According to newspaper reports Nigel Adkins Reading are about to launch an audacious bid for Saints leading scorer Rickie Lambert.
The first reaction of most Saints supporters would probably be to laugh this one off, however if we delve into the facts a little more then perhaps its not as far fetched as it might sound.
The facts of the situation are that although Lambert was Saints leading scorer last season, under Adkins he scored 10 times in 22 appearances, a ratio of almost 1 every 2 games, whilst under Pochettino the rate dropped to 5 in 16 games, over 1 in 3 per game. Indeed prior to his final day goal against Stoke, our number 7 hadnt found the net in the 6 previous league games, he more than anyone was probably finding that as Pochettino developed and imposed his style on the Saints side, that it didnt suit his style as much as precious formations had.
Lambert could also not fail to be unstettled by the plethora of reports linking Saints with a number of not only high profile, but high priced strikers not only from Europe but South America too, he must have been feeling that the writing was on the wall, this was the case a year ago when Saints signed Jay Rodrigues and Lambert found himself on the bench for the opening game as Saints changed from playing two forwards to just the one, he was able to fight his way back that time, however this would not be so easy when say its a Brazilian International arrived at the club, if there is one position up front available and its between Lambert and a £20 million pound striker, lets make no bones about it, the big money man will be played even if he isnt finding his form, we have seen this situation at countless other clubs.
So after a summer of Saints seemingly chasing every forward that is avaialable and at a premium cost to boot, suddenly perhaps Rickie Lambert will perhaps be considering that it might be time to move on and that if he stays he might be outstaying his welcome with the management.
There are Three aspects to this though, the first is the playing side of things, Rickie will be 32 in January, in Premier League forward terms that is old, yes there are a few that play beyond that age at the top level but the emphasis is on few, so if Saints stay Rickie will perhaps find himself marginalised and with Jay Rodriguez also chomping at the bit a new arrival might not just put him back one place in the pecking order he could actually find himself third choice striker. If Rickie wants to keep playing as a first choice striker then a move away from St Mary's might be the only way.
Secondly there is Saints own policy towards players, in the past Saints supporters have lauded the policies of Nicola Cortese with regard to players, the general consensus and one that has proved popular amongst the fan is that the Chairman is ruthless in the transfer market, he persues a policy where he doesnt like to sign a player who might go into his 30's and have no resale value,now though and perhaps for the first time we are going to see that system properly tested, before as we have marched up the divisions players have left through natural progression, now however we have a player in his prime and due to age with his transfer value about to start plunging, is there any room for sentiment at St Mary's ? its a question that we might be about to see answered.
Thirdly though there is the financial aspect, from a club point of view I have just touched on that, approaching 32 and top scoring last season,Rickie still has a reasonable transfer value, but from Saints perspective, if they sign that big name striker they are allegedly after then Rickie could spent most of his time at best on the bench, move things forward a year if that has been the case and the price any club would be willing to pay for a near 33 year old who barely played or scored the previous term will be far far less that it would be today, but its not just the club, its the player as well, Lambert spent most of his career in the lower divisions, up until four years ago when he signed for Saints, League 1 level was the highest he had played and he hadnt got rich picking up his wages from the likes of Stockport, Rochdale and Bristol Rovers, Saints were his first big pay day and in the big bucks bracket, last season was his first, Rickie will be well off compared to most who watch him, but he isnt a player who has spent a decade picking up mega money.
That being the case this could also represent a chance for Rickie to get one last big pay day, a nice big fat signing on fee plus his wages increasing, probabaly an extension in years to what he is on at Saints, a move would make sense to him financially as well as in terms of playing games, he probably wont want to move from Saints a club where he has really become a hero, but he has a family to feed.
So although it may seem absurd that Rickie Lambert will leave St Mary's at first glance, second third and fourth glances make it less so, especially when you consider the ruthless ambition of the club, over the pasty couple of years Saints fans have accepted that it has been time for their favourites to move on as the club has leaped from 3rd tier to top, now hoever the talisman of that progression is the one that might be the next victim of the clubs rapid progress, for some that will be ahrd to accept.