This is perhaps one of the biggest weeks for Southampton Football Club in recent history in terms of what it will mean to the club going forward, perhaps not just this season but for years to come.

On the face of it this is just another week in pre season and from that point of view yes it is important in terms of preparation for the new season with two friendly games at St Mary's coming up in quick succession, but it is far more important than that.

The ongoing saga of Virgil Van Dijk will come to it's head after nearly three months of the player being "close" to signing for Liverpool according to various ex players of that club.

For the past week or so Van Dijk has been training on his own after reportably telling the club he wants to leave, although not going as far as putting in a transfer request, contary to the more excitable rumours he has not refused to train or play but was removed from the squad by Mauricio Pellegrino who knowing that after ast season his first task was to restore team spirit, did not want negative vibes in the camp.

Of course this action led to more rumours but for the multi dozens of ruour stories the facts remain quite simple.

1. Saints have made it quite clear for the last six months that Van Dijk will not be sold this summer and have reiterated that point several times.

2. The player is has five years left of a six year contract.

3. The player has expressed a wish to go to Liverpool, but has not put in a transfer request, nor has he made any public utterance about the situation.

4. Liverpool have not made a bid.

It could not be more simple !

This week though will bring things to a head, Saints understandably want their best player fit and available for the new season and that being the case they intend to re integrate him back into the squad this week and Van Dijk could play some part in the two pre season friendlies at St Mary's.

By the end of this week we will know whether the player has accepted Saints stance or if he intends to push it to the wire.

It will not help him to remain out of the squad and not playing games, even if the move to Anfield was pushed through late in the window, then Liverpool would want a player who was fit and match sharp to step straight into their side, they would not want to have to wait a few weeks to get him to full fitness.

Also the Dutch International side has two important World Cup qualifyers in the first week in September the first away to France in what would see the Dutch on the verge of elimination should they lose, leaving them six points behind the French in 2nd place, with the French then facing Luxembourg anything less than a win at home to Bulgaria could see them out.

So it is in the interests of the player to get game time under his belt and play his best for Saints whatever happens.

Hopefull by the end of the week Van Dijk will show that he is a model professional, it is easy for some Saints fans to start calling him names and slagging him off, but the fact is he has not publicly demanded to go, he has kept his own counsel and although Liverpool have behaved dreadfully, Van Dijk himself has behaved well and been up front with the club, he is not the first player to want a move, he is not the first player to be turned down and he won't be the first player to stay and put in a decent season under those circumstances.

Older Saints fans will remember that in 1975 Mick Channon put in a transfer request, having given the club a year in the second division he felt that he needed a move back to the first division, he was refused, he stayed put and ultimately got his reward with an FA Cup Winners medal at the end of the following season.

This is a lesson for both the player and the fans, for Van Dijk it shows the grass isn't always greener and for the fans back in 1975 Channon was backed and cheered throughout that season, we knew why he wanted to go, understood that and got behind him all the way, Saints fans need to do that if and when Van Dijk stays, there is no advantage to booing him, we need him playing to his best, if he does then this season could be better than the last, If Mauricio Pellegrino doesn't want negativity in the squad he certainly does not want his job made a lot harder by having it in the stands.

So a big week for Saints in terms of showing everyone, including not only their own fans but the whole footballing World that they are a club in charge of their own destiny, if they do so then the Saints supporters should get solidly behind them.

I haven't even touched on transfers or takeovers, this week could be a lot more important than we thought at the start by the end !

Photo: Action Images

bigmart added 09:48 - Jul 31 I don't think posting sulky pictures and in particular the one of himself in front of a Liverpool flag (which I haven't seen) on social media is really behaving well. Nor are the cryptic sulky messages from him and his "close" friends.
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Braveheart added 09:54 - Jul 31 So he has behaved well has he? Wake up and smell reality UI he has refused to play for the club. Heas lethis teammates down
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SaintNick added 09:58 - Jul 31 What constitutes a sulky picture ? most pictures of him off the field rarely show him smiling, I havent seen one of him standing in front of a Liverpool flag, perhaps it was photoshopped People are taking anything he says as cryptic at the moment, truth is he has said nothing
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SaintNick added 10:00 - Jul 31 Braveheart, where has it been said he has refused to play for the club, only in newspaper headlines. Too many people believing what they read in the media at present, as the story above says we will find out the truth this week when he either rejoins training and plays in one of the friendlies or doesnt
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Braveheart added 10:03 - Jul 31 So he has behaved well has he? Wake UI and smell reality. He has refused to play. He has let his teammates down and all the fans that pay his wages. He has cost the club thousands of pounds in injury rehabilitation. As a club captain he has been a disgrace. As a Captain you have to be above reproach. If he plays he should be stripped of the captaincy. He has already disgraced the club and his teammates. Why can’t you people see it for what it is.?

