Bstokesaint

Haha **** 'of'

This, he's part of a team that's done a great job in difficult circumstances over the last few years as we continually get used as a stepping stone by players. Kept us in the league and reasonably competitive

I trust these guys and think they've generally done a great job keeping a small selling club in the top half of the premier league I'm very unsure about the new owners, do some research on the guy. It does not make good reading

Strange that he didn't even bring in one player of his own? All the signings look like 'les' players that had been in the pipeline a long time. It's not as if we have 11 fantastic starters that you can't improve on without spending huge money? It's just weird how he did an amazing job in la liga with a bang average team mostly because of excellent work in the transfer window yet he hasn't brought in one player from Spain or his homeland? Odd? Does his contract say you are just a coach and we give you the players?

Is he actually going to be allowed to make any of his own? He doesn't even seemed to of heard of any of the new players? The signings (many loans granted) he made last year were inspired and managed to get a tiny club, favourite for relegation, to a cup final and mid table safety. He must have a few little gems in mind?

You've got to be pretty unlucky to be completely innocent and directly involved in massive corruption cases, even in china. Am I wrong in thinking this guy would be in prison under most western laws?

All I can think is no one else was interested so she's had enough and sold up to this guy. The retaining 20% is the weird one for me, did Gao not have the money to buy 100% or has she kept it for some kind of tax avoidance?

Not really excited we've been sold to a Chinese crook. Im worried some of our more unrealistic fans are now going to realise how good we had it under the Liebherrs

I'm not one of the big les haters or 'Liebherr out random Chinese criminal in' people but the board needs to take responsibility for this season but they are very happy for Puel to take all the flack. Yes most of the football is boring but we spent the first half of the season without a striker and the second half with our reserve centre back partnering an unproven player from the youth team. Without Gabbiadinis early goals we would have been in massive trouble these past weeks. Because of our recent history how are fans saying we are such a attractive side for potential managers out there? "Come to saints where we will sell VVD and anyone else who gets a half decent bid, replace with some cheap 'ok' players and then expect you to trouble the top 7 whilst playing fast attacking football" The potential isn't there at the moment for a great manager to come in and use us as a stepping stone to a big club so I think we'll have to put up with yes men who keep us up and don't complain

My thoughts exactly

Think Maguire would be great signing but think he will need experience next to him. With all the top clubs in the world tripping over themselves in the summer for VVD I'm resigned to him going. Yoshida has improved and Stephens has done a great job but I think we'll need two centre backs to come straight into the first team. Hopefully the club has learnt from the Fonte cock up

Can't see us selling to these jokers? Kat was part of a multi billion pound business that must have dealt with plenty of 'characters ' like Lander? Having them in the bidding only helps keep the price up

Considering some of the terrible defending from the top teams in the league plus real lack of decent centre backs in world football I imagine there will be a lot of teams coming in with big money bids for VVD. The guy could walk straight into first teams of Arsenal, Liverpool, city, and united. Even teams like Barca or Real Madrid would be improved. Obviously we will put a few off with a massive price tag but when you look at what city paid for Otamendi and Mangala what does that make VVD worth?! I wouldn't blame him for leaving us for a big club in the summer

I really don't think we'd be in danger if we hadn't lost our two best centre backs. I know Yoshida has improved but he's only 'ok' as an understudy to a better defender who can keep him focused and organise for him. Show me any team in the league that wouldn't struggle with Yoshida and Stephens/Gardos as first choice?

Just being realistic. We don't score goals although hopefully we will get a few more now with our new striker but we will still be shipping goals until VVD comes back which will put us right in it

Think the only positive we can take then is that it's not going to be a boring second half of the season!!

Strange but true, the emotion in the Northam the year Nigel Pearson kept us in the championship! The last game against Sheffield united was crazy!

Totally agree, this should have been such an easy mid table finish this year. It the management team have now made it very difficult

Let's be honest we are in trouble big time now. Not replacing Fonte is going to cost us the chance of a cup and has put us in a relegation battle. Even with VVD injury if we had signed a top Fonte replacement then we might have had a partner able to get a couple of good games out of Yoshida. The fact our defence is going to be leaking badly until VVD returns and we don't score goals means it's going to take us a very long time to get to the fabled 40 points but will that be enough?! Sunderland, Hull and Swansea are all on the up Saints, Palace, Bournemouth, Leicester, Middlesbrough and (Maybe)Watford are all playing terribly and will be dragged closer. I think Burnley will also run out of steam but should have enough to be ok. So I cant work out with such a poor quality of teams in the lower half of the table whether the points needed for safety will be low or high??

Understand yesterday we played many youngsters and looked like we didn't want another cup run but anyone still thinking we don't need to replace Fonte and injured VVD this window?!

Well said, first time in years (maybe since the Lowe days) that the club has made some errors with the squad. However bad I've expected seasons to be in past after selling all our best players each summer so how we've got away with it. This year we've been found out and it's going to be a long, boring slog till the end but the whole Leibherr era hasn't given us any reason to believe we won't turn this around next year.

Problem is the thought of Yoshida for the rest of the season is just as scary! I admit he's improved but he still switches off way too much and you're sat waiting for him to make a clanger. If VVD gets injured or suspended then we are in serious trouble

Do you honestly think he's going to stay?! Europes top clubs are going to be tripping over themselves to sign him. Triple his wages and champions league football or stay with us and try to keep us away from the relegation zone next season?

Suicide not to replace Fonte this window but since we didn't replace anyone who left in the summer it would not surprise me. Any half decent centre backs available for loan till end of season? Arsenal, Chelsea and United all have loads of CB's. Cheeky loan for one of them? Getting more desperate some one like Micah Richards?! Better than Gardos/Stephens and just as calamitous as Yoshida?

Wow imagine back four of Bertrand(if he stayed) Yoshida Sakho and Martina next season All that's missing is some Benny Hill music.....