david in sweden

Me too, it's as though the entire fan base has been brainwashed by the media. For the record .....I watched MY first Saints game 55 years ago....and I can assure everyone that Saints have been in far worse shape than they are now. For a start ...2009 wasn't our most glorious year. We've never been near having £80 million in the bank.....also Premier League status is " comforting ", yet many seem to have us in the Championship next season... rather than the Champions League. I don't expect qualification to CL this season, or even next....but O ye of short memory....is there no comfort in the seeing the queue of lads coming up from the Academy year after year. Many people reading this were amongst the first to praise the emergence of Walcott, Bale and Oxled-Chamberlain, but first to complain when they became " too good" for a humble Saints ' side. Now a few more have passed through the system...Lallana, Shaw and Chambers ...and so it's likely to be again in the future whilst we have the current FFP rules to play by..(outside our control). with 3 weeks before season start, we have a manager with a proven record and his own legendary football career..... with money available to buy almost who he wants....and still people panic..(?) For those " bed-wetters " who start panic threads every July 2nd, and demand that heads must roll because we haven't signed anyone ..have you never noticed that Saints (like many other clubs) do most of their business in the final week before the season starts.? Agreed we need another 3-4 players coming in, but unlike many other clubs.. at least we have the wherewithal to buy them, and I predict we will see a lot of new faces arriving before Aug 17. Finally, a fairly good case (not just financial) can be made for some of the recent sales ...(although I'm a little sad to see one or two of them disappear)....and we shouldn't convince ourselves into believing that the teams that were selected last season were the only 11 players on the Planet capable of playing well in a Saints' shirt ...(hooray for the Stripes). ..and let's not get carried away with the first few results either (good or bad). Something my 55 seasons as a Saints' fan has proven is that (aside from the obvious top 4 super teams) the first half dozen games are no real indicator of the end of season form. So sorry to all you Doomsday prophets...can't share all your negative attitudes......

this is incredible Duncan ...around 60 posts already and it's only you and I who think .....it's a bad idea! CRAZY ! If we spend £30 million in the next 3 weeks, they'll all come back saying how great everything is and how clever Les and Ronald are.......

why can't everyone see this? It's surely a manager's dream. Money in the bank and a chance to buy whoever you want. Ronald Koeman has a chance to put OUR money where his faith is ..and buy in a whole team... if he needs to. Every manager who takes over a club has to adapt to fit in the " stars" in the club -even if they are difficult to handle. Now for those who don't want to stay ..let's say goodbye NOW. Anymore for the Skylark? Yes they've been good, but that was " last years team" , and they couldn't cut it (and make it to a Euro place)...surely a manager of RK's stature can feel confident in knowing he can do it " his way ".

Obviously not everyone this year, but JWP is fairly well established,..and there was a time when people spoke of the U16 full backs Shaw and Targett in the same breath, so who knows?. there are surely more experienced players coming in (from abroad by the sound of it), but I don't expect to see more than 4 Academy lads playing together again this season ...but in time... I'm sure they'll all have a chance, but you can't judge anyone on the stength of a handful of games.

BEST TRANSFER WINDOW EVER ? .....must be for players sold .....£70 million plus ...and still rising, but a lot of people won't be satisfied unless we spend double so much on replacements.

maybe? .....but then again there isn't much more English competition to choose from - is there ? ... and all the foreign candidates are only here for the money.

.....isn't it just ! Some people are still reacting in the same way they did when we were bottom of L1 with -10 points.

a fairly reasonable assessment ART. I think I'd buy most of that........ Instead of blaming everything on the Board, I'd hang the albatross around MP's neck. If Les was "conned " he wasn't the only one. Really thought MP was going to stay, until ....it was too late.

No panic. I 'd feel a bit more concerned if it were only 20 hours before seasons start.

you can't really mean to include Osvaldo in that group - do you? OK ....very nice goal v. Man City, but a touchline ban after the Newcastle fracas... .and then the bust-up with Fonte....what sort of contribution is that ? the sooner we get him off the books the better, and cut our losses. How much a week is he getting ?

read my visitor message - more info. there.

......where do you come from with all that common sense reasoning ?. You'll upset the bed-wetters with that kind of logic. I agree with every word. Publish this every day until it hurts .

...signing the next TWO players will be a statement in itself. Patience is required, transfers are much more than just signing on the dotted line.

