david in sweden

if we are above them by that time, I'd be interested to hear Ronald's first comments .... Last time (this question) came up (re Barcelona ) ...he said he had a 3 year contract with Saints and intended to fulfill it .

The Squad - as such - doesn't need to include the names of U21 players like JWP and Targett, and will obviously be from those quoted above. The whole issue about us NOT using Academy lads depends entirely on...1) are they as good / better than those normally chosen, and 2) their capacity to play lots of games. Matt Targett is still finding his way, and (on past performance) isn't upto Bertrand's standard, but as seen so far, hasn't let the side down, either. He will improve. JWP is at the top of his game ...and captaining the England U21 side speaks volumes - but he's not an automatic choice for the Prem. side YET by any means. Get the feeling that had he scored a few more goals for the club......fans would have a different opinion, but he DAJFU out on the park when needed. We are not ignoring the Academy graduates, but like ever other player, they have to be seen to better than the man they are replacing ..so far ...they're not.

Journos depend on getting their names attached to big stories, but in the end they end up " whoring " for one of the "so-called " big clubs and feed off all the tid-bits that they are fed, and then publish it as gospel.. Let's face it ...no-one wants have to report on Millwall's U21 side when they can put a " big name club" on their byline. If a player is "getting out of line" that club's Board can feed "misinformation" to the journo saying that; the club isn't satisfied with his performances, or he's a bad influence in the dressing-room etc. It's just another way of keeping them in line. Spurs must have known that we would reject a £10 million offer for Victor (who cost over £12 million), but in so doing they can " make a story " that we rejected their offer and we refused to let the player go ....resulting in said player getting upset! It's the same method that the old film bosses used in Hollywood. Anyone complaining about their contract was quickly put down by one of the "poison pen " journos who had the ear of the studio .....and they would write a pack of lies saying how difficult he was to work with, or no-one liked him ....just to keep the star in their place.

has William Hill / SkyBet published odds for the first Prem. manager out the door yet ?

.......and likely see their last defender get a" red " into the bargain - if he fouls Mané in full flight......

.......depending on WHO their manager is ...at that time.......

in a short interview clip from Sky Sport ...Les Reed stated that.....the club has offered Victor ....a 5 year extension to his contract....a good move IMO and here's why .... Firstly, I don't think the club would "punish" him as some do.....by fining him for refusing to play, or put him to train with the Academy....that's unecessary. He needs to withdraw " his transfer request " - if indeed he actually made one - get his head together and get back to doing what he does best... Secondly, the window has closed and so he has nowhere to go in the short term. Don't know what salary he's on at present but an extra £10-15k /week would mean another half million a year, which would surely please his greedy agent. With two years left on his contract, the club can keep him on the present one if we want to ...until it runs out.... Lastly, if he improves, and still wants to leave at some future time....the club has a stronger bargaining position and his price would rise even more, and he'd have to find a club willing to pay a lot more than his " new salary ". Any potential " buyers " would have to be one of last seasons " top six " to cough up that sort of fee / salary.... noted: the " mysterious £10 million bid " from Spurs :suspicious:does seem highly suspicious to me, as it's obvious we wouldn't sell him for less than we paid, but it may have been a crafty move in order to say... that we'd had bid for him and refused it .......thus making VW nervous and wanting to seek a move. The media caused the rest of the panic. Given time to think, I hope Victor comes back and DAJFU .....(as Morgan did last season) - after he got focussed again. Next year's window is not today's problem ....there's no need to make things worse than they maybe at present.

£30 million?....at the prices we find our gems... I'd buy half-a-dozen promising types from various European countries....definitely not another Osvaldo.

Spurs are a catastrophe waiting to happen...... Gareth Bale kept them up single-handedly in the league whilst he was there, and but for Harry Kane they wouldn't have finished in the top half last season..... ......they must hope they find a new saviour, or their season will be a nightmare.... one can but hope.

......and that might be quite soon. ..... he'll soon be on the slippery slope .... Having cleared out most of the dross they bought after getting the Bale windfall......and then lost a packet selling them off cheaply. Spurs have failed to find adequate replacements.....and that's Levy's fault. He really is a piece of work..... .....but you can be sure that Pochettino will carry the can and get the push when results fail to materialise....

ah... .but don't forget what a great manager they have - he'll sort it out .......

if the deal is done and dusted....maybe they are just waiting for MLT to come on the SSN panel at 3 o'clock before releasing the news...?

maybe there is another reporter at Staplewood......? is it raining ?

