Chez

I intentionally didn't mention it, as that isn't going to turn glory hunters into Saints fans.

The big clubs, Man United apart, always seem to make a load out of their failures. I guess City aren't recouping what they paid for Philips. Chelsea appear to have only got £24m of the £30m back. So they have made a bit of a loss. £15m would be a bloody good deal. £24m feels about right. Not sure he failed. He just couldn't get in the side, which isn't easy when they have hundreds of attacking players.

He didn't actually get homesick. The biggest problem was he couldn't get a game there, as they had lots of top class (England) players. If you are not playing games, it's hard to settle in, be part of the side and make friends etc. He didn't really fit in full stop. He was shy and the rest of Chelsea lads were larger than life type characters. At Saints he didn't need to prove himself, knew everyone and was a big fish in a smaller pond. That all happened three years ago. He was only 16. Three years at that age is a long time. He's grown up since then, and become a top quality senior player...with the confidence that brings. It might not work out at Everton, but not because he will get homesick.

It will be 50 years since the FA cup win next spring and we have almost nothing to show for it in the trophy cabinet. Very frustrating. If we had won something in the modern era that may have helped grab a few more youngsters east of dibbens corner. Was there a particular game in the 83/84 season that costs us the league? I know nothing about 79 league cup final. Did we have our chances? Obviously, Heath killed us at Highbury and the Mark Wright broken leg fucked our chances in the 86 semi final. Roger fucking Milford in 90 and a linesman in 2017 did us no favours, to say the least. Pochettino making 6 changes against Sunderland. Not sure there was much we could have done at Cardiff - go for it a little more, maybe?

A buy back clause wouldn't be a bad idea. Getting first dibs at him next summer when we go up and he's underwhelmed at Everton. Kevin Davies II.

I think you are probably right. If you are signed for £40m then £100k+ a week seems a reasonable assumption. It's a no brainer to move to a PL club. He hasn't spent most of his life trying to become a professional footballer only to give up because he has got a big contract. The money can be an issue for some, but for others it just adds to the motivation. On top of that, he wants to win, to be great, to be better, to be the best... He can do that at Everton and then wherever after. He wont be doing it at Saints.

Do teams often grant permissions before a fee has ben agreed? I agree, the wages will already have been sewn up. The permission just allows the manager to talk to him directly to convince him he's making the right move etc.

They said they had identified a need in those three positions. When asked if we had to sell before signing players, the answer was no. They didn't say "we will sign three players in those position before selling anyone". There's a slight difference. You say we are no closer, but how do you know? We might be very close. We may have been miles off a month ago, but within a whisker now. Like you, I really hope we bring some new creative talent as soon as possible, but there is still time.

No, we had three. I am lying. I don't have a clue how many, but I do know that clubs don't just have one player on their short list.

I'm not frustrated at not signing a AM yet. In truth I was slightly surprised we signed a defender and forward as our squad is so large. Stephens had a year remaining on his contract, so he either got no contract extension, a two year contract or three. I never thought we'd keep them. All our strikers failed in the PL, but are on big wages. I didn't think for a minute we'd be fighting off suitors. Last week loans/desperate bids more like. I bet we sign an attacking midfielder.

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.