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Toussaint added 10:12 - Jul 31 The club has done it before with Morgan S and more recently Victor W.the part I dont understand is him not playing in that first pre-season game and the club saying he was still injured, which didn`t seem to be true
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highfield49 added 10:26 - Jul 31 I have to disagree with you Nick and, like other supporters, don't understand why VVD hasn't trained with the rest of the squad. He can dispel the negativity whenever he wants and get on with doing what he is paid to do, play football. He is a poor example of professionalism to the young players at the club and I hope the academy coaches are telling their squad that this guy is not the example they need to follow in life.

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SanMarco added 10:33 - Jul 31 I just read in the Echo that Saints will be starting the league season with Yosh and Stephens. This prompted me to do one of those nerdy calculations we are all prone to: In the 15 league games they played together (Middlesbrough Cacares played) we got 16 points. I know there were other problems but 32 from 23 without them and 16 from 15 with them. Yes - even if VVD had stayed fit we would have still come 8th (but possibly won the LC) but going in to the new season with the same set up is mad. We need to replace Fonte (and let's be honest VVD - if not now then soon). I think Nick has a line about doing the same thing and getting the same result - sticking with Yoshi and Stephens would therefore mean 32 points from 30 games - anyone fancy that?

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Sanguin added 10:42 - Jul 31 Great article Nick, it’s good to see The Ugly Inside back to promoting a positive message to counter some fan negativity. You’re spot on, he hasn’t put in a transfer request and hasn’t refused to train with the team. He asked to leave and the manager made a decision to leave him in England while the team went to France. The difference between VVD and Schneiderlin/Wanyama is the manager. The manager has been open and transparent about the situation, whereas previously players were ‘ill’ ‘injured’ or ‘not in the right frame of mind’. I really hope that whatever happens, fans don’t boo VVD. Despite a relentless media campaign, he has handled himself better than Lovren, Lallana, Schneiderlin and Wanyama in terms of his professionalism and approach to this situation. I imagine the reason we haven’t seen any real movement on this is that the manager has been in France and the player in England. Let’s see what happens when everyone is back at Staplewood. There are only two things that have changed over the past week or so for me. First is my incredulity that the Premier League didn’t pursue the tapping up allegations against Liverpool. Second is my schadenfreude that some of the Liverpool fans’ hypocrisy is being exposed by Coutinho’s desire to join Barcelona.

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SaintNick added 10:47 - Jul 31 Highfield, what is there to understand about him not training with the squad, the club and Pellegrino made it quite clear, it was the managers decision to remove him from the squad so that he could consider his position, Van Dijk cant be blamed for that decision it was taken for him. As the article says this is the week when we find out whether he is professional or a spoilt brat, but it is unfair to blame him for something he hasnt done yet

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SaintNick added 10:52 - Jul 31 San marco It is well documented that I dont think that Yoshida and stephens are good enough for the Premier, but the Ech article states that if Van Dijk isnt fit to play the first game then Yoshida and Stephhens are "likely" to start the season, however there is a little way to go yet
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SaintNick added 10:58 - Jul 31 Braveheart, I didnt say he has behaved well, only that as of yet he hasnt behaved badly, why should a club captain not want a transfer, Saints history is littered with that happening and players staying and getting on with it Mick Channon perhaps being one of the biggest examples. At this time VVW can still step back into the squad and be a big asset next season, perhaps not as revered as he once was , but an asset none the less. What exactly is the reality we have to smell, is it endless media stories planted by Liverpool and then rehashed constantly each with a different slant or is it the actual reality where the player himself has not made one public utterance as I said in the article this week we will find out the truth until then I will hold my judgement

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SaintPaulVW added 11:05 - Jul 31 I'm getting excited the 'big week for Saints' stories are back. Agree with this, despite his ability he's a young man who had his head turned by a bunch of chancers that couldn't follow through on their 'promises'. I hope he's learned a lesson. The impetus is on VVD to show his class now and he should be given every encouragement. Manager and Board have done right by all of us so far. Sometimes not saying anything is the best thing. I just hope our takeover situation is sorted. I'm convinced that's what is causing the lack of any transfer activity.

