Rebel

I thought we bought Wanyama so we could play 3 in the midfield - Cork sitting in front of the back 4 and Morgan and Victor pressing forward Cork and Morgan were probably our two best payers last season - it worries me if we're going to split them up - they were superb as our double pivot Lambert's best position is in the hole behind another striker - but if we are going to play 4-3-3 he doesn't really fit in to the team - he lacks the pace and mobility you need to lead the line - unless he's going to play as basically a false number 9 - relying on the two wide forwards to get into the box If we play Fox and Hooiveld at the back I expect us to lose - teams targeted Fox as the weak link in the Championship - what do you think they'll do in the Premiership

If Shaw's injured for than a couple of weeks we're going to need a first choice left back too

I'm not convinced that we were actually looking at Osvaldo - there's an interview with Pochettino where he says we have not made an offer for him and are not interested Reading between the lines we seem to be looking for a striker between the ages of 20 and 25 - ideally 21-24 - with the perfect age being 23. Old enough to make a difference but young enough to get better It also seems we want someone big enough, strong enough and fast enough to lead the line - with Rickie playing as a second striker. Leandro Damiao seems to be the perfect fit for this role - hence our undoubted interest - but it looks to be a complete no goer Personally I think Rodriguez has the ability to play this role - but can also play on the left or right of a front 3 Rondon from Rubin Kazan would fit the profile we seem to be after - and at 23 is the right age - and I think has said he wants to leave Rubin Kazan. He's also played in Spain for Malaga and and in the champions league which ticks more boxes. Rodrigo Moreno Machado - the Spanish Brazilian who plays for Benfica and has a great scoring record for the Spanish U21 side and seems to be able to play across the front 3 - would be another worth considering - that's if Benfica would sell. There are some good articles on strikers Villa should have looked at to replace Benteke if they sold him - which is the same type of striker as we should be looking at - here: http://www.cartilagefreecaptain.com/2013/7/16/4526508/striking-prospects http://www.7500toholte.com/2013/7/17/4531484/transfer-rumour-christian-benteke-finnbogason-castaignos-hosnier http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/astonvilla/id/877?cc=5901 Of that lot Alfred Finnbogason, Luc Castaignos, John Guidetti and Philipp Hosnier look to be the pick of the bunch Gonzalo Bueno might also be worth taking another look at - he can also play across the front 3 and you never know he might help us get the best out of fellow Uruguayan Ramirez Mattia Destro from Roma would be another worth taking a look at - although if we were going to sign a player from Roma rather than Osvaldo or Destro I'd love to see us sign Erik Lamela to play wide on the right or left of a front three Add Antoine Griezmann from Real Sociedad to play on the left and Damiao to lead the line and with Lamela I think we'd have an awesome front 3 - we can all dream can't we!?!

Not a bad shout - right age at 23 Others to add to the list of young strikers with potential we could take a look at are Luc Castaignos and John Guidetti

I agree that it's not over until the fat lady sings - and the transfer window has not yet closed - but I can't say that so far the transfer window for Saints has played out like I thought it would - or anything like it really. I wasn't expecting a landmark signing like Leandro Damiao to be honest - but I was expecting a bright young thing or two from South America - and one or two bargains from Spain based on Pochettino's contacts a d experience. I was also hoping we'd sign a few rising stars from the Championship (Charlie Austin, Kieran Trippier, Martin Olsson, Henri Lansbury for example) I was expecting to see players like Fox, Guly, Mayuka, Tandanari, Sharp, Hammond, Hooiveld and Fonte moved on and replaced by younger and better players to give us more depth in the squad. I wasn't expecting to see Forren sold back to the club we bought him from for a pittance (we signed Forren and Liverpool Coutinho - the scouters must be laughing at that one) I was expecting to see a new left back, another holding midfielder, a right winger, one if not two new centrebacks and a least one new striker. So far I think I'd give the club a C- in the transfer window. i cant say that ive been thrilled by the signing of Victor Wanyama from Celtic or Dejan Lovren from Lyon. Although I have a feeling we overpaid for both. It's on record that Lyon and Lovren wanted shot of each other - and last season he went from bright young thing to dismal failure. And I am yet to be convinced by any signing from Scottish Football after the terrible failures of Neil McCann and Rudi Skacel in the Championship - not too mention Strachan's clan at Middlesbrough. Did we really pay £12 million for a player from the equivalent of League One? It seems an awful lot to me - far too much if I'm honest. I'll admit it I would rather have signed Banega and Astori. It looks like we've been aiming too high and missing our targets - but also missing out on those those players we could have signed as well. Swansea, Norwich, Liverpool, Fulham have all taken 2 or 3 steps forward this summer already - whereas it seems we're standing still at the moment. Maybe I'm wrong and will end up signing one or two big names before the end of the window - but I have a feeling we'll end up with another Mayuka and Forren in a last minute panic. At the moment with a few injuries we'll look like a struggling team.

