Your transfer thoughts so far?

The Striker issue is a difficult one.

 

Austin and Gabbi are both good enough and wouldn’t want to be 3rd choice but Austin, who’s be my first choice, has obvious injury concerns (and needs to be managed) and gabbi is a bit hit or miss.

 

I wouldn’t be disappointed if we started the season with just them 2, but then we’d be in no better position than the start of last year.

 

A long story short, I wouldn’t get another striker in unless it’s a significant improvement on them 2. Sell Long, keep Gallagher as 3rd choice and pray the first 2 don’t get a long term injury.

 

I’m pretty happy with the look of the current squad. With Boufal, clasie and Forster looking likely to go, we should still have a bit more to spend as well as reducing our wage bill.

The inevitable injury to Austin will leave us with Gabbi as the only recognised goalscorer. We need another striker imo. Sell Long and keep Gallagher too

The inevitable injury to Austin will leave us with Gabbi as the only recognised goalscorer. We need another striker imo. Sell Long and keep Gallagher too

No point keeping Gallagher if we aren't considering playing him if people get injured.

I think we will trim the squad accordingly one Hughes

has had the friendly v Derby.

I can see a few being sold or loaned out

Harry Lewis Loaned

Jordie Clasie Sold

Maya Yoshida Sold

Yan Valery Loaned

Alfie Jones Loaned

Ryan Seager Sold

Sam Gallagher Sold

Shane Long Sold

Steven Davis Sold

Still thinking the striker berths need signicantly upgrading

if we’re looking to improve

Personally I think we are 3 players short, another centre back (if we plan on playing 3 centre backs, as Yoshida and Stephens are versatile), another attacking midfield player or winger, and a striker. We can do without the extra centre back but are only two injuries away from a Stephens-Bednarek-Hoedt situation which I would like to see rectified. Even if we plan on using Sims and Hesketh this season, we need another attacking midfielder. I worry about our fire power, although despite our strikers not scoring many between them, I’m more confident they’ll score a few more with decent supply.

 

Outs should be: Boufal, Clasie, Forster, and I suspect McQueen (keeping Targett) and Gallagher (though I’d prefer Long) will be sold. Davis is a possibility but I’d worry we’d then need another Central midfielder.

 

Still work to be done but if Hughes is fairly happy with the squad then in him we trust. If we can get improved performances out of Hoedt, Lemina and Gabbiadini, that’ll be like strengthening the backbone without spending any money!

Considering our back two at times last year was Hoedt + Stephens and we were hardly that bad defensively (our attacking play more let us down) having that if two others get injured is hardly a crisis.

Midfielders wise we have Lemina, Armstrong, Romeu, Hojberg and JWP, plus Reed at the moment if he is kept as well. 5 players for 2 spots, maybe 3 spots is enough IMO.

Hojberg will be wanting to build on his end to the season and be battling for a starting spot, another centre-mid just makes us look over stocked IMO.

If we are working on two more than the outs needs to get higher as the squad is very bloated.

Not much room for any academy player to breakthrough either, only the back up right back is spare at the moment, we have about 2-3 options for every single spot in the team at the moment.

No point keeping Gallagher if we aren't considering playing him if people get injured.

Hes not a recognised goalscorer at prem level but doesnt mean we cant keep him as 3rd or 4th choice. Who knows what injuries could do and he could take his chance if given time. We finished last season with 4 options and if we sell Long we'll need another

I think we will buy a striker and that would be our signings done. Looks great so far. Hopefully we keep hold of Bertrand and Cedric. If we only ship the deadwood this would have been a really promising summer.

Pleased with the incomings. Ideally would like another striker, or pacey wide player (Sisto perhaps ? ), and rb especially if Cedric returns from WC duty looking fore a big money move.

Outgoings - surely FF, Sophie, and possibly Long if we can get a replacement in.

If you dont think Gunn improves the first team you have been watching a different keeper than our 6ft 7 windsock !!!

 

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Eh? But McCarthy is our first team goal keeper ? Gunn only improves our first team if A: he gets selected ahead of McCarthy or B:McCarthy gets injured the rest of the time he is just a bench squad player do is not improving the first team just adding better strength to the squad!

Didn't know any of them before they signed so will wait and see them play. If we can be more creative and actually attack teams then that will be great.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/16353130.what-next-for-southampton-in-this-transfer-window/

Not sure if they are speculating here, or whether they know for sure we are still looking to add.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/16353130.what-next-for-southampton-in-this-transfer-window/

 

Not sure if they are speculating here, or whether they know for sure we are still looking to add.

just an opinion piece I think. They think we are well stocked in the striker department and a RB could be on the agenda (even though I don't think we've been linked with any RBs this summer)

just an opinion piece I think. They think we are well stocked in the striker department and a RB could be on the agenda (even though I don't think we've been linked with any RBs this summer)

Croatian fella (Bartolec?) & Geoff Cameron are the only 2 right-backs I can recall.

Interestingly the Echo reporter doesn't seem to think we need a winger as no memtion was made.

thoughts....good so far

however, no chance have we finished with the outgoings and be amazed if on paper we do not retain the net spend trophy

thoughts....good so far

however, no chance have we finished with the outgoings and be amazed if on paper we do not retain the net spend trophy

Care to enlighten us as to who these will be.. ITK ?

Hughes seems happy with how the transfer process has worked out, so far...

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/16359317.mark-hughes-impressed-by-southamptons-transfer-approach/