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adrian lord

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Fonte is through to his second European final with Portugal and the Champions League with Lille. What a fantastic late career he's having. Surely he deserves a place on the legends banner as much as Keegan does.

 

You are a deadset wierdo.

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The point is, there was never any of the rancour from our fans that there is today. Fans were working for their money and they knew that footballers were doing the same thing they would do in the same circumstances: getting the best jobs or, by the time they reached their thirties, the only jobs they could.

 

Footballers get paid a ridiculous amount of money but their careers are very short: maybe 10 years if they are lucky. And, as youngsters, they blow most of the money they earn very quickly the same as most of us would have done at the same age. How many 20-year-olds think about their pensions?

 

The bitter envy and hatred some of our fans feel towards people who are trying to better themselves and their families does our reputation no good whatsoever. If you were talented and hardworking enough to make it to the Premier League, wouldn't you want to play for a top club and win a medal or two and the most money you could when you had the chance?

 

Les Reed has a lot to answer for. He really turned our fans against the players and managers.

 

I'm always surprised how people dont see it this way. Best of luck to any player who moves to a bigger club with the chance to achieve bigger things.

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I'm always surprised how people dont see it this way. Best of luck to any player who moves to a bigger club with the chance to achieve bigger things.

 

I think it started with Lovren, continued with Lallana and finished with van Dijk. Actually you can add Fonte to that as well, but he doesn't get the level of vitriol that these three get.

 

Lovren after a year was professing his head or heart was in London. Lallana while captain and on international duty, openly stated he hoped he would be off. van Dijk threw a strop as well. All 3 were somewhat disrespectful, as was Fonte. At the end of the day, I don't care too much as I am not their employer. Supporters always have a rather narrow view on things, but that is part and parcel of supporting the club.

 

But you can look at others who have left: Mane, Shaw, Lambert, Clyne, Alderwiereld (although not ours in the first place), Schneiderlin... none of those get any vitriol. Supporters are well aware that players will move on to bigger and better things, but its the way they do it, which I would have thought was fairly obvious and am surprised that you find it surprising.

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Mane , Clyne and Scheiderlin all threw wobblies but generally made an effort before they went . Mane turned up late until he was dropped , Scheiderlin had a strop at preseason and didn't play until his head was right etc . Mane the only one with Van D who have really proved their worth at their new clubs.

I think I would take a job where I would be set for life even if I didn't have to do much !!

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[U]LALLANA WANTS TO STAY AT LIVERPOOL

 

Adam Lallana says he has no intention of leaving Liverpool this summer.

 

"I've got a year left on my contract. I'll be back, I'll be training through the summer. I am as eager as ever to get fit because I know when I'm fit I've got a lot to give and I can get in this team."

 

Asked if he was staying given the frequent speculation about his future, Lallana said: "Yeah. Absolutely no question about it. I couldn't be happier here, winning Champions Leagues."[/u]

 

Bless him... game is up Nivea boy... or you can delude yourself that you will get in the team....

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Mane , Clyne and Scheiderlin all threw wobblies but generally made an effort before they went . Mane turned up late until he was dropped , Scheiderlin had a strop at preseason and didn't play until his head was right etc . Mane the only one with Van D who have really proved their worth at their new clubs.

I think I would take a job where I would be set for life even if I didn't have to do much !!

I don't think he did. In fact the opposite, it seemed he was ready to run down his contract, rejected an extension (which of course was his right) and it was Saints who wanted to sell him because of that.

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I remember a few poor performances from him in the final season but his career has not gone well since . The thing is we don't know these players personally and quite a few seem to have some sort of problem that we are unaware of.

I thought at the time Poch left he might have said that if you want to get on get out but .................

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The Liverpool fan in the office said it was casually commented on Liverpool TV last night that we get an extra £10M in the Mane deal for their CL delight. Now Ings will only cost us £10M. I told him we'd pay the extra £10M again to swap him in for Origi. :)

They expect him to move on too as now he has proven his worth in the last few games, but still won't be first choice, they are bracing themselves for offers.

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a60abf322f8e331acf29674b3fcf0122.jpg

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Roughly translated into English:

 

Virgil van Dijk, PFA Player of the Year,

2-faced ex-Southampton footballer,

European champion, dubious act on

and off the field, adulterer, happy to

go on strike after taking a lucrative

contract extension, half-hearted

displays for the club paying his

massive wages, sneak, playing

for the opposition so, as expected,

being booed by England fans.

