Saint_lambden

Gone quiet on Rudoni so hoping it’s no news is good news. I think the £15m price tag that would quoted the other day online is a tad optimistic though - Cov want more like £20m. Dibling is as per everyone knows. Everton not willing to meet his valuation so everyone at club thinks it’s best he keeps playing for us (like Fernandes is) for time being as otherwise we’re all losing out if no deal is close. Nothing new on Fernandes, nobody has come close to what we want so fingers crossed it stays that way. His agent is more keen for a move than he is, though Fernandes wouldn’t be against leaving if the right club comes along. Next priority on incomings once Spertsyan is done will be a winger. Heidenheim lad mentioned yesterday is high on the list, as is Fellows and Manneh in Sweden. Don't know who the preferred candidate is but I guess we’ll find out in the next week or so.

Spertsyan update - he and the club president meeting tomorrow to finalise things. He wants the move and club seemingly happy now with terms of offer from Saints (unless they move goalposts which apparently happened once earlier in the week), both just want to part on good terms and make sure each other is happy before all confirmed.

Sales of 🇦🇲 flags in Southampton going to increase soon…✅

His movement is brilliant. Would be more worried if he wasn’t getting in to goalscoring positions. It’ll come, he just needs that first one and it’ll flow from there.

On Smallbone, Coventry quite like him but it’s rare for money plus player deals to be done nowadays so suspect Rudoni to us and him to them would be separate (if they take their interest any further).

As far as I know, he’s agreed on personal terms and is happy to move, just the payment to Krasnodar which is the final bit. They want a higher fee up front than we’re currently offering. Bemused about the 3 loans rumour as my POC hasn’t heard anything about that. The GK we want to bring in (don’t know who) will likely be a loan and maybe a right-back like Gilchrist from Chelsea who can’t get in the starting XI of a PL side but they are not priorities right now so likely later in the window.

We want both Rudoni and Spertsyan and Spors is aiming to get them done by the end of the week. Aribo will be gone as already mentioned and Smallbone would head out too. Matsuki on loan again. So central midfield options would be Charles, Downes, Fernandes (sale dependant), Spertsyan, Rudoni and Sesay.

--------------------Bazunu-------------------- --Suga------Edwards-----Wood----Manning-- ----------------Sesay----Charles------------ --Archer----------Fernandes---------BBD--- -------------------Stewart------------------- Strong enough team to get the job done early and then take those in bold off on 70 minutes (Edwards for THB, Manning for Wellington, Charles for Downes and Fernandes for Downs) to protect them for the weekend.

We've 100% made a bid. I think the club are just trying to keep it under wraps as they are desperate to get the deal done on the quiet (hence nobody at the UK end carrying the story) before any other club has the chance to nip in. I think it'll be done within the coming days.

Know nothing more than what's been reported really - trying to agree personal terms with him and we're confident if that happens we'll agree a deal with Krasnodar. Bizare that it seems to be that way around so often nowadays but such is the game.

Wingers we’ve scouted recently: Fellows (WBA), Sima (Brighton), Abdoulie Manneh (Mjallby), Carlos Vicente (Alaves), Dominik Fitz (Austria Vienna), Tyreece Campbell (Charlton), Lewis Koumas (Liverpool).

Princewill Ehibhatiomhan off to Swindon on loan

He is. Primary one they want to tie down as his current deal ends in 2027.

Thought he was terrific out of possession today but sloppy in it. Still mentioned after the game about the sticky pitch (not that it should be an excuse) and he seemed to struggle to adapt to it in the first half in particular. For £3m though he looks solid enough and should only get better.

We (as fans) deserved that after the shit we had to endure last season. Nice to experience some limbs after so long without any! Didn’t feel like it was falling our way for so much of that game but got the job done in the end. Suspect it will be a bit like that for a few weeks like at the beginning of the last Championship season where futures of certain players are up in the air, we’re adapting to a new style etc so if we can grind out results whilst things settle then great. Wrexham will be fine this year if they can keep Kieffer Moore fit (got an ankle ligament injury today however), have Windass playing off him and O’Brien driving them forward from midfield. Should’ve put the game to bed with the two one-on-ones they had but brilliant save by Bazunu on Hardie’s one and O’Brien took too long on the other. Luck evened itself out in the end thankfully. Mixed bag of performances from us. Bazunu, Stephens, Manning, Robinson, Fraser and Charles decent but Sugawara, Damion Downes, Wellington and Quarshie all looked rusty. Fernandes wasn’t great either but suspect he’s not 100% mentally. Only criticism I would have of Still was not sacrificing a centre-back earlier to bring on another striker. It worked in the end but wanted him to make some changes earlier, even at half-time. Still missing creativity in central areas so Spertsyan signing can’t come soon enough really.

