Mario Lemina - Official: Signs for Nice

[JRM]

6 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Not 100% sure on the detail of it, but I think if they stay up and he's made 20 apps, it's an automatic £7m transfer - all agreed.

Today was his 20th...so he now just needs to stay up, and that 7m fee is triggered I think.

That's really low isn't it , how much did we sign him for from Juve? £18M I think? FFS what a disappointment that has been. 

[SuperSAINT]

8 minutes ago, JRM said:

That's really low isn't it , how much did we sign him for from Juve? £18M I think? FFS what a disappointment that has been. 

It’s the result of not being able to flog him for about 3 seasons... 

Its what it is.  We’ve struggled to recoup anything for #TheUnsellables & normally have to pay them to leave.

[S-Clarke]

10 minutes ago, JRM said:

That's really low isn't it , how much did we sign him for from Juve? £18M I think? FFS what a disappointment that has been. 

Yeah about £18m. I think we could have got close to that in the first year we were trying to sell him, but our problem was pricing the players we wanted to shift too high - desperate to see if we could somehow make a profit, or at least our money back. We never had any chance of that, so we should have just cut our losses for 10-15m in my opinion. But we didn't, and now we have to sell him for £7m. A bit of a fail by the club, on multiple fronts. Similar from Carillo - out priced him from a move, wanted too much etc. Ended up releasing him on a free...go figure.

I still hold hope that once we lose all of these unsellables (Hoedt and Ely included in that) we will have more movement in the wage bill. 

[JRM]

23 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Yeah about £18m. I think we could have got close to that in the first year we were trying to sell him, but our problem was pricing the players we wanted to shift too high - desperate to see if we could somehow make a profit, or at least our money back. We never had any chance of that, so we should have just cut our losses for 10-15m in my opinion. But we didn't, and now we have to sell him for £7m. A bit of a fail by the club, on multiple fronts. Similar from Carillo - out priced him from a move, wanted too much etc. Ended up releasing him on a free...go figure.

I still hold hope that once we lose all of these unsellables (Hoedt and Ely included in that) we will have more movement in the wage bill. 

Thats my hope as well, Ely, Carillo, Hoedt and Lemina combined is an eye watering sum of money in transfer fees and wages spent for a club like us. 

[skintsaint]

12 hours ago, JRM said:

He was excellent for Fulham today to be fair (as was Reed). 

Lemina looked a £25M player. 

The fact he has just about had his first real good performance of the season shows his issue.

[saintwbu]

4 hours ago, skintsaint said:

The fact he has just about had his first real good performance of the season shows his issue.

It’s not though, he’s had a number of good games, I know a few Fulham fans and they really rate him. Rightly so too. But history would suggest that within a year or so they’ll be fed up with him. 

[rooney]

Hope Fulham rate him enough to buy him. We know what he is like.

[WALK DMC]

14 hours ago, LeG said:

Get shot...but if true... 6mill is far too low. 

He is on the last year of his contract, hasn't has the most auspicious last few years on loan and with Covid, clubs don't have the budgets that they have had in previous years. Taking into account that Boufal and Carrillo left for nothing when they entered their final year of their contract I don't think it is a bad price. 

[Saint Garrett]

17 minutes ago, LeG said:

Yes, I understand your point, what with him only having a year left...but it never should have got that far. We should now just take the money and run. 

I think that's what we are doing. Saved money on his wages for 2 years, and bring in £7m for him. Think Fulham also paid a £2m loan fee so it's more like £9m.  Assuming his wages have been paid for the last 2 seasons, that's just over £7m at £70K a week.  Also, his "book" value in the accounts will show as £4.5m so allows the club to recognise a profit on the sale of £2.5m.

Not ideal by any means, but given the situation, it's not awful. Always laugh to myself when he has 1 of his 9/10 matches, as you know it's not going to be consistent. Surprised he's played that many games tbh

[Charlie Wayman]

One suspects that the London Life suits him rather more than the sylvan glades of the New Forest. If he is happier and more settled there and that is reflected in greater dedication to his trade and improved performance then we should all rejoice for him. In which case why on earth would he want to come back to this sleepy backwater.

