Saints Transfers Thread - Deadline Day

It's not an entertainement industry, it's football.

It is a entertainment industry very much so ........and clubs should never lose sight of that , look at the displeasure from the crowd after our performances last season

We're not going to be going out to replace JWP, Forster, Tadic, Boufal, Hoj..........if those are your expectations, then you will be disappointed.

I don't mean all in one go obviously but people suggesting we have a lot of players so we don't need to get anyone are missing the point there are quite a few average players in our team that we could upgrade with better. If we really aren't selling any of our better players (and unlike previous summers having to find replacements for them) now is the ideal time to replace some of the lesser ones with better.

Teams upgrade every season, we need to do the same otherwise we will get left behind......whatever that looks like. Going into the new season with virtually the same squad will, I think, see us struggle.

 

Assuming none of the star names leave, then a couple of new midfielders would be most welcome.

Teams gamble every season, lots of times those supposed upgrades aren't upgrades.

The thing about gambling is sometimes sticking is a good strategy. After being part of mad churn of having to sell and then having to buy and try and integrate replacements, having a largely settled squad for once seems a advantage imo.

We spent a lot of money on Hojberg/Boufal and it makes perfect sense to give them a second season to prove themselves rather than panicking and hoping the next spin will provide us the perfect finished article. I'd be very happy with just one signing that improves the first 11.

It's not an entertainement industry, it's football.

If you don't think football is a sub-section of the entertainment industry, then I'm puzzled as to what you think it is! I watch football to be entertained, why do you watch it?

It's not an entertainement industry, it's football.

Probably better phrased as "The transfer window isnt supposed to be entertainment"

We very much need a CB, CM and AM in my opinion, and realistically we need to look at improving what we already have. The teams in the immediate position of us are all improving, and we need to do the same.

We have some good young up and coming quality however we also need to be ready for the here and now.

The main problem this year is the abundance of money in the prem.

Whilst I feel the club aren't going to make wholesale changes with players mainly coming in with potential like the Polish chap, which should be applauded, it would be nice for the fans to be given a signing or 2 that can get them excited, it is afterall an entertainment industry, most saints fans are pretty pragmatic and understand we won't be going out spunking £100m but they surely have to show some sort of willingness to whet our appetites for next season.

 

Saying that it's only July so a lot could happen yet.

I don't want Saints to sign players to make me excited, I want Saints to sign players we need to make us better.

(not that the two are mutually exclusive)

If you don't think football is a sub-section of the entertainment industry, then I'm puzzled as to what you think it is! I watch football to be entertained, why do you watch it?

Because it's part of me. A part that would still be there even if there was no entertainment value whatsoever.

Entertainment is a factor of course, it's fair to want/demand it and certainly makes supporting Saints easier when it's there, but it's not the sole pupose, or even driving factor of being a football fan for many.

If you don't think football is a sub-section of the entertainment industry, then I'm puzzled as to what you think it is! I watch football to be entertained, why do you watch it?

When I started watching Saints it was about today's public rec standard. The supporters didn't go to be entertained, they went to get behind their team, sing, shout and let off steam a bit after 50 hours or so of hard graft in a factory or the docks during the week. They went to see their team win, any old way was just fine. And so it is with me today, as long as we win the manner is fine by me, Respice Finem, as my old school motto said.

When I started watching Saints it was about today's public rec standard. The supporters didn't go to be entertained, they went to get behind their team, sing, shout and let off steam a bit after 50 hours or so of hard graft in a factory or the docks during the week. They went to see their team win, any old way was just fine. And so it is with me today, as long as we win the manner is fine by me, Respice Finem, as my old school motto said.

Fair do's.

WC, but..... ignoring LCFC winning the thing, can you see us ever winning it or coming top 3 or 4? Or even top 6 again? So to me, if you aren't going to be able to win the competition, what else is there? Firstly I would suggest that it is to avoid relegation, and then it is to be entertaining.

WC, but..... ignoring LCFC winning the thing, can you see us ever winning it or coming top 3 or 4? Or even top 6 again? So to me, if you aren't going to be able to win the competition, what else is there? Firstly I would suggest that it is to avoid relegation, and then it is to be entertaining.

Don't expect us to win the PL but I expect us to win games and I really don't care how that's done. Now me, I like a hard fought, defensive win far more than a 6-5 gung ho defeat. To me football is about winning, same as any other sport. When you can't win, don't lose.

This is partly why I preferred the lower leagues - the opportunity to win something, be champions, move up the food chain. Don't get me wrong I like the PL, but those pitch invasions are only going to happen again if we avoid relegation on the last day or get relegated and then promoted again.

