Saints are right to follow 'showcase club' path to progress

Hello all, bit of a GWC-style plug here.

This is something I was approached to write for the coming season, and the first one has just gone live in blog format on their website, so wanted to pop it up on here.

It's talking about Les Reed's 'showcase club' comment, the club's business, off-field development and the long-term progress and ambitions of the club.

http://www.shoot.co.uk/category/news/southampton-show-they-are-one-step-ahead-again/

Appreciate any feedback/discussions/suggestions.

Good article. Personally, I'm not counting on Clasie being on his way until the official announcement, though, but that's just me!

I think we need to use everything we can in order to compete. We are never going to be a "brand" like Manure but we can use the stepping stone approach for players and managers to our advantage.

A good read sir. I'd have probably used a more flattering photo of Koeman though (looks like he's just trodden on a lego brick in a darkened room), and disappointing to see you use sterling instead of $hlongs

A good read sir. I'd have probably used a more flattering photo of Koeman though (looks like he's just trodden on a lego brick in a darkened room), and disappointing to see you use sterling instead of $hlongs

Sadly I don't get to control photos.

However, I can only apologise for missing $hlongs.

Yeah, good article. Though I'm reserving judgement on the new players and how they compare until I've actually seen them play a few times.

Excellent article. Completely agree with the sentiment. This is the smartest way for us to progress as a club. You can imagine that eventually, as we grow, the number of clubs that can prize our players away will begin to decrease. In the meantime we'lll just keep building up an excellent reputation (allowing us to attract the top youth of Europe) for development and keep raking in the cash

Overall decent blog, it could have done without the crap paragraph about Cortese, making up stuff for comedy effect detracts from overall article.

Overall decent blog, it could have done without the crap paragraph about Cortese, making up stuff for comedy effect detracts from overall article.

Fair point. I was just trying to quickly illustrate that Cortese's ambitions were perhaps, to say the least, beyond our reach without a 'sugar daddy' investment plan.

I wouldn't argue with the sentiment and as a fan I'm very comfortable with it.

I thought most understood our position and it was only Delldays moaning about us selling players.

it was a good article but it would have been nice to know what the next stage is and when we move on to it, or is it showcase forever. One could argue that our rise though the league has been bettered by Norwich and Swansea, one didn't go into admin and the second was a traditional lower division side. Also Swansea did make Europe last season.

credit it where it's due young man, that's a pretty good article. As for the subject matter, it's the only way we are going to succeed. We cant afford to match the big boys of for the top talent so we need to get them early or a few rough diamonds, The best ones will go to the top clubs for big money, then reinvest the money to find the next one. I'd certainly much rather be a showcase club than a club which takes expensive faliures that are out to pasture.

Saints these days remind me a lot of the Parma team in the mid to late 90s, football much admired by all, always got hold of some great young players/coaches (Ancelotti,, Cannavaro, Crespo, Veron, Thuram, Buffon etc) that would then leave for the bigger Italian teams. If we can have some of the success Parma enjoyed I'd be well happy, wouldn't want to end up like them now though.

Don't know what the answer is myself but I'll ask the question: How on earth do we break the cycle we're in? I don't see it as being possible.

Don't know what the answer is myself but I'll ask the question: How on earth do we break the cycle we're in? I don't see it as being possible.

We can't, you just have to enjoy seeing the players whilst we have them. Plus I wouldn't see why the club would want to break the cycle as it is sustainable from a financial point of view.

You just have to hope we have more seasons like last year and a few of the top 6 perform badly and we can take advantage by having a paritularly good season.

Or we hope someone massively wealthy wanting to spend endless money takes over the club - personally I don't want to just become another City. On the brghtsode it feels much better this time round in the Premier League as beforehand (in the main), no one wanted our players as they were crap.

Attempting to introduce a note of realism, Father Time will tell all, if Saints are still in the Prem and consolidated within such, say five or so years from now employing the same "showcase club" philosophy then arguably it's bucked football history and worked. However, there are cynics among us who might say "showcase club" is merely bandying semantics, indeed camouflage, when to all intent and purpose it means the Saints will remain a "selling club".

