Lallana's Left Peg

To be fair isn't there already a thread on summer incomings and a separate one on outgoings?

Bidding war is the best we can do here, and sounds like one is building nicely.

I am not aware of any changes coming up but this is two seasons ago: http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2146866.html This seasons structure: http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2146866.html I suppose you need to add matchday revenue on top of that (32k tickets at £20 a pop is £640k minus expenses) but really it's not that much money and it could even be more lucrative to finish 8th instead of 12th in the Premier League.

But here is the challenge - Europa League football is not financially lucrative. So why would Saints spend all that extra money on wages if finishing 5h - 10th doesn't have that much of a financial benefit to them? I think we should go the extra mile if we're sure of a player being Top 4 quality.

I am more annoyed with our inability to get some support in for Pelle in January than I am Pelle's form. It isn't for lack of effort so we just deal with the limitations of the player (and the circumstance of him being shattered and it his first season etc.). But criminal we didn't strengthen in January.

This thread reminds me of:

Final is a week today at Ewood Park, and on the 20th at St Marys (also on Sky Sports) http://www.rovers.co.uk/news/article/under-21-premier-league-cup-blackburn-rovers-southampton-2382845.aspx

No way - I want an Arsenal vs. Liverpool final on Gerrard's Birthday and an Arsenal win.

It's that time of year when 2nd Year Scholars who haven't yet been offered Professional Terms are either offered a contract or released. Likewise youth players coming to the end of their deals are worried, and U16's learn if they are going to be offered a scholarship or not. Does anyone have any news on this? Someone said in another thread that only a couple of U16's were offered scholarships for next season and the Academy was looking outside the country for prospects.

Yep, but I am pretty sure that Sheffield United could do with him as well but they don't see fit to play him. I don't know much about the player but when I look on the face of I can't work out why he wouldn't be of a suitable standard yet to play for Sheffield United.

Just checked out his Wikipedia. There is a severe disconnect between the clubs he is being linked to and the clubs he has spent playing time with - he's not even getting games for his parent club.

I agree with the first bit but on here it appears you can only be at the extreme ends of either scale at times. Next season will be (relatively) very tough as we are likely to have a Europa League campaign to support which will negatively impact league form and also two / three of our best players will leave and it'll be 50/50 (as it always is) whether we can effectively replace them or not.

Davis Clyne - Fonte - Alderweireld - Bertrand Morgan - Victor Long - Mane - Tadic Pelle Need a bit more carnage in the final third and that mix should provide it, whilst I trust Schneiderlin and Wanyama enough to prevent Hull overloading us on the break too much.

Fair point but I think the days of Chelsea selling kids for £750k are over!

We can't keep referencing the past as to a reason why we shouldn't be unhappy with aspects of the current. In terms of the bigger picture things are amazing. But as supporters we don't go to games for anything other than the moment. We live, at most, a season at a time. And that is the way it should be. This season has been amazing but it is stuttering to an end. As a supporter we're quite entitled to wonder 'what if' and what it boils down to is as alluded to earlier we're good enough to be in every game but it getting the ball in the net which is stopping us from getting our rewards. That is incredibly frustrating and when you want to achieve as a fan you should be allowed to express that frustration. Our main / only striker hasn't scored in the league for 13 weeks now. We don't have any other strikers and our midfield don't score many these days either. Something is wrong and jumping on people who think it isn't good enough and undermines many of the things we do well is as unnecessary as those who declare it the end of the world.

He has scope to improve and is young and English - even if he is nowhere near the Chelsea first team, it makes sense for them to increase his value to sell him for more money. They have no reason to sell him now - a Premier League (or foreign league) loan beckons. A club like Saints likely won't be able to buy a good young player from Chelsea (or rather they wouldn't sell him to us) - they'd have to reach the age of Bertrand.

Which is why it's important to have finishers!

As the season has gone on our success has been built on defensive organisation more than any attacking flair. This approach means that we have to take our chances when they come but with Pelle out of form and luck, and Long not a very good finisher, much of our good work is undermined. A lack of striking options is hurting us, but our attacking midfield players are not chipping in with enough goals either though. Djuricic hasn't really contributed much and I don't know why we didn't push the boat out for a striker on loan in January given the position we found ourselves in. It doesn't distract too much from an amazing season but in football you always ponder 'what if' and it seemed far too sensible to get a striker in January - moreso given Gallagher's and Jay Rod's injury status - and yet it didn't happen so I do wonder why.

Bad news if true.

He's probably going to be a part of that Veho video that is being released / promoted later today. Or I'm reading too much into things.

Player probably won't be keen on Saints but there is one way wages can be sorted - this is a club that allowed Nani to join Sporting Lisbon on loan for the season and agreed to pay all of his wages as a part of a deal to sign a distinctly average defender. The same club has been strongly linked with Clyne. Hmm.

Satisfying reading after what happened to a few of ours last season: http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=320604.40 Rodgers can have no complaints - he acknowledges that players want to play at the highest level: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/liverpool-boss-brendan-rodgers-unapologetic-4061328

What are they going to pay with - magic beans?

But an alternative perspective may be that very few black players take coaching badges (in comparison) because they do not feel the opportunities are out there for them. Is that an excuse not to take them? Probably not, but it may be a reason why badges aren't taken. There certainly is a disproportionate percentage of black representation in coaching and management in the game. It is hard to find an answer for it, but I certainly feel that the issue would be better addressed if those who do speak out about it (such as Sol Campbell) did so in a more constructive manner as his approach in particular is quite hostile.

Yep, but not by much. The year left on his deal impacts his price a lot and probably undermines the other factors that can inflate his price such as selling to another club in the Premier League, the fact we don't need the money, him being proven in the Premier League, him being English, Manchester United being loaded, and what we got for Shaw (and others) last summer. Still think we can get £15m for him though.