S-Clarke

Impossible to think that we can come out with a stronger squad at the end of this! Near on an impossibility! Over time, maybe, but next season will be a bumpy one.

For what it's worth, I didn't write that - I quoted in the first sentence from a post on the mail website, my response to that is the below sentence. Just wanted to make that clear!

This is an ITK snippet I shared not so long ago. There is a keenness within the club to absorb the sales with the academy - McQueen, Gallagher, Harry Reed, JWP, Targett, Chambers. We will replace players and buy players, but the club don't feel the urgency we do - in fact they see no urgency for left back what so ever right now.

No, it's not a good sign. As it means that we will eventually lower our targets and go for the players West Brom/Aston villa and co are after.

TBH, if Schalke want him and everton, then as you said - he won't be coming here.

Deal is off - Guan says he's off to everton. Game over on this one, and questions will now start to be asked - that's for sure.

What a sad post that is - not a dig at you, but just seeing the acceptance of losing the spine of last years side! The problem last year was our squad and lack of depth, when the Hoovields, Gallaghers, JWP's and the like were given extended runs in the 2nd half, we lost a lot of games. As it stands, those players will be our first choice players next season. Obviously we'll make signings, we have to, but it's sad to see the general acceptance that we're losing half of our team.

happens all the time, this is football.

Much as I suspected, this is all about the club s lack of ambition thanks to Liebherr s refusal to provide funds to challenge for the Champions league. This woman has no business owning a Premier League football club ,she doesnt understand the business, and frankly has ruined the Saints project. Yes, let's get her out. She hasn't sanctioned £100m of her own money to even get near the top 4, SHE HAS TO DO THAT, apparently. Are fans this dim?

I didn't realise Alpine used facebook or twitter.

He's just trying to WUM.

It's probably a very valid point you make re: FPP, but it kind of makes an utter joke of the whole thing. To meet the criteria of ''financial fair play'', which was brought in to make the league fairer, we have to sell all our big players to big clubs before we can add any other players. Yes, genius.

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?39426-Gaston-Ramirez-Signs-4-Year-Deal&p=1441752#post1441752 Before anyone else. . Even K,billy said it wouldn't happen...!

It was clear to most that MP was gone in January. ''I won't be leaving in the middle of a process'' was what he kept saying. (i.e no one wanted him at that moment)

He will end up at Liverpool, it's the same tactics as Adam. He's just forcing through the move, nothing more. They all seem to be forgetting that Liverpool finished 7th 2 seasons ago, 8th the season before that (on 52 points). And Man Utd are back next year, so they'll be pushed back down to their inevitable flapping around for a 4th placed finish and won't make it.

What also annoys me, is we all see ''NC has gone, we're so sad!!! he did everything for me, he provided the finances for me to sign and change my life..'' Actually, no. The person who is now running the club provided you with your wages, your signing on fee and your club with the fee. The people who are running the club are the ones who provided you with the opportunity to now move to a huge club for a huge pay rise. We saved you from obscurity at Lyon, so STFU. Rant over.

But if they hadn't all left and had stuck together, Ronald Koeman could have come in and potentially stopped us throwing away leads and we could have had an even better year. The club didn't want to sell them, didn't need to, they just want to go.

Originally he was the main man for the club spiel - but he made such an utterly atrocious job of it, he's now been pulled back and works in a more internal role. He's basically got a nothing job. He doesn't understand football, England, transfers, how they're negotiated. yet he's on the board of directors at an English football club, an utterly free job. As you can probably tell, I cannot stand the bloke.

So do players just sign up for a project now, and not the club? Complete lack of commitment really. He will go for around £20m, that's for sure. Cant' see him going to Spurs, he's a left sided CB - they have Jan Vertonghan who can play there. And they're signing Ben Davies who will be their first choice left back. One thing I do agree with though and something that has been missed - there's no obvious leader at the club any more. You've got Ralf, Les, Gareth all basically doing similar jobs in slightly different environments. We really needed to secure an experienced football man to sit on the board who would be the main man. Not entirely sure why they didn't.

Have you been to the Portsmouth school of finances or something? you're off your head.

....Chamberlain???

Where have you got that from? He was heavily linked last year to Porto, but they couldn't agree the fee in the end.

Are you serious? It's horrific!!!

Jeez, what the hell is that. An utter mess of a kit!

League wise we were excellent, let down by our incredibly shallow squad. But the waste of opportunities in the cups will always leave a sour taste with me. All these good players leaving for huge fee's, and we didn't even win a trophy with them.