Matt O'Riley

I had him away last season,then he stayed and Jota,Starfelt and Ange all left which I wasn't expecting. The end of last season totally blindsided me tbh.

 

Would love it but can’t see it, feels like the Tierney sale where he was going; he was going but then no bid high enough was forthcoming. I think it’s a matter of time before someone hits the number we are looking for. All be it they seem well off just now.

 

Really dreading the notion of having an O’Riley shaped hole in this team . Would be a miracle to replace his quality and contribution , most our good stuff goes through him .

 

This could end up being the case, much depends on the players thoughts as you say, as the board have previously shown that they will help/be accommodating with a player who has acted respectfully/been decent in their dealings with the club (Rogic etc) . The downside to this, should it happen and we sell below the estimated value, is there are some who will jump on that as being a failure/lack of management ambition etc by the board.. when that wouldn't be the case. If he is to go hopefully the buying club offer the value that is fair although fair is subjective i guess.

 

It is not what they do at all. Southampton are a long-term top-flight team. They have spent 46 of the last 57 years in the top league. The number of English clubs that beat that is not a long list.

- Wanyama
- van Dijk
- Armstrong
- Forster
- and now possibly O'Riley

You may not like it, but a move to St Mary's is a progression in a player's career from Celtic (the players I listed are evidence of that). Of course if they are successful they will also treat Southampton as a stepping stone to another club. But the reality is that Southampton have a bigger income than Celtic, a bigger wage budget and play in a higher-profile league. That attracts players to move in one direction.

Football food chain...

Wanyama (Celtic - Southampton - Spurs)
van Dijk (Celtic - Southampton - Liverpool)
Forster (Celtic - Southampton - Spurs)

If O'Riley joins, it'll be because he views Southampton as the next stepping stone on a journey to a higher level. An opportunity in a higher profile league on bigger wages (regardless of a lack of a few Champions League group games).

So if in the football transfer chain, you call Southampton 'diddy', what does that make the club that they keep raiding for their best players on 5 occasions?

 

Yeah I think that's what happens, if/when Atalanta sell Koopmeiners then I can see them coming in with a fairly decent sized bid.

 

Southampton are a nothing club, when they are in the premiership they just hang around like a * that won't flush.

A team that has only ever won 1 trophy is the epitome of a diddy club, now * off and have a * over a picture of Iain Dowie.

 

Since the turn of the millennium, Southampton have played 2 seasons in the 3rd tier of English football and 6 seasons in the 2nd tier. And have won 1 major cup in their history. They are a diddy club who happen to have access to huge sums of money. They are not alone in this. There are plenty other diddy clubs in the same boat. Put it this way, you ask any player who has played for both clubs which one is bigger, there will only be one answer.

 

It's all about perspective ... Southampton are a middle to lower team in one of the top leagues in the world. Players get world level exposure playing in the Premier & clubs like Southampton are a good stepping stone for up & coming players.
Unfortunately the Scottish Premiership is a lower level league where a players stats are discounted due to the overall quality.

 

Where to start with this * nonsense argument that Southampton aren’t an up and down club

ok a quick look at the table for most seasons spent in the top flight have Southampton 27th . So there are 26 (Yes 26) teams who have been in the top flight more , so you saying the list of clubs ahead of them on that front is very small turns out to be nonsense.And there are probably only a dozen or so clubs who are truly consistent non ping pong clubs . Southampton have been up and down numerous times in recent history and have spent time in League one ffs .


A diddy club with no history but have access to silly money off the back of that league they sometimes play in , so can offer more than big/proper clubs from other leagues . Simple as that .

 

They average circa 30k even in the 2nd tier. That isn't 'diddy'.

If they are 'diddy', what does that make a team they buy the best players from?

 

Nonsense. How many teams in modern football history of the last 57 years have more than 46 years in the top flight? Very few!

They average circa 30k even when in the 2nd tier. That isn't 'diddy'.

If they are 'diddy', what does that make a team they buy the best players from?

 

Why did you pick "the last 57 years" as the benchmark. Bit of a strange number..... A bit like "going for 56".....

 

I think you know fine well that it's only because of hugely inflated wages due to TV money that any player would choose Southampton over Celtic.

More atmosphere at a Glasgow funeral than most Premiership games....

 

No different to Saudi clubs.

 

Because I did it from the promotion in 1966. Since 1966 only a handful of English clubs have been in the top flight more than Southampton. So to call Southampton a yo-yo club is nonsense! They've spent 46 of those 57 years in the top league with 8 year, 27 year and 11 years spells. That is not yo-yo-ing!

 

Saudi clubs do not average circa 30k in their 2nd tier or even their 1st tier!

Saints would comfortably be the 3rd biggest club in Scotland in fanbase size if you uprooted them from the South Coast. They are mid-sized within the Premier League in England for fanbase.

 

Yes, of course. Put Celtic in the English Premier League and Southampton would not stand a chance of competing with them. I have never claimed otherwise. All I've done is take issue with the 'diddy' claim, the 'yo-yo club' claim which are both demonstrably nonsense.

 

That last line sums up everything about the English game..

All about getting to/staying in the EPL and money..