[Baird of the land]

10 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

One suspects that the London Life suits him rather more than the sylvan glades of the New Forest. If he is happier and more settled there and that is reflected in greater dedication to his trade and improved performance then we should all rejoice for him. In which case why on earth would he want to come back to this sleepy backwater.

Find it slightly frustrating that he's seems happy playing for a small club, just one that's located in London. At this point though hopefully they stay up and we can recoup a tiny bit of money.

[em00jie]

Lots of talk about Fulham's obligation to buy if they stay up and Lemina makes 20+ appearances, but does anyone know if Lemina's terms got agreed for a permanent deal when he signed on loan?

I guess what I'm asking is - is it a given that if Fulham stay up Lemina is gone, or can he reject a move to Fulham and we are still stuck with him? Do such things get agreed at the point the loan is sorted, I was trying to think back to the Danny signing as a reference, did he agree the full 4yr deal at the point of the loan getting signed, maybe it was a bit different as we might not have had any conditions attached to Danny's transfer (staying up, 20 appearances), so was a foregone conclusion he'd be signing on a perm.

[Super_Uwe]

My mate is a Fulham fan, said yesterday was his best performance to date.

The reality with him is whether or not you can get him to perform on a regular basis. That has been his problem from day 1 in English football. Absolutely no question marks over his ability, just whether or not he has the dedication and attitude to showcase his talent. Look at JWP, he performs to a consistent level week in week out. Some better weeks than others, but he very rarely gives you a 6 out of 10 performance.

Assuming Fulham stay up, I guess there is a fair chance he will end up there in the summer.

[Chez]

On 30/08/2020 at 15:02, SuperSAINT said:

 

bumping this earlier post by SuperSAINT

[Medrurkin]

5 hours ago, saintwbu said:

It’s not though, he’s had a number of good games, I know a few Fulham fans and they really rate him. Rightly so too. But history would suggest that within a year or so they’ll be fed up with him. 

There are quite a few Saints fans that rate him too, but it doesn't belie the history, he has been rank average for most of the time, and even academy lads were getting picked above him.

[LiberalCommunist]

1 hour ago, Super_Uwe said:

My mate is a Fulham fan, said yesterday was his best performance to date.

The reality with him is whether or not you can get him to perform on a regular basis. That has been his problem from day 1 in English football. Absolutely no question marks over his ability, just whether or not he has the dedication and attitude to showcase his talent. Look at JWP, he performs to a consistent level week in week out. Some better weeks than others, but he very rarely gives you a 6 out of 10 performance.

Assuming Fulham stay up, I guess there is a fair chance he will end up there in the summer.

He was superb last month in their 2-0 win over Everton. He looked injured at the end and was still running around protecting the lead. Amazing energy levels, outstanding commitment, massive contribution. The boy must have a mental issue to have so much in his locker, and deliver so little so often. 

[tajjuk]

Seeing him in that game, he looked happier and interacted better with his teammates then I ever saw him here so was thinking maybe he just didn't fit with our squad and didn't get on with some important members?  We have some very entrenched players here, like Bertrand and JWP and a fairly heavy domestic bias (Bertrand, KWP, Forster, McCarthy, JWP, Ings, Redmond, Stephens, Romeu who's been here like 10 years), whereas Fulham with all their transfers and loans probably have a more cosmopolitan feel, with lots of different nationalities and less long terms established players, so maybe he has just settled better in that environment.  (plus obviously London is probably better for that as well)

We sometimes forget footballers are just people and will struggle to do their job if things are impacting them off the pitch, new country, new language, not a well known (to Europeans) part of the country and a team with a lot of well set personalities and not a lot of fellow french(?) speakers as well. 

[SuperSAINT]

Newcastle & West Ham supposedly interested.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/29/west-ham-and-newcastle-interested-in-signing-southamptons-mario-lemina

[LiberalCommunist]

Sell sell sell.........