Attempting to introduce a note of realism, Father Time will tell all, if Saints are still in the Prem and consolidated within such, say five or so years from now employing the same "showcase club" philosophy then arguably it's bucked football history and worked. However, there are cynics among us who might say "showcase club" is merely bandying semantics, indeed camouflage, when to all intent and purpose it means the Saints will remain a "selling club".

Would share some of that scepticism and its a clear risk, though I wonder if there's anything practically -from the types of players a club buys to a willingness to speculate to accumulate on those players- that can raise the term above Orwellian euphemism and give it meaning.

Attempting to introduce a note of realism, Father Time will tell all, if Saints are still in the Prem and consolidated within such, say five or so years from now employing the same "showcase club" philosophy then arguably it's bucked football history and worked. However, there are cynics among us who might say "showcase club" is merely bandying semantics, indeed camouflage, when to all intent and purpose it means the Saints will remain a "selling club".

Outside the top 4 (and even those bar Chelsea are forced to sell to bigger clubs) which clubs aren't selling clubs?

Certainly agree with what you have written, but would add that the elite teams as you call them will continue to call the shots as long as they continue to pay the top wages & their status is perpetuated by the media (Sky in particular), Journo's & their arrogance.

I certainly wish we could break the top 6, but think the odds are so stacked against us (or any other team) to do it that we can fast forward 10 years & still see the same elite clubs.

Would share some of that scepticism and its a clear risk, though I wonder if there's anything practically -from the types of players a club buys to a willingness to speculate to accumulate on those players- that can raise the term above Orwellian euphemism and give it meaning.

Tricky one. We need to do something to separate us from the other clubs of a similar size that gives us a unique position to exploit for that to happen and to become ingrained in the collective conciousness as such, perhaps "showcase" is the answer to that?

Attempting to introduce a note of realism, Father Time will tell all, if Saints are still in the Prem and consolidated within such, say five or so years from now employing the same "showcase club" philosophy then arguably it's bucked football history and worked. However, there are cynics among us who might say "showcase club" is merely bandying semantics, indeed camouflage, when to all intent and purpose it means the Saints will remain a "selling club".

Maybe so, but as Connor clearly states, only to the top 4/6 clubs. We seem to have bridged the gap with the likes of Everton, Newcastle etc. The club needs to consolidate itself as a top 8 club for a sustainable period, in pursuit of evolving the ongoing growth, if we do that for the next 5 years with a good run for a European spot & cup runs, then that experience, development and potential domestic cup success should help the club become more attractive to players such as Jordy Clasie........time will tell.

Good article Connor.

Outside the top 4 (and even those bar Chelsea are forced to sell to bigger clubs) which clubs aren't selling clubs?

Someone posted something on this Forum, a post I can't immediately put my grubby little fingers on [apologies] , which I believe helps sum up the matter, so from memory with my own thoughts added . . . . . . . . . . . a "selling club" is one that bases its business model on the sale of players. The transfer fees form a major part of its revenue, repurchasing and much else, in the end they survive dint of the "necessity" to sell.

Man Utd, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Bayern etc. do not rely on selling the likes of Ronaldo, Van Persie, Di Maria, Bastian etc. so they are not selling clubs. Of course they also truly compete and win things so such "selling" is part of a successful cycle. [As soon as "selling" becomes detrimental to that cycle then of course that's another matter and it's in that latter concept some clubs find themselves]

In my view I get the showcase part of it. Just like Spurs when Bale and Modric moved to Madrid, Liverpool when Suarez to Barcelona, Man Utd Ronaldo to Madrid, Arsenal Van Persie and others to Man Utd and City there comes a time when a player gets too big for the club and moves on. In the last few years players reached this threshold going back to Walcott, Bale, Ox and Chambers then Lallana, Lovren, Shaw, followed now by Clyne and Schneiderlin. Even Alderweireld added value while here.

