badgerx16

Compare and contrast : What can I say…? Southampton has been my life for the past five years, in which we have achieved all of our dreams and more. First I have to thank Markus Liebherr for saving Southampton then Alan Pardew for bringing me to the club. Thank you to all the staff involved in making me the player I am today. Without your knowledge and commitment I would not be here right now at a World Cup with England. Thank you to all the players, past and present, who I have had nothing but good times and success with driven by our club captain, Kelvin Davis. I love every last one of you. Thank you to the managers I have worked with – Alan, Nigel and Mauricio – and their teams for helping me and Southampton step up and adapt to every challenge that has come our way the past five years. When I grew up there was only one club I loved. I can honestly say now I have two clubs which will always be in my heart and that is thanks to the Saints fans. The people who support this club have been nothing short of amazing towards me and, when I look back in years to come, it will be the relationship I had with the fans here which will stand out the most. Southampton have allowed me to realise a lifelong ambition by joining Liverpool FC and taking my family home. The five-year plan when I arrived was to get this club from League 1 to the top half of the Premier League. Against all the odds we have achieved that. Now, under Katharina Liebherr’s leadership, the club has the chance for a new plan, a new chapter, and I wish them all the success in the world. Rickie Lambert

How on earth does he fit in that car ?

Planning on going to the 'Col du Holme Moss' on day 2.

Rickie Lambert handled himself like a gent, and the fans showed their appreciation. Luke Shaw was handed a dream move, was gracious in his leaving, and the club have benefitted to an extraordinary degree. Adam Lallana appears to be a two faced self serving hypocrite, and the club have quite rightly done the minimum required by protocol.

How about a song for that game - "We can see you on the bench"

How much we spend is not as important as how well we spend it.

Or one 'rumour' is simply being repeated.

1) I think NC's relationship with KL had come to a logical conclusion and his ego prevented him continuing. 2) Once NC went, it was resonaby certain that a 'bigger' cub would come and tempt MP, ( just a shame it was the Yobbos ). 3) & 4) Would you have expected Saints to try and match what Liverpool & ManUtd could offer ? Or to simply block all attempts by the players to move on ? 5) If Arsenal / Barca / whoever can offer something we cannot, would you expect the Board to simply block such moves, or to gain as much recompense as they can get ? We are paying the price for a successful season. If we had finished 14th and none of our players picked by Woy, would we be in the same situation ?

He was when at Blackpool under Steve McMahon.

But if we have to sell to raise transfer funds, Rickie's fee is at best half of what Pelle will cost.

"Saints have been willing to do business as they believe a fresh wave of young players are ready to come through the ranks and see the coming season as the first in a new five-year plan. Owner Katharina Liebherr insists the club does not have to sell but reckon the likes of young striker Sam Gallagher, midfielder James Ward-Prowse and defender Calum Chambers are the next generation of stars. They see England U19s starlet Matt Targett as a ready-made replacement for Shaw." Reading this article was the first time I felt worried about this close season. Suggesting Targett as a replacement for Shaw is OK, but Gallagher is nowhere near ready for a full season in the PL, JWP is still a bit lightweight, and there is no way any of our teenagers could replace Lallana, Lovren, or Schneiderlin.

What did we pay for J-Rod in the same circumstances ? Then again, what did we pay for Osvaldo

We could also have persuaded Rickie that he really hadn't been dreaming of playing for Liverpool since he was in short trousers.

What do people think the Board, ( or whatever derogatory term you want apply ), could have done when the 'big' teams came waving their millions under the noses of our better players and plying their whispering campaigns in the media ( and England World Cup camp ) ? Simply saying 'sod off' wouldn't have stopped the players heads being turned, and if we had tried stonewalling to the extent that they switched attention to other targets, we'd have been left with a squad including several sulking want aways hardly committed to whatever RK's vision proves to be. Even if MoPo had stayed, I'm fairly certain that the 3 we've lost up to now would still have gone as we could not have matched what was on offer to them; whether it be money, Champions League football, or Rickie playing out his boyhood fantasies.

You seem to have caught Alpine fever.

Until we can compete with CL teams on wages and bonuses, that will never happen. It's just an indication of how the CL has polluted and corrupted the 'beautiful game'.

A player who has had his head turned by being picked for his country and having £5million a year dangled under his nose by arguably the 'biggest club in the world'. How on Earth were we supposed to compete ? ( Notwithstanding the £30 million plus transfer fee ).

Does this mean that RK has approved all of these moves ?

How will Man Utd fare with the same set of circumstances ?

Lambert went to Liverpool to live out his boyhood dream and will get a 'last hurrah' chance at the CL. Shaw is going to ManU for absolutely bloody STUPID money. Lallana may well go to Liverpool, again for a chance at the CL ( and the club getting another massive wedge ), and maybe even Lovren to a CL team ( be it the scousers or Barca ); but where would Clyne, Wanyama, or Rodriguez go that gives them the same career and financial boost ? Why can't they stay at Saints and push for the top 6 ?

Pretty much this.

I like all the stories of people who had apparently placed bets on Suarez to bite an opponent at the tournament.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/worldcup/luis-suarez-bite-suarez-tried-to-bite-giorgio-chiellini-a-year-before-he-bit-the-italian-defender-during-the-2014-world-cup-9561799.html

Are you sure ?

Be grateful !