gio1saints

Thanks for getting it what I’m trying to say! WRT Adz- You’d think Adz has got enough experience to not get performance anxiety but I suspect that he has it - he’s only human. Even if it’s not as much as a Sam Amo might have say. And that’s a good thing. Complacency coming back to SFC after being at Liverpool and England etc not what we want to see. And he knows that. But performance anxiety can come in disguise. Little niggles become not something you can run off but something you get off the pitch for treatment for example. With Adz he knows he has the big rep. But there must be a secret little voice of doubt saying can his body deliver what his class says he can/ or could?? So many questions as an elite athlete to answer - What are Saints Fc expectations versus saints fans expectations just one of them. They are very different for certain and that is the nub for me ( and maybe for Adz). Is his future just coming in off the bench sitting and recirculating the ball keeping possession or is he there to actually DO something aggressive? Tackle someone or Score goals even? What if he does try that and fucks up. Isn’t it safer to endlessly pass sideways? Saints showed performance anxiety in practice Saturday when in the time after player sent off our intensity dropped across the pitch. At that point the “ expectation” was for us to demonstrate our numerical superiority and sadly we could not do that in fact we failed at it. The second half bit better but all the same when loaded up with that extra expectation - before match we mostly all thought we’d get beat don’t forget - the players faltered. This was a psychological loss not a tactical or strategy loss. I’m hopeful SFC have noted it - certainly RM has said as much - and believe v Forest we will be a different animal. A Tiger.

@Chewy I’ve not claimed anything above as a factual summary. I’ve deliberately and repeatedly suggested it’s possible. I’m very much pro Both players and this is not an attack piece, as for your sarcasm - unnecessary. The situation in which two of our star players were unable to play all preseason without a clear medical diagnosis given inevitably raises questions in fan base. Is it the club being professionally cautious- or over-cautious? Are the players being professionally cautious - or over-cautious? Or a bit of both? I think there is such a thing as being psychologically rehabilitated as well as physiologically. I’m querying whether the former is the primary issue at this point.

He is desperate to play and show why we bought him. Same time I feel he has possibly bought in too much to the club injury rehab & prevention doctrine and is possibly now over-cautious with himself. It’s a very fine line but if the medical team stress that his career might be over with another bad injury you can forgive someone being super cautious themselves if it’s their livelihood at stake. I think biggest challenge he has right now - and same with Adz, is mental not physical. Adam Lallana is possibly bricking it at the thought that saints fans are expecting to see the old Adz - but he’s much older now and his Cruyff turn days are probably behind him. Technically he’s probably the best player we have - but physically he’s older and as for mentally, despite all his achievements, I reckon he’s massively concerned about turning up and playing at SMS in front of 30k saints. Almost stage fright if you like. I saw him kick a ball in warm up at Eastleigh and since then he’s disappeared. That’s like a 3 week injury from just “ a niggle”. It’s mental not physical imo. Both players, imo, need massive fan support when they both reemerge PLUS a massive dose of downplaying expectations. Worse thing we could do is slag them off if they don’t deliver star quality straight away. Best thing is to treat them like human beings and encourage them to do whatever is their best at any given moment recognising it’s a pathway in the first matches - not the be all and end all day one.

No revelations but my instincts tell me If anyone is still in the race for MOR it’s us. We still need goals from attacking players. He ticks both boxes. The probable purchase of Fernandes does not change that imo. The ultimate impotency of our attacking yesterday can only underline the point we need finishers. The probable sale or loaning out of various of our players could fund MOR. And maybe a surprise sale as well. Basically - Shea, Paul, Charlie and others need leave first for MOR to happen. That’s my gut feel. And our starting line up come October will be rather different than Saturday. I’d expect: 1. New GK 2. Lesley to start and 3. MOR to start. Who gets dropped? Alex, Jack and Will/Joe. NB having said that Tyler’s excellent progress has got me hoping that he = MOR minus a year of scoring goals in Scotland. If he can score a few in early matches maybe the Attacking mf position is resolved in house.

