled.

He's an embarrassment to himself. The only mitigation is that IMHO he was clearly given the nod that he could leave until Ralph decided enough sh1t had hit the fan with the departures and he was belatedly putting his foot down. Still, a contract is a contract Morgan.

Mmm I would say you're on dodgy there. He was comparing the impact on the respective teams that our outgoings had on ours. Many of those you've highlighted were not regular first teamers let alone in the top 5/6 key players.

Ah ok, no worries.

I missed the Rios part. Position / current club?