Saint Fan CaM

Hasn’t Fernandes expressed a preference to go abroad anyway? He’d flourish at a big Spanish club.

Ramsdale has gone to Newcastle. I’d imagine THB will find it hard to move to a club better than Saints while he’s still on the recovery table, so that might keep him here until the Jan sales. Dibs and Fernandes will go for the right price undoubtedly. What we’re left with is a losing machine.

As you recognise, it’s a PR exercise therefore as I’m a realist when it comes to such matters, my expectations regarding any outcomes from the event are low. In fact I’ve attended one of these events in the past and at a time when I had more belief in the people at the top table. That meeting was as useful as chocolate teapot back then too! Look, I do recognise everyone deserves the opportunity to attend these events if their heart desires - I’ve just learnt over the years that the best PR ‘stunt’ the club can pull off is putting out a decent team to win a good proportion of their games. That floats my boat.

It’s a pretty pointless exercise really, aimed at giving a few numpties the chance for a day out, to feel important and voice their opinions to a largely indifferent panel. Whatever is said will have no bearing on any policy, procedure or performance. Hopefully there’ll be fewer leading questions - the ones that get on my goat such as, “just how excited were you to see Downs score his first Saints goal?” or “just how pleased were you with the reception at the Spanish training camp?” or “just how determined are you to hit the ground running this season?”. And similar utter bollox.

Now I know you’re on a wind-up. Assuming Fernandes and Dibling go, the squad is significantly weaker than it was under Martin and it was pretty damned bleak before we sold every half decent player on the books! In my view all the wrong players have been sold and we’re left with the dross, meaning that even with a couple of decent new signings the squad for this coming season will likely struggle. Hope not - we’ll see.

Of course they do, but they were not all here at the same time and how many are likely to be here now? My contention is that recruitment is not just about bringing in new bodies - it’s about how the squad progressively develops and improves rather than stands still or worse still degrades over time. Perhaps it’s true - we are destined to be, at best, just another sad yo-yo club under SR’s leadership which isn’t the battling Saints FC many of us worshipped decades ago when we first started supporting our home team.

Looks like we’re pretty much on the same page - past mistakes not corrected…bloated squad of dross…insufficient signings of quality that don’t remain at the club long enough to really make a difference to the status quo. We’ve not seen decent recruitment since the days of Mané, Pelle, Tadic and Van Dyke. So far what has changed? Not a lot and on we go.

You’re really not seeing the big picture here are you? Money spent previously was largely wasted on low quality players that are still with us and so far, looks like they’re here to stay. The successes are leaving despite long contracts. Yes we might have some money to throw at new transfers, but some of the deadwood will have to go first - when will that happen as we’re only seeing decent players leave. And if and when the deadwood goes, what’s to say the better quality we’ve sold will be replaced or indeed improved on? The last 4-5 seasons transfers suggest the club tend to panic towards the end of the summer window and bring in low quality. Yes, we have Spors now and yes, Downs and Quarshie look like decent acquisitions, however the extensive and positive squad transformation some of us were hoping for looks a long way off right now.

Can’t wait. Let’s get the 0-9 out of the way early doors. 😉

I don’t view the loan deal as a great win for the club (how does that help us get a decent replacement?) and I certainly don’t relish the idea of the worst GK in English football being our no.1 this season. At the moment, with much of the deadwood still here and losing our best players, it’s easy to imagine another very underwhelming season ahead of us, even if we are in the Championship.

Agreed. And if most of them are still starting it’s far from being a lottery win right?

So you still don’t know. 🙄🤔

Where’s this gap coming from? Please set that out with reliable quotes from the club.

Great post. And may I add - what is the point of selling at even £50m+ if you can’t sign equal or better talent to replace him? If that’s not a definite then squad quality will be reduced and absolutely nothing gained except of course a healthier bank balance - fools gold if you miss out on promotion.

This is the stance that I find difficult to reconcile with. The squad last season was diabolically poor…arguably worse than teams in the top 6-8 of the Championship and would in my mind certainly struggle to compete at the top this coming season. Weakening the squad further will see the club fall well below the standard needed for the play-offs in my estimation, so significant strengthening was required to put us in with a chance of promotion.

You’re making some good obvious points of course. Proof of the pudding is in the eating. Assuming Rambo and Fernandes go, the overall quality of the squad is diminished substantially in my view. IF the four players you’ve mentioned are replaced with better players then yes, I too will feel more optimistic. However, we must remember that even if that scenario plays out, those players would not have had the benefit of a full pre-season and so may not be starters immediately. Also I’m not convinced there will be a lot of takers for the players mentioned and we’ll be stuck with them until their contracts run down (e.g. ABK).

Blimey, she’s been with you nearly as long as Stephens has been with Saints! Congratulations BTW.

My fears for the overall weakening of the squad are starting to come true - Fernandes leaving will seal it. Time left to bring in replacement talent I guess, but we’re talking SR levels of incompetence and previous form in panic buys. We’ve still got a lot of dross in the squad and other than perhaps Quarshie not a lot to feel optimistic about in terms of new signings. The prospect of Bazunu, Stephens and Manning starting against Wrexham leaves me feeling cold.

Bye Jan and good luck - thanks for your service, but it’s hardly been a joy to behold mostly. Please take Stephens with you so we can exorcise the last few years of decline.

Spertsyan is exactly the type of player the team is crying out for. The chances of signing him seem very, very slim, but if it happens then credit to Spors/Still - would be probably one of the best signings in the last 4 years. This also presumes Fernandes is retained so that overall squad quality is improved.

Anyone who thinks getting rid of our best players (e.g. Rambo and Fernandes) rather than losing the worst players (e.g. Stephens, Manning etc) is a delusional fool with half a brain. There, I said it and I fucking stand by it. #drunk

Not sure if that makes it better or worse to be honest! Actually it makes no difference - Captain Calamity managed to get himself on the team sheet again today even after that conversation, which clearly was not…“sorry Jack but you’re just too shit to be anything other than a sub”!

You’d think right? But that recent shot of Still, Spors, Stephens and the Asst Manager huddled in deep conversation after training tends to suggest to me that Stephens has the ear of the important people at the club and somehow will be a first pick on the team sheet regardless of the sanity of it.

It was posted a little tongue in cheek to be fair and I was largely reflecting on others reports as I didn’t watch the game myself, but the warning signs are undoubtedly there. I really don’t see anything at the moment that resembles a team pushing promotion or at least not the autos.

If Bazunu or McCarthy start ahead of Rambo - season over. If Manning starts ahead of Welington - season over. If Edward’s is started at RB ahead of Bree or Sugawara - season over. If Stephens is started over Any of our other CB’s - season over. If Spors doesn’t get a quality, starting attacking CM in - season over. If Still continues to play the same front 3 (AA/Archer/BBD/Fraser) over starting Downs - season over. I’ve maintained for some time that the majority of the shite from last season needed to be cleared out or we’d be looking at a mid-table finish. Looks like lessons have not been learned…maybe. Perhaps Still is now realising he’s going to have a very mediocre season if he isn’t very judicious in his team selections, including dropping his club Captain. The concern also is that we’re lower than mid-table come October-November and the club feel pressured to sack Still which will set us back even further.