david in sweden

Oh but we've just signed a keeper on a free ....his name is ....oops ! .....at least he will know the way to Staplewood without a GPS.

.....not part of the equation perhaps, but Liam Delap was actually born in Hampshire... (Winchester) to be precise during the time that his Dad (Rory) was on Saints' books in the period after the Millennium. Difficult to judge Liam's quality, as he didn't get a full season at Hull ..(in part an injury set back)...but I was distinctly unimpressed by Broja's brief appearance for Albania in the Euros. Not even as a good as his earlier spell with us.

..and that having lived in the areas for some years, he won't have to uproot his family and move and try to settle in elsewhere. Money isn't everything, peace of mind and a contented wife and family count for a lot, too.

If that was the case ... it was one of the few positive things that Cortese did do right . Whoever said that Cortese had a footballing brain? He may have been a good organiser / administrator, but some of the big footballing decisions he made were catastrophic and cost the club a fortune ... His two deals (Osvaldo and Ramirez) on borrowed money ...cost 25 million in fees and almost as a much again with their huge salaries on long contracts. He " granted " Pardew and Adkins quite paltry sums to bring in their own choices, and the squad that won two promotions with Adkins cost less than 6 million. Your last sentence is correct. The eventual return of Bazunu (whenever that will be ) is more uncertain because it doesn't rely purely on his "fitness to play " but the quality required to be a Prem. standard keeper which he certainly wasn't when he arrived, and elements of his game weren't good enough for the Championship at times last season. IF ....McCarthy can maintain the standard he showed in the play-offs ?... then I will be pleased / pleasantly surprised, but if it all goes pear-shaped, or AMc is injured ...we will have a major problem that can't be easily resolved... whilst losing three points every match.

IF... WHam's new manager recognises Prowsey's capabilities .....and then signs KWP as well he'll have one heck of a right flank to build on. They were a great partnership for Saints. Now it's up to the clubs to agree valuations. Apparently Spurs (supposedly) agreed to a figure of 30 mill ?... for KWP ...IF.. it was in a deal to take Rodon in part-ex. Not sure if WHam are on the same page, but as long as KWP goes back to any London club, he may end up back in the England squad after Southgate " leaves" . Downes would seem to be a good deal for 15 mill. but we'd do well if we can get him for less.

Correct. It worked at Liverpool when Shankly was manager. The side was so good ...and almost unbeatable, and it was rumoured that team selection was so straightforward that even their tea lady could pick the side on a Saturday morning.

You haven't been keeping up with the office gossip ... have you?.... You think that there is some " super brain" making all the key decisions. ! Every day they have someone toss a coin....and the winner makes the decisions for that day ....and then tomorrow...the same procedure. Sooner or later .....there will be a squad of former Prem. players -all over 30, and several new right-footed centre-backs. Easy. No problem.

WOW !...the list of players we have been "connected with " on various sites has now passed ..30 (thirty). ..oops now 31. What a great squad we could have .. come August, although we might run out of shirt numbers. (haha) The bad news is ..they are not all free transfers ... and we might have to pay a fee for some of them....(sad) Ah well, maybe they will have to draw lots every week to see who gets a bench place.

Relax everyone. I've been keeping track of the " rumours " about players who Saints are (reputedly) after since the end of May, after today ... the list is upto 23 players., and if even half of them are free transfers ...we'll have a h*ll of a squad. .. .ha ha ha ha ha Now we just wait for July 1st. to see who signs first.

we've already got one , his name is Sekou Mara ...and he hasn't contributed much . He didn't break through in the Championship and I can't see him doing any better at Premier League level. We don't have the time. Should we buy another one like him? , or get a season or two out of someone who has a track record of goalscoring at the highest level?

