I agree with an awful lot of what has been posted. I'll make one further observation and that is to do with the tackling. No Spurs player shirked a tackle but we only had one guy in the front 6 who was prepared to try to win thee 50/50 balls and that was Oriol Romeu. He can't do it on his own. I would like to see Harrison Reed play alongside him. He would give us that bit of extra steel to go toe to toe with teams like Spurs. And for the transfer window we've got to try to get Schneiderlin back. He's available and would help with aforementioned issue.

I agree with a lot of what has been posted. The one thing that was glaringly obvious to me was that every player in the Spurs team was fully committed to winning the 50/50 balls. A lot of our players weren't. I would bring in Harrison Reed to play alongside Oriol Romeu and then sign Schneiderlin in the transfer window.

AmericanSaint: If that's the case why have Tottenham been able to keep a hold of Harry Kane and Dele Alli? Surely with their performances big clubs like Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City should be able to tempt them away? Furthermore, Leicester and Everton were able to keep their stars, namely Vardy, Mahrez and Lukaku and Ross Barkley. We are the only club in the EPL to have made a profit from the previous transfer window. Why?

We've been in the EPL for over 4 years. Surely with our successes year-on-year and our improved sponsorship deals coupled with the money pumped in by Sky and BT for the TV rights we should be more competitive. If KL doesn't want to invest in the success of the club then why does she own us? You don't make money from Football. There are plenty of other areas of business to make money. The club isn't being managed for footballing reasons.

If the above happened at so-called bigger clubs fans would be going ballistic and probably boycotting matches. We deserve better. MoPo saw it and so did Roko and that's why they both moved on.

Spurs were better than us. Simple as. However, I really don't see where criticism of our transfer policy gets us, and I would be interested to hear alternatives!

I disagree totally with this attitude some have that our sales are somehow 'asset stripping' or a lack of ambition. I'm pretty sure the majority are reluctant, but the driving factor is purely financial. If you ever see any figures comparing the income and turnover of the 'Top 6', we and every other club are dwarfed. As I've also banged on about before, there is Bosman, along with FFP rules limiting the amount that can be spent on salaries. Therefore, regardless of what Katerina may wish to pay, or potential Chinese investors, we literally CANNOT match what the big clubs can pay. So, to use Mane as an example, no matter how much we may want to keep him, if his agent tells him Liverpool will triple his salary, he is not going to extend with us, so we either get top dollar now or let him go on a free at the end of his contract. Surely that's a no-brainer!

We then get to the issue of so-called 'cheap replacements'. The same restrictions apply. I'm sure we could easily spend £30M on a player, but he would then be in an appropriate wage bracket for that level of fee. So, we have to trust our scouting and recruitment to start the process again. I would argue this has worked exceptionally well so far. The alternative is to be a club like Sunderland, who have no coherent plan, and make no progress whatsoever!

Finally, we are no more a 'selling club' than any other. If anyone else outside the elite had players they actually wanted, they would sell too for the same reasons. We are just much better at it!

You are spot on with that post Abingdon. Unfortunately a lot of posters on let their hearts get the better of their brains. What we all have in common regardless of our difference in opinion is that we all love Southampton FC. The players don't have that same feeling, no matter how much we may want them to. Treble or quadrupled wages and instant access to the CL are going to influence 90% of all players' feelings no matter what SFC put on the table. I'd be amazed if the club didn't suggest to the likes of Lallana, Shaw, Lovren, Chambers, Schneiderlin, etc, that if the team stayed together for a few seasons they might be a team to be reckoned with. Players don't have that patience though they want instant success and riches. And agents want their cut and will do what they can to disrupt a player from feeling too settled. I'm sure "short careers" and "FFP" are phrases that are often used in order to prise them away from the club.

That aside we do still need to dive into the market for a couple of players in the window. We've had plenty of time to weigh up the situation with Fonte and the inadequateness upfront. As much as I am prepared to accept our current transfer policy, I need to believe we are still doing our best to not only replace players we lose, but trying to improve the squad in the process.

