Patches O Houlihan

The club might have played this quite well. Signing McCathy didn't cost anything; just a wage/signing on fee. He is clearly a good stand in when required, and capable of making saves. If we had recruited a No1 and then gone looking for a No2 there's no way we would have got a 2nd as good as McCarthy. Especially when you consider his experience with the team. Fingers crossed we get a year or two before our new Dutchman picks up an injury 🤞

His Wikipedia page is also a worry concerning injury when you read his club career history. I looked back through the Euro 2024 games. He wore 13 and was sat on the bench for Netherlands throughout the tournament

The Reddit posters have stated that he has broken bones. A wrist in training last year for example as a result of being "too brave" The player has claimed he has tried to adapt his game so that he is at lower risk of injury

Surely De Telegraaf is good enough?

Anybody who watched that and thought - "Yes, that's the guy for us" really needs to question their recruitment credentials! 😁 We have had their pants down good and proper to sell for over £10m.

That's not fair. Sometimes he manages a brisk walk.

https://twitter.com/TimJonesFC/status/1826160985394102420 Nice video showing his touches in one match. Looks to be an upgrade, although there seem to be bigger spaces to pass through in the Primeira Liga than in the PL

https://twitter.com/spena2k10/status/1825798234003935452 Thread on Rui Patrizio by Wolves fans: He was already struggling in his last season with us. What if it is between Patricio and Ramsdale? As a number 1 then Ramsdale. As I know Rui just won't cut it anymore. No wonder we are in massive trouble....He was average when we had him, so imagine now...look forward, not backwards. And even worse with his feet than Sa That's true, but is he worse than Ramsdale? One of the main reasons Rui left because he hated living over here. He couldnt wait to move away, so much so he had already packed and moved out of his house 6 weeks before he actually left the club Been really shaky for Roma. Past his best. became another liability as sa has and his kicking is appalling So not ideal then... I know at the start of the window we felt there weren't many PL side looking for a keeper. This week every club and his dog has been linked with Ramsdale, while there are Spurs fans and Wolves fans discussing Patrizio. (as well as Sergio Rico, Keylor Navas, Tommaso Martinelli, Wojciech Szczęsny, Marvin Schwäbe)

So confident of BBD then! 🍻 😁👍

BBD, Arma, Archer If you said one would score 11, and the other two would score 7 or 8 I don't think that would be a ridiculous suggestion. Which ones do what I couldn't say. BBD scored 6 in half a season at the Blades, while Archer scored 4 in the whole season I think?

But the mean average is 11.5 😉

Is there a player we can afford who you wouldn't be nervous about?

While I agree we do better with a talisman centre forward, I do think we will see much more from Arma in the PL this time around: He's older and more mature and more experienced. He has a better idea what he is up against in the PL He must be full of confidence again now He must now realise that his best work is off the wing and not at CF Ralph played him off the left, but Russ plays him off the right Generally I think Russell's style of play fits him better than Ralphs.

He’s a Portu-geezer - surely he can!

Let’s hope so Even if we don’t sign Patricio we ought to be making that a song for Mateus Fernandes!

36yo Rui Patrício; Portuguese National keeper (ex Sporting, ex Wolves) is out of contract at Roma and appears to have been having contract talks with Goztepe. Difficult through the translate function, but the chat appears to be it was done because we were slow transferring Lis to them, and Arda got injured, so they needed an emergency keeper for the 3-4 weeks while he is out. All summer we have seemed to be signing players for them. Maybe this is the big FFP favour they do for us in return? McCarthy really isn’t going to kick up a fuss if he’s 2nd choice in that scenario, and neither is Baz if he gets fit early. Also his big wage bill is split between the clubs so doesn’t put noses out of joint with the playing staff of either club.

Lets hope all they end up with is their BFH

Have been refreshing the club website & twitter feed on and off all day. Nothing yet, but widely reported elsewhere. Sporting senior staff have also reported he is off

Highlights from Alfie House's Echo article Fernandes sometimes represents Portugal's youth teams as an attacking midfielder but made his home last campaign as a left eight. Fernandes has taken free-kicks, corners and penalties across his first-team appearances for Sporting and Estoril, demonstrating a level of respect. Goals and assists are not his first talent, which instead shines in tight areas under pressure and could see him suit Martin's system perfectly. He gets fouled a lot Fernandes averaged more passes into the final third per 90 minutes last campaign (6.51) than Smallbone (5.66) and Aribo (3.62) did. Equally, he attempted a greater number of long passes trying 3.43 per 90 minutes, compared to Smallbone's 2.47 and Aribo's 0.73. He did have worse accuracy than his new teammates in both short and long passing, perhaps down to Southampton's typically high safe possession. The technical quality and choice of pass can be coached but the bravery Fernandes has shown at a young age is an innate trait the club hunted. Against the ball, Fernandes shares similar stats with Smallbone and Aribo but blows them out of the water in total defensive duels and recoveries. In Portugal, Fernandes is viewed as one of the top prospects of the generation - and Sporting are reluctant to lose him as a result. Fernandes is about looking forward - retaining the ball in the midfield and progressing it through the third and into the strikers. Smallbone and Aribo might keep their place in the team for now but Fernandes will surely be knocking on the door if he can further craft his raw attributes. The full article is well worth a read

Didn't West Ham play JWP as an attacking midfielder with some success? I didn't see any of their games.

and Larios and potentially Wee Man

I take your points. Just wanted to highlight that we had 3 other midfielders. That said I would love to see JWP return just so that the PL free kick record is achieved when he is wearing a Saints shirt

Alcaraz, Lallana & Dibling all more than surplus to requirements?

Flynn did ok at the weekend