Badger

This doesn't fill me with confidence either. https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/08/05/southampton-giorgios-giakoumakis/ But it does seem that other clubs are now forming a queue to flog us a striker.

And equally unproven in the premier league. You might of course be right but several strikers have made the step up from the Championship.

Of those, only KWP has featured regularly, so it's too early to judge on the other two. As for the scouting and recruitment though, (including getting deals over the line) I think KWP was probably our third choice rb after previous attempts to sign Maehle (who was playing on the right at his previous club), and Zeefuik. Diallo also seemed second option to Sangarre (think that was his name). So while we seem to identify targets, signing them remains another matter.

There are many reasons to feel disillusioned about Premier League football, and also how SFC has been run in the past few years. Selling a bloke with a dodgy knee and poor injury record, aged 29, in the last year of his contract isn't one of them though.

He's not the messiah...

Credit to Villa though where it's due, they have made a good offer without pissing about. Rather Ings goes like this than after a month of haggling and deisory bids teasing it out (Mr Levy). Thanks for the one good season Danny, hope the treatment room is to your liking for two of your three years at Villa.

Depending on amount set, if it's simply that Chelsea have first option then fine, but if it's £15-20m then it isn't.

I thought he was out of contract in which case we only pay a development fee, but others may know different or better.

My concern over Delaney is that he appears good mates with Vestergaard, so on asking his buddy about SFC he might be told "oh, yeh, it's really great, you'll love it there. But it's so good I'm looking to fuck off somewhere else ...". As for LIvramento, whatever else he'll be a lot closer to a call up to the EPL with us than he would in the next decade at Chelsea.

Why ? Thought he looked good in the Euro's and would bring some tenacity and experience to us. Potentially a good signing if true, but another 'one for the future', or back up for KWP now ?

Only place I've seen him linked is on here, so don't get your hopes up.

Not so sure the loan fee would have been the issue so much as the wages if reports are true. Possibly the spend or possibly the dressing room effect of having a 'back up' earning close to, or even more than, some of our established first teamers. Whether this is right or not will be shown by what we do as an alternative. If that £2m is put to a good permanent signing then fine, if we start the season without adequate back up for FB's (Valery and Djenpo) then it might prove to be 'penny wise and pound foolish' (as one of my older relatives used to say).

West Ham and Norwich before he joined Saints.

Pleased for him, hope they go on to win it.

Slight tangent, but isn't that 'Woy' bottom right above the Barcelona players ? Another example of a manager without a distinguished playing career, although he obviously later moved in some more elevated circles.

Might depend on any agreement we have with him for bids over a specified amount. Even without any clauses though this is Saints we're talking of, not sure if the current set up (Semmens, Crocker, whoever) have the resolve to brazen it out and get a good deal. In my view it should be upwards of £50m given the likely transfer market this summer and amounts touted (someone else made a good point about Buendia at £33m) but suspect Saints board will cave in at £35/40m leaving little time to replace.

Rather like Boufal we will recall his one or two good games over a season or two in assessing him and whether he warrants a new contract or not. I suspect this thread will still be running, or another one of similar title with the same question posed, this time next year.

Couldn't fault him for wanting to join a club showing ambition (such as Villa) rather than staying at our rudderless ship. But I'll regard him a c^nt if he goes to Tottenham.

Ralph relying on the recruitment team getting deals done. Having options we're interested in is a long way from getting the deals signed and sealed. Anyone know who is responsible for closing deals now ? An area we seem to fall short in for whatever reason.

Not sure you can read too much into this, the Cardiff match was before the story of the Villa bid was leaked, or made it to the press/media, but we don't really know when the (presumably first) bid was made. It's still quite possible that there have been some rumblings/discussions in the background involving JWP/ his agent and the club. The other unknown in all this is anything in JWP's contract regarding releasing him, or notifying of any bids.

Have either shown enough to warrant a contract extension ?

In which case it will depend on whether we , Watford, or another are better placed at the time to afford him ie who we have sold by then.

Surely Ralph has seen enough of him to know he's crap and has to be sent off out on loan again, assuming no one wants to buy him

Defensive coach ?? FFS - I thought your post was a piss take but have now seen the other thread. Must be a place for Ali Dia somewhere, fitness or strikers coach.

See he took the ball away from someone wearing our No9 shirt reasonably easily at 0.31, was that Nlundulu ?