Dusic

Speculative is one way of describing it. The other is that the actual report comes from a podcast and for all we know was said by Always_SFC or Jeff Le Taxi. I.e file under absolute drivel.

For the kind of money required, why would anyone buy Saints?

I'm not suprised that quite a few are losing faith in Ralph, but as I said in my earlier post, he has made 5 permanent signings across 5 windows and generally, despite all costing mediocre sums by PL standards they have helped us and are certainly better than the spell of recruitment before Ralph arrived. Personally, I still have total faith that signings wise he knows exactly what we need to be better, and all his comments on it I have agreed with. End of the day before he arrived we spent a load of cash on absolute dross and he has largely paid for that as there hasnt been enough churn of the playing squad to make a sizeable difference. A squad that survived because Swansea imploded. Our form declined when we started playing midweek games on a regular basis and needed backup players to start and academy players to make an impact off the bench. The PL finds out weaknesses so fast. You face a tough enough task against the big sides, let alone when your go to attacking sub is Dan N'Lundulu. We haven't recovered from that loss of momentum despite getting players fit. He deserves a chance of a proper summer, hopefully a squad with competent backup full backs and the odd other addition to freshen things up and a full pre season. If he gets those things, we keep Ings and are still poor then fair enough.

I have been a big Ralph fan. I don't think anyone can deny that he united the fanbase and brought some hope back after Pellegrino and Hughes. The way we bouned back from the Leicester game, played really well during lockdown and then started this season - it gave a sense that we had progressed. Since then it has gone wrong - and there are clear reasons why that started - but they havent really been factors towards the end of that run. It shows how much momentum is a factor and difficult that is to turn. My conclusion is that I still feel Ralph has operated with his hands tied behind his back in the transfer market. Since he has joined in 2018, in terms of proper 1st team signings he has made: Goalkeeper - None Right back - KWP (very successful) Left back - None Centre Back - Salisu (needed time but promising) Centre Mid - Diallo (jury is out but clearly has something) No10 - Djenepo (jury out), Walcott (good for what his intended role is), Minamino (no brainer loan, at the time anyway) Striker - Adams (good) By my calculations that is 5 permanent signings over 5 transfer windows, for a team that had struggled for a couple of years before he joined. Some teams in that time have probably signed 12-15 players. Every summer is massive, but they really need to allow him to build a squad he wants because largely he still relies on the players he inherited, the ones who only stayed up because Swansea capitulated. I will judge Ralph in October/November and see where we are then.

As ever, will be as much about whether we can shift Hoedt, Lemina, Elyounoussi, Gunn as who we sign. There will be the usual stuff about there being interest from multiple clubs. The reality is all four will be loaned out again, in some cases with Saints part paying their wages. Might even be able to add Valery and Obafemi to that list.

As you say, we have a limited budget. So no huge need for a new no6 given other positions have a more pressing need.

Interesting player, available on a free and maybe a bit of a wildcard. Obvious talent, technical and left footed but has never really matched the unrealistic hype. Is he better than Minamino? Probably not.

Doubt it. Probably valued at more than he is really worth, and seemingly doesn't want to be a full back. Ralph seemed pretty clear that he saw #6 as covered now Romeu is back and Armstrong has proven himself there. Thats four senior options plus any emerging talents which should be enough.

I don't think they will stand in his way if he gets an offer from a top club. Surely as a local lad he won't want to totally ruin his rapport with the fans either. You can't on one hand be a club that has one selectable RB and one LB and then block moves for players clearly better than the rest to top clubs.

Sounds like a player who is looking for move, which we know to be the case - and I have no issue with. Interesting that Ralph keeps saying he is confident he will stay. He is usually quite honest, but the two don't really tally.

Of course, and he hasnt been first choice. When there is a single credible report linking us with Delaney then maybe there is something in it, but until then I think its a very un-Saints transfer for many reasons.

We didn't spend the money to sign Diallo and make him a 5th choice CM and 6th choice #10.

The fan twitter accounts suggest it came from Bild but I have checked their site and twitter and there is no mention of it. I would be suprised, seeing as Romeu is now fit and Diallo wasn't starting even with him out. Its not Saints style to relegate a young talent they just signed and the Manager has raved about to 4th or 5th choice whilst signing 29yo' with no resale value.

In a Covid influenced summer, with a major tournament as a distraction I would imagine a quality English striker who is clearly available would have enough options to move should he really want to. I also imagine he and his Agent, and probably Saints, have a better sense of what realistic options he has than anyone else and if there aren't any then he will happily sign the contract on offer at Saints.