Well here we are again... The Mail running the story (again) ...about Danny Ings coming back to Saints !... Can you hear them already. The critics bleating about the " old boys who are past it " yeah, yeah, but true or not at least it is someone who knows the club, and those who are going to complain, may have forgotten that it was Danny who saved us almost single-handedly during Hasenhuttl's time as manager. The whole squad needs reconstruction after departures and replacing those 5 loan players who finished the season for us. Danny won't get a lifetimes contract, but the primary task for next season is SURVIVAL . Looking back to see the three 2022-23 clubs who came straight back down last season, so we know how tough it can be. The likes of Lallana and Ings (if he comes) won't stay forever, but it will give our youthful squad a chance to consolidate and learn from former players who have proven their worth for the club before.. Get the to 40 points first and then look forward to the next generation's heroes.

Referring to that "overused term " . YES ...they are in it for the money. Many players have no other profession or education beyond senior school. Many of us were fortunate enough to have " lifetimes career " to survive on, but it's not the same for athletes in any sport. The lifespan of a pro. footballer is often limited and sometimes even shorter if the next injury is a career-threatening one....and then.... it's finished. In this case when his time is over, he'll be ....an unemployed Swedish-Iranian former footballer without prospects. I hope for his sake he has saved a bit.

Swedish fans know a bit about Ghodoos. He was born in Sweden (of Iranian parents) and played for several top clubs including Östersund at the same time that Graham Potter was manager and helped get them into the Champions League a.t.m., and was a key player for GP's side. He even got a few outings for the Swedish national side, but was approached by Iran to play for them, and currently has over 50 Iranian caps. The fact that he's played for Brentford in the Prem. must mean that he wasn't unknown to the ownership of Sport Republic at the time.?. Experience like that - on a free transfer - sounds like a good deal to me and at 30, I'm sure he won't be offered a 5 year contract either.

Good post Beatle Saint. Whether they like ... the deal .. or not, Lallana's critics were amongst the first to caste stones, whilst forgetting some of them live in glass houses. There is no argument to be had over a player who comes on a free transfer, and is given a one year deal...(regardless of how much we pay him). Given the man's experience ...we've rarely signed anyone with better qualifications... for such a small outlay. Even for just one year - it's a bargain. NO - he won't play many 90 minute games, but a quick check back on the likes of Stuart Armstrong, and even Adam A... and Che Adams will show that they rarely played full 90 minute games and were either subbed (off ...or, on) ...on many occasions. COMPARE ... with the deals for Sulemana ...20 million + on a 4 year deal. Onuachu for 16 million ? .on a three year contract which means that even the transfer of Ross Stewart ....for 8 million and 2-3 years future, ran up a huge debt - if you look long and hard at the total expense involved in fees and salaries over the period of those deals. We will be lucky to recover half of that amount if the players concerned move on elsewhere. I expect more " free " deals, which is a bonus when you consider the " nil outlay ", and doesn't necessarily mean the player is unwanted / no good but that a well-planned move can be beneficial for both the player .....and his new club.

of course, and it depends on how productive the 60..(or so) minutes are in the games he is involved in. Maybe we can count the minutes and analyse what contribution he provides, but I'm sure he won't be the only player who gets subbed before the 90+ minutes are over. Substitutions are part of the game plan these days.

well surely that can't be a bad thing. Every player needs a life after they hang up their boots, and his pedigree speaks for itself. If he stays on after he eventually finishes his playing career ...it'll be a win-win situation.

Well...he may not be the player he was 10 years ago, and we are likely to be his last club at Prem. level and despite those "fans" with long memories who still hold a grudge, (we all know who you are ), I think he would have been daft to have refused a move to Liverpool when he was on the verge of the England squad and Saints were struggling. He DAJF LIverpool, and won praise from Klopp and nailed down an England spot for several years. Not so bad. His move to Brighton was an obvious step down from Klopp's all-conquering Liverpool, and now hopefully he may still have a few miles left in him. YES.... we need some new blood, but even a year (or two) from Adam may help stabilise the team and keep us in the top tier. As for Lallana as Saints player, few can deny that he didn't have skill and his 60-odd goals plus countless assists proved that he was excellent playing from a midfield position. His partnership with Lambert seemed almost telepathic and was a joy to watch and if he can contribute a good 60 minutes to every game, it will be a worthwhile investment and provide good experience for Russell Martin's " new look" squad that must be conjured up - before August. A one year contract is a sensible deal and if he can still put in a shift by June next year ..who knows how long he might last?.

