Tottenham Hotspur 08/09 season

[King Ledley]

I see this lost its stickyness.

goooood

shut up delfino you fagggot, just cause you couldn't get yours stickied

[King Ledley]

Benfica Join Luis García Admirers


Benfica have joined the race to prise Luis García away from Espanyol and are set to rival Tottenham Hotspur with an offer of €12m this week.

The Portuguese giants have made their intentions known after coach Quique Sánchez Flores asked sporting director Rui Costa to open negotiations over a move.

After taking over at the Estádio da Luz last month, the former Valencia trainer has been busy with the club making no less than five new signings.

Now Sánchez Flores wants to add to his forward line and believes that Luis García could be more successful than Real Madrid's Roberto Soldado, who he has also been linked to.

Tottenham made their interest in the Blanc i Blau known last week, but were told that they would have to increase their offer to aorund €15m before talks could begin.

Luis García has a buy-out clause of €30m, but given the club's delicate financial situation a big offer for the striker would tempt them to the negotiating table.

Sánchez Flores wanted the 27-year-old when he was in charge at Mestalla, but Espanyol's asking price at the time was too high for Valencia to consider.

[King Ledley]

Bent Tells Ramos He Wants To Stay


Tottenham Hotspur's in-demand striker, Darren Bent, has reiterated to manager Juande Ramos that he wants to stay at White Hart Lane and fight for his first-team place.


Sunderland were thought to be in pole position to sign Tottenham's former Charlton and Ipswich striker, Darren Bent, but are now thought to have lost interest with Spurs refusing to lower their asking price of £12million.

The Daily Mail is saying that Spurs won't listen to offers for Bent and fellow-striker Robbie Keane while the future of a third forward, Dimitar Berbatov, remains unresolved. The newspaper says that situation would only change if Berbatov decided to commit himself to Tottenham.

Bent arrived at White Hart from Charlton for a £16.5million fee last summer, in the same week that Thierry Henry left Arsenal for Barcelona for slightly less, and the two moves were thought to symbolise a shift in the balance of power in North London.

But Bent found his first-team opportunities severely restricted by Keane and Berbatov - and also by Jermain Defoe until he moved to Portsmouth. As a result, he managed just eight goals in his first season at the Lane.

But he is hoping Ramos will give him a second chance to prove himself in a Spurs shirt.

Meanwhile, Ramos is reportedly willing to allow new signing Luka Modric miss the club's training camp in Spain in order to give him time to settle in London.

Croatia star Modric, who joined Spurs for £15.8million from Dynamo Zagreb, is due to arrive later this week having already been given a few extra days off in recognition of his exploits at Euro 2008.

Tottenham are apparently weighing up whether it would be more beneficial for Modric to let him train at Chigwell while looking for a house rather than ask him to travel with the rest of the first team squad to Spain.

[delfino_1936]

I see this lost its stickyness.

goooood

shut up delfino you fagggot, just cause you couldn't get yours stickied

i honestly don't really care you love it mate!! haha

[King Ledley]

Van der Vaart rubbishes Tottenham link


Holland midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has rubbished speculation linking him with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Hamburg playmaker is a reported target for several clubs across Europe after an impressive season in the Bundesliga and at Euro 2008, but insists he is likely to remain at the HSV-Arena for the coming campaign.

Van der Vaart told Dutch weekly Sportweek: 'The interest has been there for some time already, but they (Tottenham) are not the club I want to go to. Tottenham are not a club I want to swap Hamburg for.

'The chance that I will stay at HSV is really big. As long as no team comes by which makes me immediately excited, I see no reason to leave. And so far none of those clubs have called us.'

[King Ledley]

Sevilla winger Capel not interested in summer move

Sevilla winger Diego Capel insists he will not listen to any offers from other clubs this summer.

The Andalusian outfit rejected a bid from Tottenham for the highly-rated youngster last week, even though Spurs' offer exceeded the buy-out clause in his contract which allows him to speak to other Spanish teams.

Sevilla knocked back the offer from the Premier League side - now managed by their former boss Juande Ramos - and the 20-year-old claims even if the club were to accept a bid he would not be interested.

'Now I'm a Sevilla player and what I want to do is enjoy that,' he told the club's website.

'I hope to be here for a long time, certainly, because I won't listen to offers from other sides.'

Sevilla have already lost some big names this season, most notably Seydou Keita and Daniel Alves who have both left to join Barcelona.

