Saint86

Selling Che for £10m has to be a non story. It's less than we paid for him and we've developed him into a far better player than when he joined. He is a decent striker for us, and the only one who bullies defenders physically - which causes a real nuisance and helps us move the play and pressure into the oppo 3rd. Our best two strikers are Adams and Armstrong imo. And with aribo and Armstrong supporting them they'll cause problems. Doubly so with good wing back play. Letting either go without signing a top quality striker is an error IMO. We would be weakening our front line. It's doubtful the young kid from France is going to be the answer this season I'd say. If we want to raise funds - then start with players more on the periphery - redmond, Ely, 1x lyanco/stephens/Valery, diallo. Not our best 1st team striker!

Watched him intently at the game today, and in other appearances. He's a very powerful player - fast and well built. He'll suit a high line press with a sweeper keeper... But he's also not acting in the most intelligent/well drilled way from what I've seen so far. Made mistakes - particular when it's balls over the top that he has to deal with - I.e. letting the ball bounce with the attacker on him, and he was involved in a couple of instances of poor communication between cb's. His athletism helps him recover impressively, but not always. Both BK and salisu were extremely ponderous in possession today as well. Slow passing tempo! BK has a lot of potential and I think he'll get there and be a great player for us. But I'm not sure he's ready to face kane and son away at spurs.

Agreed.. He have a good assessment of how he performed and if anything excused any dissapointment that anyone could see.

Just seen us linked with werner for £45m in a fake rumour (I guess)... getting silly! 😂

Goes without saying that most people agree on the repeated experience point. We want players that are good enough and that will work well in the system - We appear to have been doing that. A large issue with players like Vestergard (as you mention), is that he was signed by a previous regime and is a slow and not particularly physical player. We then appointed ralph who wants a high line with pace, power, and fitness from the defenders. That was a club decision to change our style of play, but it meant that Vestergard (and others) were suddenly being asked to play a style of football that didn't suit their own attributes. And similarly with that, fans have grumbled (rightly or wrongly) that Ralph makes odd tactical decisions or plays players out of position etc. Stability in the manager has the primary benefit that they are allowed to build and shape a team over many seasons - and buy the players they want to implement their style of football. OFC, that relies on both good recruitment and a solid manager. But if you look at the best teams (say Jose's chelsea, or SAF's united, Pep's city - granted extreme examples) they've either maintained a style/manager, or allowed the new manager to build the squad he wants. Against that, clubs that totally change style of manager (and don't recruit well to support a new manager/style) tend to struggle - take Tottenham going from Poch to nuno to Jose... A better example maybe palace last season - changed manager to Viera and combined it with a significant squad overall to suit his style of player. Or maybe Everton - absolute car crash of managerial/style changes and scattergun recruitment - all with no plan. For us in this window - i don't think anyone can really argue that we have finally revamped the squad with the means and intention to back the manager's style. We haven't made compromises so far in terms of players signed, and we've done our business early rather than picking up scraps. The fan's are excited generally? And i guess that means we broadly believe that the manager is capable and that the recruitment is good - and that therefore this strategy is going to pay off with improvements in our competitiveness? But the debate for the first few months is going to be - have we actually done good business, and/or is this backing of the manager justified (that debate is for another thread!!) 😆

Do we need to have a support circle for you? You seem to have Kelvin issues? We can sit round the fire and discuss all the bad things he did to you if you'd like? (said in jest - I hope obviously!) But regardless, personally the guy was one of the key rocks of the promotion teams, and his decision to stay was one of the very first pieces of that jigsaw. First team keeper throughout two promotions and a Wembley winning cup run. All that after he turned down a guaranteed move to a premier league team 2 divisions higher to risk staying at financially adrift saints at the start of a very big rebuild - didn't he turn down / delay west ham before the takeover happened? And it wasn't just about first team football, he spoke many times throughout that period about being in local shops and seeing "save our saints" buckets and people collecting money to effectively pay his wages and save the club, and wanting to give something back. Sure he wasn't very good when it came to prem level keepers, but that isn't the point... and we all have many memories of key Kelvin moments - probably headed up by the Leeds game. He certainly deserves a key place in memories from that period imo - along with a couple of others that didn't quite make it all the way to the prem but played pivotal parts in our rise.

