Les Reed has today claimed that Nathaniel Clyne could yet snub Manchester United and sign a new contract with Saints, but would he have been better to to keep quiet.
Saints fans remember similar protestations from Reed last year when Les Reed claimed that the club would not be selling its stars and that contract negotiations were at advanced stages, the proof was in the pudding and an exodus from the club prompted some to claim it was in meltdown, so when Les Reed is interviewed and makes claims about players staying he might be wise to remember a year ago.
Talking to TalkSport about Clyne penning a new deal Reed said.
"We’re in constant communication"
"These contract negotiations are never just one meeting, where everything is done and sorted out.
"You have to bear in mind, especially with Nathaniel, that we want him to focus on the last few games of the season. That’s why you’ll get players saying, ‘let’s wait until the end of the season’.
"That’s quite normal and he’s very happy. He’s managed to force himself into the England squad and is showcasing his talents.
"I’d be very surprised if there wasn’t speculation about him, but at the moment the signs are good.”
On one hand these are words that Saints fans want to hear and certainly Reed's reputation is a lot higher than a year ago when initially he appeared a little caught by surprise by the events that suddenly escalated after the end of the season, given what happened it might be the case that silence might be better at this time rather than trying to force a situation through, stating deadlines to sign contracts in the press isnt the best way forward and can as we found last year leave us with egg on our face, indeed we appear no nearer signing Jay Rodriguez toa new deal than we were 12 months ago when we announced he had been offered it.