Daily Echo:

SAINTS have been in the news a lot more in the last week or so than many would have expected, considering the season is over.

All supporters have their own opinions, but it will usually be good to see their team in the headlines.

But unfortunately for them, this time, it’s been about the future of the manager and their best player, with talk of Claude Puel and Virgil van Dijk’s future.

With the news Liverpool have apologised for their advances on Van Dijk, my mind goes back to an occasion when I needed a new centre back.

In those days just about all the players were from the British Isles, so managers and staff used to get in cars and travel around the country to look at potential signings.

I had noticed that Dundee United had two centre backs who would both have suited me down to the ground.

United’s manager at the time was a legend. Jim McLean was a player, then a coach, a manager, a director, chairman and then president and, as a result, is very well thought of in the game up in Scotland.

Prior to my interest in his two players, I had never met him but gave him a call and put my cards on the table and said ‘could I sign either one of your two centre backs?’ He replied politely and told me ‘no’. He wanted to keep both of them because they were the base of his team.

I simply thanked him and told him to let me know if anything changes.

After that I heard nothing.

But a while later I was abroad with my team at the same time Jim and his team were. We bumped into each other at the airport and had a sit down for a coffee together.

To my surprise he thanked me and said he was surprised that nothing had come of a move for the two centre backs.

He told me that after the conversation about the two players, he expected me to tell the press.

He asked, ‘why didn’t you tell the press?’.

I replied: ‘why would I?’ Jim told me that had I gone in the press over this, it would have most certainly unsettled the players because, in those days, it would have been the ambition of most players north of the border to come down here and play in the top flight.

But I didn’t go to the press and, because of that, Jim and I formed a long-standing friendship.

I never told anyone about any interest in players until there was something official.

This all came to mind when I was reading about our van Dijk and his supposed connections with Liverpool.

Talking to football people this week at my golf day for Autism Hampshire, different versions cropped up and it was interesting to guess the right one.

Even though van Dijk had missed the second half of the season, his previous performances puts him on top of the list of any of the major clubs looking for a defender.

This time of year, the difference between the days of Jim McLean and me are glaring.

Now, we can click on and read every morning and see our players linked with moves away in the press and also see players from all round Europe linked with our clubs. It is part of the game.

But full marks must go to Southampton who decided, because of the press reports about van Dijk’s link to Anfield, to report Liverpool to the Premier League for an alleged illegal approach.

The most surprising thing was that Liverpool almost immediately put their hands up and said they were wrong and apologised profusely, adding that they would now drop all interest in the player.

The fact is they would have been able to blame other people for the press reports.

It’s common knowledge that agents, for example, play such a massive part in these dealings.

It could have been a Liverpool player, perhaps, who dropped it out to the press, bearing in mind half their team used to play for Saints and could be a friend of Virgil.

The stories indicated that Liverpool was a place he’d like to play.

But for the Anfield board and officials to admit they were wrong is a big first and a warning to other clubs in the future.

The basic fact is, of course, that now it gives the impression, having given him a six year contract last year, that Saints won’t be selling.

The supporters would agree that we’ve become known for spotting good players from abroad, bringing them in and, after a year or two, selling them on for an improved fee.

If this is the start of not needing to do that anymore, it is a good sign.

The other headline is over whether Mr Puel is staying or going.

I mentioned it last week and it is something that Matt Le Tissier has more or less agreed with this week.

From a distance, top eight and Wembley is great, but those who attend every game are not happy with how the team have played.

Matt agreed with me in saying there are two more years on Mr Puel’s contract, there’s reason to let him start again and possibly change a few things, take on board the feeling of the supporters and see how it goes.

But there are other versions in the press - that the club are prepared to sack him but haven’t been able to find the manager they want to bring in.

The other version is that Mr Puel has been linked with the St Etienne job.

They may be waiting for Puel to be sacked and of course the club would have to pay him a rumoured £4m, if that is the case.

It could be that Southampton are aware of the French connection and hope that he leaves on his own accord.

Matt has agreed things need to be sorted before the players return for pre-season.

If Mr Puel is to stay, he must improve the quality of play with more attacking, goals and a general acceptance that a 3-2 win is better than a boring 0-0 draw.