Dusic

Good addition, bringing much needed height and power to the central role. Slight caveat to all the optimism - lets remember he was the 4th choice CB at Lazio at the start of this season and will likely take time to settle. A few comments from their fans that he is quite slow but clearly a beast in the air and good on the ball. That said, from MP's comments post WH about our inability to defend crosses and direct play, I expect him to start at the weekend. That said, with who?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/08/22/southampton-sign-15m-centre-back-wesley-hoedt-virgil-van-dijks/ Clearly not a good situation with VVD. Part of me thinks a huge bid from Chelsea or City would be the best ending here. Take the money, invest it and move on.

He is unless anyone actually wants him. Very unlikely anyone will pay a fee for him so likely will end up loaning him out which is a shame.

Poor pool of players, hence relegation last season and with a few of the best ones injured at the moment that doesn't help. The likes of Bakary, Wood, Little etc will never be PL players. Some of the younger ones are more promising but there is nobody who is going to make a breakthrough and impact the first team this season. Big gap in class from the JWP, Targett, McQueen group to the current one.

Interesting that Lazio say he is leaving as wangs guarenteed first team football and they cannot provide that (despite playing 3 CBs). If VVD isn't available then he would be a starter. If he somehow reintegrates then you would imagine its not completely as cut and dried. Seems a good signing and will add much needed height. Good age and profile, classic Saints hallmarks. That said, €17m for a non first choice player isn't a terrible deal for Lazio either.

I think he will have been a little disappointed with getting a poor reception yesterday. IMO that wasn't needed. It didn't end in the most pleasant way but he was a great captain for us and had the best years of his career here. He should have been respected by the fans. Too many just boo every ex Saints player without giving it much thought which is a shame. Right time to sell him though.

Interesting that Lemina was actually deeper than Romeu most of the time. I had thought it would be the other way around but it did allow us to make use of Romeu's forward passing which was excellent. Lemina looked powerful and competitive which is what we were lacking. On the ball he reminded me a bit of Wanyama, you just want him to keep it simple rather than try 40 yard passes.

Change needed here. Yoshida and Stephens both tidy players but neither dominant enough and we are always going to be vunerable to balls into the box with that pairing.

Keep believing that. IMO he is up there with any attacking midfielder in the PL. Excellent goal record. £35m an absolute steal.

Crying out for a centre back to win the ball in the air.

Unfortunately looks like Burnley are going for Chris Wood. Is there anyone else who might realistically be able to take Long off our hands?

Interesting comments from Pellegrino when asked about the need for another CB signing. Effectively said he has made some decisions and its an area he thinks we need better options and can't wait because of competition. Sounded to me like either, or a combination of, not being overly impressed with the CBs we have and not being overly patient in waiting for VVD to suddenly decide to play. http://sfcne.ws/Press2170817

Potentially when the window shuts we could have 6 first team CBs: VVD - if he stays and somehow reintegrates (I'm not so sure...) then you have to assume he plays every game and is frst choice. Hoedt - if he signs would imagine he competes for the second starting spot with Stephens and Yoshida. Adds height but Lazio fans on social media seem to think he is a little slow for the PL and ultimately that fee for a 3rd choice CB was good business. Stephens - Lots of potential, needs games and has earned a chance. Would benefit from playing alongside a more dominant player in the air than Yoshida. IMO will start most weeks this season. Yoshida - reliable 3rd choice for many seasons and IMO that is what he should still be for us. Less than a year left on contract so will be interesting to see what happens. Gardos - got to be looking to shift, even if on loan as contract ends at end of season. Unlikely to make 25 man squad if VVD stays. Bednarek - not commenting on abilities as havent seen enough but seems an odd signing, especially if VVD stays and Hoedt joins. Will likely be 5th choice if the above happens. U23 regular or loaned out to the Championship maybe? Certainly hard to see him get games even in cups if we keep the main four. Then there is Alfie Jones who the club seems to rate and yet would be 7th choice as it stands. Hope VVD stays but if he does and we sig Hoedt then surely Gardos goes and Bednarek is loaned out? Even then one player who is used to starting would suddenly be a 4th choice which is hard to imagine...

