Whatever happened to loyalty in football? Gone are the days when players would ply their trade at the same club no matter the circumstances surrounding the club.
With Saint's relegation to League One, all the big names, with the exception of Kelvin Davis and Adam Lallana, seem to to be queuing at the door to leave. Stern John today turned down a very generous offer to stay at St Marys and will look to move to a Championship club, most likely Crystal Palace, on a free transfer. In addition to this, Polish duo Marek Saganowski and Gregorz Rasiak are expected to move on within the next few weeks and it seems such a shame that the three outfield players most adored by the fans are willing to pack their bags and move to a club in a higher division without giving a moment's thought.
Of course, its all about money now and I'm pretty sure 99% of all professional footballers would rather have the big fat pay packet than be classed as a club legend by thousands of fans. Premiership footballers such as Ashley Cole are the worse offenders, but they've set the standards for others in the lower divisions.
Another sad state of affairs from a Saints perspective is the news today that ex 'keeper Antti Niemi is in talks to come out of retirement to play for Portsmouth. The former Finland number one is regarded by many Southampton fans as the best goalkeeper to play for the club in the Premiership era and it will be a side sight to see Niemi line up for our bitter rivals. However it does make me laugh that despite this apparently revolutionary takeover at Pompey, they still have to bring a 37 year old injury plagued 'keeper way past his best out of retirement. It doesn't look like we'll be seeing the likes of Iker Casilla or Gianluigi Buffon between the sticks at Fratton Park any time soon!
On the subject of player loyalty to their club, Matt Le Tissier's highly anticipated autobiography is scheduled to be released on August 20th. It will be a must read for every Saints fan.
More updates coming soon as we prepare for the new football season, including my reflections on our trip to Loftus Road on Saturday to watch Southampton take on Queens Park Rangers in a friendly.
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