Saint Charlie

Will Clasie start for example? We need him for Wednesday's game with Vic missing.

Bet you loved the Poortvliet season then!

http://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/football-wls-west-brom-and-bournemouth-eye-qpr-winger-matt-phillips-football Bmth and WBA keen on ex Saints target Matt Phillips

Who would you actually bring in who is near the level of other first team players?

Not seen one of these Talksport articles turn out to be correct. But there is always a first.

Neil Ashton did tell us! Can understand the club view but then its up to Reed et al to recruit better young players. Koeman is right that very few are PL ready. Generally few Academy players become first team PL players, let alone average Academy players. If fans aren't sold on JWP or Targett (our best players of that age group) then the likes of McCarthy, Gape, Little etc would likely be ripped apart in a PL game. http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?t=55008

My opinion is that Gape, Isgrove, Little, McQueen etc are not good enough for the PL. Not slagging them off, just saying what i think when I have seen them. Interesting you have pretty much done the same regarding the quality of Academy training. I have watched those players. Have you ever watched an Academy training session? Maybe Dodd and Williams worked with better players like Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers?

He often doesn't help himself talking about England callups. But reality is he probably will be called up before he has a regular runs of good games for us. He is the type of player where every season will be "the one where he kicks on"... Unfortunately many of his limitations are physical and will be hard to alter. But he will easily have a good PL career which is miles more than most Academy lads get.

Always good to weed out these kind of morons.

Bournemouth moving for Afobe. Always tough to know if these types will do anything at PL level - it is such a step up.

Not really. He just spoke with honesty. Any player worth having will try to prove him wrong. Its no shame to be a player who isn't good enough for PL level. But there is no point pretending that any more than 2 or 3 of the current U21s will end up being first team regulars. Anyone who is 20and still nowhere near first team level is going to struggle to ever get there, in the majority of cases.

1. Austin is currently injured and has barely played this season. 2. He is a free agent in the summer and has said numerous times he will leave then. 3. He apparently wants about 80k a week. 4. Prudent Saints aren't going to spend £8m on a player they could in theory sign for nothing about 6 months later. 5. I don't actually know if Austin is a whole lot of a better player than Pelle anyway. Hodgson discarded him pretty quickly after taking a look and no decent PL teams have bothered signing him.

Were they? Hesketh he gave a chance to for a game and he got injured. Gape played 2 mins off the bench in an injury crisis. When you watch Gape do you see a player of PL potential? I would be hugely suprised if you do.

Fair enough comments. Someone like Gape is over 20 and obviously not going to be a PL player, ditto McQueen. You don't look at the U21s and feel many are anywhere near PL ready. The Captain from last year is doing well on loan, but in L2 and the main striker couldn't get a game in the Championship. Koeman is spot on. Judging by how the U18s get hammered every other week it isn't going to change. Maybe we need to buy a few in like Best and Blackstock otherwise it must be a little demoralising for the coaches and the occassional player who may have the required ability.

Seeing as we play really with one main striker and already have Pelle, Long then Jay when fit it would be pretty pointless to sign a squad player as they won't get a look in or add real competition and would be a waste of money. Better to go with what we have rather than do that. I think Seager may join Gallagher back out on loan as U21 football is probably just about done for developing him. Whilst fans want signings because its fun, unless its a quality striker then its meaningless. So hopefully someone good...or a completly different style to either static Pelle and the extremely erratic Long.

What team would you select from the current squad? Mine is: Gazza, VVD, Clasie, Davis, Mane Good mix of defensive players but good on the ball in tight spaces and quick. Gazza edges Forster as better passer. Clasie plays instead of Reed as the game is only an hour.

Stoke considering Berahino: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/stoke-city/12087642/Stoke-City-manager-Mark-Hughes-considers-record-breaking-bid-for-West-Brom-striker-Saido-Berahino.html

Koeman confirmed in the second part of his presser that we want to bring in a striker and he isn't looking to bring in anyone in another position. Seemed a bit more on the likely side of getting someone than ge was previously when he said it depended on injuries. So any links for non strikers are likely to be either bull**** or interest for the summer. Edit: here are the typed comments http://mobile.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20160107-ronald-koeman-press-southampton-crystal-palace-fa-cup-2889145.aspx

After they leave they become ****eand overrated remember? But yes, Lallana was delightful in his final season here.

Koeman basically said he and Stephens will go out again once they find somewhere they will get games. Should also send Gazza out, absolute no brainer!

Seems quite genuine: http://m.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-City-transfer-news-Mark-Hughes-coy-Porto/story-28480842-detail/story.html All the mid table PL sides, in fact all the PL aside from the top 5 or 6 are interested in the same players pretty much. The standard required makes the pool who aren't already at a top European side or financially unavailable pretty small.

Be interesting to see if Jordy can play all three of the next games considering VW is out of the next two. Hope he can, has definitely improved although still to me seems physically lacking to be a real factor in PL games.

Koeman is excellent with the media in these situations.

We will find out next summer I guess. No way they will sell in Jan, and we wouldnt if we had been in that position.

This. Plus with the amount of late goals/games which are decided 70mins onwards you surely want your best players to be able to be playing then. Clasie played 67/180 Christmas mins. Not enough for a key player. You want your best players on the pitch as often as possible, especially in the key positions and for the key moments. Regular availability for 90mins and low liklihood of injury are great/required attributes for the best players. Clyne versus Cedric a great example of that as ability wise they are similar but one is physically miles superior and therefore more useful/valuable/highly rated/better, than the other.