[Badger]

1 hour ago, SuperSAINT said:

Newcastle & West Ham supposedly interested.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/29/west-ham-and-newcastle-interested-in-signing-southamptons-mario-lemina

Probably Lemina's agent has just come out of his hibernation from under a stone.

[JustinSFC]

I can't decide on this guy.

There's definitely a player there.

I think if someone gets his head right, there's a real player there.

I think he'll go.

[SKD]

19 minutes ago, JustinSFC said:

I can't decide on this guy.

There's definitely a player there.

I think if someone gets his head right, there's a real player there.

I think he'll go.

Talented player and potentially has it all, but a shocking attitude and work ethic. not the sort of player for us at the moment. 
 

He’s very much a West Ham player imo. Think he’d do well there as well. 
 

He’ll go that’s for sure, but we won’t get much for him. 

[Kenilworthy]

22 minutes ago, SKD said:

Talented player and potentially has it all, but a shocking attitude and work ethic. not the sort of player for us at the moment. 
 

He’s very much a West Ham player imo. Think he’d do well there as well. 
 

He’ll go that’s for sure, but we won’t get much for him. 

Has the ability to be Pogba. But no inclination to work for it. Will go to West Ham and look a world beater. We'll regret ever letting him go. Then he will disappear and end up in the MLS

[SuperSAINT]

Good player, but I think we are at a point with him where if somebody wants to actually pay us money for him AND take on all his wages, we will probably be very happy.

[nta786]

8 minutes ago, Kenilworthy said:

Has the ability to be Pogba. But no inclination to work for it. Will go to West Ham and look a world beater. We'll regret ever letting him go. Then he will disappear and end up in the MLS

He’ll look a world beater for precisely 6 games out of the 38, the rest he’ll be missing. 
Not that he’ll complain he is on a solid PL wage, he’s lost the hunger to truly try and earn more but will do flashes of brilliance to ensure that keeps going.

[Mr X]

On 08/03/2021 at 13:38, Super_Uwe said:

My mate is a Fulham fan, said yesterday was his best performance to date.

The reality with him is whether or not you can get him to perform on a regular basis. That has been his problem from day 1 in English football. Absolutely no question marks over his ability, just whether or not he has the dedication and attitude to showcase his talent. Look at JWP, he performs to a consistent level week in week out. Some better weeks than others, but he very rarely gives you a 6 out of 10 performance.

Assuming Fulham stay up, I guess there is a fair chance he will end up there in the summer.

Rarely? Id say that's exactly what you get with JWP consistently 6 or 7 if he was a regular 8+ out of ten player week in week out he wouldn't be at saints people would be banging down our doors to sign him...... They're not

[Jeremy Corbyn]

Our central midfield is generally pretty pedestrian these days, a motivated Lemina would be a huge improvement.

[TWar]

7 minutes ago, Jeremy Corbyn said:

Our central midfield is generally pretty pedestrian these days, a motivated Lemina would be a huge improvement.

Diallo is much more promising to me than Lemina. Similar skill levels but one is 21 and the other is 27.

As for Lemina, he's had an alright season tbh, has looked decent enough when I've seen him and probably worth about £7m. Could do a job at a Burnley, Newcastle ect. as a starter or West Ham/Everton size team as a squad option. Would rather we sold personally as we don't need another box to box we need a destroyer ball winner like Romeu.

[Turkish]

15 minutes ago, Jeremy Corbyn said:

Our central midfield is generally pretty pedestrian these days, a motivated Lemina would be a huge improvement.

There's your problem

[the saint in winchester]

I think we all agree. When he turns it on, he's an excellent player. But he rarely does - for us - and if he doesn't want to play to potential for us, we may as well sell.

We needed him this season, and will need him next season. But if he isn't motivated, he won't make the team.

[Roo1976]

15 minutes ago, Turkish said:

There's your problem

How do you motivate millionaires?

[Nemi]

I think calling him demotivated is a bit lazy. He just never properly fit into our squad - ideally we’d want him playing a sort of Lallana CAM role, but we always tried to shoehorn him into the squad as a box-to-box midfielder or DM and unsurprisingly, given his strengths were going forward, he could rarely perform to the level we occasionally saw from him.

