S-Clarke

What exactly is a marquee signing anyway? Someone with a pretty name who has played at some big clubs?

Ignore the fee, take that away from it. We've signed a player who I feel is a perfect fit for us, in every way. He brings attributes we were lacking and he plays in a way which will compliment what we already have. I think he's a handful, very quick and will cause defenders a nightmare. He'll probably end up a fans favourite here.

What do you want, minute by minute updates? Our interest was first broke 48 hours ago, I'd suggest this is well on the natural course to being done.

He's a winger primarily, lots of pace, lots of skill and tricks. Saw him once as I have a friend who is a BHA fan, he's a moron too;) But a very talented player, bums on the edge of seats kind of player. Will be a very promising English addition. Better option and more potential than Redmond I feel. Don't expect him to be a regular this year, but he's got all the attributes to be a damn fine England player.

He's a real talent. Bags of skill and pace, exactly the sort of players I want us to be buying!

Welcome back Weston, always enjoyed your posts and insights about football...which is what this is all about at the end of the day! Glad to be heading back to the season where we can talk about tactics, shape....chances created etc. Not bloody money, finances and board issues!

Maybe, in essence, Tadier is the upgrade to Cork. Still a lot to prove though tbf, but he looks talented. Still would be a shame to lose a dependable PL player who is happy to stay here though, that's my main gripe.

First sentence I agree with, the rest is a load of over emotional guff.

Same, I think he's a perfect fit in terms of his attributes. Have to ignore the fee as it's way too much! But it adds depth and options up front for sure.

Needs to baulk himself up a bit, gets bullied off the ball by the powerful CM's in this league. As other's have said, technically he's superb but lacks a real presence to stamp his authority on the game. Maybe that's confidence and a lack of physicality in his game, but it's something which you have to say is holding him back right now - if he could sort that out, he'd be the complete player and would be in Liverpool's team next season.

This is what worries me, not so much the transfer as in context it makes sense....but we'll be a team of strangers next year, as we've already sold too many. It's a worry. Sunderland tried it last year and it was messy, and players like Giacarainni (sp) was actually seen as a pretty big coup for them at the time - but too many players signed at once can really upset the balance, and when you add that to too many players leaving at once it's kind of a recipe for disaster. I do hope we buck the trend here, but I fear we'll be watching a load of individuals for a few months whilst they bed in and who knows what state the league will be in by that time. We had it right before, evolving each position as we went - 3/4 signings a year, the first team player from last year then becomes back up and so on. Long gone are those days!

Nothing is ever completed that quickly, and what we see now is a world of twitter and the internet, where the start of any negotiations are leaked. So naturally it looks like it drags, but the entire process these days is out there in the media. In reality, we sign players at the same rate as other clubs.

What people continuously ignore here is that we have overpaid for premier league experience. By selling the entire team and all of our premiership experience, the board couldn't risk another foreign gamble - we have 1 already in Pelle, and obviously were burnt pretty badly by Osvaldo. We needed a striker who had played in the premier league and had done it before, although his goal tally doesn't excite, he has performed in the league we are in and offers much less of a risk in terms of him being a success. That almost instantly adds ££££ to his price tag.

None of those teams have sold their entire first team spine, though. There's tranisiton with the squad, and then there's a total gutting and rebuilding of a team. We're the latter.

GK i give you, stronger at the mo. But if Boruc does go, then we're in the same position. Defence still has the same glaring weakneses to be honest, no might about it! With Yoshida and Jos still hovering and an injury away from a first team slot, we still have weaknesses there. I have a positive feeling about Florin, but he'll need to go some to replicate Lovren's season here. Jury is out on the midfield. I wish people wouldn't throw all their eggs into one basket re: Gaston, we've been betting on this for the last 3 seasons and he fades away again. I hope he does a good job and actually contributes this year. Taider looks ok, but we'll have to see. Up front we've added a bit of depth for sure, but Lamberts all round game will be a struggle to replace and we'll miss Jay until he's back. A lot has to be said for team spirit and continuity in the squad as well, that's been ripped out. This will be mainly a team of strangers who play together next year, and I personally felt we had togetherness that a transfer fee couldn't replace. So I'd say we're currently weaker at this stage than we were at this stage last year.

But having so much change in one summer is a recipe for disaster to be honest.

We've spent £68m though, which makes it even more of a WTF summer. Can't quite work out where we've improved by spending £68m.

Saints are set to make this summer’s spending the most lavish in the club’s history as they aim to tie up deals for Shane Long and Florin Gardos. Quite depressing really, club will use that to say the ambition is still there, but compared to last year the squad looks pretty god damn average. We have the same weaknesses as last year.

Rodriguez is a better player than Welbeck, so I'd expect him to be sold for north of £20m. He won't be though, as clubs will get him at a snip next season due to his contract situation.

I think I saw this, and it's just been misinterpreted. Was along the lines of have you bought him off the back of 1 good season..etc.. so he justified it by saying he was also very good at Lyon, which to a degree is right. He's just saying that he was aware of him before Southampton and that he hasn't just been a 1 season wonder!

Does kind of show that fee's are incredible these days! What the hell has he ever done to warrant a fee at that level? He's a non-goal scoring striker. Wouldn't be too fussed if we missed out on him, but again, like with long, way, way over priced. Crazy and depressing market.

Unless you are a press person, why the hell would anyone bring a laptop to a football match? And tablets as well? Why? Just use your phone, or just watch the game...which is what you've paid to do! Wouldn't bother me a jot to be honest, I travel light to the football so the last thing I've ever wanted to do is lug around computer kit.

It's madness, let's be honest. After the total upheaval we've had, you at least try to keep the valuable members you had from last year. Some sort of continuity, just a bit. We're going to be a team of strangers. This smacks of Fitz Hall all over again.

Rigged draw ffs!!!!!

We're not even good enough to be on Sky's list of selected seeded sides. Doomed I tell you.