Junior Mullet

More worrying than having kruuger is having an owner and outboard who saw fit to appoint him. How we have fallen in the last seven months.

I've been saying this for a while now. We've looked weak and amateurish ever since cortese left. Such a shame - we were on the brink of something very exciting. The for sale signs have well and truly been draped on st Mary's. The sooner we get a new owner the better. Don't leave it too long mind, we are running out of Crown Jewels. Anyone getting exited about the academy and training facilities is frankly deluded. It's nothing more than a farm, as it was backin Lowe's day.

Last year we achieved our main objective of keeping the best players at the club. We then strengthened with 3 Champions League quality players. This summer we have lost our 3 England world cup stars and proven top class Prem players and there are serious questions about 2 more. A lot of you are getting excited about two new signings who are unproven in the Prem, much the same way Spurs got excited about Soldado and other foreign imports last season. Lets hope Tadic and Pelle turn out better. The priority now must be to keep Lovren and Morgan - news of keeping them with their will would delight me more than this week's signings. I am optimistic about Koeman. I remember him as a player - he was world class and seemed to have all the credentials to make him a great manager. I hope we are the club that can elevate him to that status.

I'm sick to death of people saying the players are leaving for money. Why did he stay so long? I guess to you it's coincidence that he's leaving now that the club's ambitions have been lowered. Still, blame the players being money grabbing and ignore the quotes from the likes of lovren talking about the club's lack of ambition if it makes you feel better.

We lacked cutting edge all season. Our first choice defence was as good as any in the prem when fit and our midfield was outstanding. We needed a top quality striker to finish the chances we created. Chelsea were the only team that had a hold over us last season. When I say we weren't far off I mean we were probably only three good players in key positions away from being extremely competitive.

Those were the four champions league teams from the previous year. It would be better to compare our turnover against the likes of Chelsea or man city when they were breaking into the top four (that was a long time ago but you could compare their turnover to the top teams at that time I guess). I remember both those teams being in the second flight. Both had been **** for years. They had no right to break the monopoly of the top teams but they did. they did it by buying top players, we could have done it by producing and developing top players with a handful of top class signings - that was the way cortese saw it and it looked feasible. We weren't as far away as some of you think.

Good post and I share your view. Shame so many others are accepting of what is happening.

Good post. Having watched most games last season we were just a few good signings (goalie, cb and striker) away from being a very very good team. Who would have thought Liverpool would have been so close to winning the title this year? Who would have thought Athletico could have broken the big two monopoly in Spain following a similar plan to the one offered by cortese? How sad and how disappointing we can't keep hold of our best talent any more. I can't get excited about the academy now. It feels like a farm once again, as it was back in Lowe's day.

Last summer a battle ensued between Cortesse and Katharina. The ins and outs are unknown to most but Cortesse wanted Katharina to sell the club to someone who was willing and able to take the club on a course that matched Cortesse's own grand ambitions. It didn't happen and, in the Winter, Cortesse left. The directors that backed Katharina rather than Cortesse were rewarded with high profile roles at the club. Ever since Cortesse left the club have made choices that, to me, appear amateurish and naive. I feel a little bit embarrassed, once again as a Saints fan. Love or loathe Cortesse, he had great ambition. The best thing about Cortesse was that his ambition was infectious and he was credible. He instilled his ambition in the players and made them believe that they could fulfill their potential at Saints. He kept some excellent players here during our rise up the tables and last summer added three Champions League quality players - central to this was his unwavering conviction that we would one day be a Champions League club ourselves. Amazingly the players bought into that. But why should that have surprised anyone? The club had a history of producing top quality players through the youth ranks, we had an excellent manager and we supplemented our squad with quality. At last it looked like Saints could hold on to its best talent with ambition rather than being a feeder club. The pundits loved us and we were surely only a "Suarez" away from being a top four team ourselves. Personally I loved Cortesse's arrogance and stories of not answering calls etc. It was what we'd been crying out for for years, having seen the likes of Bale and Walcott slip through our fingers. I'm sickenedd by quotes such as these yesterday: Executive Director Les Reed commented: “While we are sad to see Luke depart the club, we fought to ensure that we got the right deal for a player in whom we have invested a great deal of work over the past decade. “Luke joined us at the age of eight, and our academy staff and coaches have helped him to progress into a top-class player. He will leave our club and carry forward our top-class pedigree, as others have done before. “This deal is a good one for Southampton Football Club, and hopefully sends a clear message to other clubs wishing to bid for our players. CEO Gareth Rogers commented: “Luke's world-record transfer to Manchester United is yet another endorsement of the great work undertaken at our academy and by the staff at Southampton Football Club. What a sad difference from transfer statements made by Cortesse. We were on the brink of something really great. Surely it could have been the best era in Saints' history, but not now the dominos are falling and those in charge rub their hands together in the belief that it is in the club's best interest. Watch those dominos fall and watch us go backwards. It's bad news for us fans. How long until we the fans get on Katharina's back? Sentiment for her father aside, I don't think it will be long. When that happens my guess is she will sell. Hopefully she will sell to someone who is not prohibited from appointing Cortesse if they like. Question is how much damage will be done in the meantime and how long do we, once again, have to endure being a feeder club? I feel the sooner Katharina sells up, the better.

