Miltonaggro

That was my reading of it too.

Spors said the Stephens contract decision is 100% on him, Will Still’s ‘faith’ has yet to be tested. My guess is that he is his own man with regard to picking his best 11 and that Spors’ sentiment won’t impact his selection after a few games.

Kiss kiss. Bang bang!

Along with his bottom lip if he joins Everton…

#controversial

Mentioned to me last night by a pal who was also at the training ground yesterday. No more drama or nonsense than that.

Absolutely, would be perfect fit for a Still side. Chances are he stays in northern Spain, but perhaps he fancies an SFC finale!

Oriol Romeu’s contract was terminated at Barca last week allowing him to speak to other clubs. He was at Staplewood yesterday. Make of that what you will…

Potentially, yes.

I think that our trio of talented youngsters (MF, TD and THB) appear to be going along with agent advice and agitation this summer - purely financial motive - but have the gut feeling that if they end up at the likes of Burnley, Palace, Everton etc. that things will turn sour very quickly. All three should perhaps focus on development rather than the quick bucks, but that's not the modern game I suppose.

Then again, I've got it on good authority he loves the new kit and has just bought Juan Larios's toaster.

Maybe. I like the bloke and in an interview said his boyhood hero was Jaaskelainen who played 500 games for Bolton - above all else Ramsdale wants to play every week I feel, but doesn't look prepared to give us a season in the Championship. Also think he was sold Saints by his bestie Brooks when we had momentum during the play offs. Shame, as he felt like the first old school proper Saints signing in years.

Apparently he's the Captain.

Just checked and the jet is recently purchased, registered to a Mr J Stephens out of Eastleigh airport.

Exactly this. The next red morale flag is Ramsdale exiting (whether loan or permanent) and us counting down to Wrexham with Baz and Macca in the wings.

As I've been saying since the end of last season, club should do all it can to keep Fernandes (a one man team second half of last season). Offer him a pay rise with promotion bonus, make him captain and build the team around him, slap on a Lavia sized price ticket. But that's all we can do. If a big club turns it's eye of Sauron our way as the window starts to close, he's offski.

company...

Trying to crank up the roubles!

Exactly right, and common in all physical sports. On average an adult man has something like 40-80% more maximal force than a woman and between 60-70% in terms of upper body strength. In contact sport this can be highly dangerous as much as anything else. The boxing pantomime at the last Olympics was a horrific case in point.

No need for that type of thing on here!!!

Sam Allardyce

Good post and the Koeman point is interesting - replace the Eredivisie with the Bundesliga and you may be on to something.

Looks like the squad trimming is continuing apace.