Gloucester Saint

If it’s the judgement of Sports Republic/Saints since 2017 vs the judgement of our fanbase, I’ll go with our fanbase every single time. We’ve been proven right. Romeo Lavia signing is the only successful thing they’ve done in the context of the club’s history and they even messed that up moving Romeu on. Don’t trust them one iota.

PL level he was OK. I didn’t say good but not that bad either. Champ level he was very good though. All of last season’s strikers didn’t manage a Che-type 8 PL goals and as many assists between them remember. Good season in Serie A as well. We’ve obviously had the likes of Pelle, Rickie, Beattie, Marian over the last 25 years which is why Che isn’t rated but he is like Shearer compared with the garbage SR bought. And no KWP this season, was a huge factor offensively for us in 23/24.

Better manager on paper, don’t quite agree that’s a stronger squad than 2023 though unless Downs proves to be as good as Che at holding up and bagging 15-18 goals (the finish was very nice v Espanyol so maybe…). AA still there but not sure he’s in the same frame of mind.

No way would we have kept a clean sheet at Wembley - McCarthy was hardly Gordon Banks but he looked it by comparison.

One of many these days but in the pre-internet/teletext days and early internet they were more prominent and just as unreliable.

‘Tis Newsnow, ‘nuff said. Spouting bollocks rumours for 30 years, only difference being these days you don’t need to ring an expensive phone number or internet dial up to access it.

May not be and as we move into August and neither of those two moves come off, his agent may cast around.

Gvir is a vile piece of humanity.

Linked with West Ham and Everton last I saw.

Les Reed and Ross Wilson are political football figures, I doubt very much their ability to really watch a player over an extended period of time. Look at the successful Koeman signings, they were clearly Ronald’s. Close friend of mine scouted for Tony Pulis and he would go there and watch the player, not even the match as a whole, he would focus on the player Pulis wanted him to watch and he would want a detailed report on all of the active moments, off ball behaviours and interactions with other players. The player would be watched over an extended period. Shields found Lavia and got a new job off the back of it but he doesn’t convince me - Baz, Edozie and Larios were never PL players in a million years and it was obvious immediately. Gavin chucked into a struggling side at that age and key position was harsh. He’d have needed to be a goalkeeping Luke Littler or Wayne Rooney. Tim Flowers struggled in Division 1 post-Shilton hence John Burridge came in a for a season, and Tim was very talented as a youngster. But Nicholl knew football clubs and knew player psychology. Wilcox and Paul Mitchell - they were more thorough and questioning of what the club would tell them.

He will have experienced a lot colder than Stoke playing in that league!

That will be a coup if that transfer comes off.

There’s others as well, basically there’s probably 50-100 keepers in our price range who be a huge improvement. Those two are only with us because literally no other club wants them. Celtic wanted Alex allegedly after Wembley and if so he should have gone, last season killed what was left in him as a keeper. Gavin only had Standard come in because his City academy coach was there, and he was apparently shocked at how bad he was. This was early 2025, one decent 45 minutes in a pre-season doesn’t wipe away two years of very unreliable displays.

If you’re suggesting buying a different first choice keeper, or loaning at a push, then I’m all ears. There are other keepers than Johannsson available of course who are better than those two already at the club. Not a high bar, or any bar admittedly.

Sticking with Gavin (statistically the worst in PL and Champ by a mile) and Alex (a year older than last time and struggled badly last year) - if Dragan wants to destroy what’s left of his investment/pull off his mask and reveal Milan Mandaric this is the way to do it.

Stoke lower mid Champ - £15k per week Saints - £20k per week, chunky promotion bonus to clear your mortgage, PL back/compete for place £30k per week. If he’s got a family, not really a choice if the clubs agree a fee and Saints get their act together for the first time in several years in a key position.

I’d go for Stansfield but if we actually use Archer properly then he could be good for 20+. AA has done it before but again, will he be used beneficially to his strengths and where’s his mindset at? Stewart won’t be fit enough to start any more than 20-25 games tops. A cameo aka David Connolly 11/12, that would be good.

I can see mid-table in the Championship and at least one defeat to the Skates. ‘Agent Gavin’.

That’s the difference when football and non-football people are making decisions. Data takes you so far but you’ve got to watch players live and make an objective judgement. The football people watched Trafford’s all round game over a long sample size as part of due diligence, the non-football people bought the hype, a couple of early international games and were focused on re-sale. Gunn is very iffy coming off his line and always has been. See Norwich at Elland play off semi for Exhibit A and he was like it for us as well. Baz - supposedly passes the ball well but post-Russell that’s not needed as much and he doesn’t have the core attributes or physique a modern keeper needs.

Players aren’t stupid, they know that’s what happens. Hence a good promotion bonus is built into the contract and he’d still be on a fair chunk more as #2 in the PL than in the Champ for Stoke, who barring a Mark Robins miracle won’t be going back up anytime soon (neither will we if the club are dickheads about sticking with the grim goalkeeping duo of doom). One flying boot or loss of form and he’s a PL keeper.

Promotion gone if so and we will be in the EFL for a long time.

Just forgot got the same alert from Sky. Acid test for Spors here - don’t fuck up like you did on Jack’s extension, and ensure a first choice keeper is brought into replace. No chance of the autos with the other two in goal.

Joe Aribo next I reckon. ABK won’t be until right at the end of the window for 2-4m Euro to help the buying club offset his wages.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Commander-Cheat-Explains-brilliant-bestseller/dp/1472266102

It’s odd because he’s only what 31? Unless he’s had a horrible injury I can’t recall, he shouldn’t have lost most of his pace. He’s had spells under Howe and last season not playing but not the same thing as wear and tear/physiological decline.