OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint

There are rules for transfer pricing and this is sailing very close to the wind. SR are trying to be smart and redistribute income around its clubs and use the clubs as a commercial venture. It could be football, it could be rugby. They don't care. It's just a shame they picked on our club.

Really like his attitude, really like how he can see a pass, he's not the tallest but makes his presence felt when he comes up for corners...but he's another that really needs to work on his fitness. At this level, he's a yard off the pace (and that's being generous).

Yes, keep saying there are good players in lower leagues which we should be looking for now with a view to bringing them on in the summer. Agree with Woodsaint, this is a window to sell. If Juric reckons there's 17/18 players he is interested in, there's a lot of players we need to find a new home.

Yes he's not particularly good; yes he's certainly not fit enough but I still want to see him and Archer in the same team from the beginning. I'll qualify that and say it's not a dream front pairing, but given our options (eg. AA, Sulemana, BBD), surely it's worth a go.

Perhaps he knew he was off to Sheff Utd...or perhaps that made the club's decision for him!

Must admit, I don't watch the U21s, but is there anyone who could be given a go in this game? Two schools of thought. Either Juric puts out what he thinks to be his strongest team and starts to get them playing as a unit. He's effectively got 18 friendlies + a cup run to sort out a team capable of competing; or b) work on the basis that a lot of the current first team will be gone in the summer, so play a few youngsters with promise. Sam AA for one.

I agree Whitey. I was trying to make the point that any team with a solid back four can't compete if the midfield in front is non-existent. A less than solid three, with two wing backs on walkabouts just makes it even worse.

After the game, there was a discussion on the concourse between people saying we can't score goals and other saying there was no midfield. Yes, we've been missing a striker for years, but that game showed that even with a solid back four, if you have no-one in midfield who can do a job, you will get walloped. I appreciate Fernandes was suspended and Downes is injured but having two carthorses in Les and Joe Aribo there was asking for trouble. It still pisses me off that one of our worst players has one of our best songs!

He was all over the place on Saturday. Someone needs to go through the basics with him and show him where he should be defensively. We don't mind him going forward as a wing back, but make sure you get back quickly. He was ambling like the rest of the team.

Exactly. Doesn't even have to be a striker. A top midfielder like Maddison would work

Got to say, I'm also struggling to think of a worse one. Was listening to MLT in the Northam fanzone before the game and he said Brentford had their injuries; this was a real chance to rack up 3 points. That could have been a double digit loss. That midfield was woeful. They seemed to be transparent.

I've always maintained a team can achieve more than the sum of its parts, but every team also seems to need a talisman. Brentford are very average but have Mbeumo, Palace have Eze, West Ham have Bowen, Cunha at Wolves. We haven't got anyone. MLT kept us up for years on end and more recently we've had Ings and JWP. Now no-one even looks likely to pick up the mantle. Leicester also have no-one and both teams are really struggling.

To start only THB came over on his own. Vaguely recall after him it was Bednerek. And the Tall Paul dream is over. To get cult status, the skill bar is very low (eg. Shane Long), but after that performance, I can't see him reaching it.

And to prove your point, today they sign a Valenciennes player for Euros/£ 5m...and then will probably loan him back at some grossly inflated fee. All sounds sailing very close to the wind.

Yes he is a talent, but he is also a very raw talent. Yes he can run with the ball but his overall game (awareness, passing, fitness etc) still needs a lot of work. From a Saints management perspective, they should be reminding him the grass isn't always greener on the other side. There's a danger he'll join a Liverpool and spend half his time on the bench before dropping in to obscurity. Chelsea is another example of a club hoovering up all the talent but then only using one or two players. He needs to stay where he is, really develop his game (he's still making a mint at Southampton) and then look to move in a couple of years at the earliest. If it means playing in the Championship, so be it. The physicality of that league will also do him good. Well, that's what we should be telling him...

Lambert, Vardy, Ollie Watkins...they're out there. Half of the problem is clubs in the premier league can't afford to gamble of lower league players. Being one of the richer clubs in the Championship, we can. They're not going to cost a fortune. Midfield could be a problem. Can see Suga staying. He can cross a ball. Shea Charles will be back.

Totally agree. BBD is the most one-footed player I've seen for a long time (and that includes Che). His touch is poor, he's slow. In fact, can't think he has any redeeming qualities. Really don't prescribe to this view of "AA and BBD will be good for us next year in the Championship". Because if we get promoted, we're in the same boat again. I'd much rather our scouts went out looking for raw talent in League 1 & 2. Archer will score loads of goals for us in the Championship.

So Brentford are playing today (Wednesday). They're going to be knackered against the Juric high press. Never bet against my interests - so lost a few bob this season - but time for clawback. 2-1 Saints with Tall Paul scoring his first Saints goal.

Agree. He's been in charge for two games. His demeanour isn't one of some pretentious twat. The players seem to have more positive intent about them. Let's give it a few games and see how it's going.

Problem is that it sounds like more people who have no idea about football having a major say about the running of the club. Agreed, a lot of money has been pumped in to the club but I doubt that Dragan has put his hand in his own pocket. And as I see it, Dragan and Ankersen are a pair. If one goes, the other will sell up. What I suspect is the opposite will happen and that the boardroom will get more bloated than the squad.

I'd agree with that. Straw poll of half a dozen around me yesterday ranged from he's fucking useless to at least he offers something (without defining what he offers!) I'm in the 'give him a run in the team' camp. When he went off yesterday, the only goal threat come from Fernandes. Admittedly, TP had a crap game, but AA should be nowhere near the squad. Sulemana offers nothing. Tyler Dibling seems to have lost a bit of form, so TP and Archer should be the up front initial pairing being fed by KWP and Sugawara. Couldn't understand yesterday why KWP went on a searching run which led to our goal then after that seemed to hold back. It was almost like, 'shit that worked, better not do that again'.

Can't work out why Aribo started and Les was on the bench. Les was good against W.Ham. Aribo is far too slow. And up front, why does AA get a run out each game? And what's with Sulemana coming on? Still, I've enjoyed the intent in these last couple of matches. Despite our failings, we've given both these teams a close game. Atmosphere was quite good at the ground today until they scored. And good to see their retard supporter with the fossiled dad is still on form. Sits about four rows from the front and close to the away fans spends half his time giving us the finger. Remember that knob from our cup game.

All I know is Tall Paul got his head to crosses in the West Ham game that no-one else would have reached. All I saw was Tall Paul holding the ball up relatively well and laying off to one of our players and he lasted 90 minutes. He might not be the most gifted player that's graced a Saints shirt but he gives off a positive attitude and given other strikers aren't exactly world beaaters, he deserves a run in the team. Hope to see him and Archer together some time soon.

Three points here and the dream starts. TP and Archer up front (if he's well enough). Subs didn't add much against W. Ham. Is it time to bring back Sam AA? Certainly BBD can stay at home.

And in the previous game when one was squared to Tall Paul, he completely fluffed it. Yes, to an extent, we look a side out of our depth, but I'm so pissed off we SR that we haven't given this year a better chance. RM should have gone after the Bournemouth game and yet it really did look like it wasn't until half way through the Tottenham game that it dawned on management that RM had to go and their phones were out calling for a new manager. Since RM has gone, the team is playing more entertaining football, we have created chances and, on another day, we would have had this game sewn up by half time.