MarkSFC

So our line up in a couple of weeks or so might be... Ramsdale Suga Bed THB KWP Downes Lesley Fernandes AA BBD Archer Subs Fraser Clarke Stephens Edwards SAA Dibling Smallbone AMcC Edozie Stewart I've probably missed a couple but that would be much healthier!!!

I reckon you're on to something there....perhaps let the club know too...

Let's hope so. Ramsdale or Johnstone would be decent. Hopefully sorted this week.

Nothing new there. We've needed a top keeper for years.

Ramsdale would be bigger

I doubt they "forsee it" but having it in mind during player purchases is a sensible thing first season up. On the basis we get Ramsdale or Johnstone (or a similar standard GK) and a quality AM (MOR seems more hopeful now) then I think we will survive. It won't be pretty at times but we may just have enough eoththose players added to a good group already.

Correct

Aaron Ramsdale is a decent keeper for sure, but clearly Arteta saw something he didn't like and brought in Reya. What could that be? Is it ARs ability with his feet or his speed of thought or something else. When you play a system that involves the keeper using their feet alot, they need goo skills and speedy thought processes to handle the press and this is not something most keeper will have grown up experiencing. He only played 11 games last season, 6 in the PL, so is that a problem? I would be very happy if we get him permanently or on loan but he might not hit the ground running. If not him, we sure need someone else and having listened to RM last night I believe we are actively pursuing a GK (and others) but he said it at least twice, that we want players we want, not just anyone. My guess is AR is number GK choice but we will obviously have one or two options, so we will play the waiting game like it always happens.

I suspect they will have a far bigger impact than most predict.

Genuinely I think BBD is better!!! I've never thought Solanke was any good. One good season and Spurs have gone mad!!!!

Correct

Imagine Downes gets injured for 3 months. We need another decent CM regardless.

I'm not one who trusts Alfie House information. My impression is that he is happy to believe the negative and conservative approach around Saints and despite his working connection to the club doesn't "really" know much. If you compare his reporting to Adam Blackmores, there is a difference of general opinion. Clearly we haven't got 100s of millions to spend but I also do not believe it's as date as he is trying to make out. He's a fan I believe and our fan base in large parts is extremely negative and pessimistic and I do not think it's helps. He is in that mindset I believe. And that's fine but I take most of what he says with a big pinch of salt, not because I don't want to hear it, but because I think he makes assumptions based on his general feeling. There is no sense in gambling on stating up by not spending / buying 2-3 more definite improvements to the squad on top of what I think has been a good window overall so far. The cost of relegation will almost certainly be more than the say 70-80m outlay still required (less sales don't forget) to get more quality to have a much better chance of survival. Dragon is quoted (I believe) as saying they wish to make us a top 8 competitive team. This needs clever investment over 3 or 4 seasons. Not spending now puts that massively at risk.

Well we have with some but THB and FD were more than that. If we have any chance of staying up we need to sign 2 or 3 more in the 20-25m bracket to get a certain quality that will more likely help us now rather than a year or two down the line. It feels to me like we might have 3 or 4 deals lined up but just waiting for 2 or 3 to go out too, so it's just getting all the pieces aligned and hopefully that will happen over the next week. I'm not worried yet but if no more come in this window I will be.

It might be that Stewart has a big injury set back which necessitates (even more so) the need for another one. If it was public knowledge then perhaps teams we approach will know this and assume we are more desperate meaning we end up paying more. So by keeping it quiet we be better placed in negotiations.

Oh....

At the risk of sounding stupid, who is TP?

Best players GK...AmC. need an upgrade! LB...Taylor, Manning, kids. 👍 RB...KWP (if stays), Sugawara. 👍 Bree. Not so good if KWP goes in terms of back up. CB...Bednarek, THB 👍. Edwards. High potential. Stephens, okish back up. Wood. Doesn't look great so far. Ideally (unlikely) get rid of Stepehns and get someone better than the lot of them!! CM....Downes 👍 Charles, not great. Smallbone, average. NEED SOMEONE ELSE AM....Alcarez 👍 Smallbone?? Dibling, looks good. Lallana, happy eith him as sub. NEED SOMEONE BETTER THAN ALL OF THEM WINGERS/FRONT PLAYERS Edozie 👍 Sulemana, jury out. Armstrong 👍 BBD 👍 SAA 👍 STRIKERS Stewart. Hopefully comes good as I think he can. Armstrong 👍 BBD 👍 Mara, get rid. NEED AN OUT AND OUT STRIKER So my take on our situation is that we need players in these positions that are BETTER than we have. GK- Ramsdale 🤞🤞🤞 CM - 🤔 AM - O'Riley still available but who knows STRIKER - 🤔 CB - I'd take Gomez from Liverpool. But someone with good experience or huge potential. I still expect us to get Fraser back too. So far a good window, and a bottom 6 team, need 4 or 5 quality signings / loans to push further.

Like I've said in other posts, his value will mostly be on the training pitch and his sharing of his experience which cannot be underestimated. Of our current squad he has the most in that regard. He is clearly a coach in the making and we will benefit from him for sure, even if on the outside it looks like he's not contributing alot on Match day on the pitch. I think he's a very good signing.

Now he would be awesome!!!!

That does not mean he is better than S Armstrong is/was!!!

Whenever a player touted as our big/main signing of any particular window seems to drag on (for weeks after first link) I think it rarely happens. It's clear he has other suitors, and as I've stated already, I believe if we are to get him it needs to/will happen this week. The reason I think that is that this delay indicates that one party at leastis not settled on the idea; either we are limiting our bid (which indicates we don't hold him "that highly or important"), or he is not completely sold on the idea (which is clearly not great), or Celtic are playing hardball (which will just drag it out further and probably create a bidding war). All this delay tends to dampen the excitement of this potential. We certainly need a player of a higher level in the attacking midfield area, and if MO proves to be we shall see but I cant help thinking we have moved on already (caveat, it happens today or tomorrow🤣🤣).

I think Lallanas value will be more in the training pitch. That doesn't mean he won't have a part to play on match day but I think it was a very shrewd signing. Probably as much with a view to doing the coaching team in a year or two as sharing his immense PL experience with our developing youngsters. I can see why every player has been signed so far, this is exciting, we seem to be very clear in our targets. O'Riley (🤞🤞), an out and out striker (still wonder about Broja being worth a punt), another DCM (on the basis Charles does go) seems necessary, plus of course the most important signing, a GK. Great to have a really positive summer window!!!

Well the Mets stadium was a replacement for the Shea stadium...and presumably the bolt of lighting referes to a bright light in the sky of signings or that it strikes again at celtic🤔🤔🤔

As does Ben Brereton Diaz!