Dusic

Strong team, sensible to rest KWP and Lavia. Assume its a back 3 with AMN at RWB but could be a back 4 with Lyanco at RB. Lets hope for a marked improvement as I don't think Jones will be sacked regardless. For those slagging off the selection, genuinely why?

What a shame he isn't joining with 5 or 6 more points on the board and a more realistic chance of staying up. From his interview video he seems like a good character too. Hopefully he has the immediate impact we did. Will be interesting to see where Jones uses him, perhaps in a front two with Adams? Surely not LWB... ------- Orsic has given an exclusive interview on leaving here: https://www.germanijak.hr/nogomet/vijesti/mislav-orsic-ekskluzivno-za-germanijak-poruke-dinamovaca-sam-citao-sa-suzama-ali-nekada-covjek-mora-donijeti-teske-odluke-i-nema/108128 Some interesting snippets, including: Southampton officially announced their interest in Mislav Oršić a few days before the New Year . They gave him a few days to think and organized a video conference. And that's where they bought it. "The owner of the club and the coach were there. They presented me with the whole story, showed me a video that really impressed me. They drew my matches and goals, showed me what I was doing well and what they expected me to continue. I was really blown away when I watched it and how studiously they prepared ," Mislav Oršić told us in an exclusive interview for Germanijak . He claims that this made his decision easier and that it was the turning point when he realized that he wanted to continue in England .

Was covered after the game the other night, there is a video of it on YT. Seems they have done a lot of these over xmas, I guess it makes sense logistically as everyone is already there, but it does make it hard to know exactly when some of the quotes you see are taken from and also high emotions from the game thats just happened. Difficult to know how to apprpach this game. Realistically given schedule, injuries and our league position we should be resting KWP, JWP and Adams but also Jones knows he so badly needs a win so will probably play them. Another reason it would have been handy to have a couple of new lads in. Surely it was feasible to have signed Orsic on Jan 1st? He could have played both of these Jan games.

If we don't have a striker in befofe the Everton game then its mismanagement of a Sport Republic level.

We have 12 points from 18 games and are sleepwalking to relegation. Someone like Michael Keane is what will be on offer in a January window and in some ways wouldn't be awful. Obviously Everton wouldn't want a loan but on a perm deal for a cheap fee he might be decent. He is 29, has something to prove but in the past has been a decent player and certainly a goal threat. He also clearly needs a move. Considering its not impossible that all of Salisu, ABK, Lyanco and DCC leave in the summer, and as a minimum two of those four will, Keane would be in theory a very good Championship CB and certainly an improvement on Lyanco for the short term.

Presumably as its a permanent Orsic would sign a 2 or 3 yesr deal. He will obviously know there is a decent chance of relegation so perhaps would be willing to play in the Championship. Surely he would be very effective at that level.

This obsession with a formation we don't have the players for will be a substantial factor in our relegation. Ralph wasted a whole pre season on it and Jones was probably recruited because of it and wasted the WC break trying to implement it. I would imagine its Ankersen's favourite...

Tanswell just did a Q&A on IG Live. Nothing ground breaking but brief summary: Orsic - lots of stuff coming from the Dinamo end. Saints ideally want players under 27 and will only go above that for right player and right price. More clarity likely in coming days. Moffi - Player Saints definitely like, high up on list and seen as good fit and a do-able transfer Alcaraz - definitely a realistic option Lavia - thinks he stays this window Got a story out next week about recruitment at Saints, said its changed a lot.

Sounds like with Orsic if we want to sign him then we will. Worth considering that there are probably multiple players of the same position being negotiated for at any one time which potentially impacts the timeframes whilst they assess which deal to actually do and how that then has a knock on for which targets in other positions become affordable/unaffordable because of it. Also its too simplistic to just look at a fee and decide if its a good or bad offer. Usually the devil is in the detail around the terms, add ons and number of payment installments. There also must be a reason why no PL sides have moved for Orsic til now, aside from the failed West Brom and Burnley moves...I guess from a league perspective its a big step up for a 30 year old thats been used to playing in a winning team.

Positionally it would seem Orsic is very similar to Edozie, comes in onto his right foot from the left side. Wonder whether Edozie could be effective from the right, or whether they would end up sharing minutes? Vital to have good sub options and Edozie is certainly one of those if he doesn't start. Also, for balance, Ed Aarons tweeted yesterday to say Wolves want Alcaraz and that he would cost around £17m, so there are likely a few PL sides in for him. Since Brexit lots of teams have beefed up scouting in South America, lots of bargains to be had as proven by Brighton. Also....

https://www.germanijak.hr/nogomet/vijesti/orsic-nije-s-momcadi-u-rovinju-odlazi-u-klub-s-dna-premiershipa-ovaj-tjedan-na-lijecnickom/108001 Good player and importantly, good goal record for a wide player. Seems like a deal that would make sense as probably affordable to keep if we do go down. Article says he has not travelled for a training camp due to transfer talks but does say sources in England think there is a medical this week, although haven't seen any UK reports of that.

