Appalling show of commitment from our players

As I'm limited to 3 posts a day, if anyone wants to start a thread 'if I was a player' feel free, I won't feel robbed, strictly football talk though..

I know this is something is something I shouldn't be surprised about, but **** me, our players are ungrateful bastards aren't they? I cannot understand why they have such little commitment to SFC, yet such undivided loyalty to a manager who was happy to up sticks and leave them at the first opportunity.

 

If you don't want to be here, then fine, you can leave, but one of these days karma will kick them straight in the balls. Last time Lovren played for a big club, he flopped. Lallana will find playing time hard to come by. Poch will be sacked by this time next year.

 

I am 100% behind the board and the club, and we don't need prima donna's with ideas above their station here.

 

Good ****ing riddance.

If they don't want to be a saints player then let them go, on the other hand I've recently looked at it all this way (Poch going and players following)

A - Players and manager (Poch, Lovren, Big Vic) buy into a "project" and sign for saints.

B - Project is very good and lives upto expectation until 2/3 of the way through the season (NC leaves)

C - Project folds and new project doesn't appeal to players (current players and new)

So you can see why they may want to move on, for all we know the club don't want to push on and in their eyes waste a load of wedge to the club and are happy battling to stay in the PL.

This may not be the case but if you were head hunted and sold on a project, moved jobs to give it a go and 6 months into your role the company's bought out, would you leave out of principle that the new role isn't what you moved for or stay on unhappy in your new role for the new owners ?

Just looking at it another way.

Sooner or later Southampton have to tell players no or we don't progress - ever.

 

Now is that time. We are never going to have as many good players on long contracts. We must stand firm and not allow the teams we can catch and challenge like Liverpool to rip us apart.

 

If we don't do it football will never change. I still believe we would have none of this if Cortese was here. But I also believe much of this is rubbish. Utter rubbish the media are peddling.

 

I agree with the post above - STAND FIRM LES. STAND FIRM. IF PLAYERS REFUSE TO PLAY LET THEM SUFFER - our motto has to be "we reward loyalty with loyalty".

To be fair, on this one, I think the club are standing firm. But.....let's be honest, if Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea and co start calling, then that's it - it's over. Money will talk, simple as that - and I'm pretty certain that we will eventually get what we feel is reasonable for Adam, Luke and Lovren - all 3 will be off as I've believed from the end of the season.

But the game is all about money, and seemingly champions league football. We can't offer that.

But the club need to sort out their own strategy in terms of progress to put a cork in all these stories and try to salvage the situation, otherwise they will continue to pop up all over. I honestly feel we missed a trick by not appointing an experienced football chairman - maybe KL will realise that sooner rather than later.

What the hell? This **** heap of a club? You've come across a right wet fanny these last few weeks, like a spoilt little boy

Well he does have a point. We're a ****ing laughing stock and have been for years. One step forward and two steps back. I can't believe people are shocked at what is going on, you could see it coming a mile off. Every time it looks like the ship is in stable water someone of something has to **** it up. If someone had written a book 20 years ago predicting all the goings on at Saints people would've said that it was ridiculous and far fetched and those things could never happen. Rupert Lowe, Clive Woodward, Mark Wotte, Jan Poortvliet, Michael Wilde, even Ali Dia! The list is endless.

FWIW I think the next chapter will involve half the first team leaving, another managerial change in under a year and relegation battle. Watch this space. There's never a dull moment being a Saints fan, sadly for all the wrong reasons.

I know this is something is something I shouldn't be surprised about, but **** me, our players are ungrateful bastards aren't they? I cannot understand why they have such little commitment to SFC, yet such undivided loyalty to a manager who was happy to up sticks and leave them at the first opportunity.

 

If you don't want to be here, then fine, you can leave, but one of these days karma will kick them straight in the balls. Last time Lovren played for a big club, he flopped. Lallana will find playing time hard to come by. Poch will be sacked by this time next year.

 

I am 100% behind the board and the club, and we don't need prima donna's with ideas above their station here.

 

Good ****ing riddance.

