Toon Saint

Ha, I called our final position right even though I got almost everything else wrong: http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?45837-Toon-Saint-s-bumper-Premier-League-2013-2014-preview&p=1740517#post1740517

Let's just hope Gaston "Bologna" Ramirez and Nathaniel "Palace" Clyne haven't been overheard throwing that one around the dressing-room. Lesley would be so hurt.

Scathing moniker that.

Great news. The full statement on Daily Echo website is far more emphatic. Les Reed, you beautiful man.

Vegard Forren.

Ah, the esteemed Flash. Great pundit:

This report still worries me: http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/16/katharina-liebherr-southampton-football-owner-german-markus

In the works then.

It will grate immensely if Shaw is referred to as a Man Utd player at the World Cup (assuming he is selected of course).

The fact that Jamie Jackson is breaking this story suggests it is pretty much a done deal, unfortunately. Business wise it is great. £30m for a player, who regardless of his talent and vast potential, is not currently as important to us as the likes Lallana, J-Rod, Schneiderlin, Lambert, Lovren. Plus we have a pretty good track-record of producing left backs. What message it sends out to our current players and Poch is the real worry. All that money will need re-investing in the squad and Poch will need signing up ASAP to ensure there is not a mass exodus. I hope this means we don't have to sell anyone else, but fear that it will have the opposite effect.

His time at Espanyol proves that. He repeatedly stated it when he arrived at Saints as well. He's given debuts to Chambers, Reed, Gallagher, McQueen, Rowe, and Sinclair this year. Not fair at all to say he is paying 'lip service' to the academy, especially when you consider how much game time the likes of Chambers, JWP and Gallagher have been given this year. Perhaps it would be nice to see the likes of Reed being given more time to showcase his talents, but Poch probably has a better eye for his development than most. Fact is that we've often played three 18-19 year olds in the starting line up this season. With the possible exception of Villa, I don't see any other PL teams doing that. While I'm sure he would like backing in the transfer window to sign more established players, or younger prospects from elsewhere, I really don't see him being frustrated by the demands placed on him regarding the use of academy players, whatsover. I'd actually suggest the opposite. It was a massive part of his mandate from Cortese when he arrived. If he wasn't happy with that situation, then he would never have come in the first place.

From twitter: Katie‏@ThatKatieKat·Apr 19 Ralph Krueger: caring, sharing chairman. Even gave Tony a leg massage yesterday! #saintsfc @Foundation_SFC pic.twitter.com/mtTYISqEku LEWIS COOMBES‏ @LEWIS_C·Apr 20 Interesting chat with Ralph Krueger on a bike. Reiterated "no need to sell" & spoke of capitalising on American market. Top bloke. #saintsfc

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/16/ralph-krueger-ruthless-southampton-chairman-mauricio-pochettino

With Cortese installed as Chairman? Would surprise me as Poch has already said that he wants to stay in the Premier League. Let's hope he realises what a reactive, basket-case of a club Spurs is, and that our board take some decisive action while the rumour-mill focuses on the happenings at Old Trafford.

So true. Imagine being sacked from your line of employment and then having your performance ridiculed and debated in every national newspaper. Not to mention some plonker dressing up as the Grim Reaper to signify that his time was up. Makes me laugh when people think he has come out of this well with loads of money in the bank. He has been completely humiliated, and his reputation and esteem will, in all likelihood, never recover. A lot of the criticism is deserved, but you can't help but feel a little sorry for the man.

Historically no, but that is the ideal - one that we as fans should invest in a bit more. And yes you are right, that will be a bit easier to do so depending on what happens this summer.

He wouldn't obviously. I didn't mean for that to come across as that we could re-sign Chamberlain. What annoys me is the fatalistic attitude that inevitably the great talent we produce will be 'too good for us' and leave. As Les Reed said several weeks back, we produce players for Southampton football club and no one else. The idea that some fans think a player we have invested 8+ years of coaching in to be then be 'too good' or better than us as a club just smacks of self-defeatism. On potential signings I'd like to see: Carlos Vela would be superb, though as others have commented, not sure where his head is at right now.

Oxlade-who came through our academy-Chamberlain? If our own fans think that players that we actually produce are 'out of our league', what hope do we have for progressing?

Weren't there reports of us having lined up Aaron Hunt from Werder Bremen on a freebie this summer? Don't think he has signed a new contract extension with them yet so could still be a possibility.

Sat next to Crook at Utd game at St. Mary's last year. He was fist pumping every time Utd scored before phoning in his updates for Talksport, so I wouldn't bank on his impartiality. Gets most things wrong and half of his 'exclusives' are taken directly from this board.

Operation is next week. He had fluid drained from knee this week.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2607927/Adam-Lallana-Ive-no-pace-power-magic-feet-took-Southampton-England.html Mildly interesting interview with Adam by former Cortese acolyte, Neil Ashton. J-Rod due to have his operation next week after having fluid drained from knee.

Not with that barnet. Far too risky.

Do you mean the YOLO strategy? The man in the glass wouldn't stand for anything else.