Summer Transfer Window 2023

[dankiz15]

After reading a few of the posts this morning especially Pilchards observations. It really wouldn't surprise me if there were serious wholesale changes. Lavia, KWP, Adams, Alcaraz, Smallbone etc all have a price. I am trying to keep a balanced view here though, these supposed top players took us down, many downed tools. We are reaping serious money for them. I do rate JW though and feel like we actually have a plan moving forward however long it takes which is way different from previous seasons! This relegation has been a few years in the making! I am looking forward to September but like Martin said, this side is going to look way different, but that's not to say it wont be a solid side. I am hoping it will be a side that is relaxed with Martin's ethos and style. I am also sure, there will be some solid, decent players coming in! My only worry is not being able to move on the garbage, I would be tempted to offload them for nothing just to free up space to regroup with hungry players. (There again, it's not my money)

[Toadhall Saint]

4 hours ago, Pilchards said:

Not posted for a while.

I was laughed at when posting on the 29th of May that every player is free to go if suitable offers come in. (I accidentally said fire sale but corrected  myself straight away)

They wanted a total overhaul of players as the squad was bloated plus many want out. 21 players out was the target back in May!

A couple of weeks from now we will see almost every decent player moving on. The market is finally moving forward as teams seek replacements from the bigger transfers that have happened recently.

Heard we have a few good players coming in but don’t expect to be challenging for promotion this season as this is a longer term plan to regroup for a better chance to stay in the premiership for the nearer future. This is why they went for Russell Martin as there was less expectations from him. I still personally think it’s a shit appointment.

I always knew JWP was going only if a suitable offer came in as he was no longer interested in the championship, would of gone earlier as the agreement in his new contract he signed a few years back was that he could go if a top club made a suitable offer. (100% know this as I have a different contact that knows JWP very well as he sponsors their Portsmouth based team) The last game of last season was suppose to be his farewell but nobody other than WHU wanted him.

Finally I was told just recently that Jason Wilcox is doing a fantastic job and very much has 100% control in everything. My personal fears were Ankerson would never take a step back but it seems Drago has taken more interest in what’s going on as he probably stopped trusting Ankerson with his money.

Wilcox has attracted interest from a  few clubs as they are watching his progress.

So glad I’m going away for the next couple of weeks.

[goodymatt]

59 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Swanhampton or Southsea? 🤔

Wash your mouth out, Son… 🎵

[Baird of the land]

7 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

I woild be surprised if we sold all of them so late in the window. Would be pretty unprecedented if it did happen I would have thought. All relegated teams manage to hold on to a few of their players for at least a season. 

Utter unprecedented. If it’s true sports republic haven’t learned a single lesson. 

Don’t even think Swansea sol everyone, and they are a pretty tragic case of a club with little ambition to get re-promoted.

[Forester]

Think people need to calm down.  
 

Seen people questioning why we went down given marketable assets?  The answer is we had some good promising players who were either too young or unfit to contribute in their first season in PL.  Doesn’t mean they are crap, it means the strategy to blood them all at once was crap.

 

I don’t believe we will have a fire sale but if some bids are big enough players will move only if replacements are identified.  The owners want PL football big time

[Wade Garrett]

I don’t think the club will stand in the way of Lyanco, ABK leaving. But we’ve got decent money in so far with another £50m ish to come when Lavia goes.

I can’t see why we would be selling other first team players now, save the ones with a year left on their contracts.

There are a few I wouldn’t mind seeing leave, but the decision now has to be what’s best for the first team squad.

[Weston Super Saint]

11 minutes ago, Forester said:

I don’t believe we will have a fire sale but if some bids are big enough players will move only if replacements are identified.  The owners want PL football big time

Source?

[imadirtyurchin]

I’m getting concerned that for all the talk of Piroe and Grimes coming in and being our saviours…. When did buying lots of players from a mid table team, with a manager that finished mid table become the blueprint for success? It didn’t really work for Liverpool when they signed 5 /6 of our players. Took another couple of seasons and a change in manager and different signings to be successful. 

[wild-saint]

If we are so confident that lavia and JWP will be sold at the prices we expect then why are we needing to wait to get replacements?

It seems the prices we have received to date are much less than those non negotiable prices we were led to believe we’re in place a few weeks ago.