Fernando Navarro, Romaric and Abdoulay Konko have come in as their replacements, and Capel believes the club's new acquisitions stand them in good stead for securing a top-four finish next term.

'The club has made some great signings and we hope things turn out well,' he continued.

'The objective this season is to qualify for the Champions League and we hope this will be a successful year.'

[SPURS18]

a bit disappointing about Capel although we are heading over to Spain for a pre season camp soon hopefully Juande will persuade him then i wouldnt of thought we would get Van Der Vaart

[King Ledley]

Day 5, July 7


"ON Saturday, we finished our testing process and Sunday was tough," explained Marcos. "The players ran 10 kilometres and they all ran well, at a good pace. We were very happy with them.

"After the running, we got the footballs out for the first time. This was a technical session with different types of games. It was a long session and the lads then had the afternoon off.

"Monday was our hardest session yet. We've now started with three sessions. The first session in the morning was an eight kilometre run at a high pace and that's why it was harder than Sunday.

"We then had strength work in the gym with three groups working on different exercises in a circuit for about one hour.

"After that, we went back to a football session with technical and possession work.

"We are happy with the start. The first days are always difficult but the players have all responded well."

[ramosrules]

Hey check out Berbs, hes smiling!!

[ramosrules]

Source: Mirror


Pascal Chimbonda will move to Spanish club Valencia this week in an £8million deal as Spurs finally get shot of the White Hart Lane bad boy.

Chimbonda will begin preseason training with the La Liga outfit on Thursday after agreeing personal terms last week.

The former Wigan right-back is set to line-up alongside Spain's Euro 2008 hero David Villa next season after the striker publicly rejected moves to Chelsea and Liverpool.

It is understood Valencia first made their interest in Chimbonda known in January, but a swap deal for the Spanish club's right-back, Miguel, failed to materialise as Spurs boss Juande Ramos was not a fan.

Chimbonda will still get to play European football next season as Valencia qualified for the UEFA Cup alongside Spurs.
But his departure brings to an end a Premier League career blighted by controversy.

Chimbonda moved to Spurs only after handing in a transfer request to former club Wigan while still in his strip after their defeat to Arsenal in 2006.

The request to leave the club he later branded "a stepping stone" came just six months after he renegotiated his JJB contract for a further four years.

But he has been surplus to requirements in north London ever since Juande Ramos took over last season. He was hawked around to other clubs in January and was linked with Newcastle and Aston Villa.

Spurs pushed Chimbonda further out in the cold when they brought £8m right-back Alan Hutton from Rangers.

The final straw for Spurs fans was his show of petulance in February's Carling Cup Final against Chelsea.

When replaced by Tom Huddlestone, he responded with a slow walk to the touchline and an angry stomp straight down the tunnel.

He then missed a penalty as Spurs lost a UEFA Cup shoot-out to PSV.

Take this with a massive pinch of salt because A) Its the Mirror and B) Valencia are supposedly in big financial trouble. Although if it was true........ great! his attitude stinks.

[# 9]

wow, didnt think chimbonda was that good, let alone worth 8mil

[ramosrules]

Chimbonda's Ok, hes not great, hes not as good as hutton.
He doesn't get forward a lot he likes to run in circles like malbranque, hes shite defending set pieces and following his man during regular play. Hes a good one on one tackler. He has funny haircuts and likes to wear tights, gloves and under armour.
It got well reported that before he joined Spurs in his last game for Wigan he carried his transfer request with him and gave it to the manager (Jewel i think) after the match. Spoilt twat.

Arsene might be after him, hes black hes French, but hes already about 26, aahhh well , what did Meatloaf say? 2 out of 3 aint bad.

[ComeOnYouBlues]

In the picture of Berbatov that Ledley posted, whos that behind him with the fucked up hair? Boateng?

[# 9]

Chimbonda's Ok, hes not great, hes not as good as hutton.
He doesn't get forward a lot he likes to run in circles like malbranque, hes shite defending set pieces and following his man during regular play. Hes a good one on one tackler. He has funny haircuts and likes to wear tights, gloves and under armour.
It got well reported that before he joined Spurs in his last game for Wigan he carried his transfer request with him and gave it to the manager (Jewel i think) after the match. Spoilt twat.

