gio1saints

Very much so. Atalanta want €60m. Juve offering €45M. Koopmeiners is highly regarded in Italy as a CM ( obviously more than Soule or Charlie for example who the first they sold and Charlie gave us back) and O’Riley considered a good - but not their only - option as an alternative. That Atalanta only gone to c €17M smacks of not seriously bidding too much until they get the Koopmeiners deal sorted. We could still get him. But it’s tight and odds against imo right now. Unless our negotiators get inspired!

MLG is right. SC is not an ideal swop for O’Riley. But Charlie might be. Charlie did not turn Juve down- would he turn down the chance of some CL nights at a raucous Celtic Park? ( And I think they would love him btw). And seeing as Celtic are also looking at wingers and another FB Kameldeen and James Bree are also possibles. Celtic need get replacement (s) resolved quickly - ie before star man O’Riley leaves- so swops and bundle deals could save them a lot of time.

He should be joining Atalanta on paper but life isn’t always that simple. Hopefully!

I think you have totally missed my point that all things being equal Atalanta is the better choice for him. 😂

Only a few years ago Atalanta could be considered on a par - or frankly below, Southampton. They were perennial mid to lower Seria A makeweights who occasionally pulled off a result against the big boys and even qualified for UEFA now and again. Got a few Coppa Italia runs also. A bit like Saints. You might say. Their average attendance - at their tiny ground is under 15,000. But they been punching way above their weight consistently for a number of years now. I hope it’s sustainable and they don’t just get best players gobbled up by the bigger fish of football. If I was O’Riley - assuming the wages are the same - I’d be wanting a taste of that success story ahead of the lure of the EPL with a likely relegation struggler - not matter how friends I am with the boss. Only caveat to that is - you fuck up in Seria A you can sometimes struggle to come back to UK, do same in EPL -most watched football in the world - you probably got more opportunities. All things being equal the right decision is he goes to Atalanta. If we pay him more salary assuming the fee is settled or certainly better than both Atalanta and Celtic currently do by a decent margin - then we become favourites-but it needs be a big salary uplift. And/or our package is sweeter to him and Celtic - hence adding a loan player into the narrative seems to be gaining momentum - from Celtic’s pov it’s very good sense to play it that way.

Are there any other sources for the Shea Charles -MO’Reilly story other than Rosser?

That would be the expectation. It’s a nice pitch to Brendan. Brendan can have £20m to spend on some quality players - as well as having replaced O’Reilly with a “ name” quality player in Charlie. That might buy him time / placate with Celtic fans who I suspect would really warm to Charlie and his style of play. Charlie himself gets to play CL and hopefully show he is a class act there as well as v Scottish premier league players. He earns his saints place or a big transfer next year accordingly. Everybody wins.

O’Reilly is not the only offensive MF that Atalanta have been sniffing around. They are up v Milan for another one as well. Not sure Brendan fancies him but he does need to replace Reilly fast if he’s sold so there might be mileage in offering Charlie Alcaraz or KS to Celtic on loan as a sweetener plus £20M for Oreilly.

Had a look in my crystal ball and saw 9 senior players that might not be Saints first team squad come 30th August. : 1. KWP (sold) 2. Charlie Alcaraz (loan/sold) 3. Kameldeen Sulemana ( loan/sold) 4. Tall Paul (sold) 5. Sekou Mara (loan to France) 6. Marius Lis (loan to Turkey) 7. Sam Amo (loan to Championship) 8. James Bree. (loan /sold) 9. Juan Larios (loan to Championship) Dark Horse(s) : 10. Jan B (sold) 11. Ronnie Edwards ( loan to Championship) As it stands thats up to 11 possible/probable departures in this window - but ultimately only about 5/6 of these may come off due to need to balance incomings/ outgoings in time before cut off 11pm 30th August. PS. I’d entirely forgotten Bella-kotchup until saw him training yesterday. Training on grass usually a good sign of fitness but this was non contact stuff so maybe not. Anyways- given all our CB purchases I’d say chances are he will be sold / loaned in this window also.

