Southampton

[halnone]

They've lost Shaw, Lovren, Lambert, Lallana, Chambers, and looks like they're about to lose Schneiderlin and Jay Rodriguez to Spurs.

Feel for them to be honest. Wouldn't be surprised if they struggle to stay up next season. When was the last time a club was raided like this?

[sandman]

They reserve the prerogative to say no to any offers when players are under contract with them, they are destroying themselves and so get exactly what they deserve.

Nobody is up in arms about FFP now, they are basically proving that they value money over football and fans but because it is a selling club rather than a buying club then nobody cares.

[Clowncrete]

The biggest slap to the "You can grow organically" argument.

[Nigels Tackle]

wouldn't be happening if cortese was still running things down there
all the club's ambition left with him

[nottsblue]

Relegation beckons I fear. Then the serious money stops rolling in. Then players on Prem wages are in a lower division. They've been in this position before 10/12 years ago and went into administration. I think before Rupert Lowe's time as chairman. A nice club who have been well run. Never going to break into the top echelons of the game. Even if a sugar daddy took over. There just isn't the fanbase to sustain it. Relegation could be very costly for them. It is reckoned if QPR hadn't have won the play off final they'd have been in administration by now. Very scary to be a Saints fan at the moment. Not least because most of their most exciting players have left. Personally don't think they'll go down, but it could be close

[Beefymcfc]

Come to the Prem, make a shit load from there, show your wares, sell them off at a huge profit, go back down, receive huge parachute payments, bring through another crop. Come back to the Prem ..........

Don't feel sorry for the Saints, they've chose this route. The fans however .........

[Nigels Tackle]

Come to the Prem, make a shit load from there, show your wares, sell them off at a huge profit, go back down, receive huge parachute payments, bring through another crop. Come back to the Prem ..........

Don't feel sorry for the Saints, they've chose this route. The fans however .........

the fans will enjoy winning the championship every other year?

[Beefymcfc]

Come to the Prem, make a shit load from there, show your wares, sell them off at a huge profit, go back down, receive huge parachute payments, bring through another crop. Come back to the Prem ..........

Don't feel sorry for the Saints, they've chose this route. The fans however .........

the fans will enjoy winning the championship every other year?

True, fuck 'em all!

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

The biggest slap to the "You can grow organically" argument.

Completely agree, although the extent to which the dippers have been allowed to pick clean the bones of the Southampton side has to lie in part with the owner of Southampton. This will be the future for most of these club now, including Everton if they're not careful.

[Beefymcfc]

Strange that 4 of the clubs who wanted the breakaway (It's our money, not yours.) are picking the Saints off and nothing is said.

[Dubciteh]

Relegation beckons I fear. Then the serious money stops rolling in. Then players on Prem wages are in a lower division. They've been in this position before 10/12 years ago and went into administration. I think before Rupert Lowe's time as chairman. A nice club who have been well run. Never going to break into the top echelons of the game. Even if a sugar daddy took over. There just isn't the fanbase to sustain it. Relegation could be very costly for them. It is reckoned if QPR hadn't have won the play off final they'd have been in administration by now. Very scary to be a Saints fan at the moment. Not least because most of their most exciting players have left. Personally don't think they'll go down, but it could be close

Disagree top ten for them.sure they've lost players but they got top dollar for them all. Invest even a quarter of thy back shrewdly and they will be fine. Shaw replaced by targett think his name is, 18 year old left back supposed to be class. Chambers wasn't a starter all the time so clyne will play, buy a centre half maybe Vlaar, two Dutch league guys replace lallana and lambert n bobs your uncle! Hardest to replace will b lambert, he is the one who they got screwed over IMO.

[sheblue]

They will struggle this season.

[aaron bond]

Come to the Prem, make a shit load from there, show your wares, sell them off at a huge profit, go back down, receive huge parachute payments, bring through another crop. Come back to the Prem ..........

Don't feel sorry for the Saints, they've chose this route. The fans however .........

the fans will enjoy winning the championship every other year?

True, fuck 'em all!

I don't think it's fair to say that they've chosen this route. They were one of the clubs that voted against the Premier League FFP rules.

What is happening to Southampton is a result, however, of what FFP is leading too. Southampton had a very good squad of players, and with some additional investment, could have improved further. But the restrictions on their ability to spend means they cannot give their better players an incentive to stay and when a bigger club comes calling they have no choice but to sell.

[Spurge]

They reserve the prerogative to say no to any offers when players are under contract with them, they are destroying themselves and so get exactly what they deserve.

Nobody is up in arms about FFP now, they are basically proving that they value money over football and fans but because it is a selling club rather than a buying club then nobody cares.

So they might have the right for saying not for sale but I think we know in reality it's seldom as simple as that. With this in mind I wouldn't agree they are necessarily getting what they deserve unless the chairman just wants to cash in of course and has no intention of keeping the squad together.

If players are in demand and desperate to take their careers to the next level they usually get what they want. It will be like a disease at the club, as one goes another will decide it's right for them and as long as bigger clubs are sniffing around then the desire to follow in the footsteps of a team mate is difficult to resist. The agent has plenty to gain here as well of course.

[phips]

such a shame. they were incredibly enjoyable to watch last season

[Dameerto]

such a shame. they were incredibly enjoyable to watch last season

Youll still be able to see them this season - just half at Liverpool and the other half at Spurs.

[Slim]

Have Liverpool not been burned with this kind of purchase before, Charlie Adam springs to mind whenever I think of them buying these sorts of players.

[Cit.revenge]

This is why small will stay small , they just need to take money

[Nigels Tackle]

Have Liverpool not been burned with this kind of purchase before, Charlie Adam springs to mind whenever I think of them buying these sorts of players.

joe allen

[Esky]

Seems they're opting for the Carl Icahn style of ownership at Soton - a lot of assets stripped already. To be fair, Tadic and Pelle weren't free transfers, so it's not all doom and gloom.

Chambers is an odd one as he could be worth double what Arsenal paid in a year or two (once he has England caps under his belt). At any rate, he should wear number 36 there.

Schneiderlin is the biggest loss for me - a very classy player that would improve most teams in the league.

Osvaldo will also return to Italy leaving them very short upright (Just Pelle, possibly Rodriguez and Gallagher, who only debuted against City [I think] last season).