CSA96

Blimey, revisionist memory had it at like two minutes. Fair enough

Charlie Austin against United at Old Trafford, perhaps?

The Peretz and Larin moves both feel quite pragmatic to me from Spors and make a change from Ankersen just spunking money up the wall on people we didn't really want, but shelled out for because we got desperate and the clock was ticking (Sulemana, Onuachu) We're taking a look at Peretz now and we'll do the same with Larin. If they become key players and we really like them, we can keep them. If they're poor or a bit meh then we can just let them go back to their parent club and spend our funds in the summer window when it's easier to conclude a decent deal and clubs are more open to doing business with each other

Kind of amused to see the some of the same names who thought we should've kept Onuachu because he has a good goal record in Turkey turning their nose up at Larin, who has a good goal record in Turkey and played for a bigger club than Onuachu did over there

If I'm not mistaken, Peretz was linked in the summer and we tried to sign him then but he chose HSV instead. Makes you wonder how much more in the mix we'd have been if we had him from the off (but appreciate we were still fucking around with not playing the most suitable formation, etc)

Might be the first time a parent club has put a 'must play against parent club' clause in the contract instead of a 'cannot play against parent club' clause

Viktor Johansson out with shoulder surgery and possible he doesn't play again this season, so a chance to get first team minutes with Stoke

The Irish Independent is reporting that Gavin Bazunu is in Stoke today with talks now advanced over a loan move

Erm, to be fair that is because he has been at Bayern Munich and there's only one position he can play in each game

Seriously? That's basically every match thread for the past four seasons

I know our recruitment has had more than its share of shit in recent years, but just take a moment to read that full list... that is fucking honking

He will get a better job post-Chelsea than he would've done if he'd just tried to get another EFL job after Hull without going to Strasbourg/Chelsea first, and he'll make a wedge of cash in the meantime too. Always a chance he makes it work at Chelsea too and then really boosts his stock. Might as well

The Athletic: Southampton's Andy Goldie is 'the leading candidate' for the role of director of football at Leicester City Goldie joined Saints in 2023 as Academy Director and was then promoted to Director of Group Talent for all of Sport Republic's clubs. He's reported to feel that he's ready for a senior role after three seasons with Saints at academy level

Being reported that Hamburg and Bayern are now close to an agreement to bring his loan to an end and he may be able to fly to England tonight

If I were Garner, I wouldn't be bothering to look for anything more permanent than the hotel we've put him in...

Has there actually been a worse, regular Saints goalkeeper? Not talking about third stringers and charity backups

Middlesbrough, who haven't scored for four games, are yet to have a shot on target in this game. Brace yourselves, everyone...