Midfield_General

Of course none of us will never know the full details but I'm basing it on 1) the fact that Martin clearly has his reasons for wanting him out, and 2) multiple rumours that have come from people well-connected to the club that that's what happened. We've all seen he's a good player when he's committed, and Martin would presumably love to have a player of his ability available to play, but he has completely frozen him out so there has to be a reason for that. It's clear he doesn't want him around his squad, so it must be something other than an ability issue. Not from me it doesn't. We've had plenty of players with bad attitudes before, from all kinds of different backgrounds, and wanting rid of them because they negatively impact squad harmony and team spirit is nothing to do with racism. Mark Dennis threw his manager into a bathtub. David Speedie nutted one of his team-mates on a pre-season tour. Osvaldo attacked his captain during training. Wesley Hoedt was just a total cock. They all needed to be moved on for the greater good. It happens. Why should ABK be any different?

Sounds like we've got £13m for him. We bought him for £8.6m, he's had injury problems, and by all accounts is a knob with an attitude problem who downed tools and became toxic when we needed him to step up. It's obvious we want him out yet we've still turned a £4.5m profit. Do you honestly think anyone was going to pay £26m for him?

Yes, to a point - but they would also still have to want to stay and play for us in the Champ, because we know that keeping players who want to leave rarely works. We were lucky last time that KWP for example is a good lad and didn't agitate for a move - I'm not sure how many other players who know they are good enough to play (and more importantly, earn) at the level above would be so accommodating if it happens again. I think you'd still be looking at losing 4 or 5 of the better players if we went down, which has risk attached. @Turkish made the fair point about who might stay and who might go, and that we'd probably still have a pretty strong core at that level even if we had to replace THB, Downes etc, but there are no guarantees that the players you are able to attract to replace them are necessarily going to be like-for-like in quality, and we all know that the Champ is a bitch to get out of, however strong you look on paper. Just look at Leeds, and the Championship is full of relegated clubs who haven't been able to get back up and are stuck down there now the PL money has run out. One bad managerial appointment for example and it can all go wrong. I just wouldn't be too cocky about our innate ability to get promoted again. Everyone thought we had a very strong squad for the Champ last time and it was still a very close-run thing.

True, but they'd still have to want to stay and play in the Championship, take the pay cut and so on.

Out of interest, why do people think that if we got relegated we would be able to keep the same team together in order to then storm next season's Championship? Surely it would be like any other season - even if we got relegated, any/ most of the players who did well would just get picked off and bought by other clubs. If for example Sugawara turns out to be amazing, he'd almost certainly want to stay in the top division and earn PL money, and someone would buy him. Same with THB or Downes or anyone else half decent. We'd be left with the players that other clubs felt weren't PL quality, and would have to rebuild again with players who were happy to play in the Championship, with all the risks that that involves. I'm not sure it's as simple as 'oh well, if we go down then this team would get straight back up again'.

My brother-in-law supports Leeds. I went to Elland Road with him to watch their friendly vs Valencia last weekend and Rutter was their best player by a distance. Great on the ball, quick, creative and scored a fantastic goal. Yes please.

£39,995,000 on coke and hookers and the rest on a lovely old bullnose Morris

As it stands, with the players we currently have I’d go 3-5-2: GK: Macca CBs: Bednarek, THB, Edwards LWB: Taylor RWB: Sugawara Mids: Downes, Aribo, Smallbone LF: BBD RF: Armstrong Ideally you’d have KWP at LWB but it seems pretty clear the club need him sold so won’t risk injuring him.

If he can continue playing off the right I think he’ll do alright, he’ll contribute and there’s no reason why he can’t get a few goals. It’s when he’s asked to play down the middle, basically on his own (like he was last time we were PL) that he looks completely out of his depth and ineffective. Until we (hopefully) sign a more out and out CF, I’d be happy playing a 3-5-2 against Newcastle with BBD and him up top together. If they get service there’s no reason why they couldn’t cause a few problems based on what we know of Arma and what we’ve seen of BBD already.

£145k per week wages

Chelsea prepare to sign goalkeeper number 8 (EIGHT). https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cn5rz5kvqk7o They could sell us three and still have five left. Say what you like about Chelsea, but paying £17m for an eighth-choice keeper is absolute baller behaviour

.

100,000 Twitter / X followers can be bought instantly for less than £900, should you wish to And Ian Abrahams is thick as pigshit, I've met him

He looked great in some of our early friendlies, one of our best players both times he started. Great ability and great attitude. Pretty confident that we’ve bought well there.

On £120k a week and not prepared to take a pay cut apparently. Not happening.

I got you fam 🤜 🤛

Personally I think Saints should give a daily press conference setting out, with PowerPoint slides where necessary, exactly who they want, how much they’re prepared to pay, and what contracts they will offer. It’s the only way to keep everyone informed.

There was a link to Skipp floating about yesterday, but who knows how much truth there is in that

Quite. It's really not that complicated is it.

Positives: Proper striker's goal from BBD; some lovely flashes from Sam Amo; Charles and Dibling did well; Charly Drago's sweet right hand combo Less positive: Macca; Not good enough to play out against proper opposition; Mara... no surprises really. If nothing else I hope that we will now pull out all the stops to get a starting keeper in before Newcastle. The rest of what we need can go to the wire on deadline day if it has to, but that absolutely can't.

Good from Edozie, very good save. FT. Drew the game but won the punch up. Happy with that.

Subbed off at HT

Starting to think Alcaraz might have a slightly suspect temperament

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!

Another massive let off. He had to score that but hit the bar