saint1977

Pretty much this - still think we are a big striker light - but the squad is good but jury is out on Puel for me. Needs to build the system around what he has rather than what he would like as he doesn't have the funds available. Redmond on the right please and let's give Austin and J Rod some flipping service. Diamonds belong in a jewellers' shop.

Ouch - turned down to go to Hull! I've seen Kodija play. He certainly has the attributes to play PL but would have been too big a risk for Saints at that money - £17m - after just a season in the Championship. Villa's owner certainly wants to make a splash and should get goals with McCormick but that's FFP out of the window. Mind you, Bournemouth and QPR haven't been penalised so where's the deterrent?

Top post. There are WUMs and trolls for sure (which I'll park with the mods as an issue, although with their multiple log-ins/personalities I appreciate this make banning them for a long time tricky) on the site who aren't interested in proper debate and can understand positive posters being cross about that. That said, I believe that you can be very happy overall with the ownership and running of the club whilst not being sure about Puel's appointment or his tactics and style of play. I wasn't keen as his teams in France tended to be ponderous, if solid, with the odd mercurial talent like Ben Arfa to liven it slightly. I'm happy to be won over on Puel but don't see the flexibility to win games at present and the formation is really blunting us in front of goal, in addition to Pelle and Mane going which I don't blame the club for. If you've got Austin there, play Redmond wide and feed Charlie some deliveries to attack or pick up on second balls, he's not a Mark Hughes-type forward who will hold it up with his back to goal. I don't get the feeling either that the players are comfortable with what they are being asked to do either which is a far more important issue than a few posters moaning on here. Hopefully it'll click together but we need points on the board before the EL starts in the groups stages and Watford/Sunderland were ideal opportunities. We aren't the only fanbase with some doubting elements - Palace fans apparently were turning on Pardew before Dann's late equaliser Saturday.

Left-handers have been faring much better on the surface so far. Be interesting to see if Hants can get Trescothick early, he's turned back time this year after wearing glasses. Where is Carter? Is he injured? Still looks like a much more varied attack than we've had all season though, and it served us well in our last 4 day game. Hopefully Wainwright isn't too rusty and can support Crane. Crane might come into it more in Somerset's second innings, so David key in the first to be tidy and build pressure if it stops turning for a time. Glad we batted first if it does deteriorate. Steve - agree with you that we can only measure Hants score on how Somerset do although with 336 first knock, unlikely to see a deduction unless it rags square on day 3 and there's 20 wickets in a day or something daft.

Hope this is correct. Striker who can hold it up, pacy winger/amc and DMC - which before Watford I didn't think we needed but the first 2 games must have made the club as well as us realise we do. Hojbjerg would be sensational further forward. Davis won't maintain his levels with the extra games plus the Euros and JWP needs a season long loan in the championship. Would ideally want the attacking players ready for Sunderland and at least on the bench. DMC might be the deadline day deal

We got in behind them often enough but with no strikers - Long pushed wide - there wasn't enough for Utd to worry about. I saw enough there to build on with an active last few days of the window in forward areas but the club need to invest if this is the preferred formation of the manager. The current wide and forward options don't fit. Shame - we were great to watch in the second half of last season. Any chance we can actually play to our strengths. Also noted Long's displeasure when substituted - clearly Puel still trying to make his mark with the squad.

I agree with the first part of what you said and if we get a quality wide player and a striker in for the Sunderland game I'll agree with the second part. Decent in midfield tonight, more than decent at times, standout performers PEH, VVD and Tadic. Targett struggled a bit but did OK last week. Hope Romeu injury only a pull and back after international break. Obvious the attack lacks a focal point and the OS guff about Redmond as a striker needs the volume of fans contempt it deserves - he's a decent winger who cuts in. Reed needs to get busy now - striker and winger please asap. Either that, or change the formation to suit Austin better.

