SNSUN

If this were FM, I always sign more players than I need because I'm a poor manager (Straight out of the Harry Redknapp school of "Don't give a sod about the finances.") So I'd keep everyone currently at the club and sign: Szczesny to add competition to Forster Martins Indi to strengthen centre back Kirchoff on a free for his defensive versatility Cyprien for defensive midfielder (although he's out injured until later in the year, he'd be an asset long term) Camacho from Malaga for midfield Karamoh for attacking options Iheanacho for up top. Get it done Saints. Win the league.

OK not Prem but PSG - this gave me flashbacks... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40487891 Anyone checked he is who he claims he is?

OK not Prem but PSG - this gave me flashbacks... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40487891 Anyone checked he is who he claims he is?

I've read some reviews about him and by all accounts he had an exceptional season last season. He comes across as the perfect long term Davis replacement, and even looks like him a bit! Plus he has an eye for goal and would continue the excellent business with Celtic. (irrespective of what their fans feel!) Apparently he has only got a year left on his contract and is stalling on a new one, so I shouldn't think the transfer fee is that high either. Get it done Saints. (I'd still want a big bastard of a defensive midfielder too!)

I've read some reviews about him and by all accounts he had an exceptional season last season. He comes across as the perfect long term Davis replacement, and even looks like him a bit! Plus he has an eye for goal and would continue the excellent business with Celtic. (irrespective of what their fans feel!) Apparently he has only got a year left on his contract and is stalling on a new one, so I shouldn't think the transfer fee is that high either. Get it done Saints. (I'd still want a big bastard of a defensive midfielder too!)

Exactly. Manolo is better than the lot of them. I'd hazard a guess that if Bournemouth had signed Austin, the media would be raving about them signing a player that could guarantee them goals. Some players just have that tagline due to past exploits. I've always liked Defoe as a striker and feel he should have been given a better shot with England, but he's ageing now. I'd take our striking options any day. A great complement of Class, Natural finishing, Pace and Height. And that's before we sign anyone else. (Such as the rumoured Iheanacho, which would be a massive statement of intent, although I still feel that'd be unlikely.)

A player I feel a bit sorry for. When he signed I was pleased, signing one of the best (if not the best) talent in the Championship. (I like that model.) He was excellent before his injury, on the cusp of going got to the World Cup, wanted by Spurs, then the agony of that injury arrives. Since then he's lost his pace, but you can see the intelligence is still there, the instinctive goal against Bournemouth a case in point. But we can't go into yet another season saying "I hope he comes good this season" when potentially £15 million is on the table and he wants out. I'd like to see him come good again but I fear he's on the downward spiral. £12 million in the bank for our 4th choice striker and the risk is now with WBA. I'll take that.

According to a Hammers-supporting colleague, West Ham want 2 strikers with Prem experience, and one of them is Shane Long. Naturally it's a "Hammers-linked-with-striker" story, so i ignore it. I still think Long is an asset for us, as long as he's not the main striker.

You do realise we signed a sought-after Italian International striker in January aren't you, one who banged in 6 goals in just 8 appearances? An ageing Defoe is the last person we needed with Austin, Long and Gallagher backing up Manolo. I'll give Defoe credit though, players with pace normally would have faded by now. He's done well to keep it up as long as he has. A 3 year contract on what I can only imagine is high wages is risky though, he'll be nearly 38 when that contract is up.

Not a chance. Played about 40 times in 4 years and basically has one working leg. Was decent in his younger years but injury prone as hell.

Ah, the old patented Saintsweb "write them off before they've joined" thread. Good stuff. He's obviously not going to be first choice, and in today's market that amount of money is peanuts in the Premier League, so even if he's not a hit, he's a fairly risk free investment. He's got the raw talents, tall, aggressive enough to get sent off the other day (!), and someone saw fit to pick him for Poland's U-21s so he can't be all bad. He'll likely be fourth choice behind VVD/new CB, Maya and Jack or even fifth choice if Gardos miraculously has a future so it's good for squad strength. As long as we either keep VVD or replace him well, I can't see much wrong with this deal. And it gets the summer's transfer business started!