Selling Lavia for £50m isnt a Wilcox masterclass it’s the going rate for a top top player.

Smells like a Cash grab following a failed attempt at a  premier league project. Maybe once the money is recovered they will try and build using the talented kids or maybe they will sell.

The one thing is doesnt feel like is that they are building something particularly leaving it until late in the transfer window to bring in a squad capable of automatic promotion.

I suspect we will have a mid table squad by the end of September with promises of it being a longer term project to get us back.

I think if we lose Tella, smallbone and alcaraz over the next 2 weeks my suspicions will confirmed.  I just can’t see how we can possibly replace them with like for like without spending twice as much. 
 

mat least in around 2 weeks we will know.

[StrangelyBrown]

4 hours ago, goodymatt said:

Shifted so far: Caballero, Lis, Salisu, DCC, Tino, Diallo, Prowsey, Elyounoussi, Walcott.

So 12 more: Lavia, KWP, Adams, Sulemana, McCarthy, Perraud, Lyanco, Onuachu, ABK, Tella, Bree, Mara.

It’s basically an entire squad, I just don’t see it. If people are watching Wilcox’s progress, it sounds like all they will see is someone overseeing him solidify Southampton as a bang average championship team, whilst bringing in what must be a record in sales money for the league?

If we kept Tella, KWP (super unlikely) and replaced Adams well, we could be competitive, but kids would be the only squad depth. I just don’t see how you can lose 21 players in one window and have any chance of being successful. Even if most of these players have let us down, it’s just too much change. Coupled with new system and management changes throughout the club.

Don’t know about you guys but I’m starting to feel a bit concerned if this is true.

Depends who the next 12 are..... If it's McCarthy, djenepo, lyanco, onuachu, perraud, Bree, mara, sulemana, aribo and 3 youngsters who weren't going to make it I wouldn't be too worried

[Forester]

15 minutes ago, imadirtyurchin said:

I’m getting concerned that for all the talk of Piroe and Grimes coming in and being our saviours…. When did buying lots of players from a mid table team, with a manager that finished mid table become the blueprint for success? It didn’t really work for Liverpool when they signed 5 /6 of our players. Took another couple of seasons and a change in manager and different signings to be successful. 

A few names to help you out here if this is a genuine question.  Please attach name to club (and if they meet your criteria of not being better than mid table championship) they signed from:

Hammond, Harding, Fox, Richardson, Butterfield, Chaplow, Cork, Lambert, Sharp, Puncheon

[badgerx16]

8 hours ago, SaintLondon said:

 I think more players want to leave than we currently know about. Basically all the good ones.

All those that are "too good for the Championship", but last season proved not good enough for the Premier League.

[saint lard]

It seems the early optimism is rapidly dissipating. 
I think a few went a tad overboard about our display last Friday also. 
 

[Saint Fan CaM]

Cannot help but be concerned about the instability wholesale changes to the 1st team (I.e. the 14 odd best players) may bring. However, the key is in the word team…they’ve not been that for three seasons now and the hope must be that Martin will be able to re-shape the squad in a positive manner and keep everyone on side with the re-build plans. Likewise Wilcox.

And that brings me to my biggest concern. Players come and go, but it’s the chopping and changing of the key management figures during a long term project that can be super damaging. What’s keeping Wilcox here? It’ll only take a decent offer from a Prem or Euro club to tempt him away from Saints and that would leave the project in tatters (just like Shields). And if Martin starts having a modicum of success this year and there’s a Prem club struggling looking for a new Manager near Christmas, they might prise him away before the project is complete, leaving us once again with a squad shaped by a Manager no longer here. Then there’s the risk of further poor managerial changes, but recruiting in the Championship.

The future is certainly looking somewhat ‘grey’ at the moment and to be honest I can foresee more than one season in the Championship - there’s too much change to expect promotion. The success or otherwise of the next 3-4 weeks will determine our fate, including whether another relegation is on the cards. It’s happened to other clubs our size…it’s not out of the question. SR’s new found wealth needs to be spent and very wisely too.

#jurysout

[Pamplemousse]

2 hours ago, CB Fry said:

I don't believe for one second that the strategy is regroup and finish mid table this year and try for promotion next year. 

Would be absolutely insane if nothing else. The best season to get promoted is always this season.

Doesn't mean we won't finish 12th but if we do that's a monumental fuck up.

