26 Jan 2014 10:50:05
I think we need one more addition in this window, We are vunerable at the back now without Lovren. In reference to Shaw I think we all know he will go evetually but hopefully not too soon, and at the right price. I also think that we could do with an addition to the forwards? SRL seems to be going through a dry spell, Dani swinging left right and centre and J rod, although doing well is not ruthless enough in front of the sticks.
I totally agree. I don't understand why poch us not making any moves whatsoever. Osvaldo obviously needs to go, i'm not questioning his ability, but he's Just not fitting in. We could sell him for at least 10 million easily, and There are loads of quality 10m strikers out there who would love to be part of a good premier league team.
I think that we all agree, but don't get your hopes too high.
What we need & what we get are going to be 2 differnet things I think. What playwr in their right mind will transfer to us now without any long term owner assurances for starters?
No money for transfers atm. Who would pay 10 million for OSvaldo when they know we want to sell?
"What player would sign for us"? Do me a favour. Mata just signed for Manchester United and there is no stability there or Champions League football on offer
Why does Osvaldo need to go? I'm not supporting what he did in any way but none of us know the full facts of what occurred. One thing is certain & that it wasn't the "bloodbath" the press reported. How are we to know that Fonte uttered a few words under his breath to oslvado that would be inexcusable in any situation hence the reaction? You only have to remember Zidane in the WC final to see what reaction a few choice words in the wrong direction can do. Apologies to the OP & not wishing to hijack this thread but if Osvaldo makes his apologies & integrates back into the squad then I will fully support him.
"What we need & what we get are going to be 2 differnet things I think. What playwr in their right mind will transfer to us now without any long term owner assurances for starters?"
Couldnt agree more, Its clear that keeping hold of our valuble assetts will be attractive for new owners, just hope we can keep our heads above water till then! I know we will be fine but we do need to add stregnth in depth to the squad and get rid of dead weight!
I've tried to keep quiet regarding Osvaldo, other than to tell a few people that they need to calm down a bit.
As things stand we know very little about what has happened, but in the light of Kelvin Davies comments, I think it's fair to say that if Osvaldo makes a point of apologizing, and gets his head down, the players would accept him back. If he doesn't, then he won't have a future at Saints.
So, all we can do is wait and see.
I personally think the reason we won't be making a signing in this window is because Poch won't be here in the summer. He seems unhappy and also unwilling to commit. The dream is obviously for Cortese to come back with more money than we already have, but it's seems unrealistic. A great deal of the club, if not all of the successes as well, are owed to the vision of the former chairman. We can argue he didn't pick the players, didn't coach them, didn't speak to them at half time with a rousing team talk to gee them up to win games. But it was he who convinced every single one of them of the "Southampton way". As it was him who hired the men to push us on at every step. And the ramifications of losing him are now reverberating throughout our football club. With the squad we have, we won't go down. We also won't challenge for Europe and our season will fizzle out with us finishing mid table. I'm certain Shaw will go in the summer, as will others. A new man will come in, and I really hope that we will build something for the future. But for now, just be realistic. We won't sign anyone. We probably won't sell anyone either. Just sit tight and hope that the summer is kind to us.
Tuesday will be the acid test, without Dejan and Victor we will see if we can keep in touch with Arsenal or whether we will for 70 minutes and then collapse to a nice 3-0 defeat.
I'm also mega fed-up with the FA Cup draw. You just know we will field a weakened side and lose and then Gus will come out with all the 'magnificent victory' rubbish as usual.
The sheen is really starting to fade on this season and I really, really am not looking forward to another 'football' lesson at home on Tuesday.
I was nearly forgetting - no signings too.
Ho hum - onwards and upwards I guess. it could be a lot worse.
Ref cortese I agre with some of what has been said however I can start to see what is being done here. For every one of nc's great contributions we ar bringing in people high up in their respective fields for that area. This with the addition of others will see us emerge with a much stronger management team that will continue the southampton way. i'm in agreement that this season is likely to fizzle out to nothing whilst this rebuilding takes place.
If we don't buy another quality defender, capable of challenging lovren for a starting spot, we defo won't make top ten, let alone Europe.
We'll easily make top 10 this season, lovren, as his injury is less severe, is only out for 4 weeks, arsenal, on tuesday, are the only team we are likely to struggle against without him, and who knows, maybe yoshida or hooiveld will raise their game for it.
Jordan rhodes anyone?
Doom and gloom, oh woe is me. My team aren't spending above their means, they have an owner who has backed them for the past three years, they have a team, I repeat TEAM of players, but we always want more, always find the negative. Because that's the way to ensure good things happen! There are no rumours here, just people fuelling the fire of failure, grow a pair, be positive, believe, your way you live your life in permanent disappointment, my way you only have to deal with it once.
If you're really not looking forward to Tuesday and the thought of another footballing lesson v Arsenal. My suggestion ( if u have a ticket) would be to stay at home mate. don't need whingers like u at St Mary's.
Agh! You can be a positive as you like! Don't tell me how to feel though. The chairmen who's every decision has taken this team from league one to here has gone. The owner has no interest in football and wants to sell. The manager is seeing out his contract but is far from happy, probably leave in the summer. It is obvious the squad needs improvement to maintain our position in this league and with what looks like no investment in areas we struggle there is only one way we are going. This isn't deal or no deal " if we think positive, it'll change nothing" these are the facts. All I hope is when she sells the club it's to someone who doesn't want to make us play in blue and change the clubs badge.
I think it all depends where you are coming from! If you've been supporting and following Saints for 40 or more years [and there are plenty] you have seen all this before, I promise you.
Look at the club history. After the war we managed to miss out on promotion to Division One [the top league then] by the tiniest of margins three years on the trot. Once because we had no adequate cover for Charlie Wayman. We sold our best players. We promised so much. When then took nearly twenty years to get the top flight. It doesn't matter what season, what players, what owners, what manager, we seem to follow a similar path, so I for one cannot blame some supporters for being disappointed and cynical.
I know it's amazing that football was played before 1992 but it was.
If someone has bought a ticket they cannot be told what to think and are entitled to their opinion. I don't think any club can afford to tell supporters not to go. After all we rarely pack the stadium to capacity.
The question I ask do Southampton FC truly have ambition to challenge the Premiership status quo or are they just yapping about it to look good? In my opinion saying 'our squad is good enough' when it clearly isn't showing any ambition. Which is fine but just tell the truth and say 'We hope to establish ourselves as a good mid-table Premiership side'.
Nothing whinging or complicated about it, just don't build up expectations that cannot be met.
Oh and please strengthen the middle of our defence.
Yes, it makes me laugh. Had you said to fans last year that we'd be in 9th place this season going into february this season, we'd have been over the moon.
If you'd have said it 2, 3, 4, or 5 years ago, we'd have been ecstatic.
The negative feel is purely down to our excelling up until November and hitting the heights of 3rd, and the uncertainty caused by Cortese leaving.
When we look back on this season, I think it will be an important season for us. Relegation isn't an issue, and further signings are only going to make us stronger.
I was primarily a Cortese supporter, but I am excited about the future of Southampton.
The team didn't let us down tonight, but I have noticed in recent games we seem to concede a goal straight after scoring - although tonight it was two quick goals conceded, admittedly we are talking about Arsenal here. I wonder if we have some concentration problem here?
Oh well a few more days and then I won't be visiting the site so often.
{Ed007's Note - And why not?}