Does the money come from Brendan's own back pocket?
Who else would purchase the players? You know Mike Gordon is FSG's primary stakeholder? Of course he would he partial to matters along with the two main figures of the group.
Don't tell me you're reading in to one quote and suggesting FSG have gone out and found some "young soccer players" and said to Brendan "here you go, now go on and do your job"?
No, the general consensus amongst journalists is that the Manager tells the committee what he needs. The committee look at statistical information and narrow it down. The scouts and/or the manager go watch the players. The suits then say whether we can afford it/whether it fits FSG's business model. The manager chooses from a short list of players. Now that in itself is perfectly fine but pretty much most journalists are in agreement that there's a division between the football people and the businessmen making for some god awful transfers.
They are the problem. Give the manager/committee a transfer and wages budget and let them determine how its spent. If they want to blow it all on one player, then let them. If they want to blow it all on ten players, let them. But it should be the football people's decision, not the business men. Now I don't know if this is true but it certainly rings true and the reputable sports journalists are going to know more than you or I on the matter.
The whole "Brendan chose Southampton players, the Committee chose the rest" crap was a rumour started in the tabloids and to the best of my knowledge, has never been confirmed as truth by the club and much like the narrative surrounding Rafa perpetrated by the media, a large section of fans have bought in to it hook, line and sinker.
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