VectisSaint

Given Long was not in the squad today, does that suggest that he is on his way out? Could be injured of course. We have 3 to come back from the WC, with the 21 players there today (excluding Josh Sims who is an u21) that would seem to be our squad for this season (yes, even with Classie). Long's absence would suggest we are possibly looking to bring one in up front.

So did Osvaldo. 3 in 13 was a better rate that Richarlison's 5 in 38. Carrillo on the other hand. I don't get it when people try to make out Osvaldo wasn't a good player, he was, just that he was also a head case, nutjob, whatever you like to call it. Would have Richarlison for breakfast, metaphorically and literally.

It is a training exercise, that's what pre-season friendlies are all about. We have another 3 yet to ramp it up. Unbelievable the wrist splitters on here (not you). Sounds like our main problem has been lack of protection from the MF (again) which exposes the defence, never really sorted that since the days of Morgan and Vic.

Good, only need to get rid of Redmond now and bring in a new winger/AM and things will look good. The sources of our problems last season now 80% gone (Tadic, Boufal, Carrillo and Pellegrino), one to go. No time for Boufal, talented individual, but adds nothing to the team, all about self in a team game.

Vestegaard unlikely to have much involvement in this game, maybe a few minutes (according to Hughes), certainly won't be playing 90 minutes. Gunn also unlikely to feature much. Cedric, Yoshida and Bednarek not even back from their holidays yet, they will be struggling to make the first game of the season I would suspect. Without 3 of our CBs guess we will not play 3 at the back, maybe Stephens and Hoedt will play most of the 90 in a back 4, unless he wants to play Bertie on the left of a back 3, but don't see the point. Hopefully Hughes won't play Davis in a DM position either, but where he is good, i.e. behind the striker in a more advanced role, swapping him for Armstrong at HT.

What's it got to do with the FA. The Southampton Academy is for Southampton FC, nothing to do with England or the FA. If we have to get kids for the Academy from abroad because there are so few talented kids coming through in this country then so be it, do the best for the Club. Do you seriously think we should not have had Gareth Bale in the Academy? Saints have "always" thought outside the box a little because of the limitations put on us in the past of geographic location and not finding many good youngsters in the Solent. To be honest its difficult to name many kids who came through who made it who were from Southampton. If the FA want to ensure that kids are developed for the England team then they should set up their own Academy/ies without club affiliations.

33 league games, and he was injured suggests that maybe you are talking ********. Christ on a bike I do wonder about some of the muppets on here, then I try to remember that they are (mostly) Saints supporters.

Talk is cheap

SD have not made an offer, their advertisement on the web site is an "invitation to treat". You make the offer, and SD can refuse to sell. Basic English Contract Law. By the way, the shirts (well the one I bought anyway) do not come with SD tags, in fact they come with Southampton FC tags, including (in my case) one for the full price and one at a sale price, which I find quite odd, when have the 2018/19 shirts been in a sale? It does make you wonder whether these are seconds or more likely returns.

Doubt it, we've got Jannik Vestagaard, can't see the need for more than 5 CBs, even playing 3 at the back we still have Bertie in case of a crisis. We were just in the market for a CB and we have got what we wanted, there were clearly some options, although Gibson and Marlon were very different animals to the great Dane.

Does anyone know when the squad has to be confirmed this season? It is usually after the transfer window closes but after the season starts. But this season the PL transfer window closes before the season starts (good) but the European transfer window remains open until end of August, meaning PL clubs can still transfer players out until then. Means we could still have more than 25 over 21 players when the season kicks off, and transfer some out (to European clubs) by the end of August. I can't find a date for the squad declaration for 2018/19. As things currently stand we have to trim 6 players from our squad (currently 31 eligible players, I think). Assuming Clasie, Boufal and Forster will be going, still leaves 3 more, can only assume this would mean Barnes, Hesketh and Flannigan would not be included. They could still of course play for the u23s, but more likely they would be loaned out, perhaps like Seager to the Dutch league. Of course this still means we have to lose more if we are to bring anyone else in. A striker still seems the most needy area, though with Gallagher being an upgrade on Carrillo maybe there is no need, maybe Long out and someone else in would be my preference.

Doubt it, the contract has been terminated by mutual consent, he is now a free agent. No fee required.

Harrison Reed is the obvious cover having played there and successfully for Norwich last season. Can't see him getting a look in as MF.

To be fair the expensive prices are also brought to you by the same poor working conditions and zero hour contracts together with a huge slice of profit.

Thanks Batman, Grandson gets a Saints shirt he probably would not have got otherwise. ☺️

It's not necessary to have 2 Captains, it only came about because SKD was captain and needed moving aside because he needed to be dropped (always a bad idea having a keeper as captain anyway). Steven Davis is the club captain, and have no sense he will be moving on, I think as long as Hughes intends to play him regularly he will be Captain, Yoshi as vice Captain and Bertrand as backup as was the case before after VVD left. Austin probably fancies the job as well, and showed some reasonable aptitude. Long term Stephens is being lined up.

Hopefully Jan Poortvliet is nowhere near his two times old club. Maybe the move is a tribute to the Tornados bass player, Heinz who used to live in Eastleigh (apologies to anyone under 55 who won't know what the **** I am talking about). Actually good to see us putting young players out on loan in Holland, seems better to me than lower leagues in England, works well for Chelsea.

Cedric was tweeting from his holiday a couple of days ago, sounded like he had recently arrived. Think it's at least 3 weeks before players get back for preseason. Pochettino is going to have an interesting start at Spurs, most of his lot won't be back until about 3 days before PL kicks off, might be struggling to put a team out ☺️

Seger has gone to Telstar on season long loan...

Fecking predictive text :-) Should read: "have decent Coaching again at the u18 level at least, since Danny Butterfield has been brought in"

15is somewhat more than usual, probably a sign that the Club has realised the mismanagement of the Academy over the past couple or so years and now aiming to put this right now that we seem to have decent Coa Hong again at the u18 level at least, since Danny Butterfield has Ben brought in.

McCarthy, Stephens, Vestegaard, Yoshida Romeu Cedric, Lemina, Davis, Bertrand Gabbiadini, Moi Not certain that Cedric or Yoshida will be ready for first match but reckon that's what Hughes will start with if they are. Armstrong for Davis if he is not fully fit. Reed for Cedric, Hoedt for Yoshida, if they are not ready.

As far as I know Stephens doesn't qualify for Uruguay. Stephens was preferred to Caceres when they were both available to play for Saints. Maguire hugely overrated, defensive untested at WC, scored a great goal, but then Stephens scored a few for us.

Looks good, just a tad worried because his middle name is Fraser. Just hope Watson doesn't influence him too much. Hopefully Desparate Dan on his way. Where does this leave Harry Lewis?

Don't think Hoedt is on his way out, but the Dan gives us options. He will probably be ahead of Hoedt to start with, but Hoedt will develop into a top CB, just needs to concentrate and work hard on not giving the ball away. To be fair there were rumours around that Hoedt wasn't happy so maybe there is something in it. But I certainly don't see Stephens position under threat from the Dane, Yoshida probably has more to worry about. The people on here who just think all CBs are interchangeable really do show their ignorance. What we will have is a squad of 5 CBs who can be used in various combinations, they all have strengths and weaknesses. Jannik will be very useful when we play some of the lower order old fashioned teams who will continue to use a big striker (and Man U) but is he really going to be effective against the likes of Aguero/Stirling and other PL teams who no longer employ big bruises up front. Debatable.