Updated to address some Spurs-blindness, noted by @FFScout_Anorak.
— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) December 27, 2017
With the news that Virgil van Dijk's long-anticipated move to Anfield is becoming a 75-million-pound reality, we thought it would be fun to come up with a Premier League all-ex-Saints eleven. We'll line up in a 4-2-3-1, as is the fashion, and see if we can fill a bench as well.
Flowers
Clyne Fonte Van Dijk Shaw
Schneiderlin Cork
Oxlade-Chamberlain Lallana Mané
Walcott
Bench: Rodriguez, Lambert,Surman, Wanyama, Lovren, Jones
Clyne Fonte Van Dijk Shaw
Schneiderlin Cork
Oxlade-Chamberlain Lallana Mané
Walcott
Bench: Rodriguez, Lambert,
Goalkeepers
We're going to bring two keepers out of retirement for this team. Tim Flowers gets the nod because he was sold by Southampton to Blackburn Rovers for a then record fee, and he went on to win the title. Paul Jones is on the bench because he was loaned from Saints to Liverpool, which is just too perfect for the purposes of this list.
Defenders
These names are pretty obvious as top clubs have bought most any good defender Saints have developed - the majority to Liverpool. Nathaniel Clyne and Manchester United's reclamation project, Luke Shaw, are the fullbacks We'll let West Ham man Jose Fonte partner Virgil van Dijk for variety's sake. That will leave Dejan Lovren on the bench, as he's found himself for Liverpool, and will expect to be going forward.
There's been some shouts for Toby Alderweireld to be included in this team, and oh boy would we love to do it! He's the best center back in the world for our money. However, he was a Saint on loan from Athletico Madrid, and as such, we're going to have to pass. It's like a competition where a less-qualified candidate advances because the one who should have won violated some stupid technicality that no one really cares about. But rules are rules. Even the rules one makes up on the fly.
Midfielders
Our holders are Morgan Schneiderlin and Jack Cork. Who would have thought the latter would be having the better post-Saints career? That's 2017 for you. The attacking trio is a Liverpool clean-sweep with Adam Lallana, Alexander Mark David Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Sadio Mané starting.
Forwards
We've given the lone-forward role to Theo Walcott, who incredibly moved to Arsenal eleven years-ago! He'll be coming into his own soon enough. He'll have to perform though, as we've got competition for the role. Jay Rodriguez, now of West Bromwich Albion can play center-forward, or cover for the attacking-midfield. Then there's Rickie Lambert, Southampton legend who moved to Liverpool and then to West Brom himself. He's available on a free now, having been released by Cardiff City, and that is well enough for our squad.
Gareth Bale gets his name in this team as soon as the ink is dry on his Manchester United contract.
I think we can be safely mid-table with this squad, and if things go right we can challenge for Europe. Kind of like a certain selling club on the south coast of England. Don't you think?
