 | News
Comment | Saints Make Second Signing Of The Day
at 08:50:56
The rumour mill is fascinating. I live in Australia, though I grew up in Ashurst and went to secondary school in Southampton. Here in Brisbane, the only way to keep in touch is by reading the various internet outlets, such as Sky sports and bbc.com, etc. On the Sky sports' transfer blog, there is this segment entitled "Transfer whispers". This so-called transfer hotline purports to plot the most likely transfers to happen at any particular point in time. Apparently, according to this blog, Tadic has already gone to Schalke, Long has gone too, and Fonte is a lock to go to either Everton or Spurs. I await official announcements before believing any the press speculation. So far, I think the Saints have shown their usual modus operandi. Great scouting and terrific return on investment. Another striker is obviously the next priority, but for the first time in 3 years, I am optimistic about the coming season. We may not get a top 6 finish in 2016/17, but the Premier League looks to be wide open. I am looking forward to watching good football, exciting football, and a good Europa League campaign. |
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Comment | Claude Puel Looking Forward To A Wonderful Challenge
at 09:38:09
Personally, I would have loved Anai emery to be our next manager, but once PSG head hunted him, that was a no-go. I quite like this appointment. He seems to have a large personality which is said to be a reason he didn't succeed at Olympique Lyonnais...he butted heads with some of the veteran players there. He also has a good reputation for developing young players, which is a positive. If, as Les Reed said, the senior players were consulted over the appointment, then this should not be a problem going forward. RK will be a difficult act to follow, but I have confidence that the board have done due diligence, and that Puel fits in with the culture the club has implemented over the last 6-7 years. Those that say he doesn't have Premier League experience should remember, neither did Pochettino or Koeman and both of them turned out to be pretty good managers. I am really looking forward to the bext season. Sixth place will be difficult to replicate, but the funds available from the sale of Wanyama and Mane are certain to be reinvested in more players to strengthen the squad. For the first time in 4 or 5 seasons, I am not mourning the loss of players, I am thrilled and excited by the prospect of another successful season.
We March On....Go Saints. |
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Comment | Latest Saints Manager Odds ! Who Is The Dark Horse at 33/1
at 08:38:03
Just remember, the Bookies' odds are set by the amount of money bet on a particular outcome compared to other outcomes, NOT the actual probability of that outcome. Koeman was nowhere in the betting when he was appointed. It seems to me that the Saints' board tend to keep these decisions secret. I would not be surprised to see an appointment made to someone not even mentioned by the bookies. |
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Comment | Koeman Claims He Was Forced Out Of Southampton
at 08:18:27
I think the fact that Steve Davis has signed a contract extension (following VvD, Prowsie and Fraser) shows that neither the club nor the players lack ambition. I don't think RK can justifiably use that excuse for his decision to go to Everton. I wonder if the Saints already know, or have a very good idea, who the next manager will be and let the players (or at least the most senior ones) know who that was. In any case, this is great news as SD is one of the unsung heroes of our squad. |
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Comment | Garcia Out Of Running For The Saints Job ? But Pellegrini Emerges !
at 09:37:31
I would love to see Emery here as I think his philosophy and coaching style would be the best match for the club, but that would now appear unlikely. I'm not sure about Pellegrini, he could be great, but also could be very bad. Both Puel and Pereira make sense, so I would not be surprised if one of them get the job. However, who predicted RK to take over from Pochettino? |
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Comment | Saints Linked With Young Italian Midfielder
at 07:01:23
It seems that the Saints target a specific type of player. That is, talented and ambitious, but raw (Schneiderlin, himself, fits this profile). We then use our staff and facilities to coach them up to PL standard, effectively putting polish on, hopefully keeping them, but selling on if the price is right. Great business model (Koeman has obviously been recruited with this in mind), but at some stage, we need to keep these players in order to progress. |
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Comment | Saints Lose Spine Of The Side But Koeman Can Cope
at 08:47:03
@GeordieSaint. Agreed with your 1st team. However... We are very thin at CB. If either of Gardos or Fonte go down, then we are in uncharted academy territory. It looks like Japan are going to have a sustained run in the Asian Cup, so we won't have Yoshida back for at least 2 weeks, and the midfield is light with both Schneiderlin and Wanyama injured. Luckily, we have a relatively easy schedule of fixtures coming up. This is the time when having a deep squad (see Chelski, City, Arsenal, Man Utd) really counts. |
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Comment | Saints V Stoke City The Verdict
at 07:34:22
I only watched a condensed version of the game after the event (That is sometimes all I can get), but it seemed to me that we dominated the game for long periods and were never really threatened. It seems from the reports here and other reviews that we deserved to win by a bigger margin. This result really seems to reflect the character and preparation of the team from top to bottom. This is the kind of win we did not get last season. We have Hull City, Leicester, and Aston Villa before the testing part of the schedule (Man City, Arsenal [twice], Man Utd). If we get 7 points from those games, I will be happy (Hull away the biggest hurdle).