Midfield have done very well overall though, couple of defensive lapses but more games will eliminate those. Problem is clear to everyone bar Puel and Reed - nothing, just nothing up front. Come on Claude, show us what you are made of and say we need a couple of extra forward players. You know it and we know it. Don't think he will as not a manager that uses the press.

Boufal could be the player that Guan 2.0 referred to having an 'entourage' around him that was getting silly? Re: Seri, seems a bit obvious as Puel has worked with him before. Puel seems to want to play Tadic behind the striker/s as a 10. Could be a squad player but would he be happy with that. Nice wouldn't be selling him for £4.67m either at PL prices! Either way, despite the bluffing from the club about Redmond being only new front player recruit and happy with the squad, I think we'll definitely be adding a couple of signings (ITK comments on board 'being aware of the team's needs' or we'll finish bottom half (12-15th) with what we have and the extra EL games which I can't see the board being happy with. The ITKs are also super-quiet so that also suggests there is quite a bit of activity ongoing. Transfer window has been a joke this summer across the board, loads of blockages and more chains than the average housing ladder. That's probably why first or second choice attacking players - at the mid-higher end where the club wants to shop - must be very tricky to get over line on.

What a great win! Still a tall order to stay up but we have a chance. I just liked the look of our bowling attack - variations - which we haven't had all season. Hopefully Adams can carry on his late season form and Vince comes back with a determination to prove England wrong. Love the fact it's our young bowlers doing the business. We'll need something other than shirtfronts at Rose Bowl though! Need to continue taking 20 wickets to win matches.

Notts 3 down now, really need to win this. Bowling attack looks better and more varied than it has all season. Remember seeing Carter bowl at Notts and can be genuinely sharp in pace. For whatever reason it didn't work out at Derbys after a few loan spells when he couldn't consistently break into what was a very strong Notts attack. Was surprised that he was still only 27 and if we can get him fit and confident would be a good signing. Vince dropped from the one dayers, hope he returns with a point to prove. I feel a bit sorry for him as he was at least a year off being ready for Tests IMO but rushed in after a couple of good Lions knocks. Definitely has talent but struggled outside off stump in D1 against better bowlers for first half of last season. Total rebuild needed of the top order whatever division we are in next season, probably 3 new batters at least to accompany Vince, Alsop and Wetherill. Dawson and Wheater in middle order.

He certainly was. Pushed Man U all the way in the inaugural PL season and the Atkinson/Saunders partnership was a big part of that. Was quick, strong and could certainly finish. Rumoured not to be the brightest off the pitch but a tragic event and far too young. IPCC will be scrutinising this incident very closely and the use of tasers will come into focus again. Didn't he have a trial at Saints when Souness was manager? Probably past his best at that point sadly.

Back into the club. Paying off the top drawer training ground, previous transfer fees, signing on fees and bigger wages for all of the new contracts, which we all wanted to see, and there is clearly more in the kitty for 2 more signings before the window shuts. Oh, and we had to write off Osvaldo's contract last season, probably on a compromise deal but still likely to be several million. The Liebherrs aren't Guy Askham - they don't need money from SFC but they are business people. They also wrote off £33m to get us promoted.

I think what you have posted was fine and I agree with it. There's a few of the usual posters who are very defensive of Puel because they know the fanbase as a whole aren't sure about him which is why they refuse any early concerns, however valid or articulate. Yesterday was 2 dropped points because Puel was desperate to show us he was different to Ronald. Redmond as a striker without having retrained him over a season was one, JWP in front of PEH - who looked brilliant to me when he came on - the weird diamond formation that negated the team's strengths. Hopefully Puel will settle and Dave Watson can remind him of what our strengths are. Good management, when you inherit something that's working well, is adding value over time. The game was a mixed bag. Positives were Tadic, PEH, Redmond second half, Targett and VVD. JWP needs to go out on loan to the Championship, at best he has stalled and he may be going backwards. A fresh environment and expectation to be one of th best players at the level down plus physically building up will do the world of good and that's the truth whether MLG likes it or not. Hopefully we can the striker and wide player we clearly need before the end of the window

Looks like an upgrade on Moneyfields to be fair...

