Saint86

I reckon we'll continue to have the highest average number of shots in the league, higher possession that Arsenal.... and get smashed. But don't worry, people on here will remind us that passing the ball back and forth between the centerbacks and shooting from 30yards (rather than from inside the box) is the way to beat people.

5 of the top 10 are either playing for or have played for saints.

We offered him 25k to stay.... care to guess what Liverpool did?

Almost every player/manager that has left in recent years has had a/several negative PR pieces slipped out just before the move. Yet every time it is the players' fault/attitude/greed etc. No smoke without fire etc. You don't need to analyse ITK leaks on this forum to figure that out. We pay them feck all and they want to leave - i.e. 10k Nat Clyne.... Such is life... and fortunately/meanwhile saints march onwards.

I assume anything that gets leaked by the club is a PR plant

Yeah, but he fell out with Les and then gave him the perfect chance to get rid.... Fatal.

I think you rest my case for me then

Where do we sit on shots inside the box, shot percentage on target and crosses completed, or average number of players in the 18yard box when we attack / cross? You can quote stats all you want but you have been very selective, the right stats show how poor and ineffective we are.

Everton have a better manager.

Stunned that anyone would put our summer in the "good" bracket - or give it 4/5. At best we get an OK rating. What we've really done is shread the cohesion of the management and playing staff and sold 3 good players (1 utter world class) whilst making a bit of profit; tearing up the club ethos of 4-3-3 and youth development still further at the same time. We've signed bright young players, hopefully it comes good in the end. But its real waste to have done this to ourselves again (all for a bit of dosh) when we were the 2nd best team of 2016 and just missed champions league last season. Some fans have blinkers on.

I've been an optimist for years, predicted promotion from league 1, predicted promotion from championship.... expected us to be a recognised top 8 team within a few years of being promoted, and I told anyone who would listen that lambert and lallana would play for england before we even got to the prem.... so yes, whilst I was probably a very cocky and annoying person at that time, I'm also a "realist" as you have termed us. The simple fact is that on the back of our best season since LM, where we also got CL, were the second best form team in 2016, have banked years of record revenues and profits.... we have once again torn the whole team and management up and started again. Not only that, but the players we've sold and purchased make us immediately weaker. No other team does this, and there was no basis or excuse for it this summer. So its been a poor transfer window. Don't get me wrong, I think Redmond, Boufal and PEH are class players. But Fonte is older and isn't happy (his performances have been appalling by his standards), Mane was able to beat teams single handedly and did frequently (redmond and boufal cant), no one in the team comes close to the CDM stopping machine that wanyama was. PEH and Romeu may be technically better.... but so much worse defensively. And our strikeforce is simply worse. We have 1 goal Austin as our Pelle replacement. Its not what we've sold, its the fact that we've made another profit but weakened the team, weakened the quality of football and the results we'll get and shown once again to the paying fans that the boards No.1 objective is a bank balance as far in the black as they can get away with. Its a shame that teams like Leicester, West Ham etc can keep their stars and improve their teams... That bournemouth can pay a loanee 80k... and yet last summer we offered one of our key right backs (clyne) 25k. It is all very disappointing for those amongst us who believe the club can push onwards. Its also perfect for those on here that delight in ramming home the glass ceiling negativity and revelling in it. Something that surely is the biggest source of angst amongst many on here. Its been a poor window and makes a mockery of the club saying we always have a plan. Tottenham almost ended the window with Morgan, wanyama, Toby.

Team is weaker. No excuse!

Where is pompey online? Has it been taken offline?

He needs to really. Was hilarious how much he put himself in the Boufal signing video... Reckon he is feeling the pressure.

This is a good post. The difference for me is that this season the formation simply doesnt work. Under Koeman we had the summer of discontent... then went out first game and almost beat liverpool away. It was clear everything was going to be alright. This year.... 65% possession along the halfway line or at 30yeards... then nothing but shots outside the box and hardly any penetration. It is worrying as we can't breakdown such stallwarts as Sunderland and Watford without first going behind. Big difference.

