Fabrice29

The only things that's changed is that probably for the first time in 6 years (?) we've made a bad call on recruitment. I can see why we made the call, Austin was set to take over as the main striker, Long had come off his best season and Rodriguez was fully fit and showed in the game before the transfer window closed he was able to score and even got VVD declaring he should be staying. Rodriguez was clearly set to be loaned out (his own words) and that goal changed everything, including getting a new striker I imagine. I'd be intrigued to know what happened to who ever that guy was, was it Heller? Did we annoy him and his people by pulling out and now are looking to explore their options before making a decision on their next move? It's a bad call. That's all. It SHOULD be sorted this month.

I think part of the problem with midfielders not getting in the box and assisting CAN go back to not having a good enough striker. A lot of the problems with us passing sideways etc is because we don't have a striker imposing enough to be able to get in the game. If we had a striker who gets involved in the game it would allow midfielders to get close to him and assists and goals will come. At the moment everytime our players get the ball, we're almost playing with 10 men. Yesterday and the Spurs game are classic examples. I'll take Spurs first. Against Spurs we were under so much pressure, we were absoloutely desperate for our striker to hold up the ball, win free kicks and/or bring others into the game. Everytime we cleared the ball or got hold of it, we'd lose it in 2 passes because Rodriguez was so non existent. He was better Vs Liverpool and got an assist and we created better chances. Yesterday everytime the ball goes to Long, he'd lose it. We're missing Pelle massively, although he wouldn't suit our system now, he would be capable of bringing others into the game and allowing the midfielders to get close to him and beyond. Right now the ball goes forward and before anyone can get up with it, it's back again. Liverpool and Bournemouth have been the two times our striker has actually performed recently (Without Austin) and they meant we got wins. A dynamic powerful striker is a must. It'll relieve pressure on the rest of the team, it'll make us less easy to defend against, it'll allow midfielders to get further up the field and it'll mean in dominant periods of games we can score goals and take games away from teams.

I think it's a good question and like you say it's been obvious for a while now we've needed a striker. I think the gamble was worth taking in the summer window to go with these 3 but it hasn't paid and it has to be addressed now. I think it would have been ideal to have it sorted for January 1st but I think the realistic answer is that strikers are harder to get in January. They're in demand and probably themselves and agents know that clubs will come to them late in January so they might be trying to hold out for a better deal. I don't know of any/many top strikers that have been signed so far in January and the last 10 days is probably where most business for strikers will be done. I think this is especially so for clubs like ourselves who aren't able to attract the players we want straight away like a top club would. We're also not West Ham for example who will literally take anything going at the moment. It's very frustrating as we need one so badly but I'm happy to give the board the benefit of the doubt until the end of the month, at that stage if we dont have one in, I'll be furious.

You said (And yes I've trawled through your posts) that we should spew the game because we have no chance of winning the competition and save ourselves for the Europa league game. I don't believe Puel has ever thought "lets spew this game". Spewing the game doesn't mean prioritising. I know I'd rather have someone rotating the team rather than spewing games. Stop trying to be clever and get yourself out of the hole your overreacting has got yourself in.

But it wouldn't be if you had your way because you wanted us knocked out before this? You don't need to trawl through your posts to know you've posted some utter drivel recently tbf. Any Saints fan wanting Saints to lose any game, whatever competition, shouldn't be turning up when they win and get a better game because of it and should also be ashamed of themselves. You're not a fan if you want us to lose a game. That's literally the essence of being a fan.

Totally agree about the pre match warms up though. The crossing exercise is awful. The rest of the post is bull**** tbf.

Really? For a while? Neither have been proflic in their careers.

Just out of interest which of this squad have scored just fine "for a while" prior to this season?

Fancy him to have a strong end to the season myself. Look forward to reminding you all of that later.

Well no because United quite clearly aren't interested. I'd suggest if people want ITK or correct info and an idea of what's been going on they might want to look back at some of my posts on this situation.

Would it be nice? Really? West Ham are currently being whoring themselves to the world in a proper desperate attempt to get a striker and are being rejected by every single one of them. Infact they've been doing it for well over a year now and they've ended up with some ****ing ****e they're still looking to replace up front as well as a joke reputation. So would it be nice if we did similar? Rather be desperate and quietly looking to get our business done rather than publicly being humiliated and desperate as well.

So far so good?

Where in the league were Villa this time last season? If we're comparing ourselves to Villa might as well do it properly. The board, Reed etc want success so if Black is an issue it will be dealt with. We're 10th in the league and have lost a few games in a row. We've played poorly at times, personally I'll put it down to a lack of a striker which can be resolved this month. Shows you how good we've had it and how far we've come that a few games defeat and people are in meltdown and think somethings wrong. Its a little bit of bad form. Get over yourselves you pathetic bunch of wet wipes. If we don't address the striker issue in January at least, then I think we can start criticising. If we do and it still isn't good enough then I think we can start criticising. Until then grow the **** up and appreciate where we are.

Seriously? And other than a good 6 months at Leeds and Swansea, what have they done to deserve that?

Fair. He absolutely booted something as he came off and both Fonte and Bertrand had to chase him down the tunnel.

Nothing to do with playing with 10 men every week because our strikers are so non existent and ****. No coincidence that we've good most threatening this season with Austin up top who has some sort of ability to compete with defenders physically. Without a striker we lack an out ball when under pressure (Spurs) and we lack someone to hit when teams have figured out our only threat is our wide players. We also lack someone our midfield can use. Honestly cant stress enough how non existent Rodriguez and Long are when playing. They offer nothing and when they do offer something it's because they've come so deep they're no longer a threat. We need someone to play off, someone to hold it up and bring our attacking players into the game, Pelle was excellent at bullying defenders, winning headers, chests and allowing the midfielders the chance to get close to him. Right now we don't keep the ball any longer than 2 passes if it goes over the half way line, that's why it comes back. At times towards the end of yesterdays game both are going short to Boufal and Sims instead of being a threat in the box. Sims was the only player who competed for a header in the box second half. It's a joke how bad they are. I'd go with Redmond, Tadic and Boufal/Sims tomorrow. Sack those two off, try something a little different for one game and get striker in asap. Then I feel we can judge Puel if we're still **** but at the moment he's hindered massively by playing without a striker.