I am expecting some more player departures (people convincing themselves that KWP isn't going just because no rumours are deluded) but I am also expecting us to do the same to other clubs further down the food chain. We've got loads more money than (say) Coventry or Blackburn or Swansea if we want to raid them.

Exactly. It may well be that there is a two-year plan to get back and perhaps financially it makes sense to hold something back if we need to strengthen for a promotion push next summer without having to sell, but there is absolutely no way the board simply writing this season off. Top 6 should be the bare minimum.

[hypochondriac]

4 minutes ago, Pamplemousse said:

Exactly. It may well be that there is a two-year plan to get back and perhaps financially it makes sense to hold something back if we need to strengthen for a promotion push next summer without having to sell, but there is absolutely no way the board simply writing this season off. Top 6 should be the bare minimum.

Also they've publically stated they want promotion this year which they didn't have to say and which puts unnecessary pressure on themselves if we then go and sell the whole team. Why would we buy Shea Charles for 15 million and not a Plymouth player for say 1 million if promotion is not the aim? Why would we bring in an entire coaching team at presumably great expense? 

[imadirtyurchin]

11 minutes ago, Forester said:

A few names to help you out here if this is a genuine question.  Please attach name to club (and if they meet your criteria of not being better than mid table championship) they signed from:

Hammond, Harding, Fox, Richardson, Butterfield, Chaplow, Cork, Lambert, Sharp, Puncheon

Aye, that’s a good response. it’s true. 
 

Guess I’m just feeling pessimistic after the last few years of fuckups and shit football.  I probably should have more faith in Wilcox and the team and need to remember the last time we went down more. But I’m not gonna lie. No one at Saints have much credit in the good will bank atm. 

[MarkSFC]

30 minutes ago, imadirtyurchin said:

I’m getting concerned that for all the talk of Piroe and Grimes coming in and being our saviours…. When did buying lots of players from a mid table team, with a manager that finished mid table become the blueprint for success? It didn’t really work for Liverpool when they signed 5 /6 of our players. Took another couple of seasons and a change in manager and different signings to be successful. 

In theory it's not different to when we were pillaged for pur best players. Most teams are essentially an average of the individual abilities. So, and I have no idea actually, perhaps Grimes and Pirloe are far better than mid-table (but the collective Swansea team werent).

And judging the manager purely on the quality of player available to him is unfair. Perhaps, he overactive with the players he had??

What I've seen and heard so far excited me. But we need to see how tbe team/squad settles and give him 2 or 3 months and we will have a much better idea. 

[Turkish]

2 hours ago, CB Fry said:

I don't believe for one second that the strategy is regroup and finish mid table this year and try for promotion next year. 

Would be absolutely insane if nothing else. The best season to get promoted is always this season.

Doesn't mean we won't finish 12th but if we do that's a monumental fuck up.

I am expecting some more player departures (people convincing themselves that KWP isn't going just because no rumours are deluded) but I am also expecting us to do the same to other clubs further down the food chain. We've got loads more money than (say) Coventry or Blackburn or Swansea if we want to raid them.

So that means if we get promoted this season then we are ahead of plan so it doesn't matter if we get relegated next season.

This reminds me of the glory days of Nick Nack and his five year plan, when after out shit start in the premier league the wallies on here tried to make out it didn't matter if we went down as we were only 3 year into our 5 year plan. Mind you once we got over that infamous 10 game adapting to the premier league made up bollocks excuse everything was alright. 

[hypochondriac]

3 minutes ago, Turkish said:

So that means if we get promoted this season then we are ahead of plan so it doesn't matter if we get relegated next season.

This reminds me of the glory days of Nick Nack and his five year plan, when after out shit start in the premier league the wallies on here tried to make out it didn't matter if we went down as we were only 3 year into our 5 year plan. Mind you once we got over that infamous 10 game adapting to the premier league made up bollocks excuse everything was alright. 

You're right. Thinking about it further, there's no way that sports Republic are just giving up this year and looking to go up next year. That would be pointless and cost them loads of money. Let's see if I'm wrong but I don't think there's any chance we sell another 10+ of our best players. 

