Matthew Le God

They announced it had sold out 3 days ago. Southampton FC ‏@SouthamptonFC Aug 9 Tickets for #SaintsFC's opening game of the season against #WatfordFC have now sold out.Thanks for your support!

The media department is having fun this summer... Southampton FCVerified account‏@SouthamptonFC You all seemed a Tad excited last night. Not sure why... #saintsfc

My point was fans don't need to know in advance. There is no real benefit to them knowing in advance. I was asking why the club would bother letting them know a few hours in advance.

You've provided an answer to a question I didn't ask.

Why would the club think the fans knowing a few hours in advance makes any notable difference? It ultimately doesn't matter if the fans find out about a signing in a leak at 5pm or 8pm when it is officially announced.

It was looking this way anyway, but with Austin and Rodriguez playing for the under 23s tonight, it looks like Long and Redmond will start upfront on Saturday.

It may help give momentum for other clubs to follow suit in the future, which would benefit Saints fans.

Apart from what system Puel has been using throughout pre-season.

Why are you making sweeping generalisations based on one of the leagues they have played in? Players should be judged on their own merits.

Sky had a comprehension problem... Lyall Thomas‏@SkySportsLyall now been removed. confusion over what exactly he was giving positive affirmation to.

He is 72 years old!

Cheers, St Chalet that is what I said.

Why? English football in a 442 with 1-11 numbers tended to be... 1 keeper 2 right back 3 left back 4 centre back or central midfield 5 centre back 6 centre back or central midfield 7 right midfield 8 central midfield 9 striker 10 striker 11 left midfield

Gap left for 12, 19 and 20... 1. Fraser Forster 2. Cédric 3. Maya Yoshida 4. Jordy Clasie 5. Florin Gardos 6. José Fonte 7. Shane Long 8. Steven Davis 9. Jay Rodriguez 10. Charlie Austin 11. Dušan Tadić 13. Alex McCarthy 14. Oriol Romeu 15. Cuco Martina 16. James Ward-Prowse 17. Virgil van Dijk 18. Harrison Reed 21. Ryan Bertrand 22. Nathan Redmond 23. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg 24. Jack Stephens 26. Jérémy Pied 27. Lloyd Isgrove 32. Olufela Olomola 33. Matt Targett 35. Alfie Jones 36. Jordan Turnbull 38. Sam McQueen 39. Josh Sims 40. Sam Gallagher 41. Harry Lewis 42. Jake Hesketh 43. Yan Valery

Claude Puel plays with one holding midfielder as part of a narrow diamond. We signed Hojbjerg as Wanyama's replacement. He is competing with Romeu to play in that role.

Club probably view Pied as an upgrade on Martina as back-up right back whilst Yan Valery develops.

This is just daft, as is your opening post of this thread. Its Saints Web forum bedwetting at its worst. Two types of clubs generally get relegated each season... 1) those that are newly promoted 2) those that have been struggling for a few seasons and it eventually catches up with them Saints are in neither category, yes we've sold a few players but the squad just came 6th. The quality in the squad is significantly above a relegation struggle. It takes a lot more than losing 3 important players from a squad of 20+ to turn a team from 6th to relegation. That is without even looking at the quality of the replacements, plus there is still a month of the transfer window left. van Dijk, Alderweireld and Mane were all signed right at the end of the window and we had superb seasons with them. I'm guessing you wrote the club off in the summer of 2014 & 2015 as well? Have recent seasons taught you nothing? The recruitment department at this club is superb, they know what they are doing. Of course they'll make some mistakes but they have had far more successes than failures over the last 7 years of Liebherr ownership.

Linked in the press with a transfer to us to be back-up for Forster. He has now started following Saints on twitter...

The top 7 clubs with sponsors in car, tyres, airlines, banking, insurance & telecoms industries. The bottom 13 clubs in gambling, beer, duty free and pawnbrokers.

Utterly bizarre! - we came 6th and were the 7th highest scorers in the Premier League How is that "impotent in the final third"?

He was released when his contract expired on 30th June... http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20160526-southampton-fc-contracts-2015-16-3125504.aspx But with Harry Lewis with the 1st team, Paulo Gazzaniga out on loan and under under keepers with the under 18s then I guess they have Britt training & playing with the under 23s whilst he finds a new club.

The system requires a lot from the fullbacks as an outlet out wide high up the pitch. Adding Bertrand and Cedric into this side would make a big difference.

Looks like we may have a loan partnership deal with Rayo Vallecano now, based on Les Reed's comments about the Gazzaniga deal... http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/20160729-paulo-gazzaniga-southampton-rayo-vallecano-loan-3213584.aspx Les Reed said early this year they were looking for loan partnerships in the Championship, League One and abroad, looks like they've signed up Walsall and Rayo Vallecano so far. When jason McCarthy joined Walsall their manager said... "Their keen to build a relationship with the club this season and going forward". http://www.saddlers.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/saddlers-snap-up-a-saint-3159510.aspx ................... The quality bar to reach our first team is very high, as teenagers from our academy are competing with a squad of senior internationals. If the players have outgrown youth football, it makes sense to have loan partnerships with trusted clubs home and abroad to get them to the level needed for our first team towards the top of the Premier League. A player would have to be exceptional as a teenager to challenge our first team now, it may take longer for them to break through and into their early 20's now. In the meantime some loans would be useful compared to stagnating in the development squad if they are too good for that level but not yet good enough for the 1st team.

- first team coach - goalkeeper coach - kitman & assistant kitman - player liaison officier - club doctor - one or two players with the squad but not in match day 18

If you honestly think that is the reason and not the one I outlined, then you are a bigger fool than I first thought.