HarvSFC

Leicester need to arrange one of these: https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/tactical-football-evening-with-russell-martin-and-jason-wilcox

Aston Villa are also a higher level than Fulham and have had a lot of money come into them through sales this summer. We should absolutely push for £25m+ from them.

Great to get the 3 points on the board, -1 feels a lot different. Not much of a gap at all now between us and the promotion favourites. Far from a complete performance. Some parts of the match it was like watching a Martin team, very slow and very hard to then break through a defence with everyone in position, because we've allowed them to. We always look dangerous when we play fast and forward, exploiting space. The first goal a prime example. The second goal, one touch beauty and the penalty came from a quick pass to Edozie. Need to keep it up and be more consistent with that play, when we hit teams for 5 last season, Charlton and Wrexham spring to mind, that's what we were doing. As for Stoke, the ref clearly didn't get the memo of the new faster restart rules. They took their time on everything, and they had players hitting the deck, but not receiving treatment, so they were stopping the game and delaying time, but not facing any repercussions, so teams are still exploiting the time wasting rule. However, as we know, cheats never prosper... Mubama with his first goal, an excellent finish and composure that we've seen players miss plenty of times over the years. Was the classic Larin/Stewart sub of last season, one goes off, the other is still of a good enough quality to come and give the opposition problems and score. If Larin and Mubama hit double figures individually this season, we won't miss Stewart. Mubama really wanted the penalty as well, he's got a lot of confidence, but also was the first to celebrate with Manning, so hasn't got the ego to sulk about it. Scienza was really bad today, either got tackled very easily or sent in powderpuff shots that were easily dealt with by their goalkeeper. The player that got sent off for Stoke was the one that started shoving Stephens around after Stephens tried to get the ball from Johansson, who then went down like he'd been shot. Delightful. Great day all round, and here's for a good week, hopefully.

Eckert's response to the Makamba handball: "I have looked at it and it seems like quite a clear handball,” he said. “But I am a big fan of referees making decisions on the pitch. It didn’t go in our favour today but on another day, it might go for us.” Maybe we need to become ungracious losers next. It worked for Hellberg.

His last two league starts were the 4-0 loss against Middlesbrough in January and then he got hooked at half time in the next match against Hull with us 2-0 down. Played a single minute in the league since then against Oxford. Started against Leicester in the Cup after January and came on in the last minute against Arsenal. But, yeah, I think his last two league starts and his lack of minutes since then shows he isn't thought of too highly, nor trusted.

THB will grow into a Premier League centre back, like Fonte did. He needed a stronger partner, we needed a Lovren, Alderweireld, Van Dijk like signing. Instead we brought in Wood and Edwards, who were no better than THB, Bednarek or Stephens at the time and still aren't. Adding mediocre numbers to the squad, who are mid-table Championship players, rather than proper first team players were our shortcomings.

Last summer he said we would sign a centre-back, a centre-forward and an attacking midfielder without the need of selling anyone. He delivered Joshua Quarshie, Damion Downs and nobody, until we signed Azaz following the sales of Dibling and Fernandes (+Onuachu, Sulemana, Bednarek and Amo-Ameyaw). I believed him last summer, I believed him this summer. Maybe I need to stop and accept he's chatting shit to build hope and sell season tickets.

Nooooo, it's happening.

Because they add "Fuck off West Brom, we're Wolves" to the song, it's being removed for "mass offensive chanting".

If only we knew someone who could get us in with https://www.transferroom.com/company/about-us to help us with selling our deadwood each summer.

A few red flags regarding Ahmedhodzic, while he was undoubtedly good for Sheffield United in the Championship, he was very poor in the Premier League when they got 16 points (https://www.s24su.com/forum/threads/anel-ahmedhodzic.92929/page-9). I know THB was hardly class in the Premier League, but he's a bit younger and you can lay some blame on the managers we had and the tactics. So, if we did replace THB with him, got promoted, we'd probably still need two centre-backs to be secure in the Premier League next summer. Also, hardly been a success in Holland, in a considerably easier league. Feyenoord are pretty much giving him away after one year. I know they did the same with Larin, but different positions and does lightning strike twice? Not too disappointed to not bring him in. Just need to keep hold of THB.

Without giving too much credit to Middlesbrough and their board, they got their Hackney and Rogers money and then improved various other parts of their squad sharply and quite significantly with many tipping them for promotion based on their signings. Also allowing them a pre-season. Do we start every season slowly because we're cursed, play minnows in pre-season, or does leaving transfers until the last minute every year play some impact? Starting the first two Premier League games with Alex McCarthy between the sticks certainly didn't help us get off to a good start.

I do find it a bit bizarre regarding the midfielder situation and "nothing being imminent". Shea Charles needed replacing and his sale didn't come as a surprise.

Could be transfer related - No Ramsdale in goal or the squad for the U21s this evening, Moody's in goal. Larios is on the bench.