david in sweden

.....and what they didn't say ....when we paid £50,000 for Ron Davies .....in 1966. History proved everyone wrong. Knapp was a great signing. (Non-playing) member of the England 1962 World Cup squad, he was an archetypal captain for Saints, excellent CB who hardly missed a game in 6 seasons. A bit of a shock when he did move in 1968, but his replacement (Jimmy Gabriel) was more than capable of replacing him. After eventually retiring from English football, Knapp managed a good, fledgling Iceland national side, and then a whole string of League clubs in Norway.

I think he was sold for £7 million ....(to Blackburn) when he left the first time, but Ostenstad was part of the swap deal when he returned a year or so later.

Thank you I stand corrected.. but he was a bit disappointing nevertheless, and a million pounds was a LOT of money in those days.

in some respects at least, I would agree with you. However, although we might accept that his financial / organisational skills took Saints a long way, he was sadly lacking in personal skills and a short course in PR communications would have gone a long way to improving his " image ". Whatever one may say about Ralph's PR " style" ..or Ronald's repetative team analyses....at least they are open, honest and freely available, and don't live in ivory towers and..... occasionally come down to count the spoons ....(or was it knives)?

......well there could be a lot of reasons, but quite simply it may be that he finds that " the real football world "....isn't a bit like the U21 paradise at Staplewood.

LALLANA. putting aside the sour grapes that followed his departure...... we have to admit that some of Lallana's games were a joy to watch, and in the light of a near-fading Rickie Lambert, he held the side together well in his last season. Just how much energy he expended in games where he was regularly subbed. after 60-70 mins. is impossible for us to know, although he was the only player I can recall who seem to turn up all over the pitch in critical moments....and I'm never sure if I should use the phrase " injury-prone " with care in his situation. At any rate....30 minutes of an on-form Lallana was more exciting than whatever Gaston had to offer whenever he got on the pitch. His main problem at Liverpool is that it's not a Saints side......and despite the presence of other ex-Saints players around him, many others who made big moves before him proved that you can take your talent with you - but not your team structure / formation / organisation ....(call it what you will). The histories of Torres (at L'pool) ....and Carroll (at Newcastle) show that goalscorers who terrorise defences in one perfect set-up, seemed to lose it when they moved on. Now Brendan Rodgers is just history, but I will never understand how ..having bought....(argueably) Saints' best two goalscorers in the last decade, he consistantly failed to play them together. Saints were never the same when we lacked either of them in a starting line-up, and having had them both, Rodgers failed to acknowledge that. Unless Klopp has a magic formula to improve Lallana's game, he may join the procession of players who "failed at Liverpool" when in fact it was Liverpool who failed them.

Oh I'd agree with that ......we've made some great signings, the problem is that most of those who failed were very costly ones..... if we start with Delgado ....then some of 'arry's loan deals were almost more than a transfer fee...all the way upto...Gaston and Osvaldo who've cost us a packet..... it maybe alright for a large club with unlimited resources to pay £10/£20 million for a player who's a flop ...but deals like that cut a big hole in the budget of many clubs.

you're probably correct, but someone needs to get their priorities right. If Dons are doing so badly this season, maybe Sam and Maynard ought to be in the start line-up a bit more often.....

...and currently sitting out a 3 match ban after being red-carded, I think

if there was such a huge demand for Sam G. to go out on loan, then the MK Dons manager needs a reality check. ...surely the whole idea is for him to get substantial game time, and not just become another a*se sitting on the Dons bench.

.Possibly...just as long as Jamie Vardy stays fit....without him they are like a Spurs side without Kane.

wise words from a commentator during Man.City's game last night.... .....he mooted the point that UEFA might take away England's fourth CL place .....as English teams have done so poorly in recent seasons. Apparantly the 4th place is a " bonus" to those countries who consistantly perform well in the CL - even if not winning the trophy. In recent seasons very few English teams have got past the group stages...... and it doesn't look so exciting this season - so far. The loss of a 4th place team will really put extra pressure on the " Big Four ", or is it Five, who frantically try to qualify. Maybe becoming a " middle class " team is the next best thing for Saints....at least in the forseeable future.

probably not, but we would be quit of the £65 K /week it is rumoured we pay him...... (that's over £3 million / per year) NOTE: Gaston can likely be considered a greater financial liability to the club than was Osvaldo. Although his fee was larger than Ramirez' , Dani Osvaldo was at the club for a shorter time, whereas Ramirez was signed in summer 2012.

well thanks for that Vectis.......maybe we should put the whole " goalie thing " behind us...especially as this is a thread about Nigel and Sheff.Utd. but I don't think that KD will go on loan either. .......unless.....we get Forster back fit and fine....or if the Blades have a goalie crisis and have to borrow someone ASAP.. .........never say never, but stranger things have happened in the football world.

