Saint Fan CaM

Is there really any need to call BS on a fellow poster just relaying possible info? Good discussion topic in the absence of any other excitement to be fair.

For want of a more accurate emoji - it’s bad enough Saints being used as some kind of player laundering machine, but seeing these player movements has little to no interest for me (and I suspect others) in terms of ‘Saints Summer Transfers’ which is the title of the thread. Perhaps there should be a separate thread that discusses these inter-club movements…or perhaps there is already? 😕

Highly unlikely we’ll see Romeu back here, however I have to say him coming in would be a huge boost for the club and the particularly the fans. Probably one of our most influential midfielders of the last 15-20 years in my view. He would improve the squad immediately…just the type of signing required. Sadly a pipe dream.

It doesn’t look terribly positive so far, but there’s many here that will insist the squad is good enough for an auto slot! Rude awakening incoming.

Fixed it for you…(a more realistic view). 😉

Things have moved on significantly since then, particularly for them. There are huge expectations for them to get promotion this season and however unlikely that might seem, there are some astute individuals involved in the club that will utterly believe it’s possible because they’re used to being winners. While on paper we’ve got a better squad, it’s a squad used to losing, particularly under pressure. The footballing World will be willing them onto a ‘shock’ win and of course an away win in their first Championship game will make for great headlines. Difficult game to call, but I hope that for my first game attending for months Saints will provide a convincing home win. 2-1.

Oh OK, so it’s highly likely that we’ll not make anyone in the current squad ‘suck it up’ and play for us when they want away. Especially when the evidence shows we’re more than happy to sell our better players and weaken squad quality.

I was referring to your assertion that we make players ‘suck it up’. List the times we’ve done that, because I’m struggling to remember seeing any formal proof that’s happened in the last decade and certainly not since Kat sold us out.

Because that’s what we do right? 🙄

It’s going to be embarrassing I think, perhaps less so if they take pity and play a few of their kids.

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.