Excellent goalkeeper currently at Luton. Seems to have that decisiveness that’s required in tough situations. Think Saints should sign him up? Based on this best of highlights clip I think yes. https://x.com/ballsdotie/status/1824801688227651811?s=46&t=l5Q4mkKSxz5qdVtggXqogw

https://x.com/ballsdotie?s=21&t=l5Q4mkKSxz5qdVtggXqogw The Luton Goalkeeper automatically enters Saints Hall of Fame. Buy him a point anywhere in Southampton for rest of his life. Excellent goalkeeping! 😂😇https://x.com/ballsdotie/status/1824801688227651811?s=46&t=l5Q4mkKSxz5qdVtggXqogw

If Lesley is as good as his reputation then he probably should be starting ahead of Jack Stephens in any five man defence set up. Or indeed Shea. At 6ft 3 he is a unit and going to be fine doing that and being a French u21 international he must be able to pass the ball. Im happy we’ve added some obvious steel to our CMF.

Archer in Mara out seems straight swop almost publicised in sync. The Chelsea DM in but no incoming publicised poses intriguing questions. It is inconceivable to me that we have two top end DM’s as back up to Flynn. Thats one too many- OR we are going to try play with two at same time - meaning the end ( or at least temporary abandonment) of the Jack Stephens front sweeper role. For me, the longer it goes without a named outgoing ( Shea or Jack gets dropped) the greater the likelihood that this aspect is part of a connected purchase or loan - the most public one being MOR. Which, if any of those lives of thought we end up going for anyone’s guess. Indeed - knowing how highly Shea is rated, it may just be we may still just keep Shea and have extra cover in the DMF position. Probably not a bad move given we are likely to be having to defend a bit more than last year I’d imagine! which is best though?

Where is Shea going ?

If the Incoming player is a loan DMF then the outgoing loan or sale is our Back up DMF - Shea. The Only definitive “ I love Shea” comment I’ve heard is from Brendan Rodgers at Celtic. And Shea has been mentioned as part of a combo deal package for MOR. So, maybe there’s hope.

Fabio Silva not been mentioned but cost £40M originally in 2020. He has been loaned out multiple times to Holland & latterly at Rangers but now back at Wolves. Left sided CF type. C. £11m apparently but possibly a loaner also.

Brighton were supposedly interested in MOR. It does put into perspective the relative pricing. MOR is available for €25M plus bits and pieces- Rutter is €40m. One has torn the SPL up last year scoring a million goals and assists for the Champs whereas the other played second tier English football for a team not good enough to get promoted . So Brighton choose Rutter. For Brighton and their algorithmic approach to valuation of players, Rutter >MOR. Kind of puts a little bit of perspective about getting too excited about MOR for Saints. If o was Celtic I’d be thinking MOR valuation just gone up with that Rutter deal.

I’m expecting a loan starting goalie and a wide attacking squad player - also on loan. The first proviso is we keep Charlie and Shea. If either go I’d expect replacements. Second proviso is if we actually manage to sell BK and Paul - then an additional MOR type quality AMF can be bought. Probably from a euro league at a third the price of MOR.

The plot thickens.Italian media says Atalanta just swooped in at last minute to sign Marco Brescianini on a loan with obligation to buy. £1m and £11m. Versatile cmf. 6ft+. Supposedly a cover for when koopmeiners leaves. But that’s meant to be O’Riley. Unless they want two? Or unless they ditching project O’Riley leaving him to us? They also just bid €25m for MOR ( £21.4M) on a 5 yr contract. Greedy. 🤔

I think the most likely solution to Gav injured and only two senior goalies left in squad is to get a loan in. Buying a definitive #1 renders Alex and Gav ( and Joe) redundant straight away. And there is no point in buying another reserve keeper- we just sent one off to Turkey! Buying a top keeper is what everybody seems to be clamouring for but loaning one will deliver same goalkeeping quality but with far less complications ( and cost). With a loan we can do a reset next season on the gk front depending on if Gav has recovered. IF we buy ( Johnstone for eg) it does get rather complicated when Gav returns - and there is the matter of having what might then be our third choice keeper on first choice wages and a year to hang around- or perhaps be sold. Id bet a big number we keep it simple and get a” top” loan keeper in shortly.

https://x.com/tuttosport/status/1823410141351567472?s=46&t=l5Q4mkKSxz5qdVtggXqogw The plot thickens.Italian media says Atalanta just swooped in at last minute to sign Marco Brescianini on a loan with obligation to buy. £1m and £11m. Versatile cmf. 6ft+. Supposedly a cover for when koopmeiners leaves. But that’s meant to be O’Riley. Unless they want two? Or unless they ditching project o Riley leaving him to us?