Arsene might be after him, hes black hes French, but hes already about 26, aahhh well , what did Meatloaf say? 2 out of 3 aint bad.

he made a good name for himself at wigan, never lived up to it playin for you's. had some good spells, but not worth the amount you pay him. him goin to city, villa, tyneside would be a better option for him...perhaps

[ramosrules]

Chimbonda's Ok, hes not great, hes not as good as hutton.
He doesn't get forward a lot he likes to run in circles like malbranque, hes shite defending set pieces and following his man during regular play. Hes a good one on one tackler. He has funny haircuts and likes to wear tights, gloves and under armour.
It got well reported that before he joined Spurs in his last game for Wigan he carried his transfer request with him and gave it to the manager (Jewel i think) after the match. Spoilt twat.

Arsene might be after him, hes black hes French, but hes already about 26, aahhh well , what did Meatloaf say? 2 out of 3 aint bad.

he made a good name for himself at wigan, never lived up to it playin for you's. had some good spells, but not worth the amount you pay him. him goin to city, villa, tyneside would be a better option for him...perhaps

He got thrown in jail recently but let out without any charges, probably enough for anyone to get the f out of England.

[ramosrules]

In the picture of Berbatov that Ledley posted, whos that behind him with the shiraz up hair? Boateng?

I think so, its hard to tell , maybe if he was wearing short sleeves or was looking the other way you would be able to see his massive tats.

[King Ledley]

wow, didnt think chimbonda was that good, let alone worth 8mil

[King Ledley]

In the picture of Berbatov that Ledley posted, whos that behind him with the shiraz up hair? Boateng?

Thats Keven-Prince Boateng

[King Ledley]

Spurs Seek Temporary Lodgings With Dons


Tottenham Hotspur are exploring the possibility of playing their home games at Milton Keynes during the proposed redevelopment of White Hart Lane…

Spurs are currently drawing up plans for renovations of their 99-year-old home, which would see the stadium’s seating capacity raised from just over 36,000 to 50,000.

The north London club have reportedly dismissed the notion of building an entirely new venue altogether, as they would struggle to find both an appropriate site and the ₤300million required.

Hence, the Lilywhites would need a home away from home during the two years or so the Lane would be under reconstruction, and MK Dons owner Pete Winkelman claims the Carling Cup holders have sought use of the League One side’s new venue.

“If Tottenham decide to redevelop on site it seems they will need temporary accommodation and they have had a chat with us about using our stadium,” he said in News of the World.

“They haven’t come back yet but their interest shows the progress we’re making.”

Stadium:mk's 22,000 capacity would sufficiently accommodate Spurs’ season-ticket holders.

[GioDosSantos]

Source: Mirror


Pascal Chimbonda will move to Spanish club Valencia this week in an £8million deal as Spurs finally get shot of the White Hart Lane bad boy.

Chimbonda will begin preseason training with the La Liga outfit on Thursday after agreeing personal terms last week.

The former Wigan right-back is set to line-up alongside Spain's Euro 2008 hero David Villa next season after the striker publicly rejected moves to Chelsea and Liverpool.

It is understood Valencia first made their interest in Chimbonda known in January, but a swap deal for the Spanish club's right-back, Miguel, failed to materialise as Spurs boss Juande Ramos was not a fan.

Chimbonda will still get to play European football next season as Valencia qualified for the UEFA Cup alongside Spurs.
But his departure brings to an end a Premier League career blighted by controversy.

Chimbonda moved to Spurs only after handing in a transfer request to former club Wigan while still in his strip after their defeat to Arsenal in 2006.

The request to leave the club he later branded "a stepping stone" came just six months after he renegotiated his JJB contract for a further four years.

But he has been surplus to requirements in north London ever since Juande Ramos took over last season. He was hawked around to other clubs in January and was linked with Newcastle and Aston Villa.

Spurs pushed Chimbonda further out in the cold when they brought £8m right-back Alan Hutton from Rangers.

The final straw for Spurs fans was his show of petulance in February's Carling Cup Final against Chelsea.

When replaced by Tom Huddlestone, he responded with a slow walk to the touchline and an angry stomp straight down the tunnel.

He then missed a penalty as Spurs lost a UEFA Cup shoot-out to PSV.

Take this with a massive pinch of salt because A) Its the Mirror and B) Valencia are supposedly in big financial trouble. Although if it was true........ great! his attitude stinks.

"as Spurs finally get shot of the White Hart Lane bad boy."

When was Chim ever noted as a bad boy, dont understand that!

[ramosrules]

Saints Bale out on transfer cash

Southampton have forfeited a chunk of the transfer fee owed by Tottenham for Gareth Bale in a bid to ease their immediate financial problems
Spurs paid Saints an initial £5million for the Wales international left-back last summer, while agreeing a further £5million based on appearances.

