Baird of the land

McCarthy Cedric Vestergaard yoshi Bertrand Lemina Romeu hojberg Remond Ings Armstrong Subs Gunn, Stephens, Elyounoussi, Austin, gabbi, jwp, targett

Awful first half. Looked much better in a back four. A reasonable point. Should have probably had a penalty at the end too. Vestergaard looking just what we missed last season, a center back that is dominant aerially. Ings looked good. Just hope his injuries are behind him. Thought redmond was excellent today. Probably my mom. Also I liked the fact we didn’t seem to die fitness wise in last 15 like last season. Still think hoedt is a weak link.

Taking off two of our better players today! That's nuts imo! We Should be taking Hoedt off & switching to a 4 but i doubt we will.

Once again a carefully worked free kick where we play the ball back to our keeper and then give it away.

Vestergaard equally culpable. Vacates the centre.

What's the point of playing austin if you are setting up completely defensively.

Very lucky not to be behind. Cork goal so marginal.

Depressing lineup to be honest. Looks so negative.

A manager I definitely would have loved to see at saints.

Mccarthy Cedric Yoshida Vestergaard Bednarek Bertrand Armstrong Romeu Hojberg Gabbi Austin Subs Gunn, Targett, Stephens, Lemina, Elyounessi, Gallagher, Ings Picking the bench really does show how horribly bloated our squad has become. Hoping Davis gets a loan move elsewhere(as both a Saints & Norn Iron fan) & we get rid Long and Forster too.

Yeah we should be getting Long out on loan & giving Gallagher opportunities.

Why would we commit to paying a huge fee regardless of whether he plays garbage or well. Truly bizarre. He was certainly a good player before the injuries so he may end up being again but seems a massive gamble. Not particularly impressed that it likely means less chance for gallagher once again.

Can’t see that signing working out very well. Also What do they mean by fringe? Does that mean getting rid of likes of long/Davis or flogging young academy players.

--------------------Mccarthy-------------------- Cedric----Vestergaard----Yoshida----Bertrand --------------Romeu----Hojberg---------------- ----Redmond----Armstrong---Elyounoussi---- ------------------Gallagher---------------------

Yes Leicester made a couple of dodgy signings after they made millions by winning the league & playing champions league. Musa that big bucks signing they managed to sell for 16.5m after he had a good world cup. Leicester have also sold 83m worth of players and spent 79m so not exactly spending multi millions more than recouped. We may not be the only club to have bought a dud but the volume we have is higher.

How many other clubs our size in the prem have the levels of big money signings(boufal, Clasie, Carrillo) now on loan elsewhere but essentially for the most part still stinking up their wage bill. Our 3rd choice keeper is more highly paid than most team's first choice too. Man City may be able to get away with that but a club saints size that's gotta pinch. Didn't we have about the 7th highest wage bill even before this window when we've added 5 & maybe shed 3 senior players.

Players the black box identify cost money and not just in the transfer fee but in the huge wages. Last season we panic bought Carillo & we are still paying both for the huge cut of the van dijk fee we flushed down the toilet as well as the large percentage of his wages we are no doubt paying even while he's on loan. Then there's gallagher who shouldn't have been loaned last season(especially without a release clause). Personally i'd prefer to see him given an opportunity this season than another carillo like punt. Then there's the fact including gallagher & the new winger/striker elyounessi that we have 5 strikers in a team where we will start at most 2 of them. If we had managed to sell a senior player on big money like long, i'd be supportive of re-investing those wages/fee elsewhere.

Can't describe it as a poor window. They've done their business early which is good. Far too early to judge whether the signings themselves were right. The club unfortunately are having to deal with past misjudgments(forster,boufal,clasie,carillo)

I'd prefer us to revert to a 4 but given we've prepared playing 5 we should probably start it. I'd prefer at least one of Stephens/Yoshida in the 3. Given we're playing burnley bednarek's aerial ability just swings it for the remaining slot. Centre mid picks itself as Lemina seems missing. Up front i'd love to see us going with gallagher from the start, though just as long as he's on the bench above long. Mccarthy Targett Stephens Vestergaard Bednarek Bertrand Hojberg Romeu Amstrong Gallagher Austin

I lie the fact some of the youngsters are being kept around. Now hoping they get actual minutes on the pitch. Rather relieved we aren't panic buying at the end of the window to be honest.

As things stand the defence worries me more, less from a view that i think they are all bad players but more from a it seems like we are badly in need of getting to a settled set of starting centre backs who are in tune with eachother. That coupled with rumours of Targett leaving, meaning left back cover would be weaker & he's the one player to look ok at cover right back too. Striking, Austin looks our settled first choice. Good to see Gabbi back & more involved. Also think Gallagher has tonnes of potential if we actually have the bravery to give him opportunities. My one qualm is the rumours surrounding us selling him when it seems obvious to me that if we want to lose an attacker it plainly should be long. Can't Elyounessi play up there too?

Don't think it should be complete expected starting xi. Hoping we give the likes of sims/Gallagher starts in this one to see if they can make a case for a more prominent role.

Still keeping my fingers crossed rumours of us shipping Gallagher are false & he;ll actually be given an opportunity by us this season.

Disappointed Hughes doesn't seem to rate Hesketh. Hope he can get a move somewhere where he will be given an opportunity rather than waste the year making up numbers for the u23's.

Is hesketh injured again or just on his way out? Our lineup looked a mess generally. I’ll judge team on later friendlies.