Chez

any links to keepers must be bollocks if, as Ralf is quoted as saying here, Forster and McCarthy will fight it out to be no 1 next season: https://www.hampshirelive.news/sport/football/transfer-news/southampton-goalkeeper-newcastle-united-transfer-5449511

for the Xth season running, out hands will be partly tied until we offload Hoedt et al out on loan again. No one signs these types at the start of the summer, instead waiting until the end (thereby saving several weeks of wages) when teams like us get a bit desperate and start to up the percentage wages awe are willing to cover. My guess is there are funds to buy a left back whenever we can, and maybe one more. Beyond that it will depend on players going out on loan etc.

we fill empty slots, no more, no less. Every signing has to be spot on to recover from the mare we had. Sadly they players like Djenepo have yet to shine.

I'd like to see him live. The goal at Newcastle was pretty special, but I've watched games and he hasn't been visible. He does make a lot of runs that are not seen...not sure about him to be honest. My concern is not so much Minamino, and more that we need to evolve during the summer, as we have been poor for a long time now, but to me it looks like we replace Bertie and sign a reserve full back. Not exactly a rebooted line up.

If we sign Theo, Minamoto and two fullbacks (one to replace Bertie and one to cover both sides) are we going to improve much on this season? Same players, same coach, same outcome? I guess Tella will probably improve and we wont have another major injury crisis... What will be the same is that we will struggle to shift the loaned players out on loan again. And I don't see anyone else leaving that we don't want. Who is going to buy Gunn or Long or Djenepo or Obefemi...?

Lloyd Kelly the obvious candidate. He looked talented. I've not seen him play for a while though - anyone able to provide an up to date assessment?

blimey. That's taking subtle advertising to the limit. Hummel doing everything possible not to be visible on that shirt. I like these guys.

Not sure how its possible to have a root and branch clear out when players have years left on contracts, are on big wages and no one wants them. That kind of player goes out on loan with us paying a percentage of wages, usually. With spending always at the max, preventing wholesale changes and big squads, all that happens is the odd player becomes out of contract, they leave and we fill that slot. Lemina, Hoedt, Elyounoussi...they will all be back in a few weeks time claiming those wages and will be hear all summer until we loan them out again, desperately paying god knows how much of their wages.

Bellingham is a good player. Better than Philips and Winks already and could become first choice for England.

both horrible sides and seasons. I wonder which side would beat the other.

this, this and more of this. We are all set up to allow them to prosper and for us to kills teams on the break, but neither happens. We need individual talents, that can dribble , have tricks and pace and power and ability. They can then get on with things, allowing defenders to defend more often, and stop us getting hit on the break ourselves. Finding and acquiring that talent is tough though.

A new cast of flair players is needed. Boy do we need Tella to keep progressing.

What a load of bollocks. IMO he was right to take them both on. It was him being positive, and no reason why he shouldn't take the shot on. Redmond is not greedy enough sometimes.

Yes we dominated, and were undoubtedly the better side in the first half, but the genuine chances in the second half were theirs and it could easily have been four in the end.

I know we were chasing the game towards the end, and Stephens could easily have scored, but how on earth are we one vs four?

stuffed home and away by Leeds. Fortune for it to only be two.

Redmond making positive runs, which is good, but shit finishing, which is a shame.

He doesn't seem to have a clue what to do.

he focus will be on McCarthy error, but how many errors are outfield players making? Countless is the answer.

we don't look very threatening at all.

Sure, but we could sell for £30m this summer and buy another striker with that money and stay up and maybe even get those 5 places. Probably not, but it has been done. Keep him, stay up, make £10m more prize money and then are still £20m down when it comes to buying that next striker. Not sure why we need another year to find a guy.

If he doesn't sign this year, he wont next.

They sold Coutinho for £142m. That skews the figures massively. No one in the Prem has sold anyone remotely in that ball park. Not that net spend transfer fees means much when free transfers can cost you huge figures in signing on fees and wages. Maybe Net spend ,plus wages, plus fees (signing ion and agents) would be a better measure?

Isn't Liverpool's spending power still massive? The CL money, assuming you have a decent run, really lifts you. Arsenal without will need to spend that cash they had in the bank...

agreed. Pleased it wasn't Chelsea, again, and gives teams like us hope that if they get it right they can challenge for honours, but at the same time it doesn't half show up how shit we've operated in recent years. Like you say, one day...