NewYorkSaint

Agreed. That's why I said the £100m question is whether the £100m we've brought in is genuinely made available to RoKo (and Reed). I'd be surprised if he/they spent more than half of that this window. It would be better to spend half of it, let the team gel, and then add to it in January. But unless that money is taken away, I think that nothing that has happened so far proves bad faith behavior on behalf of KL or the board. I get that people are impatient for good news. But there's still time enough, and it's important to get these decisions right. As they say in business: hire slow, fire fast.

The loss of great players is stressful, no question. But you can still make a case that we'll be fine. Consider. - We've just signed a centre forward in Pelle who seems to be better than the guy whose pic is top right of this page -- and the amount we paid for him is substantially less than the amount we've been offered for our reserve right back. (Yes, ages, are relevant here, but as far as the next 3 years are concerned, I personally think Pelle will add more to the team than Chambers would have, great though he is.) - We're making a 150% profit on Lovren... as well as getting a great year out of him. - We got paid the highest amount ever paid for a left back, someone who cost us nothing except X years of academy nurturing. He has a replacement from the same academy who may be almost as good, and we're committed to buying a new first choice LB. So unlike last year we'll have two great left backs - and still with many extra £ in the bank. - Even without Morgan, our midfield is teeming with talent: JWP, Cork, Wanyama, Davis, Gaston, Tadic ...and now Reed. - Isgrove is storming through as an incredible prospect. He's faster than J-Rod and seems to possess fantastic instinctive skills. - We have an excellent new manager duo, who based on pre-season evidence look likely to continue where MoPo left off in terms of the fast-passing attacking style. - We've made £100m on players who cost us So just as a sustainable business model, you can make the case that Saints are in a league all their own. We have an academy that is not only turning out incredible players, it seems capable of funding the entire club. Now the loss of many of our best players is certainly alarming. It's easy to see why some think the board is being deceptive. But there's another interpretation that still seems to me just as likely to be true. The root problem is that the premier league has vast discrepancies in financial strength between different teams. What is driving these transfers is simply this: a 'big' club likes the look of one of our players and puts the word to them that could double their wages if they make the move. If that is accompanied by an offer to the club to break the contract that is dramatically higher than what we perceive as that player's replacement value, then it is quite likely the move is going to happen. If it doesn't, you preserve continuity, but risk a demotivated player. If it does, you have the chance to actually improve the team with a handpicked selection coming in. Koeman has made clear he wants players motivated to play for Saints. And as a new manager, it's appealing to build your own team. So the £100m question is: will the board honor the various statements that have been made and implied that the full amount of incoming transfer money will be available to Koeman. If it is, it should be possible for him to materially improve the team compared to last year's, albeit it may take a couple months for the new combination to gel. My own main response to what's happened this pre-season is awe at just how good Saints became in the last year - and what an amazing return we're getting on all that's been put into the academy. It's really incredible that the sale of just a few players has raised so much money. So count me among those urging patience. Let's see how the money is spent in this window - and the next. Most of the big clubs now have their 2014 squads largely sorted. The big, crazy offers are going to slow, and we still have enough of a core that - combined with 4-5 carefully chosen newcomers will make a powerful squad. I'll be among those upset if Morgan and Callum both leave... but I still think it's too early to be so dismissive of KL and the board. From a business pov, I suspect every other club is looking at what they've achieved with considerable respect. My predictions: Opening day, Liverpool 1 - Saints 1. Midway through season, we'll lie around 12-14th By end of season we'll climb to 10th or higher. OK, now you can all shout at me.

Agreed. Reed showed a few more good touches. Not seeing too many signs of Gallagher or Mayuka coming through. A great striker and CB are the keys at this point.

James Ward-Prowse also playing well. But Isgrove biggest revelation. I thought he was incredibly exciting in a couple of preseason games last year. His first half here fantastic.

They'll be on second half, I would think.

The goal he scored against Marseilles (video in the link above, second to last goal), is a true stunner. I've always thought he had amazing potential. Would love to see him get a chance to prove it.

He's passed the medical today?

Claimed sighting at Southampton! https://twitter.com/aaronwoodford

If The Sun is right that Luke's text-flirting with a Playboy model violates Hodgson's standards, that might just kill his chance to be selected... That would be a downer. I have a hunch he would really shine in this final game.

Today's Sun story of Luke looking for a threesome just might change the equation. Maybe he shrugs it off with a laugh, but if he has strong relationship with his family, they might encourage him to stay a little at home a bit longer. OR he might feel a little shamefaced and decide a new start is definitely what's needed. A good time for saints fans to reach out to him and tell him we still love him!

Maybe, but it's easily fixable. "I've spoken with Ronald Koeman and his vision for the next few years at St Mary's is incredibly exciting. The uncertainty I personally felt at the end of the season has been resolved and I'm thrilled to be staying. I truly appreciate this club's faith in me." It wouldn't take much to have everyone excited about him again. It wasn't so long ago we were debating whether to add him to the masthead of this site. Just as when Saints are 2-0 down with 80 mins played you want the crowd to rally, that's what I want right now. Fan opinion is only a small part, but I think it still matters if a decision is in the balance.

It's not that simple. He's under contract. All he can do is let the club know that he would like to leave... and he's done that, albeit informally. The fuss over no formal transfer request is neither here nor there. In his situation, there's bound to be a negotiation over terms of departure, if that's what it comes to. Like I say, I think he's earned benefit of the doubt. The bigger picture, is that I get that it's natural for people's disappointment at losing him to turn into anger at him. It's a way of managing the pain. I just don't think it's fair on a guy who gave us so much for so many years.