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It's fair enough. There was always something off about the transfer, and Mane going on strike. I mean, who the hell goes on strike to join us? Seems as though he was angry at his club denying him the move he wanted to Dortmund - who are objectively a much bigger and more successful club than Saints.

 

But he came here, he did well, I don't think his overall effort can be disputed (even if he did seem to go into hiding over the winter), and generally appears to be a decent bloke. Good luck to him.

 

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He got offered around the premier league & we were smart enough to take him.

 

We both benefitted from the move.

 

He also behaved himself (apart from his lateness to some team meetings).

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Fonte has lost weight and looks a lot fitter

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

He's captained his Lille team to the Champions League, with the the best defensive record in the French League and was voted the best central defender in the league this season, and he's had to defend against some of the best strikers currently playing in Europe including Mbappé, Neymar and Cavani.

 

He's now added a European Nations League winner's medal to his European Championship winner's medal. There is understandably great respect for him in France and Portugal, where he has been made a Commander of the Order of Merit. After all the hard work he put in for us over the years, it's good to see him have the best season of his career so far. We were very lucky that he spent most of his career with us, as he led us all the way from League One to four consecutive top 8 finishes in the Premier League, which we'd never have achieved without his leadership. I hope he enjoys playing in the Champions League next season.

 

https://www.unibet.co.uk/blog/football/ligue-1/ligue-1-team-of-the-season-201819-lille-dominate-after-brilliant-campaign-1.1186298

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He's captained his Lille team to the Champions League, with the the best defensive record in the French League and was voted the best central defender in the league this season, and he's had to defend against some of the best strikers currently playing in Europe including Mbappé, Neymar and Cavani.

 

He's now added a European Nations League winner's medal to his European Championship winner's medal. There is understandably great respect for him in France and Portugal, where he has been made a Commander of the Order of Merit. After all the hard work he put in for us over the years, it's good to see him have the best season of his career so far. We were very lucky that he spent most of his career with us, as he led us all the way from League One to four consecutive top 8 finishes in the Premier League, which we'd never have achieved without his leadership. I hope he enjoys playing in the Champions League next season.

 

https://www.unibet.co.uk/blog/football/ligue-1/ligue-1-team-of-the-season-201819-lille-dominate-after-brilliant-campaign-1.1186298

*switch on Sky Sports News*

*oh, Portugal won the Nations League, did they*

*I bet that nutcase has posted about it already*

 

And here we are.

 

///ENDS

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Fonte deserved better after all he gave to the club. His departure in many ways the beginning of the end...

 

Better than millions and millions and millions of pounds?

 

Fonte wanted a big juicy contract and ended up at West Ham. Had he wanted to stay he wouldn't have given that nonsense interview about wanting to be nearer to his wife's family in London.

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Better than millions and millions and millions of pounds?

 

Fonte wanted a big juicy contract and ended up at West Ham. Had he wanted to stay he wouldn't have given that nonsense interview about wanting to be nearer to his wife's family in London.

 

Given he was very ropey at West Ham and then injured, think we dodged a bullet.

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End?.... Please explain?

 

There was a spirit and sense of identity to those teams that IMO is almost non existent in what is fielded today. A strong captain who carried the team through promotion was clearly a piece of that. Yet rather than recognize all the value he brought, management chose to mind the balance sheet (somewhat ironic that those who made the decision have now been culled by their own reaper). The current product on the field definitely shows none of the fight of those prior squads, talent aside.

 

As for Fonte himself, not surprised played poorly at WH, no identity and strong disconnect there as well. Thriving in Portugal/Lille, clubs with strong cultures, as Saints once had. He raises or lowers his game depending on the environment, curse of many Portuguese players.

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There was a spirit and sense of identity to those teams that IMO is almost non existent in what is fielded today. A strong captain who carried the team through promotion was clearly a piece of that. Yet rather than recognize all the value he brought, management chose to mind the balance sheet (somewhat ironic that those who made the decision have now been culled by their own reaper). The current product on the field definitely shows none of the fight of those prior squads, talent aside.

 

As for Fonte himself, not surprised played poorly at WH, no identity and strong disconnect there as well. Thriving in Portugal/Lille, clubs with strong cultures, as Saints once had. He raises or lowers his game depending on the environment, curse of many Portuguese players.

 

Ok but I thought it was really the end :rolleyes: but its more of a bad patch really isn't it?

