Saint86

Statement of intent. Go in for Lukaku + Christisen from Chelsea. Wellbeck and Jizz-in-eye from united. Walcott and oxlade from the wasters Kane and dawson and tottenham. Then stick 2 fingers up at anyone else who things they have a god given right to any of our players/manager. I miss Cortese, this new lot seem soft as anything when it comes to playing hardball.

"Ilk", said with such disdain. Your inner skate wumming its way out perhaps? In all serious however, Adrian's comment makes complete sense and was the core of any plan for saints all along, I don't recall us ever not putting the academy at the heart of our long term strategy. We seem to be producing an oxlade, shaw, walcott, bale, lallana etc every 2 years or so, plus players like JWP, Chambers, Reed, Oakley, Baird, dyer, best etc etc etc... Couple of them every year and a top player on top and the club will be fine regardless tbh. Stadium debt is cleared and the only trouble we can get ourselves into is self made now. Young players, cheap wages, and massive sell on potential. Jobdone. Consolidate and push onwards and upwards.

Pochettino wants additions. Have to be funded one way or another I guess: http://www.clubcall.com/southampton/pochettino-wants-saints-back-up-1722760.html

Wait, so which saints are you supporting? They seem pretty real to me at least.

No its really not. If you think FFP was meant to do anything but cement the current pecking order you are sadly mistaken. Once we hit £52m a year wages, we are only allowed to increase that by £2m a year. The big clubs have between £100m-£200m a year in wages... so we're looking at 50years of continuous growth of £2m a year to be able to offer their current level of wages. There are countless things they could do to make it fairer, starting with not introducing it. For example, we don't currently have European revenues, but to get them we must compete with teams that do which is a massive advantage financially to clubs like tottenham, everton, chelsea, city etc. Look at Liverpool, they have underwritten a £57m loss this past year, that is how much it has cost them to compete and make the step up. Even I can see that there are countless ways to make it fairer. For example, if you want to encourage sustainable teams but keep FFP then make a teams academy graduates exempt from FFP regulations. This would allow us to produce players like shaw, but offer them more competitive wages. This would also encourage the larger teams to develop their own youth rather than hoovering up (and wasting) the nations promising players.

Moyes to Tottenham anyone?

LOOK AT STOKE!!!!

Wow, really. Adam Johnson has had a very good season and has stood out whilst playing for a struggling team... he even had talk of getting and England recall. All in all he is a very good player who would compliment us nicely and I'd love to see 3 of him, lallana, jayrod, ramirez and davis drifting all over the front 3. Would be a very tidy player for us with his ability. I also don't understand your issue with Ings. I can think of a few other players who made the championship team of the season who have done a very good job for saints... Do you remember players like Lambert, lallana, jayrod, clyne? Ringing any bells? As for Marshall, he would be an absolutely outstanding keeper, and would certainly surpass even Niemi in the modern saints error. He has had an absolutely fantastic season. Redmond could be useful, but who would you seriously drop for him? Plus that lad is a winger, and how many saints fans need to be reminded that we don't play with wingers... It beggars belief.

I'm not his greatest fan, but he did well today

This is exactly what I have been saying about saints and what makes us different. We have a quality youth academy with the players brought up the right way.... I mean what is going to turn their eye in marchwood? A few trees? A pony? There hardly going out clubbing like Sterling et al. Brought up in beautiful sleepy surroundings and they get taught to value it, and to fight for and earn it, together! That is the Southampton Way.

Ah, I see what your saying. I read that quote as.... "We are not looking to sell a big name player." Although obviously, a large sum of money for either player should be taken if it can be reinvested in players like wanyama, lovren etc to strengthen the squad. E.g. we could sell shaw for £30m, and buy ourselves Lovren, Wanyama, jayrod, davis and clyne... A repeat of that for similar standard players is very good business. What I don't think his quote means, is "we will sell one or two players, but we won't be doing big business (e.g. selling large numbers of first team players" - I personally think that is looking to read into it, and assumes he is trying to con the fanbase by playing with words and saying "we won't sell", then selling... I hope I'm right on that one. I personally don't get the fuss we are getting in the media, smells a bit fishy. Our players can't be that good (we are scrapping to get/keep 8th), and our manager has done what exactly?

Not sure if trolling? I'll just leave it with my favourite quote from the article: "We feel very comfortable that we have a plan that can deal with the situation and we are definitely not factoring in a big player sale"

Have you seen today's reports that Luke Shaw has "favourited" (yes this is a phrase for those of us who don't use twitter) a tweet saying he is off to manchester united in the summer. Apparently "favourited" tweets are visible to the public. Anyone else think he is enjoying messing around with the media attention? Seems to have a track record of fooling around on twitter. Or do people think that it seriously means he is off to united? http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2031035-southampton-defender-luke-shaw-favourites-tweet-linking-him-to-man-utd-transfer

Maybe when we need a knew troll? He is more of a wind up than they have on talksport (is he on talksport come to think about it?) The bloke positively delights in other teams disappointments. It's no surprise that since united have started winning a few games he has had to turn his eyes elsewhere.