This. If any alleged disloyalty reported in the media is proved to actually be true. Given the focus only on themselves I have no sympathy any longer for players who simply expect the crowd to support them when they put in poor performances. They still seem so surprised when the crowd quickly turns - if they want to be treated simply as paid entertainers then they need to entertain every minute of every game they play or expect the customer to vent their disappointment. If they want the crowd to get behind them then they need to give something more back to the fans and that to me means some honesty and loyalty. Don't kiss the shirt or make statements about loving the club or that you are so happy to be here if you flee to the next big thing that catches your eye within a week.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the whole Redknapp saga. A manager leaving the clubs biggest rivals, getting us relegated and then going back there. It's Roy of The Rovers stuff. Pure fantasy in another life, but not where Saints are involved.

This. If any alleged disloyalty reported in the media is proved to actually be true. Given the focus only on themselves I have no sympathy any longer for players who simply expect the crowd to support them when they put in poor performances. They still seem so surprised when the crowd quickly turns - if they want to be treated simply as paid entertainers then they need to entertain every minute of every game they play or expect the customer to vent their disappointment. If they want the crowd to get behind them then they need to give something more back to the fans and that to me means some honesty and loyalty. Don't kiss the shirt or make statements about loving the club or that you are so happy to be here if you flee to the next big thing that catches your eye within a week.

Wayne Rooney... He sums up everything that's wrong with the modern game. His rant to the camera about the fans after the Algeria game in the last World Cup is the perfect example. Maybe if he stopped moaning and got on with the job in hand he wouldn't get so much ****. £300k a week is a ****ing disgrace! The attitude of players in the modern game is utterly disgusting. They make me sick. Give them a job in retail on minimum wage where they have to deal with the public moaning and insulting them every day.

Isn't loyalty a two way thing. Supporters didn't show much loyalty to Danny Fox , jos or Jermaine wright . What if lovren had played every game like he did spurs away, would supporters say " we need to honour his contract". Players are a disloyal bunch, the mugs are the fans who get fooled by the hand pumping on the heart and the kissing of the badge. Make no mistake had big clubs bid for Rickie and Adam last year , they'd have been off. The only loyalty in football comes from the supporters, remember that when our next hero bangs on about ending his career at SMS , or kisses the badge.

I see what's going on with Lovren and co. as the inevitable consequence of big business - which Football is. Mostly about opportunity and profit, with loyalty well down the list. The scope of our business was talked up by Cortese, and MP imparted some gloss and shine on several of our players sufficient for them to set course for the bigger prizes on offer...Champions League and fatter pay slips.

I know this is something is something I shouldn't be surprised about, but **** me, our players are ungrateful bastards aren't they? I cannot understand why they have such little commitment to SFC, yet such undivided loyalty to a manager who was happy to up sticks and leave them at the first opportunity.

 

If you don't want to be here, then fine, you can leave, but one of these days karma will kick them straight in the balls. Last time Lovren played for a big club, he flopped. Lallana will find playing time hard to come by. Poch will be sacked by this time next year.

 

I am 100% behind the board and the club, and we don't need prima donna's with ideas above their station here.

 

Good ****ing riddance.

Good post. Glad to see the scales are falling from a few poster's eyes.

If they don't want to be a saints player then let them go, on the other hand I've recently looked at it all this way (Poch going and players following)

 

A - Players and manager (Poch, Lovren, Big Vic) buy into a "project" and sign for saints.

B - Project is very good and lives upto expectation until 2/3 of the way through the season (NC leaves)

C - Project folds and new project doesn't appeal to players (current players and new)

 

So you can see why they may want to move on, for all we know the club don't want to push on and in their eyes waste a load of wedge to the club and are happy battling to stay in the PL.

 

This may not be the case but if you were head hunted and sold on a project, moved jobs to give it a go and 6 months into your role the company's bought out, would you leave out of principle that the new role isn't what you moved for or stay on unhappy in your new role for the new owners ?

 

Just looking at it another way.

i wonder how much of a red herring the project is. It does sound like a really convenient excuse. If the project was still here, we would still be fending off transfer requests and bids left right and centre. The difference would be NC playing the tyrant and telling all and sundry to feck off.