I agree with what you are saying overall but in Gallagher's case, forwards of that height tend to take longer to mature and fully develop - e.g. Niall Quinn, Peter Crouch. So that's why it might take a few loan spells and a slightly longer period, and not just because of his age, to really asses whether Sam has what it takes for the top flight.

It's also possible the Chinese club wanted to pay that sum in installments - which might have been a risk with a comparatively new league. I got the impression Saints got the fee for Pelle in one hit. If say Liverpool bid £37m with at least £25-30m up front, that is likely be a different story. Personally for a guy with a single PL season that would be nuts but English football never fails to surprise me these days. Can't see him going to WBA though and nor did the prospective new owners' statement hint at heavy investment in players and a sea change from Peace's way of operating. Perhaps they will be like Saints owners though - under-promise and over-deliver? Sounds like we are getting the striker and pacy wide/10 we need so happy with that. Benteke to Palace for potentially £25-30m - that's another one that is surprising me if it happened. Looks like Palace are paying a game of brinkmanship with Klopp up to deadline day when Klopp might need to sell to buy more. W Ham might be tempted but given they couldn't shift Sakho to WBA and Mr Glass is still fit, they may not have space at present but got a feeling that's where Benteke will end up. Bony for £13m sounds a bargain but can't see City helping with the wages at that low market price so I reckon you can effectively double it. Everton might end up swooping there and the player wouldn't event have to move house.

Reluctantly have to agree, with the caveat that journalists do twist quotes. Just imagine, if Lallana had given an interview like that whilst still at the club he'd have got hammered by the fans for that. Smells like the latest agent is stirring it but Fonte should have the brains to know better when speaking with the press. Thought (and still hope) he was a bit better than that and the Euros win hasn't turned him into yet another primadonna. If he wants to go and chase money, he can.

I'd forgotten about Doncaster - Fergie Jnr has been given a good budget for that level and they seem to be aiming for top 3. They were expecting top 6 in L1 last season so that went badly wrong including the familiar multiple changes of manager. Whether he'll get the tasty Man U loans with Mourinho in charge I don't know but they have to be amongst the favourites. Can't see a promotion contender from the others but there's always a surprise package in the top 3 (last year it was Northampton) - Murray worked wonders at Mansfield but struggled to keep hold of key players, midtable along with your Newport. Exeter on fringes of playoffs again with a good youth system (I like the look of Ollie Watkins) but the fan ownership plus their decaying stadium means they are sadly always short of the 2-3 extra players to last the top 7 pace to the end. Morecambe are Carlisle on a smaller budget and smaller fanbase. As I say, Carlisle should feature and despite the floods had big cup games against the two Merseyside clubs with full houses so they have a good budget. Exeter used their Liverpool and Grimes money on infrastructure which is wise but need to sort their stadium. I think they should relocate but a lot of their fans want to stay at SJP in the city centre. Wycombe are probably the other top 7 bet, some of the same issues as Exeter but another good manager for that level in Ainsworth. Not the most attractive side at times but Ainsworth has to set up as best he can for the budget. Crawley will be interesting and the Port Vale of L2. Loads of new players, ex-Chelsea coach in charge, could be champions or 24th!

Quite, I'm not so worried about Victor going, Mane was a different story hence my opinion has different from some other posters about the level of transfer activity needed in attacking areas. Now the ITK assure us a couple of players are lined up in those areas, that eases my concerns and looking forward to the season ahead, not least seeing who we get in the Europa draw later this month.

Fine as a signing as far as I'm concerned, full backs will clearly be working very hard in our system let alone with Europa matches and being 2 footed is useful. Targett may well go out on loan as this guy can play LB and did for Nice at times although don't see Matt being sold. Personally I wouldn't loan Targett out but the club will know best. Reassuring from the ITKs that striker/winger/number 10s under the microscope, I thought they were and was surprised when people thought our current attacking options would be sufficient over the season. Looking forward to seeing who we bring in on the attacking side although as Guan mentions, it's a bit of merry go-round for forward players this summer. Just ask West Ham...

