gio1saints

All these tricky right sided midfield forward type players being put in the beauty parade for Saints does suggest there’s no smoke without fire. Im my view the “fire” is more likely to be active preparation by JW and others in case we get ridiculous must accept bids for certain of our players rather than massively progressive we gonna get one more attacking player irrespective planning. Just my view though. Given all current candidates ( and I include Carvalho, Ben and Diallo) are unlikely to come sit on a bench or will have must play clauses from parent clubs of some sort it makes me wonder who they are replacing if they do get picked up and / or we do not sell anyone? Our best ( starting) tricky right sided forward types are : KWP: our best player. Surely not sold now. Please 🙏 not. AA: our captain in absence of JS and a revelation this season. Top scorer and assists in league. Integral to everything good we do. Surely not? SA: Having a good season. Still not 90 minutes fit but very effective both left right and centre. KS : He’s the prototype but he’s injured. Surely nobody would buy an injured player with all that promise ? 😉 Che : is not really an exact fit but he also seems most likely to leave - and his replacement is crocked in any case. So he is obvs the fave to leave and the one to be replaced with this new player imo. Hard to put my finger on it but gut tells me we will be reactive not proactive here. IF Che goes then we will enter market for loan of one of these ( or other unnamed ), but if Che stays then I think it’s unlikely.

Che must leave if Carvalho is to come. Only way that can work I reckon. Che costs us his foregone January fee - say £6m if he stays and leaves end of season. But what is his absence going to cost to the team in the back end of the season? Would Carvalho score the 6/7/8 goals that I think we reasonably might expect from Che between now and end of season? Would Carvalho better Che’s assists? Would Carvalho learn our PB based style quickly enough not to be a liability early doors? How would rest of squad ( especially younger attacking players ) feel about his getting a starting berth so quickly? Ah the joys of football management!

Probably, Because we can’t afford a finished article top class goalkeeper with that profile. And even if we did find a goalie of that calibre would they be prepared to come to SFC? And even if somehow they fancied it and we were able to afford him they would likely be in their prime or post prime and losing value each year- unlike a young keeper like Baz who ( assuming continues his trajectory of improvement ) gets more valuable each year and especially when and if back in EPL. Buy and play young talent mix with some experience then sell them after a few years development has pretty much been our model since we been in the EPL. Prefer it was not so I agree with your feeling- but don’t think there’s much we can do about it..

@AlexLaw76 I don’t think calling baz a good goalie who could be a great goalie if he continues his current trajectory is horrendously biased. Maybe biased but horrendously so. Nah. 🤣. If you dont think he’s a good goalie that’s fine but to suggest that having that opinion one must be horrendously biased is a bit ott and suggests you have a very different view of his ability but choose not to say it. Fair enough. Im not going to do the research ( unless I really must..) but my gut tells me there are not too many current International goalkeepers of his age. ✅That alone already unbiased and objectively praiseworthy fact. Nor are there many starting goalkeepers in this league or the one above of his tender age. again unbiased objective fact ✅ Let alone keepers asked to play in a style hitherto the domain of outfielders. Ie almost like a sweeper and with plenty more ball touches per match. Again, unbiased objective fact. ✅ Add that he’s been in goal for every minute of the unbeaten run in which he had already made many significant saves ( and scored a last minute equaliser - almost!) and I think suggesting it’s horrendously biased to say he is a good goalie - and could be great - is unwarranted. Im sure plenty teams would want Gav as their goalie so let’s enjoy him while he is here ( ok brain fart silly goals aside!) 🤣

Does anyone know if they have gone over today and where staying for NYE or if they will coach it tomorrow morning?

