tajjuk

Not exactly related but noticed we were advertising season tickets on Sky yesterday

Probably favours a European move over Borough, especially if Sevilla is an option.

Austin seems to have gone according to Sky past a medical and fee believed to be around £4 million. So that is probably at least £50k a week just freed up from the wage bill. Come on Saints 3 hours to go, a cheeky last minute signing of DM would do.

Didn't he say one?

He was only £4 million, scored some important goals, generally put in a shift I thought and seems a genuinely well liked guy in the squad. Don't get the hate he seems to get, we all hoped he'd be better and maybe recapture his form he showed for QPR but for whatever reason that didn't happen. But I mean compare him to some of are other transfers hardly a disaster and we might even make a profit from him today if it's a permanent.

Do we need a back 3 vs Burnley, they are likely to play two centre forwards, most likely 2 from Wood, Barnes and Jay Rod, none of whom are particularly quick or tricky, they are the kind of battling centre-forwards that Bednerak and Vestergaard are more suited to facing IMO. Plus they are likely to play two in midfield so having 3 in there for us would allow us to control the game better. Personally I expect our formations to be over the season 4-3-3, the 3-5-2 and the 4-2-2-2 on a 'horses for courses' nature depending who were are playing. IIRC it was been mentioned about how hard they are working to be able to play all shapes and transition between them during games. So on that basis I'd go - Gunn Valery, Bednerak, Vestergaard, Bertrand Romeu JWP Hojberg Adams, Ings, Redmond.

Is he a DM? Isn't he really more a playmaker and from what I remember isn't he fairly slight?

Yeh Sky sports seems to think limited options, but we simply don't seem to do these deals. Aside McCarthy and Carillo who was the last player over about 25 we signed?

Yeh I think that would be a good signing. We know how good he can be. Also Man City are apparently willing to let Mangala leave for a free, worth a shot IMO.

The annoying thing is, with the European window as it is, after today we might still lose players and the squad just gets weaker without any ability to improve it until January. Like at least it would be good to draw a line in the sand today and think that Ralph might be able to get more out of say Boufal, Hoedt and Cedric than the last few managers have, but for pretty much another month we'll have speculations over these players. Hell even maybe getting Lemina into the fold and making more use out of him.

Whilst it is good news, it does seem a bit of deadline day PR to cover the lack of signings.

Also apparently Bristol City. So yeh seems we might see a few outs to British clubs but no ins.

West Brom in for Austin apparently.

Well they have apparently given up on Doucure for like £39 million so he might be their back up plan.

We aren't signing anyone at the moment, but at least we aren't signing players like McCarthy, Drinkwater, & Wellbeck. Also Leeds have signed a keeper so rules them out of signing Forster.

Everton seem to be trying to buy everyone, links today with Zaha, Smalling, Doucure, Iwobi

He is usually having to do that because someone around him has mucked up.

I'd presume we would have to source someone from a lesser league that we'd hope would make a step up, much like Bednarek, and Van Dijk etc. I like Bednerak a lot, seems to be always improving and is only 23.

Well possibly Saints feel English clubs might let him down, the last few players we have loaned to championship clubs, Sims at Reading and Gallagher at Birmingham, both clubs seemed to go through a lot of turmoil changing managers etc. and the players were in and out of the team. So maybe moving to the US he'll be considered more of a key player and will have a steadier time and thus has a chance to improve in settled surroundings. Yeh agree we are well stocked in those positions.

I don't see much issue with this, a massive club and moving back to his home country. Plus who is to say he even liked being an assistant manager, he was an analyst before at Leipzig, maybe he enjoys that side more than having to deal with the players. who knows. But its a giant leap to suggest this is some sort of bad sign, looks like a very personal move to me. Plus I am sure we will eventually get a replacement, but considering Ralph's way of working and how demanding he is, I expect finding the right person might take a while.

Dybala is more a number 10 than an out and out striker. I presume he is more going to play off Kane, probably along with Ali or Son The fee is much lower than you'd expect for a player like him though, £69 million seems pretty cheap in the current market.

40 million Euros for a player out of contract in 12 months time AND they are loaning him back, that is some deal. They can literally wait 6 months and offer him terms to sign for free.

To be fair its only evolved into that over the last season or so, largely through the mismanagement of Arsenal, Utd and Chelsea who have all fallen so far away from a title challenge. There have still been 4 different PL Champions over the last 10 years, compared to what Juve winning the last 7 Serie As, 7 in a row for Bayern in the Bundesliga, Barca winning 4 out of the last 5 titles in La Liga, and PSG winning 6 out of the last 7 in France. But I agree on the last bit, what he big 5/6 don't get and the media that fawns over them constantly is the reason the PL is so successful world wide is because the rest of the league, historically has been strong and anyone can beat anyone. If it becomes a progression of the same 1/2 teams challenging with ease and lesser teams getting thumped every week that Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga are like then the appeal will drop a lot and the money bubble bursts. The more they keep pushing to have their advantages increased, the more long term they will hurt the league's appeal.

Lot's of clubs are looking for a centre-back that is the problem, with Maguire gone Leicester are looking for one, as are Arsenal, looking at links as are Newcastle. If we do get one, I'd reckon its going to be someone who is a bit of a gamble.

I think Bowen would a great signing but we are well stocked in this area and need funds elsewhere. But I am surprised no one else has picked him up, especially as he only has 12 months on his contract left I think.