Let's look at the other contenders: Plymouth: Should have gone up last year but a good manager for that level. They have lost Wylde and Nelson but have retained Carey who is by far the best midfielder at that level. Really ought to be top 3 and a club with similar resources to Pompey. Luton: Will do better this year after a couple of seasons of moderate underachievement after coming up from the Conference. They get decent gates for that level in their antique of a stadium but have recruited very well this summer and think it's their year to push for the top 3 under a promising coach in Nathan Jones Accrington: Should be there and thereabouts if the local investment in the team continues with new ownership and have a good catchment area for players Carlisle: Improving under Keith Curle but recruitment can held back by their location, lovely though Cumbria is, to ex-Newcastle, Sunderland, Boro, Hartlepool and SPL. Curle seems to have good contacts though and top 7 for them. Orient: Should have done better last year but owners seem to be taking some odd decisions. Cambridge: Good outside bet, decent recruitment and Derry should get them well organised. Cheltenham and Grimsby: Promoted sides tend to do well in L2 the next season (unless they are Barnet). Cheltenham have the experienced Gary Johnson in charge and would expect them to be top 7, perhaps better. Don't rule out Grimsby, decent size club for that level and should get strong gates on their return to the FL. Top 10, maybe top 7. Colchester: Floundered in L1 but their owner has reversed the lack of investment and controversially brought in Moody for player recruitment so clearly prepared to match the bigger hitting clubs Crewe: Seem to flit between L1 & L2 Blackpool: Who knows, but good size club for that level, although hard to see better than mid-table with their off-field turmoil. Notts Co: Shouldn't be better than mid-table but recently taken over and quite a few new signings So with Oxford and Bristol Rovers up, the skates really should do it this season but with their policy of signing L1 players before they get promoted from L2, don't bet the farm on it..

That's minus Mane and the current formation being experimented with doesn't help Tadic who were two of the key contributors of the strong end to last season. But that's last season and we start on 0 in August same as everyone else. Once we've got another pacy amc or striker in, not sure you can replace Mane as his value was his unpredictability, some of the more stressy posts might ease. Puel will be looking for a new signing who can have a Ben Arfa like effect. I'm not too concerned as some of our big guns are still reintegrating post Euros. Hopefully we'll see accompanying transfer activity in those forward areas to accompany that and I think we will. Even with all the new contract extensions, we have the funds to be active.

Quite. Even when Mane wasn't scoring, he was stretching defences and his unpredictability meant opposition managers found him a headache and hence became sought after. That's why you can't replace him directly as such. Redmond should be judged on his own merits - £11 for a 22 year old with pace to burn, 2 footed and can score a goal, what's not to like? Yes, we'll have improve his end product but if we didn't, he'd cost double. What is frustrating is that if any poster dares to say that we urgently need an AMC to help replace some of the creative output and goal threat, they are shouted down. I think our owners are great and long may they continue, and very happy with the Board and Reed. But I don't agree that we only need a back up Gk and a RB. That's madness with the extra games. I suspect the club know this too and there is brinkmanship with selling clubs for an AMC and another striker.

I agree as well although Hants unprofessional set up has dragged down his focus and standards as it would with any talented player. James struggled for most of last season against quality D1 bowlers around off stump and despite his late season form last year, I felt he was 2 years away from Test standard. Once he moves to Surrey or Middlesex over the winter with better coaching he might tighten up and focus if he's got something between the ears. As for Hants, can anyone please explain why White and Benkenstein still there? Should both have been dismissed aged the Surrey debacle. People can make excuses about injuries and absences - and thoughts with Michael Carberry and family - but this won't wash. Plenty of people on here posted after the great escape last year that the top order needed a complete rebuild and that several of the long servers needed to go on compromise deals to free up cash. Why was this not done? Rod has serious questions to answer from the members.