Most of SMS have a different pov to some of his long standing critics on here. Most of SMS are chanting his name every game during before and after match end. They recognise his ability & courage and recognise playing this way FDuk ups will occur. They know he is a big talent but also he is effing brave to play this way and that confidence is critical - so our support vital. I share that view. overreacting to that mistake would be a worse mistake imo. Most of our PB play was very good indeed. Some not so good and 1% bad. That’s life. We are lucky ( should say grateful actually, to players like Baz for having the courage to persist in the face of all the wailing and abuse at SMS early season) we get so much very good almost every match nowadays it’s a privilege to watch and high value for the ticket price - unlike many previous seasons. Good goalie is Baz, could be great continues this line of progress. 😇

I’m not s massive Che fan but some of the dissent v him isway OTT. I heard a bunch of groans every time the ball was even near Che. He was blamed for other player mishaps also! His off side goal provoked outrage - at how bad his run was - let alone it was an absolutely top class brilliant finish and a marginal if that call…as for his goal - funny how a total crap hate figure player suddenly miraculously becomes a hero by scoring. He’s NOT been great - but he’s not been as shit as some say either is the truth. Manning is another one that is prejudged every match - so even if he plays well he should Fock off never play for saints again etc ( and presumably play a kid at FB - one of our most important positions instead you wallies!?!). The presumption is always he is bad but he noticeable does a lot of good things- if you look without prejudice. Both Che and Ryan appear doomed as Saints players however at least Che contract situation aside because they are not “favoured” by the fans. Good riddance many here will say. Let’s see who replaces them before you get too excited at that prospect though…

Fair point - I do like to give kids a chance but this match after they scored was not it and the argument that we could have put (Amo?) on for Che when we already have Ryan there is a little bit weaker. I think it’s probably more important to RM that our defence remains solid than we blood youngsters. Our improvement on goals conceded means every time we score we’re already unlikely to lose- we are not used to that! Its also worth bearing in mind that Jack Stephens fitness means both Jan and THB know they have real competition to start. And that does wonders for concentration. Keeping JS on the bench - next to Mason- does not have quite the same impact as knowing he is getting on wherever at some point.

Good point. A lot of our players make A LOT of runs every match without getting the ball passed to them. I dont think it’s as much “ ignored” as perhaps not quite got the speed of thought and ball-foot coordination to react quickly enough to deliver the ball. The THB ball to Che whilst a superb pass for instance was relatively straightforward and well within the centre of his line of sight. Passes that are more diagonal or have to go through lines of defenders at an angle take super fast mental calculation to be able to hit the pass with the right pace trajectory etc. We might be spoiled because we can watch World class players do it in the EPL playing for Man City etc but it’s still one of the highest levels of skill ie being able not only to see the incisive pass but to be able to deliver it. Im glad we seem to be more prepared to use that kind of ball - though I imagine it’s opponent based as well as our forward line based. Che’s offside goal in first half was a good example Also.

Might be controversial but I think WBA were best team we played at SMS this season so far - by a margin. I’m not surprised they have players in demand.

They sound resigned to defeat. That’s Saints cue to not play well, traditionally. Under RM we certainly have been breaking traditions ( we are crap at SMS, PB football is the way to go, 16/17 league games unbeaten) so lets hope for more tradition breaking then- because Norwich away always gives me the goosebumps. Can be ANY score- as long term supporters know full well!

Maybe I underestimated how many there are 😂. And yeah I am totally biased! 😇

Yeah guess so. There’s at least half a dozen English top winger types ahead of him. But he’s in the top ten!😃

I’d bet THB gets his full cap first though.

Sadly true. More likely to be in the Eng squad as an unused sub who last played good about 18mths ago ( like Kalving Phillips) than playing well for Saints in the EPL.

Yep agreed, thry have to be in the EPL and performing at this level ( or better!)

Carry on at this rate they are getting closer. Think the euros is too early ( depending on injuries) but if Southgate moves on after that a new manager may very likely ( imo) make the call to include them in his first squad - assuming they keep playing well AND we go up.

