hypochondriac

Take your pick. To choose two at random, last year I'd have preferred Neto and Navas to Bazunu in goal.

I meant more than Pope. This question has been asked and answered a ton. Do you not think we coukd have signed anyone else? Did other teams around us make a gk signing in the summer and survive?

No he said he cost more than Bazunu which he did. Plenty of more experienced and better keepers we could have signed that weren't Bazunu.

Amem to that. The fullbacks can be entirely ineffective as far as I'm concerned as long as I'm entertained and we get some wins.

There's advantages and disadvantages to loads of formations and tactics. What we can say for definite is that last year despite the positives, the football was mostly awful and we stunk the place out. Far better to try something completely different even if we lose one of the only positive aspects which was the effectiveness of our attacking fullbacks.

I'd be quite disappointed if that was the striker charged with firing us to promotion given his injury record.

Personally I'm happy to give him a chance but we should buy another keeper now to challenge him or replace him if he proves himself not up to it. If we fail to do that then we are effectively stuck with the problem until January just as we were last year.

The Southampton first team gk position should not be the place for Bazunu to learn his trade. We want a reliable finished article or close to it in goal with a youngster with potential as backup. We won't do that but that's what we should do for definite.

Some good saves but then another error today. Not assuaging my fears about the season.

The one player? More than Alcaraz?

I'm surprised we haven't had more links for the likes of ABK, KWP, Sulemana, Adams etc. Not that I want them all to go but some of them will have to.

I think I'd be surprised if we didn't make the playoffs where anything can happen but automatic seems unlikely at the moment.

Personally I'd take a player who has proven they can work under our current manager and who is most recently in form over a player who performed in this league with different players and teams a few years ago and who has just been relegated and is out of form. I think there would be a noticeable difference.

Indeed you could. And in January I was excited for Onuachu and thought he could save us. Naive fool...

I think not bringing a new striker in before the start of the season would be a mistake and could cost us regardless of who goes.

If it is true how it is being reported, then I'm loving the fact that they are going on our terms. Despite relegation, the way negotiations are being handled - if true - is to be applauded. We are certainly not acting like your typical championship club who seems to acquiesce and have their bellies rubbed as soon as a big club come calling.

I completely agree. I actually think it's more likely if we do get promoted that we go up next year rather than this year because we simply haven't had enough time and there's been too much upheaval. Someone posted earlier in the summer about Burnley having a slow start but only losing a small amount of games all year (was it three?) I would say if we avoid too many early defeats if possible that will give us a good indication of if we're going to have a chance of automatic promotion or not this year. I reckon we will know fairly quickly.

Yes I agree the most likely outcome is that he goes but if we demonstrate that we're not getting pushed around then that's a great thing. If they want him this summer with his long contract it should be 40 million plus imo.

That's true but if Jones had been successful on the pitch we would have been loving his confidence and no nonsense attitude. I do like how Martin comes accross but it's not going to take much to find him intensely irritating if he doesn't get results.

Brilliant news from Adam. I thought the reported fee made no sense when we don't need to sell. I think he will still go but they will have to pay the proper amount. Let's hope we sell Lavia soon to remove some of the financial pressures.

Source?

Source?

The turd that won't flush.

Because that happens all the time. Why on earth would we be pushing Tino out the door for relatively small amounts when we have Lavia or JWP if it came to it that we could sell for double or more what we would end up with for Tino? Lots of players say something to the press and then when it comes down to it, money and prestige talks. Look at Jordan Henderson.

Because he hadn't yet shown he had quality in the Premier league? I'm guessing if he's off to Newcastle he would have been told he'd get a decent amount of game time this year with a view to replacing Trippier. Someone also said that Trippier could be utilised as a lb in the same way that kwp is or he does for Englan