Imagine how motivated Rickie would have been next season, having watched NC file his dream move in the bin. I wonder just how long NC would have been able to continue selling the vision, before the inevitable cracks started to appear.

i wonder how much of a red herring the project is. It does sound like a really convenient excuse. If the project was still here, we would still be fending off transfer requests and bids left right and centre. The difference would be NC playing the tyrant and telling all and sundry to feck off.

 

Imagine how motivated Rickie would have been next season, having watched NC file his dream move in the bin. I wonder just how long NC would have been able to continue selling the vision, before the inevitable cracks started to appear.

Exactly, the only way we'd have ever fought off bids and players wanting to leave was to become a genuine top 4 club. The only way that would happen is spending stupid money and quite frankly I don't believe either KL or Marcus would have done so. Perhaps Nicola's project was based on a bill gates type figure taking over, but under the present owners it was never going to happen.

Football must be one of the very few industries that is run for the benefit of it's staff, rather than it's paying customers.

Don't use the railways, electric, gas or phone much then do you.

The way MP has treated the club in the last 6 months is disgraceful IMHO. I believe his behaviour has lacked integrity & honesty. Simply by him being here has allowed the club to become vulnerable. Internal rumours are rife at football clubs (any business for that matter) & the players will have had an idea on his intentions.

This has left them open to offers. Anyone who believes players are not contacted by other clubs mid contract without the club they play fors knowledge is very very naive. It happens all the time. Thats what agents do! We have been vulnerable & Liverpool have taken advantage.

They probably learnt from last summer when Suarez was seeking to leave. They didnt let him & that is what we should do if the price is not right!!

Rather than blaming the players who although acting like spoilt brats will be feeling that they've been sold a lie. Maybe we should look at the culture that was created when they signed, built on foundations of sand by our lauded ex CEO. Maybe we are starting to see why the midget quitter ran off as s little empire started collapsing like a pack of cards, his lies and pipe dreams catching up with him. Some of you will no doubt pine for our ex CEO claiming it wouldn't have happened if he was here, that is pure speculation. What is FACT is that his empire was built on lies, now it's falling in on itself he ran off before he had to take responsibility for it, like all good sycophants do.

The players sold a lie? Not sure that they really looked too far past their pay packet. NC might have had a dream of being top 4, but no one is dumb enough to think that that was going to happen within the next couple of seasons, and if the players did think that, more fool them. Football's one and only God is MONEY, of which the unhealthy pursuit of brings out nothing but the worst characteristics in people.

Rather than blaming the players who although acting like spoilt brats will be feeling that they've been sold a lie. Maybe we should look at the culture that was created when they signed, built on foundations of sand by our lauded ex CEO. Maybe we are starting to see why the midget quitter ran off as s little empire started collapsing like a pack of cards, his lies and pipe dreams catching up with him. Some of you will no doubt pine for our ex CEO claiming it wouldn't have happened if he was here, that is pure speculation. What is FACT is that his empire was built on lies, now it's falling in on itself he ran off before he had to take responsibility for it, like all good sycophants do.

Don't disagree with this, sadly. Although we did have unrivalled success (as Saints) under his tenure, it does seem that it was built without foundations and under the naive understanding that "we are Southampton, we do what we want" when really it is "we are Southampton, we are still in the pecking order of clubs and if players want to leave for bigger teams, they likely will do so".

The players sold a lie? Not sure that they really looked too far past their pay packet. NC might have had a dream of being top 4, but no one is dumb enough to think that that was going to happen within the next couple of seasons, and if the players did think that, more fool them. Football's one and only God is MONEY, of which the unhealthy pursuit of brings out nothing but the worst characteristics in people.

I don't actually believe so - although money is important, what is the big difference between being paid £50k a week and being paid £70k a week. Although it is big, it must be about achievement to a large degree. For instance, if we offered Lallana £80k pw to stay, and Liverpool only offered him £65k pw, I believe he would still leave.

Don't really get all this loyalty stuff.

Are you loyal to your employer? Players aren't fans, they are employees and, if they get the offer of what they see as a better job, they go for it. I'm sure that most of us would do the same.

Contracts seem to mean very little so, if they want to go, make sure that they put in a transfer request so that they don't get their loyalty payments.

