Saint86

Should be looking at £45+ add ons. He's a muppet / badly advised if he goes there frankly. Has the potential to be absolute top quality - but not in a struggling Moyes side that needs major investment.

Fans need to back him if he is the No.1 - he's had some torrid years - joined as a youngster and thrown in the deep end his first in the prem in an awful side. Then did alright in the championship, and then had that bad injury that's knocked him back. Its a bit of a fresh start for him in some ways - although equally this season will be his last chance with saints i'd wager.

https://t.co/wYltHkJIfA

Of all of our talented younger players - surely lallana will have been in Tyler's ear and told him to do a year excelling in the championship - it was the making of lallana.

Honestly think its beyond embarrassing when players kick off like this. They signed a contract - get on with it. You can ask the club to leave, but ultimately you committed to respecting the club and to play for them for the duration of the contract. I'd steer clear of any player that has a strop or says they're unable to play because they "supposedly" can't handle speculation about getting more money (think we all know its because he's having a tantrum) - smacks of a troublesome attitude to me, and a player that can't be relied on in a crunch.

Strongly disagree with this comment. Without dibling and Fernandes replacements (let alone aribo and edozie), we would be criminally short of wide / attacking mid type players for champ automatic contenders.

Yes, i guess we just have to hope that at least 2 good additions are made fairly soon (and that they settle in quick). Saving grace i guess is that we will have money to spend and are an attractive team for this level.

Well, we'll find out soon enough ☠️

Last goal he is unsighted, and there are how many saints defenders there failing to mark, close down, or block the shot? He's a young keeper, should never have been thrown in the deep end in that first prem season, has played in arguably two of the worst ever Southampton defensive set ups, and has been subject to our fairly toxic fanbase during that time. 2nd goal goes through THB's legs on the 6yard line, not much time to react... I think he's going to do well this season - but we'll find out soon enough.

I will absolutely despise watching dibling line up for Everton (if that is what happens) and having to listen to their fans crow about what a talent he is. Club needs to put its foot down somewhere on one of these sales. Personally i would make that dibling (contract issue but incredible talent) or fernandes (long contract and superb player). The entire squad must have 40-50% wage clauses in their contracts at this point. We simply do not need to sell all of them - its just soft from the club if we do, and sends a terrible message about ambition, equally it puts us back a peg having spent pre season with nearly half the first players then leaving in august.

I think Bazunu is going to have a great season and prove a lot of doubters wrong tbh. Still is a solid manager, baz has had more years of experience now, and the added benefit that we won't have a bunch of cluster fuck sideways passing going on under pressure in front of him inside the 18yeard box. We won't be playing the likes of Minteh and Mitoma this season - teams will be kept at distance most of the time and he's a decent enough shot stopper for anything in the air - its when he's facing sudden unexpected shots low down from a insane sideways pass under pressure that he gets done. Actually pretty comfortable with him after pre season. Biggest defensive weakness in that team is Stephens without question - Edwards and Quarshie have already shown me enough to be lightyears ahead of him as a pairing, and thats ignoring that THB is still on the books. Wrexham next week i would like to see us line up with Manning, Suga, Quarshie, and Edwards - but it won't be, it will be bree and stephens starting.

Agree re the fans, we may have a rocky start (subject to transfer activity) but who knows at this point. I still think he is a quality manager - when you look at the players missing yesterday we still managed to get back into that game vs Brighton (something that simply would not have happened last season. Mentality and fitness already streets ahead of Martin's side, and the physicality is there as well. Eitherway though, surely the general consensus is that there is a degree of optimism and fresh air blowing through the club, which is much needed regardless, and Still is infinitely more likeable than that bearded egotistical vegan hipster (bell end) that threw his players under the bus the second the pressure got too much for him, and who refused/was unable to change. Ever.

Never mind adaption, he's going to Belgium the fuck out of the championship imo. Think he's a very very good manager - he's tactically very astute and showed today that he can make subs to impact a game, and he looks to be pairing that with some much needed physicality and high energy football. I think we'll be mustard over the course of the season - whether its enough to catch Ipswich and stay clear of brum / sheffield / coventry etc., is anyone's guess. We'll either see a breakaway front 2, or it will be another mad dash to the finish line with 3-4 clubs neck and neck for the autos imo. What is abundantly clear though is that we do need to strengthen the attacking midfield/winger options.

What on earth are you on about?!?! We've got a good manager, decent coaching staff, and a squad that's pretty decent for the championship. We look set to clear out a few more players (some good, some less so), and you have to assume we'll be spending. So far the business we've done (Downs and Quarshie) look to be good and relatively inexpensive buys, plus Charles and Edwards both look to be very good players. We need 2-3 creative midfielders/wingers to be really comfortable and have a great season to look forward to...

Dibling played today. Not certain that he will be sold.

"Lucky to get a point" "Braver than us, i am very disappointed and hurt by that". (Course you are Russel) Had a real go at the players for their mentality. The players "need to drop their egos". "He's surprised and angry" - said with classic smug martin smile.

Found a resident clapper on there...

https://rangersmedia.uk/topic/342694-official-motherwell-vs-rangers-match-thread/page/36/ They don't like his style and some already want him out. Going well 😂

Absolute classic. 87th minute after dicking about all match and not putting the game to bed.

I assumed he off given his absenteeism today. I guess it could be genuine. Hard to know what's true and what's not with the players atm.

THB had surgery over the summer?

Assuming Dibling and Edozie both go, i think at some point we'll be starting games with AA (RW) and Robinson (LW) with Downs / Stewart / Archer up front.

He is a far far better talent than any of those players... different level entirely.

Good table - its a nice way to look at it. I think we're looking at something similar to the above re departures. Blue being ones that i think may depart (THB/Smallbone/Taylor), struck out are ones i think its very likely we will lose (Ramsdale, ABK, Aribo, fernandes, edozie, dibling, and i don't ballard has much time left with saints). Attack / wings probably decent enough, although we lack natural wingers and will be relying on AA and BBD to do that role. CM lacks both cover and creativity for me - we do at least know we are trying to get one more creative central mid in (that would still leave us without cover). I added back in Sanda in defence as i think he looks good from what i've seen.

Narrow wins over 3 of the weakest squads in the league (the 2 promoted sides and no pot to piss in QPR), and then a draw and crucial losses vs 3 promotion favourites in Sunderland (5-0), Leicester (4-1), and Ipswich (1-0). Plus a further defeat to boro who were expected to challenge at that stage of the season but weren't actually that good... That is not a great start, I think its not really up for debate that it was down to the state of flux at the club at the time, and if the Ipswich and Leicester games in particular had been draws, we'd have had a 4 point swing on them both and likely got automatics - rather than having to play chase all season. We are sadly in danger of having a similarly unsettled start. First 8 games, were W3 D1 L4, with a GD of -7, and out of the cup to Gillingham 😕. I'm just not having that as "off to a flyer". Albeit i acknowledge that wasn't just august. Transfer wise that summer: Tino left on 8th August. Norwich home (12th August) - drew 4-4, a sign we were struggling imo. Tino, Lavia, JWP all don't play. JWP left 14th August Lavia left 18th August Plymouth away (19th August) - Narrow 2-1 win vs weak side QPR home (26th August) - Narrow 2-1 win vs weak side Tella left 27th August Perraud / Lyanco / ABK / Djenpo / Onuachu - 31st/1st August/September Sunderland away (2nd September) - squad cohesion, strength, and morale depleted late into window, shit duly hits the proverbial as we get torn a new one by a depleted sunderland side full of academy grads!