Kreuger wants Saints to be a destination club

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/saints-chief-hopes-rid-club-seller-tag-222213614.html#zNosGRK

Article about recent interview with Kreuger. He talks about us being seen as a selling club....eventually wants to turn us into a destination club, but admits that will take time. Also mentions the possibility that Mane will leave...we all effing know he will one day, but will everyone stop saying it now Adds that there will be a point in the season where about 12 teams pull away from the pack and we have to make sure we are there in the mix.
I agree with Kreuger about trying to turn us into a destination club....that will come with success....but it will take a long time. City did it quickly, but they had a bigger brand to start with and spent a lot of money. We are taking a slower route, but that is fine with me (I'm sure Ralph is pleased about that). It could be viewed slightly differently....annoying that players keep wanting to move on, but as long as they carry on getting top moves when sprinkled with Saints stardust, aspiring players will choose to come here for a few seasons rather than go to other clubs.

 

Once agin he concentrates on the growth. Good. The Mane comments were in answer to questions, I'm sure. Generally pleased with the vision.

 

The possibility that Mane will leave isn't in quotes anywhere in the article so I don't think he said it. His message is that he wants us to be a "Final Destination", the writer is the one talking about Mane.

These articles will continue to appear about the press's latest Saints Crush until we stop being "by far the greatest football team the world has ever seen" ... and that ain't happening soon ... so maybe more than Fran.

Who's next I wonder Virgil, Ryan, Cedric?

 

"Twelve clubs" pulling away from the pack?! Surely that number would still constitute the pack!

 

We have to be realistic about where we are when it comes to salaries. We will always lose good players while we are so far behind what the other clubs (and not just the top 6) pay. In the 2014-15 season, we were 15th out of 20 in the league of Prem salaries, paying £55.2 million. The top 6 teams paid from £100.6 million (Spurs) up to £215.8 million (Man U). Source..http://www.totalsportek.com/money/english-premier-league-wage-bills-club-by-club/
I can't see us ever getting close enough to the top clubs in terms of pay to stop the drain of good players from Saints. Is it any wonder that once a player establishes himself in the Premier League with us, he then wants bigger rewards?
For all Ralph's words, I can't see us being anything other than a selling club while we still have players worth buying. We may dislike the fact that players don't stay with us for very long but I think people are beginning to accept the situation.

 

Personally, I think players should pay for the privilege of playing for Southampton. They should look upon it as an investment.

 

Yes indeed. More like 8 pulling away from the other 12. I'm sure it wasn't difficult for Ralph to bamboozle the journalist. And that's not a reflection of Ralph's ability to confuse.

 

Suggests that Ralph hasn't that much confidence in us...afraid to suggest top ten (or fewer), he went for a number which he felt sure we'd be in.

 

Doesn't suggest anything of the sort to me. Besides, the last thing Ralph would portray is a lack of confidence, being the chairman. I just think the Journo screwed it, tbh.

 

Basically we would need to be a top 4 club to be a destination club.

 

That's the plan.

 

Part of the plan must be longer term contracts when signing young players.. you then become a destination club by definition. Virgil is on a 5 year contract meaning his resale value will still be high after 3 seasons. You can build a team and retain the core over 3 seasons. If our recruitment record since the Italian Jobs that were Cortese inspired is now accepted as sound it has to be backed.

 

Presently I'd say that Southampton has a good reputation as a finishing school. If you want to play in the Top 4, a couple of seasons at Southampton won't hurt your CV. Yes, it's painful for us to sell our players, but as long as we're selling to the top 4 we're going to be getting top dollar, especially if we can bind in a few conditionals into their contracts.

It's fairly clear that we can't compete on salaries, but high salaries are often good for attracting former stars on their way down. Our reputation for developing players makes us a far more attractive prospect for up-and-coming talent, in the same way that our academy is excellent for attracting some of the best youngsters in the country. If you play for Southampton and you've got a reasonable shot at the big time.

In the long run, it'd be nice not to lose our players to the top 4 (or worse our rivals - Tottenham and Everton), but I think it's something we've got to get accustomed to for the time being.

 

Well, Southampton is a destination for many cruise ships...

 

Better than being a sinking ship