Rickie is more of a second striker than a centre forward anyway - he's better with someone playing in front of him so he can drop deep or go wide to pick up the ball and make the play. Lambert's best games were always those when he had Connolly, Barnard or Sharp playing in front if him so he could find the space in he hole for the shot, drift to he back post for the header or make the killer through pass for the assist. If we don't sign mother striker I'd expect us to start this season with Rodriguez leading the line in a 4-2-3-1 using his pace and movement across the front - with Ramirez in the hole flanked by Lallana and Puncheon - or as the central striker in a 4-3-3 with Ramirez and Lallana alongside him and Cork as the holding midfielder with Morgan and Wanyama pressing and driving forward. Lambert will be our Plan B when we need to go more direct or use the long ball - using him as the second striker to recieve the ball from the back and link the play

http://fansonline.net/portsmouth/mb/view.php?id=506828 Blimey - they really want us to go up ****e creek without a paddle just like them don't they! They can't convince themselves enough that the Liebherrs are 'dodgy owners' just like the succession of them they had down there at Nottarf Krap! But they seem just as intent to ignore the big differences between the two clubs - we have a great academy producing young players for the first team, we have a fantastic training ground, a modern 32,500 seater stadium owned outright by the club and a fanbase capable of filling that stadium for more than just the big games. So we'll never be as up ****e creek as they are now!

That's a shame - he's better than Bournemouth If they are not careful Bournemouth are going to have more Saints fans playing for them than Southampton

Sod Pablo Osvaldo - we should go after Erik Lamela from Roma instead

They will indeed - I meant Jesus Gamez - it's these bloody Christian names - they is all the bloody same!

Kieran Trippier? Jesus Navas? Martin Montoya at Barca can play left and right back! It could well be Peruzzi though.

If he does join Saints i have a feeling it will be to replace Gaston Ramirez. They're not quite the same type of player but Banega would probably fit better with the. 4-3-3 pressing style of football we seem to be looking to play. Unfortunately in this system both Lambert and Gastom seem to be the odd ones out.

I fully expect Jay Rodriguez to start the season as our main striker

Doing it is one thing but you've got to be really stupid to post a video of it that's for sure - it's probably going to cost the contractors a lot of money and quite possibly some jobs - and maybe not just dum and summer

Reading between the lines we're going to play 4-3-3 this coming season with 3 central midfielders, 2 wide forwards and one striker. It means we're going to need someone much more mobile than Lambert to lead the line. I can see us starting with Rodriguez in the middle if that's the case and someone else wide on the left.

To think we got Forren and and Liverpool got Coutinho - I think they got the better off us there don't you Mind you I didn't think Coutinho was all that when he played against us at St Mary's - apart from the goal - but everybody else seems to be raving about him now

Now Astori - Lovren as a centre back pairing has a certain ring to it Sounds like a cheap fizzy wine!

Hair today. Gone tomorrow

Well I'm guessing he is trying to hint it's Erik Lamela! Sheesh = kebab = Lamb = Lam Fab Lolly= ???? Estrella = La But then it's hot outside and I've been out in the Sun. Not to sure of he secret code though. We have been linked with him on rumours sites and in the Italian press and he is valued at £24 million or so by all accounts. I still find it hard to believe though.

If they do Norwich will have had a good transfer window so far. All they need now is another striker - Hooper probably - and they will have had a great summer. Swansea look to be having the same. So far I'm a little bit disappointed with Saints this summer - same crap sponsor, bad expensive home kit, and a lack of signings. Can't say that the possible signing of Wanyama is exactly wowing me either. Banega would do i think though - and Naingollan probably too. Signing Damiao would probably mean I'd need to go for a lie down in a darkened room. I'd put a £12 million bid in for Rodwell at Man City over Wanyama. Mind you none of them seem to want to come here!

I think it will be Yoshida who parners Lovren with Fonte fighting Forren for a place on the bench - and Hooiveld will be moved on before the summers end.

Maybe it's because we are after Antoine Griezmann

At least it's got a Brazilian restaurant now!

I have a feeling you might be right on that one - he wanted out of Lyon and Lyon wanted rid of him. Any idea who the first 3 choices for centre back were? I am guessing Astori, Victor Ruiz and Hector Moreno if rumours were to be believed.

Marc Muniesa and Erik Pieters are great signings by Stoke - although one is a centre back who can play left back and the others a left back who can play centre back I'd have been very happy with either of those signings