If I were a top manager, and had the ability to BUY my own side, I'd jump at the chance. Koeman has that opportunity now, but they won't all arrive overnight. OK you lose some key players to other clubs along the way, but having disatisfied players in the dressing room who were loyal to the previous manager, can be an hindrance rather than a help. It takes time to make things work. NOTE: When MP took over, he had 5 players who had first played for Alan Pardew in L1.(!) How many more miles are in those legs? Koeman is being mooted as (potentially) one of the most experienced managers we've ever had, so he needs to a chance to put his methods into place, and most sensible fans will grant him that time. (the impatient ones will changing their nappies twice a day and calling for his head after a couple of poor results)

sound advice ......that unfortunately won't stem the panic on this board .......the bed-wetters on here are now moving onto a game of Russian Roulette after each transfer out.

......which is a strange comment for anyone to make after living through 4 years of Chairman Nicola Cortese's regime which was about as popular as a Brazilian death squad when he was in charge.

of course, with everyone watching the exodus of players - it's very easy to blame Les Reed for everything, but let's not think that our team that became stranded in 8th place in January - and stayed there contained the only 11 footballers on the planet ! I believe the first press statement regarding " daily chats " with MP were probably true, and the comments about " no fire-sale " was also a serious attempt to convince MP to stay on. There was clearly no reason for anyone to leave had MP decided to stay.....in moving away..... he pulled the plug on everyone and panic set in. The transfers - so far - have been to those " big clubs " with enormous egos and expectations for success who are all in a crisis of confidence at present. Liverpool because they missed the Prem.title ( even though back in CL)..but there was still PANIC. . Man Utd who had half-a-team past sell by date or OOC, and a bad season with a new manager. PANIC ! We had no need to keep promises to an ex-employee (MP) and after their World Cup trips, Lambert, Lallana and Shaw were almost bound to be on their way. Lovren is a clear "opportunist" - no comment. Les must be disappointed in the fear factor that has spread but ought we not have more faith in Les Reed and Ronald Koeman who are in danger of being found guilty - before they've committed the " crime " of losing a league point. I'm all for staying neutral until I see the first few results from " Koeman's new-look " side. I've been wrong before but some of the contributors on here have clearly nailed their flags to the mast already.

shall we wait and see?...or, is that your last word on the subject?

get real Didcot..." no players left on the pitch ? " We didn't have the last 11 players on the planet. There are a number of good (but different) reasons for selling those who have gone already. There's lots more talent out there to be had, and if Les and Ronald do their stuff, we'll get even better replacements for those players who have already /will leave.

AMEN to that ! hahahahaha

.perhaps, she knows something we don't?. Firstly, NC was removed from his post in Marcus' company and then " tendered his resignation " when he found out he couldn't get control of SFC. Katarina Liebherr is no stranger to the business world, so perhaps it was a case of ..." my way or the highway " ..and NC finally left when he realised he couldn't get his own way. Either way, his " rule of law " is over and only time will tell how right it was to have allowed him to go.

a really excellent post Marks SFC...this ought to be posted again every day, it would save the cost of nappies for the numerous bed-wetters on here

My thoughts exactly. You need to post more often, Barcelona.......there are people on here who are changing their nappies 4 times a day.

100% YES. The worst problem in football is managers' coming in and having to " cope " with a squad of long-contracted players who " weren't quite good enough " and couldn't quite cut it for the previous guy ! Whilst we were all glorying over our best League placement since **** and our highest points tally etc, (I was one of them ) ....did we stop to ask ourselves were those players REALLY good enough. I cannot believe that there aren't 11 better players out there who can replace those who have / are expecting to " move on ". If we think that RK can make the difference then with the £50 million in the bank ..and some more to come...surely we need to be patient and trust the man, and stop condemning him before we've even played a League game.....and BTW is there anyone out there who expects us to win 3-0 at Anfield.... NO. It'll take time, but I for one don't want to hear abouit disatisfied players in the dressing room . That is the kiss of death for any club. If they don't want to be at SMS . OK Thank you and goodbye. If necessary, I'd accept 11 new players who are prepared to sweat and spill blood for SFC. The rest can move on... and if we get over-the-odds transfer fees in so doing .....all the better.

Fortunately, (for him) he missed the World Cup fiasco, and so may have a second chance with their national side, but several sites have stated that he is " well-regarded " in Italy, (which must say something about the mentality of Italian fans), but although we won't be able to recover the entire fee, I'd expect us to get a reasonable deal to get him off the books, and pass on his salary to someone more deserving .....who wants to play for Saints.