Football 2014/15

[thetime]

Liverpool rumoured to be in for Rodriguez now, buying a few from southampton.

[mrtourette]

Fair play to Southampton, they really are cashing in while their chips are high/other clubs are throwing silly money around. They have a smart manager and they should be able to replace their losses and make a massive profit without risking their Premier League status.

Edited July 28, 2014 by mrtourette

[Wooderson]

Rodgers not exactly showing much nous here is he? Lose a few games and the pressure will start to build.

[pink_triangle]

Fair play to Southampton, they really are cashing in while their chips are high/other clubs are throwing silly money around. They have a smart manager and they should be able to replace their losses and make a massive profit without risking their Premier League status.

I think that soton team were a little overrated. They had a reputation of being a young team, but there was a lot in mid 20s or above. They had a good season, but you could say they finished 1 place above stoke and nobody is raiding there.

I think a lot of these clubs will find these Southampton players aren't as good as they thought. However it will also be a difficult season for Southampton having to build again.

[pink_triangle]

Liverpool rumoured to be in for Rodriguez now, buying a few from southampton.

He is one of those players overrated because he played for a hipster Southampton team and England (due to lack of options) national team. Mid table standard at best.

[Essex_George]

Liverpool rumoured to be in for Rodriguez now, buying a few from southampton.

Bit worrying this, still waiting for the big LFC signing. Might have to wait a while by the looks of things.

[mrtourette]

I think that soton team were a little overrated. They had a reputation of being a young team, but there was a lot in mid 20s or above. They had a good season, but you could say they finished 1 place above stoke and nobody is raiding there.

I think a lot of these clubs will find these Southampton players aren't as good as they thought. However it will also be a difficult season for Southampton having to build again.

Absolutely, fair to play to them for realising it and making the most of the current market. Sure it will be hard with half a new team but I don't think they'll have to spend anywhere near the £87mil already received (£100mil+ if they sell Lovren or Rodriguez) to comfortably stay in the division.

[TheGayTent]

Following Alastair Cook's good knock at Southampton at the weekend Liverpool are poised to offer him a 3 year contract

[pink_triangle]

I would like to see a big signing at anfield, but there are so many factors required for that to happen and it doesn't look like the stars will align.

Liverpool however are increasing squad depth. They need to forget coming so close last season. It wuld be a mistake to think coming so close means minor changes can lift them from second to first. Aim has to be the dull 4th place. While they struggle to get big names, the team who is targeting that 4th place (man utd) is having the same problem.

[mrtourette]

Following Alastair Cook's good knock at Southampton at the weekend Liverpool are poised to offer him a 3 year contract

Well played sir.

[Gucci Piggy]

Griezmann's just signed for Atletico; he'd have been the perfect signing for Liverpool. £20-odd million, too, less than bloody Lallana. Price for English players is crazy.

Also Calum Chambers is on his way to Arsenal, and potentially Lovren, Schneiderlin, Osvaldo and Rodriguez on their way out, too. Southampton have probably received double what these players are worth on the whole, and are a wealthy club, so should comfortably be able to replace them (they already have with Lambert and Lallana) and be fine next season.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Will-2609

[Andre91]

The fee for Chambers is apparently £12-16m, which is ridiculous. As Will said, the price for English players is just insane. No wonder teams look abroad for players, they can't afford the natives anymore

[Gucci Piggy]

Yeah I think it's £11/12m which could rise to £16m through add-ons. However lots of Southampton fans think he's got more potential than Shaw, so his price could easily rise above that if he gets a full season of playing time. Only difference is Chambers is behind Clyne for the RB spot, whereas Shaw had no competition.

On Football Manager 13 I have Chambers and Shaw at Plymouth in League Two, and next season they'll be at Arsenal and Man Utd respectively

Edit: Chambers has also been touted as a future CB, so solves Arsenal's problem of a 4th choice CB after Sagna leaving, and (like Shaw), if he ends up as first team RB for 10 years it'll easily have been a fair price.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Will-2609

[mrtourette]

I thought Osvaldo had already gone. If he's still there then that's one massive turkey they need to ditch.

