St_Tel49

Why? Because of newspaper reports? They were really on the nail last time.

Carlsberg, old boy, Carlsberg Either way its cat's wee.

Of course the price tag is silly - it is meant to be. Frankly, if he leads a promotion charge he could be worth a lot more than that to us.

... so why the **** Liverpool would want to pay more than £250k for him I'll never understand

While I agree with you, broadly speaking, there is a problem when high expectations tip over into unrealistic expectations and players get abused because they are not Messi (Lallana excepted of course )

On what do you base that opinion? It certainly flies contrary to everything NC has said.

Your logic is a bit flawed here. Remember that the skate **** placed his son with Saints in the first place and that, even if AOC does go, saints will be financially a lot better off as a result. Hardly the actions of someone who has a problem with Saints. But really you should take whatever is published in a newspaper - any newspaper - with a huge dose of salt. All they want are stories - the accuracy of the story is secondary and accurate quotations are of no great importance either.

Explain?

If I read NC correctly "cashing in" is the last thing on his mind. His avowed aim is to have the academy supply the first team but AOC is developing just a bit too quickly for that scenario. I think that he wants to keep AOC unless his hand is forced - and if it is - then I think that we can guarantee that he will extract the max.

Yeah - he has a reputation of being a pushover!!!

I think that a lot of people are missing the point - yes we might try and like as not fail but if you don't try you sure as hell will not succeed.

I think that you could be onto something there - or is that on something

Oh Aarrr!

Probably because everyone wants instant results and that ain't the way to get them. Long term results? - well that's something different.

I don't get the impression that most posters on this thread think that it is boring and meaningless. TBH you could conceivably apply that description to 95% of posts (including your own if I am to be blunt). If you don't like a thread then don't post on it. Its an approach that has always worked for me.

Watch out for men with violin cases

Yes, I have aften thought that. Cortese's vision does not seem to be one iota different from Lowe's - it is just that he has the finance to support it. Cortese also avoids the baggage of being perceived as an "upper class" dabbler in football.

Except that when he played against the three premiership teams this season he looked a threat against their defences too - and it was obvious that they were well aware of it.

Does that mean that a lot of people are commenting on here without having listened to the interview. I simply cannot believe it

Hopefully the referee will give every crucial decision against him - that should cause him to implode and disappear up his own anal orifice

I think that you might be doing the lad an injustice here. He doesn't seem the sulking type. I think that he will just get on with playing his football and leave to others to sort out finances and transfers.

The question is - what is he worth to us? If he is determined to go (no actual evidence of that) then we are entitled to ask for as much as we can get and if the offer falls below our assessment of his value to us we keep him. As to comparisons with Walcott - well, it all comes down to opinion, but in mine Alex is a more complete footballer than Theo was at the same age, has pace, crossing ability and an eye for goal. I think that reference to Theo's experience in the Championship is of minimum relevance since the top L1 teams can more than hold their own in the Championship as Norwich showed this year and I expect us and Brighton to show next year. What both Theo and Alex have got, though, that sets them apart from many who had potential and failed, is a good temperament and stable family values. I would not underestimate the importance of either to their likely future success as Wenger and Ferguson both know.

So Wenger was wrong to pay £9m (in the end) for Walcott?

That sort of money would not be paid for what he HAS done but for what this season shows he is likely to be able to do. It would be small in comparison with his likely future value. That is the call that the Wengers and Fergusons of this world have to make. They are not always right but is there anyone on this board who does not think that AOC has a huge future!