I know I am kind of stating the obvious but we have two who aren't ideal plus a third out on loan who isn't the answer either. Of the three I personally prefer McCarthy as he is better on crosses and more agile than Forster but Ralph has dropped him two or three times since he has been here so he obviously isn't totally convinced, and he does seem to make a lot of errors, like tonight. Ludicrous to have Forster as our highest paid player and a likely sub, and he will be leaving anyway once his contract ends next season so is not a long term option. We know he will make some good reaction saves and then be beaten but shots he should save low down and despite his size be woefully shy on crosses. I am not expecting us to sign a first team keeper because we will do well to get rid of one of the three permanently (Gunn most likely) but ideally we would because none of those we have are really good enough all round.

As I said earlier in this thread, a no brainer, low risk signing with the club clearly happy that whatever he is being paid represents value. He is clearly superior to Long, Obafemi, N'Lundulu. He can play in multiple positions, still has pace and fitness and he is a model professional, good role model both within the club and a popular media figure. He will also realise and be happy with the fact that he won't always be starting, and is still a good influence behind the scenes for the likes of Tella. We don't have too many senior pros, and will lose Bertrand - so important to keep the balance.

Out of interest would you have fully supported a different physical gesture, but are just against the specific action of taking the knee?

Rico Henry on the bench for Brentford in their playoff 1st leg vs Bmth. Not sure if he has been injured lately but he has started most of their games this season. Edit: just back from injury.

The worrying element is that Da Grosa did seemingly enter a period of exclusivity. You would hope jokers like that get binned off before they even start talks. Just shows Gao will sell to anyone who can raise the cash, no matter who they are, whats their plans are and whose money they use. Unfortunately the biggest liklihood is that we end up with a wally frontman of DaGrosa's ilk who fancies some limelight, backed by invisible, emotionless investors of the minimum amount of money needed to keep us ticking along or who need financial returns within a couple of years.

I think we should be looking at extending his contract by a year this summer or early into next season. He has 3 years left and as a selling club the optimal time to do that would be with two years remaining (as a minimum) to get a good fee, so keeping good players on long contracts is clearly good business.

Feels like this is becoming a bit ofan issue for us in that the best one by a distance is Armstrong but he may also be deployed as a #6 sometimes which takes away our only real goalthreat from open play aside from the strikers. Of the others Redmond, Djenepo and Walcott (assuming he signs) are very inconsistent and don't contribute enough in terms of goals and assists. Tella seems much better as a striker than when played deeper as he can use his pace better and probably isnt technical enough retaining possession. We brought Minamino in because we had Walcott injured and it seemed a no brainer of a poan but surely we wouldn't sign a 5th #10 (6th if Tella included) on a permanent deal. So - excluding a Minamino replacement, we essentially Armstrong on the right when fit and then whichever of Redmond, Djenepo and Walcott happens to be in form. I guess that is ok...but definitely an area that could be improved. In a way its what makes the permanent signing of Walcott a tough one as in a sense it makes sense and is low risk, but really if we were serious we would be signing a starting XI player instead.

Excellent again today. Improving all the time. Great to see as he seems like an honest, hardworking pro.

Loftus-Cheek feels like a player who need a permanent move, not another loan. That said, Ralph mentioned him in the press conference in the context of him being a good player that we were interested in but with too high wages, so I don't see that we are likely to be signing him. Profile wise I think he would make a good #10 on the right, in a similar style to what Armstrong does, but he probably sees himself as a central player.

He has made two sub apps: 5mins vs Shrewsbury 1min vs Aston Villa

Seems a clear cut situation to me. - Manager has a talented rookie who he thinks has potential but is a way off being near the level of the existing first team players - Jankewitz, despite never really putting together a consistent run of top performances in the U23s thinks he deserves some first team minutes, isn't getting any. Has interest from a mid level Eredivisie team (was it Groningen?) and gets a bit sulky. - Relationship with club and Manager goes south to the extend of submitting a written transfer request which is rejected. - In the midst of a massive injury crisis, Jankewitz gets a chance largely as the only remaining option and spectacularly fucks it up, leading to a huge and embarassing defeat for the Manager, tarnishing his reputation with Saints fans and the wider audience. - Player who wasn't really trusted by the Manager before this, and had been pushing hard to leave, has not been given another minute on the pitch, plus shortly after the injured players returned. - Manager then says, quite rightly, that the next time the player gets a chance he needs to take it but that he isnt on the same level as those playing. - At the same time and in the context of Crocker's recent comments about the attitude of some players in the Academy, this sends the message that the club decides when and how you progress, not any single player. Likely outcome: Player leaves this summer as he only has a year left anyway and it doesnt seem to be a happy situation, both before the Utd game and even worse afterwards.