Saint86

I think the kid has the potential to be quality, and he seems to have a great attitude which was evident in his first interview. Has the tribunal fee been fixed yet? Wondering if we're keeping him in the B-team partly for fitness, but partly to keep the price down?

Agreed pretty much verbatum 👌🏼

At no point have I said that Gerrard's success at Rangers means he is a top manager.... 😅 how did you read what i put and come out with that? 🙈 I've just said that I think Gerrard has done all that he can in Rangers, and that moving to villa is a logical step up and shows he is ambitious and willing to stretch himself. I've not said that he's been good at Rangers so will automatically be good at Villa - just that the only way develop and test someone's ability is is to challenge them. And Villa (and the prem) are the step up for Gerrard in challenging his managerial ability. He wants the Liverpool job ultimately. Proving himself at Rangers was a start, and he's now chosen to go to Villa as the next rung on the ladder in developing and demonstrating his managerial ability. He's doing it the right way unlike Lampard who just went straight to Chelsea with little experience. Ditto Viera is proving himself the right way after cutting his teeth at a lower level and now palace - when Arteta goes at Arsenal he will be very well set if he continues as he is atm. Also, there is absolutely no requirement to be remotely competent to be the England manager. Southgate sets that bar incredibly low. If the job was available right now and Gerrard applied i'd wager he'd have a good chance to get it after his success at Rangers.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-10108067/How-Premier-League-club-spend-transfers-FFP-rules.html We have the worst spend capability in the league outside of Villa and Everton. #TheLesLegacy

I don't think the impact of loosing vestergard and bertrand, and replacing them with Salisu and a fit and fast left back, can be understated... plus also having a full squad of players.

I don't think you can call it a one horse race in Scotland? Celtic had won the last 9 consecutive seasons. He ended that and went unbeaten. Villa have had a bad injuries and suspensions etc. That squad is pretty good and they'll be near to us by the end of the season. Board sacked smith on a 5 game loss run knowing the new manager would have the international break and is bound to pick up form given players will be returning. Personally think Gerrard will do pretty well there. He's been successful so far albeit over a short managerial career within which he is relatively untested - but he can only prove himself against what is in front of him. He'll likely manage Liverpool and/or England one day depending on how he plays his cards. Taking the villa job at this time is the right thing to do career wise. He's done all he can in Scotland and that move shows ambition and a willingness to step up.

Is there actually a credible slither of a link that rakuten are actually linked with saints? 😬

They reflect how easy a team's fixtures have been. When a team is on good form, their players get high power ratings, when a team is on bad form they get bad player ratings.

Yeah reading that, and with the hindsight of the ogbonna injury, that is about west ham. There was very little paper talk about Lyanco as well.

Honestly, each to their own and what not. But you just removed any credibility with most users of this forum 😅. Might be Lord D's new favourite poster though... swings and roundabouts I guess 🤷‍♂️

Bielsa has been in the job longer. Ralph is currently the 5th longest serving premier league manager. And long may he stay.

Significantly higher in the table than howe would achieve.

If you're away, can you not return your season ticket for the match to the club to resell? That always used to be the case.

The reality is that relegation will only slow them, and if anything set them up even better. They'll be like League 1 saints being the richest team in the league - build a good young squad full of potential, who will then grow with them and the fans as they move up the leagues. Which ultimately in 2-3 years would give them a lot of momentum and fan bond with the team.

Tella and Small stand out at B team level as being far too good. We'll see them both in and around the first team this season. With your dismissal of the "pathway" / youth teams, i think you are someone else who has ignored the impact on administration and lower league stature on our youth recruitment and coaching over much of the past 11 years. Does it surprise you that our academy products have dropped off in quality when we were recruiting as a 3rd tier club, had our coaching staff poached, dropped the relative level of our facilities and available coaching etc. You currently sound like one of those people who think that League 1 saints can recruit and train the same level of 8year olds as premier league saints.

He was backed by the owner's money all the way up the leagues - and yet failed on recruitment (your words but i agree). At saints, he won't have money, and he can't afford to fail at recruitment. Tactically and as a man manger, he is bang average or poor. There is a reason he is still unemployed and it isn't because Southampton is the centre of his universe. Bournemouth are flying without him as well.

Naive. He is a superb cb in the making and so young. I'll be pleasantly surprised if he sees out that contract with saints.

Newcastle are going down 🙌🏼

Athletic reporting formally that Emery has said he is staying at Villareal.

So much negativity! Saints will win this with a least 2 goals scored - Armstrong to get at least one. Matty Targett is in for a torrid game.

The issue was that those squads are with the club since they were schoolboys. And 10years ago we were in the 3rd tier on the back end of administration, having had a lot of the academy staff poached and struggling to recruit the best coaches or talent.

Anyone who wanted howe in went straight on the muppet list for me 😅

He's going to be class 👍

Should be charging £50-60m plus for the now minted human rights abusers. They're going to be proper in the mire by january and desperate. Hope they go down to be honest. Edit - they're rumoured to be keeping their net spend in January to 50-60m, so they can't afford JWP regardless. Not with needing an entire new back 4 to stay in the league 😆

Is he going to be another to prove the forum experts wrong? Written off after his first game by many, but put in a strong showing last night. I really enjoyed his performance along side Salisu. Also, Salisu - absolutely superb, what a player!