Saint Fan CaM

For such a crucial position and for a 1st team starting player proven in the system, you’d have to say £15m is reasonable and not unexpected. Clearly negotiations need to be conducted but not getting Downes over the line will severely dent our chances of staying up.

That’ll be a really crap deal if true, but probably inevitable. Difficult to argue Downes is not highly effective for RM’s system and so I guess hands are tied.

Glad that there’s a mutually beneficial deal in place to move him on, but I for one thought he brought some steel and passion to an otherwise crap season. Good luck to the guy.

And much in the same way Manning was signed to appease RM. Bree may not be the answer, but that means Manning is even less so IMO.

And yet Bree was better than Manning in my opinion (in fact better than a number other players), however there’s every chance he gets to play under RM?

Nice, but would much prefer a black collar and sleeve ends.

Very, very cringe, but it’s sold so someone fell for it!

The article seems to imply that he had a good season at Mainz which has obviously put him on the radar and raised his stock (price). Seems a very Saintsy signing.

Yes write off as far as an EPL team is concerned. He’s crocked and by the time he’s ready to make any form of comeback (if his injury actually allows it) we might relegated again, or looking to kick on and consolidate our place in the Prem. I’ll wager he’ll not come back at 100% his previous form, even if that previous form was the worst in the Championship! There’s no denying it - the lad’s aspirations to be a top level keeper are over.

Linked with Liverpool defender Sept Van Der Berg - 23yo CB who can also play full back. Quoting around £15m. https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/62587/

Talk is cheap. In terms of essentials we’ve yet to sign Downes and Fraser, get linked with/sign a decent goalkeeper, get linked with/sign a decent LB, get linked with/sign a decent striker. In terms of bench you can bet Lallana and Manning will be getting some splinters.

Personally I reckon he’s a write-off entirely (although the club will not allow that due to the investment). His agility was always questionable, but with the injury he’s picked up it will take a lot of work to get back to anywhere near EPL standard and the likelyhood is the injury will impede that. If we get relegated again he might get a look in I suppose.

Thanks for the explanation, however that still doesn’t explain how keeping KWP on a contract that suits both parties has any clear detrimental effect on FFP compliance. It assumes that signing a new RB of equal ability at least, will cost significantly less than the funds we get for KWP and still allow new players to be signed. That’s a massive assumption and risk. Having said that, we are a selling club and that’s how we’ve operated previously, but I’m not convinced there’s a FFP imperative. As many have previously said, the problem with the approach is a continual decline in overall squad quality leading to a potential decline in results etc. Russ will find his tactics mercilessly exploited in the EPL trying to get lesser players perform like Man City. Our squad is not exactly brimming over with EPL quality, so I really do fear for the season ahead if we’re to sell our best players who can work in the system and keep deadwood players on the books out of some kind of loyalty.

See you’ve said that as others have, but nobody can explain why…it’s just speculation. And he wouldn’t be a new signing.

No it’s not. We could offer him a decent new contract, a guaranteed start and continued PL football. Of course he may want a move in which case it’s likely he’ll move, but I don’t think we know that as fact so I don’t see it as inevitable.

Nothing less than a tactical shambles considering the supposed squad quality on offer. And that’s across the whole side not just in attack…we were lucky not to have faced a more attack-minded and clinical team in the group. If we concede first I think we’ll crumble.

I understand why he would wait to know if we got promoted, but why is it inevitable he’s going this window? If he wanted to stay and a suitable deal was there from the club, surely he’d at leat consider it?

Or indeed lack of them… 🤔😏

Nice to see Jose Fonte commentating on the Beeb Spain game tonight.

I’m not sure KWP for all his worth to us, will bring in enough money to strengthen the squad…it will effectively weaken it IMO by taking out our best player and introducing two more who are potentially not as good. It is the basic flaw in the transfer policy…continually weaken the overall quality of the team until eventually we get relegated. So no, there’s no detrimental effect regarding FFP by retaining KWP if that’s possible.

Don’t profess to know all the ins and outs of FFP (PSR) but I’m not sure retaining KWP on a new contract will be to our detriment in terms of its restraints. If you think so, perhaps you could explain? Incidentally, Sugawara looks to be a bit of a talent and doubt he’ll be signed without an assurance of 1st team football. I notice he appears to be two-footed so perhaps the thinking is KWP and he can interchange flanks depending on who we’re facing. Then there’s Manning and Bree as backups for both positions. Meghoma (sp?) probably has a year or two more development before pushing for a 1st team place.

Well if there’s truth in the Japanese LB story it doesn’t take a magical crystal ball to predict what is likely to happen. The fact he’s likely to sign early in the window suggests RM has asked for the maximum amount of pre-season time with the lad to bring him on-board with the system and so mitigate as far as possible the effects of KWP leaving. If KWP is allowed to leave that does indicate there’s been little change to the manner in which SR operates - sell mature, experienced pro’s and buy young, cheap, unknown potential stars. Now, having said that, I’m not convinced KWP wants to go so until he’s sold I’ll retain hope that he’ll sign a new contract.

Me too, however RM’s system generally does nothing to embolden players like him to run anyone ragged except himself. At the moment his problem is not knowing when or how to release the ball unless it’s backwards which to be honest makes him pretty damn useless as an attacking forward. Contrast him with Fraser who gets his head up and delivers some dangerous balls into the box.

Just hope Saints don’t dally around in getting the job done with Downes. We’ve had this before…wait and another club steals in with a better offer.

As @Turkish said, if it’s a free probably a no brainer, but I suspect there’s more than a little agent work going on if there’s a contract offer from Fulham.