I may be in the minority here, but I don't begrudge any player wanting to move on. Yes, It's frustrating as a fan, but can many people say they wouldn't want to leave their job and move to a more prestigious one for more money? Footballers have short careers and I don't take issue with them wanting to make the most of it. People talk about loyalty in football, but it doesnt really exist. If any player started performing poorly the club would have no problem shifting them out the door.

Also, the idea that we're victims of being poached. Clubs 'steal' our players as much as we steal from other clubs. That's the business we're in.

That said, I would be p*ssed off if players did a Kenwyne Jones and broke contract by refusing to play in order to force through a move.

We do need to start enforcing minimum release clauses on academy graduates contracts, starting at £40m.

Christ this is tedious. You've made this point on dozens on threads. These are or were lower league clubs needing the money and players wanting top flight football. The current situation refers to a premier league club and the limits of what 'the rest of clubs' can do. Saints currently are that club, it's been others before and will be others again, but at some point it would be good to see a club break through.

 

The fundamental difference with the lower leagues is that the buying teams change, teams go up and down have good periods and bad, and small clubs can still progress through the leagues.

You almost make it sound like we were doing Bristol Rovers a favour by buying Lambert. Let alone the fact that we couldn't offer Hammond top flight football. By your logic, Liverpool and ManU should try and buy our players because they can offer a higher level of football next season.

It sucks but this is just where we are on the food chain now and it was always going to be this way once we were promoted.

Football has sold its soul to the highest bidder. We're all doomed I tell you. If they want out they can fook orf.

So hang on, we have no actual evidence of our player leaving at they are all an absolute disgrace.

So hang on, we have no actual evidence of our player leaving at they are all an absolute disgrace.

 

No, the point is if they show that type of commitment, they are a disgrace.

Well he does have a point. We're a ****ing laughing stock and have been for years. One step forward and two steps back. I can't believe people are shocked at what is going on, you could see it coming a mile off. Every time it looks like the ship is in stable water someone of something has to **** it up. If someone had written a book 20 years ago predicting all the goings on at Saints people would've said that it was ridiculous and far fetched and those things could never happen. Rupert Lowe, Clive Woodward, Mark Wotte, Jan Poortvliet, Michael Wilde, even Ali Dia! The list is endless.

FWIW I think the next chapter will involve half the first team leaving, another managerial change in under a year and relegation battle. Watch this space. There's never a dull moment being a Saints fan, sadly for all the wrong reasons.

You mate are an embarrassment.

Climb from League 1 to premier league in back to back seasons, achieve safe finish, then get record ever points total in the 4th season... "1 step forward 2 steps back" - Christ you don't half talk horesh1te.

as for "We're a ****ing laughing stock" - I've lost count of the number of clubs and manager who have said we are the model football club, and the path they should follow.

Lets be clear here mate, We've lost a manager who has won nothing, has a 50% sack rate, and who has zero loyalty for the club or its players.

And we've lost a 33year old striker for decent money, who gets to go to his dream club after dragging us up through the leagues.

You're post is utterly over the top, the bed wetting going on on this forum is unreal.

IF i owned the club, and I was a billionaire, we'd have the best reserve team next season. I know a player personally who's career was ruined by a manager/club ditching them to the reserves for a season. It's a huge financial risk but for me personally, I'd make an example out of a couple of the burty big brollox and that might eventually get the club a bit of dignity back. Never happen I know as money is money but would be so refreshing to see a club dig their heels in and not have the tail wag the dog.

I know this is something is something I shouldn't be surprised about, but **** me, our players are ungrateful bastards aren't they? I cannot understand why they have such little commitment to SFC, yet such undivided loyalty to a manager who was happy to up sticks and leave them at the first opportunity.

 

If you don't want to be here, then fine, you can leave, but one of these days karma will kick them straight in the balls. Last time Lovren played for a big club, he flopped. Lallana will find playing time hard to come by. Poch will be sacked by this time next year.

 

I am 100% behind the board and the club, and we don't need prima donna's with ideas above their station here.

 

Good ****ing riddance.

You mean players that want/wanted to improve on the seasons eighth place finish ??

IF i owned the club, and I was a billionaire, we'd have the best reserve team next season. I know a player personally who's career was ruined by a manager/club ditching them to the reserves for a season. It's a huge financial risk but for me personally, I'd make an example out of a couple of the burty big brollox and that might eventually get the club a bit of dignity back. Never happen I know as money is money but would be so refreshing to see a club dig their heels in and not have the tail wag the dog.

