goodymatt

Will there be streams for tonight’s game? Is the online radio blackout we had for Shef Weds still a thing?

Wonder who the player in question was? Reads like we have a £10k fine but the 6 month Academy transfer ban is suspended, so if we do no wrong over the next 12 months that ban doesn’t actually ever come into effect?

So everyone is fit and available barring Larios and Tino, who are back in training but are yet to do ‘significant’ work. Nice to see KWP back fit and hopefully Lavia can stay fit, both so important.

ACL now confirmed 😔

Athletic reporter said on the latest Total Saints Podcast that we are ideally looking to add a striker and a number 10/winger in January. I think we’d all agree that’s what we need. Cover for Lavia is the only other big gap I see.

Just because we explored multiple candidates doesn’t mean that Nathan Jones wasn’t first choice. Jones let slip in an interview that he was watching the Newcastle game with his saints supporting father in law telling him what to do ‘when he went in’. Ralph wasn’t even sacked yet. Pretty sure a poster on here suggested we had also contacted Nathan Jones in the summer. Seems clear that we have been looking since the summer and it makes sense to explore various options. Doesn’t mean for sure that the Torino guy was first choice just because he was contacted. We also liked the guy Brighton appointed according to the Athletic. Long term interest in Cooper at Forest as well. Speed of appointment and Rasmus metrics all point to Nathan Jones being the one they wanted once they finally decided to sack Ralph.

I know Liverpool had the game pretty much won by HT but that second half showing was encouraging. If what Pilchards says is true and the players are in a more positive place then I’m looking forward to seeing how that translates on the pitch in this winnable run of fixtures. Like many, he’s not the guy I would have chosen. Willing to give him a chance as the signs from Liverpool 2nd half and player feedback are good early signs. I think by the end of January we will know if he’s making the necessary impact and if we have brought in that much needed striker. I’m nervous but cautiously optimistic we can turn this around.

I think he signed a new 6 year deal in the summer with Chelsea. I’d assume on wages higher than we would have offered. So you’d imagine financially he’s pretty well protected. He showed some moments for us that made you think he’s going to be a big player and I really hope, whatever the injury, that it doesn’t limit him reaching his potential. Would be very surprised if it isn’t an ACL, does seem to have all the hallmarks.

We hope Tino will be too 🤞

Sad news for Broja, looks like he’s done his ACL here. Horrible bad luck.

Not sure if this has been covered as the news is a couple of days old, but I hope we’ve not called up another keeper to this tour due to any injuries?

Won’t be Broja (boat had already sailed, I know), looks likely he’s done his ACL. Like Tino just seems to get his studs caught, horrible bad luck.

Matheus Martins who we were linked with is signing for Watford (well Udinese and then loaned to Watford).

In Matheus news, looks like Wolves are signing Matheus Cunha from Atletico Madrid. Along with 33yo CB Felipe. Cunha looks a decent signing. Patiently waiting for some Saints links that aren’t Ryan Fraser…

Seems we weren’t much of a pull 4 months ago, as the supposed 2 high profile signings didn’t happen. By January May not be in the relegation zone either.

Doesn’t stop that feeling that we had agreed personal terms with a player that would have solved our attacking problems and kept us up no trouble. Missing out was a huge blow but I guess it was always a long shot with bigger clubs and wages in the mix. I hope we have someone decent lined up to save the day in January.

Ah yes that is the Matheus we were linked with before, I think it was then reported he was in talks with Udinese. Perhaps our transfer strategy is to sign a Matheus, any Matheus 😂

Isn’t this a player we were linked to a while back? Could we be one of these 2 PL clubs?

Are we confident that these deals will go ahead? Not sure if you know but it would be great to understand if these 2 are lined up to sign early Jan or if we are just in the race for them like we were with Broja and Gakpo. Appreciate the snippet provided and fair enough if you can’t elaborate any further on certainty, thought it was worth an ask! On a side note, bringing in 2 strikers would surely spell the end for Adam Armstrong and Theo. Might even mean we look to loan out Mara.

With both of those players I think value was the main driver. Both were significantly less than their previous valuations. Marseille signed DCC for £17m, we paid £8.5m. Aribo was so cheap it was a no brainer to bring him in. When it comes to our goalscoring salvation I don’t see us spending £25-30m on a player that might decrease in value. It would be the biggest transfer fee in our history and our model would need that player to increase in value like Broja/Gakpo. Sadly it won’t be either of those players now. In the real world, relegation is of course more expensive than buying a striker at his peak and losing money on him when he’s over the hill. However the summer window and even our recent managerial appointment shows that SR like to think outside of the box. We MUST sign a clinical goalscorer and I’m very intrigued to find out who that’s going to be. We wait.

Interesting read and thanks for sharing. Confirms we formally approached them over the weekend so he absolutely was our first choice. I guess the speed of appointment already told us that. Luton having the weekend knowing it was coming also might suggest Ralph was gone regardless of Newcastle result, as per the Athletic’s view? Also interesting that the leaks of the news were south coast related, not Luton as we had rumoured on here. Something we are getting used to since SR got involved. I guess that leaking to the media is ok when we know we are appointing someone but the Ralph rumours all season hasn’t been a good look. Definitely sounds like we’ve been after Jones for some time and had agreed that the World Cup break was fair for us and Luton to manage the change best. Just a shame we’ve wasted so many points in the interim. It’s encouraging that we’ve gone and got our fist choice but it remains a high risk approach.

Perhaps he’s been in talks (informally) with Saints for a month?

Mixed bag yesterday. Awful positioning for their first goal (his feet movement in opposite directions has cost us a few goals this season e.g. Wolves) but he then made 2 excellent saves later on. The one where he dived across and stopped Salah finishing was an incredible full stretch save tbf

We haven’t really shown that 5 at the back can work other than one half at Arsenal. Think it will be a long afternoon, as always at Anfield these days for us and many teams.