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SaintBrock added 11:24 - Jul 31 Not a good interview of Targett on the OS wherein he comes across as not very bright and incredibly inarticulate. Best advice is to forget the interviews!
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SaintBrock added 11:31 - Jul 31 Sorry Nick but you are like a dog with a bone, even when the bone is stripped of meat and taste the dog still gnaws away for no purpose other that it cannot stop itself. With you it's "waste of space" Yoshida and "the lying dutchman" van Dyke. Nobody agrees with you about the former and nobody expects to see that latter in a Saints shirt again.End of!
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SaintNick added 12:25 - Jul 31 SaintBrock, I have never said Yoshida is a wast of space, only that he is not good enough for a regular Premier league place, good for back up but thats about it, I think you will find that most Saints fans would agree with me on that viewpoint and certainly all Premier league managers, none of whom have tried to prise him away from the club even though he is now in the last year of his contract and at 28 in his prime. This is my basis for my view on him, its cold hard fact, not because I ike him or dislike him, in fact i admire his loyalty to the club and his commitment, but that isnt good enough. As for Van Dijk I love the way you call him the Lying Dutchman, but where has he lied ? like it or not he has not actually said a word publicly about the situation, you cant lie of you dont say anything, in fact he has told the truth in telling the club he wants to go. As for nobody expects to see him in a Saints shirt again, I know plenty who do, so does that make you a liar, in that there clearly are some people who agree with me ?? Try and stick to fact and opinion and not petty insults

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SanMarco added 13:27 - Jul 31 We all need some proper football to talk about methinks!! Only 12 days to go...
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aceofthebase added 14:09 - Jul 31 "Most Saints fans would agree with you about Yoshida", I don't think that is true or fair. Best to stick to facts Nick. Many have already made up their minds about VVD and do not expect to see him in a red shirt but on this point, I believe you are correct. If he hasn't behaved badly behind the scenes then Saints fans would be well advised to accept him back into the fold because he is a top rate CB. I just hope our general play improves because against St E, we were dreadful for the first 60 minutes, totally clueless and leaderless. The reserve players came on and we scored and improved. Not sure that is good.

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SaintNick added 14:28 - Jul 31 Ace - Are you saying that most fans would not agree with me that Yoshida is a good back up because he is not good enough for that or are you saying most think he is good enough to be a first choice cente back ? Im a little unsure I havent met anyone who thinks he should be our first choice, in fact the opposite everyone is moaning that we havent signed a replacement for Jose Fonte to play alongside VVW

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ericofarabia added 14:46 - Jul 31 Nick, maybe you should have said that he has belatedly been up front with the club, and did acted badly in so far as skulking round the back of the dodgems with Klippity Klopp at Blackpool Leisure Park. He knows this is against the rules, Klopp knows it's against the rules as does his thunderkhunt of an agent who probably acted as the initial go between. I hope VvD can show just how good a professional he is and knuckle down and play to the best of his abilities for us, but first of all needs to unreservedly apologise to Fans, fellow team mates and club officials for his part in all of this needless distraction to the clubs pre season build up.

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SaintNick added 15:04 - Jul 31 It is against the rules Eric, but it goes on all the time, in truth the rules are outdated and most clubs would agree that in general the fact that agents talk to clubs etc before permission is granted saves a lot of time and effort, yes this has gone a little too far, but I daresay we and most other clubs have done something similar we just keep it under our hats and dont brief the press about it

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BoondockSaint added 15:17 - Jul 31 Wouldn't it be wonderful if "Big Week For Southampton" meant a bunch of good signings getting done before the season starts? San Marco, don't let Les and the board see your calculations! They'll look at them and say "we should be just about safe, so let's flog off VVD to the Scouse and not sign any new players".
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aceofthebase added 16:10 - Jul 31 Nick you obviously don't talk to real fans. Yoshida has improved beyond all recognition and I like many others are not too concerned if he is in our starting line up. Note I said many and not most.
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GeordieSaint added 16:16 - Jul 31 I hope he stays and I like yoshida!
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highfield49 added 21:52 - Jul 31 Nick, I should have phrased my earlier post somewhat better. Of course i understand why our amazing central defender isn't training with the squad and making himself available for selection. Like yourself nothing would persuade me to get out of my comfy chair for only £80k or whatever a week. Quite frankly I don't understand why you are sympathising with anyone who is prepared to take a vast amount of money for doing nothing except do a few exercises at the training ground. Oh, I forgot, he is considering his position. Perhaps he should think about telling the club not to pay him whilst he's thinking?

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