HarvSFC

Fernandes was an unused sub for Portugal U21s this evening in their 5-0 win.

We're swapping double barrels for Downes/Downs'.

Paul Trollope joins as assistant. Remember him as manager of Bristol Rovers. Had a bit of a dire time at Luton the last two years and Nottingham Forest with Hughton before that, however. But, does have two promotions from the Championship to his name with Luton and Brighton.

How has football got to a point where owners believe physically scouting a player isn't important. Just looking at numbers on a spreadsheet and making your decision from that.

Possibly. I'm just swaying to it being another example of SR not quite being as ruthless as they need to be. Chorley, you haven't done great at Valenciennes, so we're going to give you a new role at Southampton now. Rather than, Chorley, you haven't done a good job, we're going to have to part ways now as you haven't shown to be at the level we're looking for.

How has Ben Chorley been promoted from Valenciennes to us then? Sure his time there hasn't really been a success.

Nottingham Forest writing to UEFA to try and get Crystal Palace out of the Europa League so they can take their spot is so petty. Marinakis has no shame.

Scotland's a goalkeeper's retirement home - Hart, Butland and Schmeichel the recent ones. A 27 year old Aaron Ramsdale isn't going there. Might as well stay in the Championship with us if that was his only offer, which it won't be.

Aribo doesn't fit the new system. Doesn't work hard enough off the ball.

We made two good signings last summer - Aaron Ramsdale. A seasoned and experienced pro from Arsenal and Mateus Fernandes. An up and coming gem from Sporting Lisbon. So, there is talent to be found in either market. We just spent a lot of last summer recruiting crap and had a similar scattergun approach to the one that saw us relegated the first time. Just have to hope the new recruitment team can identify the required talent.

Maybe teams and upcoming managers around the world will copy PSG's tactics now, and they've been entertaining to watch in all of their Champions League matches this season.

On Jose Fonte, he changed his agent to Jorge Mendes before winning the Euros. An agent who had lots of contacts at the bigger clubs, and was Jose Mourinho's, the manager of Manchester United at the time. I know we don't know completely what went on, but that public knowledge suggests Fonte wasn't completely keen on staying here. It's still funny how West Ham ended up being his best offer and then China, but he did seem to have a late career revival. On Bale, I always thought he made his debut against Derby on the opening day, where he also scored. But, turns out he started against Millwall in April of 2006.

Positive quotes from Fernandes today: “I’ve never been in a place like this one. I can enjoy everything – even the weather here is good! The atmosphere is amazing, even when we are losing. I’m very happy to be here, I’m enjoying my time here.” “They show me in every game that they like me. That game against Leicester was unbelievable, I have never been in one place like that, singing my song almost the whole second half. It was very nice.” “I have a contract with Southampton. The next season will be different, I hope. Maybe we can play much better and win many, many games. We will work for that, train for that and I think we can do much better than this year.” I know Livramento did the same two years ago, claiming he owed the club something after his long injury before scurrying off to Newcastle, but there's still a hope in me that there is still some loyalty in today's game. Very easy for a player to say he doesn't know where his future lies also. Think Alcaraz was very open and non-committal with talks of his future when we got relegated with him. Fernandes plays in the Championship, we've got the best player.

Armstrong also had the Hugo Scheckter video situation to dent his ego. But, he is on a long contract. Out of our forwards, I'd say he's the best suited to a pressing system. He's a crap version of Shane Long, which means he's a willing runner. Stewart and Onuachu are slow target men with the latter likely to be off. Brereton-Diaz is just there and Archer doesn't do enough pressing off the ball and the press has to start from the top for it to be effective. Another summer where we really need a new number 9.

So we're going back to trying to unearth the next Livramento/Lavia and playing pressing football? I've gone back in time. A mix of young potential and proven quality will do this summer. Doesn't have to be one extreme or the other. Of course, if the scouting is good then we'll get a lot more Livramento's and Lavia's than the duds we signed three years ago. Just have to hope it is. Either way, Championship clubs don't spent £3.5m on non-first team/Goztepe loan players. THB and Quarshie centre-backs with Edwards in midfield? THB's likely off, though. It was reported a couple of weeks back that Tim Lederer was becoming our chief scout from Hoffenheim, so more than likely a suggestion of his.

"John Percy on Nottingham Forest’s interest in Mateus Fernandes: “He’ll have a lot of interest but Southampton are asking for ridiculous money for players, so they’re not very easy to deal with at the moment.” When did Nottingham Forest start acting like the big six. Can't just give our best player away. Are they just going to let Gibbs-White go to Manchester City for a reduced fee?

Turik Al-Sheikh took over Almeria in 2019. At the time of their takeover they finished the 2018-19 season in 10th in the Spanish second division. Six years on, and they're 6th in the Spanish second division. They had two seasons in La Liga in between, finishing 17th and a point above relegation and then 19th and relegation in 2023-24. Noticeably, in Almeria's 38 game season, they won just three games and finished 17 points below 17th. Somewhat similar to us this season. Hardly a glowing reference, nor the success that you'd expect from a Saudi takeover. Especially in a less competitive league like Spain. Their second division, especially doesn't have the same reputation as the Championship and they've spent four of his six years in charge in the Spanish second division. A very similar record to what Sports Republic have managed with us. But, of course Sports Republic have made a host of necessary backroom changes over the last few months and the last thing we need right now is for a new owner to come in, have his own new ideas and start again. Therefore, I think this is a case of better the devil you know. Millwall will be far less expensive than us to buy anyway.