You could say we have been more of a selling club than most because we have bought well - those players were using us as a stepping stone and went when the big offer came. There is no easy solution - I admire teamcortese's romanticism but I suspect that the resources needed to keep all the players that have left were simply beyond us unless the owners pumped millions and millions in, even then many would have probably fancied the move to a 'bigger' club. We do need some kind of long-term solution as the effects of the comings and goings are now plain to see (no idea what it is though - buying poor players would seem a silly strategy, or is that the explanation for dear old Nathan).

Last season we took 18pts off the 'big six' and scored 22 goals in the process. Half-way through this season we have 2 pts and 3 goals (incl own goal and bad back pass). That says it all - yes Chelsea have improved but that is irrelevant as we lost to them both times at home anyway.

As for the Spuds - they were better than us, full stop. We have stripped our side of the personnel who can make a real difference against good sides. Once out initial surge was contained there was only one outcome.

I would like to ask Hojburg why when he was faced with an open goal 40 yards out he didn't just take one of his normal shots. It would have been coming down nicely by the time it reached the goal....

Spurs were better than us, simple as. They have good players and an excellent manager. It does bug me though when our transfer policy gets brought into question on these occasions. I have been banging on about this for a while, but will have another go, and would be interested if there are any geniuses out there who think there is a better alternative.

Don't get me wrong, I hate to see our best players leave, but this is not only an unavoidable reality, but a byproduct of our continued success. If anyone ever looks at the comparative income and turnover of the BPL clubs, the top 6 dwarf the rest. This has a knock on effect to salaries under FFP rules, in addition to Bosman. So, to use Mane as an example, if his agent tells him that Liverpool will triple his salary, we literally are unable to compete with that, even if Katerina wanted to! The same restrictions would apply to the mythical Chinese potential owners. The options for the club are then to get top dollar now, or let his contract run down and eventually leave on a free. Not ideal, but what would you do? To those saying we do that more than anyone, well yes, but that is only because we have better players than anyone else. Every other club would do the same if they had similar assets. We are a 'victim' of our superior recruitment and player development, but the alternative is to be a Stoke or Sunderland, going nowhere. I have heard some mention Berahino at West Brom, where they dug their heels in. He will now go for peanuts and has hardly played. Brilliant!

The next criticism is buying 'on the cheap'. Again, the same restrictions apply. We undoubtedly have money due to our transfer business, unlike others, and could probably spend £30M on a player, but that bracket brings a certain salary with it, which is why we had to sell in the first place. It really is as simple as finance, and nothing to do with 'ambition' or 'asset stripping'.

We need to remember sometimes that over half of the Premier League would love to be in our shoes, and hopefully as we gradually grow, there will be less need to sell. In the meantime, enjoy what we have. You could be a Sunderland fan!

Sorry about the similar post. Thought the first one went wrong but didn't look at page 2!

Happy New Year to all....

You're in good company, abingdonsaint. I did the same! In response to both of your posts I would make this one observation. There are a lot of clubs out there outside of the top 6 and even outside of the Premier League who, in terms of support, are 'bigger' than us. And they are all looking to become bigger still and quickly. Therefore, we may not have the time to grow gradually. We certainly can't afford to take a step back which I fear is what we are doing.

We were almost bound to take a 'step back' this season but my fear is that the tv money will dissolve our advantage - yes we made good money on Mane but because we bought poorly I don't see how we are much better off than the likes of WBA - who can afford to bid for MS and Palace who bought Benteke. Sadly it is more selling that is on the cards for us rather than the strengthening we need....

We need a new keeper. Forster's height prevents him getting down quick enough for the likes of the last goal. Most Premier League keepers would tipped it around the post. But his height should be ideal for catching crosses, but he is too timid. Kelvin wasn't great at that, but at least he was much better at sweeping on the edge, or outside the penalty area.