But Southampton's plc chairman Rupert Lowe, who returned to the club at the end of last season, has accepted an earlier settlement as part of the deal which brought young goalkeeper Tommy Forecast to St Mary's on Monday.

The hard-up Championship club were forced to strike a similar deal last season with Arsenal for Theo Walcott, sacrificing a reported £2.9million in order to collect the cash sooner.

Lowe told the club's official website: "I am always reluctant to forego any future income but given our current financial situation, we must do all we can to go into the new season as robustly as possible."

So not only did they get 2.9 mill less for Wallnut than they were owed but now they have lost money on Bale aswell. Its a shame really, i used to like watching Southampton with Le Tiss and the Wallace bro's.

[SPURS18]

hopefully we stay at the Lane and just expand awesome atmosphere and a teriffic stadium around 50,000 seater would be good depends on success i guess

[ramosrules]

Source: Daily Mail

Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan yesterday lambasted a Football League tribunal decision that Tottenham should pay just £700,000 for teenage prodigy John Bostock, describing the amount as ‘scandalous’.

The frequently outspoken Jordan’s overwhelming emotion was one of disappointment and he questioned the governing bodies’ commitment to youth development and the academy system in this country.

The fee for midfielder Bostock, 16, could rise to £1.25million depending on appearances, but it falls well short of Palace’s asking price of an initial £2m rising by a further £2.5m.

‘For a tribunal to reward a purportedly bigger football club in Tottenham to take one of the most gifted young English players in the country for a sum of £700,000 is nothing short of scandalous,’ said Jordan, who sent manager Neil Warnock and chief executive Phil Alexander to the meeting at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

‘You get players like Aaron Ramsey, who has gone for £5m from Cardiff to Arsenal because that is the UK transfer market.

‘The tribunal, in my view, are supposed to reflect the conditions of the transfer market place. And they came up with a figure of £700,000 for a player who has captained his country at Under 17 level, who is perceived to be one of the best youngsters in the country and is being chased by Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

‘We had a £900,000 offer from Chelsea when he was 14 which we turned down. It’s beyond me and it makes me question why I bother with football.

‘I have an academy who have produced a world-class footballer for someone else and got paid two-and-sixpence for it. We weren’t unrealistic - we didn’t try to be clever and put a value of £5m on the player.

'We simply said this is what the player is worth, these are the reasons why he is worth it and all we wanted was a fair and equitable outcome.’

In the wake of England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008, Jordan questioned the wisdom of tribunals allowing elite clubs to poach young talent for knockdown fees only to put them in their reserves.

He said: ‘We have a national team who can’t qualify for the European Championship and we have a shortage of players of the required standard to compete in world football.

'One of the reasons the Premier League is the best in the world is because it is made up of 50 per cent foreigners. So when big clubs buy our own younger players and don’t use them, how the hell does that benefit the national game?

‘I don’t feel it sends out a good message to people who pump millions into youth development. A significant amount of money we could have got from the disposal of John Bostock would have been ploughed back into youth development.

'And what’s going to happen to our young players when they are stockpiled in the butter mountains of the Tottenhams and Chelseas of this world?’

Bostock became the youngest player to pull on a Palace shirt when he made his first-team debut against Watford at 15 years 287 days last October. And Jordan insisted the player’s future would have been better served if he had continued his
development in Palace’s first team rather than opting for a place in Tottenham’s reserves.

‘The most disappointing thing is we had a player we nourished and cherished for nine years,’ he said.

‘He’s a player who cited his desire to be the youngest ever to play for Palace, which he achieved, and to be the youngest captain of Palace.

‘He was looked after for a long time with bespoke training specifically for his development. It was John Bostock’s year next season at Palace and we weren’t going to sign central midfielders because we wanted to clear a path for him.

‘He’d have got into our team this year and established himself as a first-team player at a big club. I’m not so sure that’s going to happen for him now.'


I have read a lot of palace fans views and they all rated this guy really really highly. We should have paid more though, im pretty sure we paid 2 million for Routledge a couple of years ago. Maybe we should give them Ghaly to make it up to them, if so we probably would have had to have paid 4 million for Bostock.

[# 9]

Source: Daily Mail

Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan yesterday lambasted a Football League tribunal decision that Tottenham should pay just £700,000 for teenage prodigy John Bostock, describing the amount as ‘scandalous’.

The frequently outspoken Jordan’s overwhelming emotion was one of disappointment and he questioned the governing bodies’ commitment to youth development and the academy system in this country.

