Midfield_General

I actually think that's what's causing the frustration though. On paper that looks like a side that has got a decent chance of being competitive. But no side can be competitive if they're gifting the opposition goals all the time, and it feels like what they're being told to do - rather than their quality as a team or individuals - is what's causing the gifting of the goals. If you put that team in a straightforward 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 with instructions not to take the risks at the back and play a bit more like Nuno or Frank did, two established PL managers, would they have a better chance of getting something out of these games? We don't know, but I think the frustration comes from not yet being able to find out. If anything, that's what's not being given a chance - just the more conventional, 'keep it tight', play-to-your-players-strengths and be hard to beat approach that most (not all) promoted clubs tend to apply when they're trying to bed into this league. It feels to many like we're trying to be way too clever to an almost contrarian degree, and that's what's not giving us a chance in games we might otherwise get something from. I'm not having a go at you or the people defending Russell btw - I also like him and I want him to succeed, I think the opprobrium from some is way over the top and the petty name-calling is pathetic. I just think that's where the frustration is coming from at the moment, and I can understand that too.

Liverpool also put their foot through it numerous times yesterday, just to clear their lines when there was nothing sensible on.

Aside from the specifics of how the players are being asked to play, surely there's a basic premise that every promoted team has to adopt at the beginning which is 'make yourself hard to beat'. If you can keep it tight for the first few games, not concede too many, grind out a point here and there, then little by little the confidence starts to grow and you might start to feel like you belong in this league. Then you can build from there. We haven't done that at all, and already some of the players who looked so confident last season - THB springs immediately to mind - look like their confidence is being hammered. And when the confidence goes, that is hard to recover from. Martin might be able to shrug off defeat after defeat, but I'm not sure the players will be able to. I wonder at what point they start to question him. He's walking a dangerous line.

Oh well that's slightly better news then 😉 (thanks for the correction). Point still stands though - when a Toney-less Brentford can put 3 past us without really having to break sweat, United could give us a proper kicking. I wonder if a right pasting is actually what it will take for the penny to drop that something needs to change. Either reaching his own conclusion on that, or someone from the ownership having a quiet word behind the scenes.

Underneath the bravado, he has to be very concerned - as I think most of us are - about us getting an absolute hammering by Man Utd, playing the way we are. They may not be what they were, but they still have a billion pound squad stuffed with senior internationals who are more than capable of forcing mistakes and capitalising on them. Three defeats on the spin, against moderate PL opposition, with only one (consolation) goal scored is a bad enough look in itself, but if we give the same gifts to United that we've been giving up to everyone else and end up on the receiving end of a pasting, then surely he has to start looking over his shoulder and worrying about how secure his job is. A heavy defeat puts him into De Boer territory. Unless of course, he's been given reassurances that he's SR's guy no matter what happens and will stay in charge even if we go down, which isn't out of the question, and might explain the bullishness.

No way would Jones fight fair. As soon as the bell went, he’d drop to all fours and gallop forward like an animal, emitting a guttural bellow, launching himself biting and snapping at Russell’s beautiful crotch, with the goal of chewing his nads off, like a rabid Welsh honey badger.

Agree with all of that, and I’d also add: 11) Kept KWP, which is a huge boost, at least until January 7 from me, because I’m not convinced we’ve got the goals at this level. Really hope Archer proves that completely wrong though. Still totally buzzing over Ramsdale. I think he’ll turn out to be our most important signing for many, many years. It’s great that the owners have backed the manager and have really invested in the squad. Over to RM now to see what he does with them. One thing’s definitely changed though and that’s that I now feel excited for the season rather than the deflation that came after the Forest game. There’s a bit of a feel-good factor, for me at least… until 4.45 this afternoon anyway COYS

What’s the record?

Thank you for rescuing my absolute shambles of a post

Yep, probably. I've had a few beers tbh

.

That's his song sorted anyway Bang bang!

Surely we have to give him squad number 99

Everything seems very, very quiet on ABK, Sulemana and Onuachu. Can see Onuachu going later on as the Turkish window stays open for another two weeks, but thought we might have had at least a sniff of a loan for one of the others by now. Upside is that KWP is still here and with six hours to go there haven't been any rumours (yet). Would be such a result if we can keep him, at least until January.

Fuck me he's good 🤣

Yep. Ramsdale was in the Saints end for the play-off final, dressed in that fancy dress costume, to support his mate Brooks who was playing for us

Absolutely incredible signing. Has the potential to be the most important single player we've signed since Ings, and the best keeper we've had since Niemi. Welcome aboard Rambo

Even so - 18 years old, not broken into the first team, way down the pecking order and going into the last year of his contract.

£10m??

Ah yes, a phenomenon known in scientific circles as 'The Scowcroft Paradox'

and four years away from playing on it

Aah ok, didn’t get that, apols. Fair enough then, maybe just change the title to ‘non-Saints deadline day’ or something then, because the first post doesn’t really set that up and talks about what Saints are going to do

Totally. @Lighthouse can we merge these and keep it all to one thread otherwise it's going to be really hard to follow

Yup, agree. But bringing in Cornet who likes to play on the left makes me wonder if the longer term plan is to use BBD more centrally when we need to or if Archer doesn't work out. I hope so, because BBD doesn't look like a winger to me and Armstrong has never worked down the middle. Still feeling greedy and hoping for a deadline day centre-forward.