I'd get an absolute hard on for the new board if we stuck Lallana in the reserves for the next four years. The players don't seem to realise that we hold all of the cards and not them, we could f#ck up Lallana's career until he's 30 if he wanted to play billy big ******** with us.

I'd get an absolute hard on for the new board if we stuck Lallana in the reserves for the next four years. The players don't seem to realise that we hold all of the cards and not them, we could f#ck up Lallana's career until he's 30 if he wanted to play billy big ******** with us.

New manager. New AM. Make AL try and win his place back. Job done.

You mate are an embarrassment.

 

Climb from League 1 to premier league in back to back seasons, achieve safe finish, then get record ever points total in the 4th season... "1 step forward 2 steps back" - Christ you don't half talk horesh1te.

 

as for "We're a ****ing laughing stock" - I've lost count of the number of clubs and manager who have said we are the model football club, and the path they should follow.

 

Lets be clear here mate, We've lost a manager who has won nothing, has a 50% sack rate, and who has zero loyalty for the club or its players.

 

And we've lost a 33year old striker for decent money, who gets to go to his dream club after dragging us up through the leagues.

 

You're post is utterly over the top, the bed wetting going on on this forum is unreal.

Quite right, Too true ..... that's why the Manager left .... many of the players want to leave ...... Great model that is ...... they obviously did not like the "path" they were being asked to follow

New manager. New AM. Make AL try and win his place back. Job done.

We've already got one in Gaston who's considerably more skilful, hopefully the new manager will get the best out of him. But yeah strip him of his captains armband and bring in another top AM to turn the screw on him and I'd be happy.

If they don't want to be a saints player then let them go, on the other hand I've recently looked at it all this way (Poch going and players following)

 

A - Players and manager (Poch, Lovren, Big Vic) buy into a "project" and sign for saints.B - Project is very good and lives upto expectation until 2/3 of the way through the season (NC leaves)

C - Project folds and new project doesn't appeal to players (current players and new)

 

So you can see why they may want to move on, for all we know the club don't want to push on and in their eyes waste a load of wedge to the club and are happy battling to stay in the PL.

 

This may not be the case but if you were head hunted and sold on a project, moved jobs to give it a go and 6 months into your role the company's bought out, would you leave out of principle that the new role isn't what you moved for or stay on unhappy in your new role for the new owners ?

 

Just looking at it another way.

They didn't sign for saints becuase of a project. They signed becuase we were the best deal avaliable and gave them entry into the big gravy train that is the PL. The project might have been a nice extra but it was cash and the potential of a move to a bigger PL club (if they had a good season with us) that made them sign.

Is this thread about players being ungrateful b**tards or the wet fannies that parade as fans being ungrateful pr*cks??

Get a grip.

Quite right, Too true ..... that's why the Manager left .... many of the players want to leave ...... Great model that is ...... they obviously did not like the "path" they were being asked to follow

To me that is the pros and ex-pros admitting that the PL is such a **** and unlevel playing field. They then, once the team has been dissected, carry on raving about the wonderful players that have come from the academy but ignore the first team and go on about how it all went wrong with NC leaving (without focusing on why he left).

Sooner or later Southampton have to tell players no or we don't progress - ever.

 

Now is that time. We are never going to have as many good players on long contracts. We must stand firm and not allow the teams we can catch and challenge like Liverpool to rip us apart.

 

If we don't do it football will never change. I still believe we would have none of this if Cortese was here. But I also believe much of this is rubbish. Utter rubbish the media are peddling.

 

I agree with the post above - STAND FIRM LES. STAND FIRM. IF PLAYERS REFUSE TO PLAY LET THEM SUFFER - our motto has to be "we reward loyalty with loyalty".

Absolutely agree with this. It's all very easy to say "if they don't want to be here, let them go" without thinking of what the consequences will be for our team. Les Reed can talk about the legions of top quality players banging down our door, but actually signing them is a different matter, because players agents are probably hawking them around everywhere. If people think we will be able to let 6 or 7 of our first team leave and replace them with equivalent talents just like that, they are kidding themselves.

