Saint_clark

Wasn't aimed at you, was just aimed at the signing in general.

We could have a cracking little European tour going on if all these purchases go through.

The last thing he has left to add to his game after which I think he will reach his peak is the courage to start playing some killer balls through/over the defence. Of course, we need strikers and AMs who will make the bursting runs beyond the defenders for him to be able to do that as well.

This was always the worry as well having a squad full of semi pros. Having watched a fair bit of WSL and Saints women team, I'd say the majority of our players could cut it at the top, so they'd have made cheap, easy pickings for higher clubs.

Yep, don't get it either to be honest.

Eh??

Because if he does go back to City then we will receive 20% less than whatever the agreed fee is.

Surprised at some of the names leaving, but this may be as much a result of going full-time as anything else. Some will have much higher paying careers planned.

20% of future deal AND a buyback clause, we seem really desperate in this case.

If there's a buy back clause we're not investing for the long term though.

If his agent was any kind of half decent he'd be arguing that we're signing Gav as first choice to solve all our goalkeeping problems, and as such deserves at least 75% of what the keeper who just left on a free was getting.

I think with these young players, a 5 year contract with one year extension triggered by the club to protect fee value is the way to go. That way you get 3-4 years in and they won't sign an extension to stay, you trigger that clause and say you're open to offers.

I've seen a £16million fee mentioned in relation to this signing. He may well develop into a great keeper, but that's only £6million less than Chelsea paid for Mendy and is more than David Raya, Jose Sa and Ilan Meslier cost combined. £16million is in the upper limit of what we have spent in the past. Now hopefully this is a sign that this is changing and this will now me lower to middling transfer fees for us moving forward, but I still can't help but think this is a hell of a gamble. For that fee for example, I would not be happy about their being a buy back clause included for City unless that clause was over £50million.

Can't dismiss the abuse Southgate is getting as racist, might have to actually take it on the chin for once.

That red card is an absolute joke of a decision.

But our defending is abysmal. Concede 10 less goals last season in the right games and we would have been top half, potentially challenging top 7.

People will scoff at using FM stats but one thing this does show you is that even the biased FM researcher for HIS OWN TEAM doesn't rate him.

You've also got to be able to win the ball and /or do something with it. I'd rather have a midfielder who is very good at passing and crossing, but poor at tackling, or a midfielder who's very good at tackling and intercepting the ball, but terrible at shooting. Average at everything just makes me think of Hojberg and he was poor for us.

Yep, I'd agree with that.

Can't bring myself to get excited about Svanberg I have to say. I can't shake the feeling that he'll end up proving to be a midfielder that's average at everything but good at nothing.

🖕

MLG has always overrated our players, makes it more fun for us to be fair.

Don't want Ings' back thanks, we clearly did well to judge his steep drop off point. Sometimes clubs know when a player is on a downward curve (they have access to all the training stats etc), Liverpool did the same thing with Torres, everyone said they were nuts to sell him but he was never the same goalscorer.

Didn't Sturrock come in before the end of the 03/04 season though? Maybe what he means is he started supporting Saints at the start of 04/05, which to be fair is when I can first remember going to watch Saints.

Ouch, in a career that includes local postman managing Saints was his most disappointing time.