S-Clarke

I think what we're seeing at the moment is the result of the club keeping their word. The deals of Lallana, Shaw and Lovren will go through for sure now they're back from the WC - expect that to pep up. The last few weeks have been somewhat of a quiet spell, but this was always going to happen. I personally don't see Morgan going yet, I think we'll lose those 3 and that'll be that. We'll then be £70-80 in the + and we can see what we can do with that. I'm fairly ready and expectant for an extremely bumpy ride next year, but this is what supporting a team is all about. There'll be bad times, and good times - we've been spoiled over the last few years, and we're well overdue one of these summers. But I still believe the club is in a decent place, and although we won't do as well as last year, we'll still be clear of relegation. Of that, I'm sure.

Alpine is in his element, that's for sure.

Got a feeling he will be our fist addition....and what a first addition! We can make a profit on him next year.....

Cripple is a strong word, but I don't think next season will be as straight forward. I hope Koeman isn't put under pressure though, he does deserve a decent innings, just don't expect him to equate MP's season just yet is my view. But there's no reason why we cannot come out of this stronger in the long-term, 2-3 years down the line.

I remember arriving to the Birmingham home game in the NPC a couple of seasons back, utter ****ing down, and saw Shaw wandering up Marine Parade with a few other academy lads. Completely ignored and blended in with the rest of the fans wandering in, quite a rise in 2 years you have to say.

I read an article the other day (have been trying to dig it out, but can't find it now - could have just been a random blog) - but they were saying that Saints, by pricing Shaw and Lallana out of moves, are the club which is ruining English football. A true WTF moment. The logic behind it was that we're stopping these future England players get the exposure of CL and top flight title challenges which will benefit them in world cups, but how that equates to us 'being the problem with English football'' doesn't quite make sense to me. I think the FA should thank their lucky stars we are bloody well here.

I think we'll sign Pelle and 1 other, with Gallagher playing a role similar to that of this season (and Jay, when he comes back will score plenty) LB will be a new signing and Matty Taggart will offer cover, but as you said we've got the versatility of Clyne who can also cover there. I think we need at least 1 cb whatever happens - but if Lovren goes, then 2. Tadic could be the Gaston replacement I guess. I think we'll probably see 5 or 6 new additions. Any more than that and you're treading into dodgy ground in my opinion.

Good article, backed up by the final sentence - One player who will definitely not join Koeman at Southampton is Lex Immers, with the midfielder signing a new deal at Feyenoord yesterday. phew.

Tadic would be an epic addition.

Sorry, that's who I meant! I think he's gettable...and he's dutch. 2+2 = 5403040

Rose / Alonso? Or let's go out there and get Danny Blind!

It's similar to when they bought Rio from Leeds all those years back, at that time it was a truly WTF fee (but is nothing these days, obviously!) - but he was seen as a long-term investment, which he proved to be.

When the player himself has made his mind up, it's a very difficult deal to turn down. It looks to me as if the club have played hard ball and have kept their word - they've done it in the clubs way and on our time scale, not anyone else's. They've got the best possible deal for a left back who clearly felt it was time to leave. All clubs will sell their best players, it's the nature of football. Ronaldo at Man Utd, Torres at Chelsea, Suarez will still leave Liverpool IMO. Bale from Spurs....Fellani from Everton...it's just the way it is. It's all about how you grow and build from it, Shaw could leave us with a sound legacy if we use it correctly. The sale of Oxo at the time was a bummer, but we grew from it and we built from it. We're now a much stronger outfit from when he was here, OK it will be harder for us to get stronger from here - but the club seem to have a plan.

Would be stupid for them to say anything until it's done, dusted and complete. In the same way, why haven't Man Utd come out to say they've agreed a fee with us? At the moment, it could well be the media jumping the gun as per usual - but obviously it will happen, but it's not close enough for any official club rubber stampings yet.

This is a good post.

How do you know we haven't?

Doesn't look like Hernandez fancied it then! Looks like he's just going for the fee, no players involved.

Little more confident that we'll go down the Everton route. Villa sold their English lads (Young, Milner, Barry) for lots of money, but didn't reinvest it what so ever (I don't class signing Ashley Westwood and Joe Bennett as reinvesting!). I'm pretty sure we'll be reinvesting it.

An incredibly immature and bitter comment. Why is it always the players at fault here?? He's going to earn a fortune as an 18 year old kid, he's given us a decent innings and will pocket us a decent fee. I hold nothing against him and wish him all the best, comments like yours are just moronic.

This is obviously true, but we can make a better squad of it, hopefully. Something we have really lacked in the last year or 2. I still look at teams such as Everton and co who lost their Rodwells, Fellani's, Rooneys etc and continued to kick on with shrewd signings such as Mirralias, Oveido, Mccarthy. It's possible to build a better team on the back of the ''stars'' going, but it's one hell of a first test for Koeman.

Please can you provide an in-depth analysis of Lex Immars please.

I'd go out and get Rodriguez from Wolfsburg if I'm honest. No one we buy will be anywhere near as good as Shaw, but Rodriguez is a damn good player and would be a very capable replacement. I don't think he'd cost £30m either!!! so we can use the rest on other area's. But please, no Lex Immars types...

Have a feeling we may start to see things pepping up now, what with the return of most of our lads from the WC. I think the club will be fair to their word in that nothing will happen until 1) after the world cup (for the respective countries) and 2) once a manager is in place. I still believe we'll lose who we've been rumoured to lose, it's about who we replace them with.

And that!! Was a proper snow day for me.....no work at all, was great!

That's the reality unfortunately, as much as it kills me to say it. I have ambition and I want us to do better, but until we have a russian zillionaire bankrolling us, we will not be able to retain players of Luke's calibre (it does make the whole academy thing seem pretty hollow, though) - as we won't be able to reach the levels they aspire to. The harsh reality of the modern day football set-up, oh - and most importantly...the $$ on offer.