Definitely a decision to be made regarding Stewart this summer. His contract runs out next summer. We can't give him another one, considering he's been injured for two years of it. So, do we let him go now that he seems to have been injury free for a month or so. Recoup a couple of million as I expect one Championship club will take a gamble on him, and his goal at the weekend will have helped. Or, do we hang on to him, he either gets injured again, or plays a role in wherever we finish the season and then off he goes on a free.

I know he's reportedly leaving the club, but this post match comment from Rusk summed up what's been wrong with the club this season: "My main objective was to get us past the points record, to make sure we’re competitive in all of these games. I think when you look at the fixtures there were some tough ones in there, for us to achieve what we have, I think we can be really pleased." 7 games, 5 losses, 2 draws, beating the point record by 1 point, abysmal tactics against Everton and Leicester away, 3 goals scored and 12 conceded despite all out defensive tactics. There are words to describe that record and "really pleased" aren't those. Ambitions and standards have been in the dirt.

Spors doesn't hang about does he. Usually we're moving at the pace that Leicester currently are, but so far since January we've been very proactive. Long may it continue. Would indicate we've told a load of the 30 odd players here that they have no future here and to find a new club this summer also. And, unlike the previous time in the Championship, and even last summer* we're branching out a bit with our signings. *Suagwara, Fernandes and Brereton-Diaz were our only non-domestic senior transfers. Tella, or Musiala returning.

He's perfect for Russell Martin's system. Ball recycling, he'll keep the ball, won't do anything too adventurous and Martin loves that. Loads of times last season he sent the ball back to wherever he was facing. Often putting the defence under pressure. Ask him to do anything physical and he fails. Won't suit Still's tactics, in the final year of his contract and in FFP terms he's "pure profit". Time for Smallbone to go. Probably had his best three games in a Saints shirt in the play-offs, but wasn't the start of a new Will Smallbone, as he quickly reverted back to what we knew.

Well, that's that thank God. Arsenal only had the 23 shots to our 7 today. You'd have thought a new manager watching may have motivated the team, but it wasn't to be. Another half arsed display from many. We got the goal back, but surrendered into ourselves after that and went back to the strolling around on the ball and off the ball play. Individual performances, Ramsdale stopped it from being a lot more than it should have been once again. Shame that for the first time since Forster's injury (2015), we've had a good goalkeeper. Nine years it took us to sign a good goalkeeper, and the rest of our team is shite, so we only get the one season from him. Robinson's a direct runner. Still far from the finished article and very raw. But, the Sunderland youngster showed yesterday that direct running and a bit of luck can work wonders in the Championship. He should be around the first team squad next season. Smallbone, as we know is pathetic when he has any instruction to defend. In that situation, you have to either give away a foul, or win the ball. He did neither and Odegaard isn't going to pass up that situation. Neither full-back did too well at stopping the crosses from coming in today. Onto the summer. We've got Still. We now need to thank Rusk and Lallana and say our good byes, the same way we did Selles. The tactics under them haven't given much, if any joy and you can't see any thing from Pochettino, Klopp or De Zebri that Lallana could have picked up from in the way that we've played. I know it's hard to judge coaches, but 12 points and 30 losses in 38 games says it all. Everyone at the club should hang their heads in shame and that includes the coaches. Both Rusk and Lallana have been over promoted also due to Martin and Juric being abysmal. Rusk is an U21s coach and Lallana should be working his way up in the same way Surman and Lancashire are. Then we need a new captain. Stephens hasn't led the team at all this season and standards on and off the pitch must have been horrific for such a low points total. He should've been the one telling his mate, Martin that himself and the other centre-backs can't play his way in the Premier League, but he never did, and yeah, he might care, but that's easy to do. Actually applying yourself and making sure others know what it means to play here is the job of the captain, and that hasn't been seen. Then it's the departure lounge. I think we need to sell whoever's in the last year of their contract this summer. McCarthy, Stephens, Aribo, Smallbone, Stewart, Bree, Taylor, Onuachu and ABK all will walk away for free next year, unless we start offering new contracts. McCarthy's due another one. Onucahu and Stewart could probably fetch us a few million. Thank you Stewart for scoring today. Both can be nuisances, but then both aren't very consistent and their all round game is quite poor. Aribo and Smallbone can probably be sold for a million each. Sure Sheffield United were linked with Smallbone for £7m two years ago. We aren't getting that now, but £1m will do. Then Stephens Bree and Taylor will all be under a million. God knows what happens with ABK. KWP's gone, Ramsdale will be soon after and Bednarek and Dibling. Can probably look at £50m for those three. Which hopefully gives us enough money to ask Fernandes to give us one season in the Championship. Fellow countryman Ruben Neves did a season in the Championship, although that was heavily down to Jorge Mendes. But, it is still somewhat of a reputable league. Leeds got one more season out of Summerville and Rutter when they went down. New GK New RB - Edwards - New CB/THB (If he stays) - Wellington Downes - Charles New RW - Fernandes - New LW New ST A busy summer. A lot of change. And a lot of change is needed after this shitshow. We went down without a fight two years ago, all seemed okay again last season, but largely a lot of the same players have once again gone down without a fight and now it's time to say goodbye, rather than thinking oh, they can do a job for us in the Championship again.

No Dibling in the squad.

But, wasn't Martin supposed to go to a Champions League team after leaving us, because Kompany did the same? Very strange that his best offer is a direct rival of ours.

Just have to hope Leicester can still afford to sign Bazunu, Stephens, Manning, Smallbone, Fraser and potentially Wood with all the sanctions they're reportedly in line to get.