Virgil Van Dijk made the usual noises about wanting to win trophies when he left St Mary's for Liverpool, but ironically for this season at least he may have been better staying on the South Coast.

Saints revival in the past few weeks means that they go into the clash with Liverpool as the in form team over the past four games, in that timespan Saints have won one and drawn three of their 3 Premier League games plus another in the FA Cup whilst the Anfield club have won one drawn one and lost one in the League, but also gone out of the FA Cup to Saints 5th round opponents West Bromwich Albion.

That defeat means that realistically they are left in the running for only one honour and that is the Champions League, in the Premier they are 18 points behind Manchester City and that means that they will have to concede any chance of that title possibly as early as March.

In the Champions League they are in the quarter finals, but when you look at the other teams they would have to overcome to win it, you have to say that they would be about 8th favourites in that competition.

Saints however would have far less to worry about in the FA Cup if they were to win it, indeed they are 6th favourites with the bookies with odds of 25/1, actually a good outside bet if you fancy a few quid on them.

So perhaps like his old partner Jose Fonte who departed for West Ham when he could have stayed and Captained Saints in a Wembley final, Van Dijk might reach the season thinking that if he had stayed to the end of this season at St Mary's, then from a playing perspectiv it might just have been a little more rewarding.

But we Saints fans have known for a long time that the playing perspective and contracts mean little to Van Dijk, he chases the money, instead of chasing success and letting the money come to him.

Photo: Action Images

SaintBrock added 10:43 - Feb 7 Er, No Nick!
1

JGH added 10:51 - Feb 7 Pretty tenuous there Nick...
0

landsdownsaint added 11:28 - Feb 7 Don’t make sense that ? He’s gone from one of the worse teams in PL to one of the best
-1

REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 11:30 - Feb 7 Liverpool are 16/1 to win the Champions League and you can get 33/1 on Saints winning the FA Cup
0

SanMarco added 13:20 - Feb 7 To be fair Saints winning the FA Cup is probably as likely as Liverpool winning the European Cup (they are last 16 not quarter final). I don't think either is very likely so he will have a trophy free season but lots more money...
1

KriSaint added 13:32 - Feb 7 Hello everybody from a danish Saints fan. I haven´t been part of a Saints forum since the Saintsforever forum closed (because the administrator got tired of moaning) somewhere back in 2006 or 2007. I have enjoyed following this forum for a while, and here I am, thanks. I have to agree that Liverpool´s chances of winning the CL seems less than Saints´ chances of winning the FA cup. Both teams are among the last 16 (Liverpool are not through to the last 8 (quarter finals) just yet, Nick). As I see it, Saints have at least 50 % chance of beating a "league form distracted" WBA and thereby advancing to the quarter finals. From there on everything can happen. Why wouldn´t Saints be able to hold on to a great cup run in a tournament where they can play without the pressure of the PL.? Pellegrino´s chances of keeping his job for next season would be better, if he took Saints to Wembley.

1

KriSaint added 13:54 - Feb 7 Btw and somewhat out of topic, sorry, but can I ask You to please spread the word about this great supporter song during matches for my fellow country man Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg? The song honours Saints colours as well as the danish national flag colours. "He´s red, he´s white, he´s danish dynamite, he´s our Hojbjerg, he´s our Hojbjerg." Thanks <3
4

Blogs 31 bloggers

Southampton Polls