From the tone of Pellegrino he didn't seem to think VVD would be available to him anytime soon.

And still isn't sctuslly training with the team. I'm sure he hasn't read what Krueger said and given up his idea of forcing a move. Wouldn't see him til late Sept IMO if he stays.

"The black box is buzzing" That is the best thing Ralph has said since joining the club. Deserves a pay rise for that line alone. Genius.

Game of opinions. Mine is he is nowhere near a better option than those listed. His finishing is woeful, first touch awful. Crossing and passing not much better. He is a useful running player in a direct team.

With just over two weeks left of the window this is a delicate scenario: a.) Keep VVD. He somehow gets reintegrated and we don't need to sign anyone but do have to wait for him to get fit. He doesn't want to play for us and has acted disgracefully but plays instead of a model pro because he is a miles better defender. He then gets sold next summer anyway. b.) Keep VVD. He doesn't play for us for whatever reason (unlikely but not impossible) or misses a sizeable part of the early season when our fixtures are kindest. We need to sign someone without having VVD sale money c.) VVD goes. We need to replace, late in the window when favoured options may not be available and will obviously be a worse player than VVD. For this to happen I think VVD would need to leave pretty soon. d.) VVD goes. We don't sign anyone and Jeremy Wilson leaks that Stephens was our Fonte replacement and Bednarek the VVD replacement (which will never happen) I think it will be c, probably to Chelsea. Don't see how VVD will be able to be reintegrated after his behaviour this summer and his recent statement. With VVD available and playing our centre back situation is solid enough. If he goes or isn't available then its the weakest pool since promotion so the replacement would be massively key. IMO Yoshida is a good 3rd choice but whoever we sign has to be better than him and be a starting XI player. A Yoshida-Stephens partnership is too lightweight over a whole season and will be bullied by teams with powerful centre backs. For this reason surely it would need to happen very soon so we can secure a good replacement? Interesting situation, especially as Saints have little control over whether a or b would happen should he stay. Must be a very tough decision for the club: stick to principles or do what is best to give clarity to the team.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/08/15/chelsea-target-cedricsoares-aim-make-three-signings-month/ Some comedy here. If £15m is all that Chelsea would offer then it won't get very far. He signed a new deal last summer so I think has three years left. I think in todays market he would be a £25-£30m player and likely will go next summer with two yesrs left on his contract. But this summer? Little chance. And this summer for £15m? LOL

Compared to the investment Everton got this is small-fry and the main character comes with some clear alarm bells. That said, KL has clearly been looking to do this for quite a while and has seemingly got to know them so must be happy with what is on the table which tempers the caution slightly. Ultimately, few Asian based takeovers of British football teams have bsen successful so lets hope this is an exception. Interesting content on @Prof_Chadwick and @DreyerChina timelines.

It is slightly bizarre in that you would ideally have a succession plan of having a decent U18 keeper ready to step into the U23s with Lewis not there. Last year we signed Latham who was clearly a stop gap to have a semi competent keeper in the U18s and that seems to be what Rose is. If so, fair enough and hopefully he does well. But shows there is a bit of a gap of none of the young keepers being good enough for U23 football. Bit similar with strikers. I think the U23s will struggle with only an injury prone Barnes as a striker option unless a 16 year old wonderkid is on the scene.

Think you have been hit with a blunt instrument. VVD miles better than Stephens will ever be (no slight on JS).

Van Dijk to Wimmer would be like selling Bertrand and buying Masuaku. There is a reason he never plays for Spurs even when they have CBs unavailable.

Long rightly won't start because he is ****e, especially if its to rectify poor finishing... Austin rightly won't play in a free role behind as he would be ****e there as isn't an especially good footballer and is a central striker or nothing. Gabbiadini is one of our best finishers so very likely won't be selected to play further away from the goal. Romeu will play so at least you nailed that.

They played it much earlier than normal. Video montage closer to kickoff was good and helped get the crowd a bit more hyped for the start.