Saint86

We defend as a team though, and a huge issue for us is that we don't carry enough threat. Improvements in attack will reduce the pressure on our defence. We also need to be wary of blocking simeu. CAM and striker should be the priorities now I think.

A note of caution in that report... The weaknesses of Bella-Kotchap’s skillset become apparent when he needs to defend on the back foot. When pushed back, his positioning can be disjointed and he often fails to cover angles and runners. His situational awareness becomes erratic too – his proactivity leads to him stepping up at bad moments, trapping him in dead space that neither impacts the ball nor covers the threat behind him. Teams can play around his aggressive style with relative ease as he disconnects from the defensive line. He is too focused on the play ahead of him to be aware of the threats behind him – no surprise given he rarely scans to check who and what is around him.

On that list, I reckon lampard, bodgers, and possibly Gerrard are decent early bets. Brighton's board are a level headed and stable bunch - an spotter is a solid manager - so surprised to see him there. Brenda basically ran out of time re fan's patience and will need to do his customary good first half of the season to see Christmas. Everton and villa both have very impatient boards, Gerrard in particular has spent a lot of money / wages and is no better than Dean Smith. Finished poorly on 45 points last year as well. Very much a sink or swim season for Gerrard this year. Obviously Ralph can't afford to have a shit start going into the WC.

Interesting. Will get the Aubergine's emojis primed.

Bizarre when you think about it. If we want him (which is a prerequisite for us to be "beaten" to him), I presume we would then also meet the release clause... Or is it some kind of tricksy before to unheard of release clause that only applies for the first offer recieved 😱😅

Radio Gaga variant using gavin baz-unu? "All we need is, gavin baz-unu. F'kin hates pom-pey. Gavin baz-unu" And so on.

Actually really like that overall kit for city. Pretty smart. I find myself abaolutely loving the socks even though I usually don't like hoops for saints (with stripes).

He looks a decent addition for the money, would suit a change of formation to a 3man midfield (which I doubt will happen). Seems a mix of Stu Armstrong and JWP to me - but he's isn't the direct ball carrying #10 that I personally want us to sign.

Was there for his arsenal clanger, and then got sick for the next 2 days. He was certainly a character, probably our second best keeper on returning to the prem after the "good" forster... But the rest have been average or poor.

Last season, Leicester fans wanted Brenda bodgers sacked though? And fans talk about saints collapsing over the late season period, well Leicester utterly bottled top 4 two years running 😂 their response was to buy vestergard and Bertrand and finish mid table. And now that is an example of well run?😅😉 I can't even imagine the reaction on here! 😂😉 - the only way that is well run is if their objective for the past 2.5 years was self sabotage. As for us, I still think Saints have done well just to rebalanced our squad and stay in the league - in that time we've played some good football (some shit), avoided the relegation scraps, and had a couple of cup runs - all with the lowest financial clout of the surviving teams from that period? Some fans may want to complain about the club/management for not finishing top 10 (or higher), or for not pumping in money (we don't have) - but that isn't realistic. I would say the signs suggest we currently have a decent management team and now good owners and a solid strategy to sustainably build our way up the league. If fans aren't happy with the approach then (I jest) it's probably time to consider switching the red and white stripes for something else - Because saints aren't loaded, we aren't going to be a villa / Everton / Newcastle with owners pumping money into the club - and sadly for us all, no amount of fan unhappiness/grumbling/moaning about it will change it - we simply don't have a sugar daddy owner. But on balance I am pleased we had semmens and Ralph for the past few seasons, and I am happy with the new owners so far 🤞 Also, if we do end up as the centrepiece of a well run multi club model, it could well mean an exciting future.

Happy to wait and see what we ultimatley end up with. The whole "double figures" in an out might look very different in a portion of those are signed by saints and then loaned to satellite clubs in Turkey and France for example. Our squad isn't that lacking for experienced players. I would personally say Armstrong, kwp, romeu, JWP, redmond, bednarek, macca, Che are all pretty experienced for Premier league football now - the broader issue is that for some of those we want a better quality output on the pitch. But regardless - some of those players could be considered veterans at this point. Our issue really is that fundamentally we want a leader at CB and a better Keeper to improve our defence. There is no reason why a more commanding CB has to be older, they just need to be an improvement on salisu/bednarek to improve the team with good communication and decision making. I like the look of Richards myself, and he also helps cover our lack of depth at wingback. Still critical for us is an improvement at either CF or CAM, as well as improved depth at CM to cover romeu.