New Southampton boss Will Still has opened up on a year of turmoil for him and his Sky Sports host partner Emma, who was diagnosed with cancer, and juggling being Lens manager with being there for his sweetheart: 🗣️ “I moved to Southampton for both personal and professional reasons. Everyone wants to play or coach in the Premier League because it’s the highest competition. I’d been in French football for four seasons and met Emma two-and-a-half years ago. “Then she got seriously ill last year. As much as I love football there are sometimes more important things in life. I was going to games, travelling back and forth, thinking, ‘I shouldn't be standing on this training pitch. I don't even know why I'm here.’ I needed to be closer to home, and ultimately Emma is home. “I'm not going to pretend it wasn’t tough but was lucky my brothers were also working at Lens. They knew exactly what was going on. When Emma got the cancer news, they said: ‘Will, just go away, you shouldn't be here.’ But I kept coming to the UK two days a week. If there was a day off on a Monday I’d stay Tuesday and come back Wednesday to prepare for games. “It was too difficult not saying anything. That’s not the right thing to do. As soon as you open up, people go, ‘I'll give you a bit of time and space to be just a human being' and you realise there are much more important things than football. Football's great, pays the bills and it's what I love. But when Emma was diagnosed with cancer and then the brain infection in March, [football] was not that important. “It was draining because I also needed to be at Lens as that was my job and people were paying me a lot of money to do it. I was torn between ‘I know, I've got to do this but I know you're there.’ I tried my best and honestly finishing eighth last season was one of my proudest achievements. And doing it with my brothers was pretty special."

Not an issue, club have checked with all the relevant authorities. Krasnodar, unlike a fair few teams in Russian league, are not connected to the government nor is their owner/president etc. sanctioned by UK gov.

Yep. Dibling has one foot out the door but they're very relaxed with Fernandes. A lot of interest in him but nothing concrete with a many clubs put off by the price we want (£50m+ addons I believe). West Ham for example really like him but they're playing around with £30m odd for a new central midfielder so have no chance of getting him for that. His agent Mendes will keep whipping stuff up in the media throughout the window but at the end of the day, if nobody pays the price tag we've put on him them he'll stay. Gut says he will still go as I just can't see someone that talented in this division for long but we should just enjoy him for as long as we can whilst he's here.

Just read his piece in The Times and you'll see he's buzzing. Everything I hear from the training ground is very positive about his man management and the way he conducts himself - doesn't try to be everyone's mate all the time like Russell Martin did and constantly emotional. He's level-headed, someone who just adores football and is focused on the job in hand.

Agree on the timing front but the bid was genuine, though not sure how much it was actually for. Cov want at least £20m up front apparently plus add-ons so similar ballpark to what it would cost to get Fellows in. Both would be perfect for Still's system/style so hopefully we kick on and get them done rather than posturing.

They're up there with Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool fans for levels of delusion and self-importance.

---------------------Bazunu--------------- ---Edwards--------Stephens----Quarshie--- -Sugawara--Downes--Charles-------Welli- --------------Fernandes--Armstrong------- --------------------Archer------------------- Is what I would expect, but if we go 4-2-3-1 then Robinson must be included.

As per I said on here a couple of weeks ago, Jack Rosser confirming that we may shift on Smallbone and Aribo has interest too. Romeu has still been training with Barcelona even though he's not in their plans so doubt the story about him being at our training ground this week. Sounds like when he visited in Girona a few weeks ago he chatted with Spors, Bitcon and Still very informally about his next move but nothing more as he was waiting on his contract situation with Barca to be resolved. Asked my POC about Fellows - there's still an interest in him even since Martin left but nothing formal at this stage. Would likely cost around £20m mark. Number 10 still a priority, then x2 wingers and a central midfielder (or two depending on outgoings of WS/JA) and a 3rd senior GK to compete with Bazunu.

He's injured so won't be playing at the weekend

Nonsense