I like the idea of Clyne on the left, Chambers on the right with Targett challenging. Chelsea played all last season with a good RB at LB. Clyne has played that position very well a few times now. Losing Shaw in't such a big deal for me. Week in week out he frustrated me with his final ball and his lack of a right foot.

Good scouts, good staff and good facilities. It also has a good reputation and we have shown for a long time now that good young players can break through to the first team. Those reasons are enough to persuade really good players to choose us over other clubs. We take the academy seriously.

Clyne is very good on the left and should be with the England squad now. How Roy overlooked Clyne this season I just don't know.

I have been thinking the same. I would absolutely love that.

Yup. I don't know when fans became more excited about the club's finances than the quality of our first team players. It's an odd state of affairs. Me, I hope we keep our top 14 players, add a bit of quality up front and in goal and then continue with this bloody exciting project.

One thing's for sure - it'll be an exciting season like it was this year! Everton have really impressed me this year - Lukaku will be a big loss to them but other than that I think they'll cope fine without the other loanees - Martinez will surely strengthen over summer and build on what is a pretty good core of players. Barkley could be a real monster for them next season.

Does anyone think Spurs will achieve a top 4 place next season? I don't, regardless of who their manager is. Therefore I think, as others above have said, any manager is doomed. Teams I think will be better than Spurs next season: Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, United and quite possibly Everton. I see Spurs coming bottom of the Prem 'A' League as some have described it, finihsing 7th.

I hear that Shaw to Chelsea is a done deal. It would be unfair to reveal the source.

In case THEVMAN reads this, I do think Adam will become as big a Saints legend as Matt Le Tiss. I recall a good debate about that a few years back. With Adam entering the best years of his career I really think he can match the great man.

He didn't fancy you then.

That made me smile :0)

I'm actually developing a soft spot for the fella!

If England win the World Cup, we'll be like the new West Ham. Unfortunately we won't win the World Cup and our lads will probably come back tired and demoralised to face an angry press.

Clyne is excellent. In time Chambers could be excellent too. MP is doing a good job to ensure that Chambers reaches his potential and doesn't just warm the bench. This week I heard Neil Warnock on Talksport saying how good Clyne is and what a lovely lad he is too (he signed Clyne at Palace and he recalls how nice his Mum was). I instantly wondered whether perhaps he is too nice and perhaps isn't being vocal enough about starting games ahead of Chambers, especially in a World Cup year. Anyhow, our three fullbacks will get plenty of game time between them with injuries, international breaks etc.

I think we'll win tonight. I know they do well at home and that they've strengthened up front but still, it was boys v men at St Marys earlier in the season. If we play well, we'll win. J Rod to continue his excellent scoring run away from home (when his pace on the counter is really effective). 2-1 Saints.

^^ I'm in floods of tears here ^^ It's like Surprise Surprise for football fans