Saint86

You'd rather sell the likes of Ramsdale/Fernandes/Dibling? If selling the fluff around the edges means we can keep one of them, then i have zero issues.

I was comparing it to this one (the original):

If Birmingham can get through that start with a good tally they'll be on it all season.

Another which is much better than the original 😄

Good shout that one!

Anyway excited just to see a list of fixtures that don't just read like "LLLLLLLL" in your mind? 🙃

Reckon Wrexham have to be the most likely choice for the friday night curtain raiser?

Goes both ways. We should have beaten them twice this season, their squad is unsettled immediatley by the loss of delap, and we haven't made any major sales as yet and appear to be holding on for good sale prices (which will likely mean moves late in the window). I'd rather play Ipswich early on when both clubs are trying to turn around last year's form than after they've built up a head of steam and start smashing teams.

Wouldn't be the worst one to get out the way early on.

On reflection, going to go for Bristol City away.

I think the fact that basically no saints fan will say a bad word about him says it all, doubly so as a great many will have only positive things to say. That's no mean feat having been part of the two worst Southampton teams in recent history as well 🤣. Fair play to him for sticking around last relegation, and for continuing to give his all this year with his contract running down and risking a bad injury etc. Can only wish him all the best - A great signing for us all in. Think my favourite moment for him was his first goal (i think) against Man City 🔥🔥

Reckon they'll be getting one of the relegated sides - Televised on the Friday night...

Coaching shake up looks good. Some good pedigree and a mix of backgrounds in amongst it. Interested to see what difference changing the goalkeeping coach has. Feel a bit for Rusky, dropped in the shitter and above his level really, but he's a nice guy with a pretty dry sense of gallows humour - guessing he didn't want to step back down and felt it was time for something new. Anyone know any more to it than that?

ffs! have corrected that! I know what you mean about the wingers and brooks - but Edozie is another year older with regular footy under his belt, and we should have one of Dibbling/fernandes to supplement the side. We do need to strengthen in the attacking mid / winger section regardless, but i think we'll be about the same with only 1 of those 2 leaving.

Wrexham will be getting one of the relegated prem sides at home first game - nice match for the TV audiences. Expecting us to having scum away around Christmas time. Have a feeling we'll get a nice run in at the end of the season (jinxed it now haven't I ) Ideally we want Brum to have a harsh start, lets not be having another Ipswich type side building up momentum.

I wouldn't write Armstrong off. Ralph bought him to play in a pressing high energy side at the end of the day, he offers genuine speed, plays across the front free (on the right a lot for Martin's side) and has a great work rate. He's proven at this level as well. I think people also forget how many times he got down the wing in put in very intelligent crosses for attackers as well. He is also the only attacker still on the books who is proven to be a very good player at championship level. Sure, if a good offer comes in, AND the club think they can suitably replace him, then we might sell - and fair enough... but i'm more than happy to keep him. He was a key player for us last time out.

On other news, Lyon have been relegated to ligue 2... Wonder if there are any good young players there that Still may know.... Let alone ARG.

Not sure, but i've heard a well run b&b could be in the offing....

Our season was finished a lot earlier than May 🤣

But surely if he is happy to invest to underwrite those costs (i.e., cover up front costs and any yearly losses during the development / construction period), then as far as the club are concerned we can discount the costs from a financial and PSR perspective knowing it is covered (i.e., becomes an owner loan or is converted to increased shares for solak), the club can then continue to fund wages and transfers ignoring those costs, and then once the development work is complete - we would profit from the increased revenues? Depends how it's funded - if the club are funding it themselves then any annual losses impact the budget. But solak was speaking as if he is willing to invest the money himself - and I think he is allowed to fund infrastructure as a way of pumping owner millions into the club and exceed PSR loss limits that would otherwise apply if we were just spending on transfers and wages etc - from his perspective this would be a long term investment to increase the revenue and value of his asset. Edit - as another possibility / side to it - if it is part of a "master plan" development around the stadium thats married up with the council - could Solak or SR be investing into that, separate to the club's accounts, but with the club benefiting from it in the future 🤷‍♂️ If it something like the above then it could be quite exciting for the future - it shows long term commitment and financial backing by Solak. Although equally we've been here before and it could end up as interesting as a damn squib and very anti climatic.

