James

This is bad news as we won't bring anyone in. Has to stay as he's the best hope we've got for scoring any goals.

I feel the same to be honest. Sold our best players (again), haven't really brought anyone in to get the fans excited (bar Holberg) and at the moment there are more rumours about us losing more players than there are about us bringing anyone in. I'm going up to Manchester on Friday and normally I'd be enthusiastic and hopeful of something but having sat through Saturday I'm going up there with a sense of dread and a hope that we can keep the score down.

Agree with the OP, was absolutely dreadful in the first half. Just kept giving the ball away. Much better second half and good instinct to get the goal but I do fear he's too small and lightweight to make a big impact through the centre. However, I trust Puel will get it right.

I thought we were absolutely shocking in the first half, worst I can remember for a long time. Nobody seemed to know what their role was. We were getting completely overrun in midfield and Long and Redmond were just doing nothing. Redmond in particular had a very poor half. Tadic the only one to come out of the first half with any credit really. Second half we woke up and played a lot better. Hojberg was quality, unbelievable that he didn't start. If he had we'd have won relatively comfortably IMO. Not as convinced by Redmond's second half display as others on here seem to be. It's the front two that worry me to be honest, Long was ineffectual and I think Redmond is a bit lightweight through the middle. I think the defence will right itself once we have Bertrand and Fonte back (assuming we don't flog him to United), the midfield will be ok once Hojberg is given a run but we don't have enough quality up top I don't think and I don't see where the goals will come from. Would have liked to have seen Austin given longer as I think we will end up relying on him. Still hoping we can pull something out of the bag in the transfer market but there doesn't seem to be much happening. On balance of current news you'd say we were more likely to lose another player than bring anyone in. Man U will be interesting, just hope Puel picks the right team!

Just don't understand how he didn't start. Got to wonder what JWP is like in training as I just don't see it on match days.

All over the place at the moment. Nothing going forward.

Precisely, weird how this forum interprets anything other than "everything Saints do is wonderful" as a lack of support...

Got to be the blandest midfield we've put out in recent years. Bizarre that one of our major signings and best players in pre season is overlooked in favour of JWP (who weirdly seems to start the opening game of every season and then get dropped). Massive shame Fonte isn't deemed fit enough.

What an uninspiring starting XI...

I thought he said "it will be difficult for him to leave" that's what the journos on Twitter are reporting anyway.

Safe from relegation in mid-table (anywhere from 10th-14th). I don't see enough quality in the squad going forward for us to seriously trouble the top 6-8.

Puel said Bertrand had a minor knock and that he'd hopefully be available for Sunday so I'd hardly call it a mystery....

To be honest I don't feel particularly reassured by a message that we are happy with what is, on paper at least, a weaker first team than last year.

Agreed, I'm quite excited by the change of formation. Leicester played 4-4-2 to devastating effect last year. I think this system could suit Tadic, Long and Austin in time but yesterday indicated there's a way to go until it all clicks. My one concern is whether one can get away with playing a single holding midfielder in this league. Leicester managed it because they had the super human Kante winning the ball back high up the pitch. As good as Hojberg looks and as good as Romeu is I'm not sure either have the engine to pull of a "Kante".

No If West Ham want him they will get him, they will blow us out of the water wage wise.

Saw the friendly, pretty awful. Now watching last year's review that came free with the shirt. Boy oh boy do we need to bolster our attacking options. It's as if the board have forgotten how many goals Mane and Pelle provided us with last year... Long is great and Austin's got a decent record but JRod looks a shadow of his former self thus far so we're relying on those two really. If anyone thinks Redmond will replace Mane they are deluded. Teams backed off us so much last year because they were petrified of Mane's pace, we need a pacy attacker to do the same for us next year and we just don't have that at the moment. Also, slightly concerned about how exposed the defence will be without some muscle in midfield...those early games against Newcastle, Everton etc. were just horrendous as our midfield was too lightweight.

It's tomorrow...

ITK?

Great thread...

Not what the Telegraph and Jeremy Wilson say though and they've got everything spot on so far this summer.

Will believe it when I see it. We didn't exactly set the youth leagues on fire last year and our last manager had zero faith in any of them bar those who were already in the first team. Either way, it's a pretty big risk for a top six club and not a risk that any other top half club would be willing to take. Hope it's not a case of us believeing our own hype.

But the Telegraph (which correctly predicted Puel and clearly has the clubs ear) say we aren't going to. Also, all the noises out of the club say we are focusing on youth. Very worrying with our extra commitments. All sounds a bit Jan Poortveilt at the moment if I'm honest. Hope I'm wrong.

Bonkers. We've got more games this year. Do the board not realise? Very very disappointed and a huge gamble. Relegation struggle on the way I fear.

To my mind it's not Austin that's the risk (as I agree with the above), it's any kind of reliance on J Rod which is the big worry. For me, he can't be relied upon (which is a horrible thing to admit).

All the noises point to us not spending big this summer even though we've received a club record fee for Mane along with the money for Vic and Pelle (assuming he goes). With a more competitive Premier League and extra games in the Europa league we needed to increase numbers yet the noises from within seem to suggest we aren't going to do that. Absolute madness in my mind, could all go wrong this year I think.