Are Southampton being sold down the river?

[KZNSeagull]

This from the BBC Cricket text service:

Join the debate at #bbccricketGoonerJohn: Alastair Cook performed so well at Southampton today, Liverpool are believed to be preparing a bid for him.

 

[London Irish]

We had Ulloa last season, and he didn't bring us top 2, so how do you work that one out?

Keeping Ulloa but adding other good players and a better manager than last season?

Please recall that in the second half of the 2012-13 - when Ulloa arrived, we were actually the best team in the league over that second half of the season.

These standards (top 2) are not so far out of reach for us, that Brighton team under Poyet proved it

 

[GingerBeerMan]

Keeping Ulloa but adding other good players and a better manager than last season?

Please recall that in the second half of the 2012-13 - when Ulloa arrived, we were actually the best team in the league over that second half of the season.

These standards (top 2) are not so far out of reach for us, that Brighton team under Poyet proved it

Hyypia is completely unproven, quite a claim we have a better manager than last year.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Saints have cashed in on their star players and got top dollar. They seem to have brought in able replacements in Pelle and Tadic. The only fear is the top 6 clubs nibbling away and signing another 4 or 5 of their 1st team squad.

 

[EastUpperSeagull]

Hyypia is completely unproven, quite a claim we have a better manager than last year.

Hyypia is completely unproven?? Am I mad or was he manager of a club on a different scale of size to OG's previous club?!?

 

[Driver8]

Hyypia is completely unproven?? Am I mad or was he manager of a club on a different scale of size to OG's previous club?!?

He was. He was also sacked from said job.

 

[Manuel]

The most obvious point seems to be if one of the " big 5 " clubs want a player, then they take him, contracts seem to mean nothing.
It was reported that Southampton wanted to keep all these players ( apart from Lambert possibly ) and had them tied to long contracts but were unable to stop the moves happening.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I think their decline is wishful thinking for some, they've mugged money off clubs and are still getting some decent youngsters coming through. There will be at least 3 worst teams in the Prem, West Ham, West Brom, Burnley, Hull for starters ,next season

Next season there will be a lot of poor teams capable of going down - about 8 teams will be worse than Southampton and Leicester and Burnley are a shoe in to go down

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

The most obvious point seems to be if one of the " big 5 " clubs want a player, then they take him, contracts seem to mean nothing.
It was reported that Southampton wanted to keep all these players ( apart from Lambert possibly ) and had them tied to long contracts but were unable to stop the moves happening.

Well, the avuncular but inept Les Reed said they weren't for sale, but I think Fraulein Liebherr was closer when she said Southampton didn't have to sell. In the end these days if a player wants to go, then the best a club can hope for is to get the highest price possible, which we probably did for Ulloa and Saints have done for Shaw, Lovren and Lallana, although Lallana will feel like a bit of a loss since they had to pay Bournemouth a sell-on.

Lallana always made a big point of saying that he'd never let his contract run down, which is the modern player's version of loyalty - ensuring that the selling club gets a fee.

 

[Murray 17]

I know they are getting a lot of money for their players, but clubs the size of Southampton rely on luck.

If they spend the money they get on players that don't quite work out (like Spurs did), the player and the money has gone. Larger clubs can afford to make mistakes in the transfer market (Liverpool and Carroll), but clubs like Southampton can't.

Mind you, getting £25m + for Lallana must have had them laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[Icy Gull]

These standards (top 2) are not so far out of reach for us, that Brighton team under Poyet proved it

Except we were buying or borrowing our best players that season not selling them as we do these days. Top two is pie in the sky this season unless we are about to get some top quality players in. I live in hope but low expectation of that happening.

On topic I expect Saints to cope quite well this season, we thought Ulloa was too good a deal to turn down. They have trumped it easily with the deals they have struck.

 

[Brighton Mod]

perhaps they have some more Luke Shaws?

 

[Shoreham Gull]

Now Southampton sold defender : Dejan lovren for £20 million

To Liverpool, why always liverpool

 

[MissGull]

Liverhampton.

 

[Paris]

How about a minutes silence on thursday?

 

[Pavilionaire]

It is sad to see a young dynamic team largely made up of English players being broken up like this.

I recall their fans were gutted when safely ensconced in 9th place they rested their A Team for an FA Cup match they went on to lose. That was a competition they could quite conceivably won which, at least, would have been the culmination for this Golden Generation. It really is all about the money.

 

[The Birdman]

Watching Southampton getting cherry picked could be like looking at a future version of our own club.

This is why it will be good to see how Southampton play against us but this is the way forward for English Football teams producing home grown players thru the Academy system and selling them to the rich clubs and we could cut the number of overseas players in the premiership. Well done Brighton for investing in the New training ground. I am proud of what we have achieved so far. Thank you TB PB and the fans.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

With the top seven in the PL all but guaranteed every season now, clubs that finish just outside this are in the shop window, particularly if you finish 8th. Its like winning the ' mini league ' outside the big boys. The press and public talk you and your players up...' haven't they done well ' etc and you are in the spotlight. Its almost better finishing a nondescript 15th or 16th.
Southampton are victims of their own success, losing their manager and now a string of decent players but they have definitely got their money's worth.
1) Shaw....£27m and rising. Unproven 18 yr old but exciting prospect ( proper market value £13m )
2) Lallana..£25m experienced now at PL level and England player ( proper market value £15m tops )
3) Lambert £4m...seen better days ( proper market value £2.5m )
4) Lovren £20m...solid, reliable defender at PL level ( proper market value £12m )
5) Chambers £16m..again, buying potential ( proper market value £9m )
Over the odds.....approx £40m....wouldn't you do the same?....nearly £100m for 5 players!....ridiculous....particularly as none of them are world beaters.
Throw in their Pl money ( £70m ish ) and Saints have a massive war-chest. Expect them to re-invest in quality ( as they have started to do ) Definitely won't go down.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Now Southampton sold defender : Dejan lovren for £20 million

To Liverpool, why always liverpool

When the Remy deal fell down yesterday, Liverpool told Southampton they'd bid £20 million for their next signing, whoever it was.

 

[Bwian]

It is sad to see a young dynamic team largely made up of English players being broken up like this.

I recall their fans were gutted when safely ensconced in 9th place they rested their A Team for an FA Cup match they went on to lose. That was a competition they could quite conceivably won which, at least, would have been the culmination for this Golden Generation. It really is all about the money.

Anybody thinking it is any different for BHAFC is naive. We're lucky to have Tony Bloom running the club but it doesn't mean that he is the altruistic philanthropist we perceive him to be. I don't for one minute think he'd dump us in the brown stuff because he is clearly an Albion fan in addition to being the owner/benefactor but he is also a very successful businessman and they all have their selling price.