the saint in winchester

Yes, tend to agree with this, although I'm not as dismissive as Koeman over Turnbull and Stephens. As he isn't keen to have them on the bench, it is likely we will have someone in this week. Me thinks.

Still think Koeman's Dutch commonality with VVD will swing it for us. I would expect we have agreed a fee already, just waiting for him to get a 'for sale' sticker.

Don't start this again. This idea of having to buy BETTER than we already have just relegates the guys who served us well to substitutes. Even if we buy John Terry, I don't want him taking Fonte's place in the team. Yes, daft to spend £10M on Chester if we don't see him as a regular starter. We don't have the budget of Chelsea and I can't see us going for regular squad rotation. I'd be happy with VVD and Stephens/Turnbull competing for position 4. But RK has intimated he doesn't see them as ready even for that yet, so scanning for someone else.

Remember we are looking for 2 CB's in this window; one to replace Toby and one to replace Gardos. Right now, I see the pecking order as: 1. Fonte (automatic 1st choice) 2. (vacancy) 3. Yoshida (first stand-in) 4. (vacancy) (second stand in) I see it as Van Dijk for postion 2 and Chester for position 4.

Heavens to betsy! The EPL has not even started yet and just from the warm up games Spurs are having him watched! Better get Brenda to have someone from up there come and watch and start a January bidding war! Cost Price £5M, current market value £10M .... by January £20M !!

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He's still a young man, not sure its fair to send him to another country. Maybe somewhere commutable eg MK Dons was mentioned. Or Reading?

I was going to post that one of our community knows Sam and his family really well. Maybe it is your good self? Before reading your post, I would have said 'ask if this is something he would like to do - go out on loan' as I wouldn't want to push him out if he would rather train with us and get the odd game. However, if you are the friend of the family and that comment is representative of his preference, then I would grant him that wish. As long as J-Rod stays fit, he can play up top, as can Long - admittedly not the same sort of leader of the line as Pelle, but we can work around that.

He means someone NEW coming in. He is aware that the club will be looking to replace Toby's role with a signing, but that until that happens he is more than happy to be Fonte's partner. Much improved player, a safe 1st choice reserve, and a low risk starter. Good English, and a nice joke thrown in. Market value £10M.

I will say we want them out. I would expect they will want to hold on to VVD until they are out, so as they are clearly going through to the next round now (4-1 on agg as we speak) we will need to wait until after their next round. Unless we can talk them around. But I sense we are respectful and 'slowly slowly catchee monkey' as my late father would have put it.

Get a bid in for Akinfenwa?

Wasn't the agreemnt last time a loan with a view to buy? Presume we chose not to buy, so can't see how we would be asking to have him on loan again. Unless someone has had a bump on the head and forgotten we had the player last season.

NEWS JUST IN ... Sky Sports News understands from its sources that "Southampton Football Club are doing nothing about finding a replacement for Toby and that they are all going to hell in a handcart". We have a reporter at St Mary's. Chris, what can you tell us?

18 months ago I wanted us to sign him, then we got Toby, and I want that standard .... now I'm probably against signing him. But he's on a free, so maybe bring him in, but still go after VVD. Yes, I'm greedy - I want my cake and eat it.

From avfc own website; Ron Vlaar struggled for fitness in the 2014-15 season - but showed his quality when he did take the field in claret and blue. The Dutchman began well, impressing alongside Philippe Senderos in the early weeks of the campaign. But a troublesome calf injury kept him out for prolonged spells throughout the season. He missed blocks of matches and Villa were thankful for the form of Ciaran Clark and Jores Okore during these periods. -------------- Ron Peter Vlaar (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɔn ˈvlaːr]; born 16 February 1985) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a centre back, and is currently a Free Agent. (From wikipedia)

Yes, came on here to query the phrase ... from 2 sources ... "former Aston Villa defender". Former? Is he out of contract and available on a free??

http://www.rome2rio.com

Yeah, bit of a shame the first leg is at home. Otherwise they could have taken in this game on the Dutch tour.

VITESSE!!!!

Really? I'll pop down. See you there?

£49M for Sterling, £32.5M for Benteke. The world has gone mad.

Haha, cool story bro'. Headcase, we can cope with; lunatic, no place for someone like that. Tend to agree.

Strange goings on over Victor Valdez at Man Utd. Would have been putting his name on the HCDAJFU thread if (1) we needed a GK, and (2) we knew he was available (who knew?)

Yes, Michael Bradley would be good. Not sure there is any intel on US players in the famed Black Box, however.

Cook a Ricky ... or.... Robot Nicky lol