Dusic

IMO it would be mental not to rest at least: Hoedt - only quality CB we have Romeu - on 8 yellows Tadic - only effective creative player Bednarek must start at CB to give him game time as will likely be needed in the league assuming we don'!t bring in another CB.

What do we think the chances of the currently linked names are? I reckon: Carrillo - 7/10 Promes - 4/10 Another different wide player - 5/10 VVD replacement - 1/10 Hope whoever joins they are in to be available vs Brighton. Even if from bench it would be a big lift.

You would hope we have been given a bit of encouragement by his agent, otherwise its a massive waste of time at a crucial point of the window and very naïve. For the player it makes more sense to wait until the summer and assess his options. But if he wants to join Saints and has a release clause then it would be very possible. The key part is if he wants do, which should be easy to find out. Hope Les the Postie doesn't get his hand bitten through the letterbox by the Spartak bulldog.

Much better today and suprise, suprise, it helped the players. People at the club know they have made bad decisions, taken too long to spellcheck pledges and sign players etc but supporting the actual players on the pitch is always going to be more conducive to getting a better result than stupid protests. Fans were better, Manager was better, players were better.

Definitely missing a defensive leader. Stephens, unfortunately for a centre back, is better on the ball than off it.

Totally agree. Supporting the team gives the best chance of a good result. In some ways I see this game as a free hit. We likely won't get anything and most results went well yesterday with only Stoke winning in the bottom half. The biggest games are Brighton and WBA plus the whole of March - that will determine our fate. Was noticeable the positivity and excellent atmopshere at Anfield last week when Liverpool beat City. We could do with some of that, otherwise I feel playing at home is a disadvantage to us. You know all the oppos will be saying keep it tight, score first and the crowd will turn on their team. Reed et al will know they have made some bad decisions, MP will know his position is precarious. They don't need pieces of crap A4 photoshop waved in their faces to work that out.

Its not breaking news. We have been in a relegation battle for a few weeks now. Big games coming up and we need to support the team not start protesting.

Reality is that most deals happen towards the end of the window. We obviously want Carrillo and I expect we will get him. An added difficulty is that clubs like Monaco or Spartak for example i.) Arent desperate for the money ii.) Know we are desperate for players and iii.) Know we just sold VVD for a record fee. Pellegrino seems happy with what the club are doing to sign players, and ultimately as long as we get them it doesn't matter now whetger they sign today or in a week's time.

Pellegrino seems fairly certain that two players will come in. Agree with him that its only worth adding good players and generally that goes til near the end of the window. The Watford cup game is irrelevant so as long as we have two in for the Brighton game then so be it. Will be glad if we are targetting quality.

Practical question: as we only really have Reed and Wilson who are senior enough full time employees to lead transfer negotiations, would we struggle to do two big deals at the same time? For example is Reed travelled to Monaco to work on Carrillo, woukd he be able to do much on another deal at the same time?

Russian report says Promes is not true. Even if we are interested, I bet they are a nightmare to deal with, and like any other club, knows we i.) Have money and ii.) Are desperate.

Support the team, make a positive home atmosphere. Stuff like this is counter-productive to the above and will help cause relegation, not prevent it. We have some massive games coming up at home, now isnt the time for stuff like this. (Plus the Manager is a part problem but not the biggest problem).

Absolutely bossed some games earlier this season and looked fantastic until his injury. When on form was clearly one of our best players and added vital pace, mobility and strength. Time to give him a run of starts again?

Agree, but in that context Carrillo is the sort of player you will end up with. £15m is the £8m of a few years ago. You will get a young prospect with few games, a Championship striker you aren't sure will make the step up, a reserve who isn't playing at a bigger club or an old past it has-been. £15m will not buy someone in their prime with a great goal record, who starts every week at a team in a good league. For those you start the bidding at £30m. For a player like Benteke.