It doesn't mean we are getting weaker, last year we brought in eight to replace five, this year it looks like seven to replace three plus Rodriguez and Ramirez. As long as we can get the team output to be better than the sum of the parts, where the team produces it's optimum level we will always produce annually diamonds that outgrow us. The art is in using the income to strengthen and evolve the overall team rather than replace with like for like. We seem to be doing a good job there.

That way the League income plus the transfer income allied to buying good players will strengthen us. A lot of the big clubs pay enormous transfer fees and wages by buying players at their zenith who have performed for other clubs yet are unable to transfer that brilliance to the star studded teams they have joined. Success on the field isn't necessarily guaranteed by excessive expenditure, of course it helps.

NC said "Don't ask can Saints play in the Champions League ask how". I think that is valid, the answer may come back "We can't" but every club in the country (well, in the Prem) should be continually asking the same question. I do not follow and remember every word but I am not sure NC ever promised us the Champions League, just that we would try. I am not sure he should be continually pilloried for daring to ask that question.

Well written article, and I agree with the main points, but I do think you've over egged the point about fans rolling their eyes and thinking we're a selling club. All of the saints fans I know are understanding of the clubs position, realistic enough to know this is how it is, and trust the club to bring in decent replacements. That perhaps wasn't the case last year when it felt a lot less controlled, but I don't think these "many fans" really exist.

Don't see the problem. We lose some of our best players, but for big money to massive clubs. If we start losing the likes of JWP, Tadic, Fonte to Everton, Villa, Newcastle then I'd have a problem with it.

To put in another way, the only transfers that were bad recently were Cork to Swansea and Boruc to Bournemouth.

Well written article, and I agree with the main points, but I do think you've over egged the point about fans rolling their eyes and thinking we're a selling club. All of the saints fans I know are understanding of the clubs position, realistic enough to know this is how it is, and trust the club to bring in decent replacements. That perhaps wasn't the case last year when it felt a lot less controlled, but I don't think these "many fans" really exist.

The difference is that we do not have to sell for our own financial reasons. If Schneiderlin, Clyne, and Alderweireld had wanted to stay with us on increased wages we would have gladly accommodated them. The clubs we are buying from need to sell some players to get by.

We now have a world wide reputation as a feeder club, a club that can't keep hold of it's best players, a club who's ambition is nothing more than to remain in the Premier league to make money from player sales....We were fortunate to secure Koeman's services when we did, and also fortunate he appears to be an honorable man and will probably see out his contract...But when he's gone what Coach with any self respect is going to want to come manage a store front? ex JC Penny or Macy's managers maybe?

We may appear to be getting away with it for now, but our newfound reputation is going to come back and bite us in the ass for sure.

Don't expect to be winning anything with a team full of shop mannequins....Winning takes some belief and ambition and that needs to start from the top.

Saint george - you've obviously been smoking too much crack down there in NOLA.

That is the biggest load of rubbish I have seen posted for some time - NBC in the US are always very complimentary about us. The facts are for any club outside the top 4 that their best players will be off if the top 4 come calling. I count spurs and Liverpool in that 'cant keep hold of their players' tag too.

It just happens that our players are highly sought after due to our success.

We now have a world wide reputation as a feeder club, a club that can't keep hold of it's best players, a club who's ambition is nothing more than to remain in the Premier league to make money from player sales....We were fortunate to secure Koeman's services when we did, and also fortunate he appears to be an honorable man and will probably see out his contract...But when he's gone what Coach with any self respect is going to want to come manage a store front? ex JC Penny or Macy's managers maybe?

 

We may appear to be getting away with it for now, but our newfound reputation is going to come back and bite us in the ass for sure.

 

Don't expect to be winning anything with a team full of shop mannequins....Winning takes some belief and ambition and that needs to start from the top.

6.7/10

Saint george - you've obviously been smoking too much crack down there in NOLA.

