Baird of the land

Disagree completely. Being a gateway only works if we're able to retain the players we've blooded for a significant amount of time to help us compete towards the top end and groom future replacements. If you look at say Everton who we must be aspiring to catch they don't seem to about to sell Barkley. I'm sure if they announced he was available the top 4 would buy him. If he carries on his trajectory for them they'll most likely end up losing him to one of world's biggest clubs but not now.

Yeah the main issue in selling your best players is then you become a less attractive destination for players of equal stature. So if shed multiple top players even for astronomical sums we then face a major uphill task to convince future Lovren's/Wanyama's that you need to ensure you attain and better the same level. We'd also face inflated fees due to people being aware we had all that money so as you say the money wouldn't go as far. Of course there's the odd bargain to be had but that's much rarer at the very top end.

Coming 2 places lower than they did under Poyet the season before with less points is definitely not overachievement.

Potchettino wants Champions League football and thinks Spurs are better able to deliver that since that is their aim. Saints are aiming after Europa league which Potchettino doesn't like. I'm guessing Spurs will be playing very weak teams managed by Perez in Europa league if he gets his way.

Yep would be awful. They release good pr with 'highest quality managers' are interested in Saints job, then it's followed up by rumours of saints enquiring about a distinctly mediocre manager. Stooping to take a manager who largely failed in the division below and then walked away would be comically bad. Adkins finished a point behind him, if we're stooping down to that level.

Struggle to see why saints would even short list a mediocre former championship manager such as this. Brighton barely struggled into the play offs and then went out with a whimper.

Definitely don't want laudrup, moyes or Mackay. Lennon would be rather a gamble and if we're gambling I'd prefer Sherwood who has spent 6 mths in prem and Europa experience this season. Yakin's still my clear favourite though. Really disappointed if they are ruling him out because he doesn't have perfect English yet.

I'd prefer a some form of funny song/chant expressing our displeasure. Hasn't given the length of service to merit applause.

Actions speak louder than words. Get Jack Cork signed on a new deal for instance would be something to make me feel more confident in the new board. What Krueger said wasn't terrible, Hearing the words European ambition was nice. However there was much vagueness on football side mainly because he sees sporting side as responsibility of les reed and co.

HR will have a busy job sending out floods of rejection letters then. Hardly like we need to be sitting waiting for the postman to arrive to sound out if our shortlist candidates are interested.

Agree completely, all these questions need to be asked and answered.

Agree completely should be well down the list, only ahead of the likes of Mackay and Hughton and co. Terrible fit playing style wise and not a very good fit with the whole academy approach either.

Paper gossip is something completely different to official channels confirming talks about ambitious project and a generous new contract having been being offered for him to consider.

That's sort of the problem. There's rumours we offered him a contract, there was murmors of a meeting to outline the new project. However the club were unable/unwilling to put out a message selling that they've offered him an improved contract and an ambitious vision for the future. Not a surprise that players and fans take that silence for inaction.

He's a decent manager but his style of play and approach in no way fits how Saints are set up. Avoid like the plague please.

Board are fasting appearing to be asleep at the wheel. Now maybe they aren't but they aren't selling a message to media or fans and even more worryingly aren't selling one to the players of their ambition and vision. Compare this with all the apparent buying into Cortese's previous vision and it is extremely worrying.

The key is whether board have been idly lounging around whilst Mauricio acted like a Groom with jitters about his commitment to us. If they have spent those weeks nailing down a short list of replacements they need to talk to(if he left) then we can all happily accept that while like a duck on the surface they appeared to be doing nothing their legs were frantically kicking under the surface. I do worry they are only now starting that work rather arranging interviews and making an appointments but that's because this board seem so new and naive.

1) Ball leaving for city 2) Mopo leaving for spurs 3) Hoddle leaving for spurs In terms of level of guttitude during my lifetime. No one will ever top my childhood despair of Ball leaving.

No panic appointments needed. Several weeks till World Cup starts to identify who we want & convince them to join.

Think he's more acknowledging that we've got some World Cup players of note. See no reason if we sell him with an ambitious challenge he'd refuse to sign till he'd watched all the World Cup games.

If we can't attract someone of stature and approach of yakin etc Then I'd prefer us to go young British, similar passing approach with faith in youth (Sherwood etc) Mclaren would be marginally ahead of moyes simply due to style of football fit but a disappointment.

The more I read about yakin the better he sounds. Do the board have ambition to go for him though?

I find it far more unreal that some people are keen on him when he is such an atrocious fit with us.

Would be deeply disappointed if it turns out to be moyes. That there's worse fits for us such as Mackay/hughton is about all positive I could say. Reading yakin's quotes for first time made me hopeful he might be interested in coming. Seems young, plays right way & has cut his teeth well at Basel. As long as he has similar faith in youth it looks like a great fit with saints.

Losses to the 1st 11 0 or 1 would count as success. 2 disappointing but maybe not crippling 3 or more disastrous.