Don't expect us to win the PL but I expect us to win games and I really don't care how that's done. Now me, I like a hard fought, defensive win far more than a 6-5 gung ho defeat. To me football is about winning, same as any other sport. When you can't win, don't lose.

Fair enough. I go for entertainment and to a certain extent I am with you as that losing isn't much fun. Would I take a highly entertaining 3-2 loss over a drab 1-0 scrappy victory? Probably not. But if I have to ever sit through a game like the Hull home game, I might die of boredom.

Meandering a bit, I have often thought of the price at SMS and how it compares to say, the Mayflower. Looking at their prices, you have (ignoring matinees) most shows between at £25-45. You could go and see Jimmy Carr for £31, Craig David for £42, Jools Holland for £44 or if you want to go a bit special, "Collabro VIP pre-show £103.50 - Priority entry, photo opportunity with Collabro, best seats in the first 8 rows for the evenings concert, signed photo, exclusive VIP gift and collectable laminate". I guess the big difference being that you might go to the Mayflower a couple of times a year, while SMS 20 odd times.

It's not an entertainement industry, it's football.

I wouldn't judge it purely based on last seasons performances - hopefully this season will be much more entertaining!

If you don't think football is a sub-section of the entertainment industry, then I'm puzzled as to what you think it is! I watch football to be entertained, why do you watch it?

Football is passion and love for your club and if you just happen to feel entertained well there's a bonus going to a match is not aboit entertainment it's about the experience good or bad. Anyone who goes to a game with entertainment as their number one reason does not have an emotional attachment to either team. Plastics in other words.

It's not an entertainement industry, it's football.

Jesus, last season was a chore just watching on the box for the most part, let alone going to the matches. If you don't entertain the supporters, they'll soon start dwindling and if you don't entertain the tv audience, you'll get less and less games televised.

If you don't think football is a sub-section of the entertainment industry, then I'm puzzled as to what you think it is! I watch football to be entertained, why do you watch it?

You actually don't understand the game at all do you?

We're not going to be going out to replace JWP, Forster, Tadic, Boufal, Hoj..........if those are your expectations, then you will be disappointed.

Count me disappointed

Football is passion and love for your club and if you just happen to feel entertained well there's a bonus going to a match is not aboit entertainment it's about the experience good or bad. Anyone who goes to a game with entertainment as their number one reason does not have an emotional attachment to either team. Plastics in other words.

I couldn't disagree with this more. Following Saints for 45 + years I have seen some good times, some dire times and a great deal of mediocracy. However we have always had teams that have tried to play football the righy way {barring the Branfoot era and then last season). For the most part we have had p155 poor defences so we have had to score goals to even come out with a draw but that was (is) the Southampton Way, long before Les coined the phase and trade marked it!!

I couldn't disagree with this more. Following Saints for 45 + years I have seen some good times, some dire times and a great deal of mediocracy. However we have always had teams that have tried to play football the righy way {barring the Branfoot era and then last season). For the most part we have had p155 poor defences so we have had to score goals to even come out with a draw but that was (is) the Southampton Way, long before Les coined the phase and trade marked it!!

And your point is......

Fair enough. I go for entertainment and to a certain extent I am with you as that losing isn't much fun. Would I take a highly entertaining 3-2 loss over a drab 1-0 scrappy victory? Probably not. But if I have to ever sit through a game like the Hull home game, I might die of boredom.

 

Meandering a bit, I have often thought of the price at SMS and how it compares to say, the Mayflower. Looking at their prices, you have (ignoring matinees) most shows between at £25-45. You could go and see Jimmy Carr for £31, Craig David for £42, Jools Holland for £44 or if you want to go a bit special, "Collabro VIP pre-show £103.50 - Priority entry, photo opportunity with Collabro, best seats in the first 8 rows for the evenings concert, signed photo, exclusive VIP gift and collectable laminate". I guess the big difference being that you might go to the Mayflower a couple of times a year, while SMS 20 odd times.

I was part of the company that put Collabro together. Biggest bunch of arrogant dxcks you could ever meet

I was part of the company that put Collabro together. Biggest bunch of arrogant dxcks you could ever meet

We had them on a P&O cruise a couple of years ago. The company thought that they would be so popular that they issued tickets and would only let us go to one of their three performances but I refused to be told where and when I can go when I've paid for an expensive holiday so I didn't bother to see them. On their last show I stuck my head round the door to see what all the fuss was about. They were crap, really crap. Their name is an anagram of Bollarco.