 

That is the biggest load of rubbish I have seen posted for some time - NBC in the US are always very complimentary about us. The facts are for any club outside the top 4 that their best players will be off if the top 4 come calling. I count spurs and Liverpool in that 'cant keep hold of their players' tag too.

 

It just happens that our players are highly sought after due to our success.

Have you spoken to any one recently?...mention Southampton and you get the same response...who they selling next? or what's going on at that club? etc..Definitely a different reaction from even a year ago.......Like i said, we're getting away with it for the moment, mainly due to Koeman......That won't always be the case

Outside the top 4 (and even those bar Chelsea are forced to sell to bigger clubs) which clubs aren't selling clubs?

Chelsea are really more of a selling club than anyone else since their business plan to meet FFP requirements involves buying young players, developing them, and selling them for a profit.

Have you spoken to any one recently?...mention Southampton and you get the same response...who they selling next? or what's going on at that club? etc..Definitely a different reaction from even a year ago.......Like i said, we're getting away with it for the moment, mainly due to Koeman......That won't always be the case

But what do people say about other clubs that are not in the top four--I am pretty sure it is also not very complimentary.

Chelsea are really more of a selling club than anyone else since their business plan to meet FFP requirements involves buying young players, developing them, and selling them for a profit.

 

 

 

But what do people say about other clubs that are not in the top four--I am pretty sure it is also not very complimentary.

I'm wondering who he has been talking to. I never hear anything like that. If anything, people are interested in the success of the club. Partly because, as Washsaint says, NBC are very complimentary about us.

6.7/10

As high as that? I had it down for a three at most. Saint George usually posts rubbish like that, and I suspect that he is really just a wind-up merchant.

Probably more accurate to portray us a club that appears to have developed the habit of only letting their star players go to the top clubs and for ridiculous sums, replacing them with players who turn out generally to have equal ability for a much lower price. When Koeman eventually moves on, if he continues as he has done it will be with a reputation considerably enhanced, thus setting a good example for other potential replacement managers that wish to replicate what he has done. Apart from the top four or five clubs, Southampton would be the next most attractive appointment in England for an ambitious manager, who would inherit one of the best set-ups in terms of infrastructure and one of football's best academies providing a conveyor-belt source of home grown talent.

Have you spoken to any one recently?...mention Southampton and you get the same response...who they selling next? or what's going on at that club? etc..Definitely a different reaction from even a year ago.......Like i said, we're getting away with it for the moment, mainly due to Koeman......That won't always be the case

True.

But I just laugh at them. Club has earnt the trust and nothing wrong with the way they are doing it.

As for managers, I was livid when Pardew was sacked, then Nige came in and proved me wrong.

When he was sacked, even more angry, but MoPo did a great job.

When he ran off, had learnt to trust in the club. Roko has been astonishing under the circumstances.

Pretty sure we'll be prepared for when he leaves as well. Would love him to sign a new contract though.

We now have a world wide reputation as a feeder club, a club that can't keep hold of it's best players, a club who's ambition is nothing more than to remain in the Premier league to make money from player sales....We were fortunate to secure Koeman's services when we did, and also fortunate he appears to be an honorable man and will probably see out his contract...But when he's gone what Coach with any self respect is going to want to come manage a store front? ex JC Penny or Macy's managers maybe?

 

We may appear to be getting away with it for now, but our newfound reputation is going to come back and bite us in the ass for sure.

 

Don't expect to be winning anything with a team full of shop mannequins....Winning takes some belief and ambition and that needs to start from the top.

You don't half post some nonsense.

Chelsea are really more of a selling club than anyone else since their business plan to meet FFP requirements involves buying young players, developing them, and selling them for a profit.

 

.

Chelsea choose who they sell, they are never forced into a sale, that is very different from the rest.

As high as that? I had it down for a three at most. Saint George usually posts rubbish like that, and I suspect that he is really just a wind-up merchant.

