swedish dave

The top end of the Swedish Prem. is about equal to the average Championship side. we could ..and probably will ..do worse.

Robbie Ure ..this fella looks like the real thing. His club Sirius are having a good season - thanks to Ure's goal tally. They play to his strength and he is almost scoring for fun. Someone is sure to pick him up soon.

.....even if he did well and scored in the German second league, the last season was disappointing to say the least BUT maybe his limited game time on loan will have taught him something, even if he didn't get on the score sheet. There must be a footballer in there somewhere, perhaps getting gametime alongside Larin may be of benefit.

seriously ..?.. I think 20% would be a good deal in our situation

Once again, Quarshie took a big move upwards and began finding the difference very challenging. He did seem to improve as the season went on, but by the time that Tonda got our back line firing on all cylinders, there was no way he was going to start games, but he will learn.

Agreed Hypo . Downs is still a young player on a steep learning curve, and it shows. Playing second string football In Germany is like the U21's and it takes time to adapt to the higher level. As memory serves, the young James Beattie had a torrid time after he joined, and then got injured but determination and persistence eventually paid off. It will be a critical time for both Downs and Oyekunle who was virtually scoring for fun throughout his Academy days. Maybe getting some playing time alongside Larin may help them both mature.

I think it was his heroics in the Swedish side that led to Saints signing him. He was the first Swede we signed in the early 00's, and led to others following. At one time we had 5 Swedes in the squad.

I was just waiting for him to come on as a sub. but scoring inside 2 minutes was a real surprise, and with Ross Stewart's departure now confirmed , at last we have " a real no.9 " with all the right qualities. Big, fast and able to " take care of himself" . Being " the main man " now will do wonders for his confidence and Saints did well to sign him when they did, and we can hope he continues to improve. To my mind he is perfect for the English game, and praise to TE for giving him the support needed for his game style. Not his fault that it took so long to get back in the Canadian squad but playing in Europe for several years and not being appreciated by the clubs he played for obviously led to his lack of attention in Canada. Now he is back in the limelight , I hope he can continue to improve with Saints next season.

all things considered, he DAJFU when it mattered although Ironically all that good effort came to nothing in the end and we are still In the Championship. He did well to play those 45/60 min. spells in switching with Larin, which probably helped his rehab back into the football world. Do I feel a miffed about his leaving ? .a bit, especially after our medics nursed him to fitness for the best part of 2 years, but there maybe other factors, other than the money. There is a certain kind of; London and Northern players who just can't "settle" down South and he is about as Scots as they come, or maybe " family issues" mean that he didn't want to stay here ? If he's hoping for a good World Cup, then another club might make him an offer ..etc, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him going back North of the border.

JWP always made a point of being " super fit" and he covered more ground than anyone else in games. He played every minute of every game in our last two seasons in the Prem. before his move, ( A Prem. record) After he joined WHam, Moyes used him in almost every game and he delivered with 8 goals and 8 assists, but after WHam (foolishly) sacked DM (who won them their first trophy in decades), JWP fell out of favour with those who followed on as their manager. There followed a series of ill-chosen loan-outs for James.. I don't suppose that Prowsey lapsed in his training routine, and maintained a good level of fitness. Passing 30 is not a death sentence for a good player. James Milner has just retired ...after passing 40. I have consistently read "his critics " on this site, but I see him as anchor in midfield whilst Charles and Jander are good players, they are both young and have much to learn, and may not still be with Saints come August. NOTE ; I don't make comparisons with Walcott and Lallana's swan songs with us, who had seen their best years before they came back . For me ...getting Prowsey back ......is a no-brainer.

.but certainly does in terms of goal scoring, he scored 24 for Orient and helped keep them up in L1. 5'10" ...isn't exactly a "big striker" , but many of football's big-time scorers weren't giants either.

I guess you missed my opening post. The entire situation was created BECAUSE we sold him to Orient when a more sensible solution would have been to loan him out (as we did with several others). OK ...so we go back to Orient and see if he wants a return, and then smile and pay them a fee. We see what he can do, and it's better than buying "another unknown " .....like Downs.

Whilst I agree with your comment, I do wish they'd concentrate on the ongoing game they watch, and leave their old storylines for other occasions. It's not the first time (they) have missed a goal whilst blathering on about something much less interesting (and occasionally ) non-Saints. Interesting comment was from the legendary Kenneth Wolstenholme; .." a good commentator should say.. as little as possible and concentrate (on what's happening) in the game ."

On closer examination you can see that (Dom) was 21 in May, and already had 20 games for Young England sides (U17-U20) between 2022-2024. His 3 loan-outs saw him get game time on 45 occasions before those two unfortunate freak injuries. At two of those clubs he was used as a sub. for one of their regular strikers. Also he is not "so short" as we have been led to believe. He was listed at 5' 10" tall when signing for Orient. who used him as their first choice striker and scored 23 times in 40 games last season. I don't see him as a front line striker, but alongside / behind a Stewart, or Larin, he could be a useful addition to our strike force, much as Adam Lallana was when paired with Rickie Lambert back in the day. Orient's survival was entirely due to his goal tally, and they will be glad of the income when he eventually signs for a higher level club. As I noted in my opening post, I believe that in the chaos of last summer, he was simply " overlooked" by the people who called the shots, and who had no knowledge of his record with the club, and saw him as " a recovering young player " who might not contribute to the cause. I'm glad that he had such a good season, but would be mindful that he might be a force to reckon with (in the Championship) - if we don't get him back - someone else will.

