Dusic

Telegraph & Crossy saying Everton are going to bid £20m for him and will match his wages whilst we want him to take a wage cut and join a relegation battle. Reedo and Wee Ross will remain "hopeful" but I hope they have some other ideas as this one isn't happening which is a shame as his goal record from out wide is excellent.

- Scorer of the most uncomfortable looking worldie of all time... - Most unlikely successful wide-player in PL history... - Selected purely to facilitate a left back to get forward... - Football Genius. Mazza.

He obviously isn't coming here.

Is Hoedt fit for this one? Not in the training pics or video from yesterday.

Always likely in January that you have to overpay to get good players. After a season of struggling to score goals, to not sign any attacking players last summer was an absolute cluster**** so the club only have themselves to blame. After selling VVD others clubs and agents know we are 1.) Desperate and 2.) Have money available. We also still absolutely need to replace VVD as our current CBs are not good enough. Feels very similar to the Jan window last year where we sold Fonte and then bungled replacing him. Every game that goes by without reinforcements is mismanagement IMO. We are running out of time and will likely have Shane Long up front in a massive, massive match this weekend, which is telling.

Thats the one. When you look at the facts ita pretty clear that he isn't suddenly going to be what we need.

We have been linked with a young striker from the Championship. In and out this season but has four league goals... Thoughts?

Last season Walcott scored: 10 in 23 PL starts 4 in 3 Champions League starts This season he hasn't started a single league game but has 3 goals in 5 Europa League starts. For a wide player his goal record is excellent.

Pied will be released in the summer. Not good enough or fit enough. We do need a backup RB as has been shown lately.

If only it were that easy for Shane!

No. We will bring a couple in. Just frustrating that seemingly a couple more PL games will have gone by before we do. Clearly crying out for reinforcements now.

Carrillo scored a hattrick yesterday so any move surely made tougher. Shame as we badly need a frontman with physical presence. The goal stats quoted by many are misleading. He has now scored 8 in his 7 games where he has played more than 15mins, so is in good form. Probably too good for them to let him go and possibly for him to be interested now. Clearly though, with links to Carrillo, Benteke and Carroll that we are looking for a particular type of player. Its a crucial signing so hopefully we get what we want and not a cheapo option that becomes a sub.

"Les, shouldn't that dial be in the green section?" "Its been like that for a while now, Ralphy. I will see if Ross can download an upgrade once he has finished spellchecking the pledges."

I get the Jan window is tough etc, but am absolutely amazed we didnt seemingly have a striker waiting to move on. Please not a repeat of last Jan's fiasco.

We are going to replace our best player having just sold for £75m, right? Would be asking for trouble to continue with Hoedt (2nd choice), Yoshida (3rd), Stephens (4th), Bednarek (needs a loan), Gardos (training mannequin), especially given the quality we have had in that position in the recent past. Have seen the Mawson link but that is more likely in the summer should we stay up. Crying out for a powerful defensive leader having lost Fonte and VVD inside a year. Yoshida cannot lead a backline and Hoedt is still adjusting to the PL and seems more understated.To rake in that kind of money and not buy one is what gets you relegated. Over to you, lads.

I'm sure Reedo is relaxed. Clyne, Wanyama, Koeman style.

Could this be the player from France that Jeremy Wilson mentioned? Interesting write up here: http://www.o-posts.com/teams/italy/inter-milan/guido-carrillo-estudiantes-powerful-number-ready-big-europe-step-up/ The fact he used to play under MP and also fits our current model of signings from big clubs who are not playing regularly suggests it could be true. Certainly need a player with more power up front and age 26 he would be approaching his peak. Wouldn't read too much into x goals in x games unless you can see how many were starts.

Bit more from the Echo: Walcott a clear target and MP wants someone to replace Austin, which looks like the most clear priority: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/15808325.Saints_target_Walcott_deal/ Seems odd to have targets like Tosun who was clearly going to Everton and Benteke who we clearly can't afford the wages of (he is on over 100k a week). Really thought at least up front that we would have something lined up. Also, IMO to not replace VVD is ludicrous as our CBs are bang average.

