Saint86

No thread on Larin yet - which says it all. Archer and AA out, and this joke in as the only replacement, SR really are fishing for flack form the fans. Shocking bit of business.

In fairness to them. The likes of AA, Aribo, Bazunu, Macca, Edozie, Edwards, BBD, Archer are not "the family jewles". Scienza, Fellows, THB, Charles, Jander, and Azaz are - and we seem to be keeping them at least. So with the departures, it does allow a better restructuring in the summer and a chance to more efficiently allocate money where its most needed. Unfortunately we'll also be on our last year of parachute payments and facing a far harder championship next season.

No Chez, there are 19 games left.

This is a nonsense take imo. Its not remotely obvious that we can't go up this season, and the money we spent was proportional for the sales made. We are still only 7 points of the playoffs with 16games to go, and we have so far massively underachieved - we've finally switched to a back 4 and have 7points out of 9 including tricky away games at fratton and stoke. We have hands down one of the best squads in the league (before SR seemingly gut it on transfer deadline day). And the only saving grace is that we finally seem to have a quality keeper in to help at the back. But what we seem to be intent on doing here (Archer, AA, Aribo, Edozie) all leaving with a bang average 30year old journeyman striker coming in (who even RVP couldn't get firing in a weaker league) is promotion suicide. Everyone can see we need to strengthen ideally, but to weaken ourselves and remove essentially all attacking depth is mental. If this really is the direction we're taking then its SR panicking and pulling the plug on a promotion push and trying to grab as much money as possible this window - Which would be a gross error, as if we do get ourselves into the playoffs, we'd be favourites to get through them. Its that or they actually think we the squad is good enough to get promoted even if we sell every other striker and leave ourselves with only Scienza and Fellows as competent attackers with reliable fitness. And on top of that, if we aren't going to get promoted, the entire fanbase would be livid at selling AA to wolves in the summer for £7M - he'll be once again one of the very top goal and assist players in the league this season. We are not replacing that for £7M this window, so may as well keep him, let him play for his move in the summer, and maybe get a promotion out of it. As for Blackmore's post - Downs or BBD coming back in from their loans? FML, really?! If only there was a league 1 top scorer who loved southampton and who we had a buy back clause for... Better yet, if only we hadn't sold him to make way for the likes of Downs, BBD, Archer, Stewart, and now this failed journeyman to get some minutes.

Makes it even more of a joke that we'd settle for £7M. Have people lost their damn minds - he's on to be top scorer in the championship, and as Stewart more than showed the other night, AA's our only real striking threat. Not sure Stewart even managed a shot. We've also got no serious cover for Fellows of Scienza. Selling AA leaves us laughably light up top.

It gets worse and worse. FML

This is awful business imo.

This is a strange feeling. Its only 2pm on saturday, saints have won away, and the weekend isn't ruined...

Its starting to get that Tonda second half feeling again. Need more legs up front.

This ref is a joke.

Square pegs, square holes. Bosh.

We are missing AA up top atm. Stewart offering basically nothing. (Hopefully he scores now to prove me wrong) Edit - no sooner do i type this and he gets a marginal flick on assist. Who shall i criticise next? 😄

The worry 2nd half is that stoke have a good manager - will he simply tweak things and out tactic eckert?

We look much better in this formation... go figure. Stephens and THB have been solid. Jack especially - a great half from him. Wellington has look much better than manning. I like Peretz. Considering we seem more than happy to allow crosses in, i think at least he gets on pretty much every one that comes in. But until we learn to actually defend crosses this will be a recurring issue regardless of keeper. Neither Downes or Jander seems to have been told to anchor the midfield in a true defensive role - that is the tweak that needs to be made imo. Fellows very good. Azaz is having a good game, getting more time on the ball in the positions he wants. Scienza has looked odly quiet - i wonder if the outgoing rumours has unsettled him a bit, or maybe just having to adjust to having a big man up top rather than AA's runs. Stewart pretty meh. Couple of very sloppy offsides, should really have attacked the cross better and scored instead of azaz. Is Bree really the best RB we have?

Peretz great save. Stephens and THB have defended well, but we've got no CDM and seemingly no full backs to protect against crosses! Need a other 2 goals to be safe in this one.

AA is gone then. Excited to see the young lad get some game time TBF. Think he's got it.

You aren't alone. I guess the next couple of days will give some clarity. If we do sell THB, AA, and Archer, without significant reinvestment, then we'd have blatantly given up on this season and potentially any pretext of getting promoted - and it really would start to look like them readying for a sale.

If we're really lucky, could be the first signs of SR cashing out...

That quote suits Wednesday better. As for us, i suspect its going to get a hell of a lot darker yet.

Striker record under SR is pretty grim LeG, lets be honest. BBD, Mara (after chasing Gakpo all summer), Stewart, Archer, Onuachu... And you know, i'd be tempted to give Spors some credit in the bank re transfers/recruitment, except the one striker he signed was Downs... Plus he sold Ballard who is now top scorer in League 1 and exactly the kind of young striker we should have on the books. Regardless of confidence (if any?) in us signing a good replacement under SR, whoever it is needs to come straight into the side and click at least as well as AA does with the likes of Azaz, Scienza, Fellows etc.... We aren't just asking for any old striker, they need to come in an immediatley do better than the current joint 2nd highest scorer in the league.

We're selling our only reliable goal scorer, with just Archer and the walking wounded remaining. Worrying times.

And yet Saints, one of the strongest squads/budgets, seem totally disinterested in promotion.

Don't be using stats to justify a player's performance in football on here mate, you'll get lynched 😄😄🫣.

Yeah... you're right. lets sell him and free up funds to make room for the next Brereton Diaz, Cam Archer, Ross Stewart, or Damion Downs. Or maybe we can spend a summer flirting with the next Gakpo only to sign the next Mara...

Most of football is tactics, setup, and having a well coached team. We clearly have very good players for this level. Our tactical setup is absolutely appalling, and the players look lost half the time and completely uncoached for what they're being asked to do at certain points in games... Its massively down to the managerial appointments currently - which are directly influenced by SR, and the type of mangers they want and the style of football they want. As for the squad... I know we've been managed appallingly, but still.. how on earth can people look at our an attacking midfield 3 of fellows/azaz/scienza and not see its one of the best in the leauge? Azaz and fellows are two of the best attacking mids in the champ in recent years. Scienza is better still... Then our striking options - AA and Stewart (when fit) is a very high level of attacking player for the league? AA was the top chance goal/assist player in the entire league 2 seasons ago and is on the for the golden boot. Money boots wrexham are looking at him to fire them to promotion... Or take the likes of Charles (hands down one of the best young players in the champ over the past 18months), Jander (very impressive young player), and even Downes (top player in our previous promotion season) - all fighting for 2 CM spots - that is again quality for the 2nd tier! RB we have bree, roerslev, jelert who are all good options for a promotion chasing side, Roeverslev is a promotion winner, Bree would have been at Luton. LB is actually our weakest position now imo, and even that has Wellington and Manning, one of which has already won promotion. CBs are THB (who is a multi promotion winner - once as champion), Stephens (promotion winner), Quarhsie, and Wood... its still a quartet offering experience, ability, and depth - more than enough for a promotion challenge at this level... Bazunu was a weakness but has moved on, peretz looks better by a good distance as well. This is a squad filled with previous promotion winners or new talent that arguably exceeds them (scienza, charles, fellows, azaz, jander). Sadly we have also had managers who's tactical approach and/or coaching or drilling of the side has left a lot to be desired.