SNSUN

Big banana skin this game. All depends on which team's get put out. I'd say we should put out a strong backbone as Wolves can't be underestimated. McCarthy (or Forster if not fit) Pied Bednarek Yoshida Targett Hojbjerg Romeu JWP Boufal Redmond Austin subs: Taylor, Stephens, McQueen, Clasie, Tadic, Long, Gallagher Let Lemina's cut heal. Will there be more youngsters? We shall see.

Even though it won't happen obviously, ripping the team apart a week and a bit before the end of the window, but £150 million is actually close to the valuation I'd expect for the trio, £40 million each on the full backs and £70 million on VVD. Still, won't happen. Seriously are we the only team with players that can play for the top 6 in the World? I'd still love VVD to stay and buckle down but I don't think we've seen the end of this saga yet. Bertrand and Cedric will just have to wait another year...

Scored again today

Sticky?

Forster Cedric-Virgil Van Frigging Dijk-Hoedt-Bertrand Lemina-Romeu Redmond-Vietto-Tadic Gabbiadini Subs: McCarthy, Yoshida, Stephens, Davis, JWP, Boufal, Austin. We can dream! (Or unchanged line up, whatevs.) The only prediction I'm making is that I think we'll banish our home goal scoring hoodoo. West Ham will click at some point, hopefully not this game.

£15 million! Wow the media must hate us or something, perhaps for forcing VVD at gunpoint to sign a 6 year contract and holding him captive in a specially built underground bunker to stop him joining their beloved Liverpool. Cedric, one of the best right backs in the league, is worth at least double that with 3 years of his contract left to run. That's less than Britt Assombalonga cost 'Boro.

So are we all Hoffenheim fans for the evening?

Bring on the Dyson hand dryers! A couple more marquee signings before the transfer window is out would strengthen the fanbase's relationship with them. Does this strengthen our position on keeping VVD I wonder...? We've had it so good with the Liebherrs. Naturally I have concerns about which way this new investment will take us, but I am heartened that she's kept a stake in the club. For someone who had the club unexpectedly thrust upon her, she's always done what she feels is best for us. Nice win against the Hammers to get them started please!

Le Tiss was involved in the heats but they narrowed it down based on public votes in 5 year blocks. Those are the final five based on public votes. MLTs Blackburn goal was in with Yeboah, which won the heat to get into the final 5. Still crazy ash not to have an MLT goal in it, but short memories, youngsters and glory support probably has a lot to do with it.

I reckon £60 million+ is about right in what we'll get, as you say it's a world record for a defender (although probably not for long), but under that will be poor considering the stance we've taken, even if it's "with add ons". I do believe we won't sell to Liverpool (which would be unanimously welcomed by Saints fans) but I would be very surprised if he's still here in September. If he does still happen to be here, IMO we can't take the risk as to whether he'll buckle down or not - either way we need to be bringing in a centre back. I'm liking signings that 'unite' the fan base - we've had that with Gabbiadini and Lemina this year for the most part (less so with the unknown Bednarek), so i hope we can find a centre back we can all get behind. Reading comments on here, that seems to be Hoedt over Wimmer.

I put Forster in as my main 'keeper, then picked the rest of the team. Then I realised I had enough money left for Cech. No brainer really. I also bumped Redmond for Zaha. Only Cedric and Gabbi made the cut. I reckon this will be the season for midfielders to shine, so that's where I spent the bulk of my money.

It's interesting to read RAWK over the last few pages on the VVD thread - they're starting to realise he might not actually join them and are talking about alternative centre backs. I still think there's a long way to go with the VVD saga this window, but it seems Saints hardline approach of saying he's not for sale is hitting home. The more I think about it the more I think he'd be perfect for City. With their new full backs and awesome attack, they'd stand a very good chance of not only winning the league, but the Champions League too. Business is business and I think Liverpool could still get him, but Saints would be very reluctant for that to happen unless the money is right. I suppose it depends on what noises come out of the VVD camp in the next fortnight, but he's pretty much already played every hand available to him. Let's see what our club is made of now.

Karma is a big old beeyatch! Heard this on TalkTurd in the car and couldn't stop laughing. Definitely what goes around, comes around. I see they've rejected it. Does this mean they'll soon have a more unhappy player than we have? You watch Inter Milan swooping in for Sadio now while Liverpool are under pressure, that's my guess. I can't see him leaving; if they lose Coutinho they'll never let Mané go, but it'll be interesting to see how they deal with it. VVD must be wondering whether he's made the right decision wanting to join that lot. Better take him out my provisional Fantasy Dream Team.

Yeah Watford are doing decent business this summer but for a fee more than we bought Lemina, albeit in a more specialist area perhaps, shows what good business we did. That said I think their signings of Hughes and Chalobah for a combined £10 million odd is superb business. I Can see Watford mid-table this season again.

