Saint Albert

There's lots of press rumours that Man U are close to getting Matic over the line. If this is true, will they still be interested in Dendonker? Do we have a shot at signing him if they end their interest?

They're not a bad side..our squad was better than theirs.

Well, it opened up a bit in the second half. Targett continued on from where he left off last weekend with a decent performance.

0-3 Full time

That looked like a pen for the home team but the ref says he got the ball...

Tadic off now for Gallagher...and Saints with a near miss, Højberg almost setting it up...and then great headed goal by Yoshi from the corner...0-3

St-Etienne with a near miss from a corner.

Davis Stephens Pied off...

With my eyesight I simply can't tell them apart when I'm watching

0-2

Bloody good goal... Targett to Gabbiadini

Bertrand and Boufal are off...and then the French feed crashes...

Saints improved a little after a slow start. Seemed a long time before they recorded their first shot on target (I think Gabbiadini's was the first). Boufal looks classy but still looking to take on the man and running into a wall instead of passing. It's worth pointing out that St-Etienne are a decent side. They made it out of their Europa group last year, I think. Still, overall an underwhelming pre-season game for Saints so far. I find myself wishing for midfield reinforcements.

Nil nil at the half

Close for Gabbiadini...

The Daily Motion stream is working OK

The Sun has picked up on a story by Nieuwsblad linking Saints and Liverpool to 18 y.o. Inter CB Zinho Vanheusden: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/4126866/liverpool-and-southampton-to-battle-it-out-for-inter-milan-defensive-starlet-zinho-vanheusden/ http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20170728_02992740

Jeremy Wilson added some stuff concerning the takeover to the bottom of today's VVD will stay article, at least I don't remember seeing it when the Telegraph first published it earlier today: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/07/28/southampton-determined-keep-virgil-van-dijk-plan-reintegrate/

Agreed. Some of their supporters are complete dickheads but for me this crosses a line.

It was ****ing epic.

If they miss out on VVD and Keita, and lose Coutinho to Barca it will be spectacular.

Liverpool have abandoned their pursuit of Keita, according to the Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4740132/Liverpool-end-Leipzig-s-Naby-Keita.html

The Boufal transfer seemed to drag on.

We each have our own set of floating turds. There are some really nasty comments on RAWK but they have very active Mods over there who tend to clean up a lot of the more offensive and vacuous ones. I dislike the arrogance and disrespect for our club that we get from a lot of them. I certainly dislike glory hunters who seem to feel that they are better simply because they cheer for a bigger club. Nothing against anyone, but I certainly am not a fan of the victims tag that some use on here.

It has been generally tedious but today was entertaining.