CSA96

Full answer from RM (speaking to Blackmore)... How do you feel you're getting on with the window now? Well, we are getting on. It's so difficult to do the stuff we want early. We haven't had any players leave the building so far, so no money has come in yet. It feels a little like we haven't done much but we signed Taylor and Flynn for a lot of money and so that feels different, because they were already here last year. They're not new signings, but the club have invested a lot of money in those two young players. We paid big fees for us - not for the rest of the Premier League - but big for us. It feels like we haven't really improved our starting eleven just yet but it's a brilliant eleven that got us to the Premier League and we've now made them our own. So there's a different feeling about that. If we'd signed them fresh this summer people would've been really excited about that. So there's a bit of frustration at the lack of incomings maybe, you will know better than me, but we are working really hard all of us behind the scenes. We are meeting regularly, we discuss everything and there are things that are well on the way - but things can change. And then there are things that are early on and we're making headway with that. Then there's stuff that we were on with but we've now dropped because they're going elsewhere or we can't afford to pay the fee right now. But things will change as the window goes on. I'm relaxed about it because I think we'll end up at the end of the window in a really, really good place and the people that we have brought in are fantastic. I think people forget that you have to wait sometimes before you actually get some money the other way... Yeah, I think so. And also there's squad size. It was the same last summer. A lot of people left and as they left, other people came in. And I am convinced that it will be the same again.

Martin with Solent: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jh3lh9

Thought it looked quite nice on the broadcast angle with white shorts. Wish they just went with white shorts as standard

Trying to put names to that: Things now well on the way: Johnstone...? Carvalho...? Other stuff early on still: Guess we won't know yet / or Johnstone? Dropped because they will go elsewhere: Rak-Sakyi to Sheffield United, seemingly Dropped because we can't afford the fee right now: O'Riley fee can't be met until we shift some out? I assume they thought KWP would be long gone by now

Russell Martin post-Lazio: "There are things well on the way and there are things that are early on and we’re making headway with. And then there’s stuff that we’ve now dropped because they go elsewhere or we can’t afford the fee the club want right now. I’m relaxed about it because I think we’ll end the window in a really, really good place."

Just get it done. A steady goalkeeper is what we need, I'd love Ramsdale but the thought of waiting until deadline day to see who gets him on loan and then missing out altogether scares the daylights out of me. We've also got winnable games against Forest and Brentford before then

FT: Saints 1-1 Lazio

Preseason brawl!

Sensible from us, I think. At a lower price or on loan I'd take a punt on Broja but £25m is a silly ask given what he has/hasn't done since he was last at Saints (inc injury)

Sold out 30 minutes into the STH & 11+ aways window

Well, apart from the bit where he was still working at Man City in January 2023 and had no input in signing all of those players because Rasmus was filling the role temporarily, you're spot on.

That belongs behind a spoiler/warning

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