Shows how despite fans on here asking for these lads to play in the first team after a few goals in the watered down U23 league that there is a huge, huge step to PL level. The vast majority of our current U23s will do well to play above L1 level.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/01/03/southamptonchairman-gives-full-backing-mauricio-pellegrino-despiteperilousproximity/ So... Walcott - sounds like it could happen but with Giroud injured and some question marks over Sanchez and a heap of games in January including two legs of theLeague Cup semi I can imagine Wenger may want to keep him til near the end of Jan which isn't ideal for us. Others allegedly wanted: Benteke - can't see Palace selling to a rival unless for a huge premium, which we won't pay. Sturridge - would be a great loan if fit but surely if it were going to happen and he is a serious target then we would have tied it to the VVD deal? Mawson - would need to pay a huge premium for a player who is potential rather than finished article. No way we will pay £25m for him so we won't sign him in January. Tosun - going to Everton by all accounts and they will pay him more than we could. Nothing imminent then. Usually would be amazed we didnt have a striker lined up for Jan 1st like Liverpool did with VVD but then again we are miles better at selling than buying, since Mitchell left anyway. Also our league position surely makes it difficult as stated here: http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11700/11194713/southampton-favourites-to-sign-arsenals-theo-walcott

This is becoming quite a big factor in our slide down the table. I would say playing at home gives an advantage to the opponent at the moment - in a big way. There isn't exactly a lot of supporting happening. Some players take unfair abuse, the likes of Tadic, Redmond and Forster - the latter two have been ruined partly by a lack of any support. Bertrand was the target last night. No new player songs, can't remember the last time the whole stadium sang OWTSGMI. The whole ground is so tense and it definitely transmits to the players. Any oppo Manager will be telling his team to deny us a fast start and then wait til the crowd get stuck into their own team. I read on here about protests and constant chanting about sacking the Manager but that will not help one bit. It will just make an already ****e home atmosphere even worse. For a relegation battle the home atmosphere has to improve, as well have 3 or 4 massive home games that are truely must-win. A couple of popular signings will help, but fans also need to kick themselves up the arse a bit IMO. Aside: another way to reduce your home advantage is by providing an absolute turdburger of a pitch that negates the way the team tries to play. We didn't adapt to the conditions and Palace did but I bet Pellegrino was livid at the groundstaff for letting it get like that, even if some elements were outside of their control. Very unfortunate. Fine margins in the PL and on the day Ralph told everyone how great the whole setup was. Oops.

Yoshida and Stephens is a partnership that any PL opponent will be fancying their chances against, its simply not strong or dominant enough. Both are ok players when alongside a powerful leader of the back four but as a pairing they are powderpuff and get absolutely beasted in the air. Yoshida is not the leader of a solid backline. He has a habit of losing his man and doesn't lead the defense. Hoedt was screaming at him against United when he lost Lukaku and then later Lingard giving them free headers in the area. Against Hudds he completely left Depoitre who was their only threat. No coincidence that we have started leaking more goals since he became a nailed on starter each week. Yesterday we needed someone to push the team up the pitch, like Fonte would have done. Someone to encourage the others to play to the conditions, stop playing one touch passes when the ball was barely rolling and go more direct. Yoshida looks to others but right now, and as captain, that needed to be him and that isn't what he is about. We are crying out for a defensive leader and having sold Fonte and VVD within a year (both good financial deals) you would expect more to have been spent on this position so we arent so reliant on sub-standard players. Note: I like Yoshida. He has undoubtedly improved and seems like a top guy. This is purely about him as a PL central defender and there is a reason IMO that in our best seasons he was firmly third choice.

A couple of signings won't sort this out.

Not really sure how Ralph Krueger has found himself as the Chairman of a PL football team. Not sure how he is qualified for the role, or has the relevant experience. He isn't a shrewd businessman, has no experience of managing (or even being heavily involved in) a multi million pound business, has no football experience, no wealth to personally put in...what does he add as an employee? The Chairman should calm, motivate, st a vision and lead - he doesn't outwardly appear to do any of that.

1. Mentions we are a small club quite a few times. Whilst that might be true in the context of the PL, he laboured that point a bit too much. 2. Way too much emphasis placed on the VVD "cloud" as an excuse for our position. 3. Pretty clear we won't try to keep the top players in future after this experience, going by what he said. 4. Very hypocritical re Pellegrino position and Saints not being a knee jerk decision club who let one person take the fall for when things don't go well...ahem, Puel 5. Described last season as "very good"...hmmm. 6. Would be better if Krueger stayed quiet and Reed spoke IMO.