Clearly you seemed to have missed the point of the argument. Aside from those previous loans, it's his recent form as top scorer in League One that has drawn the attention - and he achieved that in a team that narrowly missed relegation thanks to his 20+ goals. Your comment about "undersized striker " was surely a spur of the moment comment. We all like to see a big man up front, but a quick look at some of the " undersized " names in football would show you that many of the historical top names weren't " giants " either.

Everyone's career "starts" somewhere. Jamie Vardy started at Fleetwood when they were in L2 (or was it National League ? ). Oh... and (that) Rickie Lambert started at the bottom of the pile, too. and this site was full of people who said that 30 goals in L1 - doesn't mean he's going to succeed in the Championship... If Dom isn't a starter in our "re-vamped 2026/27 squad" ... I'd have him on the bench every week.

Everyone's career "starts" somewhere. Jamie Vardy started at Fleetwood when they were in L2 (or was it National League ? ). Oh... and (that) Rickie Lambert started at the bottom of the pile, too. and this site was full of people who said that 30 goals in L1 - doesn't mean he's going to succeed in the Championship... If Dom isn't a starter in our "re-vamped 2026/27 squad" ... I'd have him on the bench every week.

having followed the Academy sides (along with the first team) I'm surely not the only fan who followed the progress of Dom Ballard from his earliest days in the U18's. Season by season he outscored all comers, by a country mile. This success continued when he reached the U21 side (a level that many youngsters fail to achieve) and inevitably he went out on loan to clubs in " the men's game " and his performances didn't go unnoticed. Sudden injuries can set a young players' career (or even end it) and so it was sad when Dom was out a long time after his. Rehab can take a long time ....whilst meantime ...back at the club.... managers and coaches came and went and Dom remained an forgotten name seen only in the treatment room, and when eventually fit, the new staff members couldn't be blamed for asking "..Dom who ? ", and so in an attempt to give him a chance in the the future he was sold (rather than the normal loan-out) and went to Leyton Orient and not only saved their position in League One (they finished 20th) but also ended up as leading scorer in L1. Now is the time to admit this was a wrong move from Saints' perspective -even if we had a "good deal " with a juicy sell-on clause but after spending most of his youth in our Academy, he finally achieved the success he deserved and he belongs back here.. So.....my message to the club.....for goodness sake ..get him back PDQ. This is surely a no-brainer in his case, and for anyone who says ,,(he won't make it at " the higher level") ...remember people said that about Rickie Lambert - several times. Dom will never become... 6 foot tall striker, but playing alongside someone who is, he must surely be worth a chance to prove himself.

...the usual fixture against Eastleigh, of course

Historically, very few Academy lads make it through to be first team regulars. The difference between U21 football, and the Championship (not to mention Prem. level).. is enormous for youngsters to adjust to. Last season was the first real showing of young talents in the last ...10 years? When JWP headed up a group that included; Stephens, McQueen, Targett and Reed, (some of whom were stuck behind Bertrand as first choice). Now we saw Cam Bragg establishing himself and new names like Oyekunle, Williams, Sillah Dibaga also getting minutes. They might not be on the bench quite so often yet, but they've taken the first steps. Our biggest challenge will be getting replacements for those who leave, and a few new names who might come to the club - depending on who the manager is by August.

reading between the lines of the EFL "rule"., there is much emphasis on the " 72 hour period " but little else aside from " the encouragement to fair play and an honest attitude". The assumption being that the same "spying " activity taking place 73 hours (or more) before game time is not considered an offence of any sort. Hypocrisy of the worst kind, and not worthy of any type of sport. The only justice that has come out of the whole mess is that having failed to win any of the 3 games involved Boro ' did not benefit from their exploitation of the entire case via social media with their crocodile tears.

whilst we are " nit-picking " over the whole affair, it's interesting to note that one of the bar staff at Boro's golf club named our " spy" (WS) to the club, and /or the media, after WS had bought a drink in their bar. Naming a person who has made a purchase on a credit card IS a criminal offence, as it breaks the law on several counts, and such actions are.." technically-speaking" - a breach of personal integrity attached to credit card purchases.

not just . " the lawyer " who played once 30-odd years ago). I would have asked him which team he supports now ? Has he watched Boro " at all ..in the last 30 years? Danger signal was there was already "a Boro' connection" in the first EFL "trial" before they pronounced the verdict of cancelling Saints' place in the Final and the -4 pts. The subsequent "independent meeting " was only ever going to agree with the original decision - especially as there was also someone with a Boro' connection on that panel. There is no argument (or excuse) for the offence, but the loss of the Final place (and potential promotion money) is a massive "fine " in itself. The verdict itself was a disgrace, and like a death sentence for a parking offence. Clearly the EFL thinks that no such offence has been committed in the last 6 years (since the Leeds affair), but the very stipulation that no such "event" should be allowed in the last 72 hours before a game - is clearly is an admission that such spying events are commonplace, and they simply close their eyes to such situations.

(sadly) we put him out on loan because, he ** wasn't good enough to be our No.1 in the Championship His move wasn't so successful, and so if he doesn't move this summer, we are back with ** the same problem.

There'll be a lot more than simple in/ out transfers. Those who are determined to leave will obviously go and we can (hopefully) get a good return on the deals for those who do depart. The key question will be WHO will manage the side next season ?..as it seems an obvious conclusion that Tonda will leave ..and so players will want to know who the new "gaffer" will be ...and PDQ. Team building will be back to Square One, starting at the back. I won't start quoting names as some are fairly obvious, and some others may be unexpected.