We need to draw the line somewhere and sometimes it pays to stick to your guns and not just take the money - look at Suarez at Liverpool last season.

These matters will be resolved. Firstly all our players have a value but secondly because they are on long contracts we don't have to sell and thirdly if we do decide to let anyone leave it will be for a fee well over the value of the player. It's all very well Liverpool, MU, Spurs, Uncle Tom Cobley and all bidding, but they are going to have to pay enormous premiums for any of our players. That in itself may well mean nobody leaves or if they do we more than afford to replace them. Liverpool are a joke as their bids are on the cheap plus unsettling the players. Pay up or **** off.

These matters will be resolved. Firstly all our players have a value but secondly because they are on long contracts we don't have to sell and thirdly if we do decide to let anyone leave it will be for a fee well over the value of the player. It's all very well Liverpool, MU, Spurs, Uncle Tom Cobley and all bidding, but they are going to have to pay enormous premiums for any of our players. That in itself may well mean nobody leaves or if they do we more than afford to replace them. Liverpool are a joke as their bids are on the cheap plus unsettling the players. Pay up or **** off.

This.

spot on Dave

These matters will be resolved. Firstly all our players have a value but secondly because they are on long contracts we don't have to sell and thirdly if we do decide to let anyone leave it will be for a fee well over the value of the player. It's all very well Liverpool, MU, Spurs, Uncle Tom Cobley and all bidding, but they are going to have to pay enormous premiums for any of our players. That in itself may well mean nobody leaves or if they do we more than afford to replace them. Liverpool are a joke as their bids are on the cheap plus unsettling the players. Pay up or **** off.

Totally concur

That karma kicked in early didn't it?

Don't use the railways, electric, gas or phone much then do you.

I did say one of the very few, I didn't say the only one.

You mate are an embarrassment.

 

Climb from League 1 to premier league in back to back seasons, achieve safe finish, then get record ever points total in the 4th season... "1 step forward 2 steps back" - Christ you don't half talk horesh1te.

 

as for "We're a ****ing laughing stock" - I've lost count of the number of clubs and manager who have said we are the model football club, and the path they should follow.

 

Lets be clear here mate, We've lost a manager who has won nothing, has a 50% sack rate, and who has zero loyalty for the club or its players.

 

And we've lost a 33year old striker for decent money, who gets to go to his dream club after dragging us up through the leagues.

 

You're post is utterly over the top, the bed wetting going on on this forum is unreal.

Let's get something clear. I am not your 'mate'. Also, if you think that £4m is decent money in the current climate then you are also guilty of talking horesh1te, whatever horesh1te is??? May I remind you that the club rejected an offer of more than twice that amount for Lambert in the January transfer window!

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a bed to wet, 'mate'.

To be fair, general consensus is West Ham offered £5m and we said we wanted £8m.

Situation with LFC is different. They've the big club draw, hometown club, no desperation factor and RL is older by 6 months.

Is this thread about players being ungrateful b**tards or the wet fannies that parade as fans being ungrateful pr*cks??

 

Get a grip.

We expect commitment and loyalty from the players, yet we relegate them from heroes to villains on the basis of rumours and allegations in the press...

I don't think we should go down the road of playing uncooperative players in the reserves. I personally would fine them for their behaviour and make them run for hours on end without a football and fine them if they didn't.

I think what annoys many fans is the rubbish players spout when they join and first play for us, you know " great stadium, training ground, fans, projects etc", we lap it up as the truth. Either they should say "I've come for the money, and will leave as soon as someone offers more", or perhaps we should just treat them as merely employees of the club, so no songs about them, don't ask them for autographs, don't buy shirts with their names on etc.

I stopped having any respect for Lallana as soon as he started patting the badge every time he scored. I knew then that it would end in tears, and he was just taking the p88s.

Appalling lack of commitment to the players by the club more like......

We expect commitment and loyalty from the players, yet we relegate them from heroes to villains on the basis of rumours and allegations in the press...

No, we relegate this to them on the basis that those rumours or allegations are true. If they are false then of couse that's not an issue. However, personally I believe these are true, sadly.

Appalling lack of commitment to the players by the club more like......

???

Jeff, why do you hate our players but love the board?