saintant

Don't know anything about him but looks good on his skills video which includes a goal scored from his own half. Likes a tackle and interception and seems to have a good passing range. Only 20 and a reasonable size. Could be decent alongside Downes (if we manage to sign both).

He'd certainly offer us far more than Sulemana.

No thanks. Not at his age and with his injury history. Let's not waste a big wage.

Surely we need 3 fully fit goalkeepers to cover potential injuries?

Enjoyed that game. Come on Southgate, take the frigging hand brake off and show us some proper football.

Well RM does like a shoe-horn so you may be right.

He is way better than Manning.

Surely Bednarek is already deemed good enough for the Prem? He is as good if not better than anyone we could realistically afford.

Good signing in my book. Always looked decent whenever I watched Burnley on the box. Plenty of experience which shows we've learned some harsh lessons from previous mistakes when we opted for signing youngsters who might produce good sell-on value. Welcome Charlie, looking forward to seeing you step out in a Saints shirt.

Wages an issue - wonder how much we're paying McCarthy!

Ok, maybe I got a bit carried away and went full gung-ho but it's my reaction to the negativity shown by Southgate. I'm not a huge fan of Rice but, having looked up his stats for yesterday, it seems he did far more than I gave him credit for so concede he should be in my team in place of Foden to give more holding cover. I still maintain we need to be much more front footed and maybe others could come up with ideas/line-ups to achieve this.

I don't think anyone could describe Rodri as a water-carrier.

We are currently getting overrun in the centre of the pitch even when playing Rice because we give the ball away far too much. Stones can move into midfield when appropriate as I've already suggested. We have too much emphasis on ball winners and water carriers - let's play with some freedom and not put all the planning on stopping goals, it's negative and means we create nothing.

The Spanish midfield are a joy - they are not disciplined rather they are encouraged to express themselves. Disciplined is a word I'd associate with a Southgate team and look at the insipid dross that produces. There's no target man or support striker just two good players given licence to use their nous and make clever runs. Walker is always best when he is allowed to overlap and bomb down the wing. Guehi is suspended, Dunk is a decent player - if not why is he in the squad? We need to take some risks and give our opponents something to worry about. If Southgate plays the same style against Switzerland I can't see anything other than a defeat.

What is wrong with it? I guess you'd want Rice in there to continually give the ball away or pass backward. We need to utilise our skillful players, ones who are good on the ball and can create space. Spain have it right, pack your team with attacking players and create angles, runs, dribbles, players between the lines and make chances. Had enough of the water carriers who offer nothing. Carry on with Southgate's attitude and we'll continue to create little and look poor. Let's at least try something different and go down attacking rather than the turgid stuff being served up.

Time to ditch the tried and failed formation and try something radical although, with Southgate in charge, we know it won't happen. I'd play 3 at the back with fast attacking wing-backs either side. Also, when the time is right allow Stones to move into midfield. Play three midfielders with two attackers given licence to roam. Pickford Walker Dunk Stones Konza Saka Palmer Bellingham Foden Kane Watkins Play to our strengths just for once and let the opposition worry about us. Get the wing backs out wide and encourage them to get forward at every opportunity. Play Foden and Palmer in inverted roles to give the wide space to the wing-backs and let Bellingham play off the cuff. We are far too rigid and predictable. Time to do something different.

Southgate just can't help himself. We'd managed to get on top then equalised at the death. We then came out of the blocks in extra time and went ahead. Rather than keeping our foot to the pedal Southgate orders a complete retreat and hands the initiative back to Slovakia. What is wrong with the man, he could easily have cost us a victory which we scarcely deserved.

Let's not kid ourselves, some huge cracks were thinly papered over today. A moment of individual brilliance from Bellingham and a sliced kick from Eze that found Toney's head. Aside from that we were woeful in every department. Even when we got ahead in true Southgate style we dropped back and let Slovakia come at us which was a very stupid tactic especially after taking off Kane and Bellingham. We'll have to play loads better against a very good Swiss side and I don't have much confidence that this side managed by this negative coach can win that game. That performance was excruciating and unacceptable in every sense other than that we fluked a win.

Bednarek may not be one of the top centre backs in the Prem but I think he is good enough to more than hold his own and, of course has plenty of experience. He also played well for Poland in the Euros. Ok, we may need to bring in one more but Bednarek and THB are a good enough pairing in my book.

You mean you would have rather played Switzerland than Italy in the next round if we beat Slovakia?

Watching that match Italy reminded me so much of England under Southgate - they offered nothing and looked clueless. Can anyone really imagine England beating this Swiss side assuming we bumble through against Slovakia. Switzerland were everything England are not and we will need massive improvements all over the pitch just to make any sort of game of it.

How much money do you think we have offered McCarthy for a new 2 year contract? There'll be no more keepers coming after committing that amount to the overall salary bill.

It seems fairly clear that the club has decided McCarthy will be our number one keeper until Baz returns. I don't agree with it but he hasn't been given a new two year contract to sit on his ass.

We won't. He's not been given a 2 year deal on what is presumably a very good wage to warm our bench. He'll be number one pending the return of Super Baz.

So what happens if Macca picks up a bad injury in the opening match? We'd be left with Lumley and who exactly?