vectraman

I understand what you're saying regarding Hoj, when he first appeared for us last season, I admit he looked like he had quality about him. As the season progressed, whether through lack of regular game time, trying too hard or whatever, he just seemed off the pace. He also didn't look amazingly fit and seemed to be 'carrying a bit extra'. If the new boss can get him leaner and keener again, I would certainly like to see him flourish. It's just a big if.. fingers crossed for him though.

I'd be somewhat concerned that "ambitious" Saints believe changing nothing would be progress. Keeping our best players of course would be excellent, hence the long contracts. Selling jrod was sensible, fonte brought in 8 million too, plus tv money etc we should have enough to sign two very decent first team ready players. If we sold two of Clasie/jwp/Hoj and replaced with bigger, quicker, more dynamic DM and AM I'd be happy. Only concern would be an injury to vvd would leave us with a weaker than average cb pairing again. Our team lacks height and pace, two attributes that I believe are crucial in the pace/power hungry premier league...

4-4-2 Forster Cedric Vvd Stephens Bertrand Redmond Davis Romeu Tadic . Gabbiadini Long Subs - the others!!

I think you can tell the quality of our midfield because nobody wants to buy any of them!! The midfield is the engine room of the team, and sadly all of our midfielders are fitted with economical diesel engines, they'll keep going for a long time, but at a slow pace. We need a lot more power and pace in our midfield. Dynamism is missing. Some height in there wouldn't go amiss either... if we sold any two of them (out of Clasie/Davis/JWP/Hojberg) and replaced with tall pacy upgrades, one a DM, one a CM, I'd be happy and say our work is done transfer wise...

We need a CM. We need a goal scoring midfielder. We don't need another lightweight 10 goals a season forward. Who is he going to play instead of? If we are playing 1 upfront, as sadly is rumoured, surely Gabbiadini is the main man? Hopefully it's a press rumour...

Looking at the original post title, I was going to suggest that maybe you should try the "grinder" app. I think the place we need a big, strong unit is to partner Romeu in CM. A Yaya Touré type would compliment the side very well. Someone with a slightly nasty edge, because as a team we are a bit, umm, too nice? If they had a decent shot on them, that would be a bonus!!

You are right. If it's about investments rather than winning football matches, maybe Saints should switch to buying up property, letting it and selling for profit in a few years time. I want to see players who improve the first team if we make signings. Not fringe squad players who might play in the early league cup rounds if they're lucky. No point in signing squad fillers, our squad is already numbering a fair few bang average players who add little.

It's a number 3 from me. Probably an unknown teenager signing for the youth side. Our last business of the transfer window

We need to stop thinking about "value" and start thinking practical! If we signed him for £25 million, he stayed for two seasons, and scored 40 goals, I'd say that would be priceless! So what if city could buy him back for "only" £35 million after two years. It's the goals that are important not the "value" that posters are getting hung up on. The club seem to be brain washing fans into thinking value for money rather than quality is the most important thing. We should only be looking at players now who improve our first team, not young squad players who are unproven. Sign a proper DM and AM that'll be us done for the close season. Do it early so they can train and gel, not leave it late like we always seem to so we start the season on the back foot. We need to hit the ground running this season with our "easier" early fixtures. Last thing we need is to rock up like we did against Sunderland and Watford and play like strangers.

Never heard of him, I'd like to think for a top 8 team we'd be shopping in Waitrose rather than Poundland... Sounds like a newly promoted teams level of signing?

You can tell how average our "best midfield options in the league" are, because none of them are coveted by another team. None. The whole bunch are decidedly average at best, all very similar (slow and (except Hoj) short), and none of them can shoot. Winning combination of skills that! If the club or more importantly the new manager, don't think we need reinforcements in midfield, then we will have another season of limited goals. Even the golden boy homegrown one of own etc JWP can't thread a killer pass in open play. For the U21's he looks good. In the pl he doesn't. Why? Time. Pl is played at a fast pace that doesn't give him the time he needs on the ball, and he is a luxury on the pitch most of the time, and he's probably our best one!

I hope Bertrand stays. If he doesn't, Targett is nowhere near good enough to be our first choice LB. He is too slow, and doesn't read the game well enough, sadly.

He also had a season long loan with Watford in the PL, not just Bournemouth. He also scored 3 goals in 10 games for Bournemouth, we could do with that from our strikers, let alone a DM...

My take on things is we should get more points next season. Whether that will move us up the league who knows? Everton I believe as other have said are the most obviously catchable, assuming we don't lose any first team starters. As others have said, we really do need a second quality centreback to partner VVD, another DM to partner Romeu, and an attacking midfielder who knows what the goal looks like. Would be a handy double bonus if these players were experienced in the PL, and tall, as we seem to have an unbelievably small team, and seemed to be bullied off the ball a lot. I'd like to know the stats for keeping possession of the ball when Forster had to kick long - our tiny tots in midfield invariably lost it to the opposition. If the new manager likes to press teams, I'm not sure that Tadic or JWP have the speed and stamina to play that style of game either...

Bingo. Well said. Some Saints fans are living with transfer fees from several years ago. Ake at £20 million is proven PL quality. If we want to sign proven PL quality it will cost Saints that as well. You don't get something for nothing - yes, you can buy unproven young players from abroad, then the risk is with Saints. They may, or may not make it. Boufal and Hoijbjerg cost 12 and 16 million each, but have far from been proven as great signings so far (they can improve obviously, but they may not...). Why is it Saints signings are amazingly brilliant, in some on here's eyes, but everyone elses are a waste of money? Bizarre.

I thought the strategy of a football team was to win football matches? Last season we couldn't score for toffee, a PROVEN, guaranteed 15 goals a season man is up for grabs, yet saints fans care more about value for money, and future resale value. We have some odd fans. I want to see Saints win, am I just weird then?

Report I have read said £65k a week, over 3 years. I don't think that's a bad deal, with no transfer fee involved? For guaranteed goals, 10 million over three years sounds decent? We've blown 12 million plus wages on Clasie, what's the best deal?

Ake would definitely be a decent signing, particularly as he could double up in the cb position as well. Above all, he's experienced and proven in the premier league, which most of our signings are not...

15 goals in an appalling Sunderland side....Mmm we can just smugly, and conceitedly laugh at that because he's 34, and signing someone with proven pl experience is just not "the Southampton way"... I genuinely cringe when I hear that "southampton way" ******... We need some proven experience in our young side...but no money to be made in that is there..? So yes, he most definitely could have done a job for us...

No chance, jwp top right corner. Redmonds absolute dog sh1t attempt pretty central and low. How can that be similar? (Unless you are on strong beer, in which case fair enough!)

Vvd mentoring Stephens would be a very good thing for Saints. Would like to see that happen next season.

I'd love to know who you think is a better, pl experienced centre back, that we could afford, better than Smalling? Someone who could go straight into our team and do the job from day 1.

Playing one up front and the midfield 30 yards behind did not help with scoring goals either. That WAS the manager's fault. He was too inflexible in his approach. A bad workman blames his tools. The squad is decent, and I think the majority of Saints fans knew we should have had more points last season with the squad we have.

Two experienced players that would in my opinion makes sense (wage dependant):- Chris Smalling - would be an excellent straight in the team proven pl player. Samir Nasri - a definite upgrade on our midfield, also proven quality. We need to get some players in who have played in the pl, so we can get off to a front foot start for a change...

Agreed. Feel a bit sorry for him, but style of play was his downfall sadly. All the best for the future Claude. Next...