The state of our club: Good, Bad... or how about somewhere in between?

[SaintJackoInHurworth]

* I went away on holiday just over a week ago excited about the appointment of Koeman.

* I returned today disappointed to learn of the departure of Shaw and expected impending departure of Lallana, having hoped that Koeman's appointment may have averted their departures. I also learn of continuing rumours about other players, which concern me greatly.

 

As I read all about this it worries me that our support is so divided about all these things - surely there is a 'middle way' that all can accept? There have been many things in the last few months about which we are all concerned, but I hope that despite all the changes we will be able to move on from it all to reach even higher than we have done so far.

 

So, what are the things about which we can all agree?

 

Let me suggest a few:

 

* We are all sad to see star players leave the club - especially when they leave to play for other Premier League clubs.

* We are all anxious about the time it may take for a new player to settle in at a new club - especially when they come from abroad.

* We are all hopeful of Saints having the same success with unheard of foreign signings as some other PL clubs have had (e.g. Newcastle, Wigan, Swansea, etc.)

* We are all also hopeful of seeing further new stars emerging from our academy.

* We were all disappointed to see Poch leave but on the whole we are hopeful that Koeman will turn out to be a great new manager.

* We are all grateful to the Liebherr family for saving the club a few years ago, whether or not we are entirely sure about the decisions that Katharina has made in the past few months.

* We were all delighted with how the club performed in the league overall last season and would probably have expected and accepted far less at the start of the season.

* We would all love to see Saints win something and to qualify for European competition.

 

So, whether you feel skeptical about everything that is going on or you are one of the eternal optimists determined that everything that is happening will all actually turn out to be the best thing that could have happened to us, let us find some grounds on which we can all agree and let us move forward TOGETHER... supporting Saints all the way with a loud OWTS and COYR(&W!)s.

 

So.. what are your suggestions?

[cellone]

Take your rosy holiday vibe and shove it. I have returned from a week of work which has provided next to total isolation.

 

*Star players pff.

*Beginning of season 15/16.

*That's worked out well.

*A given.

*As above.

* About the same as the last two.

*But can't help feeling we could have done better.

*Back to four.

[SaintRobbie]

We can all agree that right now our club is the subject of a fire sale of damaged goods. There is clearly a mixture of selfishness and lack of respect for the leadership and ambition of the club from the players.

 

We potentially have a great manager, who is likely to have to rebuild a whole team without the time he needs to integrate x3 strikers, two defenders and two key midfielders who haven't been bought yet. And that's just to replace the top players who are leaving, not even buy the extra depth we need to kick on.

 

It's not looking good from the head side, but my heart hopes we stay in the Premier League this season.

 

This is the end of an era, I hope we don't fall, but one of only two scenarios if Les Reed and Koeman fail to keep Lovren and Sneiderlain IMO, relegation or we just survive. Koeman will have worked a miracle if we end up in the top half.

[Colinjb]

It's somewhere in the middle.

 

Koeman's managerial mettle is key, he needs to rebuild and restablish us as a footballing entity with a new team of players. He will need to sign them, gell them and drill them in a tiny time frame.

 

This will be a far from dull event, Survival is the aim, it is surely possible.

[SarniaSaint]

Upper middle but this should be a wake up call for not just us but any other club that has players involved in national team squads.

[Saint TJ]

http://v2journal.com/22/post/2014/06/luke-shaw-and-adam-lallana-transfers-winners-andlosers.html

 

Have a read of the Southampton section of that article (skip to the bottom). That sums up most of the major points. Yes, everyone's very disappointed about the player sales and potential player sales, but who the hell knows what's happening next. Lallana could of flopped for us next year and Shaw could never reach his potential. Or the opposite. Or anything. The players we sign or promote could have stormers, or be utterly terrible. They could be Lovrens or Osvaldos. The current state of our club as is? World class manager, strong first team, positive financial position, in the top league of our nation. The state of our clubs is actually very good apart from the debatable competency of our board. However football is football and who knows what will happen with us next season. A lot of pundits thought we'd be fighting relegation again last season, so who really knows.

[Killers Knee]

I'm sure we can recruit with equal quality to replace Shaw and Lallana. Finding like-for-like quality for Schneiderlin, Lambert and Lovren will be more difficult. My only real concern is the camaraderie has evaporated at the club, hopefully RK can fix that.

[70's Mike]

I'm sure we can recruit with equal quality to replace Shaw and Lallana. Finding like-for-like quality for Schneiderlin, Lambert and Lovren will be more difficult. My only real concern is the camaraderie has evaporated at the club, hopefully RK can fix that.

 

Your last sentence is the key, saints supporters have always backed "the academy lads" and generally not got on their backs. So many new players may be difficult to bed in both as a group of players and with the fans.

a lot of the older fans I talk to , who have seen upheavals before, are struggling to reconcile what has happen with the statements from RK and Uncle Les, a distrustful atmosphere between fans and club does not bode well if things start poorly on the pitch

[hutch]

We can all agree that right now our club is the subject of a fire sale of damaged goods.

You think? A lot of supporters would disagree with that.

 

My take?

 

Lambert - chuffed for him. He is past his best, and a chance to start a couple of games as centre forward for his boyhood club.

 

Lallana - never really set me alight. a bit of a "curate's egg". Take the money

 

Shaw - very good player, but not been in the first team long enough to be an intrinsic part of the set up. Take the money

 

I will be disappointed if Schneiderlin, Lovren or Jrod go, but I'll get over it pretty quickly.

[Saint Charlie]

I'm sure we can recruit with equal quality to replace Shaw and Lallana. Finding like-for-like quality for Schneiderlin, Lambert and Lovren will be more difficult. My only real concern is the camaraderie has evaporated at the club, hopefully RK can fix that.

 

Finding like for like quality to replace Shaw will be impossible. Whoever we get will be good but not on Shaw's level. There is a reason he is the most expensive teenager ever you know!

[Bridge]

Jesus H Christ…..Yet another thread on the club selling players….What the hell can be done nothing!!! If a player wants to go…he will go!!! just be patient and see who comes in…I am sure RK has everything in control…