[Fan The Flames]

Ibrahima Diallo - Al-Duhail, undisclosed

Mislav Orsic - Trabzonspor, undisclosed

Mohamed Elyounoussi - Copenhagen, free

Theo Walcott - Released

Willy Caballero - Retired

Duje Caleta-Car - Lyon, loan

Mohammed Salisu - Monaco, £17.2m

Tino Livramento - Newcastle, £32m

Dan Nlundulu - Bolton, undisclosed

Kegs Chauke - Burton, undisclosed

James Ward-Prowse - Happening

 

That's the outs at the moment, plus a couple of loanees out and Nlundulu and Chauke to Bolton and Burton. All the outs so far are either expected or welcomed by fans and most of those who will leave this transfer window will also be expected or welcomed. There may be one or two leavers from outside of these groups, like Tella of Smallbone but we can handle that. People are either catastrophising or just being inpatient, things will pan out over the next two weeks, mainly towards the end of the transfer window, this is the lot for a relegated team that wants to rebuild/refresh their squad.  

[Nolan]

34 minutes ago, wild-saint said:

If we are so confident that lavia and JWP will be sold at the prices we expect then why are we needing to wait to get replacements?

It seems the prices we have received to date are much less than those non negotiable prices we were led to believe we’re in place a few weeks ago.

Selling Lavia for £50m isnt a Wilcox masterclass it’s the going rate for a top top player.

Smells like a Cash grab following a failed attempt at a  premier league project. Maybe once the money is recovered they will try and build using the talented kids or maybe they will sell.

The one thing is doesnt feel like is that they are building something particularly leaving it until late in the transfer window to bring in a squad capable of automatic promotion.

I suspect we will have a mid table squad by the end of September with promises of it being a longer term project to get us back.

I think if we lose Tella, smallbone and alcaraz over the next 2 weeks my suspicions will confirmed.  I just can’t see how we can possibly replace them with like for like without spending twice as much. 
 

mat least in around 2 weeks we will know.

You don't dismantle a clubs internal structure and move to a shared group structure, just to sell the club a few months later. 

A lot of people now aren't Southampton staff but are Sport Republic Staff. 

[Saint Fan CaM]

2 minutes ago, Fan The Flames said:

Ibrahima Diallo - Al-Duhail, undisclosed

Mislav Orsic - Trabzonspor, undisclosed

Mohamed Elyounoussi - Copenhagen, free

Theo Walcott - Released

Willy Caballero - Retired

Duje Caleta-Car - Lyon, loan

Mohammed Salisu - Monaco, £17.2m

Tino Livramento - Newcastle, £32m

Dan Nlundulu - Bolton, undisclosed

Kegs Chauke - Burton, undisclosed

James Ward-Prowse - Happening

 

That's the outs at the moment, plus a couple of loanees out and Nlundulu and Chauke to Bolton and Burton. All the outs so far are either expected or welcomed by fans and most of those who will leave this transfer window will also be expected or welcomed. There may be one or two leavers from outside of these groups, like Tella of Smallbone but we can handle that. People are either catastrophising or just being inpatient, things will pan out over the next two weeks, mainly towards the end of the transfer window, this is the lot for a relegated team that wants to rebuild/refresh their squad.  

So when JWP, Lavia, KWP, Alcarez, Tella, Smallbone, Adams, Perraud get their moves over the next 3 weeks (as predicted by Pilchards) everyone should be relaxed about the coming seasons prospects? Interesting.

[whelk]

6 minutes ago, Fan The Flames said:

Ibrahima Diallo - Al-Duhail, undisclosed

Mislav Orsic - Trabzonspor, undisclosed

Mohamed Elyounoussi - Copenhagen, free

Theo Walcott - Released

Willy Caballero - Retired

Duje Caleta-Car - Lyon, loan

Mohammed Salisu - Monaco, £17.2m

Tino Livramento - Newcastle, £32m

Dan Nlundulu - Bolton, undisclosed

Kegs Chauke - Burton, undisclosed

James Ward-Prowse - Happening

 

That's the outs at the moment, plus a couple of loanees out and Nlundulu and Chauke to Bolton and Burton. All the outs so far are either expected or welcomed by fans and most of those who will leave this transfer window will also be expected or welcomed. There may be one or two leavers from outside of these groups, like Tella of Smallbone but we can handle that. People are either catastrophising or just being inpatient, things will pan out over the next two weeks, mainly towards the end of the transfer window, this is the lot for a relegated team that wants to rebuild/refresh their squad.  