I get that. But I think it may be perception more than reality. It's got to be incredibly hard to juggle loyalties to family, club, future, etc. For me, his years of incredible excellence have earned him the benefit of doubt. And even if leaves, I personally would get more joy by saying: Fair enough, mate. Thanks for all you gave. Until then, fingers crossed Koeman can work his first little piece of magic. "One more year Adam. It's going to be amazing. Then if you still want to, you can go with my blessing."

Could someone enlighten me here, a little? Just what is it that Adam has done that has so upset everyone? Signed a kid's Liverpool shirt? Told the club he'd like to play Champions League football next year? I haven't seen any comments from him that are disrespectful of Southampton. Far from it. His end of season speeches were highly emotional about the time he's had with us. But if you put yourself in his shoes at the end of the season... there really did seem to be a lot of uncertainty about, a lot of it MoPo generated. An offer from Champions League qualified Liverpool, where pal Rickie L was already heading, would have been hard for any one to turn down. Maybe there have been behind the scenes shouting matches at Saints refusal to let him go ahead of a new appointment. Maybe bridges have been burned. But let's hold onto another possibility. Maybe, just as we have all be impressed and delighted by Katerina and the board's level of commitment with Koeman appointment, maybe Adam is too. Let's give it a chance, yes? The more he sees fans here already ****ed off with him, the less he might be inclined to stay. I think we should send out a different message. That we'd really, truly love him to stay. The man's a genius footballer and gave me more pleasure last season than anyone else. And I for one will be absolutely celebrating if he has a good world cup moment or two. He's given years of loyalty to Saints, and is as key as anyone to where we are today. The fact that he's ambitious, and maybe has come to believe his own hype a little too much, can't cancel all that out... can it?? Adam, breaking up is hard to do... so I ain't doin' it just yet. Come on home!!

Yup. It's been a terrific season. Results aside, the style of play has been an absolute joy to watch. Fingers crossed for the summer. We will probably know a lot more within a week. I would hate to lose Lallana.

Great watching this live in the US. Saints completely dominant. Wanyama superb. Has won the ball so many times. Lallana incredible. Rickie and Luke also having wonderful games in front of Hodgson. More goals to come.

Football's such a strange game. We played the same fast-touch passing game we've made our trademark. In many other games this season we dominated on possession, style, passion... and still fail to win. Today the luck mostly went our way. Beautiful to see. Davis, Wanyama, Clyne and Shaw were fantastic. Lambert shining in his playmaker role. As a side note, football needs a new solution for unintentional handball in the box. Penalty is too harsh... but you also can't just wave play on. I think there should be a freekick from the nearest edge of the box to the handball. As things stand there's no consistency.

Great first half. Saints' passing play a joy as always. Wanyama a couple of spectacular tackles. Gallagher starting to looking promising... he's winning the ball in 50-50 situations. Lallana, Cork, Davis, Lambert great interplay. Shaw and Clyne looking terrific. We're THAT close to a champions league team....

There's another interpretation of these stats. You can make the case that Saints have this season deliberately adopted a blitzkrieg approach. We enter games at full pelt. Does anyone have stats on how many goals scored in first 30 mins compared to other teams? I suspect across the season it's pretty high. We terrify teams in opening part of the game. Lallana, Schneiderlin and others flying at full pace. It's incredible to watch, and it's often seen us take the lead when others had no expectation that we would. Then in 2nd half we pay the price. Overall, I think the strategy has worked - hence equal highest ever league position - though I also think there's a case for more nuanced version of it that saves a little more energy for later in the game. I don't think you can argue that we're weak psychologically. In games where we've gone a goal down against top teams we've often come flying back impressively. I think it's more about energy management.

There was real injustice here. That blatantly offside goal simply shouldn't be allowed in a modern league. It changed the game... On the plus side, when you look at how superbly we competed against the most expensive team in the premier league: add back our main goalkeeper, another great striker, and a little more squad depth, and we should be able to make something special happen next year. (Unless, they buy away Lallana and Shaw. Please no.) Schneiderlin, Davies and Cork are as good a midfield as the PL has. Amazing to see them take over today. Our confidence and class, even a goal down away at City, was something beautiful to behold. We go away heads held high.

This is why the Premier League HAS to introduce some kind of video review when a goal is scored unfairly. Allow each side 2 challenges per game. It's crazy to allow an injustice like that offside goal with all the technology we have. Personally, incredibly proud of the team. Yeah Fonte was nervous and blew it. Yeah Boruc might have saved at least one of those. But the comeback from the team in the circumstances was sensational. They completely outplayed City for 40 minutes of the half. Lambert... what a half. JRod... heartbreaker. Whatever the result now, I'm proud to support an incredible team.

Having seen the United game earlier, you have to say we're a better team. They're 6 points ahead. There has to be a real scenario now where a win against them in the last game of the season takes us above them to Saints highest ever premier league position. We just need to catch up 4 of those points before then...

Incredible team performance. Luke and Callum both superb. The one touch play between Davis, Lallana, JRod, Cork, JWP... so beautiful to watch. Rickie imperious. Lovren and Fonte rock solid. Gaston, nice cameo. My man of match Lallana again. He must start for England. Must. Must. Must.

Question will be whether we can sustain our game intensity, or fade second half as has happened recently. It's not necessarily a criticism. Just a consequence of the incredible blitz we put on in every first half.

What a fantastic half. Saints so exhilarating to watch. Just amazing build-up play. And Chambers rocked. Getting better and better.