So any rumours about okayers we might sign? (Perhaps they've been spotted at the Mayflower or getting off a P&O cruise.... )

So any rumours about okayers we might sign? (Perhaps they've been spotted at the Mayflower or getting off a P&O cruise.... )

or players even...

As with so many arguments on here, seems for some it's got to be one way or the other. Going to watch a professional football team is partly about a tribal based wish to win over an opponent and partly to be entertained - the two sit hand in glove together and anyone who says they don't care for one or the other is in my view not being honest.

The 'club' based argument is hardly relevant today IMO - how many of us hold both a season ticket (or purchase many match tickets) AND retain membership of 'the club'? Not many Of the 30k home supporters I would wager. So what makes a supporter? Someone who pays money to watch the team and buy merchandise? Is it that simple and does the amount of time really matter?

I primarily want Saints to win...or if not win then to demonstrate that they've worked hard to attempt to win. If there's some flair on show too then even better. Among the other stuff, I like to hear the Managers honest commentary and the Radio Solent reflections afterwards, as those things add to the entertainment of match day. Hell, even logging in here and reading posts/posting thoughts is part of the deal (although the forum is a shadow of its former self unfortunately - [waits for the usual culprits to throw insults]).

My view in simple terms - football is a sport...a professional football team selling match tickets to members of the public enters into the world of the entertainment business.

I couldn't disagree with this more. Following Saints for 45 + years I have seen some good times, some dire times and a great deal of mediocracy. However we have always had teams that have tried to play football the righy way {barring the Branfoot era and then last season). For the most part we have had p155 poor defences so we have had to score goals to even come out with a draw but that was (is) the Southampton Way, long before Les coined the phase and trade marked it!!

Sorry but to say that and then group the Branfoot era with last season is grossly unfair and massively misguided. Yes, it was probably the right decision to sack Puel, and yes, the football was boring at times, particularly at home, but we still passed the ball round nicely, had some good performances and/or results and spend a fair chunk of the season in the top half, with relegation at worst only a background concern.

Compare that to seeing a side aimlessly boot the ball up the pitch, losing most matches and looking destined for relegation, under a manager that replaced Shearer with Speedie and Dixon, ousted Jimmy Case and replaced him with Terry Hurlock, thought Peter Reid was a good signing, tried to swap Le Tissier for Don Hutchison, and spent most of his tenure trying to work out how he could do without having MLT in the side at all.

But yeah, Branfoot and Puel, their tenures were pretty similar. JESUS WEPT.

But yeah, Branfoot and Puel, their tenures were pretty similar. JESUS WEPT.

Yep. I held up a red card for Branfoot. Not anywhere near doing so for Puel, and like Boufal and Hojberg, I was hoping for a better second season from him.

We had them on a P&O cruise a couple of years ago. The company thought that they would be so popular that they issued tickets and would only let us go to one of their three performances but I refused to be told where and when I can go when I've paid for an expensive holiday so I didn't bother to see them. On their last show I stuck my head round the door to see what all the fuss was about. They were crap, really crap. Their name is an anagram of Bollarco.

Brilliant... Bollarco...made me laugh!! Yes they are crap. The whole BGT thing was a fix. They had won before the first even audition, thanks to contacts at Cowell's company. They were told to say they didn't have a management company, had all met via social media, blah blah.

Anyway up the saints!!

Is one of the reasons for little activity in or out because we are being "plumped up" for sale to Lander?

Would make sense.

Is one of the reasons for little activity in or out because we are being "plumped up" for sale to Lander?

 

Would make sense.

but Everton aside, there isn't a great deal going on anywhere yet?

but Everton aside, there isn't a great deal going on anywhere yet?

AFCB have been quite busy

Defoe

Ake

Begovic

but Everton aside, there isn't a great deal going on anywhere yet?

Huddersfield have signed 9

Rafa Benitez demands Newcastle improve offer for England U21 international Jacob Murphy:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/07/10/rafa-benitez-demands-newcastle-improve-offer-england-u21-international/

I agree.

 

I would like a new CB to partner VVD, but tbh Yoshida and Stephens may be decent enough to step up.

 

Don't think we need anything else.

We need a competent Gk who can come off his line and use his hands to make saves.

We need a competent Gk who can come off his line and use his hands to make saves.

What, like Forster 2015/16? No idea what happened to him last year.

What, like Forster 2015/16? No idea what happened to him last year.

He's never come off his line.

Imo he's been average since we signed him, but has played behind a really decent defence. Last year he was just exposed more, so looked worse. How many great games has he had in his 3 years, 4?,5?. How many times have we thought " how did he save that"? , not many.

