UpweySaint

That’s a fair point re Downs. He’s definitely down as a miss at the moment and we don’t have the PSR wiggle to sustain too many big misses. He didn’t have to he a world beater but if he could build experience this season and be a bench option while putting a few away we probably could have shrugged it off as a young player needing to develop and settle. As is he contributed nothing. I have zero issue with Archer leaving no matter who comes or goes. I don’t think it’s ever going to work for him here. I wish it was a permanent deal but a loan may help us secure a fee in the summer. Happy to see academy talent given his sort of cameos to bring on their development. Oyekunle has smashed them in for the age group sides so hopefully we can develop him into a squad player or better. Arma the fee is disappointing but I don’t think many would have been sad to see him go in the summer - with the right replacements. Larin is underwhelming but at least has the physical profile we need.

What do you think there motivation is? Do you think they’re incompetent or trying to make money via a fire sale? Or something else?

Are we Tom Cruise in your analogy?! Odd parallel to draw between being a fan of a football club and a cinema goer.

Yeah I’m not sure I see it. Maybe monitoring is ‘an as option should Brathwaite leave in the summer’. I can’t see them dropping £20mil on THB in January but they could come back in the summer. I read they need a right back so I expect they’ll be prioritising that if anything in January.

He’s been linked to Ipswich in the Guardian rumour mill but another name to throw into the mix - Sam Surridge. He’s had a bit of a nomadic career but scored lots of goals in the MLS and at 27 is probably close to his peak. Possibly a late bloomer? He’s a fairly tall lad too so may fit the profile we are looking at.

Archer is an odd one. He seemed like the wrong profile of player for us when we signed but he had shown an ability to finish and he play off the shoulder so possibly gave a different option. He’s never really got going or had much of a run but rarely shown enough in cameos to push to be the main man. The turmoil we have been in can’t help player development mind. It’s been chaotic and miserable. No chance we recoup what we paid but I wouldn’t be sad to see Archer move on - even if he kicks on elsewhere I just don’t see it happening for him here.

Sports Republic have made some poor decisions but the implication they are asset stripping the club or even making money from it is false. They’ve invested in the club. If you have evidence otherwise please share it? Personally I can’t see Armstrong going this month without a ridiculous offer. The squad can’t withstand his loss. In the summer? Sure. I think he’s good but we could do better and an exit may suit all parties if the price is right.

I think you’re probably right though perhaps some loan options worth exploring may become viable at the end of the window.

Okay fair enough. Useful but perhaps not what we need.

Joel Piroe? Previously linked, proven at the level, not getting games and rumoured to be on the way out. I’ve not seen loads of him but he has a bit more height and physicality compared to Arma and Archer while still being able to play a bit.

I think you’re right-ish. The hedge is nobody decent available ‘that we have identified’. Ultimately our player recruitment hasn’t hit the mark on a consistent basis for a long time. I try to be pragmatic and avoid being reactive but there certainly seem to be other clubs who are less well resourced who have done a more effective job of squad building. If we are trying to find a forward with the physicality we lack who also has the potential to develop into a premier league talent and have resale value it’s a big ask and hard to get right (see Downs). If the focus is on finding someone who can change how we play this season and next season it’s perhaps an easier job. I’m all for joined up planning and forward thinking but I think we can sometimes lack the pragmatism to reflect our immediate circumstances.

Hard to judge him in any meaningful way this early on but one thing he offered was presence which Baz never did.

Genuinely sad to see. I expected him to break the free kick record but it’s looking less likely. No idea why Nuno is so set against him - especially given some of the shite performances West Ham are putting in - I expect we’ll see them next year. i still think he is better than we have by a long way but I can’t see us being able to bring him back unless say Downs or Charles were moved on.

Sure to an extent but it’s not a decline in a vacuum. We’ve made some poor choices recently, other clubs have made better ones. We should be doing better this year based on the budget and, I would argue, the squad but I think as fans we can - at times - be too reactionary. Solak/SR are investing in the club. There is evidence they learn from mistakes - or at least try to - and can concede when they get things wrong. There is a reasonable level of fan engagement. In terms of football club ownership they’re probably middling. It’s small margins but we do need to start getting more decisions right than wrong. Genuine ask. Do you support the protest/plan to participate?

What do we want? More specific protest aims and outcomes. When do we want them? Between now and Ross Stewart’s next comeback! I genuinely get the frustration but just don’t think we’re at a stage where a protest feels necessary or helpful. Other than ‘be less shit’ or ‘sell the club’ I don’t really get what protesters are seeking here.

The death of Southampton fc? Jesus wept. We’ve got relegated and the board have made some shit decisions. We’re on a poor run. We’re hardly being run into the ground like Sheffield Wednesday or handing out contracts to the likes of Mason Greenwood. We also got promoted in amongst the ‘4 years of abject and constant failure’. I don’t see how our club has ‘gone away’.

Yeah agreed. I think it’s a shame for Baz but it’s just not working. On Total Saints Glen made the point he would take almost any other championship keeper over ours and it’s hard to disagree. Hopefully Peretz can command the box reasonably well.

No way of knowing we didn’t enquire. I would prefer Patterson too but at least we are trying to improve a clear weakness in the squad.

Good time to prove us wrong. Coventry will be tough with a lead - expect to see Fellows on at some point. Feels odd to say but not many other potential game changers on the bench.

Poor defending. An even game so far and we’ve made that too easy for them. Time for our first good second half under Tonda?!

This. I get the pragmatic approach and the ingrained negativity from others given recent experiences as a saints fan but all the more reason to enjoy the current spell. We look bloody good going forwards - dare I say exciting to watch. We’re far from the finished article and hiring a rookie coach may come with inevitable “learning on the job” but if we can keep out scoring enough teams while Tonda and our relatively young team develop some steel and game management it could be an exciting second half of the season. In the thread somebody mentioned the Coventry game and it struck me how mad it seems given where we were when Still left to be actually doing autos maths rather than looking over our shoulder at Oxford and worrying we may be down there with the Blue mob!

We didn’t though. We won. We’ve won six out of seven under Tonda and lost the millwall game to a worldie from a centre back. Are you enjoying it at all? It may all go to shit but given how the season started I’m surprised you are so focused on the negatives when the positives seem to outweigh them.

Lots to like about us but the second half was tough. We almost beat their press and got out a few times but couldn’t hold up the ball. I found myself thinking how useful it would be to bring a more combative forward off the bench. Archer didn’t do much wrong but a fit Stewart could have made a real difference and given us the option is hitting long forcing them to either drop a little or risk us going over long where there was space to find.

You are probably right but there is a small bit of doubt. If Newcastle don’t sign him there is only a small pool of clubs who are likely to be interested at the prem level (or equivalent) and even fewer who would be willing to meet his wage demands/pay the level of fee we would expect. I don’t expect to see Ramsdale back but we can’t wholly rule it out.

I don’t think this is an accurate representation. Bazunu is not the best shot stopper - nobody disagrees. He could do with more presence commanding his box. You seem to imply there are posters saying he is brilliant- if there are, can you point them out? i think you will find a lot of the defence of him is because some of the criticism goes OTT and can feel as though people have an axe to grind “see - I told you he’s terrible”. I have seen posters saying he’s non league standard which is palpably untrue and hyperbolic. The way some fans seem to be so determined to run down our players is something I genuinely don’t understand. He’s not a great keeper. Ramsdale is better. He can start play with his feet in a way that Macca can’t and this is clearly a valued attribute for Tonda and a lot of coaches in top level football. To say he won’t improve at all in ten years is bizarre. Training at a high level under good coaches for ten years you don’t think he’ll improve decision making or positioning?