SNSUN

So not Celtic then. Well that's one player we didn't need off the books.

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/23749557.martin-insists-southampton-will-replace-tella-despite-fraser-signing/ ???

One thing we do have at the moment is good versatility within the squad - players that can play in different positions if needed. KWP can play left back, Manning apparently can play CM, Holgate can play right back, Larios can play right back, Charles can play CB, SA, Smallbone and Alcaraz can all play CM or AM, Aribo and Djenepo can play in a couple of positions, Edozie right or left wing, AA obviously either AM or wing. If we do get an injury crisis this season I think we are in a strong position to cover it - but we will see what this week brings with the window still open.

Squad as it stands (using the senior squad list on Wikipedia so excluding youngsters unless they are on there...) and my thoughts in brackets. (Work is quiet) GK: Bazunu, Lumley, McCarthy, Bycroft (Surely one out, loan or sale) RB: KWP, Bree (Fine if it stays the same) LB: Manning, Perraud, Larios, Meghoma (Again fine, although I wonder if Perraud is happy on the bench. Still possible loans out for the youngsters?) CB: Bednarek, Stephens, Lyanco, Holgate, ABK (With one more CB being sought and probably coming in, and Lyanco probably off to Celtic, we should be fine unless ABK goes). CM: Charles, Downes, Smallbone, Doyle, Alcaraz (Again looks OK. Maybe one more in? I haven't seen much of Kami Doyle to know if he's ready.) AM/Wing: SArmstrong, Edozie, SAA, Fraser, Sulemana, Djenepo, Aribo (IMO we are stocked here, surely we will be seeing one or two out? And then there is the Tella replacement and the fact AA can play in these positions better than his own...) Str: AA, Adams, Mara, Onuachu, Ballard (Definitely need one in - I'd even say as much if Adams stayed as Mara and Onuachu have so far not contributed much, Ballard is raw and AA is better deeper or wider. Getting the striker right is the key to promotion IMO). It's pretty easy to see where we are overloaded right now, more so if you consider AA is better in the AM/Wing category, EVEN more so if you consider Alcaraz an AM. I'm glad to see Martin thinks Tella will be replaced but I do think we'll see a few 'outs yet'. Ins? CB, a CM/AM, a right winger and a striker. 4 in I reckon.

Yep I was reading the Burnley forum after our first game against Wednesday and even though Tella "scored" (later given to AA) they were surprised he played so wide. It seems at Burnley he played more up top which was a more effective use of his pace. I do think he would have got goals this season, and by leaving I think he's passed up being first choice in a team that will be fighting for promotion but I can see why he did it, and I think we have been financially compensated rather well for it. The big question now is... can we bring in a replacement who will be as good (or better) and will potentially get as many (or more) goals? We will see.

Not the first time I’ve said it this season… Martin made good subs. Also good to see he’s not afraid to start a 17 year old (even though we can all see how good he is) over the likes of Aribo, Djenepo etc. on top of that was a brave decision to move Charles to CB and bring Downes on. 10 points from 12 with his hands tied behind his back with outgoings. He’s doing a decent job so far!

Or not slow enough if you like all the action to be done on deadline day when we can all be glued to SSN in the hope that someone whacks a dildo in a presenter's ear.

I also think we should sign Akpom and Piroe. To hell with the teams they just signed for! 😁

Well pleased for him. Maybe West Ham can stop trying to penny pinch on players that are going to improve them.

I'll take winning by the odd goal all season...

If we hadn't, he'd have been a bit part player in a mess of a team that got relegated. The loan to Burnley has effectively nailed us £20 million odd when we would have got very little for him otherwise. I don't blame him for leaving for a team in the Bundesliga, I do think it's a shame we couldn't keep a valuable asset in our promotion push. I still hope we sign another first choice winger, even with Fraser on board, but with the numbers we have I don't see it.

We knew when we signed him - good going forward, suspect defensively. I think he's a good choice for playing games when we are on the front foot but when we have to defend more I think Perraud may be the better option.

Thankfully we have Djenepo and Aribo on the bench so...

Bad mentality that.

Swansea just banging another couple of million on the Wood price!

It's sad we didn't go for someone who is a 1 in 2 goalscorer at this level BUT if we keep stressing about it we will go mad. We just have to hope the Che replacement (or Che himself) is as prolific.

Decent looking line up. I reckon we could just scrape into the last play-off spot with that.

I think we should give all these new guys a game in the next round of the Carabao to bed them in... oh. Never mind. 😏

Stick them behind Onuachu, that should average it out.

#freemason Welcome aboard!

I hoped Tella would stay but £20 million + does sound like too good a deal to pass up for the club. Rapidly running out of jewels. I’ve thought all season it’s imperative we keep Charley, and I’d also add KWP to that. Now I also hope we can tie Che down. Man this is going to be a long week…

Tella me whyAin't nothin' but a heartacheTella me whyAin't nothin' but a mistakeTella me whyI never wanna hear you sayTall Paul is gonna play. Yup, bored.

RYAN FUGGIN FRASER? Meh, I'm OK with it. I've missed a lot of the goss from the last couple of days so this one was a surprise - more because I thought he was older than 29! I know we've been after him for quite a while if I remember correctly. Whatever happens with Tella and Sulemana, this will give us a bit of experience alongside Stu for the wider positions.

Sulemana - due back September 2nd once we know the window has slammed shut. 😀

While Piroe is probably the one the fans want, because of the fact it makes sense, his age, his association with Martin, his 1 in 2 goal record at this level etc, I would hazard a pretty good guess that the scouting department at Southampton has a list of other targets. As you say, maybe we've got one up our sleeve that we prefer to Piroe. (This may not be a good thing, we've seen the players we've signed over the last year. We just have to hope with Wilcox on board we recruit better).