Doctoroncall

Still over a month to go and it seems the club are happy to play hard ball at the moment. I’m sure there are various scenarios planned for and would think potential cut prices are in place for certain players to get them out to reduce costs, especially if they are seen not being able to contribute to a promotion push. There is also the possibility it will be taken out of the club’s hands if a player strikes or submits a transfer request and likewise where a bid isn’t acceptable to the club.

I expect August to be very busy. Hoping for some nice surprises for incomings if we do happen to clear the decks.

Trippier is getting on a bit and with CL football if they make it to the group stages increasing the number of games, Tino will get games.

Same. He’s obviously repaying Saints by getting a fee in 😒. I wonder what the clauses are and how much if any Chelsea get of it.

His performance was a horror show for us.

His performance was a horror show for us.

He’s only got five to go. 124 league appearances, 25 goals

Do you think Mara will develop further here under this new regime or has it got to the point he wants out or not bothered to try? He’s obviously talented but does he have the fortitude to progress? It would be best to see a new no1 come in and McCarthy go. If Baz thinks he’s no1 then he needs a challenge to get there.

But is that the right type of experience to help fix pipes. There’s different types of experience you know!

The World Cup break was similar in number of weeks to the end of season break now.

Just missing his pipe and slippers.

Not yet.

Not sure they would want to have two managers and back room staff on the payroll.

I see what you’re getting at - that the squad is the important factor not the cash balance, however there are a few caveats to it. There is no point holding on to a useful player that doesn’t want to be here under any circumstances and cannot be persuaded otherwise. I’d hope Wilcox has a plan for recruiting the right character of player, not just on ability. As last season illustrated we need a cohesive squad not a collective of individual players who shy away in their own cliques.

Isn’t there a 20% sell on clause to City so 40m isn’t 40m for Saints.

done deal!

Athletic and Guardian stated it. Telegraph only had a paragraph about his appointment so no mention of rejection of the Saints job.

Just not sure on what grounds considering we finished last by a clear margin and got three points out of the six against them. Perhaps one placement prize money??? But it’s Everton and if the club can get money out of them then why not.

I know what you mean although I’d have been happy to have him as Saints manger. There are times when you have to take a risk and I think he is a risk worth taking for because of how he manages the players both in terms of personality and his ability to get his tactical plans across - no triggers or strict robotic game plan only a framework to work in. Even though he’s only managed in lesser leagues, he’s done well and had successes so knows what winning is about and his teams play good attacking football.

Not quite. Those not on international duty will have a 10 day training camp then a 10 day break before all the squad is assembled. It makes sense for all the squad to be at a similar fitness level rather than having groups doing different things because of differing levels of fitness and training at the start of the season.

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Depends if they haven’t lost said cup. Otherwise I’d hope they’d be grateful to us to ‘hand in cup’ to them.

Pontus Jansen is being released. The leader we need?

I knew it! All this haggling over compensation has left the door open for a championship club to come and steal him from us… do you know which club?

From the interview, this bit gives some context of what was going on at the club: ’He wondered if there was a psychological problem. “We know we have great players, but they don’t show that in the games,” he says. “Some answers we got from the club were, ‘Don’t worry, it will be better.’ “We would now like to know more about the life of the club and to be supportive to enable them to be the best possible. We were not failed by the people in the club, I failed them. I should have been closer to everything.” From now on he will be, as he puts it, “part of the family”. No wonder they are keen to be a bit closer to things!