Oriol Romeu

[stknowle]

I noticed yesterday that he was encouraging, ‘gee-ing up’, pointing where the ball should be played. We’ve lacked that but we do need the provider to also contribute as a footballer which he’s not really doing yet due to the fitness aspect. Hopefully he can get there.

[austsaint]

34 minutes ago, coalman said:

I haven't written him off but I also haven't written him on. He's clearly not on the pace of the game. Time will tell whether there's a "yet" there.

Don’t write him off.  What’s he had since the 6 month layoff…..a couple of weeks of training and three short cameos late in the game.   He definitely looked sharper, and more effective yesterday, threw himself into the play and didn’t shirk the Norwich intensity.   He won’t return to his Prem heyday, but he still has plenty to offer at Championship level.      I’m more worried about the contributions of Stephens, Wood, Fraser, Manning and Bazunu than Romeu who will only improve with more game time.   

[AlexLaw76]

No use starting him in the current set up. Out midfield 2 need to cover incredible amount of ground 

[sledger]

On 22/11/2025 at 12:08, S-Clarke said:

Given that both Larios and ABK have both played around 20 games between them, so far this season, is quite a big indicator.  We couldn't even get half a game out of Larios.

The medical team in my eyes are complicit in the sanctioning/risk assessment of the Ross Stewart situation in the first place. Then they've struggled to get him or keep him fit since.

i stand to be corrected on this but didnt saints medical team fail stewart on his medical but the club in there wisdom still decided to sanction the transfer,thats gone well.

[Miltonaggro]

7 hours ago, austsaint said:

Don’t write him off.  What’s he had since the 6 month layoff…..a couple of weeks of training and three short cameos late in the game.   He definitely looked sharper, and more effective yesterday, threw himself into the play and didn’t shirk the Norwich intensity.   He won’t return to his Prem heyday, but he still has plenty to offer at Championship level.      I’m more worried about the contributions of Stephens, Wood, Fraser, Manning and Bazunu than Romeu who will only improve with more game time.   

Spot on!

[Fabrice29]

14 hours ago, austsaint said:

  He definitely looked sharper, and more effective yesterday, threw himself into the play and didn’t shirk the Norwich intensity.   

Sorry but this is nonsense. He’s ran around bumping into people and giving away fouls. That’s all he’s done so far. I’m not against giving him time to get better, and I suspect he will with sharpen up but we don’t need to pretend he’s been more effective when he’s quite clearly be rubbish every time he’s come on. Wouldn’t mind him actually getting a foot on the ball when he comes on at some stage. 

[austsaint]

6 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Sorry but this is nonsense. He’s ran around bumping into people and giving away fouls. That’s all he’s done so far. I’m not against giving him time to get better, and I suspect he will with sharpen up but we don’t need to pretend he’s been more effective when he’s quite clearly be rubbish every time he’s come on. Wouldn’t mind him actually getting a foot on the ball when he comes on at some stage. 

Thanks for the hyperbole.  Let’s revisit my nonsense in a month or so and see how your “wisdom” holds up.

[CB Fry]

7 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Sorry but this is nonsense. He’s ran around bumping into people and giving away fouls. That’s all he’s done so far. I’m not against giving him time to get better, and I suspect he will with sharpen up but we don’t need to pretend he’s been more effective when he’s quite clearly be rubbish every time he’s come on. Wouldn’t mind him actually getting a foot on the ball when he comes on at some stage. 

I am sure he will come good but this is right now the most accurate assessment of his contribution so far. He is right now just crashing into people.

I watched him on Saturday hoping he might get hold of the ball and offer some control. But he didn't manage it. Thankfully Cam Bragg really did so if nothing else Oriel has got competition.

Let's hope Oriel gets fitter and starts to show his obvious class soon.

[Fabrice29]

1 hour ago, austsaint said:

Thanks for the hyperbole.  Let’s revisit my nonsense in a month or so and see how your “wisdom” holds up.

None of this is ‘wisdom’. It’s pointing out he’s been rubbish. 

[austsaint]

15 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

None of this is ‘wisdom’. It’s pointing out he’s been rubbish. 

