Rebel

I would have kept Robinson, but I think Dobbin has been brought in to provide competition and cover at LW, 10 and RW and I think the plan is for Akachukwu is to provide cover on the left as well. So I am not sure Robinson would have got the game time needed to develop with Fellows and Matsuki covering the right wing as well. I still think the plan is to move on Edozie and BBD though. I thought of Larin and Steward as one fit striker between them really - so we desperately need to add a first choice striker that fits the physical centre forward model. Oyekunle will be great a 3rd choice cover and Larin as the second striker but we need a first choice goal scorer. Archer doesn't fit the way we play and I think we will move him on. And Downs just doesn't have it in terms of physicality or technique. A loan to the Bundesliga 2 seems most likely.

I'd be happy if Saints bring Ross Stewart back- but even if they do I fully expect them to sign another younger striker - just not at £14M. Don't forget we still have Oyekunle, Brereton-Diza, Damian Downs and Archer on the books as well. But I fully expect Archer and BBD to leave permanently and Downs to go on loan to the Bundesliga 2 or the US at the very least and a younger striker signed with Oyekunle being given game time as well.

Is it just me that thinks that even if Ross Stewart signs back-on with Saints we need another centre forward? With the age and injury records of Stewart and Larin I almost think of them as one player - I am not sure either can play a full 90 mins week in week out - even more so when its Tuesday - Saturday - Tuesday - Saturday. We need a young player like Will Lankshear in addition to Larin and Stewart to give us the strength and depth upfront to last season out.

would anyone swap one of Manning or Welington for Target on a free?

I would be a bit worried about the forward / striker position unless the new striker we sign is very good and a guaranteed starter. I am not convinced Archer will score a lot of goals on our team unless we change the way we play, And at 31 Larin is bit too old to play 90 mins week in week out. That's partly why rotating him with Steward got the best out of them both. Even if we manage to keep Stewart I would still want a new No. 9 to give us real depth at centre forward - another physical presence. I am expecting us to sell and replace Archer and Edozie if I am honest.

I wonder if we will make a move for some of the players we were linked with last summer like Dejan Zukic to provide cover for AZAZ at number 10. We were supposedly looking at Lucas Cepeda on the left to replace Edozie if we sold him last summer - maybe that will happen this summer. We were also rumoured to looking at Besfort Zeneli as an alternative to Jander in midfield. Could we take another look if Jander leaves this summer. Both Zeneli and Cepeda moved in January though - and seemingly have done well at their new clubs.

I would think the only way we would sign JWP is on loan if West Ham cover half his wages for the final year of his contract. But I can see him ending up at Everton or Fulham to give them midfield depth on that deal. People forget JWP started as a AM/CM playing on the right of a midfield 3 or on the right of the 3 behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1. He was more than capable of putting in the killer through ball /pass or cross from the right- and had a good engine. Ralph then turned him into a DM/CM in the 4-2-2-2 but it only worked when he played alongside someone more physical like Romeu -but for a time he was great there. Like a lot of our players he lost his way under a succession of bad managers. But then he left because we needed the money more than anything else. I'd be OK with him coming back but I am not sure where he'd fit in our current 4-2-3-1 as a first choice.

How about that Brazilian striker from Goztepe - Juan or something like that I think it is? Apparently he's only valued at £12-15M - they got him from somewhere for a real steal. He's been banging them in. Salech from Cardiff -but he might be expensive now - and there may be issues with Peretz being Israeli as Salech has a Palestinian background I think. Should have bought him instead of Downs. Kaspar Hogh - or is he too highly rated for the Championship now? Using the Serbian connection how about Jovan Milosevic from Werder Bremen?

Kaspar Hogh anyone? Or is he heading for a higher level than the Championship now?

How about that Brazilian striker from Goztepe - Juan or something like that I think it is? Apparently he's only valued at £12-15M - they got him from somewhere for a real steal. Whilst were at it their goalkeeper Mateus Liz would make a great back-up to Peretz along with Ollie Wright. They got him cheap somewhere as well.

Salech would have been a good buy last summer when Cardiff went down instead of going for Damian Downs. Now I am not sure if the 'team dynamics' would work with him being Palestinian I think - and Peretz being Israeli. It might be a non-issue but its certainly something that should be considered. In a perfect world it wouldn't matter.

with a year left on his contract I think we are more likely to see Manning leave than Welington. I can see a club like Leeds who play wingbacks signing Manning to add some cover and depth at leftback/wingback. I'd be more than happy with Targett and Welington at left back - we would be better defensively and probably just about the same if not slightly better going forwards Saying that I'd be happy if we kept both Manning and Welington and signed no one else for that position. Targett is out of contract at Newcastle - but they have an option on another year - but I think they want rid of him. So he could be available on a free. I can see him signing on permanently at Boro. But I would l would be happy to bring him home on a free - plus it would piss Boro off 🙂

Scott Parker has new West Ham manager written all over him if they get relegated. Same with Liam Rosenoir and Burnley. If Johannes Spors is still involved I can see us going for Matthias Jaissle - whether he'd come or not is a different matter.

Manning has a year left on his contract so I expect he will go. Smallbone is out of contract but I think we have an option on another year - but I think Millwall will make his mov permanent for a small fee. Stewart is out of contract but we have an option on another year - so hopefully he will stay. Azaz is supposedly on 50K a week - so I think we will need to move him on - and he wants to play in the Premier League.

Tonda has to go - for one thing I expect he will get a suspension from football for at least a year - along with anyone else that was directly involved in the spying/cheating or new about it. For another I think the relationship between the players and Tonda is probably broken beyound repair - although most of them will leave. But more importantly I think the trust or support of the fans in Tonda has completely gone.