VectisSaint

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.

More likely to replace Hoedt, being a leftie. Stephens/Yoshida and Vestegaard in a 4, Stephens, Vestegaard, Yoshida in a 3.

Don't think so, somehow, that was a previous buffoon.

Not any more they don't, relegated last season. Now ba k in the 3rd tier where they have been more often than not.

Nothing to do with the idea that he may have improved since a couple of seasons ago. Really don't get this idea that some seem to have that a player's ability is based on how he was at some (often) distant point in the past. Players improve (and get worse) over time (the oppoosite is tue as well, tadic being a fine example). Yoshida may not be the greatest but he has certainly got a lot better in the last couple of seasons. Some people (not necessarily you) still slate him based on his appearances at RB in the very early days at saints. He is (or was) dog ****e at RB, but as a CB he is definitely decent enough for upper mid table PL, as is Stephens, and Hoedt (at least when he learns to concentrate and cut out the appalling mistakes). These are very good CBs but they are not as good as world class CBs like van Dijk or Alderwiereld, and the chances of us getting more of that type of level are slim at best. Vetergaard looks decent, but he is not really any better than what we have, but gives us strength in depth. He isn't even first or second choice for Denmark. Not sure he would even get in the team ahead of our current first choice three, but his physique does bring something to our squad, dealing with the few teams these days that still have tall strikers (though they are few and far between and getting rarer by the season).

Hopefully by rushing it through we will stop the dimwits on here moaning about Jack Stephens.

Wilshere played 38 times last season and 29 the previous season. There are a lot of our players who didn't play that many. Clearly his recent record demonstrates that he is not the physio room lurker that some would have you believe. He's had injury plagued seasons in the past, but things move on, something that some of the hard of thinking posters on here fail to understand. I might not like jack Wilshere the person, but would I like him to play for us, you bet, with knobs on.

Steve Davis is our skipper.

Seems a bit unfair on Ashley. Anyway as if Gao had any say in any of those decisions, he is probably unaware who Mark Hughess was or is.

Probably not Columbia though. ?