Saint86

I also have that niggle in my mind that our new American owners (waiting in the wings) would want us to agree to this. It will be absolutely fatal for the competitiveness of the league. Obviously teams like Saints/Everton/Wolves, and of course Leicester, have rattled them in recent years. It is already extremely difficult for teams to challenge the top 4/6 as it is, but these changes are designed to absolutely close the door and bolt it shut. It should be obvious to everyone that the giving a majority vote down to 6 (the top 6) is just tying a noose around the neck of any other club that votes for it. The first thing that goes will be any fairness in tv money distribution. Easy to do when the European 6 can all just vote to take as much as they want, or organise private TV deals. Its also telling that they want to be allowed to hoover up more top talent on loan. Basically stripping other clubs of their rising talents, whilst making money (loan fees/sales) in the process. Also the changes to income that are already proposed (by default) will harm all other clubs outside of Europe. They'll get reduced TV money, reduced league cup prize money, and reduced attendance figures for the season across the board. Meanwhile you can bet the top European clubs will be arranging more and more lucrative tv deals for European competitions and foreign friendlies. Honestly, i know people laugh at this view. But i think they should all be invited to join a European super league and with no promotion/relegation - cut them off and let them go. If you put clubs like Arsenal, Barcelona, Madrid (x2), United, Spurs, Dortmund, Juventus, PSG, Chelsea, Monaco, Inter etc etc etc all into the same league it will lead to the dissatisfaction of 75% of their fanbases. Only 1 or 2 can challenge for that title. And some of them are destined to be the Fulham or Norwich of that world. It is absolutely doomed to failure. Those clubs exist at that size because their respective football leagues can support them. Put them all in the same league and some will wither quite rapidly. United fan's are unhappy now, imagine what it will be like when they're at the bottom of the table? Ditto Arsenal fans, they demanded Wenger was sacked because he could only get them 4th... Kick them out, and let the rest of us enjoy a competitive league with teams like Saints, Villa, Leeds, Notts Forest, Everton, Newcastle, West Ham, Leicester, Wolves etc.

Kane has 6 assists and 3 goals in 4 premier league games. This increases to 8 goals in 8 games when all his games are considered this season.

But not into saints 😆

Does anyone have an estimate of the total wages saved here? Edit - I see its been estimated as 350k. No further questions M'luds.

I am conflicted over the Walcott signing. On the one hand, he is a returning academy player who has always had a soft spot for the club, and it is great to have academy players (who left the club very young) want to come back. However, he could have come back before (albeit perhaps the starts didn't align financially between clubs - and we had signed boufal and carrilo). He has been a very good player in his career, scoring some crucial goals in the champions league etc, and he is lethal for through balls in behind - so he does bring us something unique in that regard. However he doesn't have the ability to beat defences that sit deep and compact... which is most teams we play other than the top 4-5. Is he anything more than a better shane long that probably doesn't work as much, niggle as much, or jump as high? Walcott has also made a big deal about the emotional side of this move - and i am sure that a lot of fans have a little soft spot for him as the first of that academy team to break through and then get sold off to balance the books.... But ultimately, as a club and a fanbase, he doesn't really deserve any special treatment - he hasn't played for us for years etc. If it was any other player, this would be the equivalent of west ham signing another 30+ player who can no longer cut it at the highest level. It does feel like this deal has an emotional aspect which surely has no place in football business decisions? Especially for a club as hard up as saints? Best case scenario, he does very well and warrants a contract by the end of it. Any other scenario sees him not warranting a contract and the club have the elephant of an underperforming loan player (not the biggest deal in itself) that also comes with a side of player/fan/club relationship baggage. I find myself wanting him to do well as much for the emotional "nice story" part of it, as for the benefit of a new squad winger. Hopefully we get an ings stlye bounce - also i hope he is eligible to play against everton!

He only signed for them last season?

I particulary like how MLG totally missed this 🤣

Irrelevant if there was, we can't afford his wages. No way should we be signing him. His attitude is poor, we're paying to develop someone else's player, and the last thing we need is a double agent for a top club showing bednarek, JWP, ings etc what easy money they could be getting. Definite pass on RLC.