The fee for midfielder Bostock, 16, could rise to £1.25million depending on appearances, but it falls well short of Palace’s asking price of an initial £2m rising by a further £2.5m.

‘For a tribunal to reward a purportedly bigger football club in Tottenham to take one of the most gifted young English players in the country for a sum of £700,000 is nothing short of scandalous,’ said Jordan, who sent manager Neil Warnock and chief executive Phil Alexander to the meeting at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

‘You get players like Aaron Ramsey, who has gone for £5m from Cardiff to Arsenal because that is the UK transfer market.

‘The tribunal, in my view, are supposed to reflect the conditions of the transfer market place. And they came up with a figure of £700,000 for a player who has captained his country at Under 17 level, who is perceived to be one of the best youngsters in the country and is being chased by Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

‘We had a £900,000 offer from Chelsea when he was 14 which we turned down. It’s beyond me and it makes me question why I bother with football.

‘I have an academy who have produced a world-class footballer for someone else and got paid two-and-sixpence for it. We weren’t unrealistic - we didn’t try to be clever and put a value of £5m on the player.

'We simply said this is what the player is worth, these are the reasons why he is worth it and all we wanted was a fair and equitable outcome.’

In the wake of England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008, Jordan questioned the wisdom of tribunals allowing elite clubs to poach young talent for knockdown fees only to put them in their reserves.

He said: ‘We have a national team who can’t qualify for the European Championship and we have a shortage of players of the required standard to compete in world football.

'One of the reasons the Premier League is the best in the world is because it is made up of 50 per cent foreigners. So when big clubs buy our own younger players and don’t use them, how the hell does that benefit the national game?

‘I don’t feel it sends out a good message to people who pump millions into youth development. A significant amount of money we could have got from the disposal of John Bostock would have been ploughed back into youth development.

'And what’s going to happen to our young players when they are stockpiled in the butter mountains of the Tottenhams and Chelseas of this world?’

Bostock became the youngest player to pull on a Palace shirt when he made his first-team debut against Watford at 15 years 287 days last October. And Jordan insisted the player’s future would have been better served if he had continued his
development in Palace’s first team rather than opting for a place in Tottenham’s reserves.

‘The most disappointing thing is we had a player we nourished and cherished for nine years,’ he said.

‘He’s a player who cited his desire to be the youngest ever to play for Palace, which he achieved, and to be the youngest captain of Palace.

‘He was looked after for a long time with bespoke training specifically for his development. It was John Bostock’s year next season at Palace and we weren’t going to sign central midfielders because we wanted to clear a path for him.

‘He’d have got into our team this year and established himself as a first-team player at a big club. I’m not so sure that’s going to happen for him now.'


I have read a lot of palace fans views and they all rated this guy really really highly. We should have paid more though, im pretty sure we paid 2 million for Routledge a couple of years ago. Maybe we should give them Ghaly to make it up to them, if so we probably would have had to have paid 4 million for Bostock.

fuckn hell, this is very bad, jordan put it perfectly. this kid 'HAD' a huge future and made the totally wrong move 'at this point'. the kid cant even see he will rot in spurs reserves, he wont get better, the kid is believed to go beyond the likes of gerrard and lampard. bad move for english football.

[ramosrules]

Source: Daily Mail

Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan yesterday lambasted a Football League tribunal decision that Tottenham should pay just £700,000 for teenage prodigy John Bostock, describing the amount as ‘scandalous’.

The frequently outspoken Jordan’s overwhelming emotion was one of disappointment and he questioned the governing bodies’ commitment to youth development and the academy system in this country.

The fee for midfielder Bostock, 16, could rise to £1.25million depending on appearances, but it falls well short of Palace’s asking price of an initial £2m rising by a further £2.5m.

‘For a tribunal to reward a purportedly bigger football club in Tottenham to take one of the most gifted young English players in the country for a sum of £700,000 is nothing short of scandalous,’ said Jordan, who sent manager Neil Warnock and chief executive Phil Alexander to the meeting at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

‘You get players like Aaron Ramsey, who has gone for £5m from Cardiff to Arsenal because that is the UK transfer market.

‘The tribunal, in my view, are supposed to reflect the conditions of the transfer market place. And they came up with a figure of £700,000 for a player who has captained his country at Under 17 level, who is perceived to be one of the best youngsters in the country and is being chased by Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

‘We had a £900,000 offer from Chelsea when he was 14 which we turned down. It’s beyond me and it makes me question why I bother with football.

