Dusic

With SAA, the galling bit is the permanency of it. Why not loan him out to the league we will be in next year, see how he does and wait til the summer with more known? Its just a bit illogical, like most of our summer signings were.

Re Sam Amo, big questions to be asked on how his 'development' has been handled. Why wasn't he let out on loan at the start of the season, or 2nd half of last season? Why did he go from training all the time with the first team to back to U21s recently? Must have been so demoralising to have dross like BBD, Fraser, Cornet take your squad space and then be kept to play U21 football he has already proven to have outgrown. The actual decision to sell now rather than assessing in the summer after a loan would be nice to have explained by one of the off field leaders at the club but sure instead we will have the usual "we wish Sam well" copy and paste statement. (Re the bizarre post a couple up...he didn't ever give off any vibes of arrogance. Not sure where that and ABK similarities comes from...)

Interesting exchange here: Surely no chance we would let him go to Ipswich as will be competing with them again next season but certainly something not quite right with him. Recall his partner being pregnant, perhaps just generally unsettled?

I meant result comparisons are pointless because Juric is played 7 lost 6 so his results are also poor but there is clearly sign of improvement as explained. Comparisons to past seasons are tough because the overall strength and spending of the smaller teams grows every year but clearly novody expected we would have this few points. It was clear before a ball was kicked that it would be hard to stay up and once the likes of BBD, Cornet and to a lesser extent Archer showed absolutely nothing it was clear we totally messed up the summer window and certainly in attacking areas justdidn't have enough quality to really compete at this level. I'm absolutely certain if we had Delap or £40m Cunha, Evanilson, Joao Pedro etc then we would have more points and likely be around where Ipswich and Leicester are. Take a look at the striker section on the OS profiles - its Adam Armstrong, Cameron Archer and Paul Onuachu. That doesn't win you many PL points unfortunately.

Results comparisons etc are pointless. RM was poor but equally the club completely failed to recruit a competitive PL team, proven by the fact that so many of the summer signings have already been bombed out. Especially in attacking areas we just completely fucked up the summer business and will clesrly be relegated because of it. That said, what I like about Juric is that he seems more open to using the players in a way that suits them. Kamaldeen a primary example has done more under Juric than in 2 years prior. He knows that in the PL as a lower side you need a threat on the break to create chances. Equally has got more from Lesley, Onuachu, arguably Fernandes too. Whether he stays next season or not, he has been kind of refreshing in his honesty and by not making it all about him like many managers do. The fact he openly wants to stay next season is good in that it should keep motivation high til the end of the season and if he does stay he will know what he wants for next year.

He was asked again about bringing players in e.g using PL loan spot and he basically said he has told the club whats needed and its over to them.

Would be quite the admission of recruitment failure if BBD, Taylor, Edwards, Cornet and Archer end up moving after less than 6 months, whilst Fraser and Lallana can't get a game in a team with 6pts in January and Wood is behind a RB who was a sub in the Championship. Jesus.

Will we even bother using our 2nd PL loan spot now? Unless it were someone who makes a clear difference or has potential to sign in the summer then it seems a little pointless. I doubt any other incomings now unless we revisit maybe Garcia from Reading? If we feel he is worth signing and could eventually be a first XI player then it seems a bit pointless to miss out over a 500k squabble. Will be interesting to see where Sam Amo goes and if we do loan out Bazunu or see him as a better option than McCarthy whilst Ramsdale is injured.

KWP not interested in moving to Turkey and will leave as a free agent in the summer where a host of PL teams want him. Probably the least suprising news of the window. Will end up at Brighton IMO.

Probably unlikely but wonder if there is any feasibility in the summer with a player like Fernandes to tell him he can leave on loan but won't be sold and will return if we manage to get straight back up. Logic being that Dibling will go for big cash so surely we won't be that desperate for another fee, and he will likely be worth even more the following summer anyway. Seeing as he signed a 5yr deal there would be little pressure on that side of things. So hard to find these kind of gems at the fees we pay so really frustrsting to then have to try and find one all over again after just a season.