BTW, SaintDownUnder, where do you live. I'm in Brisbane. Not many of us here!
Tony. |
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Comment | Southampton At Tottenham Hotspur The Preview
at 11:22:50
Agree with your lineup. You have Davis on both the bench and as a starter. I'm guessing you are expecting him to start? In an away game, I like the idea of two holding midfielders in Wanyama and Schneiderlin with Mane as an ALM and Tadic on the right (perhaps towards the middle??). The options on the bench are great. If we have the lead, the Jack Cork can fill in the central midfield as a steadying influence; if we are behind or level, Long is a great attacking option with his pace against tiring defenders. So far this season Spurs have shown little incisiveness in attack (except against a poor QPR). If we are level at HT, then look for Koeman to exploit the nervousness of Tottenham's back-line. |
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Comment | Can Saints Go One Better Than The Class Of 83/84
at 11:12:30
I posted this on facebook, but just in case it is not linked to this page...I vividly remember the 83/84 season. I remember when we beat Man City at The Dell to go top of Div 1. The bus ride home with many other Saints fans yelling "Champions!" at the top of our voices!! We ended up runners-up, of course, but for a few months, we were able to dream!! Premier League winner is (realistically) out of our grasp, now, unlike 83/84 when a small club on the South Coast could realistically challenge the big boys, but the team itself is better than ever! All I want is to watch good football and know that the players will give their best effort for the club. Anything above that is a bonus. GO SAINTS!!! |
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Comment | Saints V Newcastle United The Preview
at 11:02:31
I like Wanyama and I think he will play. He is an enforcer in the midfield, can pass and has a great footballing brain. It would be crazy not to play Alderweireld instead of Yoshida. He is a class player and certainly better than Yoshida. We did not pay 10Mill for him to sit on the bench. Personally, I prefer Long on the bench and to come on later in the game (say at the 60 min mark) when his pace can cause real problems for a tiring defence. Mane will be on the bench at best. Long distance travel is very tiring, not to mention jet-lag and settling into a new country/culture/team-mates. I am expecting a good performance this time (as opposed to the performance vs WBA). 3-0 Saints, just to put more pressure on ex-manager Alan Pardew. |
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Comment | Krueger And Kat Kept Their Word
at 10:15:26
SanMarco. I get what you are saying about the importance of non-football related income and the importance of worldwide branding (I live in Australia where no-one has heard of the Saints except those who follow football). However, the real revenue comes from TV rights (both UK and overseas). The only way to increase TV revenue is to win consistently so that the team is featured in the prime-time live games. To do that, we need to have a good team that delivers results. Everything else stems from that. Increased revenue can be used to increase investment, both on and off the pitch. I agree, though, more work is needed to increase the exposure of the Saints' "Brand". |
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Comment | Krueger And Kat Kept Their Word
at 11:30:04
I'll admit that I was pessimistic after the exodus following the WC and had dark thoughts about the motivation behind the sales (i.e., whole sale clearance followed by a sale of the club), but Katharina, Kruger, and Reed have proven me wrong!! Kudos indeed. She really seems to have a feeling for her father's dream. We are certainly stronger financially, and now are also strong on the pitch. Eighth place will be a bit of a stretch, I think, but top half is a reasonable prediction. It will take time for the new additions to gel and adjust the the rigours of the PL, especially the greater emphasis on physical play, but we now seem to have both the personnel and coaching team in place to take that next step to the top 5 or 6. |
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