‘I have an academy who have produced a world-class footballer for someone else and got paid two-and-sixpence for it. We weren’t unrealistic - we didn’t try to be clever and put a value of £5m on the player.

'We simply said this is what the player is worth, these are the reasons why he is worth it and all we wanted was a fair and equitable outcome.’

In the wake of England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008, Jordan questioned the wisdom of tribunals allowing elite clubs to poach young talent for knockdown fees only to put them in their reserves.

He said: ‘We have a national team who can’t qualify for the European Championship and we have a shortage of players of the required standard to compete in world football.

'One of the reasons the Premier League is the best in the world is because it is made up of 50 per cent foreigners. So when big clubs buy our own younger players and don’t use them, how the hell does that benefit the national game?

‘I don’t feel it sends out a good message to people who pump millions into youth development. A significant amount of money we could have got from the disposal of John Bostock would have been ploughed back into youth development.

'And what’s going to happen to our young players when they are stockpiled in the butter mountains of the Tottenhams and Chelseas of this world?’

Bostock became the youngest player to pull on a Palace shirt when he made his first-team debut against Watford at 15 years 287 days last October. And Jordan insisted the player’s future would have been better served if he had continued his
development in Palace’s first team rather than opting for a place in Tottenham’s reserves.

‘The most disappointing thing is we had a player we nourished and cherished for nine years,’ he said.

‘He’s a player who cited his desire to be the youngest ever to play for Palace, which he achieved, and to be the youngest captain of Palace.

‘He was looked after for a long time with bespoke training specifically for his development. It was John Bostock’s year next season at Palace and we weren’t going to sign central midfielders because we wanted to clear a path for him.

‘He’d have got into our team this year and established himself as a first-team player at a big club. I’m not so sure that’s going to happen for him now.'


I have read a lot of palace fans views and they all rated this guy really really highly. We should have paid more though, im pretty sure we paid 2 million for Routledge a couple of years ago. Maybe we should give them Ghaly to make it up to them, if so we probably would have had to have paid 4 million for Bostock.

fuckn hell, this is very bad, jordan put it perfectly. this kid 'HAD' a huge future and made the totally wrong move 'at this point'. the kid cant even see he will rot in spurs reserves, he wont get better, the kid is believed to go beyond the likes of gerrard and lampard. bad move for english football.

Who is your chairman Jordon? where did he get his cash? just curious thats all.
Hes looks pretty young and doesn't mind the fake tan.

[# 9]

yea simon jordan, buisnessman, investment stuff i believe lol. hes about 40 now, born 1967 , and yes loves the tan

[King Ledley]

Day 6, July 8

"TUESDAY started with endurance work, this time looking at different kinds of movement and with football boots on, rather than trainers, to get more of a match-day feel.

"It was a high-pace session for appoximately one hour and then we went to the gym for another hour.

"We now have two or three sessions a day, combining fitness and ball work.

"This part of the season is very important - we are charging the battery for the season. We are happy with the players, they are all working at the same pace and that's good for the squad as a whole."

[King Ledley]

On the run!

After 10 and eight kilometre runs respectively on Sunday and Monday, the lads were clocking up the kilometres again around the main pitch at the training ground.

We'll have more from Tuesday's training sessions when we talk to first team coach Marcos Alvarez for his latest pre-season diary entry later.

[King Ledley]

Forecast to Saints

We have reached agreement for the transfer of Tommy Forecast to Southampton.

A product of our Academy system, goalkeeper Tommy has been a regular in our reserve squad for the past three seasons and took his place on the First Team bench on six occasions last term.

We wish him every success for the future.

[King Ledley]

Shaken not stirred!

Chris Gunter has come back to pre-season training with a ‘shocking' tale from his summer excursions with Wales.

The national squad travelled to Iceland for an international friendly in May, and as the team rested the day after their 1-0 win, an earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck in the town of Selfoss.

While many of John Toshack's squad went swimming in a nearby lagoon, Chris felt the tremors as he relaxed in his hotel room and admits he did not know what to think.

He said: "We'd played the night before and had the day off so we were just sitting around in the hotel room watching TV, and then everything shook.

"I looked over at Joe Ledley, who I was rooming with, because I thought he'd shaken my bed for a joke, but he thought I'd done the same to him!

"Then it happened again and we didn't have a clue what it was. Some of the squad had gone swimming in the lagoon and they felt it even worse.

"I think we were about an hour away from the epicentre so we were quite lucky. It would have been a lot worse where we'd played the night before. But I've never experienced anything like that while on tour before."