Badger

Definitely our sort of signing then. Completed just before the window closes, for Ralph to say if all goes well he should be training with the first team in February.

Yes, but like a shit one that doesn't work out....

Good. Perhaps AFCB will want to spend a bit from that on Obafemi.

Didn't we crock him in the game up there last season ?

Would have liked Schar when Fonte left. I read we tried only to have the price jacked up.

Fair point, and some of our signings from Europe have been questionable despite coming from fairly sizeable and impressive clubs, Hoedt, Lemina, and to a lesser extent Hojberg. Dilemna now though is whether a few hundred games in the UK at Championship level is enough for them to make the step up as we're unlikely to be able to afford a player with that experience at EPL level.

In a number of photos I've seen of Worrall he has a beard so doesn't this elevate him up the hipster scale ? Not sure if he has an arm full of tatoos though.

Unfortunately it has to be our main selling point but if it helps for a season or two then fine.

Including the 'probably sees himself as too good for us', and 'unlikely to sign' boxes. Trouble is that unless he (or others of his standard) signs this week we'll probably become less attractive after a drubbing v Man Utd when its clear what sort of season he'll be signing up to.

From what I've read Delaney has the experience and qualities at a price we should be able to afford.

Equally fair point of course, but our players do 'self-destruct' a great deal (something else the manager and club should look at).

I too can see him being an "obvious candidate", but we seldom go the 'obious' route. I thought his leaving was a "mutual consent", possibly realising the car crash of a season they'd had, not wanting the shame of being sacked on his CV, and realising the prospect of bringing them back up with the financial implications of relegation was slim. Although he did a fantastic job there originally I think he may have a name change by deed poll to Eddie Howe-Did-A- Fantastic-Job-At- Bournemouth in the same way as Curbishley did at Charlton. Remembered for that for evermore, but shit everywhere else. The last appointment we made from a manager in the Greater Poole/Sandbanks area was a disaster despite being 'local'. Although he might come to us, I fear he'll take the job due to location above all else. Given your location you probably know more about EH than I do, and will have studied his career and tactics more, but I'm not convinced.

Although I've little confidence in our coaching team I had hoped this summer might have been the time for a clean out but it hasn't happened and blame for that probably rests with RH not 'kicking up' about it, or identifying and looking to bring his own man in (as well as Richard K).

Perhaps that's why we've been keen to assemble ex-Chelsea youth players ! Not convinced by him personally.

Was there not an article/rumour that they'd had a falling out ?

For all this talk of a change in tactics and Benitez masterstroke the fact is we brought about our own downfall (AGAIN) by feeble and poor defending, Stephens slicing a clearance out for a corner, Salisu going to sleep combined with McCarthy not calling/organising his defence to clear. Conceding so early in the game handed them the initiative, keeping it at 0-1 for another 10/15 minutes might have frustrated them.

The figure mostly bandied about including the article SuperSaint posted is around £17m. How that is constructed though is unknown as the press and clubs only report the headline figure. Imagine Bologna will want the bulk up front, whereas we would prefer it structured like an old fashioned catalogue book purchase (for those old enough to remember their mum's having one) of minimum up front and the rest over 38 instalments.

Would it be right for us though ? He wasn't interested when we made an approach in January/February wanting to see if bigger things were available, and probably they will be. But if he was available to us are we looking for good signing with potential, or someone to fill the void and do the job now ?

Really ??? Don't recall that

Yes, ridiculous, what purpose does it serve ? Can't imagine how they dress at home !

Didn't it seem Armstrong was 'only one option' or had fallen down the pecking order at one point ? I'm not so against the idea of Phillips as we have often been calling out for the 'no nonsense' type of CB in the past and don't think he's as bad as many claim him to be, difficult though if only judging him on the VVD scale obviously and pace would be preferable but won't get everything for £15-17m. If we went for Phillips though would prefer a loan with an option to buy, leaving some funds for elsewhere (?) Think Phillips may have been a smokescreen, wouldn't surprise me if we brought someone else in from abroad that had previously been discounted. Wonder if we're still sniffing around Tomiyasu , although all reports still link him with spurs.

And the long term injury/potential treatment table box ...

Leicester have done very well at identifying targets but also reinvesting wisely on selling. We've just frittered it after the sale of VVD especially, and made a series of poor managerial choices after Koeman left. Until Ralph. Main difference betwenn Saints and LCFC for me has been the ownership, yours stable and ambitious, ours ... well, less said the better, wants to sell and can't. Agree about the need for experience around young players, something Lawrie used to do well years ago. As for the bit in bold, that's been our way for a few seasons now. Hoping Ralph can keep us going until we throw off some financial shackles of ridiculous wages, or new owners come in.

Do you see them as 'leaders' on the pitch ? Walcott and JWP tend to disappear at times you seldom saw that happen to Ball or Case. Romeu to some extent perhaps.

Delaney for me too, and I don't think the signing of his experience necessarily compromises the clubs policy of nurturing talent to sell. The three or four younger players will in my view develop better with an old head guiding them. Steve Williams acknowledged he wouldn't have developed so well without Alan Ball's influence on the pitch and in training, and if you go back to our exciting young team under Chris Nicholl involving the Wallaces, MLT, Dodd, and Shearer they had Jimmy Case pulling the strings. The alternative is to throw the youngsters in, and watch them wilt due to panic and self-doubt. False economy not to see the advantage of a couple of players who will develop those around them to fulfill their potential.