gio1saints

That’s Sekou Maras twin brother ffs.

Yup agree. Think he’s on about £55k pw so paying that plus a chunky loan fee gives him a year to show he can cut it in English football. An obligation to buy like with THB may make sense. I’m certain Still knows who he is and what he’s capable of. If we lost Tyler and Mateus to big fees but got oreilly in on loan I’d say fair enough, reluctantly, a team with Mateus O’reilly and Tyler on the other hand. Now that would be worth paying to watch!

Just a thought after reading that Matt o’reilly has been linked with Roma after a disappointing first year at Brighton : He’s not been played in his favoured position (8), apparently, and has said he’s unhappy. And apparently open to a move. He cost them £21m - so we are not paying that ( well I’m 90% confident we are not!) - but given our strong interest last year it does not sound totally mad to suggest he might be somebody we would love to have on loan if available - and of course would be a guaranteed starter - especially given Mateus and Tyler employment status at SMS may be changing. I think he’d be a fantastic fit at Saints if he took up the challenge but I suspect there’s a lot better and wealthier clubs than us would take him as a loan- or even as an attacking midfielder punt - and that’s if Brighton even let him go.

Just a thought after reading that Matt o’reilly has been linked with Roma after a disappointing first year at Brighton : He’s not been played in his favoured position (8), apparently, and has said he’s unhappy. And apparently open to a move. He cost them £21m - so we are not paying that ( well I’m 90% confident we are not!) - but given our strong interest last year it does not sound totally mad to suggest he might be somebody we would love to have on loan if available - and of course would be a guaranteed starter - especially given Mateus and Tyler employment status at SMS may be changing. I think he’d be a fantastic fit at Saints if he took up the challenge but I suspect there’s a lot better and wealthier clubs than us would take him as a loan- or even as an attacking midfielder punt - and that’s if Brighton even let him go.

One not too often discussed nuance of the window is the difference between wholesale squad change and incremental squad change. Many on here would be happy for the former. In other words get rid of lots of the current squad ( but god knows how) & bring in lots of new players with no “scar tissue”. Maybe a 60-70% change overall. An equal number would keep some of “ the ones that proved they can do a job at Championship level “ , just sell the inevitable gems plus a fair few that were squad fillers. That’s maybe a 40% change overall. And then a minority might argue that the current squad, taking out the loan returnee /contract ending players and the obvious few selling ones is good enough with a few decent quality transfers in. Ie about a 20-30% change. Don’t forget- the new Manager counts as part of the turnover. I have no accurate idea who the 2 in c is going to be for instance or what role the rest of the coaching staff have or do not have. I think we will probably go down the middle path - though the first option feels more exciting it’s also more risky and the last option may seem a little too passive and though it’s probably financially cheaper at outset it may not be as cost effective as the middle way.

If what @Farmer Saintis so eloquently stating is true then the logical deduction is that, far from being feckless useless fools, SR are, in fact, gaming the system and not inexpertly either. And this season might see first flowers blooming from that. One might also deduce , if premise is true, that they believe navigating the hinterland between Championship and EPL can be a profitable enterprise in the medium to longer term. And they mean to reap that profit - in that relatively unheralded market, for investors. Furthermore, that this profitability ( or economically sustainable if you prefer) is relatively unreliant upon Saints being anything more than just good enough to go up every now and again. it’s NOT about actually winning the league or getting into Europe or a cup - those are all once in a lifetime bonuses- it’s about making a reliably consistent profit from the business of football.

You’ve just succinctly described one of the strangleholds that the wealthiest clubs of the EPL have on us. The loan system, ostensibly helpful to teams like us, simultaneously guarantees disruption to squad after squad once they leave. That Disruption undermines clubs that cannot afford the stockpile of talents that the Chelsea’s and Man City’s have and basically, as you describe, have to fix the house whilst repairing the foundations year after year. The big clubs - and their Managers- can concentrate on just fixing the house. Southampton FC and all the other non elite clubs are just tarted up Academies for the big boys. Nothing more. When we are told winning the Championship playoff is the most valuable match in world football it’s true on one level - but it’s also the classic magicians trick of distraction creating the illusion that it’s not a fixed system, fixed in favour of the biggest, wealthiest clubs. We won the worlds most valuable football match and yet - look at the state of us.

Do you think he is a Will Still system player though? My understanding is that WS is fairly pragmatic but generally likes to press high. The Flynn I saw v Arsenal was pressing them in their penalty area second half. Like he was auditioning.

@Farmer Saint think you are a bit harsh on FD. Last match v Arsenal I thought he played very well. He fell out with Juric for sure but I think he will would do well at any Championship club- or at Rangers.* Does not need RM to be a good player at that level. I accept that he is not a good or even probably average EPL player - but, for me, he would start at any team in the current Championship - whatever style they play. Or if the Manager has a handsome beard and fine hair🥰 ps that is not to say he is not probably overpaid and we overpaid for him v his actual quality - but in terms of the championship there’s not many players his level.

