Gloucester Saint

Oh yeah, it goes back to later in Ralph’s time. He was very hot on fitness earlier on but got ground down by the lack of investment and then the investment when it finally came going on children from Manchester. We saw the lack of resilience after the Leicester away win and after Adams’s sitter at Wolves. They weren’t fit physically or mentally which is why we reverted to long balls because they couldn’t sustain the press for more than a few minutes. That, and Romeu had gone, and pivotal to organising it on the pitch, and Lavia could only play circa 20-25 games. Got worse under Martin and I don’t think Juric or Rusk thought they could do a Poch and institute double session mid-season given a few player episodes like Flynn Downes and others. If you’re a 32 year fresh faced manager whose Ligue 1 teams have been top of the energy standings I can see why you’d be bemused.

Again, I’m surprised Jan hasn’t gone already with such a low release fee, and Roma bid over that in January. Mind you, football clubs are so disorganised in transfer windows that it shouldn’t be a surprise. I reckon ABK will go very late in the window for 4-5 Euro.

Sounds like one or both want to move on to me. AA probably has a bit more of a market out of the two albeit still quite niche. If we’d need to subsidise most of BBD’s wages on loan somewhere we might as well keep him and hope he improves when fitter. Interesting comments by Still yesterday post-Eastleigh that he’s not been impressed by the standard of fitness. We suspected it was a holiday camp under Martin and before that even if we’re honest.

McCarthy is just about still but Gavin never has been and there’s no argument with the volume of data despite a minority of fans refusing to acknowledge what is right in front of them. Funnily enough there’s now revisionism that Martin’s tactics were to blame and he will be alright in a Still defence. No, he won’t. And Martin picked him for his distribution not his goalkeeping. His spell at Liege was mixed at best. Needs a loan in League 1 where’s more comfortable and maybe back up in final year of his deal. https://www.southamptonfc.news/opinion/one-alarming-statistic-shows-why-russell-martin-must-upgrade-key-southampton-position/ https://forum.ybig.ie/gavin-bazunu_topic57765_page111.html https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/we-need-southampton-urged-to-upgrade-on-gavin-bazunu-after-disaster-of-a-loan-spell/

Aribo when he goes will add further to the funds for that part of the pitch. What’s surprised me is Bednarek still being at the club with an alleged relegation release clause of only £6m. Roma supposedly bid a couple million more than that only in January.

Only a year left though and has a market. Clearly not signing a new deal and allegedly one of the higher earners.

He will get tested defensively far more than today, as will Sugawara but they didn’t half bring some energy and willingness to get forward and put deliveries in compared with the first half with Taylor and Bree.

Taylor didn’t play well today but you’re forgetting just how poor Manning was last time out. Watch the Brum away, Leicester away and some of the other highlights and you’ll see what I mean. Agree Wellington should be first choice based on the cameos last season.

Taylor, Wellington, Manning. We don’t need three so there’s an odd one out somewhere. Manning got lots of assists at Swansea but looked as dreadful going forward as defensively under the same manager here strangely.

RoI international though….does Russell want that sectarian hassle?

I’d like to see him try, especially NYC. Plenty of resources to take him and MAGA on militarily. It’ll be the usual 🌮 instead.

All four of the above, plus almost certainly Aribo. Quite likely to be Edozie and AA as well.

I can see why she was so popular https://www.threads.com/@chrisoneill2020/post/DJKhaGbix9l/fiona-richmond-and-udo-kier-in-the-house-on-straw-hill-aka-exposé-1975-a-film-by

I think he might do alright this year but not a lone striker, either needs to be paired with Downs or if the club must (more likely can’t sell him) BBD.

Added the missing bit on the end.

Good enterprising bit of football. Even if it’s a local friendly it’s nice to see.

He did in one of last year’s pre-season games at SMS IIRC? Agree he’s total crap though. Unless there’s a miracle turnaround he’s in my worst XI alongside Speedie and worse than a gambling-addicted Kerry Dixon. Speedie is a good analogy - he didn’t want to be at SFC very clearly and neither does BBD.

Hopefully they are both heading for the exit door. Doubt it though.

Good plan, but there’s a bit of a flaw there…..

Ah right, I see. Territorial about the club. Good job Bowen didn’t chat up one of the barmaids otherwise your friend could’ve shouted ‘nothing in this game for 2 in a bed’.

If Ramsdale goes, argument for two keepers being signed, not just one. But who wants the two we’ve got? So it’ll be one signed and cross fingers they don’t get injured at all. No idea was Martin was on giving McCarthy an extension, as stupid as the Stephens one last week.

I’d be happy with that, the thought of Bazunu and/or McCarthy fills me with dread and the opposition with delight. I’d rather have Shilton back in goal in his 70s than those two 🤡

He’s done that in competitive games as well.

There’s about what 30 years between Hillsborough and this trend starting up though. The Muamba heart stopping on the pitch at Spurs probably had more to do it, fortunately there was a doctor in the crowd watching the game as a fan. But huge difference between a incidence on the actual pitch and in the stands unless it’s a behind a goal where it could distract play and/or be visible on TV if it’s live on there. Always huge sympathies and well wishes when it happens but the volume of stoppages is not sustainable.

Alan Bennett. I actually saw the famous play right cycling through Covent Garden regularly and he’d have done better than the Reading loanee against James Scrowcroft, the usually non-scoring targetman.