gio1saints

Good ideas. I’m sure Will assessed them all and maybe his heart not head made the decision- we all want Jay on the pitch after all! Jay being dropped then put back in at last minute must have had an impact on his inexperienced head. Slotting Taylor back in at LB and pushing Manning up into MF away from home was a viable - but less attacking alternative. Joe is going but he certainly would have had the experience and discipline to do what Will might have told him to do in MF also. Overall - Downes swop should have been as close to a like for like as possible. Lack of squad depth for his position may have cost us two points yesterday accordingly. Next week, with Jander onboard, we will have sorted that. I’ve got mixed feelings about Flynn Downes. One of them is he is one of the best if not the best in this league at doing what he does. But the other is that if Jander replaces him Saints will be about to enter a more direct service/ forward propelling midfield era - and that could be exciting after over two years plus of ball recycling…dilemma!

Because Saints are family to me. HTH.

Is it that obvious?

THB defends AND scores goals. Don’t sell THB. It’s a bad idea.

Now THIS is an example of buying a guy who won’t be a starter and probably cannot cut it in the EPl either. Ie like we used to do. Please swerve this Saints.

Maybe the Scienza bid was in a similar vein? Got a feeling that if and when Sam Joe and BBD go that one of those two might also just creep over the line. Unsure which would be better for us though. Morgan seems more of a direct goal scoring threat - an option instead of a current forward ( none of whom are consistently in brilliant form)albeit he comes from wide usually - whilst scienza for all his dead ball skills seems mainly an alternate wing based player to Ryan, Jay and Fellows - three already good and in form players.

You may well be right. But then again opinions are like acorns - only a few come to much. I thought new gk would be a challenger in waiting and hoped it would be. I knew we could not sign an immediate starter when we still have AARON on the books but I’d hoped for a bit more competition. So, my personal expectations were logically but not unreasonably high. Long does not hit that expectation but if true to form, when/if Baz is rested / injured/suspended and Alex gets a knock I’d bet Long plays a decent match for us - In the Carabao cup final v Chelsea where he saves 5 penalties to our 1 scored 3 missed 😆. It’s about that likely too.😇

Ahead of the signing I think the answer is 100% yes. After signing there was this grand denouement but, and the performances for saints in recent years should back this up - when a substitute goalie has had to step up he’s not done as bad as his previous critics would have you believe. Alex Mc in the playoffs a good example but two clean sheets in Carabao cup another. And that weird time when he was not even on the bench. Lumley did not appear totally bad on the few times he played either. So. Maybe low expectations are a good thing sometimes high expectations not such a good thing. I know certainly from a player sporting psychology perspective so much work takes place on lowering that extra layer of self imposed performance stress Fan expectation only feeds that.

Nicely put. Especially those two names you mentioned. The first name on the team sheet -and only certain starter for me today is MADS at RB. A month or two from now I hope we can add AZAZ , JANDER and FELLOWS to the default starters list. The other 7 can fight it out to show why they should start - beginning today with a goal or assist or a great general performance. Drop to a 6/10 performance when the minimum is 7/10 + and you will be sub next week basically.

This is true of every incoming transfer - fan expectation always super high. How often is that expectation justified on their debut? I think Aaron did well on debut but before that gotta go back to Rickie Lamberts double day after he joined! Moral of the story - do not expect him to be Messi. If he can run and kick a ball in the right direction without falling over and it does not go into Row z theres a fair chance he’s better than the player he replaced - so give him time.

Best attribute is his pace. Good for recovery runs and overlaps. We have brought up the average height of the squad and the average speed and the average goals and assists. All in one day. Superb!

And in today’s football with 5 subs and tactical subs even if he’s in bench to start with he will get on most every match. And then show why he’s a starter. I reckon will take him one crunching tackle, one ridiculous chase back and regain the ball, maybe one Hollywood pass and cream On the cake one winning goal to show why. Maybe a yellow v Pompey for taking off his shirt while celebrating his debut goal to seal it. 😁. Our bench is looking ridiculously strong if the newbies are all starters..

Three word description: New. Steve. Williams. V happy with this one indeed. 🙌

A right winger - that’s Adam’ Armstrong usual area of the pitch when he’s on. And with his stats Fellows is a starting 11 winger not a sub. Wonder how that impacts on Adams role and place in the team seeing as he’s not done brilliant in the classic centre forward position if he has to shift over. I think it most likely means he’s benched. Along with Ryan Fraser whose slot is surely taken by Azaz. Strong bench.

Quality story though. I do like it when’s there’s a bit of effort taken setting the scene and the almost exact recollection of words and half captured visages. It’s Agatha Christie-esque. I do t care if it’s bollocks. Just think it’s a good effort either way. 😆

Must play Saturday. At least last 30 minutes. At last we buy instant upgrades on what we have! Last one was Aaron but prior to that’s there’s been too many signings that were not so obviously much better and with both eyes on the future. Ok I’m exaggerating but the point is made- he’s for NOW - it’s NOT a give him time this year and settle in then next season he might be a player kind of ( Matsuki, Downs,Quarshie) transfer thing. Mads ditto. And neither are off to Goztepe either!!

I’m not really worried tbh but you’re right it does look like those TWO *are advanced. It’s that in the happiness of supposedly three very good sounding players to join us I know that’s only 50% of the issue. And many’s the fall twixt cup and lip. If ONLY those three join we are at a Squad of 31. Remove the likely four and we are still overloaded and difficult to manage optimally- according to what Stills inferred. And we certainly want Still to be effective! * Finns official.

Yes some do look like duplicates. I always thought the idea was two for every position and the ideal squad ( with our four goalies ) is c26. Will is going to be hard pushed to get to 26 in this window!

Got a feeling that there is a big timing problem with signing ALL the names rushed out in the last 48 hours. We may need settle for 1 or 2. Fellows, Azaz, Scienza, Guilovogui and Jander are five new players supposedly Saints seriously want. What we all know though is there must be leavers first - and the noise about the leavers is < the noise about the joiners. BBD, Sam Edozie Joe Aribo and Will Smallbone are all waiting in the departure lounge whilst apparently Cam Archer is of interest to PSV - but really there’s only whispers not the big noise we are seeing about the possible joiners. “Trimming the squad” cannot happen unless they move on. Not time to get over excited about the window as I suspect that we will shortly lose and /or loan out another of our high value assets currently under the radar - a CB most likely. Being left with a squad that blatantly has so many wantaway and unwanted players in it will be hard to manage so fingers crossed we are able to rehome them!

Wrong website for that kind of thing. And you probably need use a vpn if that’s your particular area of interest though frankly I have no idea what you are talking about. Only that it sounds disgusting and really you ought to seek help.

Blokes first game will be at Anfield 😂 .

Probable line up for Watford ( subject to our bid for Nicolas Jackson not getting over the line) Donnarumma Mads. Maquire. Stephens. Shaw Jander Charles. Robinson Azaz Fellows. Scienza

This is bittersweet. Who does not love Wee Man? Objectively speaking though, this guy has to get the nod at LW and Ryan, frankly, for the level of club it seems we are aspiring to, should be a squad player not a starter. Still bittersweet though.

God it’s all getting too much. Leo Scienza now according to fab Romano?

Thank you again my double implant dental surgery and brain still under sedation from it this lunchtime is not a good enough excuse - certainly on this forum where mild temporary brain impairment can be considered an advantage probably even an asset - but in any case math was never my best subject : £24not have to go to food banks weekly salary it is. 😆. Details are important!