Fonte Departure An Example Of Why Saints Have Had To Sell Saturday, 21st Jan 2017 10:41 With the announcement that Jose Fonte had officially joined West Ham United bringing to a close a sorry chapter in what had up until the start of the season a great career for Saints, it emphasised the cold fact that when a player wants out it is hard to keep him. The whole truth is yet to come out as to why Jose Fonte up until last summer a man committed to Saints cause suddenly returned from the European Championships wanting away. Saints caught on the hop held firm and refused to let him move on, mainly because they had had no time to line up a replacement, they needed Fonte but they were unprepared for what would happen over the next few months as the relationship between the player and the club deteriorated to a point where the club felt it counter productive to have him in the squad and felt it better to sell him than have him in the dressing room. Back in August Saints thought that e would be professional and indeed in the early days after the window had closed he was and no one could question his commitment, but as the January window approached the club became more concerned about his attitude. They were not happy that rumours about United and Liverpool still persisted in the media, someone was putting them there and it wasn't the club, it was ll part of a plan to give the impression that Fonte was in demand and therefore push up potential fees and wages, the only winner from this would be the players agent. As we have now found, Manchester United and Liverpool the two clubs that were going to be desperately knocking on the St Mary's door come January 1st were not interested and even Everton another who were being linked didn't want to know. This left the player with a choice between West Brom and West Ham, hardly a step up, yes perhaps West Ham in the longer term might offer a better chance of glory given their stadium capacity and the ability that brings, but in the short term the Hammers have nothing to play for this season. Anyone who asks why Fonte would want to move can now answer with fair accuracy, it is all about money, if he had stayed put at Saints he had a shot at a Wembley appearance with the team going to Anfield with a 1-0 lead next week and they could have done with his being in the side. So the reason for the move is centred on the player wanting to get one last payday with probably only one more season left in him as a regular in the Premier League. That means that in the longer term Saints are getting a good deal financially from this, they are getting £8 million plus the possibility of a couple more with add ons, for a player whose value will be virtually nil in a years time. But in the short term it has not been good, the side could have done with the Fonte of old on several occasions this season and not least now, but that is not the fault of the club. Some fans questioned why Fonte was not played in Europe and suggested that the club was keeping him from being cup tied when he went to Manchester United, that is now shown as not being the case, Fonte's absence from Europe was for reasons not yet disclosed. There are those who will want to use his departure as a reason to beat the club and in particular Les Reed and Claude Puel around the head with a sharp stick, but you have to consider that although it is common knowledge that Puel and Fonte did not get on, that the player and his agent were demanding a move via the press before Fonte had arrived back from his extended break after the Euros, at that point he had yet to meet Puel let alone fall out with him. But the whole sorry situation highlights why so many players have left St Mary's and indeed many other clubs, it seems worse for us because our success has put our players in demand, but the reality is that is the price we have to pay, once a player has his head turned with wages that we cannot afford to pay him and the chance of a Champions League spot (that in itself brings even more money) it is hard to keep him. Players these days have no loyalty to their clubs, it is always only a stepping stone, it is just for some it becomes the highest stepping stone they can attain, with respect to Maya Yoshida I would rather have had Lovren and Alderweireld for a year apiece followed by two years of Virgil in our team than four years of admitedly a good loyal servant but not the quality of player. This is the path we must take going forward, for the reason it is the only viable one these days, we cannot hold players, we have seen the likes of Nathaniel Clyne and Wanyama refuse new deals meaning we had to sell them before they got in the last year of their contract, they refused to sign for a reason, they know how to play the transfer market game. So we have to move forward, this has been a sad week for Southampton Football Club, but we will march on, but it has made many of fall out of love with the game a little, we trusted Jose Fonte we thought he was a cut above some of the mercenaries in the game today, we have found out he wasn't. He should have been a Saints legend, he might just have held up a trophy in a little over a month at Wembley, instead he is far happier with a bigger bank balance ! Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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