LegalEagle

He doesn't exactly look delighted to be joining us. Miserable bastard. Doesn't he realise that this is the greatest moment of his life?

Like the great West Indian cricketer, Everton Weekes. I believe Che’s dad is from the Windies.

Totally agree. An absolute no brainer. If you said to me now that we go back up with Che this season but we lose him on a free next summer, I’d rip your arm off.

I wouldn’t sell Adams. He scores 25 for us this season we will almost certainly be back in the PL next season. If he goes on a free then so be it but being back in the PL would have paid for losing him then anyway. Chances are however that if we are back in the PL we may not offer him a new contract on the basis he’s not a PL player but we may offer him three years at that stage. He needs to think very carefully. He could go to Everton and easily pass us as they go down and we come up. Think long term Che. As a club however we should not be selling. We don’t need the money and we have no suitable replacement anyway.

I think he could have offered us something this season. I would have had him in the squad ahead of the likes of Aribo, Djenepo, Tall Paul, Mara etc

With an apparent lull in transfer activity, I thought I’d start a healthy discussion. If Saints were struggling by Christmas, mid table or lower and we binned off RM, who would welcome SW as manager? Would it work? Interested in people’s thoughts. My view is why not but perhaps I’m being naive.

It’s not. Barry Venison is coming out of retirement.

And that cross from Steve De Ridder. Makes you realise watching that how we slag off some of those old players but they were better than most of the shite from last season such as Tall Paul, Sulemana, Aribo, Elyonoussi etc

Don’t want to turn this into a political/human rights forum but I’ve worked in recent times in a legal capacity with various human rights groups trying to help people in Saudi. The things that go on out there are horrific. Beyond your worse nightmares.

Don’t be silly.

Sorry MB but you’ve made that up or been duped into believing it’s true from some idiot on Twitter. Smallbone hasn’t said this at all - anywhere.

Well it’s obvious where the problems lie. Forget about Piroe. Get two new central defenders and GK. Job done.

Comedy game. We’ll win this yet

The poor darling will just have to keep taking his many thousands of pounds per week that he’s getting paid for not playing. If he really wants to play for Liverpool rather than Chelsea, I suggest he gets on the phone to Klopp and tells him to meet the £50 mill figure that we’ve set. If the scousers are not prepared to meet that figure they cannot want him as much as he wants them.

Now that would put the cat amongst the pigeons. I thought JWP was having his medical in the morning?!

If we “dominate” 90% of our games we will be there or thereabouts i.e. at least top 6 with the squad and spending power we have. I’d take that as we sit here now. If anyone thinks we’re going to simply walk this league then they’re in for a surprise but aside from Leicester I fancy us against anyone. My prediction is that Leicester and Saints will be the top 2 but the likes of Leeds, Coventry, Middlesbrough and Milwall won’t be far behind.

Don’t be ridiculous man. We’re one proper game in - which we won. Pull yourself together.

Genuine question. Taking last season in isolation, apart from his free kicks, what quality or added benefit did JWP give us? He was a mediocre captain at best. His corners were average on the whole. His ability to find a telling pass that counted for something were limited. I’m far from convinced that if we get someone like Downes in that apart from his free kicks we won’t miss JWP at all. And that’s why a top 6 PL side haven’t gone for him. They know that his true talents are limited.

Don’t think there are any other candidates save possibly for Bednarek or at a push Stu Armstrong if he was in the first choice XI

Even better if Ings was coming as well. Both on loan for the season will do

You forget Mike Brearley. One of England’s greatest cricket captains. Total introvert. Courage and integrity. That’s what makes great leaders.

It's totally different. Very amusing but a really poor analogy.

Martin will be desperate to keep JWP for this season. It makes RM's job far easier to have him in the side. I suspect that RM will be trying to pull out all of the stops and use all of his charm to convince him to stay. I think there's a reasonable chance he will stay - certainly for one season and at least possibly to convince him to stay until Christmas to see how we are doing and if we're off the pace at the turn of the year he can go in January. That's the card I would try and play with him.

…..out in a few minutes at 9am. Away to Swansea first game up would be fitting.

who would take him over Russell Martin?