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I'd not be surprised if we make very few changes this summer. We're not selling "top players" so we'll not have a great deal of squad room for senior players. No Europe so no extra strain there really so I do wonder what we actually need right now.

Goal scorers and quality ones at that.

If we keep all the players we have, I'd be happy just signing a decent DM now.

He's never come off his line.

 

Imo he's been average since we signed him, but has played behind a really decent defence. Last year he was just exposed more, so looked worse. How many great games has he had in his 3 years, 4?,5?. How many times have we thought " how did he save that"? , not many.

 

 

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He was poor last year, granted. But nobody's going to want him so unless a miracle decent bid come see in from someone (I'm looking at you Newcastle) then we're stuck with him. Just have to hope with McCarthy back he provides decent competition.

Goal scorers and quality ones at that.

If we keep all the players we have, I'd be happy just signing a decent DM now.

Agree. Areas can be improved upon but in terms of the first team we're one DM away from a decent outfit to challenge for Europe again. However I still don't think we've seen the last of players leaving. (And personally I'd take the big money for VVD and invest in the squad but there you go.)

We all know that there aren't any genuine ITKs but usually around this time we at least get a few pretending to be ITK

...."according to my sources"

just shows how securely Saints manage to lock down any info

or there's just nothing going on, which seems unlikely

Keeping players is great but the first 11 is still weaker than it was 2-3 years ago.

So we need at least 2 in IMO that directly improve on what we have, you can't stand still in this league, just cos we might not be fighting fires doesn't mean it's all rosy.

Goal scorers and quality ones at that.

How many more do you want then ? We have err 5 or 6 blokes who are supposed to be strikers, what is needed is to get what is necessary out of them really isn't it; Teach Long not to be offside, keep Gabbadiani and Auustin fit and integrate Gallagher, we have enough strikers.

DM and a creative CM/AM.

DM and a creative CM/AM.

Speedster winger as well, please.

We all know that there aren't any genuine ITKs but usually around this time we at least get a few pretending to be ITK

...."according to my sources"

 

just shows how securely Saints manage to lock down any info

 

or there's just nothing going on, which seems unlikely

If they are just pretending to be itk why would the club having an info lock down affect that?

We all know that there aren't any genuine ITKs but usually around this time we at least get a few pretending to be ITK

...."according to my sources"

 

just shows how securely Saints manage to lock down any info

 

or there's just nothing going on, which seems unlikely

I thought there were a few, like AR-10 & Guam, they seem to always be on the nose.

The rest are chancers

I had one, he was pretty spot , but since he left his job, nothing. The club do run a very tight ship and it's a hang over from Cortese days. Not that it was a bad thing, I think it was to stop anyone undercutting us on deals, or pushing prices up etc.

I'm just happy when it happens to be honest and all this speculation does my head in a little bit. The problem is, i understand the strength of using THE WORD as a tool and a weapon, so I always take everything with a pinch of salt until corroborated somewhere else.

We will just have to wait boys and girl

How many more do you want then ? We have err 5 or 6 blokes who are supposed to be strikers, what is needed is to get what is necessary out of them really isn't it; Teach Long not to be offside, keep Gabbadiani and Auustin fit and integrate Gallagher, we have enough strikers.

Gabbiadini looks great - hope the rumours about homesickness aren't true.

Long isn't a good enough finisher and never will be. If we want someone whose only attribute is being able to close down defenders at pace, get one of the quicker academy kids to do it and save the £80k a week. Get rid.

Austin can finish, but almost certainly doesn't have the mobility or physical robustness to play a pressing game. Will probably stay, but I doubt he's MPs ideal kind of striker.

Gallagher is completely untested at this level, but is worth a shot as 4th striker on the roster.

 

Gallagher is completely untested at this level, but is worth a shot as 4th striker on the roster.

He's made 18 Premier League appearances for us so not exactly completely untested.

I thought there were a few, like AR-10 & Guam, they seem to always be on the nose.

The rest are chancers

I had one, he was pretty spot , but since he left his job, nothing. The club do run a very tight ship and it's a hang over from Cortese days. Not that it was a bad thing, I think it was to stop anyone undercutting us on deals, or pushing prices up etc.

 

I'm just happy when it happens to be honest and all this speculation does my head in a little bit. The problem is, i understand the strength of using THE WORD as a tool and a weapon, so I always take everything with a pinch of salt until corroborated somewhere else.

 

We will just have to wait boys and girl

Honestly, of the people on this forum who are associated with the club, you pick AR 10 as one of your two ITK's