VectisSaint

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. ?

Would be surprising if it was someone who has just arrived in China. On the other hand Boufal or Carrillo would hardly count as a surprise. Suggests it might be Cedric, Yoshida or least likely Bednarek, if true.

Actually its 5 u21s, so that we mean 3 over the 25 man limit

No that's not how it works. But I think I'm right to say there are 7 U21s on the trip. So assuming Boufal and Carillo are off and with 3 to come back from WC we are 1 over (26).

Not seen a list of who is travelling but some notable omissions from the pre-season training photos/videos other than the expected WC absentees and the new guys of course: Bertrand, Long, Carillo, Hojbjerg, McCarthy. I think Davis is in the background of one picture (13) but not certain. Clasie is there. Can't read a lot into these media shots but strange that some of the senior players were not around.

He never was. Even in the days when clean sheets were kept it was blindingly obvious that he was dodgy at best, behind a brilliant defence and midfield. he had one or two outstanding games, but always looked clumsy, slow and lacking in authority. Then our "goalkeeping coach" got hold of him and he went from bad to worse.

I won't believe it until I hear it fom Spar, Mace or the Co-op. Just hope he works out better than our last Norwegian signing.

Noticed him fleetingly inside an office, he's definitely there. Unfortunately. Hopefully he is busy arranging buyers for Forster, Boufal and Redmond (and our "goalkeeping coach").

No great loss (he has been great for us in the past), now if we can get shot of Redmond and Sophie and replace with two good creative midfielders things will look much better. Dusan was great for the last 8 games last season but a liability for the previous 30 and for much of the season before as well. He was also great for us when Ronald took over, but players abilities wane with time, we should not cry about a player who used to be great leaving, especially if we get half decent money for him. he used to be good but now he is avreage at best, it happens, the crime would be to hold on to a player because of his past glories.

Really find it odd how people lump players together who really play very different roles, Romeu and Ward-Prowse for instance. The holding midfield and the attacking midfielders at least are two very different roles, OK so some players can play both, Davis for instance often was employed in the defensive midfield role (and struggled) whereas his best position is in the more advanced role, which is the roles that Armstrong is most suited. Anyway we all (I thought) know that Clasie is off, Reed has struggled to break through, the only way I can see him being a part of the plans for next season is if Hughes employs him as a backup for Cedric, as that is the position he did well at Norwich. Davis is probably not "off" but its pretty clear that he won't be around for much longer and is not reliable enough to play the whole season. I am also beginning to wonder whether JWP is going to be moved on, he has been much better in the last couple of seasons but really has not kicked on enough to hold down an automatic place, useful squad player but nothing more. Lemina is unreliable, Hojbjerg has not been convincing, played very well a couple of times but never really showed that consistently, and both he and Lemina have been "rumoured" to be unsettled. So that leaves Romeu, our best defensive/holding midfielder. So I can see quite easily our main middle three being Romeu, Lemina and Armstong, with Hojbjerg and Davis fghting for places. If we can keep those three anf keep them fit that would be a pretty good central unit in my opinion, with a couple of decent options as backup.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/06/26/danny-ings-leave-liverpool-summer-seek-regular-first-team-football/ Surely worth looking at. Wouldn't lose out to Leicester for family reasons, just what we need up front.

He played 27 out of 38 SPL games, 2 injury periods (out with knee injury for 6 SPL games in Jan/Feb), hardly "not been a regular" despite the contract dispute at the beginning of the season (he didn't sign new contract until August). Played 41 times in all competitions, including 10 Champions League.

Fortunately he never looked anything like that when he played for his employer. Bloody awful team and players look crap.

Don't think it means Davo leaving. But he is not reliable as Hughes found out at the end of last season, makes sense to bring in a replacement/competitor/backup for his position going into his last season. They could probably play together in some circumstances. In the past I thought Davis might go back to Rangers, but can't see Gerrard wanting that (don't know why, just doesn't feel like the way Stevie G will go). Think Davis is possibly being lined up for a coaching role once he retires. have we even heard any news about his injury? Diid he have an op as was suggested. Can't see us offloading our club captain.

Not renewed. Last season finished it for me, missed quite a few games, ****ed off with the appalling football, hacked off with the hassle of travelling to games. I'll still go to games I expect, just not as many and won't feel an obligation. Don't feel too bad, after over 50 years of support, find it hard to support current owner and the muppets running the club.