STERN ON LOAN TO BRISTOL CITY

"Saints have agreed a loan deal with Bristol City for Trinidad and Tobago striker Stern John.

The former Coventry and Birmingham star joins Gary Johnson's side until 1st January 2009, and will link up with the Robins for their match against Barnsley on Saturday.

John joined Saints in August 2007, following the departure of his compatriot Kenwyne Jones to Sunderland, and his two goals on the final day of last season memorably helped to ensure Southampton's Championship survival.

John finished that match in the changing room after being sent off for picking up two yellow cards, and has made just a handful of first team appearances this term since the arrival of Jan Poortvliet.

His most recent performance came in Saints goalless draw against Sheffield United this week, playing 88 minutes before being substituted for Paul Wotton.

Poortvliet said: "Stern has spoken to Bristol City and we have agreed that he will join them on loan. He is one of the bigger earners at Southampton and the club's current financial situation means that we are unable to guarantee him first team football and the wages that go with it.

"Bristol City play 4-4-2, so the way they play will better suit Stern's style, and we wish him luck during his time at Ashton Gate."

Stern John will not be eligible to play against Saints when the two sides meet on November 8th."





I cannot believe this decisions it is a complete joke !!!!!!!!!!!!! We can't score and yet we let our only player who knows how to score go on loan!!
WTF ARE YOU DOING LOWE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Banks.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read between the lines.

It's a pity that one of our best players has to go on loan. It may be a cost-cutting decision, but we could ending paying more in the long run if we get relegated for the want of a player who can actually put the ball in the bloody net!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looking on the bright side, maybe with the wages saved the club might be able to afford a decent defender or two on loan.

What beats me is the number of players we have here on loan supposed to be strikers yet we really need a good solid stopper or two.

beyond belief only thing must be his wages

SFC Forever wrote:What beats me is the number of players we have here on loan supposed to be strikers

Why have we taken them on loan when they don't merit a place in the team?? It seems to me that if we take a player on loan it should be because he will play in the team.......not sit on the bench or play for the reserves.

Hear hear. :!: :!: :!: :!:

Pinched from another site...

Stern situation suggests we have seen the last of John By Ernest Hack
Posted on Saturday 25 Oct 2008 08:42:00

It is highly unlikely that Stern John will play for Southampton again now. Since the proven striker, who at only 31 is already up to joint sixth in the list of all-time leading international goalscorers left the club for a loan deal to Bristol City until January 1st 2009, we have been given every indication that his future is now anywhere but the South Coast.

In an official statement released by the club and published on the club’s official site, as well as the Daily Echo, Jan Poortvliet made the following comments:

“Stern has spoken to Bristol City and we have agreed that he will join them on loan. He is one of the bigger earners at Southampton and the club's current financial situation means that we are unable to guarantee him first team football and the wages that go with it.

“Bristol City play 4-4-2, so the way they play will better suit Stern's style, and we wish him luck during his time at Ashton Gate.”

It’s very gracious of the Saints to allow Stern to leave in order to pursue an opportunity to play football in a style that suits his play better, but to anyone with even an ounce of intellect it is more than clear that the ONLY reason he has left the club, albeit temporarily, is that, despite consistent praise from Poortvliet, we need him off the wage bill.

John’s contract runs out in the Summer, and it is expected that this loan deal could well lead to something more permanent in January. Therefore, the best that we can hope is that John does well for The Robins and that they give us some money for him, because he would join them or anyone else for free within a few months if not.

We haven’t a hope in Hell of getting John to sign a new contract, when his place in the side isn’t guaranteed and we can’t afford to maintain his wages. Hence, we need to get something for him. Of course, it would have been nice to have a proven goalscorer in our ranks for the season, but this would have been short-term football thinking, and not long-term financial planning. Sadly, it is only the latter than ultimately matters to the future of our club.

Would the sale of John really be in the best interests of the club, or would a bit of short-term thinking actually benefit us more in the long run? Does our survival depend on his experience at all?