gio1saints

Ok have it your way. He’s been linked with Rangers can’t see it happening. Happy now?

Agreed. But I think he is going to be on the bench this year a lot. He and Saints might be better off him getting games. Don’t want him gone but just being pragmatic. Then again he is a direct replacement if DD fails or gets injured I guess.

Just a hunch he might go and the figure is a guess-estimate - but is anybody really paying what we paid for him nowadays anyway? Seriously? I think RM would love to have him. I want him to stay but it’s a hunch. It is the transfer speculation thread right?

My current views: Mateus and Tyler are as good as gone. Ditto Sam Edozie & Joe Aribo - if JA lowers his wage demands. Will Smallbone is now in final year and I’m sensing he’s not going to get renewed. Club may just let it roll. Or sell him to another Championship club for £3-5m. FlynnDownes is a very good championship MF but could be a star in Scotland - I think he’s going to leave for £10m if Rangers can find the pennies that is. THB may find suitors ditto Nathan Wood - but not both - I think one will leave the other stay. And the sellable one is obviously THB. Got a hunch Stewart will go out on a loan just to get minutes in his legs. DD is obviously ahead of him Also think we may recruit a veteran goalie as back up or even starter - the free agent Still knows is the favourite.

My view on the match : High up central Itchen was a better view but less noise than my mid Northam ST😁. Fraser played his best game since the last Championship season. Not a high bar perhaps but a Timely return to early Fraser. Put in a lot of hard yards. He’s fit for sure. If Flynn, Mateus, Tyler, Smallbone and Aribo are all “unavailable” - as likely - then he’ll start v Wrexham. And deserve to on that contribution. Im hoping Sesay will start also. A big match and he did not wilt - he flourished. Showed mature confidence, -and skill-and applications that made me nod my head in appreciation. New rough diamond we may have ourselves! I love it when we blood kids and they do well. Love it!🙌. Stephens haters turn away now. Best game, like Fraser, since the Championship days. Looked a real captain at times, some important blocks, calming distribution and actively supporting / encouraging kids like Jay and Sesay on the pitch. Quarshie partnership obviously good - -but most of all that final three CB’s solution with Ronnie , Quarshie plus the attacking wingback pair Wellington and Sugawara really clicked.👍 It might just be the optimal / default defensive formation this season. Especially as I don’t see too many teams coming to SMS and attacking much. Having a flat four may be too passive for home matches - especially with Manning and Bree not as dynamic offensively as Suga and Wellington. Gavin did good/ok. Conceded two and Just one bad pass - but several very good saves and generally good distribution. No criticism on the goals and he seems fit and confident. Obviously starting v Wrexham. We will and need get another GK in - but I am reassured he is in decent form for the early games of the season. Apart from the penalty Adam was quiet. Ditto Downs though he made a few good channel runs. Think they are both going to start. Cam was a bit more lively towards the end and unlucky not to score having had several decent attempts blocked. All three to start next week. Jay Robinson came on against Tired Legs ( Brighton’s new Danish full back 😉) & looked great. Think that’s a plan for this season. Got a feeling he’s going to start from the bench, initially, until his legs can take 90 minutes. He will be targeted by hatchet men defenders but he’s got a lot about him and he’s a starter by Xmas I hope. Lastly my twin MOM - Shea and Joshua Quarshie. Build team around them. Herculean effort. Great I’m not being subbed off attitude from JQ - made the penalty, should have done better with first half header and cleared everything in the air away - which he will need to do in this league -got done twice by that excellent winger but no disgrace and his sum contribution to team fuck off we are not getting beaten bollocks was excellent. A star is born.

We finished strongly but they should have been out of sight. It might have been the formation change- if so kudos Will - it was way more aggressive having two full backs actually getting over half way line and both Wellington and Sugawara looked the part - or it could have been personnel - Jay was great - or, as I also suspect, Brighton ran out of gas a bit and after 0-2 kind of relented. Just happy to come away from SMS seeing we got a team that’s got heart enough to come back from 0-2 after all we went through last year.

Before anyone gets too happy - Brighton took foot off the gas for sure after second goal and if it was 0-2 at HT would not have been totally unfair. Got a hunch our subs were better than theirs. And we were fitter than them also.

Quarshie who made the equalising penalty happen by winning that header from a corner? Who headed away countless crosses? What match were you watching? He was an awesome presence especially staying on when most players would have limped off several times.

