Dusic

Echo says VVD unlikely to feature versus Brentford this weekend. Training for about a month but can't play 45mins of a friendly? Not buying it personally...there is clearly a problem with him. The other Echo article from today is a PR piece about how much we will be able to get by selling him due to the crazy market. Still think Liverpool or someone else will stump up the money because he is top class. We aren't in the habit of rejecting sizeable bids for players and there is no way we would turn down a genuine bid of £70m for a player who has made his feelings quite clear.

He is only 29 and has been doing well in Germany. Very good signing for West Ham IMO. Proven goalscorer. Definitely some decent buys from a few mid table clubs this summer.

We could get away with just one really quality central midfielder to play alongside Romeu. Shame in hindsight we didnt opt for Gueye when we signed Clasie - he would be ideal. Need someone in that area who is different from what we have (i.e can run) and who would go straight into our best XI.

Pretty ****ing obvious he wants to go to Liverpool.

Karamoh and Defrel on the move. Two more we were linked with, although hard to know if any truth. Wonder if the takeover is having any influence on our window strategy?

Bertrand has been injured in almost every pre season.

Only a factor if we lose VVD you wouod think. We are well stocked with CBs and thats even after we have ditched Gardos.

Jacob Murphy to Newcastle. A number of players we have been linked with have gone elsewhere. Might not have been interested in them all but strange to not have anything apart from Bednarek with not that long to go until the season starts. Esecially with a couple of glaring weaknesses in the squad. Surely we will sign at least one starting XI player?!

If we are moving back to a 4-2-3-1 then JWP will find it hard to get a game wide right. Begs the question, how will MP use him? He is still too weak and slow to play in the "2" and a non-threat no 10. How can we use his technical ability but without his poor physical ability hampering the team in either defence or attack?

In a front sweeper role? You could be onto something there. Interesting how few people have picked Austin. Really wish we would move him and Long on but their wages are probably higher than they would really be worth to anyone. Gabbiadini, Long, Austin, Gallagher isnt a top half striker pool IMO.

No. Could get better value by just taking the money. I think he will go and is obviously still pushing for it. No coincidence that that the two players heavily linked with moves away were the only two not to feature in the friendly. VVD social media stuff pretty poor and having pictures taken yesterday with Liverpool fans also quite disrespectful to fans of Southampton. We pay him a fortune and are entitled to more IMO.

Thats the näive view. He is saying he is fully fit and in full training. We are saying he isnt playing because he isn't training fully in contact aspects of the game. Interesting that the only other first team player not in the squad is Ryan Bertrand...

So he still can't have contact after a couple of weeks intense training and all his rehab? Quite a long term injury this one.

Based on what?

He is comparable with Tadic, Boufal and Redmond. Not JWP or Davis.

Mobility is severely lacking in our midfield. Romeu is slow. Clasie is slow and rarely lasts 90mins. JWP is slow. Hojbjerg is slow. Need a partner for Romeu and I would be happy if that was our only signing as long as nobody leaves.

We will have fewer season ticket holders than Brighton. Pretty poor.

I want him to stay obviously. But I am also able to see that he appears to want to leave and was behaving in a way that very strongly backs that up. Do you genuinely believe its all media driven?

Naïve - its pretty clear what VVD wants.

Being linked again with City for £25m. In the prime of his career, having not long ago signed a long term deal and being England's first choice LB with Rose out injured then the price should be higher - especially given the fees this summer. To sell for £25m would be very poor business. Clearly one of Bertrand, Targett and McQueen will be moving in some form though as cannot have three left backs especially when two need matches to develop...

In discussions doesn't mean will sign. We are probably in dicussions with stacks of clubs/players.

Spot on. Long is very limited and not at all reliable in front of goal. IMO he is lucky to play for us.

Possible sighting of Xavier Tamarit on the club Snapchat.

No. #quietsummer has been the policy for the club's summer communications. No word on Pellegrino's team, ****-poor info on our pre season schedule. Bizarrely long time before announcing Puel had gone. No wonder ST sales are dire, they haven't exactly given anyone much to get excited by.