Team Cortese: Read Abingdonsaints' post. He is spot on. Regarding Tott - Alli is over rated in my opinion and that is why none of the big clubs have offered $40M+ for him, which is what Tot is probably looking for. Vardy and Marez are probably wishing they had gone since Leest., will finish way out of the Europe competition zone. BUT they also know that the big clubs will come calling again this summer and they both will leave. Put money on it. Next, you point about being in the PL for 4 years and all the money has a small valid point, but you forget that this club was mismanaged for so many years and was almost in Administration. You want us to go into major debt to "maybe" crack the top-6. Unless you are Roman Abr, who is willing to lose $100M a season, this is not reaslistic. Also, were was RK $100 transfer kitty?? he never got that amount that was promised, even after selling Stones. Oh and look, Everton sold their best, youngest player to a big club, Lukaku was also up for sale too. So, while I would like to have more parity in the PL among the teams, that will not happen until you have a major commercial fan base. We do not. We do not sell a million+ shirts and gear around the world like Manu, Liv, Chelsea. Finally, the days of players like Le Tessier or Benali staying with a club for a long time are an anomaly and if the player is of real quality he will leave to a big club for more money and silverware.

While your passion for Saints to do more and be better is obvious, with the realistic financial constraints on our team, you need to take off the rose-colored glasses and see us for what we are: A good solid team with a great club infrastructure. I want the best for Saints but I do not see us competing financially with the major clubs especially on the wage issue. It is what it is.

My heart agrees with TeamCortese but my head agrees with AmericanSaint's pragmatic argument.
The odds are stacked against us breaking into the top 6 consistently: we have a small fan base, Southampton is a small city that (in spite of its charms) is not the most attractive place to 25 year olds with pots of money, we are not a 'big club' in terms of our history.
The teams above us have transfer policies that are similar to shooting fish in a barrel: they can afford to speculate to accumulate, and this speculation will lose them loads of money. Over the past 3 years Man Utd have spent an eye-watering amount on players and have got very little back on that in terms of quality. The thing I hate most about modern football is that this doesn't matter to them - they'll just go out and spend again.

Due to the size of SFC and the wealth of our competitors, our transfer policy is one of fine margins. We've generally been great in our dealings, which is why our decision to not buy a striker this season has annoyed me so much because that is the fine margin between us being average and very good at the moment.
As much as it is occasionally frustrating I think that our owner's methods are the best at the moment.

To the above comments it pains me to say this but I think some people on this forum have become a bit too defeatist about the heights of this football can reach and this has led to a unwarranted defence of the board. Don't get me wrong the club has been managed very well over the past few years but that doesn't mean they are beyond repute with a healthy dosage of constructive criticism.

Some people have tried to rubbish my previous comments and claimed they are with clouded emotion instead of objectivity. Well for starters I know the limitations of Southampton FC. However, I do not subscribe to the whole idea that we are completely victims of our own success. I want the best for the club and will never cease to highlight how it could be better like many others on this forum. Here are some hard facts below and I welcome anyone to liberate me of my ignorances with objective responses:

1. According to the Mirror we are the 7th wealthiest club in the EPL (for 2015/16 season). The clubs in front of us are the so-called top 6. So the points above are valid with respect to club revenue and spending power compared to so-called bigger clubs.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-leagues-richest-clubs-how-62

However, my previous point is correct regarding us being the lowest spenders in the previous transfer window (according to TalkSport) despite being the 7th wealthiest club in the league.

http://talksport.com/football/transfer-window-201617-every-premier-league-club-r

2. Now the FFP is definitely a constraint with our ability to compete on the wage front but let's not kid ourselves it's the same for everybody else (outside the top 6) and we haven't even attempted to be competitive. For instance, Everton and Crystal Palace spent £32m and £25m on Benteke and Bolasie. We definitely could have attracted both players especially as we were in the Europa League. Benteke would have been a perfect replacement for Pelle and Bolasie for Mane.

This may be due to Katherina not investing into the football club. As a result we can only make a maximum loss of £15m (over 3 seasons) compared to £105m (when the owner invests equity). This is explained in the links below:

http://www.financialfairplay.co.uk/financial-fair-play-explained.php
(Financial Fair Play Monitoring Periods Explained)

Just as an aside due to the new TV rights the wage/transfer spending cap can be increased to £7m every year compared to £4m. In terms of wages we are outside the top 10 despite a number of players signing new contracts last summer. That puts into perspective how low we were before. For a club that finished in the top 8 the last 3 season it is inevitable that we'd lose players with such a low wage budget. Furthermore any money made from transfers is included in the P&L. So the net profit made from last summer can definitely be used in January.

http://www.totalsportek.com/money/english-premier-league-wage-bills-club-by-club

When you look at player's salaries it becomes apparent that our highest earner is Jay Rod. This speaks volumes about why players in dressing room might be frustrated and want to leave. He has literally done nothing the past couple of years and players like Pelle, Clyne, Morgan, VVD, Mane, Wanyama and Fonte have been progressing the team each year. It shouldn't come as a surprise that most of them have left (or are angling to move).