That lofted pass for Che last night was simply superb. It shows we can go direct. Ie RM has not disallowed it! That the CB has got an eye, and the ability, to reward intelligent runs. Also shows why THB is going to be a bargain buy if we get promoted. playing brilliantly and were he to do this at EPL level his value easily doubles to £50m+ imo. I also think the uptick in form ( from a high base- he’s one of our players of the season for sure so far) is in no small part connected to his developing a good relationship with Jan - as well as the return to squad of JS and the positive motivation to keep his place that creates. RM taking him off for JS a few matches ago has coincided with several excellent performances thereafter from THB. There is a correlation in my mind so kudos to the man management taking place also.

I thought first half we were so dominant that it might breed complacency second half- and that we also might run out of confidence & energy if we did not score. We did score, deservedly, thank goodness, and that was a reward for all the patience and hard work put into the preceding minutes. The second goal especially was the sign of a good team going in for the kill after making the breakthrough. Sort of thing Man City do all the time. Only point of concern for me was the obvious fatigue - both physical and mental - evident in several of our players at the end. Not really seen that tiredness as much this season in any of them really - but there were a number of individual mishaps and mistakes- losing possession , getting caught in possession, missed passes, ( not just that Baz thing!) towards the end that don’t or rarely ever happen. The players looked physically tired. But in addition scoring two goals had mentally relaxed them - and that they dropped attention “ levels” accordingly. I hope it was because we were 2-0 up and not because they’d totally run out of juice. We are going to need a lot of mental and physical fitness for Norwich so recovery is key now.

I enjoy watch him close up first half from block41 when defenders still fresh and some think they have started to work out how he thinks and his positioning a lot better. He does seem to have the beating of most his rb’s all the same! And he only needs do it once successfully for it to be a good chance or a goal. Give him the ball wide 4 times in a match and we should get at least one good chance out of it, if not a goal. I’m sure there’s a ratio evident from matches played but the gist is : if in doubt give him the ball! Down side of course is if we give it Sam and he’s isolated then tries something & loses possession we are open to counterattack. Hence we tend to slowly press upfield gaining territory in rugby talk - then give it to him. KS for example would love the ball way faster. And thets possibly why he seems to look frustrated a lot of the time. And not deliver.

Little side bar on the topic of Ryan Fraser possibly being a permanent either jan or in summer: his Newcastle wages were c £42k pw ( source google) and he is out of contract in summer 24. And will be 30.5 years old. Carries on way he’s been playing we’d be mad not to take him on a free.

David Brooke’s is 100% an RM player. But crikey it looks curtains for one of : Charlie, Stu, Amo, Ryan , KS, as he is a right sided midfield /forward/winger type. Which of the current squad get shifted out of the team for him then?

It’s quite a small squad we have and when it’s already got Sam, RF, AA, KS, and Amo plus KWP all able to play on the right wing to a good standard and all with pace. I wouldn't have thought it was top Priority. I’d be concerned if Holgate went back to Everton so in that case would want an incoming similar replacement for sure. Id love Sekou to come good in next 3/4 games but if he’s not then I’m in favour of someone like that Miovski from Scotland broug brought into the squad and maybe sekou getting a chance elsewhere out on loan.

Our finance guy (Parsons?) hinted on squad solidarity mood being of great value when the recent article was published on OS. And not “ overpaying”. I did wonder though if that was in part a negotiating ploy to get teams not to go mad if we do actually enquire for someone. Miovski has gone from maybe £5m to £6.5m in a week. What would make moral sense ( to me anyway) would be “balancing” the squad ie a one in- one out approach somewhere.

Are you a qualified psychologist? If not thanks for your opinion that I am the problem - not those who sometimes use the forum as a means to spew personal abuse on others - but it’s telling you take this approach. Your comment is another example of how low some fellow supporters will go to put others down in a bid to win the argument. FWIW : Posting content that you believe to be true - in contradiction of a commentary that you feel is untrue, can indeed be brave. Especially when there are consequences such as personal abuse.