gio1saints

WRT to Man Utd rumours on the web ; Ahmed Diallo is more likely than Mason Mount imo as regards a short term loan. Only difference ( apart from wages and fee) is that Mason would surely be a definite starter for Saints. He knows the area being ex Pompey so relocation not so disruptive and we play a style that suits him down to the ground. I would not say Ahmed goes straight into our team straight away even if he is a potential superstar or that he’s guaranteed to settle in Hants even if he is a top talent. And then there is Afcon for Diallo - if he is selected. Just my tenpence worth. Of course either are VERY welcome and would be marquee signings.

Oops

Why would we get a loan of an afcon player ie Ahmed Diallo? He’s obviously a talent fits all our criteria and all boxes ticked but he cannot play if he’s at Afcon . Taking him in for three months stops AMO from getting any end of season chance to show what he’s got ( and Sam and Kameldeen maybe even Charlie gets sacrificed also if he joins btw) and all those are zero cost to Saints I might add. On a permanent is a different matter - he’s our type alright ( but why did we let Nathan go in which case as they have some attributes in common) but there’s no way we are affording to buy him in Jan.

Ah yes JS. Could be the way to finally get him back into the starting team lol

Larios is very injured and Small does not always start in Scotland (st mirren I think) so neither in level of form required

Johnson of whufc im not sure would go from their bench to our bench here. Especially seeing whats happened to Holgate. Rather we put Meghoma on the bench if that’s the case. Having said that we are just one more injury away from not having a specialist fb. If Bree is bad injured and something happens to kwp or Manning Boxing Day it’s play Meg or Holgate …and that starts to look less strong- though I personally would be ok letting Meg out in a few matches now. We used to play JWP at FB in extremis but it weakened us overall. PS. Cannot recall but have we played 3 centre backs this season? In absence if real fb’s that may be an in pitch tactical necessity. Pushing either RM or KWP Into the MF ( assuming JB is injured).

Amazing what having a fit captain CB ready and waiting to come on for you can do for your goalscoring 😁

I think you are right regarding attacking players. Though that may be mildly unfair on Sam Edozie. Neither Charlie nor Sam have set the world on fire. Yet! Tall Paul is scoring - but in Turkey! But arguably there’s more than signs of life otherwise. Bazunu, Bree and Ryan Fraser can be added to THB and Flynn as players who’ve added value and got better. Larios is always injured though, sadly. 5 good uns, 2 so far not doing enough 1 scoring overseas, one injury prone and one out for rest of season, apparently. It’s not a disastrous scorecard. In fact it’s better than I’d expect to get 5/10 at least doing very well and sone others getting there. It’s often a coin flip.

The usual forum angry mob have found a nice focal point. It must have been frustrating all these matches unbeaten so this is a great chance to pile on the hate. I think they have, finally, found something to beat RM, JW and SR up with. An Early Xmas present. And, of course, even though it might appear unseemly to some that a major injury set back to what appears to be a decent bloke is being used in this way, that’s life and don’t let that get in the way of our anger. I’m sure questions will be asked and eyebrows raised about the pre transfer injury status - but does the poor guys injury set back really deserve this very distasteful commentary? As supporters let’s use this energy to get behind Ross and the team today and rest of season Instead of in trying to win forum points about who can be most outraged and best finger pointer?

Feel so sorry for Ross and hope his recovery goes well. Also hope team react to this news powerfully and positively by putting on a performance for him today at QPR!

I get what you are saying but have you ever been in a sports man management position like RM? How do you think Stephens would feel if his manager described him like you did? Players love managers who make them feel good. They will run through walls for such managers. His job is to make his players 5% 10% better than they actually are just through motivation and man management skills. JS “ may” be average to you or even objectively true but when he walks out on the pitch I’m one saints fan that wants him to feel like superman. - and do his best to live up to his billing. That’s what RM is up to.

My feeling is that Ipswich are the more vulnerable of the top two. Due to this leagues physical attrition on squads and experience. I think probability they can repeat their first 52 points from 22 matches form is low. Bookies agree- they think they will finish on 92 points from 46 games.( spread is actually 91-93) In other words Ipswich are predicted to get only 40 points from the next 24 matches. That still, just, sees them auto promoted ahead of Leeds then us according to bookies. That being the case it suggests bookies feel we need 51 points from last 24 matches for automatic ( 51 + 42= 93) which is just a tad more more than our current average ppg. The equivalent of beating not drawing with Rotherham and Watford.

Shhhhhhh! I shouldn’t have even posted it here in public. Pretend you didn’t read it and maybe nobody will catch on until it’s too late. 😎

IF we do bring in a loan player I’d hope we use the old “ reduced section” at the supermarket technique. It’s no good getting a Sainsbury’s own brand cottage pie reduced from £6 down to £3 - it’s still a Sainsbury’s own brand cottage pie. On the other hand if it’s a fine piece of well aged Fillet steak reduced from £10 down to £5 then it’s worth a punt. ie I’d rather we loaned a top top player proven class, bizarrely out of favour at his club desperately needs to play speaks English, intelligent, technically excellent , great passer, fit, scores goals and flexible positionally but just needs games ……..than take a chance on buying another possible striker and them not being all that. They don’t need to be a #9 but they must have a goalscoring pedigree. They don’t need be Usain Bolt but they must be comfortable in possession and quick thinking. Lastly they cannot be a primma Donna. They must be humble and prepared to sacrifice for the team. If they come from the EPl it’s doubly important they show humility - but also why they are an EPL player. If they can teach something to teammates even better. There you go, I’ve written the blueprint. Just need hope his club can pay most or all his wages because we for sure cannot and would not afford them.

