Saint Troy

The beauty of footy is its all opinions but mine is very much that if this was the situation last year and an injury meant we had had Forster in all season we would currently be preparing for the championship. Money v v well spent. Dont disagree about Frasers history - thats what makes it sad to see - but still think his confidence is too far gone here. Really hope he gets a move and gets his confidence back and with that a bit of the energy/footwork that was there when he was keeping very well for us

He's fighting hard for his position against a talented goalkeeper knowing that if his form dips or if he is injured someone is snapping at his heels. Sounds very healthy to me. From Gunns point of view he jumps a few places up the pecking order, has a good chance of prem football this season (rather than on loan to champ), may well increase his wages, will get cup games in a club that has got to final in recent history. Maybe he is confident enough in his ability he thinks he can come in and get McCarthy on to the bench. Great signing

wonderful - after weeks of nonsense and grumpiness about nonsense finally a post i really enjoyed - hats off

Im not sure if this counts as free or not. If there is no loan fee then it is free..... in which case its ridiculous to think we couldnt sell manolo for more than free. If it is loans and there is a loan fee then its not really free

Whilst he’s not normally a voice kind of manageecthe situation is so different this time. Not even because he has to get a bounce butmore because of what has gone before. For example going to stoke to change the long term playing style isn’t going to get a quick bounce. Here however there are options for changes to style that can be implemented easily and have a possibliy if a bounce. He has mentioned two things that interest me most, the first has been picked up on lots which is that if intensity, it should be possible to get that up quickly without too much shouting after the drab nonsense before. The other comment I was very interested in was that about the numbers involved when attacking, Ive always been a fan of a style of football that goes for it when the time is right and that means crossing to three people not one person. It’s arguably subtle when done properly but an easy fix I think can make a huge difference. Can leave you open I suppose but the changes to style to cover people are simple in the short term. If it works he can increase he subtlety over time. Hopeful we see a few simple changes that make a difference.

Is there anyone on here who wanted Puel out who now regrets it?? Les Reed?

Yeah but could easily drift one in from a wayward cross!

I reckon its Luke Shaw could go the other way (to Spurs not fulham!) instead of Sessegnon - wages a factor though maybe

I think its more that if they do get better their mean performance will increase - there will still be good and bad spells through that increase though. That said i think that whilst players do improve with experience it seems more that certain managers "get more out of some players" than other managers do. So we may see a jump in his average rather than a steady increase if he likes how the manager wants him to play/feels the manager trusts him etc Not really sure what im going on about

just seen it on twitter - wasnt sure if you had inside info! looks like it couldve been austin up top with JWP behind, redmond left and boufal right?? at one point anyway!

Any idea on line-up etc?

Sounds like Saints had organised a behind closed doors friendly - thats what im taking from it (couldnt choose from 1st team squad as all involved there to try and stop us being rubbish)? Be good to know more about that if there is any info.... did we score? Good to see some resilience and promise in the kids though and pleased Jaidis coaching is impressing - nice to have some more positives

You would think that but has there been a stripping of the captaincy and replacement? If it was going to happen surely it wouldve by now?

I think him playing for us is the obvious plan. The question for me is that of captaincy. Taking it away could be worse in him being grumpy the whole time with us but do we really need a wantaway captain?

The reality is im happy with Gabbi up top (given our financial limitations), someone in behind to find his runs and pop up with goals would be my hope - that said, sigurrdson is worth 40odd million so i dont know if its likely to happen! Not sure i like austin as a second striker also (nervous about impacts of his movement maybe) but find it hard to see us getting in someone better. I can se why we're in the state we are in that area and maybe its just a case of hope that boufal comes good this season or buy that random brazilian that was linked the other day who i know nothing about but am excited about because hes an exciting brazilian and my CM2 days are overtaking my common sense.

Id be interested to know if anyone wouldnt want to see him in a saints shirt again? Currently hating the guy but another year for us playing for his world cup place would be awesome. Maybe one more face in the attacking area and it would be a really interesting line up and could be a good season

As i understand it the person who is currently the most likely to reasonably ITK is indicating that Les wasnt keen to sell to Liverpool but Katrina was. Why people are annoyed about this is beyond me - firstly its clear that she wasnt that up for it because hes still here - that could have been the incoming people that have forced this but if she wanted him gone hed be gone. Regardless of this any overly negative attitude to her time here is pathetic and childish. Guess what - she doesnt feel 100% the same about saints as you do - boo hoo. If she needed vvd gone financially then its her right to no be worried if its liverpool or chelsea - yes it would wind a few up a lot but she has done good things with the club, could easily have just got rid but has clearly tried to keep it in the manner her father wouldve been proud of and we should be proud of too. Embarrassing to read otherwise.

