Dusic

Pretty sure in the Championship* we were the 2nd or 3rd top scorers and made the most amount of "big chances" Certainly not the best defensive performers but if we are now slagging Martin for stuff like chance creation then perhaps somewhere along the line the actual reality has been overlooked in favour of just slagging him for everything? *accurate representation of the conditions Rangers will face, e.g dominating the ball and having better players than most teams

@SuperSAINT any of the new scholars highly rated in particular, aside from the two new signings?

Bumped into Howard earlier at the lodge just after you had left and he said similar. Medical tomorrow. You in next week?

Hard to see which teams that might actually want him would be able to afford his wages plus a fee. Might as well keep him and hope he hasnt a decent season at a level he is more suited to.

It was simple enough over 10 years ago when we were in L1. But these days it is not so simple. We couldn't afford the best players from the Championship when we were in the PL recently so not sure how simple it is to expect that we can now? The simple truth is to say we need to sign a few good players (regardless of age or where they are signed from), try not to sign players who are rubbish (regardless of age or where they are signed from) and try to keep some of our best players (the main two of which are young and have no experience of the Championship).

I didn't see what he did last season in Belgium but Bruges obviously would have done. In the Championship season he was playing really well until he got clobbered at Norwich - more of that next season would have been very useful and I would certainly prefer him wide left to Fraser or BBD. Unless they make it financially worthwhile to the point it allows us to keep others (highly doubtful) then I would keep - we are so light on decent wide players.

Your response doesn't make sense. Still is talking about the window knowing that it doesn't close until September, not that we only needed to add Quarshie (and Downs). Pretty obvious some of our better players will go and when they do some of them will be replaced by more incomings.

We haven't even played the first pre season game yet and there is almost two months left of the transfer window. Clearly we will bring in more players and clearly at least some of our best players will leave (the club might not know which yet) - there is loads of time for this to happen. Absolutely no sign that Quarshie and Downs are seen as "all that were required" nor that "we must be keeping most of our best players".

You have mentioned 7 players there but once you take out those who are certain to leave and not even with the squad (ABK), those likely to leave (Bednarek, THB) and those who aren't really centre backs then only Stephens is likely "ahead" of Quarshie just now. I would think our CB pool come Sept will be something like Stephens, Wood, Quarshie and Edwards (unless he is deemed not physical enough and is sold) with either Kayi-Sanda if he isnt loaned out or Bree as a emergency option in a 3CB setup. Then its up to those guys to show who deserves to play - but I am certain Quarshie is seen as a real contender to start games.

Not sure if we are any different to other teama but is it a coincidence that most of the playwrs who are really struggling in the red ball team don't play white ball and just seem short of any rhythm? Also very clear that the recruitment approach for this season has been all wrong, we ditched Abbas to beef up batting without Vince yet didnt actually do that until Varma joined midway through the season. In T20 we have been a bit unlucky that the SA lads got called up but it was surely to be expected and planned for rather than a seemingly reactive approach? Also in our best years we have had 2 quality spinners bowling in tandem, which pretty much all good T20 sides do - why have we moved away from that?

https://www.expressen.se/sport/fotboll/forre-aik-backen-joe-mendes-aktuell-for-flytt/ Suggests we are in for RB Joe Mendes amongst other clubs. Have been a few links to RBs this window so would assume it is a position we are targetting which surely means either Bree (only a year left and surely no extension) or Sugawara (more likely perhaps) will go.

Don't see why we would even contemplate selling Downes to Ipswich. It would need some explanation!

If Downs had longer on his contract we would be paying a lot more, and we have sold countless players with one year left for considerably less than their true value for the same reason. Paying a higher fee doesn't always equate to signing a better player. If we have him as our top target then to bring him in is great, and without breaking the bank is a bonus rather than an issue!

To me it just all feels a bit more organised this summer. One signing done (Quarshie), one seemingly close and by all accounts both are first choice targets which is massive. Downs seems to have specific strengths which on paper suit the style that Still will adopt and also must be keen to make the move aa he could easily re-sign as a Bundesliga player with Koln. Far prefer a move like this rather than looking around in August for a PL squad cast off. Hopefully he avoids injury or scoring a worldy hattrick in the remaining Gold Cup games.

Whole article seems pretty speculative but if they can pay £20m and match his wages then fair enough.

Its not just about now. Dibling has a much higher ceiling IMO and I can see him eventually being a top player at a big club. Elliot is a decent player but is being let go by a big club because he hasnt been able to properly break through after a number of years. Before this tournament they would have done well to get £30m for him I think. Dibling is probably our best academy talent since Shaw so we should clewrly be trying to get as much as we possibly can for him, eapecially when players like Quansah cost upwards of £40m and Jobe Bellingham £30m - he is miles better than both.

Could see most of the squad in todays video/pics. The main ones, Intls aside that I couldn't spot (from a quick look) were Ramsdale, Dibling, Aribo and ABK. Bazunu looked to be training which is good whether we sell or keep and THB seemed to be wearing trainers (bad injury, will interested clubs want to see him playing before moving for him?)

Spot on - a lot of baseless dross written on here at this time of year as you have just demonstrated. We have revamped our entire recruitment setup so for now need to trust that they know what they are doing rather than moan because some of the players that they want, that they know in a lot of detail, are players most of us have never seen play.

I am slightly concerned that in the end he won't just agree a new deal with Koln seeing as they have been promoted and he played a decent part for them in their promotion season. On the face of it, with a young, high potential player you would usually expect that to happen but would assume that Spors et al are obviously close to it and it must be a realistic deal or we surely wouldn't be pursuing it for so long.

Can we add grit for the full house?

No more than before I wouldn't have thought as Joe Shields is already there and besides pretty much every u18 who is genuinely high potential gets taken by one of the big club academies already. Very hard to keep a hyped player all the way through to a pro deal now.

What Jay Robinson is - a good prospect who might be around the squad if he does well in pre season. What Jay Robinson isn't - a replacement for a guy who scored over 20 goals and assisted over 10 more the last time out in the Championship.

Guessing the above was MLG thinking Kuryu Matsuki (pictured today at Solent Uni with Yuki Sugawara) was Rento Takaoka, and then backtracking with drivel about FM researchers?

Callum Mcfarlane leaving his job as U21 Head Coach to join Chelsea as U18 assistant, reuniting with Joe Shields. Has done a top job at Saints but just shows how hard it is to compete with big clubs at youth level as on the face of it he has accepted a more junior role but in a powerhouse academy with huge investment. (Can this thread be renamed to Saints Academy?)

Edozie is a different type of player to Sulemana, not especially quick but lovely balance and very fluid running with the ball. Felt he was playing really well in the Championship until he got his ankle smashed at Norwich (I think) and didnt really come back the same. Still think there is potentially a very decent player there and undoubtedly excellent one vs one. Hope he comes back focused and has a good pre season, could be a key player in the area of the pitch we look lightest.