If Alcaraz is top of our shortlist for a midfieldernplayer then lets hope we actually pay the cash and get him! Re Ings, I would be all over that. Proven PL striker with no time needed to settle in. We know he works well with Adams, would be a great signing.

I don't blame Jones for this as he has pretty much just turned up, but so much feels like its lacking any clarity of thought and structure at the moment. Who is actually leading our recruitment? Presumably Ankersen but he is also the Chairman of another club, so can't have enough time to fully dedicate to it. Really hoped we would have had a few bits lined up and ready to go at the start of January but that is obviously not the case and isn't Jones' fault at all. Why does it always feel like the club doesn't realise juat what an awful position we are in? Comments about ending the window stronger than we currently are would be perfectly sensible if we were comfortably mid table. The reality is we need big reinforcement now, literally now. The end of January is too long to wait given the fixtures we have and the position we are in.

If we lose its going to be extremely difficult, not least as Forest would be 4 points ahead of us and possibly up to 7 if they were to beat Chelsea today. If that happens no way are we making up 7 points on them in the rest of the season. Equally, its going to be tough to persuade anyone decent to move to us anyway, let alone if we are a few points adrift at the bottom and have lost 4/4 under a new manager, 3 of which were reasonable to oick up points in. Its a must win. A bit like the game at Loftus Road in our first season back.

Clearly we have been the worst side in the PL up to this point. Even if we were to substantially improve, who is it realistic for us to finish above? IMO only Forest, Wolves, Bournemouth and possibly Everton or Leeds. It probably fair to say that unless we get a minimum of 3pts from the Forest & Everton games then its going to be almost impossible to stay up. The next two games are going to be huge, surely SR will have sorted some signings as a boost for the Everton game...

We know exactly what we want to do. Hopefully we have factored in this time whether the other clubs and players will enable it. Doubt we will have anyone in for Forest but beyond that surely we need to by the Everton game or its almost pointless?

Fulham aren't going to be relegated butbwe badly need something to have a bit of momentum going into the Forest game which is an absolutely massive game and pivotal for our season.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/coventry-city-camp-deal-wolves-leeds-united-southampton-more-early-january-blow/ Gyokores seems like a no. #januaryisatoughwindow

Do they tell him to hide in the bushes when they take pictures of the whole squad training and he isn't there?! If he was fit he would be involved, no question.

Don't get the Lavia stuff on here. He is clearly injured. We rushed him back for the Liverpool game, he limped off injured in the second half and wasn't in any of the early training pics when the players came back and in Spain was in some pictures but barely any of the videos of the actual training (same as Tino). He has only played 7 games and the decision to bring him in to start a game at Anfield before a month break for the WC looks to be an absolutely stupid one as he will probably end up missing most of this crucial run of fixtures we have.

Lyanco is exactly the opposite of what a struggling, repegation fighting team that concedes too many goals really needs. He is rash, inconsistent, overly emotional and erratic where we so badly need reliability, structure, simplicity and calm. In hindsight a player like Connor Coady or Ben Mee would have been ideal for us. ABK and Salisu both have the raw tools to be very good, they just need a leader alongside them to set the standard and organise.

Personally I would leave him where he is. We need to sign simeone who is more likely to make an immediate impact. I'm not convinced Tella has the first touch or composure needed at PL level and a few goals (notice only one assist) in the Championship playing in a dominant team doesnt change that and if he wasnt our playing and we signed him this window on the back of a failed PL stint and a handful of Champ goals people would be raging. For context, Armstrong scored 30 a couple of seasons ago... Leave him there, and then reasses his situation end of the season when we know where we will be playing (and also Burnley as assume they will try to sign him if they go up regardless of where we are). Of course, if we fail to get any of our targets and then we can always recall him later in the window. I think we probably will recall him though.

Whilst we have a chance to stay in the PL, which we currently do, then its surely a case of creating as good an atmosphere as possible. Booing and chanting about Jones or SR isnt going to help at all. These guys aren't stupid. For years the club has monitored social media etc, they will know exactly what the feeling is. Everton fans are amongst the most miserable, moany bastards on earth but when they realised the team really needed them they made Goodison loud and made a very big difference for their team who largely survived based on a run of unexpected home results. One ingedient that you really need in a relegation battle is good support. Whilst clearly its been a long period of under performance from Saints, I really don't think its the time to make things toxic or you basically do any opposition Manager's team talk for them...'start well and their fans will turn and their players who lack confidence anyway will become even more nervous and you will pick them off with ease.'

Yeah Jones said he missed training the day before the game. He also hasn't been great for a while tbh. Certainly doesn't get enough goals or assists just like all the other non event attacking midfielders we have. (Would still pick him for the majority of games myself ahead of the current options).

He is usually pretty credible. Being objective, Lyanco isn't the answer and was a poor signing. Salisu is definitely not signing a new contract before the end of the season and quite possibly not after either even if we stay up. We keep conceding goals and lack leaders so perhaps they will feel its time to cash in on Salisu now and get someone a bit more experienced in.