egg

Are you still banging on about this?! If you two want a tedious private debate about what other clubs have spent in the past, how about PM?

I didn't, but wtf has Valery got to do with Klarer?! You're a proper idiot mate.

I have watched him play many times and am staggered that anyone who watches Premier league football could think he's even remotely close to the required standard. What about his game makes you think that he is? I'm genuinely interested cos I just don't see it. As for Fry, I haven't seen him, but Upemacano is everything that Klarer isn't - extremely fast, good on the ball, positional sense is there (but needs work) and he's very strong. He's also proven at the highest level. I'm a great admirer of our youth players and love to see them get a chance, but saying that a lad who struggled to make our u23 team is better than a champions league standard player is a stretch.

I do wander how many people raving about Klarer have watched him. He's very raw, not great on the ball, positional sense is lacking and he switches off. He wasn't able to get in the u23 team for chunks of last season. Sure, the lad has potential, but he's a million miles from a premier league CB.

Agreed. Moving Cedric on seems pointless. Replacing him with better will cost a fortune, and he gives left side cover too.

How much are his wages?

That's a picture! The bio is blank - all other coaches have a bio. He did, but now he hasn't.

One footed so I'd want him half price.

His bio is no longer on the club website so this feels like more than just taking time off.

Feck this is boring reading. What does it matter to Saints future prospects what 2 clubs (1 in the championship) spent last season?

He's a decent prospect but not sure he's quite prem standard. Deserves a chance though.

Not a chance. He'll go to one of the big boys, he's a fantastic player.

I share that view. If we sell I think we'll buy. If we loan out I think we'll loan in.

You're all over the place. My initial response was to your suggestion that a) money is still kicking around from the vvd sale and b) that we must smash our transfer record to add another CB to our bloated squad. You now seem to be saying that it's the Gallagher and Targett sales plus the release of Davis which will facilitate that extra CB record signing. Yeah, that stacks up. Either way, I'll say it again, I don't believe that we will be adding any significant signing to the squad without first shifting players. That's all I've said.

Crap pun and I don't agree with you. Whatever you category you seek to put players in, the facts are that the playing squad (above what is plainly youth and u23 regular level,) has circa 40 players. We will not supplement that lot with any major addition. We need to move players out before others come in. Have a read of the comments elsewhere from the club at the meet and greet. Based on that, and applying common sense, I'd be staggered if we splash out before moving players out.

Can't argue with any of that.

You do not address that our 1st team squad has almost 40 players. We took 26 or so to Austria, left 12 behind, plus McQueen recovering still. Your post suggests that all we need to do is move Austin on and we can top up the squad - that's unrealistic and not going to happen. Our squad is massively inflated with mediocre players on lucrative contracts. Shedding Austin from the squad is a drop in the ocean, we have masses of deadwood to move on before we can spend big again. Moving them on won't be easy though and many fans fail to overlook that a player under contract has to agree to leave, and that another club has to want them. The harsh reality is that it will cost the club to get players out of the door, whether that be by subsidising wages, paying up (in part or full) contracts, paying agents to help us get rid, etc. Our squad is in a mess. There's no "deception" in that. Rather it's a reality that many fans choose to ignore the facts and keep spouting that we need another CB, yet another keeper, one more midfielder, etc. It's going to take take years to sort out the mess that the squad is in and our fans need to be patient and realistic with their expectations.

A bird in the hand etc. Your post assumes that another club will give him something close to what he wants, and that they'll give him more than a year. None of us know that's an option for him. The reality is that he has his contract and will earn £3m + for seeing it out. He'll then get something else, perhaps nothing massive, but something.

Are you suggesting that cash from the VVD remains available for this record breaking CB signing? Do you not think that we need to shed players before we can recruit?

Exactly. All this nonsense that clubs have more power than players is nonsense. If he goes its on his terms. If not he stays and walks as a free agent.

Yes but he has to agree to any compromise / any move. He may not want that, and whilst you'd like to think he'd want to move to play, none of us know what he wants to do.

But he doesn't have to leave. He can stay and still earn the same money.

I'll answer your last question first. All of your 'points' are difficult to comprehend. Why does forster have to want to play beyond this £4m a year 5 year contract matter to you or the club? It's irrelevant - he is contracted to the club and could, if he chooses, choose to then retire a wealthy man. Ditto Austin beyond his lucrative contract. The club have given them that opportunity, and their ages put them in a very different position to Lemina and Gallagher who clearly have to think about their future careers. Austin and Forster are fulfilling their contractual obligations - they stay in good enough shape, train and are available if/when called on to play. They aren't 'parasites' as you label them, rather players who aren't good enough to play for us but are too well paid to get a move that is worth them moving on. Contrary to your apparent belief, their contracts mean that they choose if they move, not the club. The fact that they have those contracts is the clubs fault, not the players. Your anger is aimed in the wrong direction - the fact that we're stuck with overpaid players is not down to 'parasite' players. Is that so difficult to comprehend???

Do you not understand that Forster and Austin are under contract? Why do you call them parasites when all they are doing is taking the wage that we agreed to pay them?! You seem to be under the impression that if a player isn't getting a game for us that we should be entitled to kick him out and/or that he has an obligation to move on. Bizarre.

You've all but answered your question. One of the 5 strikers you list wa always going to be sold, and has been. He's been replaced. Tell me which of those 5 CB's will be bought?