Diallo and Sessegon would be tasty deals to complete. Of all the players we were linked with in central midfield, Koopmeiners was the one i really wanted!

So are we thinking its Wasserman now?

Can anyone see us utilising Stephens as CDM. Especially given we have no money and seemingly won't sign one? Salisu and Bedders for me. Vestegard as the rotation option.

Other than ITK snippet on Monday/Tuesday, has there been any more news on this? I.e. who the likely party is, and when we can expect it to happen (with a slight bit more definition than, "soon" if possible 😅)

I agree. Its obviously spin - Blackmore doing his best dog on a leash impression and trying cover our blushes. The mere fact that he is out there trying to make up excuses shows we've got something to be embarrassed about.

He's been a net good owner. You know that right? He kicked Reed and co to the kerb, got us Hassenhuttle, and under his stewardship we've somehow avoided relegation and total financial implosion. Reed was the worst person to ever run our club. He came so very close to utterly ruining us with a legacy of taking a european chasing team in to one that would be very lucky to be in business. It really isn't reasonable to lynch Gao for somehow saving us from Reed's nightmare. Yeah okay, i'm sure things would be different if he poured money into the club... But those owners are few and far between.

In all seriousness, that sounds like Club PR from Blackmore. There is no way saints would have wasted time on Sangare if we thought he couldn't get a work permit. Saints were either too slow/cheap, or we were never really interested as a first choice. It is interesting that Blackmore feels the need to defend the club publicly - that actually suggested there is something to defend - not that we weren't really that interested.

Thats the difference having a quality manage makes. Its a shame that Koeman's style rubbed up Reed like it did. But then again, a few yes men later and we were really in the mire - so at least we had Koeman for as long as we did. Car crash Reed has come within a whisper of ruining the club. Thank god Gao's chairmanship has included a shake up at board room level and the hiring of a serious manager again.

Protesting the manager already - only a few games in 😄 https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/portsmouth-fc/portsmouth-fans-attend-friendly-passionate-protest-kenny-jackett-be-sacked-manager-2984822 Didn't they make the play offs last year?

Our hands are tied by the Legacy of Reed. The man came far to close to ruining us. I used to moan that he hamstrung our potential. Now I am just greatful that we seem to have survived Reed without getting relegated and entering adminstration.

If it means that portsmouth are in debt to Saints I am in two minds. On the one hand, hilarious! On the other hand... they won't pay it back. 😑

He's a solid keeper who has done alright for us. Sometimes poor, sometimes superb. Ralph is determined to play with a high line and we don't have the team for it, which has left him horribly exposed. Against Tottenham he was left to 2 world class wolves in Son and Kane. Stephens could be shot for 3 or 4 of those goals, but even then its Ralph's style of play (and refusal to change tactics) that cost us in all seriousness If you want to lay the blame anywhere, start and stop with Reed and Co, utterly crippled the club .

I mean, tbf I think we've all been told it's Robert Kraft...

I have to agree with you. Lord forbid we have a player come out as gay (tom Davies maybe?)... Some of our fans can't even tolerate someone that doesn't play for us dressing up for New York fashion week.

He is always shit after a break. Him and Bednarek have been utter dog shit in the first 2 games. Needlessly giving the ball away, positionally utter garbage, and no fucking marking to speak off. 4 straight defeats coming up.

Only a few more of Les' legacy to shift. We are so lucky to have got Ralph - without him we'd have been relegated and face an almost certain financial implosion - dragged down through the leagues by the weight of a bloated and average squad on wages far above our stature. That future would have been far bleaker than what followed the last relegation imo. Thankfully we seem to have escaped it, touch wood.

His ambition is to grow a global network of clubs with Southampton as its hub. He's talking about getting major clubs in Brazil, as well as top division teams in Europe's main leagues. There is great potential there for saints. But it could also be too good to be true. Certainly though, it is something to be excited about. Don't forget, sources inside the club have been making happy houses for a while whilst this has been going on. Including Ralph and Semmens.