Gloucester Saint

AA, for his faults, scored 20+ goals last time and the winner at Wembley. All of his managers disagree with Adam that he is better through the middle but I’ll give Martin this, he found a set up Armstrong thrived in. Now if he doesn’t fit Still’s preferred systems, and yes, there have been some hints via Alfie House, then a move probably is best. But like Downes, do the club want to sell him to a direct promotion rival? Secondly, to suggest at Champ level with his record that he’s not near the first XI - nah, that’s daft talk.

Leicester winning the PL and us finish top six in 2015/16 was never going to be allowed to happen again.

Then again, I’ve seen youngsters (early 20s) drinking on the trains at 7.30am recently. I understood it when the Teat match was on at Edgbaston and they had tickets but mid-week on a working day?

Some fair comments but it’s the length of the contract that has ruled so many. An extra year wouldn’t have elicited this reaction. On Bazunu, at the risk of Agent Lighthouse appearing, Liege weren’t playing around their goal and he still leaked 2 a game and looked dreadful. Watch the highlights if you don’t believe me. Championship or the Belgian top flight is too high a standard at this stage in his career, needs to regain confidence in League 1 on a subsidised loan where he’s had a bit more joy. If he starts and makes more errors, that could be very toxic and the club really burned him by the sink or swim in the PL and Chanp last time. His stats were by far the worst and don’t lie on that sample size of games.

I’d let him go for a moderate fee (£2-3m) as he has ability at this level but locks you into a midfield-heavy system because he is poor off the ball in tracking, tackling unless his body matures. His value isn’t much if Still doesn’t want to deploy such a set-up. On Stewart, let’s see how pre-season goes as he hasn’t had one properly since Covid arguably.

Fair point MLG, I wasn’t necessarily thinking of the budget aspect, more try getting more of the spine together during pre-season. Mind you, the best loans like 2023 probably won’t be until near end of the window.

In this country, a key difference I first noticed in 2018 on holiday in the Lakes when the WC was on, was that the peak of the temperature was 5-8pm, sometimes right up to 9pm like it will be today. And it was really hot that year, 35-40. It has to be hot to make Cumbrian roads melt. I’m fairly certain for most of my life, the heat mellowed by 5pm and you enjoyed a lovely temperature in the evening to be outside. Or am I imaging this?

You’ve got to look at the state of the domestic schedule overall to know that. Far too many moving parts.

A Doris Stokes moment there @trousers Come on @Turkish and @Farmer Saint that’s CoT worthy surely?

Don’t mind seeing that at all but first XI needs to be the focus now, we’ve got lots ‘for the future’.

If it was Dragan and Spors decision, it’s tricky when you’re new in post and a relatively inexperienced manager (which was one reason to go for someone who would challenge and push SR quite hard) but I’m not sure I’d have been quite so glowing before I’d seen him actually play.

That does not bode well quite frankly.

Plenty of options on this list other than Darling who has already joined Norwich (we were linked as were Rangers but was always going to work with Manning) and the promoted clubs players https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/all-24-efl-championship-clubs-best-centre-back-ranked-from-best-to-worst/

It’s not the actual heat I mind, it’s the humidity. Not at Singapore levels I admit, but it ain’t pleasant to be out and about in. Give me spring and autumn over summer any day.

I’d actually laugh if the club did that and he let a couple of soft ones to give the skates their first league win at SMS. Agent Gavin indeed. Given the volume of keeper links though this summer, I doubt even they’ll be that stupid this time.

It’s what comes next if they can pull this stunt. Echo puff pieces about how well Bazunu and BBD are training, new contract for Smallbone, McCarthy, more ‘good lads’.

🤦‍♂️ 🤦‍♂️ 🤦‍♂️ 🤦‍♂️ 🤦‍♂️

Plus Lallana was allegedly paid £45k p/w last year to so similar and it certainly wasn’t based on playing contribution. Now he’s part of coaching set-up. If Will Still is happy about that, good for them both. But Adam is supposed to be that voice of experience. Why does Stephens need to be for the next year 3 years as well? At least Lallana was a top player. How many non-playing voices of experience do we need? And a Jack still could’ve done that under contract next season.

Adequate doesn’t get you automatic promotion which is supposedly what Still has been set to aim for. Wood is not an adequate Champ CB either - have a watch of this. If the club had paid attention, Martin wouldn’t have been allowed to sign him. And Quashie hasn’t played a minute in the Championship, Kayi Sanda barely a couple of promising PL sub cameos. Edwards has 18 months experience and a good half-season loan at QPR but he will 100% need experience - high quality experience for this level - if Jan and THB leave. Unless the club are repeating the 08/09 experiment. Brum, Ipswich et al won’t be relying on a u23 back line like the above and that’s the minimum bar for Southampton Football Club.

The impression the Stephens contract leaves is that they’ve learned nothing from three years of chronic mistakes from SR and further back to summer 2017 by Reed, Wilson and then Semmens. That’s why there’s a strong reaction against. It’s much bigger than Jack Stephens per se. It’s mistrust and unease fully warranted by eight mostly shit years and under-performance. Hence Brighton and Bournemouth are the major figures now on the South Coast. Great work SR.

Going by their track record 2017 to present, what the club’s hierarchy thinks doesn’t amount to a hill of beans when it comes to football. Two pathetic relegations, 9-0 x2, Pellegrino and Carrillo, Nathan Jones, £22m on Sulemana, last summer, Martin’s crazy tactics, Forster’s extension and McCarthy’s, both on huge wages - list goes on. They’ll get some respect when they earn some back with our fans who have seen decades more top flight, and even second tier football, than they have. Right now, I’d trust our fans’ judgement overall far more than theirs.

Albert can barely get it off the square in red ball but smashing it everywhere in white ball. Cartwright good knock tonight. Not a happy return for Mason Crane.

All of which could’ve been relevant without the need for 3 more years (2 plus the remaining 1) as he was still under contract. Do you genuinely think a 31 year old who ‘is not really as bad as some think’, only played 200 games for us in decade and been loaned out three times is a priority for a contract to 2028?

Reminds me of a joke after his arrest in LA: Q: What’s the difference between a microwave and George Michael? A: The microwave stops when you open the door

Latest from Manchester Crown Court https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgn8dz3l0lo I thought Farage, Tommy Robinson and people on here said that they would never go to trial, two-tier justice etc etc?