CSA96

Wearing the new pink kit against Lazio tonight, then in the home kit for the Getafe game on Saturday

Games where the home team are wearing black or blue shorts and the match officials don't want Saints in the black or navy shorts that come with the red and white kit and the yellow kit. So that would be games like Chelsea, Brighton, Leicester... Newcastle potentially And there'll be a few where either yellow or pink are suitable and they opt to wear pink just to give it a run out, I guess

Nicer than I thought it could've ended up being. Not really sure why the badges are that odd shade of yellow though

I notice on the OS announcement of the Solent Fans Forum that Mark Bitcon is now referred to as Director of Football Operations, rather than Director of Performance, which is the title he was given on his arrival in the summer of 2023. Bitcon was also in Spain for the duration of the training camp and was pictured/filmed a few times with Martin at training and before the games - so I think that probably answers this one now. Parsons, Bitcon, Mowbray, Martin is the group leading on player trading and working with the ownership group, with Parsons leading on negotiations (as per P'boro owner Darragh MacAnthony who said Ankersen is now not involved with Saints as he was before, and didn't discuss Ronnie Edwards with him - he mentioned that he reached out to Rasmus when Saints made an approach and then was told by RA that he wasn't the person to speak to anymore)

Anyone got any insight on Brentford ticket numbers after first sales window today?

I would love him, but just don't see a world where Arsenal say he's available and he doesn't get a better offer/something that appeals to him more We could wait all window trying to get Ramsdale and end up getting burnt, or just get a deal done for someone a bit below him but still a significant improvement on AMC

I think that might work for all parties (for now...) - Johnstone wants to get out and play, but he'll still pick up his Palace salary rather than a Saints/newly-promoted club salary. Saints pay a little more on the wages front for a solid GK with PL experience and England call-ups to his name, knowing they don't have to pay it for more than one season. Russell Martin gets another British player to add to the group, who is a good egg behind the scenes. I guess it would be contingent on Palace finding a backup they are comfortable with though. Do they have one? And to your point, when we know if we are in the PL market next summer, please just let us permanently resolve the GK shambles of many years

talkSPORT reporting that Sam Johnstone has decided he wants to leave Palace. He was their #1 under Hodgson but has been benched for Henderson since Glasner became manager - also reporting that Saints remain interested, having tried to buy him before he went to Palace

Yuki looks like a good crosser, which might be promising

Speak for yourself. Much rather go on holiday to Dubrovnik

Ross wasn't discussed

Ah yes, I forgot to include the Charles bit above - thanks Hypo. Blackmore basically suggested that the view is that for a 20/21 year old, Charles is very inexperienced and raw and would benefit from just playing every week at a slightly lower level. Saints can't give him that this season. Saints have other young players but they have 100 or so games under their belt and are more mature in their game

Summary of the Blackmore chat - direct quoting on Q&A (as close to verbatim as possible) unless it's a bullet point: - ABK wasn't taken to Spain, understood to be a bad influence behind the scenes - Considered to be a negative character, not appreciated by current dressing room / coaching staff for his attitude - Russell Martin has been very clear that he won't accept a negative attitude from anyone - Saints pushed hard for Carvalho in January - Player and manager spoke, both really liked each other - There were conditions attached to the deal such as a big agent fee (which Saints didn't agree with for a loan) - Another condition from LFC was a number of guaranteed starts, Saints wouldn't agree but Hull did - The player and Russell still appreciate each other and would still like to work together - The leak has come from the Liverpool end, hence Ornstein - They don't want to loan, they want to sell but are letting their fanbase know it's a 'reluctant sale' and seeing if other clubs get involved - I think Saints want Matt O'Riley and Fabio Carvalho, I don't believe it is one or the other - O'Riley is happy to come, they've already had that conversation and both parties know the deal - Celtic are being slow and Saints are getting agitated because they are worried it will run too late in August - O'Riley doesn't have an agent he is only represented by his parents and they have a relationship with RM - Is the Brighton leak an effort from Celtic to get Saints to move to Celtic's negotiation point? Let's see Specific Qs... Onuachu? - Trabzonspor been offering 3m, 4m, 5m - Saints won't do business at silly prices and are irritated by Trabzonspor's approach - They are happy to hold onto him, think that he might get offers from other leagues at the end of the window, maybe if a Dutch club comes into some money GK? Yes, I think they need a goalkeeper. I think they want to get Lis out on loan again or at best, as the third choice. I had a look at the Premier League squads and there's some good experience on benches. I'm not anti McCarthy, I think he's been a good servant to the club but I think they need to get someone with more Premier League authority. Extra comment - not verbatim: Ramsdale is on either side of 100k by a slim margin, would look at more experienced people on benches to look for better value - example given: Martin Dubravka Alcaraz's future? I think he should go. I know some fans like him because he runs around a lot, he's busy, he's all-action, he's hot-headed. I've got no problem with him because I think he is a good lad but I don't think he has got the tactical understanding for how the team plays. There's a reason he didn't start a lot last season. I think he needs to move on because he can't do the job he is being asked to do. I think you have to sell him to get some money in to go out and acquire some more players. KWP? I'd like him to stay, we'd all like him to stay. He was fantastic in agreeing to stay and be professional last summer to give them one go to get straight back into the Premier League - and it worked. I'm at the stage now where I think 'thank you very much Kyle' and if you want to go and find somewhere else to play that's fine, but we just need to get the right money for you before your contract expires. My feeling is that he will need to go for himself and his own career, and it won't do the club any harm to get some money in rather than him going for nothing. Saints have actually got too many full-backs now but I do accept that Kyle Walker-Peters was a clear cut above the rest last season. Lots to still be done? Yes, I think there is a lot to be done. And I don't know if I believe it will all go to the wire. I know for a fact they want to get a couple of things done in the next week. But moving a few on would help Saints because it will give them more strength and money, some salaries off the wage bill. Saints/Solak is not going to spend endlessly and end up with a huge squad again. If you could get Onuachu, Bella-Kotchap and Alcaraz out in the next two weeks then you can really attack the end of the transfer window a lot better. I think they can get O'Riley done. Is the Brighton leak an effort to get Saints to move to Celtic's negotiation point? Let's see. With Carvalho, the player is clear that he would like to play for Russell Martin and come and fill that role in the team. Let's see.

Someone can be an alternative way of spending a sum of money without playing the exact same role, but then you already knew that, just your pedant senses were tingling and you couldn't help yourself O'Riley more of an 8 who pushes on, Carvalho more of a 10 who floats and likes to drive in space. However, both bring creativity and a final pass, finish, albeit in different ways. Can't believe I even bothered to give more of a proper reply

Explains why the Fabio Carvalho stuff suddenly developed and why Blackmore/Saints were briefing that Liverpool leaked it, Saints presumably trying to quietly make progress with an alternative

Well, that'll be that

Would make a lot of sense. Nearly top half last year, but for a terrible start. Played and lived there before, may have family down there, has his best mate in football playing there... it adds up

Saints v Millwall: McCarthy; Harwood-Bellis, Stephens, Bednarek; Sugawara, Smallbone, Downes, Taylor; Aribo, Armstrong, Edozie

Yeah, there is still no chance of him coming to us.

Well, there's something I never thought I'd see

We were linked to him before as well, if I remember rightly. Maybe he is/was on our list somewhere

Fuck cancer. That’s no age

I would expect to see Martin using the 3-4-3 here with an attempt at trying to be more defensively sound with Armstrong and BBD as a duo up front. I'm with Lighthouse, I was thinking yesterday that I wouldn't be surprised to see us shit ourselves a bit if Newcastle get an early goal and the St James' crowd gets lively