A year ago today we signed Redmond but had no manager. This year no signings, but we have a manager already in place. I reckon it won't be long before we start seeing player movement. Fingers crossed!

Welcome Mr Pellegrino. Blood Orange is my favourite this far if anyone is taking notes. In a perfect world, we'd keep everyone and sign a centre back, defensive midfielder and an attacking midfielder. We need more than that with the expected departures, so good luck to the new manager.

£60million with the other £10million subject to targets would be a decent deal IMO. I can't see anyone paying £70 million but we must remember we've got an unhappy player to worry about... I think £60 million would be a great bit of business for VVD. Even better that it hasn't come from the Scousers.

JWP is England's penalty taker. I bet he's a bit gutted to have gone off now!

11pm people #itshappening #stabinthedark

He'd be a calculated risk that would be worth taking from what I've read. He seems very thorough in all he does, is a name in the game, knows the Premier League and would have the support of at least 2 of the top 6 in City and Arsenal. My concern is a lack of experience. It's probably moot though as I personally think we'll go for Pellegrino, based on noises coming from the media. (Not that we tend to make much noise in the media I guess...)

God no. From what I've read he has a huge ego, is tactically inept and lacks man management skills. Some top players just don't translate to management. An article about Klinsmann. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/jun/02/jurgen-klinsmann-usa-coach-copa-america Viera sounds like an interesting possibility but the lack of management experience worries me, although you can't deny he knows the English leagues.

Just scored for Portugal!

Aside from the occasions when Rodgers should have kept his mouth shut about us in the past, I personally think he'd be a decent fit. However I think he'd have a job winning our fans over and appears to comfortable at Celtic. Tuchel is the obvious choice. I'd love to see him come and have the same influence as Klopp has had at Liverpool. It'd be great to get a big name, thus keeping the players happy and attracting bigger name transfers, but I have a worrying feeling it'll be another underwhelming managerial signing. Hope I'm wrong. As for Claude, I feel a bit sorry for him seeing as he had us finishing 8th and getting us to a cup final in what is essentially a results driven business, the new manager will have to go some to get us the same, and he was without our top striker and top centre back for half a season, but his style of football is what's lost him his job. I hope he gets a job soon. This must look like a strange sacking to fans of other clubs, but it's really not. Huge summer ahead.

Fulham reject £20 million from Newcastle for Tom Cairney. I know fees have gone up and Cairney is pretty decent but for a Championship club to reject £20 million for a player (more than our transfer record) is insane! I guess this puts into perspective the amounts of money we need to spending this summer if we have aspirations to stay in the top half of the table...

That end to the season is HARSH! Very tough, and we have a fairly comfortable start to the season. If ever we need to get our business done early in the summer, it's this summer, and we still have a manager whose future is vastly uncertain and question marks over who will start the season in our defence. Get it sorted people.

Had he never been injured, it's likely he'd be at a bigger club (like Spurs) and a regular for England now, but unfortunately he'll never be the same player he was. We have Gabbiadini as the main striker, and Austin and Long as competition. Whether we rely on Gallagher or bring another striker in as competition remains to be seen, but JRod us the obvious one that's surplus to requirements. WBA though, jeez. He'd be better off going back to Burnley.

Wouldn't be surprised if they go back in for Isgrove too, after his loan spell there. They could build up quite a collection of ex-Saints academy players. McCarthy is a surprise as he was lauded last season but we've already got Cedric and Pied, and Valery coming through so I guess he's surplus to requirements.

First game- Newcastle (home) Boxing Day - Burnley (away) 28th December - Brighton (home) Easter Weekend- Man City (away) Last Game - Man Utd (home) FA Cup 3rd round - Tottenham (home) League Cup 2nd round - Norwich (away) Bonus game - 2nd fixture - Liverpool (away)