Thanks all. Hit my Dad (69yo) hardest. Yeah it was the parrot that gets the kicking. There's two of the buggers now. On topic, was Pellegrino bluffing the other day when he played down the Lemina transfer? Or did he not know about it?

My family Golden Retriever Alfie was put to sleep at 3pm today, and I'm having a rough day at work. This news has cheered me up no end! Welcome Mario! More signings of this calibre and we're in for a good season! (That's a CB or 2, a keeper, and another attacking player.)

So, who have we concretely been linked with this summer at centre back? Hoedt, for one. Wimmer? de Vrij? Trying to separate the rumour from the fact. I guess Hoedt is the one we've most recently been linked with. I still believe we only need one new centre back, partnering Stephens or Yoshida, but I understand why people think we need 2. (Jan Kirchoff still on a free if we fancy a cheapy! )

VVD: Sell me Saints, here's my transfer request. I'm bigger than you. Saints: Fine, you disruptive A Hole, but only for the price we see fit. Chelsea: Hey Saints, just wondering if we could bid £50 million for Virgil? Saints: Sorry guys, he's not for sale for that price. Liverpool: We also bid £50 million! Saints: Sod off Liverpool, nobody is talking to you. Chelsea: OK,OK, I see you like a haggle. How about £60 million and if we win the league we'll give you an extra £5million? Saints: Nope, if we were to let him go, it'd be for £75 million or nah. Liverpool: We also bid £60 million and an extra £5 million if we win the league! Saints: You're embarrassing yourself now Liverpool. Liverpool: Well if you accept a bid from Chelsea, you HAVE to accept a bid from us. We can wait. Chelsea: Fine. £75 million. We can afford it. Saints: We reluctantly accept. Liverpool: We also bid £75 million! He's ours for sure! Saints: We reject your offer, and are handing evidence against you over to the Premier League. Enjoy playing Milner alongside Lovren at centre back *****ez! VVD joins Chelsea.

Have we ever had such a settled team from the end of one season to the start of the next? In fact Gabbiadini in for Austin excepted, the team that started against Stoke could be our exact starting XI next week. Settled is good. The last time we seemed so settled we had a 3-1 win against Leeds in our first game in the nPC promotion season. We start the season with no major outs which is a good thing. I believe Tammy Abraham has scored a few in pre-season, but I still think Swansea will be in the relegation battle this season. As a result I think we'll banish the home voodoo early, and I'm going for 3-1 to the Saints!

The immature side of me likes the bit from one article when it says he got suspended for "punching Toivonen in the groin".

If Lemina is true, and we can get him over the line by midweek, it'll be a big lift for the club and fans. I wouldn't be surprised to see a behind closed doors friendly to ease him in. Definitely seems like the sort of player we'd sign. Good things come to those who wait?

Agree it's low, but we've got more chance getting the add ons with him at Chelsea compared to a similar deal with Liverpool. Not to mention it's worth £20 million to see Liverpool miss out on their top 2 targets of the summer! (Kidding of course...to a point...) I reckon a deal can be done with Chelsea though, it's not the first time this summer their name have been mentioned in relation to VVD. That said, Sod's law states he'll be a Liverpool player soon, as nothing seems to be going for us at the moment. Clubs can see we're wounded and are trying to take the pee with the fee. I still think we'll end up with somewhere between £60 and 65 million if we can hold our nerve...

Brilliant result for Saints. The perfect result to show we need signings, and still with a month to sign them. Better now than getting smashed by Huddersfield on the 27th August when it's too late to do much about it! #positivity

Selling to Chelsea, City or ABL (Anyone But Liverpool) is the natural "happy" ending to this situation for Saints, as I can't see him here come September. Those dipper bastards turned his head, tapped him up and he's now no good to us. I believe we genuinely wanted him here for another season as captain and leader but their devious, underhanded ways have ruined that. The issue is that he's apparently said it's Liverpool his heart is set on. (Because they tapped him up.) I think the next natural step will be VVD handing in his transfer request. This is what Liverpool have been waiting for of course, thinking they can get him at a reduced price. Of course a transfer request will alert other teams, and Liverpool's quest becomes more difficult. We get a bidding war and close to the money we want. Our strong hand is the length of his contract - thus meaning we don't have to sell for less than we want. I say I can't see him here in September, as I think he's burned his bridges, but what if he is... then I agree with others, really his best bet would be to get fit and knuckle down ready for a move in January. Quite frankly I hope they lose their Champions League qualifier, lose Mané and Coutinho, and don't get VVD. Be funny. Petty

We won't get relegated, we won't go into administration. Everything else is a plus. (From the Dalek line of thought!) My (more positive) predictions: Gabbiadini will become the most sought after striker in the Premier League next summer, Stephens will get rave reports and the media will tip him for England, VVD will be sold by the end of the window but not to Liverpool and (non-Saints) Everton will struggle for goals. We'll also get at least a second season out of Pellegrino.