Lallana's Left Peg

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.

One of the right-backs linked with Manchester United, Danilo, will sign for Real Madrid this summer for £23m. So that is one of the reported targets gone - and I personally feel increases the already high likelihood that Clyne leaves us for Manchester United anyway.

According to The Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3019321/Arsenal-Southampton-locked-1m-battle-Newcastle-United-England-U19-goalkeeper-Freddie-Woodman.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

The new TV deal doesn't kick in until 2016/17. Freezing prices is fair I think.

My favourite part of the goal was how he made space for himself in a tight area with his run peeling away from the defenders that got attracted to the ball.

Absolutely mental that a club with a wage bill of 80k a week to players stumbles to 13th in League 2. And it doesn't look like it will be much better this season. Surely that's like Man Utd or Chelsea finishing 8th or 9th in the Premier League

True but now there is a spot open for him. He appears to be England's first choice and Man Utd clearly have a need for a right-back. £15m or so to them is nothing and for us it is a good deal for a player with a year left on his deal and no real indication that he wants to stay.

When is the last time all three promoted clubs got relegated the following season? I keep saying it at the start of every season and it looks like it may be true this time.

Yeah we probably won't get much increase in league position but we will get some - though I think we'll get more from TV than last year. Last season we got the minimum, by my reckoning we've been on TV 10 times already this season so any more is additional money to the minimum. I found this in the Mail which says what activity from this summer is and is not included in the accounts:

You need to bear in mind that the accounts only reflect last seasons financials and anything 'this season' up to the end of June. Any transfer activity after 30th June won't be reflected in the accounts. Our Chairman has already said the wage bill has gone up from last season so it will be interesting to see what it is and how much of the debt has been paid back as well. I expect the money owed in transfers to be drastically reduced as well. Next year I also expect to see an increase in income purely from an improved league position and us being on TV many more times.

Reasonably confident that these accounts show that this summer will be quiet unless we get big money in for a few players again.

Had completely forgot that Forster played for Norwich in that game!

Hmm I am not sure that is good news really. He's a good finisher but they spent a few months working out how to play without him (3-4-3 with Sterling up front) and then when he returned they stuck with the same formation and shoved him in it and they haven't played too well. I can see Sterling going back to up front (from right wing-back ) and I'll think they'll play better.