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Where is the ambition?


ally_uk

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We surely have money to spend? Why are we not bringing in quality?

Iheanacho

Smalling

Delph

 

Hell even Defoe I would of been in for.......

 

Why haven't we signed a def mid or a proper Fonte replacement?

 

Where is the Mane replacement?

 

I'm starting to feel robbed as a fan. No wonder Van D wants out this club clearly has no ambition. Call me negative I'm being realistic.

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We surely have money to spend? Why are we not bringing in quality?

Iheanacho -- buy back clause

Smalling - s hite

Delph -- bang average

 

Hell even Defoe I would of been in for....... not for me

 

Why haven't we signed a def mid or a proper Fonte replacement?

 

Where is the Mane replacement? LOL not this again

 

I'm starting to feel robbed as a fan. No wonder Van D wants out this club clearly has no ambition. Call me negative I'm being realistic.

 

Now breathe.... :lol:

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I think this is the general feeling for most fans. How can we expect our best players to commit when the last few years have seen mass exodus. The only way to keep hold of van dijk is to show the intent to push on. Spend decent money on a couple of crucial first team players such as gylfi and van dijk may well be swayed, even if only for another season.

 

Come on les ffs!

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Ambition (seems to) = how much money is spent. Well at least in a lot of people's eyes. I guess that that is the modern way, but I think it more ambitious to bring through your own player rather than spunk £12414m on one. Take Jack Stephens to be the Fonte replacement that the OP was asking about. To me he is a proper replacement, but I realise that there are always going to be those who won't look at what is under their nose. This is not to say that the team should be 100% "home grown" and I do agree that there should be more creativity in the midfield, a position that has never really been replaced since Lallana left.

 

People go on about DM as well. Maybe we already have that in Hojbjerg. Last season and him was very strange. He started off and I sat up and said "wow" he is a clever player and this will be interesting to watch him. But then it all went a bit Pete Tong and it might be because he and the manager didn't see eye to eye. Maybe the new manager thinks differently. If he can replicate the first couple of appearances then that is Oriol's partner sorted. And why can't he replicate how he started?

 

But as it is, I don't really want SFC to go out and spend £30-40m on a player, and that has nothing to do with being unambitious.

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The correlation between showing ambition and spending lots and lots and lots of money is flawed. Ambition can be shown in many other ways. I'd say the works done at Staplewood show an enormous amount of ambition, more so than a £30m signing would show me.

 

Seems like fans these days need to be appeased by ££££, and it's just wrong. It shouldn't be what it's about.The fact you've suggested Defoe says it all for me.

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We surely have money to spend? Why are we not bringing in quality?

Iheanacho

Smalling

Delph

 

Hell even Defoe I would of been in for.......

 

Why haven't we signed a def mid or a proper Fonte replacement?

 

Where is the Mane replacement?

 

I'm starting to feel robbed as a fan. No wonder Van D wants out this club clearly has no ambition. Call me negative I'm being realistic.

 

Brave post on here atm, prepare yourself as dissenters are not welcome in this place.

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Isn't the main problem that we fans don't think very much about balancing the books. Understandable in a way. We want results on the pitch. The money side is a matter for Katharina, Ralph etc.

 

However, if you take a step back, then it seems clear to me that the current model is a pretty good one.

 

Basic truth is we don't bring in enough cash from TV rights and ticket sales to sign and pay for the quality of players we want, so we also seek to make a tidy profit in the transfer market (or at the very, very least, break even). If you don't sell Mane at a £20m profit, you probably don't have the cash to sign, say, Cedric, Bertrand and Romeu.

 

Obviously, the Liebherrs just shoving more cash on the table would be nice from our perspective, but I don't feel I have the right to expect it.

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We surely have money to spend? Why are we not bringing in quality?

Iheanacho

Smalling

Delph

 

Hell even Defoe I would of been in for.......

 

Why haven't we signed a def mid or a proper Fonte replacement?

 

Where is the Mane replacement?

 

I'm starting to feel robbed as a fan. No wonder Van D wants out this club clearly has no ambition. Call me negative I'm being realistic.