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/511291/Revealed-How-much-each-Southamp

3. Lastly if you look at the net worth of owners across the the league Katherina is 8th. She has a net worth of just under £2 billion

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-leagues-richest-owners-how-6

You're telling me she can't add 10-20m to our wage budget or look to expand our stadium capacity? Come on lads give me a break.

Well argued teamcortese - I don't think people are 'rubbishing' your previous comments and you prove eloquently that we are number 7. The problem is how we move up from that. The club are either over-conservative or very clever depending on your viewpoint but as you prove yourself it will be hands in pocket time for the owners if we are to challenge the 'big six'. Also taking our current position and the position of last three seasons the average is approx. 7th, so we are where we should be. We are not over- or under-achieving. I suspect that the current owners are not going to spend the extra amounts. I still say the original Cortese 'vision' was romantic and he was spending other people's money (as bankers do) - it might have worked with Marcus (who may have shared the romantic vision) but it isn't with Katerina who is a businesswoman who knows that the 'next level' is beyond what she is prepared to put in.

In a nutshell we do need new owners to progress much further - that might be a great thing or it could be a disaster. We may look back to averaging 7th with KL as a golden age. Look at Coventry.

Well argued TeamCortese.

To add to my previous comment, I think the ghosts of Osvaldo and Gaston loom large in the minds of our board. Unfortunately both signings were pretty catastrophic, costing the club loads of money. In my opinion Gaston could have worked but our managers didn't seem to rate him, whereas Osvaldo had previous and we should have seen that coming.

Team Cortese: I never doubted your passion or right to provide criticism about the club when warranted. I think you make a very valid point about our spending in the transfer market. I did not understand why we did not go after Benteke. After today's game against WB, I think we have to go get a hold-up big forward if possible because our forwards to not play the game needed to have all the crossing that Puel wants. Regarding KL not splashing her own cash, I think DPeps points out too good examples of disastrous purchases in the transfer market. Finally, I think we are in agreement on the wage issue and the real issue then is what does the Board considered their top salary range? I think there is a serious mind block barrier for the Board to cross that 100K/week salary pay. Until they do then we will not be able to keep our best as the Big 6 will pay that for a player who only plays evey other game. Finally, as SanMarco stated, maybe its better the devil you know versus the devil you dont. I am not keen on the Chinese buying the team, as they will eventually strip it and sell it when it suits them. They are not in it for the long haul. I look forward to your constructive comments and am happy to banter on points we disagree with. Hope 2017 starts off better than today,

Thanks all I just hope the owners know what they're doing but the reality is it's a bit of a lottery.

With regards to solutions to move us upwards we need additional revenue streams and a healthy dosage of risk in terms of investment in the transfer. As some have highlighted we are way too conservative.

Perhap Katherina could give up the other shares to the Chinese owners but still have key voting rights. As AmericaSaint mentioned we are better off trusting Katerina than the Chinese owners for now. She will treat this club with more respect because of Marcus (RIP).

We could probably market ourselves better in big markets such as China and the US. This could hopefully breakthrough in the long-term especially if we get into the Europe more regularly.

I have no idea who we're going to buy in February but we surely cannot be serious about our season if we sell Fonte (or possibly VVD) and not bring in a new striker.

Let's just we bring in the right personal and get to the finals of the League Cup.

On a lighter note Happy New Year everyone.

Sorry I meant January!

Team Cortese: I agree we need another striker, preferably a big man. Also, I think we need another CB, maybe that guy from Germany. I think there is something going on with Fonte and we need to get someone in who can get fimiliar with us over the rest of the season so that next year there is no "adjustment time frame".

Happy New Year everyone and let's hope our game against Everton goes better.

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