I believe that ...but surely few would have denied him the (last) chance to play Prem. football and David Moyes gave him that opportunity. West Ham's (fans / directors) demands were far above the overall quality of their squad, but Prowsey DAJF them in a poorly-balanced and inconsistent side. In short, they lacked a number of players in key areas who (might) have made the difference. (Saints know that problem). I suspect that (in an ideal world) JWP might have seen himself getting a shoe into the England squad before it's too late (even if not as a starter), but Southgate continually ignored him in favour of the likes of Henderson and Phillips who were little more than a loud voice in the dressing room, and now the general standard of England's corners and free-kicks are appalling and provide few chances - even for the best of strikers. Now it appears Prowsey may become "surplus to requirements" for the new manager who will want to sign some his own favourite targets. It's difficult to see where JWP might go (other than returning to SMS ), but he may get a lifeline if maybe Tottenham could use his talents, but no other London side would be a beneficial move for him as Fulham and Brentford look to be on a downward spiral, and Arsenal have bought Rice.

I guess we are in a similar generation Whitey..... so have faith . My inspiration is the thought that I look forward to Saints actually winning... something BIG !

Charles did start two of early games, both wins v. Plymouth and QPR , but fortunately for him he didn't start in the tragic Sunderland game, but the fact that he got so many sub. apps. shows that RM was keen to give him game time, but was perhaps reluctant to change the back line too much when we had the 24 match unbeaten run. ..He's still a great prospect at 20.

Agreed ..and sadly the N.I. side is not what it was - even 2 years ago, but it's not about who he's playing alongside, but for a mere 20 year old to have already come up against some of the better international players in World football, he has a darn sight more experience than some lad whose been.. " a success " in someone's U21 Prem. side, and not yet set foot on a League pitch. Give him time. I don't expect to see him starting in games, but he's obviously got a lot of potential for someone at such a young age.

Oh!..... seems a lot of people have got sidetracked / off topic......but this is still the Shea Charles thread, isn't it?...... Shea Charles has been on the periphery of the squad, seldom a starter and yet got on the pitch in over 30 matches last season. There must be some quality there as he has already played 16 times for Northern Ireland... .and is still only 20 years old. (21 in November) I was surprised to see that he was already 6'2 " ...and is varyingly described as...a defensive midfielder, a centre-back .and even full back. (A bit tall for a full back I would have thought), but the right build for a defensive role. Don't see him ousting any of our midfield trio, a.t.m or even displacing Jan.B, or THB, but certainly someone who might be in the mix a bit more in the coming season.

* in Sweden CB ? If correct ...where and when ?

1) you are correct (Turkish) about Fox's impressive "assist "stats. but that was only in one season, and he was later replaced by the " young " Shaw. Lallana and Lambert were playing together from our L1 days ( ouch! I hate having to say that ) but their combination play - and assists for each other must rank pretty high in anyone's stats. in the period from L1 up to their joint departure. IMHO ...Their " lackluster " careers at Liverpool were in part due to the mismanagement of Brendan Rodgers who, having bought them both, consistently failed to have them on the pitch at the same time, when their partnership together at Saints was the real key to their earlier success. Klopp started using Lallana more after taking over at Anfield, (by which time Lambert had already gone) but sadly Lallana had some serious injury issues and never quite recovered the form of his earlier level. 2) MLT ....( like Terry Paine and Ron Davies for differing reasons) were in a class of their own, and can scarcely be compared to anyone else .. in any generation. Paine for his longevity (over 800 appearances) - and he even had the club record for goals scored at one time. Ron Davies of course held the top tier goals record ( Div.1 in that era,) and had a phenomenal goals/games %, considering his relatively short time at the club. Even if Mick Channon outscored them all over a longer period.... MLT was in a class of his own simply because of the manner of his goalscoring. A quick look back on YouTube is a joy every time you watch it.

You cannot compare Lallana to MLT - different players, at different times with different roles, but Lallana had goals in him and without his pile of assists... Rickie Lambert might never have got past 20 goals a season. " Popularity " can change with some people from week to week, but overall Lallana DAJFU and that can't be denied.