Edwards is a well tidy player!

Are we fitter than these? Is that’s what’s happening?

Quarsie header was stopped with hand. Def 100% handball.

Wellington Jay and Sugawara - such a difference in energy! Much better.

2-2!!!

Penalty saints!

Sesay off. Lads played bloody well. 🙌

Pretty much as expected 1st half. Attack v defence. Brighton look pretty slick. We are just trying to hold a shape. We’ve had a few half chances but nothing that felt like growing pressure. A set piece is probably our best chance second half. Brighton on other hand look like they can pop up a gear whenever they want. pluses - Quarsie if he’s not nobbled.Downs runs effectively in the channel. Sesay- lad did alright. Shea ditto. The rest - meh. Cam at least looks like he’s trying . Ryan Fraser and Adam Armstrong basically ineffective. Ryan manning and Bree got their hands fullvs top forwards. Can’t fault baz for the goal and he did a good save early. We just are not holding possession long enough in their half to be dangerous. Yet another half in which we do not look like scoring and the opposition definitely do. Like all of last year.

I’m disappointed to definitively see that Tyler and Mateus are obviously off. Other than that delighted at no BBD or Joe Aribo. Also Delighted at starts for Downs, Sesay and Quarshie. Out with the old in with the new! It starts here. The result probably a loss - but I’m glad we not playing those that are not committed. We get trounced- SR might need hurry up a bit! We don’t get trounced play alright - start of a new era? Ish? Let’s see….🤞

The absences will be the most painful. Supposedly THB is scheduled to play, you’d hope Flynn also. But if neither are there due to “niggles” and both Mateus and Tyler don’t make it either the portents are not good. Means entertainment value is pinned on young Jay Robinson and maybe Damian Downs to score. I do have hopes/ confidence in one other player though : think Joshua Quarshie will become an instant fan favourite with a few “committed”challenges today and he will go on to win our “Player of the Season”.

Think that’s very close. Have a feeling Still will NOT drop Armstrong for this “ prestige” home friendly however, and he will start, instead of Downs. Robinson will be the fans main interest in which case. I personally would prefer Ronnie and Quarshie as a combo CB pairing as we’ve not seen that yet. And it might spare us the crowd groans when Jacks name is announced. Final score : 0-3. Or 1-3 if forwards get enough service. Which I don’t think they will given our lack of an AM - unless Ryan realises it’s last chance saloon and scores from edge of the box or something mental. Don’t be fooled though. We saw BBD do that last year. It’s an old pros trick - the “once a year highlight reel goal”.

Grok says it was in region if £20m and we apparently want £30m.

Just for once I’d like to see Saints put out a fresh no scar tissue want to win team : GB in goal, Downs and Robinson up top, Quarshie and Edwards at CB’s, Matsuki at #8, Shea and Sanda in the middle and top up the remaining positions with what you got left over from the squad. But the gist is : play these players NOT the ones we already know what they got ( or in many cases NOT got). They get thrashed - SR need to get the chequebook out . No point watching Cameron, Adarma Fraser and BBD being impotent v Brighton over and over again…

When Villa got promoted to the EPL they made Grealish their best paid player at c £125k pw. To reflect his status. Still sold him for a lot to City though the following year- for £100m - But they got promoted and a year in epl out of what was an obvious talent- like Tyler is. That was four /five years ago. It’s a parallel of sorts we might follow. And the prices perhaps too. If we truly believed in the lad. Grealish stats in the champ are comparable to Tyler. These are high stakes. oh and PS look where Villa are now.

Anywhere he goes he will earn more in a year than many do in a lifetime. A multimillionaire before he’s even 21. It does strongly look like he’s being advised to take the big money elsewhere. My question is : I think his current contract is £5k a week? Is that right? No idea what he was offered but surely Saints can do a one year extension at £50k pw or so and a promise to sell next year offers over £40m? Would that be a compromise?

Before I even consider asking that one What do you think the answer might be? You need to think about what JS might say -( he will be there) as you get one chance at a follow up. Am i genuinely asking him for information or am I asking to make a cheap dig at the club Captain in front of a few hundred people? I can almost give you word for word what both Still and Jack might say when I ask “why 3yrs?” so the follow up better be good else I’ve learned nothing.

oops