In Pochettino's first summer we kept all our best players, a few signing new deals and signed Lovren, Wanyama and Osvaldo. The first two instantly and massively improved the quality of the starting XI. Lovren especially was a gamechanger and boosted those around him. Unsuprisingly we improved. The problem now is we still try to spend the same £12m - £15m as these guys cost 12 years ago, whereas the equivalent quality players now start at £30m with many clubs of a similar size now going up to £40m. Its seen as a risk to spend more but arguably is less risky as the quality of player and level of proveness is usually far higher.

As per title: Draper was a disappointing signing, quite hyped when he joined after a good career at Villa but was too often injured for us and didnt justify the £1.5m outlay. Prutton was vastly overrated, and a major disappointment after being considered as something of a coup when he signed from Forest as Eng U21 skipper. Haunting miss vs WBA and total headloss vs Arsenal probably the two highlights of his stay, leaving aside the Prutts & Beatts show from back when our radio station was the envy of English football. At a push? Prutton, just. Awful first touch but better availability than Draper (when not suspended).

Yeah I don't understand the hate for him at all. Was largely very good in a promotion winning side, including getting the key goal in the playoff semi final, plus an assist in the final. Our struggles this season have barely involved him. Seems like a good lad and one with an affinity to the club. Will be one we can rely on next season. Madness to be wanting rid of someone like him!

Off to Cambridge on loan. Probably a make or break one for him from a Saints perspective. Score goals and a good pre season puts him well in contention. If he doesn't do much then at risk of being another who cannot translate U21 form to mens football. Good luck to him because he can clearly finish when given opportunities.

By PL Club Owner standards it was a pretty decent interview, he comes across fairly well and didn't say anything that was too ludicrous. He is obviously a connection of Jim White but bit of a shame to only get to hear this thoughts through something like this. Phil Parsons as CEO has been extraordinarily quiet this season.

The accuracy level of the Turkish transfer reports is somewhere between 0.0% and 0.1%. There is no scenario where Galatasaray drop £10m on a player who they could agree a pre-contract with to sign in 6mths for free.

KWP won't be signing for Galatasaray. He will go to a PL club on a free in the summer.

Its hard to objectively judge because we are so limited in particular areas that it was obvious anyone would struggle - so probably a good decision to get a stopgap in rather than pay compo for a manager who is then unpopular come May. He has found a system to suit Sulemana and got more from LU but results still woeful. I do think he has been unlucky with injuries, especially after finally finding an attacking setup vs Utd which looked promising. At this stage I am more bothered about being able to appoint Spors or someone else of quality into DoF/TD role - without some off field consistency and a dramatic improvement in recruitment any Manager will struggle with Saints at PL level. Think Juric has a chance to be the man next season - but he needs to somehow start taking points (and probably make some effort in the media to build a rapport of some sort with supporters).

To be fair Bmth got Solanke to sign a new contract in Sept 23 which meant they could sell on their terms (getting £65m for him) and then spending double our record fee on his replacement, who had proven himself with Porto and had a very good start to the season before he got injured. Would say that was pretty good work from their side as a selling club. They are having an excellent season, with two young CBs - both signed for less than we paid for Vestergaard - who have at least doubled their value already. They probably have 5 players whose selling value is at least 40m so well set overall to continue their progress.

Anonymous so far. Sheff Utd look poor overall - they will be straight back down if they do go up. Championship was definitely much stronger last season, and will be again next year too.

As per title - which goals against really hit the hardest? Recent shouts from me would be the Zlatan cup final header and Tom Davies deflected late equalizer at Goodison - felt like it had relegated us at the time. Last season maybe that Cardiff winner after we absolutely battered them for an hour to the tune of one goal.

Dibling is different level to what Grealish was aged 18. Lallana hadn't played in the PL until he was promoted there so totally different.

Dibling is too good to waste a season getting smashed to bits in the Championship - it will serve him no purpose. He will get enough game time at a good club because he is a really good player. We are overplaying him anyway because our other attackers are so poor.

Believe Tim was at Staplewood yesterday.

Don't really see any logic in loaning Shea Charles out to Sheff Utd, unless our idea is to try to sell him in the summer on the basis that he does well and they want to keep him in the PL. If he goes back out then to SW on better loan terms surely makes more sense?