Gosh. Would never have that that possible ( if it’s who I think). Ermm, Would he be well received though?

PB football IS our #1 strength and individual flair ie what you might call “ playing to your strengths” is a subset of that. They are not either or. Criticism of how long the style can take to turn into anything remotely dangerous looking is entirely valid. But fact is, Saints play this PB style against every team. Some teams are better against it, especially those with a very low line defence or who’ve Sussed out how to press us better. Some ( too many!) games our finishing is lousy. Some games we don’t do PB as well as we can. Or a mixture. But it’s not an either or conscious choice. We are not either playing to our strengths OR reverting to PB football. For me we seem to be getting better at it. Faster at it. So much so that we don’t even recognise it as PB football. But like all great magic tricks that’s an illusion and an example of misdirection. It is the Saints team collective united in this PB style that is the true playing to our strengths.

FWIW Having Sulemana back ( I’m assuming his injury keeps him out of African Nations) , having Jack Stephens back and having RStewart back is like adding three powerful, exciting new signings. NONE of them have l done much for saints on the pitch this season so all three fit and adding to the squad is a massive boost. ALL three when fit are very likely automatic starters/ bench.

I don’t think Saints will be splashing any cash this window either. I don’t think we need another wide player or AM because they are already in the building. I don’t think we need another CF because he is already in the building albeit injured. I don’t think we need another CB as they are already in the building. Ditto CM. Ditto GK. The only possibly actionable vulnerability is at FB where we are one short. This is where we may be forced to put a kid in ( unlikely) or play a CB out of position ( Holgate) but even this is tenuous. I think we only spend or get in a loan if there’s an outgoing. If that’s Che then we may see an interesting incoming in his position that’s all.

Absolutely right. It’s vital and healthy to have reservations and debate criticism even when we seem to be doing well, especially when we seem to be doing well. Having spent five decades + as a Saints supporter my feelings on match day are 100% apprehensive and often fairly pessimistic. But I cannot remember 14 unbeaten in a row (though I know it was probably last time we were in this league). And @Dark Munster you’ve got an extremely valid point - but, honestly, I don’t care which league it’s done in. That’s not the point, for me anyway. Saints, the team Ive supported all my life, just don’t do this. Ever (almost). I may never see it again (especially if we go up) so I’m trying my best to enjoy it. It’s kind of a little promise I gave to all my friends and family after I survived a Big C attack. Enjoy today more, worry less about tomorrow. And Saints have given me 14 good reasons to do so- long may that run continue!

Wow. 14 games unbeaten not applauded but rather begrudged and termed “Propaganda football”. Years of being rubbish and yet when we go 14 unbeaten - joyless criticism damned by faint praise. That’s a hell of a luxury. Saints are delivering a once in decades run of unbeaten results. Our Average points per game on this run is ridiculous. Instead of insisting on changes we should be insisting on more of the same!

KWP first easily. AA second. Flynn third. Honourable mentions : Baz most improved player, THB solid solid, Stu best season for ages.

I’m not his agent or anything! I meant His goal scoring credentials from when we bought him I forgot to say - see below - which were highly impressive. That he played in a really bad EPL team under multi managers who all needed instant results last year is not his fault and all of about 45 minutes this year is not proper to judge him on either. Just saying if he was available now I reckon we’d be interested. Not trying to say he IS Thierry Henry either but he could be given the chance , that’s all, sorry to have offended so many of you by my trying to give a different take on Sekou than the current “ he’s had his chances at age 21” that seems prevalent atm. We are not going down and automatic looks v v hard- this is surely best time to test him out? https://www.tournoimauricerevello.com/en/smartphone/festival/detail_actualite.php?id=5273

If there was a 21 year old French u21 international with his goal scoring credentials and potential available on a loan from any big club we’d be delighted to snap him up and give him some minutes. Im glad he got on instead of Che. He got his goal and got us a penalty in his 15 minute cameo plus missed a good chance. Ok against ten men but I dont care - he still did what he was supposed to do- have an impact. If we want him to grow and add value to the team - and to SR bank balance, he needs minutes. You cannot pay big money for him atm but if he scores ten goals between now and end of season I bet there will be very big money offers for him..the next Thierry Henry perhaps…

I know what you mean about the older ones being the worst. Refereed a City of Soton vets league match a few weeks back and it was a horrible experience. Nasty niggly trying to cheat all over the park like it was their livelihood instead of amateur football. Did a Soton U18’s match on the next day (Sunday) and the players and staff couldn’t have been nicer.

And we get Bella Kotchap back in the summer ( or more likely we get a big fee for him) which could well end up funding the THB permanent move and possibly part of getting Mason here on a perm also. IF BK stays fit he is a £30m player. I think the THB fee is set at c£20m ( I think!) and best guess is Mason might be c £10m from Everton so it could be a net neutral centre back thing in the summer for Saints if we are up with Jack, Mason, Jan and THB as our EPL centre backs ( with Shea as back up). Seems sound enough to me.