Most people seem to think the Forum (though a good chance to chat about the club) ....was a bit of " a downer " and poorly organised. Next time....after New Year maybe? ...should issue cloakroom-style tickets to every entrant wanting to ask a question (surely not everyone). Questions answered by lot, and limited to 5 mins.each. If someone beats you to the subject you have chosen....tough ...move on. Should get through 20-30 different question topics in a couple of hours...

Gazzaniga seems to play alternating games with the up-and-coming Harry Isted. So far this season Gazzaniga has kept goal 3 times (W0 D2 L1) whilst Isted has been on the winning side in all his 3 games. (W3 D0 L0) I've absolutely nothing against KD (a loyal club man and inspiration in the dressing room - we are told), but he is not Prem. class and the newly-extended contract for Gazzaniga shows that the club still thinks he has a future. He's over 21 and should be in the " big boys league" but hasn't proven it yet to anyone's satisfaction. He is in that vacuum that Bart was in at one time......too old for the U21's ....but nowhere near the Prem. bench qualitywise. KD will retire next summer.....Gazzaniga has his new contract and time to improve. My suggestion is to keep on Stekelenburg after Forster returns (surely only a couple of million fee to Fulham), and we will not only have experienced cover, but real competition for Forster and an alternative in case of injury, suspension or loss of form.

1)......I think Nige was blinded by his devotion to KD (who admittedly had a record 18 (?) clean sheets in that Championship season) but some fans had already started to point out the his frailities, he just isn't Prem class. Part of that great defensive record goes down to the efforts of Jose and Jos who were outstanding that season. 2) unless my stats. are way out ...Boruc (after being signed) played only TWO first team games in the first 22 League and Cup matches. until New Year 2013. He finally took over from KD and Gazzaniga (game 23) in January and Adkins was sacked three weeks later, and following a 2-2 away draw at Chelsea. 3) quite clearly Les (rightly) has the say on transfers nowadays, but I always felt that everything had to get past Cortese's desk before it was approved. Not sure how much sway Les had in those days compared to now. Look at those "loan deals" from Swiss and Italian clubs....reeks of Cortese's hand to me.

well when you're on his sort of salary, you don't use it all up by getting a bigger house / better car ...or buying a round every time you step inside the pub door. I hope he's got a good investment idea, and perhaps he deserves it .....after all those years of being " loaned out " by Chelsea.

Yes they do ....Top 3 gets you promotion in lower leagues... and 1976 was OK - wasn't it ?....but few of us still " rejoice " at losing the 2003 Final.

Naturally we would, but Saints aren't in the " Super club status" like Citeh, MU and Chelsea......oh ...and Arsenal too, if you will. Of course it would be incredible if we got to that level, but the 4 regular clubs who get to play CL football every season, only look to win it. When they go out, they say " nearly", but there are no cups awarded for second place. For a team like the " mighty Leeds" they didn't have that much to rejoice over in going out of the competition, and I didn't cry for them.

think you've just about summed it up there, Whitey.......and don't forget that other wonderful maxim ....." if you can't get the ball....get the man who's got it ":rolleyes:

NO !....thankfully she has been spared that .....

just finished watching Arsenal v.Bayern Munich. Bayern made over 600 passes.......but Arsenal scored the goals. The only stat. that matters was.... Arseanl 2 Bayern 0.

nothing counts - if you don't win it .......

Dare anyone contradict you Vectis.. but I thought that Boruc was a " Cortese deal ", and Adkins wasn't that keen on him to start with. I maybe wrong, but I'm sure I heard that from " another source ". IMHO ....one of Adkins (few) mistakes was taking us up to the Prem. without the benefit of an international goalie when (almost) every other club had one or two with international experience. At least two clubs had three ! When our bid for Butland failed ..we took Gazzaniga instead, and he is still to make a positive impression.