It wouldn’t be the start of a saints season if the general mood was positive. Fans even thinking shit we do well we will lose Martin, Wilcox etc. There isn’t anything the club does that will make these people optimistic. Let’s hope Ryan Manning is shit otherwise he will be picked off by Leeds or Leicester and that will leave us with no full backs and we will just spiral inevitably into League one 

[whelk]

1 minute ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

So when JWP, Lavia, KWP, Alcarez, Tella, Smallbone, Adams, Perraud get their moves over the next 3 weeks (as predicted by Pilchards) everyone should be relaxed about the coming seasons prospects? Interesting.

Never known a prediction from Saintweb posters not to come true

[Farmer Saint]

1 minute ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

So when JWP, Lavia, KWP, Alcarez, Tella, Smallbone, Adams, Perraud get their moves over the next 3 weeks (as predicted by Pilchards) everyone should be relaxed about the coming seasons prospects? Interesting.

To be honest, I think we all need to relax and wait for the end of the window. That's really the only time we can judge the recruitment process. 

And remember everyone, worse things happen at sea. 

[Saint Garrett]

10 hours ago, Ex Lion Tamer said:

I really don't understand why Liverpool have quibbled over a few million. They're being outspent in this era and dithering doesn't help them

From what I've been told he doesnt want to go to Liverpool, and is holding out for City...don't see City coming in for him though.

[Lighthouse]

Six years of chronic underinvestment, mixed with occasional very poor investment, aren't going to be solved in one window. As I said on another thread, right now we're in the Gillett, Paterson, Trotman and Saganowski phase.

[badgerx16]

5 minutes ago, whelk said:

Never known a prediction from Saintweb posters not to come true

I wonder what Guided Missile's take on it is.

[The Curse of St Mary's]

4 minutes ago, Saint Garrett said:

From what I've been told he doesnt want to go to Liverpool, and is holding out for City...don't see City coming in for him though.

It's been widely reported he wants Liverpool and agreed personal terms weeks ago. 

[Saint Garrett]

1 minute ago, The Curse of St Mary's said:

It's been widely reported he wants Liverpool and agreed personal terms weeks ago. 

It's quite easy for Liverpool to leak to the press to push the deal through...

[obelisk]

Thinking back to the high marks awarded by many for the transfer window business of a year ago I wonder how this one will look next summer.

[Smirking_Saint]

25 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

You're right. Thinking about it further, there's no way that sports Republic are just giving up this year and looking to go up next year. That would be pointless and cost them loads of money. Let's see if I'm wrong but I don't think there's any chance we sell another 10+ of our best players. 

We’re not selling 10+
of our best players, its utter shite

We knew we’d lose Lavia, Salisu, JWP.. probably KWP or Tino or both… potentially Che/Arma and maybe Tella/Sulemana… we’ve known this since the end of last season

I don’t think anythings changed from our want to be promoted, as far as Im aware the players aren’t preparing to down tools etc.. a week ago or so was the moid was relaxed and the players liked Martin

The players causing issues are gone, there are one or two that may be looking to move… but after that I doubt we’ll lose anybody unless real value is reached

So long story short, we’ll see outgoings snd incomings in the next 2 weeks, its an obvious statement, but Im not buying into the bullshit Im hearing from a couple of posters on here this morning because frankly its at odds with what I heard and Id be baffled if theres been a significant mood change within a week

[Nordic Saint]

2 minutes ago, obelisk said:

Thinking back to the high marks awarded by many for the transfer window business of a year ago I wonder how this one will look next summer.

I'm sure a few academy signings from Man City and Chelsea and some free transfers and loan signings will get 8/10 from most posters on here.

[Smirking_Saint]

17 minutes ago, Saint Garrett said:

From what I've been told he doesnt want to go to Liverpool, and is holding out for City...don't see City coming in for him though.

I doubt they will this year, because Im not sure they can accommodate him ‘unless’ phillips moves

 

[Baird of the land]

23 minutes ago, Fan The Flames said:

That's the outs at the moment, plus a couple of loanees out and Nlundulu and Chauke to Bolton and Burton. All the outs so far are either expected or welcomed by fans and most of those who will leave this transfer window will also be expected or welcomed. There may be one or two leavers from outside of these groups, like Tella of Smallbone but we can handle that. People are either catastrophising or just being inpatient, things will pan out over the next two weeks, mainly towards the end of the transfer window, this is the lot for a relegated team that wants to rebuild/refresh their squad.  