I mean, we'd be the RBL of the group (under that comparison)... Which would mean champions league football in a few years 😜😁

I personally don't understand people's concerns over saints not making a song and dance over a couple of squad player contract renewals. It is as it should be to me - neither player is considered critical enough to warrant a press peice and interview etc. I'd be more worried if they had done the opposite - which would suggest that the plan was for macca and stephens to become key first team players. On the whole macca forster point. I suspect the club had a wage / price point that they were willing to pay for an ageing back up keeper, forster wasn't prepared to take that cut - plus he had the option of a similar wage and squad football at a bigger club, and so we kept macca whilst getting in a new keeper. Wouldn't surprise me at all if equally forster had accepted and macca had moved on... But given no saints fan wanted either of them as first choice, surely it's ultimatley largely irrelevant - as we were pretty much always going to go and get a new keeper this window? And even if there is a short transition, that is what is happening. I just don't get the fuss over this.

I think kompany's appointment at Burnley may scupper our plans of a mass city raid in all seriousness. But who knows how it will all turn out. Even getting a couple of promising youngsters (that can't make the first team breakthrough at top clubs), it would still be decent for a club like saints.

More positive news, gives further clues about the direction we want to take, and hopefully with more of this it will start to dampen down the negativity amongst some of the fanbase. Still a rocky path ahead, but we seem to be laying some solid groundwork. Not sure how the "shambles" brigade will cope in the face of SR's / semmens' continued approach to improvements throughout the club though...

Want us to go get openda. Last year of his contract at brugge, has stated he doesn't want to go back after his loan at vitesse, breaking through on the international scene, young, hungry... Fits us like a glove... Make it happen semmens 🤗

This isn't consistent. "m" isn't million in roman numerals - I have no idea how you enter M "bar" on a phone however. 🤓🤗

At least JWP wasn't involved on either of the Hungary fiascoes. Reality is southgate had to go after the euros, and I'd say his limitations were obvious after Croatia in the world Cup. The only good game I can remember that is worthy of significant credit, is germany in the euros - and even then that was the worst German team in decades with a very partisan home crowd thanks to covid. He's a nice guy but is shocking manager tactically and clearly can't / won't learn. But for the fa and some fans he's woke and therefore seemingly the best manager for the job 😒 I'd love the FA to be ballsy right now and sack him and go out for a manager whose career highlights don't centre on penalty shootout losses at Wembley. Its that or we waste this generation of players in a 3rd tournament and truly ingrain the sentiments of underachievement and medicrotity in the minds of another generation of fans/players/media pundits. Poch would be exciting and a sensible choice. Should tempt him given its a 6month contract and a return to English footy for next year. Ultimatley it's a minimal domestic career break, and a chance to manage one of the best international teams in a world Cup. Just seen Hungary were starting such epic footballing talent as a young English player who just got relegated with Barnsley, no wonder we could only keep it to a 4-0 home loss... Worst home defeat since 1928 🤣

I don't get the fuss over ings (the way he left or him potentially rejoining). He was an good player undervalued by others that we took a chance on - he did well for saints, and we sold him on for a tidy profit. If people can't handle this then I don't know how they're going to survive life as a saints fan tbh - turning transfer profits will be our life blood if we're going to be successful with the new owners.

Who knows, maybe without the likes of Kelvin (club legend that he is) as a tactical sounding board, maybe we will see a change in that regard... Although I agree it is unlikely.

A midfield 3 of JWP, romeu, and eriksen would be fairly 🍆🍆🍆 (Obviously I am speaking hypothetically, but a man can dream). Chuck in bazunu, a competent CB, a good attacking 10, and a good striker - like openda (or similar ilk) - and it would be a very tidy window for a team like saints.... Again a man can dream. I guess we also need cover at full back Forster = eriksen wages? I guess we'll be shifting djenpo/redmond /Ely, one of bednarek/salisu, maybe Armstrong up top?

Absolute shambles of a club...

What is this, a summer of alpine tribute accounts?! We aren't a shambles ffs. If anything there are a lot of positive noises coming out of the club? There is nothing wrong with retaining macca and stephens provided they're to be used as squad players mid-long term... They're both perfectly fine for that level of involvement. Our negative fans need to get a grip as this incessant pissing and moaning about the club and players. The window doesn't even close for 2 and half months yet. Derby are a shambles, Watford are a shambles, saints were a mess under les Reed and Krueger, but that was years ago and the current management and board have worked a borderline miracle to restructure the playing squad, keep us up, keep us solvent, and get a good takeover... Where is the shambles?

Well said. We have new owners who seem to be proactive. We are finally seeing a shake up of the coaching setup (hiring on merit which this place had called for for years), we look like we're going to positively refresh the first team, and the academy sides are doing great... Far from being the badly run b&b some fans make out! I'd say we seem to have a reasonable strategy centred around stability off the field, high pressing football throughout the club, and signing promising young players. We're not going to go out and compete with teams like villa and Everton on spend, but we're clearly going to try and upset the apple cart in our own way. It suits our 'underdog' reputation, and it definetly makes a change from cylicng through dull and dire managers (puel-Hughes) and signing squad filler players for inflated fees and high wages!

That was 2004, but it was a car crash right at the start of your supporting career - so totally understandable to have blanked it 😅