Saint86

He is a far far better talent than any of those players... different level entirely.

Good table - its a nice way to look at it. I think we're looking at something similar to the above re departures. Blue being ones that i think may depart (THB/Smallbone/Taylor), struck out are ones i think its very likely we will lose (Ramsdale, ABK, Aribo, fernandes, edozie, dibling, and i don't ballard has much time left with saints). Attack / wings probably decent enough, although we lack natural wingers and will be relying on AA and BBD to do that role. CM lacks both cover and creativity for me - we do at least know we are trying to get one more creative central mid in (that would still leave us without cover). I added back in Sanda in defence as i think he looks good from what i've seen.

Narrow wins over 3 of the weakest squads in the league (the 2 promoted sides and no pot to piss in QPR), and then a draw and crucial losses vs 3 promotion favourites in Sunderland (5-0), Leicester (4-1), and Ipswich (1-0). Plus a further defeat to boro who were expected to challenge at that stage of the season but weren't actually that good... That is not a great start, I think its not really up for debate that it was down to the state of flux at the club at the time, and if the Ipswich and Leicester games in particular had been draws, we'd have had a 4 point swing on them both and likely got automatics - rather than having to play chase all season. We are sadly in danger of having a similarly unsettled start. First 8 games, were W3 D1 L4, with a GD of -7, and out of the cup to Gillingham 😕. I'm just not having that as "off to a flyer". Albeit i acknowledge that wasn't just august. Transfer wise that summer: Tino left on 8th August. Norwich home (12th August) - drew 4-4, a sign we were struggling imo. Tino, Lavia, JWP all don't play. JWP left 14th August Lavia left 18th August Plymouth away (19th August) - Narrow 2-1 win vs weak side QPR home (26th August) - Narrow 2-1 win vs weak side Tella left 27th August Perraud / Lyanco / ABK / Djenpo / Onuachu - 31st/1st August/September Sunderland away (2nd September) - squad cohesion, strength, and morale depleted late into window, shit duly hits the proverbial as we get torn a new one by a depleted sunderland side full of academy grads!

I don't think it's obvious at all at the moment, although obviously we all expect that we will do.

We have already rejected a £19-20M for THB at the start of this month. We have 7 first team CBs on the books - someone is going, likely 2 given the rumours we're in for another one. Several premier league clubs have been rumoured for Dibling - and if he doesn't sign a new deal he is off. Aribo and Smallbone are two of the mid level players sure... the issue we have is that they are our squad depth. With Fernandes, Dibling, Edozie, Smallbone, and Aribo all linked with exits, thats an area of the team that already needed strengthening, instead potentially being gutted. There is a lot of business to be done, and again its after pre season. Which means we look to be on course to repeat 23/24, i.e., an unsettled august and dropped points.

Edozie, Ramsdale, Fernandes, THB, Dibling, Aribo (last year of contract), Smallbone have all been linked with exits recently... And the reality is that they're most of the ones we'd on balance want to keep.... Especially as we're already light in the attacking midfield spots.

With so many players being linked with the exit, and barely a whisper re incoming rumours, its starting to look like a 2 year reset...

Don't disagree, but equally players can change their game and be coached. Look at JWP under hassenhuttle - added aggression and more of an engine into his game. Smallbone was a good player for us in the championship - not least during the playoffs. I am not against selling him and know he struggles at prem level due to his physicality - but currently we seem likely to sell Fernandes, Edozie, Smallbone, Aribo, and Dibling.... Who exactly are we planning on using as our attacking mids/wingers next season - fraser, AA and Robinson? We've seen one tenuous link to an attacking midfielder that frankly is far above our level, seemingly rejected us, and may be using us for another move or better contract. Fall behind in early august and we're playing catch up all season - and that assumes we manager to get good replacements in for all these players. Hoping we see some positive news on the transfer front soon.