 

 

Yeah..like being one of the very few peeps who maintained that Wilde was a faker and would be a total disaster for the club, while you and most other peeps here were fawning over him with your tongues so far up his ass you couldn't even taste the ****.....I even got banned from SF for not being in the Wilde cult like the rest of you.....and nothings changed that much here since.

 

This lot have thrown the baby out with the bathwater and all you can do is celebrate the fact the dummy's still in the tub.

As high as that? I had it down for a three at most. Saint George usually posts rubbish like that, and I suspect that he is really just a wind-up merchant.

 

 

Yeah..like being one of the very few peeps who maintained that Wilde was a faker and would be a total disaster for the club, while you and most other peeps here were fawning over him with your tongues so far up his ass you couldn't even taste the ****.....I even got banned from SF for not being in the Wilde cult like the rest of you.....and nothings changed that much here since.

 

This lot have thrown the baby out with the bathwater and all you can do is celebrate the fact the dummy's still in the tub.

 

This has a completely different meaning in America. And one that makes more sense. (The second bolding is mine.)

You don't half post some nonsense.

The complete whole not just half [emoji5]️

Guys, lets not forget, that when St George isn't playing with himself whilst thinking of me in prison showers (it's an odd fantasy but it's his fantasy), he single handedly saved Saints last season by writing a strongly worded post on this here forum that stopped the club selling Morgan.

If he hadn't stopped thinking of my botty for those five minutes we could well be facing championship football this coming season.

Cheers George

(You're touching yourself again aren't you? Please don't PM me for photos again you old dog you.)

We now have a world wide reputation as a feeder club, a club that can't keep hold of it's best players, a club who's ambition is nothing more than to remain in the Premier league to make money from player sales....We were fortunate to secure Koeman's services when we did, and also fortunate he appears to be an honorable man and will probably see out his contract...But when he's gone what Coach with any self respect is going to want to come manage a store front? ex JC Penny or Macy's managers maybe?

 

We may appear to be getting away with it for now, but our newfound reputation is going to come back and bite us in the ass for sure.

 

Don't expect to be winning anything with a team full of shop mannequins....Winning takes some belief and ambition and that needs to start from the top.

I agree with one or two lines but my interpretation is very different. Yes we have a burgeoning worldwide reputation for identifying and developing talent and selling it on. That is a positive, not a negative. The better we become, the more attractive we are to the elite of European young talent. No matter what you would like to believe, that is where we are, always have been, always will be but if we are to attempt to challenge consistently, this way allows us to grow at a slower, more controlled rate with no boom and bust. In all our years as a club, we have only won the FA Cup once. Challenging for La Decima we are not.

Look at our business this summer so far. Clyne out, Cedric in plus enough money to pay his wages for the duration of the contract. Morgan to Man Utd, Jordy Clasie in, with enough to cover his wages and Juanmi's for their entire contracts. The risk is that the players we have signed are swiftly and effectively integrated and as successful as those they have replaced but all are current internationals, of the right age.

I'm not quite sure what you, and others are expecting to be honest? The players that have left have gone to more prestigious clubs, with bigger stadiums and has resulted in bigger bank accounts if nothing else. We are selling our players, for top money in most cases, to the traditional powerhouses of the English game over the last 40 plus years; not to our rivals from a resource perspective. From memory, management theory of Porter's Five Forces discusses the barriers to entry of the market place. In English football, it is the ability to consistently fund the buying and more importantly, the wages for the top players in the league. Unless we take on an entirely high risk approach of matching the wages on offer of the six clubs who finished above us last season, then we are always going to be losing our players to them, as much as that may frustrate and annoy us! European football, top half of the table finish and a good cup run and I would suggest that that is a pretty decent season.

I agree with one or two lines but my interpretation is very different. Yes we have a burgeoning worldwide reputation for identifying and developing talent and selling it on. That is a positive, not a negative. The better we become, the more attractive we are to the elite of European young talent. No matter what you would like to believe, that is where we are, always have been, always will be but if we are to attempt to challenge consistently, this way allows us to grow at a slower, more controlled rate with no boom and bust. In all our years as a club, we have only won the FA Cup once. Challenging for La Decima we are not.