General squad composition thinking is to have one spare player for each position plus an extra goalie (or two) That means 23 -24 first team players in a tight, competitive, cost-effective, high quality to quantity ratio squad. Our current squad is > 24 players and quality to quantity ratio ineffective, certainly at EPL level. Not shock news but lots of work is required to move back towards optimum squad size/quality ratio. I agree with all those saying that this squad should be composed with half an eye on being able to Play EPL the following season. In other words, they are ALL up for sale. None showed they can play acceptable EPL bar Mateus and Aaron. Those two are the ones I would and should shift heaven and earth to keep. It seems like a foregone conclusion that our two best players will go. But I’d rather sell the other 28 + players and keep them two, build the new team totally around them - than keep the others and lose the best we have..

Does anyone truly believe that Martins EPL squad was good enough to finish anywhere other than the bottom three? If you do just look at the squad lists of the other epl teams… Supposedly star managers like McKenna could not do it for Ipswich. The best you could say for the EPL campaigns of Man Utd Spurs and West Ham was that they avoided relegation - ignominiously - and with way better squads - and supposedly way better managers, than ours. The single biggest factor in our relegation was failure to upgrade player and squad quality upon promotion. And yes, maybe, that should have included RM himself. But We would have gone down playing any formation and style you wish under any Manager with that squad. So, this whining about how shit Martin was or still is may actually be a massive red herring obscuring the real key factor. Keep crying about Martin and forget all he did was play the cards he had only real way he knew how. You need to look upstairs for the real people at fault.

Through that lens these “ transfer windows” are seen for what they are - simply the equivalent of Xmas or Black Friday for the biggest and wealthiest clubs. The best and purpose designed time to make returns for their investors. Not a shinpad or dab of ralgex required. Put more bluntly it’s the primary reason for club investment and by virtue of that club existence. To make profit by player trading. And to try to make it continue to be attractive for investors there must be profits. As a spectacle football today is about as much to do with “ fair play” despite the disingenuous virtue signaling as pitching Christians up against lions in the colosseum.

Post script to the above : If you had to say what does football - one of the very few if not alone by itself universally understood languages of the earth - really teach our kids today one answer might be : greed is good, money is god, fame and fortune are the most important things in life. It’s a very low bar sadly.

Agree with you and @Farmer Saint- It’s the designed-in result that they required. Sell-on clauses for promising youngsters that have been hoovered up by the wealthiest clubs simply protect the investment interests of those big and rich clubs. Those with the biggest and best national and international scouting infrastructure. Not those that cannot afford to maintain even regional academies anymore. The rest of the teams - and the leagues - are, quite literally, feedstock. Any perception of this being anything to do with “fair play” or anything remotely worthy of what many consider the importance of football for our society is just the wealthiest investors PR firms doing what they do. It’s cynical beyond belief. Yet few actually see it. The last few decades jumping in on Women’s football, BLM and LGBQT+ for example are essentially the same principle that the Saudis are using by sportwashing in the kingdom.

Flynn Downes is an excellent Championship player. If he joined LCFC makes them stronger. I doubt he’d be received badly. Players who might be badly received might be those with a current Midlands connection. Will or Armstrong for instance. Bad Surprises might be Manning or Captain Jack. CA also a possible. Given how important the GK is in Martins game it may well be a loan move for Gav.

To add to that Holmes I’d say that the appointment of Will Still has added value to SFC not taken away. The new price for SFC just went up with that appointment. Whatever the asking price was two weeks ago it went up.

It’s true that SR may consider they have two years grace to get back up and “regain” all that lost value plus perhaps some profit. Keep reinvesting. Hold until the end in Cryptospeak. That’s one option. There’s another pov that says these are economically uncertain times and that an asset stripping sale to realise some value is the best option - for SR - and let’s see if Saints can still get promoted with what’s left. It’s a complicated gamble. Against all that if a “fair“ cash offer for the entire club comes in - that takes all the risk of that gamble into account and prices it in - it may give a clean break to SR. SR can find another “Flagstone club” I’m sure. Im not so certain a clean break fair price offer would be declined by SR right now despite recruiting Still- some may argue it’s more likely because of recruiting Still. I’d say 60/40 currently ( 60% offer to sell declined). If it’s a bad start that goes to 50-50.

Is there any chance we could nab Hamer from Sheffield Utd? I doubt they’d want to sell and he would be costly but they may need to sell someone now they not gone up. He’s obviously one of the best if not best players in the league and in a position we need.