As of yet they haven't afforded him. Don't get sucked into believing media hype or that a bid is a completed deal. When it comes to his wages, it'll become a sticking point and he'll go to Everton. They themselves are in a similar position but have the luxury of probably selling Lukaku in the summer and also they have ambitions to be able to qualify for Europe and so will pay for it that way. Whoever signs him will have to qualify for Europe very quickly or sell him again (WBA/Everton). WBA if they miss out on the other hand can tell everyone how ambitious they're being by going close to signing him and boost the reputation of their club in the hope to get someone else in on lesser wages. All the hype drives the price up and everyone is a winner. Except Morgan.

The top sides don't leave themselves short in central midfield and therefore needing him in January. If he wants a top club, he's best off waiting for the summer. If he wants football now, he'll have to settle for probably Everton. We aren't short in midfield, he won't go for 13million anyway but the fee plus his wages mean a big outlay for something we don't need. He's better than Romeu, yes, but not so much better that he's worth shelling the fee and wages out for. That said, of course the club know better than me and if they choose to go for it, I'll be buzzing because he's been my favourite player down here over the years.

I'll be surprised if United are actually interest in Fonte. If they wanted him they'd have signed him in the summer. There's no real reason to wait until January or next summer as signing him next year on a 3 year contract just doesn't make a whole load of sense. He's not Ibrahimovic who will make the money back instantly with shirt sales. I think the link is convenient for United whilst they try and sign someone else. It's convenient for Fonte as he's not being offered an extended contract which I imagine he wants and the agent (an agent closely linked to United btw) because his player is in the news and might force either us or another club to offer get him money. The pay rise probably didn't profit the agent massively but a new contract with either us or someone else does. He wont be interested in Everton as it's a step down and he wants the European football at least (hence he's ****ed off not playing) but a nice link to United might interest bigger clubs through association. Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up at Benfica to replace the Swedish guy going to united, as everyone (and most importantly the agent) wins all round there. I just dont see the United interest being legit, it's a convenient link but if they wanted him it's not a hard deal to do, a double figure bid would do it easy enough and there's no logic to waiting until January or next summer to do it.

It's not a case of people not rating Fonte ffs. He's 33? There comes a time when the club has to make a difficult decision and tell him he isn't going to get his contract extended. That time has probably right come. It doesn't mean we as fans dont rate him and the evidence is there that the club still rate him because in his own words he's been offered a pay rise. Just not a contract extension. He's probably quite fairly sounding out interest from other clubs so he can extend his stay in the Premier League for longer. If he doesn't leave in January or the latest this summer then he doesn't leave at all I imagine and as we aren't extending his contract then his top level career is over when the contract runs out. Leave now and he gets an extra year or two. If we can get decent money for him and a replacement then lovely, it suits everyone for him to go sooner rather than later. If not, then we still have a top CB for the rest of the season and one who despite the speculation isn't letting him affect his performances. It's not the massive story everyone thinks it is, I doubt either party have been brilliant in the situation but that's life. I would like to point out that this speculation is all for pro Fonte. Almost as if it's ran by the agent who either wants a move (so links him to United, who's manager is with the same agent so probably wont come out and dismiss it) or wants Saints to buckle under the pressure and extend his contract. It's interesting that all this speculation is the same as in the summer but the only bid that apparently came was from Everton. I wonder if the same will happen in January, that United will get used whilst not really wanting him, to try and drum up interest from elsewhere or as I say, make us give in.

Eddie Howe "Southampton were better than us. We struggled physically more than anything" ...Almost as if rotation isn't an awful idea you melts.

Not many of those teams have played the amount of games we have though either. Get over it, back the team. The team picked is capable of winning, if it doesn't, it wont be because they aren't good enough...(It'll probably be because we've not taken our chances tbf). JWP over Reed and Tadic over Redmond are the only two I'd change. We know the club doesn't think Fonte can play 3 games in 7 days and at 33 i don't think that's a ridiculous thought to have. Davis has not exactly been great all season has he? Hardly a must starter, and without Romeu then Reed is the natural step in. The game will be much more open than the last two as Bournemouth wont sit behind the ball all game so I can see the logic to use Redmond over Tadic.

If we/he had a decent striker we'd be raving about him. We'd be in complete control of games and winning 2-0 every week and everyone would be happy. Once he has a capable striker at his disposal then I think we can start to judge him, if it's still blunt then fine but I dont imagine it will be.

If we're taking anyone from WBA it should be Rondon. Haller is a real possibility. I think Jay Rodriguez's goal before the end of the window stalled us on that deal in the summer and I'd be surprised if we didn't go for him again. We have to be wary about what's available in January though. Being out of Europe doesn't help with the quality of striker we'll be after as anyone capable of playing at that level will be reluctant to sign for a team that they don't know if they're in it or not. So Haller would be a little more of a gamble but one we could probably pull off at a decent price in January and not get absouletly robbed for an already proven striker.

The people booing Redmond and mocking/sarcastically cheering Forster when he kicks the ball can **** off. Seriously disgraceful and if either wanted to leave at the first sniff of interest in them in the future, I'd be fully expecting and even encouraging them to do so. Absolutely ****ing mental.