Chez

I think fans that stick up for him on here are just trying to offer some balance. Some of the opinions about him and comments, like what is and isn't saveable can be a bit much at times. Was his spell in Belgium a disaster? I know he got injured, but I didn't hear that he has performed particularly badly. Why do you think he will melt against the skates? He hasn't been a keeper that has cracked under pressure or made lot of bad decisions/errors in the face of big home or away supports. Temperament wise, he's been pretty solid. Or by `melt' do you mean he will shrink and fail to make saves? Have I just stuck up for him? Possibly. Do I settle for average? Far from it. I don't rate him, but I also don't rate some of the posts about him.

£35m. Is that what we want for THB? I have to say, he's a hard player to put a transfer fee value on. With the ball, he's decent, without it, I'm really not so sure. He lacks a yard of pace, but CBs have been surviving without it for decades. Normally though they make up for it with ability in the air. Does he do that? He's certainly fully committed and he's not a loose cannon that jumps in all the time to make up for his lack of pace. The centre back position has become such a hard spot to fill. You have to be so much better on the ball than the old days, yet still have the physical attributes to keep strikers quiet. Even as I am typing this, I still can't make my mind up if he is the next Mark Guehi.

I was going to post the same thing. What do we want, a £6m AM three weeks ago, or a £15m next week? We probably know exactly who we want, may have discussed or even agreed a price with the selling club and now are just waiting for them to give the green light because they haven't signed the replacement yet themselves. Not fussed about the pace of the transfers. Its completely normal. All that matters is we get the right ones in. If five come in in total, we need maybe four to work, right from the off.

I suggested Kofi Shaw from Bristol Rovers might be worth a look in the AM role, but Brighton have just signed him.

most of me thinks, wish we hadn't been relegated twice in three years otherwise we might have seen the next MLT blossom before our eyes.

Not sure Baz makes lots of howlers, he just hasn't dominated his goal or been good positionally. That seems to equate to having a right back that doesn't dominate, and can't attack or defend all that well...which is what we have in our right backs. Right back isn't the only position that is sewn up. Left back has two guys that are positionally poor and defensively weak - well at least Juric thought so (of Wellington). A holding midfielder doesn't seem to exist in our squad other than Sesay, who looked like he had a bit to learn. Have we any pace out wide...at all? I think I should stop comparing Baz with the other positions. I want to remain positive, at least until I have seen us play a few games.

I agree. Nothing is equivalent to the 24/24 season. I know most wont want to hear it, but maybe Martin's keep ball tactics might have brought the best out of many of the players, rather than hampered them. Players like Baz, Manning, Downes, Smallbone, Armstrong may all be worse with far less ball and more defending to do under Still. Others might be better, but the only player that got better under Juric was Sulemana...so who knows. I'm a pessimist, so aren't taking it for granted that we will steamroller teams. Will Still has a massive job on his hands if you ask me.

They'd have been difficult without those signings. The back four and keeper are a well drilled unit. For all our spending, does anyone think we will be able to say the same in the a few months time?

We have a few other positions you could say that. Right back for starters. Is Bazunu worse than Bree and Sugawara? I don't hear too many crying about that position. It's been a while since I've had to watch Baz in nets...maybe I have forgotten how poor he looked.

Whatever you say Farmer Saint.

https://the72.co.uk/2025/06/30/southampton-porto-bid-20m-taylor-harwood-bellis/

Now I understand, Downs and Quarshie have been signed to help us win League 1 next season. Go down in order to carry enough momentum to stay up in the PL after a double promotion.

you think we will get promoted without spending a bit on replacements for Dibling and Fernandes?

I'm not a fan of Baz, but I suspect fans of almost every championship club have doubts about their keeper and posters on forums talking about a failure to make saves, coming for crosses etc. I can see Ryan mentioned, but is he all that? Doesn't he make plenty of mistakes too? When you watch opponents you never question their keeping, only your own. Martin obviously didn't rate Baz. He's gone, but the keeping coach remained here. Not sure what kind of input he would have on whether Baz is good enough or not.

Do we loan our number 1 out if the manager doesn't think Baz and McCarthy can't do a job? Maybe, but you kind of think that if we were going to replace Ramsdale with a number 1, we'd of announced one shortly before or at the exact same time Ramsdale left...not let him go and then hope to find a replacement before the end of the window.

There was a story a few weeks ago about Porto putting in a £20m bid.

OK, but you did not say that, you said "Now it just feels chaotic." Every summer we hear the same thing: "I would have expect the club to get business done sooner". Why? We are not a top of the pyramid side that dictates the transfer window. We are well down the pecking order, and reliant on other above getting deals done to allow them to offload players. We are also reliant on players departing to free up squad places and ensure we have the cash to pay them all. Two signings is fine by me at this stage. Whether they are any good is a different matter. We have also offloaded, what 8 or 9. Not too bad either. Doesn't mean the window is good or bad, but the pace seems completely normal.

Daily Echo reported that Saints want "more than £40m". Who knows what they will get, but if you turn down £27m, an offer of £3m more would seem to be far from certain to be accepted.

We have signed two young players. Is that chaos?

that's the nice bit of losing Fernandes and Dibling - hopefully we sign someone like Spertsyan and they turn out to be amazing.

OK, but originally you didn't say that. You said "those interested can't afford £25m." I disagree. He would be better off playing in the PL. Plenty of sides there will help his career along nicely. Many better than we will. His agent isn't "stirring the shit". Why do agents always get blamed? His agent is doing his job, which is to get the best deal possible for his client. And that deal is not going to be with a championship side. When players depart, it's not because of agents, it because the player can do better elsewhere. The only way you keep players is to give them a better deal here than they can elsewhere...and that means more money and also a progressing club moving forward, quickly. When that momentum goes, the stars depart.

Aye? I think all 12 rumoured to be interested clubs can afford £25m. The problem for them is we are not selling him for that amount. He wont be loaned out. Not a chance. Buy options are pointless.

Just because there are no quotes on Google doesn't mean players haven't expressed their desire to leave.

Sure, but not necessarily something the owning club has decided to do. Sometimes, and I know this for a fact, players are advised to stay at home, use a bollocks 'illness' excuse in order to put pressure on the club to sell. It's an unofficial down tools. Both parties know the score.

This thread will be good to cycle back to next summer.