 

The first line is not a ridiculous question to ask, but then you back it up with Smalling & Delph. Two players which will probably cost huge amounts of money relative to how good they are (admittedly I think Delph could still work out, but would be a risk for the money we'd have to pay, not to mention wages). Boufal and Redmond are both potential Mane replacements (i.e. fulfil a similar role). Neither have so far looked like matching him, but after one season it's probably too early to give up on them, and to "sign a new Mane" requires us to have unearthed a gem, or spend masses. I don't want us to spend for the sake of it, which with your Defore statement, sounds like you do.

 

The idea of being 'robbed' as a fan... We all want Saints to do as well as possible, though different people value different methods of achieving it, but I always thought it's because you love the club and want it to succeed. Being 'robbed' as a fan makes it about you, and that you are somehow entitled to seeing the club you support spend money.

 

But surely the most pressing and worrying issue here is your failure to grasp some of the basics of English language. It's "Would HAVE", not "would of". Happy to help.

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The squad needs some work, I it find hard to believe anyone would be that happy if we go into next season having bought in one defender for the future.

 

We have a few players who could definitely be upgraded that's not spending money for the sake of it that's improving the team something we should all want.

 

If we really are serious about not selling our best players then this is the ideal summer to get in a couple of quality players to strengthen the side rather than just replacing the usual summer exodus.

 

Having said that just spending big money for the sake of it to show ambition is pointless the money needs to be spent right.

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The squad needs some work, I it find hard to believe anyone would be that happy if we go into next season having bought in one defender for the future.

 

We have a few players who could definitely be upgraded that's not spending money for the sake of it that's improving the team something we should all want.

 

If we really are serious about not selling our best players then this is the ideal summer to get in a couple of quality players to strengthen the side rather than just replacing the usual summer exodus.

 

Having said that just spending big money for the sake of it to show ambition is pointless the money needs to be spent right.

 

Sure, that'd be great. But you're looking at, say, £15m each in transfer fees and £4m a year each in wages etc? So where does that c £38m come from?

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I wouldn't be interested in the players named above (especially not a ageing Defoe on a long deal like he has at Bournemouth). However, we need to improve the squad in certain areas and failure to do so is complacency on our part.

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Sure, that'd be great. But you're looking at, say, £15m each in transfer fees and £4m a year each in wages etc? So where does that c £38m come from?

 

 

Well 12 million+ wages for Jrod is a useful start and I can't believe we can only buy players if we sell. I'd also be looking to off load Clasie, Long, Targett and JWP if it were me.

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Well 12 million+ wages for Jrod is a useful start and I can't believe we can only buy players if we sell. I'd also be looking to off load Clasie, Long, Targett and JWP if it were me.

 

The 8 million plus wages for Fonté could be chucked into the pot...

Plus the pl prize money plus the tv money plus all other revenue....how do the other non top 6 teams sign anyone?

Edited by vectraman
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Gabbi is J Rods replacement

Boufal was Manés

I really hope Stephens isn't Fonte's replacement but he probably is.

Defoe is too old

Smalling and Delph are crap and expensive

Hojbjerg is probably expected to step up this year, much like Romeu did last.

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Well 12 million+ wages for Jrod is a useful start and I can't believe we can only buy players if we sell. I'd also be looking to off load Clasie, Long, Targett and JWP if it were me.

 

Problem is a good chunk of that is wiped out by Puel's pay off and the £5m signing of that new Polish defender. May have a million or two left over, but that buys you sod all really.

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First I don't agree that we don't bring in quality. Almost all of our recent recruits has great ability and huge potential but to expect to get a new Mane every time is nothing but wishful thinking.

 

Second, looking at our accounts it's seems like we are living within our means. There is no pile of cash laying around or dividends to the owners, only market rate on our loans. Success is built on sound finances and slow progress.

 

I don't think the club does everything 100% perfect but this "no ambition" argument is utter ******s IMO.