But not as rubbish as you’re making out.   A little context…..Romeu came on at the 86 minute mark.   Norwich were 2/1 up, wind in their sails, and physically dominating our increasingly passive line up.    Within the limited time he was on the pitch, he was better than his previous two equally brief cameos, and he’ll continue to improve.   Romeu isn’t the reason we shrunk out of the game on Saturday.   If anything it was a strange move by Eckert to bring him on.   We needed a goal rather than a defensive midfielder.

[Gloucester Saint]

57 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

I am sure he will come good but this is right now the most accurate assessment of his contribution so far. He is right now just crashing into people.

I watched him on Saturday hoping he might get hold of the ball and offer some control. But he didn't manage it. Thankfully Cam Bragg really did so if nothing else Oriel has got competition.

Let's hope Oriel gets fitter and starts to show his obvious class soon.

Oriel is a bone fide Saints legend and I’m sure the fitness will come but yes, the cameos have been Hurlock-esque so far.

[die Mannyschaft]

Play him for 90 mins v Doncaster as that's likley to be a 2nd team. Should be able to control and run that game for Saints. 

[sockeye]

Just another dressing room mascot like Lallana and Walcott

 

sorry Oriol

[AlexLaw76]

Playing him in a 2 man midifield is embarrassing from the manager 

[aintforever]

Running like he’s dragging a bag of cement.

[Osvaldorama]

It’s on the manager. 
 

He’s slow, so he needs legs around him. 
 

Could still do well in this poor league with a competent set up. He’s just being exposed.

 

Not what we need at all in this formation. 

[Fabrice29]

So glad Turkish has told us he’s going to be fine because I’d have been losing faith with every half arsed tackle otherwise 

[MB]

Shouldn’t be anywhere near the first team, legs totally gone

should do the honorable thing and walk away, literally just using the club for a pension. No better than Walcott & Lallana.

[Willo of Whiteley]

Excellent PR move by Sport Republic 👏🏻

[macca155]

Utter madness bringing him back. Did the club learn nothing from Walcott or Lallana.

Great servant and all that, but his legs had gone when we got rid the first time. Just ridiculous to see him used before Bragg.

[die Mannyschaft]

1 hour ago, macca155 said:

Utter madness bringing him back. Did the club learn nothing from Walcott or Lallana.

Great servant and all that, but his legs had gone when we got rid the first time. Just ridiculous to see him used before Bragg.

Bad decision to use him by manager and he's not watching the game either to see its just helping opposition. He should have subbed him back off. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

Love the guy, but second time winning goals for the opposition have come from him not making effective tackles 

[Lighthouse]

I think the most concerning this is that he doesn’t have ‘fitness’ issues in the sense that he comes on and looks knackered after 30 minutes, or starts a game and needs to come off at H.T. He quite simply looks nowhere near the pace of the game from the moment he steps onto the pitch. The game is just a yard ahead of him all the time, it reminds me of when Michael Svensson came back in 2008.

[SaintNewForest]

I love Oriol, but its so obvious his signing was just a PR move by our glorious overlords at Sport Republic to try and calm the fans unrest after the heat started turning on them. 

Cunts. 

[die Mannyschaft]

Don't we have a reserve team anymore? Used to watch reserve games on Tuesdays (free) at St Mary's with all the players getting back to fitness playing. Le Tiss and Berbatov in Sours game etc. If we don't how on earth are all our unfit and recovering from injury players going to get match experience? You cant chuck them in a real 1st team match.

[BARCELONASAINT]

I love the guy, he has been excellent for Southampton in the past but that's exactly it....the past!

I warned everyone that having watched him regularly playing in Spain that his legs had gone and i've seen nothing so far to suggest he can do anything on the pitch to help at the moment. It's actually embarrassing watching him get the nod ahead of Bragg.

[sadoldgit]

On 27/12/2025 at 09:49, SaintNewForest said:

I love Oriol, but its so obvious his signing was just a PR move by our glorious overlords at Sport Republic to try and calm the fans unrest after the heat started turning on them. 

Cunts. 

I have no idea why they brought him back. Possibly because he was available in the closed window, is a club legend and wanted to do a job for us whilst Charles was getting back to fitness.

