Bewildered

Not sure it will matter in the end as Bilic has reportedly taken a few reserves and a load of development/academy squad players out to Romania and left those that will start their first PL game in England.

This, make those two additions and we have more than one good option in every outfield position.

Looked ok 1st half. Good build up play but few clear cut chances to show for it. Caulker has looked a bit shaky a couple of times, but hopefully will improve as he settles in. Their goal showed why KD should be the last resort GK.

http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/topics/southampton-contact-barcelona-ace-to-ask-him-to-sign-for-them Interested in Adama Traore according to Spanish press.

Good win. Still look a way short of full match sharpness, but that will come with games. Cedric looks like he's going to be a great player for us.

Surprised Rodriguez is not even on the bench.

One of the surprise visitors Guan mentioned? Though given RK saying we have enough strikers, it would be a surprise if we signed him.

Don't think he's good enough to replace Toby, but he is more than capable as a Gardos replacement. The lack of a built in buy option suggests that he was signed to cover Gardos and will allow the club to take it's time with the search for Toby's replacement without fearing the prospect of Fonte or Yoshida hurting themselves and having to throw Stephens or Turnbull in at the deep end.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/southampton-eye-transfer-hulls-james-6133742 interested in James Chester according to the Mirror.

According to Italian media agency Mediaset. Atletico Madrid midfielder Mario Suarez is set to snub Fiorentina and Inter and join Southampton. Seems unlikely considering Clasie's impending transfer and the whole Alderweireld nonsense with Atletico, but it's a link. http://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/europa/ne-inter-ne-fiorentina-mario-suarez-vicino-al-southampton-704293 translation

Nope, it's €30m or £21.1m. http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/157538/sevilla-reject-southamptons-e12m-krychowiak-bid-holding-out-for-arsenal/?PageSpeed=noscript

http://www.vi.nl/web/nieuws/dday-voor-clasie-southampton-en-feyenoord.htm?channel=phone VI say the clubs are only negotiating over bonuses.

Great player for us, good luck to him.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/453362/Arsenal-Man-United-Morgan-Schneiderlin An agent who works for Mondial Sports Management (who represent a number of top players: http://www.transfermarkt.com/mondial-sport-management-amp-consulting-sarl/beraterfirma/berater/2106) thinks Schneiderlin's departure will be done and dusted in days.

Club must believe some sort of agreement is relatively close if he was not used in the pre-season games yesterday as the pictures of him laughing and joking with KL suggest he hasn't got the hump and refused to play or do anything else which would anger the club.

Jordan Sibley's reply

Going to Spurs would be an awful move for Morgan. They won't break into the top 4 any time soon and Levy would probably force him to stay at Spurs for 3/4 seasons at least, no matter who comes calling.

Why did McCarthy let gazzas save roll through his legs?

Football fans are so fickle that doesn't narrow it down much. What are we talking about here? Ron Vlaar or another freebie? A player from a big club that struggles to make the team and generally has a poor reputation with fans and press (examples: Jonny Evans, John Obi Mikel, Fabio Borini)? A lower league or SPL player that we can complain is unproven? A player from a foreign league who had previously failed to impress in England? A Foreign player nobody will have ever heard of A player with a reputation for bad behaviour/poor attitude. Andros Townsend? Whoever we end up bringing in, whether it ends up being the player everyone wants or someone seemingly less desireable, judgement should be reserved until they actually start playing competitive games for us.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/13407626.Saints_table_bids_for_new_signings/?ref=mac Saints have bids in for players and are hopeful of making a signing in the next 48 hours

65k pw for Scott Dann? Why not give a contract like that to a better player?

His release clause is at around £22m. Any club that wants him will probably be expected to pay the release. Even if we did activate his release clause, it would make little sense from a footballing perspective for the player to agree to come here.

Yeah, it would be a disappointment if Toby's replacement was a player coming off such a poor season.

Mirror live transfer blog has linked us with Vlaar.

If it is stipulated in the original agreement that if atletico wished to cancel the buy out clause by a certain date, then we have every right to threaten action if the deadline was missed. Atletico had plenty of time to cancel the buy out clause. If atletico were too incompetent to do it in the correct time frame, it is hard to sympathise with them.