Interested to have this expanded on a little if thats possible. I dont disbelieve you at all etc just am interested. From the outside it feels as though CB is a position you need to be slightly older/more experienced to be sensible to chuck in to prem level whereas at full back you can probably be excused a little less physicality and a few more small errors? Accordingly a couple of years on loan feels more appropriate for the position not just the person. What did they do wrong with Shaw? I thought he was just a cut above when younger than Jack and sensible to blood him. A year in the championship wouldve maybe kept him with us a year longer but not really changed alot? Feels as though the club are embracing loans more over the recent years (following the statement they dont believe in them) which is a great move in my opinion. Love to know more on what they feel they did wrong with Shaw and what the different approach is now (especially if another Shaw came along).

yes! In your comment youre comfortable with him being both "on strike" and "training on his own". Thats the exact same thing as being half on strike when it suits him! Deliberately being obtuse - we dont know the details but someone who is on strike staying with the squad isnt that ridiculous becuase although he wants to move he knows his hand is weak and hes not idiot enough to try to burn all his bridges

It makes perfect sense really - he has a looong contract and so is not guaranteed a move, he needs work on his fitness regardless of who he plays for, he is captain and may be a reasonably normal bloke who wants to go but knows if he stays (a la Morgan/Victor) he needs to work hard and secure his move next yr. Sigurddson has had suitors every single transfer window and has been happy to stay - this time things are different and so hes staying to sort his future out. VVD wants liverpool and if its agreed his agent can sort the rest. Im assuming refusing to go on tour would lose him any bonus in the same way a transfer request would because its tantamount to the same thing. Who knows whats going on but dont think his location proves much at the mo

I dont know if im in the few here but i see it slightly differently. I really dont want him to go, certainly not to Liverpool which is clearly a huge mistake career wise, but i was only ever hoping for one more season out of him so im not that fussed. Yes we are a selling club and i dont like it but im not naive enough to see it changing quickly (or at all). Les said we dont need to sell so wont sell and i do think the club look a little silly if he goes but whats he supposed to do - so much of football is done publicly nowadays that if he came out and said "Oh we still expect him to be sold somewhere" it hardly puts us in a great bargaining position and sends a terrible message to the rest of the club. I dont mind players going, i just dont like all our top players being sold off each year. If VVD goes then so what, amazing player no doubt and at our level i agree irreplaceable. However one player doesnt make a team / club and if i was the new manager i wouldnt want my reign to start with a pussy of a captain whos angling for a move - id want a ****ing legend as captain to take the club and team forward - VVDs gone, this yr or next so get it done and get the money well spent. We could being the same position as Everton with Lukaku if VVD is the only one who goes and we spend well. I dont want the typical 5 player meltdown but i also dont want a pussy as a captain with a wobbly lip from wanting to go to Liverpool of all places. Get it done and get a replacement that is as good as teh other CBs we've brought in recently and move forward with our new manager. Disclaimer - i dont know for a fact if all the paper reports are true of course and could be wrong but in my opinion theres enough smoke around his transfer that theres some fire threr from VVDs side - if i was his agent i know what id be saying right now and it wouldnt please many on here - so im basing the above on that

With one yr left on his contract if we see any future for him we had to get him to sign. I assumed the same but the only positive is they must've spoken about the coming season during contract talks so we know if he goes it's something he's happy with. 30 odd championships games next yr will be good for him compared to being behind at least Austin and gabbi. After another good yr he could be very ready for the prem. Oddly I find loans exciting cause I can almost support more teams than just saints! Always looking at Blackburn scores for his outputlast yr

Think he said no "top" players are leaving not "key" players. You arent a top player until youve been tested at champions league level and we dont have any of those so they can all go. i jest of course...

Stams football to date is more boring than Puels! Its his first year though so maybe just building a platform and the start of a style - theyve had good results so he gets the chance to improve it next year. If he had average results though their fans would be like us im sure, its so stodgy

Is this the case? As I read it he is currently entirely innocent and therefore the new rules wouldn't touch him? How would he be blocked underfthe new rules (I clearly don't know his full story)