 

Look at our business this summer so far. Clyne out, Cedric in plus enough money to pay his wages for the duration of the contract. Morgan to Man Utd, Jordy Clasie in, with enough to cover his wages and Juanmi's for their entire contracts. The risk is that the players we have signed are swiftly and effectively integrated and as successful as those they have replaced but all are current internationals, of the right age.

 

I'm not quite sure what you, and others are expecting to be honest? The players that have left have gone to more prestigious clubs, with bigger stadiums and has resulted in bigger bank accounts if nothing else. We are selling our players, for top money in most cases, to the traditional powerhouses of the English game over the last 40 plus years; not to our rivals from a resource perspective. From memory, management theory of Porter's Five Forces discusses the barriers to entry of the market place. In English football, it is the ability to consistently fund the buying and more importantly, the wages for the top players in the league. Unless we take on an entirely high risk approach of matching the wages on offer of the six clubs who finished above us last season, then we are always going to be losing our players to them, as much as that may frustrate and annoy us! European football, top half of the table finish and a good cup run and I would suggest that that is a pretty decent season.

What an excellent post.

Don't know what the answer is myself but I'll ask the question: How on earth do we break the cycle we're in? I don't see it as being possible.

How on earth could Athletico break the Barca-Real cycle in Spain but they did ? We have to keep doing what we're doing, but each time we sell a star player for a lot of money use it wisely to increase the overall quality of the squad. Hopefully, we'll gradually approach critical mass where we have a squad with skill and depth enough to mount a proper challenge for a CL place. There's a gap to be bridged but I firmly believe that we're gradually doing it. Patience and belief in the Southampton way are the keys.

I agree with one or two lines but my interpretation is very different. Yes we have a burgeoning worldwide reputation for identifying and developing talent and selling it on. That is a positive, not a negative. The better we become, the more attractive we are to the elite of European young talent. No matter what you would like to believe, that is where we are, always have been, always will be but if we are to attempt to challenge consistently, this way allows us to grow at a slower, more controlled rate with no boom and bust. In all our years as a club, we have only won the FA Cup once. Challenging for La Decima we are not.

 

Look at our business this summer so far. Clyne out, Cedric in plus enough money to pay his wages for the duration of the contract. Morgan to Man Utd, Jordy Clasie in, with enough to cover his wages and Juanmi's for their entire contracts. The risk is that the players we have signed are swiftly and effectively integrated and as successful as those they have replaced but all are current internationals, of the right age.

 

I'm not quite sure what you, and others are expecting to be honest? The players that have left have gone to more prestigious clubs, with bigger stadiums and has resulted in bigger bank accounts if nothing else. We are selling our players, for top money in most cases, to the traditional powerhouses of the English game over the last 40 plus years; not to our rivals from a resource perspective. From memory, management theory of Porter's Five Forces discusses the barriers to entry of the market place. In English football, it is the ability to consistently fund the buying and more importantly, the wages for the top players in the league. Unless we take on an entirely high risk approach of matching the wages on offer of the six clubs who finished above us last season, then we are always going to be losing our players to them, as much as that may frustrate and annoy us! European football, top half of the table finish and a good cup run and I would suggest that that is a pretty decent season.

Saint George really doesn't deserve a response as good as that. Excellent.

Don't know what the answer is myself but I'll ask the question: How on earth do we break the cycle we're in? I don't see it as being possible.

Don't view it as a cycle. More of an upward spiral.

I agree with one or two lines but my interpretation is very different. Yes we have a burgeoning worldwide reputation for identifying and developing talent and selling it on. That is a positive, not a negative. The better we become, the more attractive we are to the elite of European young talent. No matter what you would like to believe, that is where we are, always have been, always will be but if we are to attempt to challenge consistently, this way allows us to grow at a slower, more controlled rate with no boom and bust. In all our years as a club, we have only won the FA Cup once. Challenging for La Decima we are not.