Both smallbone and Edozie are good players for a championship promotion contending squad. The weakness is that we need stronger starters. Getting rid of squad depth doesn't in any way shape or form mean "we've identified the weaknesses correctly"... it just means we've got no starters and no squad depth...We're a week and a bit out from the season starting, and we quite simply are a long way for being ready. As fans, what i think is most awkwar/frustrating, is that we in fact look set to lose all 4 of our best players, plus players we would have assumed would be squad depth and that we would have improved upon this window, and yet we are no closer to seeing what final form the squad will take (not a form that is encouraging currently anyway). I know the window is still open and that we are at the mercy of other clubs, but i had certainly hoped we'd be in a better position that this at this point, and its disappointing given how long we had to be prepared. We can only hope that Spors and co can deliver on much needed reinforcements as the window closed - for sure they'll be in for a busy and stressful period.

The assumption i would make is because we are not keen on selling him right now - in case we get promoted?

Refuse to get invested in this as he would actually be quite a "ridiculous" signing for us in the champ. Someone i've thought was a very talented player for a few years now and couldn't believe no one had moved for him - never did i consider we'd be getting him in the 2nd tier. If we do sign him, enjoy him whilst we have him, it won't be for long.

(If not already clear from previous posts, I would be absolutely buzzing with this signing).

I can think of another player where people said similar...

Still isn't inexperienced, and his track record at every club he's been at is one of success and improvement.

Just seen Stephens' howler for the goal. FFS - surely he has to be more of a 4th-5th choice CB rather than a captain and starter?!?! Sanda is an absolute monster of a unit, and JQ looks good from what i've seen - lots of passion and effort for the friendlies as well.

This isn't the great argument you think it is. We conceded 17goals in that 22game unbeaten run, with 9 clean sheets... Only two games in that period entailed more than 1goal against, which we won 5-3 vs Huddersfield (home) and drew 2-2 with Preston away. A very significant portion of our goals against in the championship came at the start of the season when we were transitioning to Martin's style whilst simultaneously managing huge player turnover - We conceded 13 goals in just 3 of our first 6 league matches - 20% of our tally for the season, and 16 total over those first 6 matches (25%). A better argument would be to say that we lost automatic promotion either side of our unbeaten run - with the initial change and unsettled squad coinciding with the home defeats to Ipswich and Leicester early on, and the draw with Norwich. Its a warning if anything - we have Sheffield united, Ipswich and Boro all within the first 8 games so a fairly similar start - Hopefully something similar doesn't happen this time around (i.e., lost points to a fundamental change of style and lots of late window squad changes).

If we've genuinely had a chance to sign eduard spertsyan and missed out on it then its a real bugger. He's one of the best players we've been seriously linked with since the days of picking up the younger/lesser known VVD and Mane imo.

Not to go down this rabbit hole... but Blue Playstation controllers were made. Yellow ones weren't... https://console-test-universe.jimdoweb.com/sony/sony-playstation/sony-playstation-controller-variations/ Really is schoolboy stuff from the marketing team 😅

Good point MLG, its far more than 5-6 of our best 11 that could be on the way out... Ramsdale, THB, Bednarek, Fernandes, Edozie, Aribo, Dibling, Armstrong have all been linked with exits.

Those are both PlayStation ones? Shit job cropping the wires as well. All this time to announce a kit leak ages ago and this is the slop we get from the marketing team. Heads should roll IMHO...

Absolute bloody shambles from the club I'm afraid... They've had all this time to release the kit, they get a yellow controller for Fernandes (good move)... And then they don't also go and get a blue controller for the 2nd one. Schoolboy stuff, amateur hour 🤦🤣. Nice kit otherwise 😍

Whilst its a valid point ofc, the club will obviously be aware of it and you have to assume they've got strategies and options in place for those eventualities. It doesn't feel like we "have" to sell from a PSR perspective this year, so hopefully that puts us in a strong position re late sales.

No news is good news at this point - the reality is that it will most likely be centred around some of Ramsdale, THB, Dibling, and Fernandes leaving. If that doesn't happen then the starting 11 stays at it is and Dibling signs a new contract = cheat code activated.

Which should make little difference to a playoff charge with their current squad and new manager, and which therefore means they remain a serious threat to us next season. What i think we also need is for this year's PSR constraints to really impact they're player trading / squad quality.