SNSUN

I know he had a decent season last year but PSG signing him smacks of the big club in the league trying to make a smaller club weaker. Similar to what happens to any Premier League team (i.e. Us) by the big 6 when we threaten to infiltrate the European spots.

Strong team for Palace. I can't see us putting out a team anywhere near as strong. McCarthy Martina Fonte Yoshida Targett JWP Clasie Reed Isgrove Hesketh/JRod Austin I reckon, with youth on the bench. Though I'd be tempted to play Long to see if he can't regain some confidence.

Comparing player line ups and I'd say position for position it's 6-5 to Saints. At a push you could argue 7-4 to Saints. But Swansea are one of those teams we should be beating, but they have danger players. I still think we're better, have a stronger defence and more pace. Should win this. Need to win this. Then beat West Ham. Going for a 2-0 today to Saints. Long to find his scoring touch.

Shows his brain is still there even if his body isn't quite back the way it was. One thing I liked about JRod in his prime was the really crisp way he took a shot and the power he generated behind it. I can't see him being as quick as he was but many players adapt their game as they get older, maybe he can too due to his injury.

I guess they consider Clasie as more defensive than Hojbjerg, to nullify Arsenal's threat better. That's the only reason I can see for Hojbjerg on the bench. Unless they don't want him to burn out at his age, but we are only 3 games into the season. I'm rather lucky to be working today as I can immerse myself in that and not in the game. Especially as my Arsenal supporting mate is at the game and will no doubt be messaging me incessantly. I actually think it will be closer that people think, and there will be plusses throughout the game for Saints - I think Redmond will put in a good performance, and our back 5 is strong. However ultimately we'll probably lose. 2-1 to Arsenal is my predo.

Been having a think about our formation. I'm willing to give the diamond a good run out but if it's not working, Puel may need to change things. If we think about the squad, and what our best players are in each position, would something like the Christmas Tree of old (not the Bassett Christmas Pudding!) work for us? I'd assume our strongest team with that position would be: ---------------Forster----------------- Cedric--Fonte---Van Dijk---Bertrand Davis-------Romeu-----------Hojbjerg -------Boufal--------Tadic------------ -------------Long---------------------- Or is that too little goalscoring potential? I suppose it's pretty close to the diamond if you drop Romeu deeper, the difference being it substitutes a striker (Redmond in this case who is a great asset to have coming off the bench anyway) for a creator. Perhaps I just like the sound of Tadic and Boufal on the pitch together. :-)

My thoughts in red. Overall I'm fairly happy with the 'ins' but think they'll take time to bed, and the players will need time to get used to playing under the new manager. We won't have a season like we've had for the last few years but it won't be disastrous. Forster/McCarthy Cedric/Martina/Pied, Fonte/Yoshida, VVD/Gardos, Bertrand/Targett, Hojbjerg/JWP, Romeu/Clasie, Davis/Reed Redmond/JRod, Long/Austin, Boufal/Tadic and a splattering of youth is still decent. I'm open minded, so long as we start picking up a few more points in the league!

We've got money for January... Actually I think we've had a decent window - signed two top youngsters in Boufal and Hojbjerg, the unpredictability of Redmond, strengthened the right hand side with Pied (they weren't to know he'd pick up an injury) and strengthened the keeper situation. Not to mention we've tied down top players like VVD, Bertrand, Forster, Tadic and Long on long term contracts and kept Fonte. The downside to the window is losing Mane, Wanyama and Pelle. However the Mane transfer was OK money, we were probably overpaid for Pelle, although maybe we could've got more for Wanyama. If I were to criticise I'd suggest we are a striker light. Yes we're weaker than May but that's because we've gone from the known to the unknown. The signings we've made are decent - now we have to hope Puel can come good and get the best out of them. (and have to hope one of Long, Austin and JRod (or a youngster like Olumola) can step up and start scoring regularly.) Still got the same back 5 that helped us finish sixth last season too...

Weren't we linked with Rico Henry this summer? Gone to Brentford. I still think our business is done this window. I'd like us to bring in Haller to offer something else up front but can't see it. I wait to be surprised though... Stoke doing well today.

Personally don't think we'll sign anyone, but if I could choose a position it'd be striker. Haller probably, as he'd scored lots of goals in Holland in the last 18 months and offers something different to what we have already. Can't see us bringing in Saponara now we have Boufal but you never know. Just one signing would at least give us something to get excited about, rather than watch Hull scrabble around in the last 12 hours looking for anyone that has two legs and can kick a football. I'd LOL at a late move for Lukaku and Barkley by one of the big clubs too... Naturally we all want Saints to sign a DM, RB, CB, AM and STR but there's more chance of me banging Taylor Swift than that happening.

