Saint86

Still think we should go out and get Openda. Kid has no interest in staying at brugge and is future Belgium no. 9.

I don't know if it actually makes that much difference. Ultimatley its a league and over the course of the season you expect the top clubs to beat the bottom clubs, and then incrementally the better squads and managers will fill in the table in order. With no subs you'd expect to lose to city, and with 3 subs you'd expect to lose to them. I don't think it will actually make that much difference. We need to focus on outperforming the teams at our level (and we can't sit here and say that say Crystal Palace have a bunch of world class players to bring in off the bench). Do this well and combine with clever player trading - and we will incrementally improve and move up the table. Also, an awful lot had been made about how this change will benefit man City. Will it? Or does it actually benefit teams with a limited number of key players? Having 5 subs means clubs at our level can better protect their key players over congested runs - and also offer more game time / experience around the squad. In short, I am not convinced it's the poisoned change people make it out to be.

Sell them for 80million before anyone else realises 🤗

Forget broja, what Newcastle want to do is go and sign Sunderland's best player and stick him on the bench 🤗.

First impression... I don't like the overall kit - it doesn't particulary feel like a saints kit and the central striped shirt and black shorts with side details just seem imbalanced. I thnk its too white or the central stripe is too narrow or something. Also dislike looking like Fulham from the back.

Looks better than half our team already, although sadly not romeu and jwp. He would provide excellent competition and cover for those 2. I'd take him for less than 10m in a heartbeat.

Its actually bizzare how some can be quite so negative about him. He's did well in the face of extreme adversity. Needs to be tested at a higher level (which clearly isn't league 1), but could have a bright future.

He stayed untill the end despite having the rug being totally ripped from under him and all his hard work being undermined - and despite that, he still gave it a very good go of staying up. The Derby fans loved him and have been all over the place saying that despite everything, rooney gave them the happiest season many could remember. Given that, I'd say "Appalled" is a bit strong... 😅 They're on the cusp on being taken over now but have had their squad ravished and still aren't in a position to rebuild. I think it's fair enough that he feels exhausted by it and wants to step away having done all he could last year as a new manager. Regardless, he's a young manager to watch and it will be interesting what job he goes for next.

Signed for a shite manager and got stuck playing second fiddle behind nacho and vardy. Was a bad move for him as vardy has got at least another season in him.

I wouldn't be against Rooney as manager at some point. The annoying thing is that if he does well he'd be poached by Everton. Think he's going to make it as a good manager tbh.

In all seriousness, the hallmark of winning managers is that they have favourites and they have players they don't like - whom they won't waste time dealing with or even actively get rid of. Almost impossible to keep everyone happy and be a winner in football imo - unless you have a perfectly balanced squad.

Didn't someone say it was being released at midday on Friday?

2 years is the last resort time a club should be selling a player imo - at least if you rely on player trading to make significant income. If you know a player wants to leave or won't renew, you can't afford to let them stay longer financially. Saints should certainly be operating on that basis given our strategy. It's why I am wondering whether we should be shifting salisu as he is yet to sign a new contract and next summer his value will have dropped a lot (with 1 year left) / our position will be significantly weaker.

Agree completely, should have been nearer the 100m mark - as valued against rice. At least, that's if we desperately wanted to keep him. As it is, I feel we've put 75m on him because we hope someone will offer it - and we will bite their arm off if it happens. That or we've made a woopsy. I don't think it's that unlikely a team like Chelsea or Liverpool won't come in for him.

There is no way we would be able to compete with Newcastle - the joke of state takeovers and FFP... Also pope's big weakness is his touch, footwork, and distribution - which makes him a bad choice for any team that wants to play out from the back and vs pressure. Given that and his age and wages, he probably isn't necessarily the best fit for us... I'd still have taken him over macca/forster mind. Burnley fans must be spitting. First the whole Chris Woods / relegation rival poach in the Jan window, then relegation, then pope. Can see Burnley only going one way and noises about fan protests against the owners in a couple of years. A big bullet dogged by saints given they looked at us.

Surely not? Their delusional new owners wasted no time slagging saints off after they took over at Burnley.

Will have to be a top 4 team imo. If he goes, then I'd like to see him go to city or Liverpool (urgh), but that's because i want him to go somewhere to win trophies and not just for money - if that makes sense. I'd rather he stays and somehow goes to the world Cup and does well.

He's signing next few days then... Can't except Crook is on the money this early into the window and then have to believe every other rumour he posts...

Agreed. Subject to how much we spend on the next few players, at some point we'll have to wonder where the money is coming from. And our much rumoured bologna based swede is very much in the jwp style of players.

Lol. That's that argument ended in one post 😂

He was a fantastic football player and servant to the club. His views shouldn't really matter as much as they seem to (to some people) outside of that imo. I certainly can't imagine getting so upset personally about the personal thoughts of an ex football player - unless they were deeply offensive / racist etc. Just comes across as odd to me. Just be happy for the great memories imo.

If we had been playing pompey we'd have had to field bazunu - just for bants 😅

Hardly surprising though is it? They represent a bigger club/stage/exposure for him, and lyon is a great city with good connections internationally.