If their only motive was as a PR move to placate the fans, there are plenty who wanted him back but it was always likely to backfire if he showed that he isn’t up to it, which he hasn’t been so far.

[Lighthouse]

On 27/12/2025 at 09:49, SaintNewForest said:

I love Oriol, but its so obvious his signing was just a PR move by our glorious overlords at Sport Republic to try and calm the fans unrest after the heat started turning on them. 

Cunts. 

There’s much to criticise SR for but signing OR on a short term deal, after SC’s injury was a fairly low risk decision based on relatively sound principles. Eight months of what can’t be particularly high wages isn’t going to bankrupt the club.

I think some people perhaps overestimate the ‘PR moves’ the club is willing to engage in. If you’re running a football club, success is promotion and financial stability in the PL. ‘Beers for £1’ and interviews with MLT are a PR move, we aren’t going to sign players just to get them trending on twitter.

[Totton Saint]

On 15/12/2025 at 00:05, Fabrice29 said:

Sorry but this is nonsense. He’s ran around bumping into people and giving away fouls. That’s all he’s done so far. I’m not against giving him time to get better, and I suspect he will with sharpen up but we don’t need to pretend he’s been more effective when he’s quite clearly be rubbish every time he’s come on. Wouldn’t mind him actually getting a foot on the ball when he comes on at some stage. 

We cannot get him fit by using him as a sub and risk loosing matches. That is what the training ground for.   Why are we becoming a care home for fading players?

 

 

[East Kent Saint]

He was already fading when he left Saints ,  why anyone thought he come back and be an asset a few years later is incomprehensible ! at best. 

[Challenger]

I find his return as a particularly sad event. Almost like having a faithful old collie that can no longer herd sheep, deter foxes or sort out vermin in the farmyard Time to back the landrover over it.

Edited 28 December, 2025 by Challenger

[suewhistle]

20 hours ago, Challenger said:

Time to back the landrover over it.

Whilst I agree with the sentiment both with regards to Oriol and the collie, I can't help thinking there must be a more humane way to do it..

 

Definitely Bragg first, I'd agree..

[sledger]

I would be lining him up for coaching and managerial positions within the club,maybe thats the plan.

[Midfield_General]

On 29/12/2025 at 14:13, suewhistle said:

Whilst I agree with the sentiment both with regards to Oriol and the collie, I can't help thinking there must be a more humane way to do it..

Go back and finish him off* with the jack**

(* Not like that)

(** Not Stephens, though it's a haunting image) 

[Saint_clark]

On 28/12/2025 at 16:06, East Kent Saint said:

He was already fading when he left Saints ,  why anyone thought he come back and be an asset a few years later is incomprehensible ! at best. 

This is such a myth. The three seasons since he left us he played 34, 37 and 31 games, including a season as a first choice in Barcelona's midfield.

He's nowhere near match sharpness because he is not only lacking a preseason but also the rest of the squad (and the league) were more than 10 games in before he even set foot on the pitch. 

He ain't gonna be the best midfielder in the league, but he will get up to sharpness and be an excellent asset for us. He won't have lost his physical strength and his greatest asset beyond that was his anticipation and reading of the game, which again he won't have lost - he'll just need time on the pitch to hone it. 

[East Kent Saint]

As I remember he was let go by the club due to a genttlemans agreement ? He wasn't clapped out but as we know prem players can extend their playing career in european leagues . I'm not sure he will make in this Saints team !

[Turkish]

3 hours ago, Saint_clark said:

This is such a myth. The three seasons since he left us he played 34, 37 and 31 games, including a season as a first choice in Barcelona's midfield.

He's nowhere near match sharpness because he is not only lacking a preseason but also the rest of the squad (and the league) were more than 10 games in before he even set foot on the pitch. 

He ain't gonna be the best midfielder in the league, but he will get up to sharpness and be an excellent asset for us. He won't have lost his physical strength and his greatest asset beyond that was his anticipation and reading of the game, which again he won't have lost - he'll just need time on the pitch to hone it. 