More than possible United get desperate and shove a wedge our way for JWP.

I think its a lazy assumption to assume it will benefit the top clubs. Its always been the case that you expect stronger squads to do better - regardless of whether they have no subs, 3, or 7 etc. Granted it may take a bit of an adjustment for teams to effectively recruit and adjust for the new use of squad depth, but i can't see that balance fundamentally changing. What it may allow, is for teams like us (with smaller squads), to better protect key players over busy periods. I.e. bring KWP/JWP/Livramento etc off on 80min if the points are in the bag. Which is an advantage to us over a longer season in terms of the relative worth of key players.

This guy ^^

He made a specific reference to the top 6 and not everyone being able to move there... Who is that guy in the Bundesliga that was rumoured to want a united move and was waiting on that?

I think the new signings have just raised the competition stakes significantly. Morale seems good, and players know they are really fighting for a space atm. As it stands, will be a lot of pressure on Ralph and the coaching set up to manage the players and their expectations. Especially if we sign 4 more...

Do you know how much we paid for Small in the end? Struggled to find a definitive answer, I thought the lowest it would be was around £1.5m, with Everton seeking £3m-£5m?

Have to say that I am surprised there are such negative views on Semmens. I've been considering him as a significant factor behind why we're still in the league, have the owners we have, and are having the summer we are having. We're a mid sized prem club and he seems a good fit. You only have to look at the mess some other clubs get into to surely think we've done more than alright with Semmens? Under him we've had stability, improved recruitment, an improved financial position, refreshed the squad, and the academy sides have improved? And I don't have an issue with what he's said in the short term - long term you hope that the club's standing improves, and with it the quality of players and/or their retention. Worth noting that outside of the clubs with super rich owners (where money is no object), all teams have to trade players (and crucially - do it well) to keep improving - the second a club stops improving the squad they've effectively peaked and begin to stagnate and decline relative to other teams. So if you accept that saints need to trade players (we very obviously do because we aren't owned by an oil country etc.), then the club's strategy of targeting top youngsters, developing them, and giving them first team football / a shop window, is the way to go. The challenge as always is to do it better than most other teams.

Seems cheap for someone i've seen described as our best prospect since Bale. Do we get any kind of sell on with these youth transfers? Pleased it isn't bloody money united though.

Crazy summer! Who misses those early posts/vibes about the club being a shambles 😅 Although, there was still an air of that at 0-1 last night.

Well Monaco have had enough. Basically shattered or stopped playing. Saints look good though. A lot of confidence in the players. Aribo can control the ball! Djenpo and Valery having a good night. Lyanco as well has been solid. Good come back as well.

We've gone full pep, no strikers on the pitch and romeu playing behind the front 2? 🤣 Which bizarrely seems okay.

We seem a lot more physical, and the strikers seem more comfortable pressing, winning lose balls, holding up, and laying off passes to runners. This will work until other teams ffogure us out in the league 😅🤣

Okay, we're drawing in a pre season friendly. You need to calm down 😂

Good play again by AA then.

I mean, that was good play from him. Picked up the loose ball, dropped the shoulder to turn the defender, looked up for a good pass, and then grabbed the rebound.

Great play redmond and Armstrong! I actually really hope we stick with AA, think he could do it for us if we can get him firing.

Okay, shocking kick out of play by macca there.

Anyone else think redmond has a bit of a gut on him?

Not sure you can realistically blame him that much for that. Defenders miscontrolled it, it bounces once, and then it's volleyed into the corner from 10yards before anyone can react.