S-Clarke

A lot is made of 'lightweight' and 'small' - but just look around at some of the best full backs, they're not all power houses are they? Jordi Alba is tiny, Lucas Digne isn't huge either. I don't think it's a position where you necessarily need to be a powerhouse, but you certainly need pace with the way we play (right back supporting the attacks). He has pace in abundance, reads the game very well and has an excellent low centre of gravity which enables him to wiggle out of tight spots. He's got all the natural tools of a modern day wing back to be honest.

For sure, Premier League could be our only chance really, if he's really keen on that. I just can't see it happening, not sure we have the money for it to be honest. We'd need to shift a few first and I'm not sure he's hanging around for that.

To be fair, Monaco can play the same game too. It's not a massively unique position, as there are plenty of clubs around the world which players can use as shop windows. Dortmund, Monaco, Ajax, RB Leipzig - far better options if one of those comes in for you, as you'll be in the shop window in major European competition. If Monaco are in for him then there is nothing we can offer really.

Selling Bednarek and keeping Vestergaard would be football suicide. That's why that won't happen, if anyone else leaves from the back 4 it's Vestergaard.

Southampton vice-chairman Les Reed said: "Guido represents a very exciting addition to our attacking options ahead of the final months of the season. "We are confident he will benefit us not only in the remainder of this campaign, but in the years to come."

They might as well have kept Eddie then. Maybe he ran because he saw what was coming? (sale, sale, sale and financial oblivion?) They'll be dawdling around L1/L2 in no time.

Yeah I think it is. Quite clear that Kevin De Bryune will win this though. There was uproar he didn't win the writers one!

Yeah it was Les who said that, and I believe it was also Les who likened him to Paul Scholes.

Other midfielders who would be perfect for a high tempo/counter press game: Sofyan Amrabat Konrad Laimer Yes, I've had spare time during lockdown to play FM.

Significantly different profile of player though. Reed is a smaller player, slower and not as strong. Mangala is a 6ft powerhouse really.

Weird. Maybe I'm ITK, I signed him on FM for my Southampton team. Looked for specific attributes which are good for midfielders deployed in a high press/counter pressing team, he came pretty high up on my affordable targets. Very good as well, for what it's worth. But back in the real world...

It's a balancing act which is quite simply impossible to get right for 100% of people, there will be unhappy folk and there's no getting away from that. Ballot is the way, how about excluding the 'winners' of the ballot from forthcoming ballots - so everyone gets a fair shot? I haven't renewed yet and I guess one of the reasons is because of the total unknown about how this will be managed - I'm not sure I can fork out all of that upfront, not knowing what games I'll be able to go to and then wait for potential refunds if they come my way etc. Hopefully we get some clarification in the coming weeks, as I think deadline is first of Sept for renewals.

I reckon it'll be what was reported by someone a few days ago - 18-20m guaranteed, rest in add-on's. Hopefully realistic ones. 8m guaranteed for KWP is my hunch, with the rest in add-ons. Not a bad deal for either all being told. Should break us even in the transfer funds. Will need to sell further before we can buy anymore unfortunately.

I'd heard so many good things about them, so I started watching them from their Stoke away game.....and if i'm truly honest, they have looked utter dross in pretty much most games since then! To me it looks like they're full of bottle jobs, when the pressure was really on they had no one who stepped up and got them over the line. West Brom kinda went up by default in the end, they should be nailed for 19th or 20th next season, horrific side. I think Brentford will be picked apart though - they've clearly got good players, I just think I watched them at a bad time! I think Watkins would be a good fit for a club like Villa.

Working really well today, as fast as it's ever been, nice work!

I reckon we'll see KWP, Salisu - new contracts for JWP, Bertrand announced....and then we'll settle with what we have, but keep an eye on the market - that's my hunch. Any other additions are going to rest solely on our ability to shift Lemina, Vestergaard, Carillo, Hoedt, Boufal etc on permanent deals. So, we may have some money in the bank come the end of the window! We'll have to see what happens...

Not 606 is decent too - https://www.not606.com/forums/southampton.62/ I've always used that as well, got a decent following on there.

Good point, so...maybe 13m to play with? Or we could say we're totally broke even with the Salisu transfer. Would need to shift the likes of Lemina, Hoedt, Carillo and co for fee's before we get anyone else, I imagine.

So potentially 8m for Reed, £15m for PEH. (they both sound like up front fee's as well, so available to us straight away) £23m to put towards a new midfielder? Should get us McKennie I'd have thought.

Agreed, if that's what it came to! This is pretty unusable bar a few days a week. Painful again this morning, not as bad, but just about 20-30 seconds to just open a thread. It's not like it's peak time or anything, I wouldn't even attempt to use this after a match these days.

It's not confirmed yet!

He played LB in the first half, less said about that the better! 2nd half we improved, but he still slowed us down I felt (lots of sideways and backwards, little penetration). I guess in a way that's not really his role, but you'd hope he could do a slightly better job of it.

I agree, it's pretty unusable. Might as well just put a holding page up until the fault is fixed - as someone mentioned above.

Great, Fulham score. They've come to kill this game and they've achieved it so far. Don't want these sort of sides in the top league.

Brentford haven't really turned up tonight unfortunately. Fulham have setup to nullify their 3 attackers, the game will open up in the 2nd half hopefully...that should suit Brentford