Its not right though is it. Whilst the fans should be patient and give Puel and the players time.... the fact remains that we were the 2nd best form team in 2016, almost got champions league and have had years of record revenues and profits. Against that backdrop we've sold 3 first team players, replaced them with 3 players who don't do the same jobs as well and ripped up the formation we've been playing for 3-4years despite the clubs 4-3-3 philosophy. For all that people want to live in the past, there is simply no excuse to be weaker as a team and banging on about glass ceilings as if we should give up now is ridiculous. The second teams end ambition and start standing still in the prem is the second they start heading back down the football standings. What is unacceptable is that even at half time against watford most of the stadium was booing them off. We have turned into a right bunch of plastics. But that said, most of the fanbase are clearly unhappy with the clubs management this summer... and are absolutely right to do so. I dare say that attitude has probably highlighted to the board that they better make a good signing before the window closes... just like the increase in uproar after chambers went put the brakes on player sales. Fans who sit around with no ambition for the club are the most dangerous fans to have, if that becomes the majority view we will really have to start to worry as it removes all pressure from the board.

It amazes me that people think the defence is fine. Jose does not want to be here (or is far off match fitness) and has been at fault for so much. Zlatan's goal, Defoe pen and numerous other near misses... he is currently more of a liability than Yoshi. Target is solid going forward but gets dicked defensively by anyone with speed. Romeu is not a solid CDM, whilst I rate him at driving forward, he loses the ball a lot more than wanyama defensively and does not win enough tackles. Then we can't score. The board have screwed up this summer spectacularly. We are poor ATM and don't seem to enter the opposition box and rely on 30ysrd shots 90% of the time. Very worrying times for the first 3 games. My only hope is that the quick passing and movement up front will click and we will become dangerous. We are awful so far though. That said the fans should not be booking yet. We had our best ever Prem finish last year. Now after 2 draws and a loss at the champions elect we have fans booing. Really hoped we were better than that as a fanbase and it certainly isn't the players/coaches fault. Blame should be placed at Reed's feet if fans want to vent dissatisfaction.

We wanted both.

You are certainly going some to be more annoying than Glasgow, not to mention derailing most (if not all threads)... Pretty special when every opinion different to yours is dross and all you can do is slag of those involved. Are you Les Reed?

If the club do have a gentlemen's agreement then Les Reed and co are going to look awfully stupid given the amount they've said "he isn't leaving" and given the level of advertising Fonte is currently used for....

We are at a loss for foreign signings. People easily forget buys such as Forren, Mayuka, Juanmi all to easily. Mane is the stand out success story, followed by Lovren... perhaps this says more about Liverpool paying OTT than it does our success rate... Although I do think that Mane is/will be one of the best players around - absolutely unplayable on his day and destroys teams for fun... there is no defending him at times. If anything, we sold him far far far too cheap.

It's more aimed at Les Reed and the board but we can't give them a hard time. Puel is the easy target and is their man. They git said of koeman to bring him in and if he doesn't deliver it is on their heads tbh.

So. We're still **** then with now one signed. Koeman was the lucky one this summer, gonna be hard watching his cheeky pressers whilst they finish who've us, not to mention the Everton fans stopping by on our forum.

He was spot on. Had a terrible summer and have left ourselves wide open to a poor season. As it stands. Also you have to accept that the media are desperate for us to fail having been so cocky about our strategy in recent years.

Are people seriously worrying about relegation?!?!?!? The team is good, but once again the board have gone for making an excessive profit rather than focusing on developing the team. Acceptable levels of performance should be made based on last season. We are the 2nd best form team in the premier league in 2016 and achieved our best ever prem finish for the 3rd consecutive season with a young and developing squad. If not for clattenburk at leicester away last season we could very well be the top form team and in the champions league this season as a summary of just how good we were last year... Since then, the board got rid of Koeman (and this is exactly what happened no matter how they want to paint it - reed didn't like him and got offered £5m to get rid of him), and sold Mane, wanyama and pelle. We've banked a very tidy transfer profit, record tv monies and have the prospect of European prize and tv monies this season. Against that backdrop we've signed 2 young players and not replaced a single first team position. The fans acknowledge this, as shown by not a single person predicting us to even match last seasons finish. As fans go, we are a very tolerant and accepting bunch; glad that we have a team to support and happy as long as we play good attacking footy and develop players..... But.... The board have made a serious mistake in my honest opinion if they think it will sit well making very tidy profits whilst weakening the team. All the while banging on about smashing the glass ceiling and reaching champions league whilst milking the fans for their ticket monies and £50 shirts etc - its okay though, we've given opposition fans ticket discounts... Based on the fact that we are the 2nd best form team of 2016 and have cash to spend.... The fans really should be telling the board exactly what we think if we finish lower than the last 3 seasons... Not acceptable.