Read the thread, no one has. Take your anti saints nonsense somewhere else please. Its fair enough when you want to make a legitimate point, but flaming everyone for no reason is not.

So people think Rodgers winning the league is a greater achievement than JM winning champions league and the League? Strange... Considering that they have played far fewer teams and actually have 2 recognized quality strikers as well. For me, Liverpool win league, (and chelsea don't win anything): Rodgers Martinez Pulis Chelsea win league and maybe Champions League JM Martinez Pulis Liverpool and Chelsea don't win league: Martinez Pulis Rodgers

The only noise cane from Cardiff booing/jeering. Everywhere else was silent. I was in chapel and was embarrassed by the noise of my carrier bag rustling under my seat. The 50odd Cardiff fans were a disgrace and was not at all surprised to see a few being ejected by stewards in the first few minutes of the match. To blame saints fans for any of that is a disservice and grossly mis-representative and unfair.

Yes, first 10-15seconds. Has been totally glossed over. Utter disgrace.

Lallana ranks 5th on total distance travelled, with the most sprints (1818) and one of the highest average speeds in the top 10.... JayRod also up there! Shame there is no comparison on club totals http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2602212/Nine-ten-players-Premier-League-distance-covered-table-English-West-Hams-Noble-leading-running-NINE-London-Marathons-season.html

That would be stunning in fairness, slender stripes rather than fat ones, keeping a nice touch of red round the top, and loving the navy! really good mix of historical kit types. (Sash for the away ) It's almost a carbon copy of bilbao, but that is not addidas. Either way I'll guess at bilbao? Love the addition of Navy!

I am beginning to think that is the other way around tbh, that or its a very close split. And to be fair, the people who hark on about red and white striped shirts with black shorts being saints' kit really need to go look at the history books as it is not our traditional kit. Just our more recent history. I have personally come to the opinion that stripes represent the old saints, and that our new kit suits are high pressing aggressive football, its actually one of my favorite kits of recent seasons, couple with the championship stripes (which i still wear to matches) and the sash. For me, we either have a predominantly white striped kit, a sash kit, or something similar to this seasons. I don't think Rank xerox will happen to be honest. All those kits listed are broadly different to the fat striped kits of yesteryear or in use by other teams. But that is just me. I think if this years kit had not had gold on it, it would have been a stunner.

You owe Tan everything.... And he OWNS you. You will have to live with it I'm afraid. You loved it when he bank rolled you through the championship afterall.

Opened this thread, saw the first 2 posts by people on ignore. Thought I'd share this comment and be on my way. One of the few people on this forum who Glasgow can't call a friend. Unlike Alpine, who only has one friend... well a pretend Scottish friend. Alpine is ofc allowed his opinion, we all disagree with whatever it is he wrote I'd wager. As for Glasgow, he long ago established himself as someone you See every Tuesday.... Its amazing how quick to read, interesting and stress free threads become when you stick him on ignore (amongst others)... You guys should try it, his threads would only get to a few threads long then. Oh well.

How is a thread starting with, "First and foremost, utterly devastated for Jay. One of my favourite saints players and I am gutted that I will have to wait 9months to see him playing again and won't be able to watch him in Brazil" disrespectful? He is out for a long time before he reaches anything resembling full fitness, he will have to learn to walk again if it is anything like theo's ACL injury.... So yes, it may be a sensitive issue, but behind it there are some mitigating points. Firstly, he is injured in the off season, so he whilst he may miss out on the world cup, it actually limits the playing time he will miss. - No consolation to Jay I'm sure. As i stated above, when Jay actually makes it back to full swing, there is a high chance it will be at the tale end of next season, and that will likely be Lambert's last season as a regular first teamer. Therefore whoever we get in now needs to be able to play in both Jayrod's and Lambert's position to be honest. Has it occurred to anyone that we may see Osvaldo in the red and white again next season due to this? God forbid. The fact is, Jay's injury poses us a massive deficit of pace and quality in attack. We sold puncheon, ramirez isn't a wide man, lallana is wasted out wide really... Isgrove may now get a chance (more likely not) and if not then I have thought for a few seasons that Rowe is the boy. And if we do look to getting a player in, maybe as a loan, maybe as a signing for the future, then we could do a lot worse than players like Ings, zaha, bolasie or at a stretch wellbeck etc. There is no point moping over JayRod's injury, it could potentially be career ending if he never fully recovers... Which would be really sickening, but the club will need to act this summer for sure. This discussion will be had many times over the summer, so may as well start it now...

What I don't understand, is why they didn't go for "Hull City Tigers" - Sounds better to me at least