Probably why is best to move him on. He’s not a DM, maybe he could do a job as a wide midfielder in the 4222, but honestly we’re not going to get anything worthwhile from him unless we change our formation to something like 4231 with Lemina free to roam forward as an attacking midfielder.

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 hours ago, Roo1976 said:

How do you motivate millionaires?

Alex Ferguson seemed to manage it ok. 

[Mystic Force]

I think you find self motivated millionaires that do it because they want to. I do not think say Lionel Messi has been unmotivated during his career.

[Saint Garrett]

3 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Alex Ferguson seemed to manage it ok. 

Pretty sure he managed millionaires that wanted to be motivated, Lemina has not been arsed through his whole career.

SAF would get them out the door sharpish.

[John Boy Saint]

21 minutes ago, Saint Garrett said:

Pretty sure he managed millionaires that wanted to be motivated, Lemina has not been arsed through his whole career.

SAF would get them out the door sharpish.

Exactly!

Anyone who was at the away game at Wolves where he spent a third of the second half changing his boots, leaving us down to 10, and is still holding a candle for the guy: they really have been fooling themselves about themselves for years!!

[Wurzel]

I see he's started the last half dozen Fulham games. Assuming he can't play against us?

[itchen]

I maynhave said this before. I was working in Italy with Juventus fans when we signed him. Their verdict was that he could occasionally be good but generally showed a lack of consistency and commitment.

[davefizzy14]

I for one hope Mario comes back in the summer and impresses Ralph would give us another strong option in midfield without having to spend on another central midfield player.

[SuperSAINT]

57 minutes ago, davefizzy14 said:

I for one hope Mario comes back in the summer and impresses Ralph would give us another strong option in midfield without having to spend on another central midfield player.

It’s a nice glass half-full idea but just don’t see it.  Money is going to be mega-tight, so the idea of a team actually paying us hard cash to remove his wages from the wage bill will, IMO, be too tempting.

[S-Clarke]

Let's hope we don't over price him in the summer and just get him off the books. Obviously that auto transfer to Fulham won't be triggered now, but I still think 7m is probably a fair fee for someone like him with just a year left.

There's no point holding out hope that he may come back here a different player, he wont. He's fundamentally flawed and always will be. A waste of natural talent, but that's what it is.

I'm sure there will be another manager who feel they can get that talent out of him, and so the circle will start again.

[rooney]

Reported to be of interest to West Ham and Newcastle. We do not want him as too hot and cold and will not put a shift in when required. We have seen enough of that.

[SuperSAINT]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9721171/Newcastle-eyeing-Mario-Lemina-continue-monitor-William-Salibas-Arsenal-situation.html

Would be a good move.  At least they would be able to pay all his wages.

Edited 24 June, 2021 by SuperSAINT

[Convict Colony]

yeah saw that - its all a bit ho hum at the moment.

Euro's delaying transfers, managerless clubs not making decisions etc etc.

Hopefully we have Perraud official on 1st July announcement, would be amazed if we did, but please god let us learn our lessons and buy the essential players we need asap in the window.

[skintsaint]

Blimey, if we ditch him as well then someone at the club deserves a small bonus!

[Badger]

1 hour ago, SuperSAINT said:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9721171/Newcastle-eyeing-Mario-Lemina-continue-monitor-William-Salibas-Arsenal-situation.html

Would be a good move.  At least they would be able to pay all his wages.

If there's any truth in this at all I suspect it might be as a Plan B to signing Willock.

[SuperSAINT]

13 minutes ago, Badger said:

If there's any truth in this at all I suspect it might be as a Plan B to signing Willock.

Different players, I think.  Willock plays further forward in attacking midfield. 

[SuperSAINT]

Little bit more detail on Newcastle’s interest - chief scout was sent to watch him in May: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-steve-nickson-lemina-20893996

[Saint_clark]

Getting any sort of fee AND all his wages off the bill, as well as a fee for Gunn and his and Hoedts wages too, would be superb. 

[Kenilworthy]

Are 6 foot midfielders that unusual that its worth mentioning in the headline?