 

correct I said all this when he joined and I said that he’d be written off after a few games and people saying we shouldn’t have brought him back, legs are gone etc 

Entirely predictable from the dickheads on here 

[BarberSaint]

6 hours ago, Saint_clark said:

This is such a myth. The three seasons since he left us he played 34, 37 and 31 games, including a season as a first choice in Barcelona's midfield.

He's nowhere near match sharpness because he is not only lacking a preseason but also the rest of the squad (and the league) were more than 10 games in before he even set foot on the pitch. 

He ain't gonna be the best midfielder in the league, but he will get up to sharpness and be an excellent asset for us. He won't have lost his physical strength and his greatest asset beyond that was his anticipation and reading of the game, which again he won't have lost - he'll just need time on the pitch to hone it. 

While I would hope so, the truth is he hasn't yet shown us much and I hope next year, after the cup game which he should play the whole game for us he'll start to demonstrate his ability.

[Lord Duckhunter]

3 hours ago, Turkish said:

 

correct I said all this when he joined and I said that he’d be written off after a few games and people saying we shouldn’t have brought him back, legs are gone etc 

Entirely predictable from the dickheads on here 

I’m still a big believer in senior pros setting an example and he has the attributes & attitude missing from our bunch of fairies. Lawrie could point at Bally when it’s pissing down or snowing at training and say “he’s won the World Cup & he’s putting it in”. This bloke went to Barca when seemingly on his way down, that has to resonate with the squad. I know it didn’t seem to work with Lallana & Walcott, but they appear to be different characters and we were in a higher league. Had he signed for Sheffield Utd or Coventry I’m sure the people moaning about him, would be slagging the club off for not bringing him back. 

[East Kent Saint]

5 hours ago, Turkish said:

 

correct I said all this when he joined and I said that he’d be written off after a few games and people saying we shouldn’t have brought him back, legs are gone etc 

Entirely predictable from the dickheads on here 

Unfortunately he's past it 😁

[Turkish]

Just now, East Kent Saint said:

Unfortunately he's past it 😁

Based on?

[East Kent Saint]

His current performance and the fact he was slowing down at Saints a few years ago . If a miracle happens and he becomes a defensive stalwart I'll make a donation to charity 😁

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, East Kent Saint said:

His current performance and the fact he was slowing down at Saints

So slow, he ended up slumming it at Barcelona 

[IFHP]

Personally I thought we let him go a season too soon ( if we had a choice ) . We could have done with him in our 22/23 relegation season. ( along with the striker that Dragan and the clowns thought better off) I definitely don’t agree that his standards / form was on a decline in his last season with us. 

I also think we brought him back a season to late ( again if bring him back last season was an option)

I was one of the few that had reservations about bringing him back - even in the league below where he played all his games for us .

From what I’ve seen so far is argue when Charles is fit then he doesn’t even make our bench for me. 
 

 

[East Kent Saint]

41 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

So slow, he ended up slumming it at Barcelona 

Different league with 10 top class players around him including 2 top goalkeepers in the squad plus 37 yr old goal scoring machine up front 😄

[Mboto Gorge]

49 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

So slow, he ended up slumming it at Barcelona 

The “slowing down at saints “ argument is completely re writing history just to make his return now look like a big “I told you so”. I don’t remember anyone saying that he wouldn’t get in our team anymore, the day he left. Hilarious 

Edited 31 December, 2025 by Mboto Gorge

[TheSoundman]

He should be taking his coaching badges and on the management team instead of Lallana.

Could be the next Guardiola. Bright enough and a leader by nature.

[saintant]

2 hours ago, East Kent Saint said:

His current performance and the fact he was slowing down at Saints a few years ago . If a miracle happens and he becomes a defensive stalwart I'll make a donation to charity 😁

He was actually doing a very good job against Oxford in keeping things ticking over until they scored the winner and he copped some of the blame for letting their guy go past him.  I'm starting to see enough to tell me he can still do a job for us.

[Turkish]

6 hours ago, East Kent Saint said:

His current performance and the fact he was slowing down at Saints a few years ago . If a miracle happens and he becomes a defensive stalwart I'll make a donation to charity 😁

So like I said after 2-3 performances when he’d not played for 6 months and had no pre season people would be writing him off 😂😂😂