I reckon that pay cut was pretty much wiped out when he signed his new contract last year.
I also suspect that he’d get a new 5 year contract every year if he wanted.
I reckon that pay cut was pretty much wiped out when he signed his new contract last year.
If Lamptey and Biss were with us at the start of next season I would be staggered.
Delighted but staggered
Their 9th consecutive season in the top flight, pretty much assured of a tenth with minimal investment other than what they have made on transfers. The obvious success is to keep evolving.
Last season you may well have concluded we'd be in deep trouble if Bissouma left, but already this season we've played enough without him to feel the funds raised could be well spent and we could continue to progress.
You don't perhaps get to sign your Bissouma's and Lamptey's unless you are a path for their career progression at some point. Trick is when to stick or twist in that regard, as happened with Ben White, I think they judged that well in it being a good move for all parties.
But it does mean that this right now is pretty much our ceiling, just like it seems to be for Southampton. Which is a pretty impressive ceiling on the face of it, but at the same time it's a quite sad thought - because if we weren't forced to sell our players to the biggest clubs, the sky is the limit, because it feels like there is so much more to come from this group of players.
It's that 'what might have been' which surely bugs Saints fans, if they could have had van Dijk, Shaw, Tadic, Lallana, Mane, Bale and others all in the same team, what could they have achieved?
I'd be staggered if let them both go at the same time. I have made my peace with Biss's departure as we do seem to have planned ahead for that, and whilst he will be a huge loss we can cope without him.
Not sure I see the Lamptey succession in place yet and we have not really had the full benefit of him yet. I want him plying 90 minutes next season and then we'll see where we are at the following summer.
Bloom will not stand in the way of career progression but neither will he needlessly weaken the team for a quick buck. All of these high profile sales will be prepared for so that we can still move forward once the player has gone.
Absolutely electric yesterday, brilliant cameo.
I was worried he'd never recover the speed he had pre-injury but the last couple of games have shown it's definitely still there. Love him.
Their 9th consecutive season in the top flight, pretty much assured of a tenth with minimal investment other than what they have made on transfers. The obvious success is to keep evolving.
Last season you may well have concluded we'd be in deep trouble if Bissouma left, but already this season we've played enough without him to feel the funds raised could be well spent and we could continue to progress.
You don't perhaps get to sign your Bissouma's and Lamptey's unless you are a path for their career progression at some point. Trick is when to stick or twist in that regard, as happened with Ben White, I think they judged that well in it being a good move for all parties.
I still think Tariq leaving is further away than most think. Until he can regularly start & finish games (if he stays as a RWB) then I am not sure how many suitors he will have to match our asking price
This essentially. He rarely ever even pre injury played 90 minutes. IMO this is what stops him from ever playing for a top 4 club as you're effectively reducing your available subs from 3 to 2 per game.
This essentially. He rarely ever even pre injury played 90 minutes. IMO this is what stops him from ever playing for a top 4 club as you're effectively reducing your available subs from 3 to 2 per game.
But it does mean that this right now is pretty much our ceiling, just like it seems to be for Southampton. Which is a pretty impressive ceiling on the face of it, but at the same time it's a quite sad thought - because if we weren't forced to sell our players to the biggest clubs, the sky is the limit, because it feels like there is so much more to come from this group of players.
It's that 'what might have been' which surely bugs Saints fans, if they could have had van Dijk, Shaw, Tadic, Lallana, Mane, Bale and others all in the same team, what could they have achieved?
This essentially. He rarely ever even pre injury played 90 minutes. IMO this is what stops him from ever playing for a top 4 club as you're effectively reducing your available subs from 3 to 2 per game.
Rarely played 90 mins pre injury is just plain wrong.
Lamptey played 90 mins in 4 out of the 8 games he appeared in when the 19-20 season restarted. He played 86 mins in one of those other games. Was sub off earlier in 2 others (Man Utd at half time and Southampton after 68 mins), he started on the bench in the other game (Man city, he came on for the last half hour).
Last season he played 90 mins in 7 of the 11 games he was fit for before his season ending injury. He’s clearly been eased back in very carefully after a year out and is being perfectly managed in my opinion, especially when you consider he’ll be targeted by some of the PL “enforcers”.