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Ok but I thought it was really the end :rolleyes: but its more of a bad patch really isn't it?

 

Could very well be the end of Saint's chances to finish in the top half. Manager is sufficient, but how long will he last under current conditions? Black box appears to be malfunctioning. No real prospects to sell to bigger teams to generate income. Passive ownership.

 

Going to take an influx of $$$ to turn the team around. Where will it come from?

 

Will settle for "end of an era."

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I think you are giving Fonte too much credit , Saints made him a good player and he let himself go . Good that he has seen the light at the end of his career tunnel and now putting a shift in so good luck to him . I wonder if he ever mentions his Saints career unlike other Dykes ??????

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Just after Fonte won the Euro's with Portugal, he decided he was better than Saints and tried to get the transfer to Man Utd that was being banded about the press....I'm sure I saw a tweet from him at the time saying that its god's decision for him to move on and that god will decide where he will play next (ie Man Utd)

 

I cracked up when god decided Man Utd should step aside and allow West Ham to bid for him instead...

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Just after Fonte won the Euro's with Portugal, he decided he was better than Saints and tried to get the transfer to Man Utd that was being banded about the press....I'm sure I saw a tweet from him at the time saying that its god's decision for him to move on and that god will decide where he will play next (ie Man Utd)

 

I cracked up when god decided Man Utd should step aside and allow West Ham to bid for him instead...

 

Well that twitter thing definitely didn't happen.

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Just after Fonte won the Euro's with Portugal, he decided he was better than Saints and tried to get the transfer to Man Utd that was being banded about the press....I'm sure I saw a tweet from him at the time saying that its god's decision for him to move on and that god will decide where he will play next (ie Man Utd)

 

I cracked up when god decided Man Utd should step aside and allow West Ham to bid for him instead...

 

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10787716/jose-fonte-opens-up-to-graeme-souness-about-his-transfer-from-southampton-to-west-ham

 

 

His stock was elevated after euros and he wanted to be paid appropriately. He would have stayed with Saints if they had come to a compromise, I’m sure. Saints played hardball and lost, now there’s no way to afford a player of his quality despite desperately needing one. It was a mistake..

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Fonte was on the decline when we sold him, despite his career stock being high following the Euro’s win. Same as Cedric’s. Yeah, Fonte was a good servant through the League One and Championship years and looked good next to Lovren, Alderweireld and Van Dijk, but I don’t think he’d look any better in this current defence and at his current ability than what we’ve got now. Fortunately, we’re not currently discussing Fonte’s name alongside Austin’s, Long’s, Forster’s, Elyounoussi’s, etc.... Of average players who we’ve setup for life with their current contracts.

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Fonte was great for us, but was getting found out towards the end of his time. This was confirmed by his time at WHU. The French League is a very different proposition (try watching it!), as indeed is International football. Good old Anders went on to have an extended career at both domestic and international level after leaving too.

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https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10787716/jose-fonte-opens-up-to-graeme-souness-about-his-transfer-from-southampton-to-west-ham

 

 

His stock was elevated after euros and he wanted to be paid appropriately. He would have stayed with Saints if they had come to a compromise, I’m sure. Saints played hardball and lost, now there’s no way to afford a player of his quality despite desperately needing one. It was a mistake..

 

Dont get me wrong, he was a great servant for the club. I was commenting more on his poor judgement in believing in a god, and tweeting that god will decide where he goes. It was clear then (and now) that he wanted to "step up" and earn more money (for the "50 years after football")....but the Man U thing never happened and he had to settle for West ham.

 

We can all see his departure for what it was, he wanted to play for a bigger, higher profile club and get paid accordingly......you cant blame him at all for that, but to wrap it all up in excuses loses you some credibility.

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We can all see his departure for what it was, he wanted to play for a bigger, higher profile club and get paid accordingly......you cant blame him at all for that, but to wrap it all up in excuses loses you some credibility.

No it wasn't. Fonte was pushed out by Les wanting to promote VvD to captain, Fonte was seen as surplus to Les' requirement to make VvD the basis of the team. Worked out well.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
Clyne's done his ACL. Another season of not playing, albeit for a less mysterious reason.

 

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Another player who has really failed to kick on after leaving us.

 

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His bank accounts bigger but agree his actual playing career has gone Backwards

 

He’s now had two significant “injuries” which could have happened anywhere and at anytime - nowt to do with moving per se. He’s played in the final of a major European club competition which he would have never done with us.

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