Chambers has as good as gone to Boro. Also recently linked with a left back (I forget his name but I'm sure I read a link about one) and Haller. Good names on that list (and one or two I hadn't even heard us linked with!). Denayer and VVD know each other's games - after Fonte that'd be a great partnership for years. Or until a big club swoop. Trippier would only come as first choice IMO, I think we've shown with the Cedric contract who we think is first choice in that role. Saponara has decent stats, people have been talking about Ziyech all summer, and I still think Berahino would be a good signing at the right price. He could be as good as Defoe if he winds his neck in and concentrates on his game.

Decent signing, I've advocated us signing him for the last 3 Windows, scores goals despite not playing regularly for Spurs and is of a peak age. Relatively inexpensive too. I hope we get more out of Boufal than they do out of Chadli.

Can't believe we beat Watford to this signing. Amazing stuff. Seriously a welcome addition to the squad and hopefully we get him fit sooner rather than later. Hopefully we still bring in a striker and then I'd say we're all set. (Dreamland would be additionally a defensive midfield beast and a young centre back to long term replace Fonte and a right back to cover Pied's injury but we can't have everything.)

In what world is he the same player? Gestede is nearly 6 years older, scored only 5 goals last year, is proven not to be a Premier League striker (even his own fans were saying so) and ludicrously would cost us a lot more than £8million euros. Haller has the potential, which was my point. If today's game is anything to go by, we need reinforcements up front. Granted we need someone that can do it right now, but Haller is an inexpensive option with potential. 24 goals last season shows he knows where the net is.

I think Haller would be a decent signing based on the facts and videos I've seen. Tall, fits the gap Pellé's departure left us with (meaning we can change things up if needed), he's only just 22 so has room to improve, scored 24 goals last season (albeit in Holland) and has a French link for Puel. And Utrecht have priced him at only £8 million euros. What's not to like!?! :-) With Boufal and Redmond I'd say that makes us as strong as we could hope for after losing Mané, Pellé and Juanmi. Would be nice if it happened, Haller seems a Saints-type signing. (Inexpensive with potential.)

That was more a comment about Inter. Previously linked with de Boer, Banega and Eder. Will be interesting to see how they get on.

Holy Flirking Schmidt! Inter Milan and Sparta Prague. Great draw for the away fans but we'll do bloody well to get through! If ever there was a better time to strengthen with a few more players...

Whatever happened to this link? Do we remain interested?

Can someone ring me when we've signed someone please - number is 0898 696969. No wait, that's the business line... Just do a dance like Zaza and I'll know.

We have creativity in Tadic, what we're lacking since Mané left is an attacking X Factor. The question is, which of those two has more of that? Stanciu from what I've read. Still, it'd be brilliant to get both! However unlikely. I still wonder why no-one has had a pop at Ziyech yet. Maybe there's something we're not seeing...

He signed he contract in the first place, he's stuck with it. The club are right to show they can't be bullied by players for a move. Two situations can come of the club refusing to sell: 1) Fonte kicks off at having to stay, let him waste the tail end of his career playing with youth. He's too old to see out the next two years and then expect a big money move, and the club are used to wasting wages on players such as Ramirez for years. 2) He realises what little chance he has of getting his move, bites the bullet and signs the new contract. He's bled for this club for six and a half years, I can't see it as too much of a stretch for him to decide to stay and play. We're not exactly offering paupers wages, and we are in Europe. That said of course, if the club do decide to flog him, that nullifies my point. I still think (and hope) he'll still be here come September, although his reputation could be tarnished by this.

You could say the same about the Austrian league where we signed Mané. He was a gamble, it just so happens it paid off. Stanciu would be the same gamble; whether it pays off or not, he is the type of person we should be looking at signing - decent stats in a poorer league than our own. (He says, remembering what Steaua Bucharest did to us in Europe in 2003...)

Well the compensation Liverpool paid was £6.5 million, and if the Benteke deal is the bar, they're trying to recoup what they paid for players. In today's market that's more like £10 million. Agree I'd have a stab at £5 million or so. Still got his best years ahead of him.

Klopp says Danny Ings is not needed at Liverpool. If he's injury free, worth a pop? Although I can see him back at Burnley...

As glass half full as I try to be, I have this down as a big defeat. No biggy though, still early days.