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With takeover hopes / plans fading we are likely to be in for a fairly quiet summer IMHO, VVD is our prime asset hence the current no sale position to attract incoming investors. Season ticket sales may well be down, but fans are very much a secondary revenue stream to broadcasting nowadays so the frustrations of supporters are somewhat irrelevant to the Board (any Board...). Expect a few youngsters and a couple of squad players from overseas unless a star is sold off. We have a mid table squad, and we are a mid table club, all about safety and investment protection for KL at the moment not risk. We have a charismatic manager and a great kit to look forward to - forget about the marquee signings, won't happen!

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I think this is the general feeling for most fans. How can we expect our best players to commit when the last few years have seen mass exodus. The only way to keep hold of van dijk is to show the intent to push on. Spend decent money on a couple of crucial first team players such as gylfi and van dijk may well be swayed, even if only for another season.

 

Come on les ffs!

 

Surely keeping hold of Van Dijk IS showing the intent to push on?

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We surely have money to spend? Why are we not bringing in quality?

Iheanacho

Smalling

Delph

 

Hell even Defoe I would of been in for.......

 

Why haven't we signed a def mid or a proper Fonte replacement?

 

Where is the Mane replacement?

 

I'm starting to feel robbed as a fan. No wonder Van D wants out this club clearly has no ambition. Call me negative I'm being realistic.

 

Glad you wrote it. I dread to think of the reaction if I did.

 

We are back in the deepest darkest days of Lowe. And the result will be the same.

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If we don't sign anyone then season and have lost jay rod and fonte at least from out squad last year I just don't see how we have improved. You can bet other prem teams who finished below us in the table last season has improved. It is frustrating that we finished in a good position but spending wise we seem to be drooping around the lower half of the prem, potentially even the championship. If we make a profit every transfer window that's not balancing the books because we have shirt sales, tv money, ticket sales, other merchandise. Plenty of time left to sign people and I reckon we're letting the big dogs tire themselves out with there 30-50 mil bids before we see what's realistic. Not particularly worried right now but will be if no one's signed in a couple of weeks. We're 1 Cb, 1 striker and 1 cdm injury away from some real trouble.

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Glad you wrote it. I dread to think of the reaction if I did.

 

We are back in the deepest darkest days of Lowe. And the result will be the same.

 

Wait what!? We're back in the championship, with an unqualified management team, selling our senior players to just use youth and heading towards administration and league one!?

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Wait what!? We're back in the championship, with an unqualified management team, selling our senior players to just use youth and heading towards administration and league one!?

 

You could take your pick of dark days. I think '06 when we played Ipswich at home after Theo left was pretty awful (the game and the atmosphere).

 

Maybe that's the one Alpine was thinking of. Or maybe it was any number of games in 08/09? I'm not sure really. Anyway, obviously the current situation is much worse than any of those.

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You could take your pick of dark days. I think '06 when we played Ipswich at home after Theo left was pretty awful (the game and the atmosphere).

 

Maybe that's the one Alpine was thinking of. Or maybe it was any number of games in 08/09? I'm not sure really. Anyway, obviously the current situation is much worse than any of those.

 

In fact that Ipswich game was a pivotal point in Saints history. If Lowe had called Burley into his office on the following monday morning and sacked him as he should have, our whole future may have been different from that point. Burley was an awful manager and led us to our demise.

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Glad you wrote it. I dread to think of the reaction if I did.

 

We are back in the deepest darkest days of Lowe. And the result will be the same.

 

The deepest darkest days of Lowe involved us having our overdraft facility shut down by Barclays, being relegated from the Championship to the third division (winning only 10 out of 46 games in the process), being placed in administration and thus carrying over a 10 point penalty and having the likes of David McGoldrick as our best player.

 

I must say I don't find the parallels with our present situation particularly striking.

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If we'd had a not for sale stance last summer and had kept Mane and Wanyama, that would have shown real ambition. I think they were less keen to leae than van Dijk appears to be now and we wouldn't have needed to spend anything on new players. The Club could have afforded to keep our best players then. IF van Dijk is sold, our squad is going to look a hell of a lot weaker than it did 2 years ago. That is not progreess. It isn't even standing still. It's decline.

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In fact that Ipswich game was a pivotal point in Saints history. If Lowe had called Burley into his office on the following monday morning and sacked him as he should have, our whole future may have been different from that point. Burley was an awful manager and led us to our demise.

