Saint Charlie

Why play 3 at the back versus a team who play with one striker and dangerous wingers? Bertrand and Cedric will be preoccupied with them so unable to get forward as much and two of the CBs will be marking space. Plus any shot they have on target will likley go in....although Gazza a better option than KD now. Only two players who are attacking in the side which is a shame.

Plus a dodgy keeper!

What a dreadful lineup

He has also said if we bring anyone in it will be a striker. We aren't going to be spending a lot so don't get your hopes up.

Jacinto Ela Eyene and the Spanish Dream Fans DVD.

Lukaku definitely far superior to Costa. Only better PL striker IMO is Aguero when fit.

Deulofeu an absolute bargain at £4m for Everton. Class wide player. Their whole team looks excellent when they don't have players missing. Lukaku an excellent allround striker, midfield solid and creative. Good full backs and Stones is superb. GK their only weakness.

How many PL goals Davie? 5 last season, 2 this season I think. Scored in 3 of the 32 PL games he featured in last season and has understandably been used less this year. Is that a good return in your opinion from the 2nd most expensive player in the squad?

1. "Goals per time" doesn't help much if the time is so limited because the Manager doesn't rate the player as viable competition to our one main striker. Plus when you do it on PL goals/time its not so hot anyway. 2. Whats the relevance of quoting Gaston/Osvaldo? They were massive flops. Long isn't on that scale, nowhere near. But he isn't a success either. There can surely be no disputing the fact that when fees and wages are combined, having Long as the most expensive player in the squad (or second behind Ramirez) is in no way value for money. The players that cost you the most are supposed to be your best and most influential. Long is neither and never will be and all the time you keep him he becomes worth less.

Its relative to what they produce though. Tadic and Pelle will cost roughly the same over their deals but are regular starters and contributors that earn points for the Club. You surely pay the biggest amounts for those who contribute the most? Over 4 years there are probably no current regulars who will cost us more than Long does - yet he cannot get a game unless we have players missing.

Mad, isn't it? I can kind of understand Pelle at times but we haven't got anyone to replace him with. Tadic is the hilarious one seeing as he creates the majority of our open play chances and has been one of our best players the last couple of months.

Think Koeman has always used Rodriguez as a wide forward and competition for Mane and Tadic rather than as a striker and competition for Pelle. Long ending up costing £20m over 4 seasons is ludicrous for me. If it was another team we would take the ****.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosimo_Sarli This guy was meant to be the next big thing at one stage.

Please quote the bits you disagree with!

He isn't on the teamsheet because he isn't better than the players that currently play. I know fans like to think all their players are great but none of our competitors would take Long from us. Point of the OP is he is not a £12m player. Koeman doesn't rate him so get whatever you can for him and let the Manager have someone he thinks will actually compete with Pelle. By the sounds of Koeman's comments that if we sign someone it will be a striker then he seemingly acknowledges that Long isn't providing competition for Pelle, and he certainly doesn't provide any for Tadic or Mane. To say he is a cult hero is insulting to the many genuine Saints cult heros through the ages. He is set to cost nearly £20m across the years of his contract which for a club with financial constraints is absurd because his on field contributions are worth nowhere near that, even more so if the Manager doesn't really rate him and never plays him.

Thanks for that. Interesting he says Targett is the best young player. Top bloke is Ronald. Should definitely look to keep him if he is open to it.

Cult hero? Jesus.

Not remotely bothered. You?

Lots of rumours of Juanmi going back to Spain too. Could see that on loan with a loan replacement.

I can't think of many (any) £12m players who he is actually a superior player to!

Prolific means "present in large numbers or quantities". That isn't what I would use to describe Long's goal record. In fact, if I were to argue Long is a good player there are plenty of things I would use before his goal record which is, has always been and will be, mediocre. If he actually was, in real life, three times more likely to score than others then he would play as the first name on the teamsheet but he actually has 2 PL goals so ludicrous to make those claims.

When he goes in the summer, how much do you reckon we will get for Wanyama? Similar to Clyne will only have one year left and we got a disappointingly low fee for Clyne IMO. Seeing as we bought for £12m, improved the player and he has shown he is good at PL level it would be rubbish to get less than £15m, especially as we seem to need (or want) to sell to buy and will obviously need a quality replacement if we want to at least stand still.

In: Messi, Ronaldo, Bale, Stones, Alba, Coleman, Lukaku, Mahrez, N'Guessan, Out: Nobody What a **** thread.

Would we spend £12m on someone and tell them their job is to be a sub and occassionally play out of position when others are injured? With Koeman's multiple comments recently that we won't spend big and don't have the financial power of others it seems even more of a waste. We didn't sign anyone this summer gone who cost as much as Long (perhaps VVD about equal), yet its fine for Long to be a bit part "doing a job" whilst other signings are criticised for being cheap and not good enough. Rather than expensive and not good enough which is seemingly ok. Seems a bit odd.

He is the £200 fitness watch on the flabby wrist of a 20st oaf.