Good question , but there are two schools of thought on this ..... some might say you aren't showing confidence in the potential of our Academy.... because " the others " are always complaining that we don't promote our own youth. Buying in foreign talent limits our own (they claim)....but I'm sure RK would use Academy lads - if they were good enough. .....but that takes time for someone who has maybe played around 30 mins. as a sub. in the first team and is only used to U21 football. Both JWP and Targett are still trying to find their feet in the first team....so it's not that easy to bring in our own " untried " at Prem. level. I'm sure Les / Ronald and " the Black Box " know who they need......

didn't realise that - does he have a shirt number?. The " 24 player list " doesn't need to be confirmed until next week I think ..or ?

....and I wonder just WHERE he would go?....the window has already closed in France, Spain, Italy and Germany ... maybe another desperate club in the Prem?........or will Koeman manage to turn him into a useful squad player - at last.

and he will - if he can stop hitting the woodwork instead. EIGHT times (quoted) last season.

yes that was nice to see. Tadic looked like his old self from last Autumn......

just at the point in time when we thought he had been released - we got a buyer. I hope for his sake that he can resurrect his career, but we've got a deal anyway. OK the fee may not have been anywhere near the £3 million+ we paid out (plus salaries) since then, but ....it's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. We (hopefully) have learned the lesson of Ramirez and Osvaldo deals, but even though EM didn't cost as much an average salary could cost us £1,5/£2 million a year. However, I think it strange that these " bad deals " were made on Cortese's watch, and involved clubs in Switzerland / Italy where he obviously had " friends ".

good young keepers who can develop into a Prem. level custodian are VERY few. It takes many years - and a lot of patience - to get someone who can stay the course. The vast majority of goalies we've signed in the last 30+ years have been established keepers with a career background . If this lad is as good as is rumoured - it'll be interesting to see him develop, but with Dave Watson as goalie coach ....just maybe ....this time. Only 17.... but we can see how quickly he makes it to the U21's. In the past 10 years we've tried Bart, Chris Johns, Cody Cropper, and of course the notorious Tommy Fourpast. Gazzaniga has never been convincing and is on the last year of his contract....and we may see him going out on loan for the remainder of that.

please don't mention that name again .......

......with the emphasis on.... YOUNG ! An interesting comment from Roy Hodgson was replying to a question about selecting youngsters who are playing well (Sterling and Kane at that time) ..he said that (in his experience).....they might often play very well for 4-5 games, but in the long term they lacked consistancy. He is right. Our most experienced players in recent years; Lambert, Steve Davis and Fonte as examples - always put in a shift - and rarely disappointed. But they're not 20....and have a lot of games under their belt. A look at the great names of yesteryear shows that even Shearer and MLT took time to come good. I've watched many Prem. games on the Net, and often felt that Sterling blew hot and cold - brilliant in one game and almost invisible in the next. In the light of that .....I'm not surprised at the non-showing of Harry Kane since the start of the season. Great last year ... but what of the future this season ? Neither JWP or Targett has had a real run of games - obviously they are up against better talents in the squad - but you must take your chance when it comes. Had Nathaniel Clyne not been injured pre-season 2013-14, Chambers might still be in the U21 set-up....likewise Targett may have problems when Bertrand is fit again. They've both had first team game time, and I'd be less worried to see their names on the team sheet in future knowing that they know which way we're kicking.

it's never stopped him before. He's always available to comment on the transactions of every club he's ever mis-managed .........

Sunderland have always had more money than sense ....(used to be called The Bank of England club).....they have to concentrate on trying to survive.

I agree....except that Jose Fonte's widely-quoted statement (on keeping Wanyama) also included the phrase ..." getting one or two more in ....."¨ If we don't sign VVD after all the press, inuendo and club comments.....it'll be a major disappointment .....so think he'll sign now. loans out YES..... loans in possibly one or two.....maybe .. (how many loans are we allowed?) finally ....am I the only person who thinks we might get in ANOTHER striker ....or ?