What? And strangle at birth our brilliant new just two syllable chant for him? “BEN-DEE” “BEN DEE” I should be songwriting for our next Eurovision entry. 😇

The problem sam amo has is called Adam Armstrong. Unless AA moves away from RW ⏩️ CF - or gets injured - Sam is never going to start in his preferred position. It’s why I see him going out on loan. Which is a problem cos AA is way better cutting in from the inside right channel than anyone else we got and is therefore undroppable. But Sam is potentially a generational talent of great value.

I thought it odd too. RM sounded fairly definitive we will not have Ryan. Though it could have been disingenuous because he quite literally is not with us atm - but might be. I also thought his description of Brooks performance was excessive. I thought he was ok somewhat lightweight defensively but with some classy touches. From what I’ve seen last three matches I’d have no qualms putting Sam there. And as for attacking midfielder presumably to replace Stu- well i d be delighted to see Tyler starting in the EPL. Spend the £25m and wages saved on a top goalie.

Did not watch it but from reports Brendan Rodger’s found it super easy to overcome Marescas’ Chelsea team still learning his PB football style with inverted wingbacks etc. The 4-1 score line kind of rings a bell also from saints disasters last year. I know it’s a preseason match and I see the team was mainly kids- but all the same Chelsea better sort themselves out fast. If Celtic can do it so can many EPL teams. I’m not sure Chelsea would be as patient as SR- worth looking at him for getting sacked by XMAS I think…

Ex saints set piece coach Andreas Georgson has joined Man Utd and someone he’s worked for before lol as set piece coach. So far none of our players have made that journey north - but it would not surprise. Not just for the obvious KWP fit for MUFC weak FB situation, but potentially for one of our starlets also, or perhaps a game of swopsies. A very late in the window request for KWP I’d say not out of the question if they not got a bigger “ name” in by then. But that request could also be from a bunch of other clubs also by that point..

If it was a Choice between Charlie and Tyler for that attacking mf /false #9 / take ball and drive with it a la Stu position So far it’s 3-0 to Tyler. Each match he’s looked better than Charlie.

I do wish RM would go mental at the team when we try to play Russian roulette in the penalty area. We nearly concede, again, from another stupid pointless fuck around in the area passing suicide thing. In the EPL we are going to be giving every team a goal head start if they continue this nonsense. You cannot win the match faffing around showing off your rondo skills in your penalty area - but you can lose it. I love our passing moves from defence to back of there net- but too many of the passes around six yard box are simply something out of “Death Wish 24 - The Saints EPL year” . Put it on Netflix. Jeezus. Stop it!!!

Shit penalty. We’ve essentially missed two penalties in one match. Really badly missed as well. Like pathetic side foot shots trundling to the goal line at 3mph a foot away from the gk missed penalties. Fuck what is it with these penalties? Remember Charlie’s crap one as well? At least AA hits them properly.

Who needs o’reilly? Weve got Tyler Dibling!

Tyler Dibling great goal 2-0 Edward’s assist.

Charlie Taylor looking good. Tyler quieter than has been. KS apart from the goal done nothing., Jan being Jan. Sam earned the pen. Suga quiet.

Will is going to get so many yellow cards this year. Three fouls already in 22 minutes..

Aribo looking dominant in cmf.

Love hearing the pass by pass instructions from RM!

Omg Alex…..

The Point of reference for Celtics’ valuation on O’Reilly is Dewsbury-Hall. Chelsea paid LCFC £30m and he’s now on £100k pw. If Celtic are holding out for £25M it’s about right. The romantic saints fan in me though thinks that IF Tyler Dibling gets a chance to play -regularly, Scores some, Assists Some and gets noticed running away from top EPL players -with the ball at his feet - at his age - then he’s a £40m-£50m player by end of season. The next Jude. Or the replacement Stu actually as far as driving runs for Saints are concerned 😁