Love the theory and prospect of that - Except imo O’Riley will go to Atalanta. Looks like the player Sale they need to make is finally going through with Juve - for Koopmeiners @ c €55m. As per Italian social media. We won’t outbid Atalanta - and apparently he has made it very clear he’s happy to join them. Quite how they’d know that Ive no idea but it’s been oft repeated in Italian press. Maybe not getting O’Riley means Tyler especially and Charlie ( 2nd time around) will get their EPL chance this season - so let’s be positive!

I flagged the Polish keeper as a possible weeks back but it looked like he was going Saudi. Wages are mental and he probably would not join Saints - even if we did give him his €6.5m per annum plus welcome bonus.🫣 He seems to have gone off the rails somehow so it’s probably a non starter. But yeah. If mentally and physically fit he’d still be top ten goalies in EPL or better.

Ooh Sam Johnstone loses his Palace #1 squad number and omitted from last match. Apparently a £10M worth goalie and on £43k pw atm. Contract top 2026. 31 yrs old 6ft 4”. He is a high quality starting goalie that’s Not out of our reach. I think this is a runner as it’s been rumoured a while…🤞

I think this is how we will start majority of away matches. As for who is in the centre- I’d expect RM would say that if we’d attacked from the left then it would be AA and if we’d attack from the right it’d be BBD. The MF is expected to arrive in the penalty area / box. When and if RM starts playing Tyler and Charlie I expect them to play as false nine in an ostensibly more attacking ( but not necessarily more winning) line up than the Back 5 which as you say served us well last game of season.

I have this feeling that it’s not going to be an out and out striker but rather a winger that scores goals. Who we may try to convert into Thierry Henry. Probably a very short winger if you put me on the spot. 😂

I’ve watched or been at every pre season match and from what I’ve seen he’s the most improved first teamer. It’s largely because he relatively underwhelmed last year rather than he’s become a superstar though and is ( finally) just coming up to ( my) expectation levels for him and his role. That’s what I meant by most improved player. He is not our best player by any yardstick. All our other first teamers played pretty much like id expect. Maybe Jack surprised last match but otherwise- Joe made biggest jump for me. And Tyler obviously was / is the star of pre season.

Tup think that’s the clear choice. But it’s also Charlie’s preferred position. And he did play it last year ( not all that successfully but perhaps that was because Che was taking up the same positions). And where I’d try play Tyler also.

He can look clumsy. He cannot usually run away from players but he often wriggles away finding half a yard. And he IS an expert at using his body to somehow retain possession and give a pass under extreme pressure. And he is fit. Desperately Needs to add scoring back into his repertoire for his position though. Agree with you that Joe is limited in some ways though and for me is most likely to be the one make way for Charlie or Tyler or a n other player if we need score. Conversely he’s the one I’d most likely put on to replace either of those or others if we needed to defend a lead. Given we most likely be under the cosh in many matches playing a more solid way I think he will be a starter until further notice. Not saying that ideal but think it’s the way it’s currently looking.

It’s been asked before - but whose spot in the first 11 does a player like O’Riley take? Given the current line up it can only be Will or Joe Aribo. Not dropping BBD for him surely? Joe, arguably, is already showing most improved first teamer vibes in pre season ( because his place may be in danger?) whereas Will’s relationship with Flynn and Adam plus his performances appear to make him an insta-starter for this season. Add to that the breakout star of preseason that is Tyler Dibling who pretty much plays and does everything we’d be expecting from O’Riley plus signs that Charlie has found some anger and is channeling it into a bit of football ( and a bit of fighting) and my hunch is that we have moved on from the Celtic Player cos we got it covered ( with fingers crossed) .