[Andre91]

Yeah I like that he can play CB too, like you said, it solves another issue at Arsenal. Now to bring in Khedira and Balotelli

[pink_triangle]

Griezmann's just signed for Atletico; he'd have been the perfect signing for Liverpool. £20-odd million, too, less than bloody Lallana. Price for English players is crazy.

Also Calum Chambers is on his way to Arsenal, and potentially Lovren, Schneiderlin, Osvaldo and Rodriguez on their way out, too. Southampton have probably received double what these players are worth on the whole, and are a wealthy club, so should comfortably be able to replace them (they already have with Lambert and Lallana) and be fine next season.

Agree that if they spend the money wisely they can cash in, due to the inflated fees they have received. My view is if these players were as good as many make out, they would have been competing for 5th/6th place. Expectation could however be a problem, I'm not sure they are a team who can go much further.

[JoeyT]

I'm not entirely sure what Southampton's aim is.

They may now have 100m plus in the kitty but can they attract the type of players to push them to the next level?

Am I right in saying their owner/s aren't exactly "doing it for the love of the club" either?

I'd say they were more likely to invest in young promising players from the championship etc. on the hope that they stay up and then sell the players in a couple of years time...

As for Liverpool they need to spend big to fill the Suarez gap and if I was a fan I'd be pleased the Remy deal was off. Benzema / Lukaku / Immobile / Tevez would be the players I'd be after.

[mrtourette]

I think there's a lot going on behuind the scenes at Southampton surounding the previous chairman leaving. I get the impression that they've been left in a bit of a financial hole and are trying to cash in while they can in order to make the most of the current situation and get back on their feet. I don't think they're really looking at pushing on to the next level at this point.

[TheGayTent]

One for Bazza:

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/28522535

[JoeyT]

It's a shame because I have a soft spot for Southampton as a club.

As a Leeds fan I know all to well about a club being strapped for cash unfortunately!

[pink_triangle]

I'm not entirely sure what Southampton's aim is.

They may now have 100m plus in the kitty but can they attract the type of players to push them to the next level?

Am I right in saying their owner/s aren't exactly "doing it for the love of the club" either?

I'd say they were more likely to invest in young promising players from the championship etc. on the hope that they stay up and then sell the players in a couple of years time...

As for Liverpool they need to spend big to fill the Suarez gap and if I was a fan I'd be pleased the Remy deal was off. Benzema / Lukaku / Immobile / Tevez would be the players I'd be after.

I think in reality Southampton had little choice about these players leaving, they are a victim of their own success. They have maximized profit and will hope to be lucky in who they bring in. I think top 10 would be a realistic aim for next season.

Its fine being after players, but persuading both the club and player to sell/join is the challenge.

Benzema - Madrid unlikely to sell, would be huge queue of clubs looking to sign if he did.

Lukaku - Would last seasons 3rd place team look to help the team who came 2nd?

Immobile - Already gone to Dortmund I believe.

Tevez - Why would he leave Juventus for a team less likely to win domestic silverware, unlikely to pay significantly more and no more likely to compete for the champions league.

[LondonTom]

Rumour has it (And seems to hit the press now) that Moyes is going replace Big Sam.

I wonder if Man Utd will let us have the chosen one banner cheap?

[The Nal]

I wonder if Man Utd will let us have the chosen one banner cheap?

Its probably covered in piss.

[Gucci Piggy]

Agree that if they spend the money wisely they can cash in, due to the inflated fees they have received. My view is if these players were as good as many make out, they would have been competing for 5th/6th place. Expectation could however be a problem, I'm not sure they are a team who can go much further.

Agree with that.

This is Southampton, though. They'll probably bring in 8 youth team players and finish 7th again

[WS_Jack_III]

Will Southampton have enough players to field a team come the start of the season?