Chez

We used to dominate almost everyone at home and many away three seasons back. We might not have won them all, but in the vast majority of games you felt you could have. Players like Lallana, Ricky, Wanyama and Morgan made that happen through ball retention, power and a telepathic sense to get the ball back when we lost it. The loss of quality in central midfield means we hang on to the better teams now rather than dominate them. We can still win games, and we do, but we are no where near as good a side in my eyes. Prowse, Hojbjerg, Classie, Reed can all do a job and there is time for improvement, but anyone that thinks we would not be better with Morgan in the side than without him watches a different game to me.

Wanyama? Blimey. Not sure you will ever convince me of that, but each to their own.

Interesting. I never saw Ball play for Saints. Was he still top notch? Did Armstrong play centre midfield or slightly wider? If wider, wouldn't a central midfielder in the bench be required and if so who would that be?

probably been done before, but out of interest who are your two centre mids in a four four two?

Who actually knows how much Van Dijk is on? Or any other player come to that? We were supposedly paying £68k a week to Ramirez 4.5 years ago. Wages have risen since then. A player value at £60m by the club won't be on £70k a week for long that's for sure. Austin may or may not be on £100k a week depending whether you are willing to accept Golds claim. I can't be sure, but nor can the other players. Has his signing and wage upset the apple cart? I don't see how Morgan effects Romeu. You'd play both as we did Wanyama and Morgan, who gave the other more attacking players more freedom. We don't want rely on Boufal tracking back. I don't understand why you don't think less games would not mean he is fresher than someone that has been flogged to death the last two seasons, but it matters not. We won't sign him.

not at all. I have stated previously that he won't be coming back. No chance. Still fun to debate.

By no risk, I mean that there is no risk that he comes to the prem only to find he can't cut it, as so many players have in the past. To get that sort of talent and know it will perform at the very top level usually costs a damn sight more than £15m. It simply is not a gamble signing. When it comes to what is going on in his head, I think some fans overanalyse things. He is exactly the same player that left us, only fresher. I will wager that after two or three games to get sharp the fans of the signing club will be raving about him. As for the wages, we have players on huge wages here. VVD won't be on peanuts, nor will Forster or Austin. Morgans won't upset the balance. Whether there are funds available is a different question.

Fonte retained his position as captain, so not sure I understand what it is you are saying he is spitting his dummy out about? Can you clarify?

He was the best in the league two seasons ago, hence United signing him. It will be the signing clubs good fortune that United have failed to make the most of him, enabling them to sign him for relative buttons. There are very few United rejects I'd ever want us to have signed. Usually those departing were/are bang average but on stupid wages. Morgan is not average, although the wages will certainly be hefty. But with so much money available to all prem teams now there is no reason why we can't pay 100k a week wages and who knows, maybe we already are. He is arguably better than Romeu IMO. He is certainly better than all the other midfielders. Whether that's the case in two years time is hard to say, but Prowse, reed, Classie and Hojbjerg will certainly need to raise their game a lot. As we have invested new contracts for them all, I certainly hope so. There is not a change of formation, we simply play him instead of Classie, Prowse or Hojbjerg. The only issue is our ability to afford him whilst keeping all the other midfielders. If we could sell Classie thereby opening a space, freeing up wages and providing transfer funds I wouldn't give it a second thought. It won't Happen. No one wants Classie, so there is no room at the inn.

I'm with you. Paper talk initiated by agent to help get an extra year on his contract. Bloody obvious and the club didn't buy it either. Good for them. For once they have a player tied to a contract that is the absolute perfect length for the club, not the player. The club for once holds the cards. They do not need to do anything and shouldn't. Pay players on what they can do for the club in the future not what they might have done in the past. No room for sentiment. I do not want the club to be paying Fonte 100k a week when is is 35.

We won't sell him. But if there was interest, what kind of figure would you be happy with?

despite how much I rate him, I could not agree with you more.

£13m for one of the best defensive midfielders in the league...it's an absolute no brainer. Buy him, pay him the wages and play him alongside Romeu, get Boufal in the hole and we have a bloody team on our hands. No one knows how good he is like we do. Classie, holberg, Ward Prowse and Reed all offer something, but none dominates a midfield like Morgan did for us. Puel wants to control the game and dictate the play. Morgan does that. He wins second ball, wins headers, makes so,many interceptions and is amazingly quick to help stop breakaways. He is exactly what we need. He is a no risk signing. How many of those are there these days?

Tremendous backing. Fans of clubs at the extremities of the country that Tavel away have my utmost respect. Wouldn't it be nice to see a shock up there with 8000 going crazy a few weeks before we repeat the exercise...excited already...

Slight risk taken there by Mane grabbing the snake so far from its fat head...

I know we have brought in a shed load from sales, but I still think by and large that we have sold slightly short. VVD fee should be astronomical. Anything less than £50m is simply not good business on our part. The market is moving very quickly. Before you know it £100m players will be two a penny.

With Classie? Do me a favour. Couldn't lace Morgan's boots.

It will be Quite depressing to see Morgan go to WBA whilst we have Classie filling a squad number

I was just about to do exactly that when I saw your post. Great kudos to Puel for moving to a four four two that caused Boro problems and enabled Boufal to pick the ball up in a more central area, leading directly to the goal. The defence, Puel and Boufal got us that win and deserve praise.

good point. Would be good to have someone pushing him for a place though. Not sure Sims is the answer (yet). Boufal is the key... The fact he can beat a man all ends up provides me with confidence, he just needs to improve what he does after he has beaten the man.

like it. Not sure why he has been singled out for so much vitriol. Saints fans always need a whipping boy. Hojbjerg has been much worse IMO (but lets not go down that route). That said I have to agree with those that didn't think he was a starter and certainly not a striker. He's got long term promise, but failing to get into Norwich's starting line up countless times last season tells you everything about where he is right now in his career. Sadly we have very few options in forward areas. Austin is now injured and quite static anyway. Tadic is just coming back from injury. No goals from Davis goes without saying, but he's not one to unlock many defences either. Long runs around, but is hardly creative, Rodriguez obviously struggling to get back to his best and Boufal not yet up to full speed ...on bad day our attack looks quite limited really. Hopefully Puel can find a way of getting the best out of what he has quickly.

hard to compare with other clubs abroad as Premiership clubs are charged a premium for signings, although you do have a point, especially as many of our signings are from overseas rather than other English teams.

Good memory. Swallows and summers...

neither were terribly effective, Saints fans are just a littler more forgiving of Sims. In all honesty our attack as a whole is struggling, not just Redmond. They are very static and there is very little fluidity from the front four, with players sticking firmly to their sides/positions making opponents lives easy. The attack is also very one paced and when we get the chance to break or get between the lines, especially when having made an interception we don't take that opportunity. We slow things down and allow teams to get behind the ball. Once they do that, we are not good enough to break them down.

why do we continue to play a completely right footed player on the left wing? Every time he beats the full back, which he does quite often, he has to check back and cross with his right, which is often blocked. I know there is the possibility of coming inside and shooting on his stronger foot, but that area is congested and opponents can quickly see he has no left foot (he doesn't even throw in the odd left foot cross to keep the full back honest) so are already there waiting. Get him on the right wing and simplify his game - beat man cross, beat man cross etc..