Judging by the latest Wilson piece we won't replace VVD. I expect that circumstances will occur that will mean Bednarek starting at least one league game before the end of the season so hopefully he is good enough. Yoshida currently injured so he is our first backup. IMO each of our CBs is currently elevated one place above what their true squad level should be. Hoedt is a 2nd choice, Yoshida 3rd, Stephens 4th and Bednarek out on loan learning his trade. From Fonte-Lovren, Fonte-Alderweireld, Fonte-VVD to Hoedt-Yoshida is unquestionably a big downgrade. Ever since VVD got vardied we have shipped more goals than for the 3 years before - simply because the defenders are worse.

20 goals in 29 starts for Monaco (plus a number of sub apps, some for just a handful of minutes). Not as terrible as some make out. The problem, if there is one with this signing, is not Carrillo. It is that we are spending £15m. It it were double that then you get access to better players, with better goal records in better leagues. Simple as that. Source: Soccerbase

Start of the window puff pieces in Telegraph and Sky etc said we would be very active. One signing doesn't cut it. Simple as. Everton have done what we needed to. Addressed key areas quickly.

If we matched the financials and he picked Everton then you can't really blame us or him. Over the next 5 years its 99% likely they will fare better than us.

Stupid thing is that we actually have a good amount of decent players. We clearly are lacking in three main areas and if sorted we would have a good side: - Powerful striker - Defensive leader - Pace out wide With a world record fee for a defender having come in then we shoukd be able to sort these 3 in this one window. But we won't.

Could this window be set to rival last January as an omnishambles? As I see it: Carrillo will be the striker. We need one with more presence. Its a gamble but unless you pay big dough then you can't sign proven PL strikers, and we won't pay. At least MP knows what he is getting. I say at least, because its clear (even more so after Stoke's search) that we will be retaining him. Out wide we are badly in need of some pace and goal threat. That is why Walcotr would have been ideal. You wouldn't get a more proven PL wide player with 100 goals for that price, would have been a great signing and would have given the whole club a lift. CB a must. Backup RB at a push could wait til summer. Deals Needed: 1. Carrillo or similar targetman type 2. Pace out wide 3. CB who can lead the defence. Tick tock Leslie Arnold and Wee Ross... I think we will end up with just Carrillo, after hyping to all the favoured Journalists about Walcott, Tosun, Benteke, Shaw, Sturridge, Mawson etc. If so, would rather have kept VVD til end of season.

Guardian's Ed Aarons: Southampton still in talks with Monaco over a deal for Guido Carrillo. Striker has four goals this season ---------------- I reckon this one is quite likely.

I would rather have MP.

Looking back at those initial post VVD hype articles the links are either i.) Hilarious, ii.) Delusional or iii.) Both: Walcott - asking him to take a pay cut but probably the most realistic Benteke - never happening. Palace would want profit on the £30m they paid and he is apparently on over 100k a week which we will not pay Mawson - talk of £25m+ valuation which we wouldn't pay and it seems like we aren't even interested in a defender now Sessegnon - LOL Cenk Tosun - was already in very advanced negotiations with Everton, who paid 25m for him plus 120k a week wages which we wouldn't have got near Sturridge - still a slight possibility on loan but no way we would pay the fee they would want for a perm. Shaw - again we would be asking him to take a huge pay cut (probably 50k a week) and would be needing to pay a big record fee. The fact these were fed to the cosy Journalists is quite worrying: were the club just trying to soften the VVD blow and make themselves seem like a big player? We were never going to be able to sign most of these players, delusional if they thought they would, deceptive if they knew they couldn't. In terms of realistic signings: I think Guido Carrillo will join this Jan. We miss a big target man and he has a good goals to minutes ratio.

Jeremy Wilson: "Theo Walcott is also increasingly likely to depart shortly – with Everton still favourites to sign him – but he is in Arsenal’s squad today." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/01/14/alexis-sanchez-left-arsenal-squad-bournemouth-manchester-united/ Looks like this mini saga will be sorted either way at some stage this week. I wonder if he is one of the two targets MP was hopeful would be added next week. IMO either he makes a sensible career choice (Everton) or a lifestyle choice (Saints). Surely the former?

We are so weak in this position, have £75m and yet don't appear to see the need to bring anyone in. Negligent.