WORSE THAN WATCHING ?

It is a crazy world - and perhaps no more so than in the `transfer window,` which has just opened in English football.  And for us Southampton fans, the lunacy has already begun.  Now as the rest of the English football nation has their attention focussed on  Wednesday`s Euro Semi-Final against Denmark, quietly under the cover of that darkness the Saints` future prospects are rumoured to hang in the balance.

There are rumours and speculation about the future of a number of our top players.  Of course, that`s all it might be - rumour and speculation - but I`m old enough to recognise the signs when I see them.   Already it seems that Danny Ings has turned down a 4-year contract and is rumoured to be on the move to somewhere where he can do better for himself.   I take that to mean financially but with his injury record he might be a bit of a gamble for a top six club.  Southampton`s offer seems generous in the circumstances and it will be especially disappointing for him to leave his home town club who have shown loyalty and faith in him - qualities that are seldom, if ever, reciprocated.

Then there is club captain James Ward-Prowse, for whom a transfer to Aston Villa is rumoured and has not been denied.  He like so many others came from our Academy, started with us at the age of 8 and has been our captain for the past two seasons, during which he has played every minute of every Premier League game.  Maybe it`s ambition - to go to a club that might win something - but Aston Villa?

And now Jannik Vestergaard, Saints` stalwart Danish international centre back currently strutting his stuff in the Euro Championships to rave reviews.  No wonder other clubs are interested and speculation is becoming rife.   If he does go, along with Messrs. Ings and Ward-Prowse, then the established `spine` of our team will go with them and we have to start again.   Not easy and so in many ways this close season transfer window is, like most others, at least as stressful as watching actual games of football.

I guess I should be used to it by now.  I recall being at St. Mary`s all those years ago to see Theo Walcott`s first game for the Saints - he went off to Arsenal - and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain`s first game for us - he went off to Arsenal too - and Gareth Bale`s first game before he went off to Tottenham.  Then I saw Luke Shaw`s first game before he went off to the Damned United.   And so it goes on, year after year.  But perhaps I`ve finally accepted that for the club to survive at all it must be financially self-sufficient otherwise, as happened when I was a shareholder, the finances became so stretched that we almost didn`t have a club at all.

The next few weeks in the livestock market will be interesting and informative as to whether we can survive another season in the Premier League.  Already, we have lost Ryan Bertrand to Leicester but, to be fair, the club have been quick to find an impressive replacement in signing Romain Perraud from Brest and we now wait with hope and expectation that other equally impressive signings might take the place of those who wish to seek their fortunes (literally) elsewhere.   Could be a long Summer, like most of the others.