 

After his first home game? He led us to the play-offs the season after...

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First I don't agree that we don't bring in quality. Almost all of our recent recruits has great ability and huge potential but to expect to get a new Mane every time is nothing but wishful thinking.

 

Second, looking at our accounts it's seems like we are living within our means. There is no pile of cash laying around or dividends to the owners, only market rate on our loans. Success is built on sound finances and slow progress.

 

I don't think the club does everything 100% perfect but this "no ambition" argument is utter ******s IMO.

 

Are you sure, I'm constantly reminded by people on here that Kat's pockets are bulging, that's Les's brief - get me more money to stuff into my already bulging pockets - stuff the club.

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Glad you wrote it. I dread to think of the reaction if I did.

 

We are back in the deepest darkest days of Lowe. And the result will be the same.

 

Finally!

 

Now that Alps has completely written us off for the season it'll be fine from here on in.

 

Phew.

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With takeover hopes / plans fading we are likely to be in for a fairly quiet summer IMHO, VVD is our prime asset hence the current no sale position to attract incoming investors. Season ticket sales may well be down, but fans are very much a secondary revenue stream to broadcasting nowadays so the frustrations of supporters are somewhat irrelevant to the Board (any Board...). Expect a few youngsters and a couple of squad players from overseas unless a star is sold off. We have a mid table squad, and we are a mid table club, all about safety and investment protection for KL at the moment not risk. We have a charismatic manager and a great kit to look forward to - forget about the marquee signings, won't happen!

 

Very fair and very balanced - about the way I see it.

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We surely have money to spend? Why are we not bringing in quality?

Iheanacho

Smalling

Delph

 

Hell even Defoe I would of been in for.......

 

Why haven't we signed a def mid or a proper Fonte replacement?

 

Where is the Mane replacement?

 

I'm starting to feel robbed as a fan. No wonder Van D wants out this club clearly has no ambition. Call me negative I'm being realistic.

 

I'm guessing you are not that good at Football Manager. You probably get about a season and a half in because you spent all your money on crap and forgot all about wages etc.

 

Then you have to start again. "What's wrong with thus stupid game?" you lament a few hours later as you sit again in the same sorry predicament.

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We surely have money to spend? Why are we not bringing in quality?

Iheanacho

Smalling

Delph

 

Hell even Defoe I would of been in for.......

 

Why haven't we signed a def mid or a proper Fonte replacement?

 

Where is the Mane replacement?

 

I'm starting to feel robbed as a fan. No wonder Van D wants out this club clearly has no ambition. Call me negative I'm being realistic.

 

Not enough :mcinnes: :mcinnes::mcinnes: in the world for this nonsense.

 

I'm glad you aren't in charge of the club if you think Smalling, Delph and Defoe would be good signings for Saints!

 

If the club didn't have ambition van Dijk would already have been sold. Instead they've told him no and he has thrown his toys out of the pram.

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You really are a fan that thinks real life football works like Football Manager.

 

You don't need to play football manager like West Ham do real transfers though. When I play Saints in FM I do what they pretty much do in real life which is buy talented young players and often sell them on at profits as I progress the club. Plus you bring youth team players through, it's in the board requirements to do exactly that (and the buy young players thing as well), it's almost as if it's trying to replicate real life.

 

------------------------

 

IIRC Pellegrino's interview yesterday he said they were looking at signings but he was still evaluating the players because lots came back from international duty late etc.

 

I expect we all want players that the manager actually signs off on, so we need to give him time.

 

Plus Smalling and Delph are crap and too old to get any better, if we are going to buy players off big clubs they will be 20-24 sort of age looking to rebuild their careers, not 27-29 looking for a big pay day. Let Stoke and West Ham sign those players, I prefer our method.

 

I expect us to make maybe two signings but I reckon they will be later in the day, mainly because the change in manager set us back, plus the whole VVD debacle.

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After his first home game? He led us to the play-offs the season after...

 

It was the right thing to do, you could see straight away from that game that he was pretty clueless about modern football. He may have taken us to the play-offs but we didn't win them now did we. With the investment we shouldn't have needed the play-off lottery, automatic promotion was programmed.

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