Patches O Houlihan

We sounded him out in the summer but couldn't shift Aribo and Edozie to make space in the wage budget for him to join us > that budget matters less right now. He really wanted to return and if not to us perhaps would retire. Just my theory but it might be accurate. I think I read he's been playing for a Portuguese club to stay fit

There are other ways to Dad...

He was seen at Staplewood before the pre-season team meet up in Spain

The interview was filmed at St Marys by club staff. Wa released on YouTube 4 days ago. Will have taken a day to shoot and a day to edit; so they've known he was coming for 6 days at least.

The more I think about it, the more I think the timing of all this is not a knee jerk reaction to this week's events on the pitch. This is a video the club put out. It will have been filmed and edited a week ago. During this interview Ori and possibly the others would have known he was joining.

Suggestions that Romeu was seen at Staplewood before the pre-season training camp in Spain where he was pictured with the squad. Maybe he would have joined if Aribo and Edozie were sold but management felt the squad would have been too big. Now they feel it is worth it to try to raise standards in the squad and morale amongst the fans.

I'm hoping that we see the really strong solid guy who reads the game really well sitting in front of the centre backs with Jander and possibly Downes to do most of the running for him. [both have a good engine] He won't have forgotten how to pass a ball or spot an attack developing and hopefully he can be empowered to communicate that message amongst his team mates - like having a coach on the pitch.

You got there before me 😁

For those who haven't seen it. Posted 4 days ago: Half hour interview from 6:00m to 36:00m. Starts with highlights of our comeback win against Inter where he set up Virgil via the crossbar

Scienza and JWP fighting for free kicks. Manning shouldn't get a look in

Imagine his positive advice and influence on Shea Charles and Casper Jander - never mind the rest of the team. This news has really cheered me up.

Well done. I know that was hard for you 😉

I didn't think we'd see signs that SR 'get it'. But this might be one. For me he gets the Captain's armband within a fortnight.

Deal done yesterday it would seem

Can't you be cheerful or positive about anything? Isn't there already plenty to be cynical about?

Were we being softened up for it with that interview last week? 4-1-3-2 / Diamond With Romeu as the sitting midfielder. That could work

https://talksport.com/football/3693451/patrick-vieira-sacked-mario-balotelli-genoa-arsenal/ Viera chat

What about Patrick Viera? Has just departed from Genoa by mutual agreement as they are bottom of Serie A nine games in, and the team are getting booed every game. He managed them to promotion last season. Tonda Eckert was his assistant for part of that promotion season - get the old team back together but to get Saints promoted. Knows British football Respected as player and manager Currently not such a huge superstar he wouldn't talk to us (?) Would make Spors look farsighted potentially. Doesn't fit SR's usual manager mould which even they must admit isn't working Ballotelli doesn't like him - so it would seem he doesn't suffer fools

https://www.streameast24.com/live/england-championship/match/southampton-vs-preston-north-end/6905a1e16168b60d02d768a1 This works but quality is crap

The question was why didn't he start the season in the team? - not why hasn't he played recently

Speaks really well. Will be gutted if he leaves before we’ve seen the best of him.

He has little time left on his contract and older. So there’s an argument it’s better to build a team for the Prem with younger players. BUT - Sports Republic also get the benefit of adding value to those young players and so will sell them off before we really see the benefit… Also if the plan was to sell him he might have done easier training for the last few weeks of preseason to avoid a badly timed injury. So might not have been fully up to speed fitness wise.

Have you ever been parachuted into a disfunctional team as a manager and had to turn around the workplace mentality? I have. It was one of the hardest things I’ve achieved in my career - but they were only a team of 3, and had only been together 4 months. Imagining that he could turn around Saints whilst being asked probing questions by the press for 20-40 minutes per week without ever mentioning anything that happened prior to June is quite a big ask