Yes of course I was there. We did not play well nor show as much aggression as I’d if liked. I think. 🤣. I also watched us get thrashed and I’m sure GS was wary of being embarrassed in the final. There was an air of we’re all going on a European tour hangover from the semi final amongst our support imo. which was more fun than the final gave to say. But I do admit I was absolutely slaughtered. Asleep under a bar table at noon somewhere in a Wetherspoons Cardiff god knows how I made the match. A bunch of us Saints forevers were in a Bristol night club the night before including some who still post here…they can vouch that perhaps my judgement may have been impaired at the Cardiff match…😎

I was disappointed with RS up until the goal. Kept falling over and being weak. Then he scored. Maybe that’s the bad luck curse on him lifted. 🤞. Maybe. Possibly KS most eye catching game if the season. Coincidence? Don’t think so. Flynn actually put full effort into this match- best he’s played possibly all season. Coincidence? Don’t think so. Yuki had his hands full all match against top wide players. Especially as his reinforcements was Jay R. WP sir. They won’t be that good in the championship. Les showed he will probably get a contract from an EPclub or top five leagues club. Not at Chelsea though imo. Wellington also did ok. As did our two CB’s apart from the first five mins. Jay Robinson showed that youthful enthusiasm is appreciated at SMS. His running around lots early doors was well received. He faded a bit thereafter but did enough to show he’s got something. That move and shot on target 2nd half was a big ceiling he’s broken through and will give him confidence 🤞for next season. Even KS gave him a little hug for it! Wouldn’t it be nice to see him and Tyler in same team, with KS next season? Entertaining football alert! Ramsdale is a class act. Period. Def upper EPL level imo or could play anywhere in Europe at a top team if he liked. Will Still plus his wife only arrived at 3pm and will have pics done today . They watched from Directors. I managed to lip read a comment he made to her through my binoculars which was revealing -“ the croissant was a bit dry - but I will be coaching the catering team on Thursdays so expect improvements” to which she nodded. Make of that what you Will.

God we are so rubbish at the wall pass then shoot thing. I’d be embarrassed was my old Sunday league team fluffing so many. And if Manning is aiming for Row Q he’s doing very well with his efforts. Common theme this season I’m afraid. We can’t shoot for toffee.

Will Still makes use of football data to inform some or many of his football managing decisions. Applied retrospectively to every match of this season ( his homework no doubt) I’ve no doubt some clear and obvious priorities will emerge. And the kinds of players he wants/needs for the Championship. The Championship IS different to the EPL but I think the two biggest areas he should prioritise are (1) improvement in our set piece play (2) improvement in our defensive work. These are basic coaching things which I think he should be very good and right up to date with contemporary thinking on.

The first media available says there’s agreement between lens and saints. That’s not the same as between Still and Saints. It’s then been upgraded to Still has signed with saints ~ by Romano on X I think - 3 year deal - though this may be a preemptive extrapolation of the first post as there’s no ££ mentioned. Wait til Saints announce it to be sure basically.

My worst memory of an Arsenal match was watching Gordon Strachan trying not to lose by too many defeat at Cardiff. I saw the thrash at Highbury earlier and thought maybe we’d give it a go so was pretty disappointed you might say ( through the beer haze) at our lack of ambition. I sincerely hope we will ditch this 11 behind the ball don’t get into the opposition third and most of all no shots on target until the last 20 minutes tactic for this final EPL game. This ought to be a statement match win lose or draw that next season we are going to be at them- whoever they are-at SMS. Attacking until we score then repeat. None of this these are better than us so let’s park the bus at home defeatist rubbish.

I saw BBD do ONE good thing - score that goal v Lazio, but other than that every match he played for Saints I was perplexed. He came with a BIG reputation but did nothing. Played at left wing by RM in our style was a mistake - obviously - but all he did was literally try to compete for high balls and pass the ball backwards to any passes he received. Never took a player on. Never tried a shot. Never put in a through ball. Rarely put in a winning challenge in a fifty fifty. Just took up a position wide left on the field. We could have put a dustbin in there and it might have been just as effective - though it would have covered marginally less distance on the pitch with work rate ( what’s that?) than BBD. The ONLY good thing he did was find a cheating way to get the barcodes player sent off then laugh at the afters. Literally that is his highlights reel. Please buy him Sheff Utd! NB: He has NO pace no tricks and cannot dribble past his man neither can he outmuscle his defender nor win a header. He is not a shoot on sight selfish striker attacker but neither is he a selfless assist machine. And the only off the ball runs he makes are at start and end of the game entering field of play them back to the showers. He does not use his experience to talk and mentor others through the game and his example is precisely of what NOT to do. What IS a BBD? PS. I suppose that’s what you get for £35k pw. But seriously, £35k per week for doing nothing???? FFS!