Chez

Went to the game and went out in town to drown my sorrows, so have not read the tread. I am sure its been mentioned, but I don't think I've seen us offer so little in terms of creativity, attacking threat and chances created against a middling team like Palace. A one two and Armstrong shot apart, did we create a single shooting chance in the whole game? Woeful. You can put some of that down to player performance, the absolutely terrible display by Tella - who was total waste of a shirt, the nothingness offered by Adam and Long (why on earth are we giving him starts ahead of Broja?) and the minimal threat of Redmond, but the formation and tactics must have a bearing too. Why did we not try a different formation a some point in the game?

whatever your view, there is no mistaking how much Ralph rates him. Without question he wants him back next year, if possible, but clearly there a whole host of obstacles. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/20103917.southampton-boss-not-given-hope-armando-broja-transfer/

Armstrong started brightly, and looked like he might be Ings mark II. I still see talent, but confidence has dropped, as was the case with Adams in his first season. I really don't know if he can blossom. Not been a good buy, yet, but he could turn it around. Was there a better option? I wanted Daka, but we didn't have the funds, especially at the start of window before Ings sale. Perraud looked limited at the start and I didn't think he was a good signing, but he has improved with every game, works hard and gives us balance. He lacks genuine pace and top class ability on the ball, but he offers us some stuff that we need. I prefer him to Target, who is technically better. He's a solid signing, but not a `great' signing. Put it this way, I doubt we will sell him for more than we paid. Lyanco looks like the defender people were worried we were signing. Good on the ball, but reckless, a bit limited in the air, but wholehearted. I am hoping he cuts out the diving in, like Fonte did and becomes a proper defender, but not convinced he will. We had no money, so options were limited. We got what we paid for, maybe a bit more actually as £6m gets you fuck all. Livramento was much better than we imagined, offering composure, skill on the ball and an attacking threat, although defensively he is suspect and he faded in the second half of the season. Long road back from that injury. Real shame. Good buy. Walcott held an end up last season, working up and down the line. When asked to provide pace and threat this season, he couldn't do it. He will see his contract out here, but hard to see a final season flourish. Not worked out at all, so a poor signing. Many predicted it. Not me. I thought he would help us. He hasn't. Broja was a revelation and made us forget Ings, for a while, but a lack of end product against the likes of Norwich, not being able to reignite the early season form after being dropped and then failing to impact in recent games has taken the gloss off what looked a sparkling season. Still a talent and well worth bringing back if possible. I still think he has been a great signing a he filled the Ings void and helped us secure points we needed. Cabellero looked about 50 years old in his first game, but quickly got up to speed and was a great cover signing. If funds permit, would be a very decent third keeper next season. Great signing.

He's only 18, so possibly will strengthen, or do you think he's lightweight full stop?

if we are thinking of signing another right back, Calvin Ramsay at Aberdeen looks like he can pay. Leeds currently in talks with him.

linked with a loan back to Palace today in The Athletic

fuck yes. Beautiful subtle design.

Broja may not return. Long may not get a new contract. That leaves Adams and Armstrong as our two strikers and we don't have a lot of funds available to bring another striker in. I really don't think we will be loaning him out next season. He will get another season to try and force his way into our starting eleven.

I meant, as fans, we want our management to say stuff like, "our best players are not for sale". Its the least we expect to hear. All we can ask is that our board try to play hard ball. Not sure we can expect them to turn down £100m offers for JWP though, can we? The reality of course is that these words (even if they said them) its just bluster and we will sell if the price is right. However, just by saying stuff like, "don't bother asking", we are at least trying to make it look like we want to keep them, progress as a team and aren't just here to sell players.

they walloped Wolves, Everton and Arsenal (and drew with City) and since then have lost to Newcastle, Leicester, Chelsea and drawn 0-0 against Leeds. Have the lost their way or have they been unlucky in recent games?

who is the next Chelsea right back on their conveyor belt of youth talent, is it Richard Olise?

Everyone knows we (as a mid size club) have a price. Nothing wrong with using these bold words to maybe re-enforce how much we value our player (they then feel good). I agree, I don't think teams will spend £80m on him. Its too much money for not enough additional improvement they will get from signing him.

Didn't Stephens get an `unannounced' new contract, like McCarthy, back in 2020? https://theathletic.com/news/exclusive-jack-stephens-agrees-new-long-term-southampton-contract/bo8LfBeiblPj/

Absolutely. We will continue to run in the same manner - books balanced, spent what we bring in. The new owners will just make sure an early window transfer is not scuppered by a lack of cash flow.

good point. Selling players you don't want doesn't happen much these days. If they are shit, you are stuck with them. Salisu is a prime candidate to be `made available' unless he signs a contract in May/June. We need to be thinking about offering KWP a new long term deal soon too, as he must have caught scouts eyes this season. I wonder if, after the nightmare with COVID, the club might turn a profit this financial year, and that provide some cash flow

...we don't have a choice in the matter - he said `no' to our contract offer (which people are speculating as to it being lower than he was on, but might easily have been higher - but he wanted out having been dropped and loaned out previously), we gave McCarthy one instead (again people are speculating who was offered what and in what order) and Forster will seemingly now depart on a free.

I know its just words, and if someone makes a massive offer, we'd have to listen/consider it, but that's the first time I have heard us use the phrase `will not listen to offers' (assuming they came out of oru moths - which is doubtful), which interprets as 'don't call us unless you are willing to spend mega money'. Which is all we can ask for as fans.

Absolutely. Nightmare defending them on here, as an error is only a game away. Conversely, its folly attacking a striker on here, as they are only a game away from scoring...hopefully.

The more I see the likes of Pickford, Schmeichel, Lloris, Pope and others make regular howlers, let in near post goals etc, the more I agree with this. Top fight keepers these days (as has always been the case) make big mistakes and the countless repeats, numerous angles and an overly harsh audience means they are perhaps over-criticised. Actually, we only overly criticise our own keepers, because we don't give a fuck if Lloris palms one straight to a striker - especially if its our striker - do we?

I defend McCarthy on here, not because I rate him, but because some posters do exactly that, blame him for goals that weren't his fault and overlook the amazing saves he makes. I think people take a line on a player and then actually look for sticks to beat them with to back up their opinion. I know I am guilty of that. I try to judge each game and player performance in isolation, but if you have said a player is shit you tend to view what they do in a different way than if you have said they are good. Forster has made some great stops in recent weeks, but McCarthy made some world class saves of his own earlier in the season, but he gets very little credit for them because he also made some complete fuck ups. I have always suggested that both should be replaced this summer, but given our financial situation, and the management rating our keepers more than fans do, that was never going to the case. There was no desire to leave themselves without a previously tested Prem keeper.

With the stick McCathy gets, it's almost as though posters on here didn't see Ian Andrews play for us.

I used the phrase `fallen out of favour' to try to accommodate views from across the spectrum. I clearly didn't take into account just how much you don't rate him DT. 😉

I'm no doctor, despite instantly diagnosing ACL on the match day forum (it's a gift I have for stating the obvious) so can't help you, but he didn't play a single game in January. He played for 7 minutes, 1 minute, 73 minutes and 0 minutes in the four games prior to Brighton.

Yep. And does playing at Leicester really show him in a different light? No for me. If he went to a CL side and did the business in CL games/and games against the other big sides n the Prem that would certainly help give him the profile needed to secure a starting spot for England

Salisu and Romeu's form has dropped off. JWP has been as consistent as ever and caught the eye recently, but KWP has been outstanding all season and gets my vote. Have we had many defenders winning POTS in the past?