Think you may have been living in a parallel universe 😄

Doesn't that depends on Solak - i.e., isn't spend on the club's infrastructure is exempt from PSR calculations? If so, that means he can underwrite those costs it if he wishes, which would mitigate the impact on playing budget/transfers?

I think its more a case of Brentford really are trying to create a culture of promoting from within (i think this will be the 3rd time now for the manager position). Its a very bold, very risky, and (possibly/probably) a very naive approach to take in football - its a ruthless dog eat dog business, and brentford are very much a long way from the top of the tree with respect to salary offerings and pedigree. They still have a very good squad relative to the promoted sides, a wedge of cash coming their way from Mbeuno, and the same recruitment team re player acquisitions. I sadly think its an extremely big ask for any of those promoted sides to be able to close the gap and compete, and whilst i get people saying Brentford, i just don't think they'll be that bad even under the worst case - maybe if the board/manager also unsettle the entire squad as we did with SR in that first season - but again, promoting from within will at least give them stability. It needs a full blown implosion from one of the 17, and one of the 3 to have a great window and season. Some people are saying Bournemouth are in trouble, but their recruitment was absolutely superb last couple of years - they've turned a very tidy profit on those players and will go again. Okay, they've lost 4 (is it?) of that back 5 - but bournemouth weren't about there defence? That doesn't strike me as a fatal blow i've got to be honest. And provided they don't try to reinvent the wheel and have proven people making those decisions they'll be fine imo. Wolves are the other one that may struggle, but £70M for Cunha gives them a fortune to play with - thats half the likely entire spend of a promoted championship side, with only one player to replace... PSR has stacked the rules so far against the promoted sides these days that its pretty grim watching on. I fully expect Sunderland to be worse than us this season... I think Farke will get backed, fail (because tactically he isn't good enough to keep them up) and be sacked around Christmas/January time), and i think Burnley will struggle to get the goals into the side to stay competitive, even if they do keep themselves in games.

To be honest, you could take those players out (and replace) and the squad Will Still almost certainly be better than the last promotion team. Ramsdale or new keeper, baz, macca, lumley >>> Stronger (Whatever we go with here, you would expect this to be better than a young Baz as starting keeper) RB - Bree, Sugarwara <<< worse (KWP was superb for the championship, but Suga and Bree is still a very nice pairing for the level) LB - Manning, Wellington, Taylor, Larios >>> Stronger (More depth and experience) CB - THB, Edwards, Bednarek, Quarshie, Woods, Stephens >>> Stronger (as it stands, this is a stronger set of CBs, and offers more physicality/athleticism. CM - Downes, Smallbone, Charles >>> Stronger (Charles one of the players of the season in the champ, downes and smallbone a year older and fitter, is there a better CM pairing than Downes and Charles in the champ?!) CAM/Wingers - Dibling (or new), Edozie, Fermandes (or new), Robinson, Fraser === about the same (as it stands i would say stronger, but we will probably lose dibling or fernandes, but then again we know this is identified as a key positon). Strikers - Steward, Armstrong, Archer, BBD >>> Stronger (and that is without strengthening here. Also, i am assuming that Stewart actually stays semi fit and plays for us this season....). Its a decent squad for an automatics challenge. Doesn't look like we're financially pressured to sell, and there is a chance we keep Some of fernandes, ramsdale, and dibling, plus downes/charles/thb. A lot of reasons to be positive i think

I love your optimism that one of the promoted sides is going to stay up. Reality is that its a 17team league, and the only chance one of them has is if one of the 17 has a complete implosion. PSR has closed the shop otherwise.