Sheaf Saint

Probably have to go back to the days of Dusan Tadic, before he went off the boil (for us at least).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cwyr9pgnl20o BBC have got us down as one of the transfer window's losers. The last paragraph is pretty damning... Success, of sorts, did come with Taylor Harwood-Bellis remaining at St Mary's amid significant Premier League interest. Losing the defender and striker Adam Armstrong, who joined Wolverhampton Wanderers, would have been considerably damaging, irrespective of the financial compensation because Southampton still seem to be fixed on a run at the play-offs. But it is hard to square that particular circle when the simple equation is that they have subtracted their top goalscorer, who went into the window requiring support, to replace him with 30-year-old Cyle Larin, who has never played in England and last scored in double figures in the 2020-21 season for Besiktas. Daniel Peretz has addressed issues between the posts, while fees for peripheral figures Ronnie Edwards and Armel Bella-Kotchap were good business decisions and trim a bloated squad to an extent, but does any of it speak of obvious improvement with reference to trying to reach the top six? If Larin is a bona fide hit, these words will prove irrelevant, but for a club that once upon a time wrote the rule book for measured but also progressive recruitment, it is a slightly wild swing of the bat which feels like it could go drastically wrong, more so than it could go right.

Wasn't that Adams? It all stemmed from someone pointing out when we signed him that a lot of the goals in his highlights reel were scuffed.

It goes back longer than that. There was plenty of incompetence and corruption in John Major's government. It's one of the main reasons they lost the 1997 election so heavily.

The Met have now launched a criminal investigation into Mandelson.

Well let's hope he has a Killer instinct in the box.

Initial bid. Doesn't mean we won't go back with an improved offer.

You just know we will though.

Nathan Redmond has left Sheff Weds after joining them as a free agent in the autumn and having played a grand total of 137 minutes.

Yeah he won't be missed. The very best you can say about his time with us is that he was a useful squad player in our 23/24 promotion season. That's it. Never done anything of note, and certainly did nothing to warrant having his own song (that our fans bizarrely seemed to love singing even when he wasn't playing), when much better players than him never got one. Very glad to see his wages off the books finally.

I take your general point. But Welington has been fit and available ever since we sacked Still. Given how much of an upgrade he has been in the last few games, persisting with Manning in that position for so long was ridiculous.

Weeks? Imagine if they'd clocked it all in 2022!

Well, according to ping-pong, we badly missed Baz today.

It's really not rocket science is it. THB and Stephens both work much better together in a CB pair. And Welington is light years ahead of Manning. We could have played those three and, prior to selling, put Edwards in at RB while Jelert and Roerslev were injured. The claim that we absolutely had to play the shitty back 5 formation with the players available just doesn't wash.

Yep. A superb stop.

Great result, and a much more convincing performance. Seven points from nine is very welcome. Of course you all have me to thank, because I chucked £20 on us to be relegated after the Hull game.

Two absolutely top drawer saves today. He reacts quickly to come out to gather through balls as well - a notable one in the first half when Stephens had been beaten. The most telling thing for me is that he looks confident, rather than being terrified of the ball when it comes into the box. A proper goalkeeper at last.

Absolute comedy goal, we'd be howling about it if we had conceded that. But I'll take it all day long.

At least he's coming for them. Baz would have been rooted to his line for a couple of them.

As good as he's been overall so far, that was a very slack and dangerous header from Stephens.

OK you're clearly just trolling now.

Oh ref. That's a fucking penalty all day long.

Earlier slip aside, how refreshing it is to have an actual keeper on the pitch.

Total chaos in our 6 yard box from a corner, again. If we left a couple of players on the edge of the box it would force the oppo to keep 2-3 players back to prevent the counter. But we just pack the box which only invites pressure. GREAT SAVE Peretz!

He's much better in a back four. Always has been.