 

Look at our business this summer so far. Clyne out, Cedric in plus enough money to pay his wages for the duration of the contract. Morgan to Man Utd, Jordy Clasie in, with enough to cover his wages and Juanmi's for their entire contracts. The risk is that the players we have signed are swiftly and effectively integrated and as successful as those they have replaced but all are current internationals, of the right age.

 

I'm not quite sure what you, and others are expecting to be honest? The players that have left have gone to more prestigious clubs, with bigger stadiums and has resulted in bigger bank accounts if nothing else. We are selling our players, for top money in most cases, to the traditional powerhouses of the English game over the last 40 plus years; not to our rivals from a resource perspective. From memory, management theory of Porter's Five Forces discusses the barriers to entry of the market place. In English football, it is the ability to consistently fund the buying and more importantly, the wages for the top players in the league. Unless we take on an entirely high risk approach of matching the wages on offer of the six clubs who finished above us last season, then we are always going to be losing our players to them, as much as that may frustrate and annoy us! European football, top half of the table finish and a good cup run and I would suggest that that is a pretty decent season.

Way too sensible a post as a reply........but agree 100%

You don't half post some nonsense.

i'm hoping Jordy came here on a five year contract, after Roko told him if the board don't start doing crazy things, i'm staying........i did say hoping

that was the wrong quote!! and i;m off to bed

Good article. Personally, I'm not counting on Clasie being on his way until the official announcement, though, but that's just me!

Me neither

I agree with one or two lines but my interpretation is very different. Yes we have a burgeoning worldwide reputation for identifying and developing talent and selling it on. That is a positive, not a negative. The better we become, the more attractive we are to the elite of European young talent. No matter what you would like to believe, that is where we are, always have been, always will be but if we are to attempt to challenge consistently, this way allows us to grow at a slower, more controlled rate with no boom and bust. In all our years as a club, we have only won the FA Cup once. Challenging for La Decima we are not.

 

Look at our business this summer so far. Clyne out, Cedric in plus enough money to pay his wages for the duration of the contract. Morgan to Man Utd, Jordy Clasie in, with enough to cover his wages and Juanmi's for their entire contracts. The risk is that the players we have signed are swiftly and effectively integrated and as successful as those they have replaced but all are current internationals, of the right age.

 

I'm not quite sure what you, and others are expecting to be honest? The players that have left have gone to more prestigious clubs, with bigger stadiums and has resulted in bigger bank accounts if nothing else. We are selling our players, for top money in most cases, to the traditional powerhouses of the English game over the last 40 plus years; not to our rivals from a resource perspective. From memory, management theory of Porter's Five Forces discusses the barriers to entry of the market place. In English football, it is the ability to consistently fund the buying and more importantly, the wages for the top players in the league. Unless we take on an entirely high risk approach of matching the wages on offer of the six clubs who finished above us last season, then we are always going to be losing our players to them, as much as that may frustrate and annoy us! European football, top half of the table finish and a good cup run and I would suggest that that is a pretty decent season.

Dell-sized mentality.

As high as that? I had it down for a three at most. Saint George usually posts rubbish like that, and I suspect that he is really just a wind-up merchant.

 

 

Yeah..like being one of the very few peeps who maintained that Wilde was a faker and would be a total disaster for the club, while you and most other peeps here were fawning over him with your tongues so far up his ass you couldn't even taste the ****.....I even got banned from SF for not being in the Wilde cult like the rest of you.....and nothings changed that much here since.

This lot have thrown the baby out with the bathwater and all you can do is celebrate the fact the dummy's still in the tub.

 

No, nothing has changed at all. You're still consistent in your position of being critical of the way that the club is run, regardless of whether it's well run or not.

 

Apart from the people you speak to, nearly everybody else would agree that our stock as a club has hardly ever been any higher. Maybe those you speak to mistakenly think that you are referring to the New Orleans Saints.