Saint86

Was a standout player for me. Even against the best couple of city players. Hopefully we start to see him making a breakthrough over the next couple of seasons.

I could see us needing to replace salisu, and upgrading/replacing Bednarek. I think we all know what we want/need though - In no particular order.... A quality keeper, at least 1 quality CB, at least 1 quality CAM, and a quality Striker. What we will get though....

Vestergard played 30 games in the league last season, Lyanco has managed 14, six of them as a sub 🤗

All I meant with the vestergard comment was that we sold a first team cb and a first team striker, and those monies were used to get in squad depth by an large (as opposed to any particular quality). We didn't buy a first team cb, and we didn't buy a first team striker etc. I rate perraud and liv as signings don't get me wrong, but they were the minimum required last summer given we only had kwp.... As was Armstrong and broja - and in reality they are probably below not the minimum we needed in terms of our attacking output. What we didn't get that we all wanted... A gk and a #10. So in essence, we were too hard up even with good sales for ings and vest, to get what we needed. And yes, I agree, ings and vest were effectively enforced sales, but it matters not in the context of us only having limited funds to spend I think? I hope that this year, with better Club finances and new owners, we will be able to both replace the outgoing players, but also finish the required squad improvements from previous windows.

Who said silly money? In all seriousness, "Backed" (for our recent history) would be not having to release players like Hoedt and Carillo on a free to mobilise their wages.... Or not having to sell your best player (in Ings), not adequately replacing him (with Armstrong) - all to get a backup full back (Liv/Perraud) whilst replacing Bertrand (let go on a Free) and sign a CB (Lyanco) - note we also needed Vest to fund all that and balance the books. Plus ofc cheaping out on a young loan striker in Broja.... I don't think we had a bad window all things considered, but no one can sit here and say the manager has been backed so far, and we've all got to be expecting we're operating with less restrictions from now on surely!?!?

Yeah i agree, I shared a breakdown of Brentford's net spend when we were taking over. They invested money year after year and turned a very tidy profit. Ultimately staying in the promotion chase every season, funding a new stadium, and getting promoted. I hope we will do the equivalent of that for the premier league - buying "cheaper" players that add value. I cannot see saints spending £23-£35m on players.

Oh behave 😅. We haven't been in a relegation scrap since he's been here, despite having a terrible squad throughout and being tipped for relegation basically every year. Separate your overall disappointment with saints from your need to blame the manager. We all want things to improve significantly sure, but that needs financial backing more than any other thing. If Ralph goes then he has done a good job for us over the years and it should be with thanks. If he stays and is backed then he deserves a chance at that as well. But then equally that should equally be his last chance - there should be no more excuses after a summer of being backed - as it would definitely be a team majorly made of players he wants without compromising.

Whilst i fully agree that the financial backing hasn't been there, and I am also sure that there is a lot of players eying the exit, it simply isn't fair to blame the new owners... They haven't had a chance to demonstrate funds yet, lets be serious! Saints fan's better get ready for underwhelming summer transfers though - at least on face value. We've been purchased by a company whose ethos is going to be buying cheap players and getting them to perform better than expected. So brace yourselves for cheap underwhelming signings - and hope we get it right!

hah! good spot 🙈

Think his time is coming to an end this summer to be honest. Wasn't his usual self in his press conference, both he and the players don't seem to have much fight left. Wouldn't surprise me if something has been said in the background. I'd also echo the comments that it looks like he's almost trying to get himself sacked. I know its Liverpool, but that was a weakened Liverpool team that should have been there for the taking - and we showed very little fight or nous. Extremely disappointing for the final home game of the season - and doesn't bode well. If he stays he needs to be backed as the players aren't good enough and the squad needs a serious refresh and kick up the backside regardless. If he goes then he's done a good job for us whilst he's been here, kept us in the league, given us some good memories, and left us in a good place for the future. So would be with thanks and a shame it has to end that way. Not overly opposed to either of the above two scenarios - but if we try to limp on for another year with no meaningful investment then we are going to be in trouble next year. All if which isn't helped by Leicester trying to pilfer our recruitment setup before the summer!

Exactly this.

Hard hitting, where is this from?

Its not like his finishing is any worse than our other strikers in fairness... 🤣 He's sadly another one of those players ruined by Wenger and the big club move. Went there too young, barely played at the start, had the whoe england hype/fiasco, and then a manager that tried to turn him into something he wasn't. He should have stayed a striker.

He is still one of the fastest players at the club. See the recent Tella/Salisu interview 😉

This is ultimately part of our model. Buy young, improve and market, sell for the best price - just make sure there is a sell on clause in their unless they move to a top club immediately. He's got the potential to be a good CB, but he's replaceable. We can buy two salisu's for his sale price - and we're not unlikely to have a new pairing next season.

Apparently Newcastle are having a Saudi Arabia kit: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-10811061/Are-Saudi-Arabia-disguise-Newcastle-set-turn-green-white-season.html Would have made more sense to me if it had been one of Saudi's green kits. Dead club regardless, fan's quite content to just lap up the saudi blood money.

Absolutely not!! Newcastle fan's wanted him gone before the takeover and everyone should have seen the difference in their defence since signing the mighty Dan Burn to replace him.

In the sun, so its pure rumour mill fluff surely? Would be a great acquisition, particularly with Haaland going there - he's surely going to be looking for a move? We need to push hard for an option to buy though!

Haha okay! So the counter argument would be, where do you think that "1st team" eleven would finish over a 38 game season? I'd wager you'd get good odds on 19th or higher 😅

I'm sure the board are mindful of this particular run, but then i don't think its really that "unfathomable". We've got a small squad of first team level players. Some of them are on holiday, and a fair few of them know they are off in the summer. How many players can we accommodate taking their foot of the gas before it really shows in our form? And how many of Bednarek, Forster, Salisu, Redmond, djenpo, Walcott, Ely, and Broja do people think will actually be here in October?

To surmise. We were safe after 33 games, despite having a very weak squad relative to the league and being tipped by most pundits for relegation... Queue our fans chanting for the manager's head 🤔

Playing devil's advocate - we've always gone for players to improve the team, its not like we decided to just buy bench players. The ones you've listed above worked out. Carillo, Hoedt, Lemina, Boufal, Claise didn't. Unless we're going to collectively agree that £15-22m record level transfers were squad fillers? 🧐

I would love to see Ralph crying (tears of joy) on the pitch after we've truly ended Liverpool's quad hopes... But then i'd also prefer chelsea to stop them winning the cup as well, so i'll just settle for "title hopes" 😁

Also, Villa drawing with Liverpool. Who knows, our game with them may be a dead rubber.

Sorry Chez, but Puel was f'ing awful. By the end, his idea of attacking football was our defence passing the ball along the back line for 60min and being surprised when we lost without scoring. Just not having it! 😑😆