Golac's Cunning Stunts

I think you'll need to cough up a fiver in order to get rid of Ingsy 😃

Same for me. I don't get an option to upload/edit a profile picture either. I assumed it was because I'm not a fully paid up member. I also don't seem to have the ability to search the forum to find old threads

Really hoping Sorloth is a blind to camouflage our real target and stop the likes of Palarse sniffing round. Yeah, I know there's 2 hopes..

Agreed - things can always be worse no matter what situation you face in life. Slinking off to Spurs at the end of the window for £20m would be a worse scenario. The priority missing from your list is 4) Purchase replacement before Ings leaves or at least have a hot lead or two ready to go once he does leave. Not saying this isn't the case, but it wouldn't surprise me if it isn't. Whatever happens now, we'll be paying over the odds for a replacement.

Sorry but how on earth could it be money we didn't expect? He was obviously going at some point this summer. I very much hope there has been succession planning for this scenario. Hopefully somebody is already lined up and we just don't know it yet. (Why wouldn't I be surprised if thats not the case...)

Chelsea's 2nd Xi would probably be a mid table prem finish. Their 3rd Xi would probably stand a good chance of staying up too. Crazy times.

Are you serious? We should be rejoicing because we have signed a guy who is going to be great cover for our fullback position? We need guys on the pitch now, not next year. Fact is if we don't get a goalscorer in we are going to struggle big time. I'll reserve judgement to see who we bring in.

so what is this championship striker we are getting to replace him like then? Are we linked with any strikers other than him? I feel we need to be.

What does that prove other than JWP has improved over the last 2 or 3 years?

No We don't. Didn't you know we get our recovery facilities back this year and thats going to make all the difference? Its even going to give Ralph the ability to assess a game in mid flight and adjust accordingly. It will definitely keep Romeu and Ings fit all season for sure

I have mlg on ignore but it doesn't really work as his comments get repeated in quotes. Is there any way to get the quotes on ignore too?

So that makes Juventus happy. Surely you aren't suggesting jwp is the best free kick taker in the world?

I looked the book up. this is the one https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1788702050/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the detailed response and some interesting thoughts. I did read a book a few years back on how these things are being used in football. I can't remember the name of it but it had a green cover 🙂 One thing I remember from the book was that (at the time at least) Brentford were big into it and were using these kind of stats in their purchasing decisions. I'm sure this all has a big part to play, but equally there is a part of football that can't be quantified by it - heart, bravery, coolness under pressure (eg when taking a penalty in the finals of the Euros), leadership etc etc Franny Benali probably wouldn't have made it as a pro based solely on his stats, yet he gave me some of my most enjoyable moments as a Saints fan (coming on as sub v West Ham and sent off 20 mins later after launching Futre into the stands anyone :-))

But we do keep getting dicked by embarrassing scores. Using your obviously superior knowledge of all these stats, where do you suggest we are going wrong and what should we do about it? (You can read this as a sarcastic or argumentative post - it isn't - I'd be genuinely interested) Without having studied any of these stats, my answer is that it's glaringly obvious we need to improve all things defensively. Stats would play a part of identifying good defenders, but attitude ("being bloke enough to win" as you put it) will also play a part. Just look at how everybody's head falls when we let a goal in. Anyway - interesting discussion.

Agree. It was painfully obvious that we let in far too many goals last season. Lightweight at the back, always looking like we will concede. Can't see the addition of a left back making much difference to that to be honest.

Yes we did really well after we got the Van Dick money didn't we 🙂

agreed. sell him now if he won't sign. It won't work trying to keep him if he doesn't want to stay

A move to City will almost guarantee an england squad place!

Could see him going to City as backup to a bigger name for sure. Don't think he would go there as their main striker

it was souness but i do get your point

Bore off mate

All this talk about "JWP would be stupid to go there" - he absolutely will want to go if he gets more wedge. Wouldn't any of us go to a new job if offered a significant payrise? Wouldn't it be stupid to say "He works at Tesco, there's no way he will be interested in going to Sainsburys"? If he is getting more wedge, he's going to go. More money + being sold the story of the ambitions Villa have (whereas Saints appear to have little ambition) + potential chance to play with higher profile players and get a place in the england squad - all solid reasons to go to villa

It's a real shame but we all know there's little hope of saints spending all the potential transfer fee on players. They'd probably spend £10-£15m of it on an unproved option. Gone are the exciting summers of Koeman in the transfer market when he was backed and we still had ambition!

yes perfect description. For example, perfectly describes the embarrassing loss away v WBA