Hopper

Discipline of shape and tempo and selection of passes already vastly improved.

Much stronger team for last 30. Not quite Gillingham levels of performance to this point but not far off!

Marginally. He needs to get the ball across the 6 yard box and ‘in that area’ quite often looks up plays the ball a touch too late and behind the attackers.

Macca nearly stitching us in minute one…

The difference is Stephens has a bit of grit. Manning getting ragdolled for most of that half. Hopeful of seeing a much improved second half that is closer to our prem side.

He's not sexy enough for some... I however, think he's a handsome lad.

Russ said in the post match that he could have given Ross 45mins as he’s been training normally but that he felt a little tight still and didn’t want to rush him back.

Looks that way unless we get a big money offer. He's back in training and I saw a comment that he wanted to fight for a spot in the team.

Wellington apparently joining Juan to Goztepe for 2 years on loan. https://www.dha.com.tr/spor/southampton-transferde-juan-silva-ve-wellingtonu-goztepeye-kiralayacak-2477851

Great bit of business. Win lose or draw this season we know he'll put a shift in. Work ethic is unquestionable. If the worst happens and we go down, easily one of the best strikers in the championship. Hope he takes forward the confidence he earned from last season. 👏

I think the business that’s been done so far has been pretty shrewd. It’s obvious we won’t have the resources to finance the quality of players we would all love to see added to the squad so we have to provide a degree of faith to Russ knowing what he needs to get his team to play the way he wants. Will it be good enough? Time is going to tell but I’m looking forward to getting behind the boys. I wonder if we’re holding off on bringing in attacking recruits until we’ve moved on the likes for Tall Paul, Kamaldeen, Seku etc. There’s a fair bit of room that needs to made there first you’d suspect.

I couldn’t care less what he did or didn’t do at West Ham. I’ve seen more than enough of Downes to know he’ll make the step up. Much like Walker-Peters last season he was a cut above.

It's a UEFA/EPL Guideline sadly.

Definitely navy

Pretty much, same design. Away shorts are Navy with Yellow. Pretty sure its a UEFA/EPL rule that prohibits striped backs. Has been since 2015 ish I think.

I think the badge is stitched by the looks. Just small thread.

CALLED IT!

Chances of a kit and Downes reveal combo? Lad comes strolling out in the new home kit 💥

Not to mention he'll be ready for some real agressive, front footed football... God willing.

Too soon to put the armband on him? 🤔😂

Yeah exactly that. A habit of being in the right place at the right time. I've not heard of him before but like what I see in this lad from the Strikers who would you get ? thread

For me Broja was a great fit for Ralphball until he lost interest but I'm not convinced he's got the attributes that we would want to fit into Russ' side. Ideally we need someone with a great sense of positioning who is able to play in tight spaces and recieve the ball to feet... not a big ask then 😅 I hate myself for saying it but someone in the mold of an Ings 💀 (I don't want to see Ings back)

Interesting read. Sugawara definitely looks like a more well rounded player. KWP's pass completion rate is absolutely immense. I wonder how Russ ball would shape these figures moving forward. You've got to assume that the tighter play style would mean an improvement in pass completion for Sugawara at the expense of his crossing and long passing game. (Altough looking at those stats I wouldn't mind him pinging the occasional long diagonal to break up our predictablility!)

Watched a couple of Interviews with Sugawara and he speaks very good English which bodes well for him settling quickly. I think that was a big barrier for Charly (Maybe still is)

My dyslexia kicked in reading the link and for a second I thought we were back in for Matt Targett 😅