No ones is really complaining about the current departures. Lavia, JWP were expected, Livramento a disappointment but understandable given the fee as long as you don't remove the only other capable right back we have. I don't believe for a second we can handle the gutting of the current first xi and seriously be trying to get promoted this season. Curious are there similar sell most of the whole week 1 first xi thoughts at leicester and leeds.

[revolution saint]

I see The Times are apparently reporting that West Ham wanted to include Downes as a permanent transfer but we're only interested in a loan deal.  Would have thought it would have been the other way around.

[manji]

11 hours ago, Dusic said:

Whilst seemingly some of our fans are suprised that we are selling our best players despite both Russell Martin and Jason Wilcox telling us that this is exactly how it would play out, we can take comfort from the fact that presumably Russell Martin and Jason Wilcox are not taken by suprise that what they told us was likely to happen has actually happened.

They will have plans, they have been expecting this, they know as RM said after the Sheff Weds game that we will need to replace these players with starting XI signings.

Interesting that we actually had an offer accepted for Aarons even if he then chose initially Leeds (Farke reunion) and ultimately Bournemouth ahea of us. Suggests they know KWP will be going too as Aarons wouldnt stay in the Championship to be a sub.

Spot on.

[Fan The Flames]

20 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

So when JWP, Lavia, KWP, Alcarez, Tella, Smallbone, Adams, Perraud get their moves over the next 3 weeks (as predicted by Pilchards) everyone should be relaxed about the coming seasons prospects? Interesting.

Like everything, it depends on how we respond. 

I mean you're worrying about Martin being poached before Christmas, step away from the future thinking and deal with the here and now. We have put a team in place to manage the transfer window, which is reassuring to a point.

Every transfer window is like this for us, I know coming down people thought we could be the big boys, but we are operating in two markets, the prem one where we are still Southampton of old, where the big clubs will hold out on doing deals for our players, who are not so important to them in their scheme of things. And the Championship one where we have some muscle, but the club have decided to let the outs go first before we purchase players.

Now that might be the sensible measured approach, it might be too cautious and there's a very slim chance it might be a sign of the owners wanting out or something. I like to wait and see and deal with the facts as they present themselves.

[DT]

1 minute ago, revolution saint said:

I see The Times are apparently reporting that West Ham wanted to include Downes as a permanent transfer but we're only interested in a loan deal.  Would have thought it would have been the other way around.

Probably depends on the money involved. If they were insisting on a permanent transfer, it may have been that they wanted £10m on it, or something like that, thus meaning JWP (definitely not going) (blood pressure is fine) would have costed £20m.

I hope Downes does come in - think Saints need to do this today. That and Lavia being sold to Chelsea - who were rumoured to have bid 50 mill before Lavia even kicked a ball for us, and after City rejected them - would be better, along with Grimes and Piroe, plus Edwards over the line. That and a ritual locking out of McCarthy from the Southampton area would go some way to correcting what has been a total shitstorm of the last 48 hours for all things Saints.

Very worried about how little experience there is in the squad, about the frailty of our defence, and our seeming inability to look beyond Man City's development team for risky, young, resell value players beyond those with clear ability.

Said it before to general ridicule, but think we will end up mid-table. If anything that is looking on the optimistic side right now. 

[Sunglasses Ron]

35 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

To be honest, I think we all need to relax and wait for the end of the window. That's really the only time we can judge the recruitment process.

There is no place here for common sense like that.

I think you need a temporary ban to reflect on your actions.

[Rebel]

I am not sure we had/have 10 good players to sell.  I see it more as selling the 3 or 4 really good players we had/have (Lavia, JWP, KWP, ??) to raise much needed cash - and allow Sports Republic to get most of the money they put in to the club back.

And then trying to get rid of the players we don't want or need - some because they are just bad, others because they have a bad attitude or simply don't want to be here - as we need to drastically reduce our wage bill (Orsic, DCC, Oanahcu, Salisu, ABK, Sulemana, Perraud, Lyanco, Aribo, McCarthy, Djneppo, Mara + ??). 

If we get decent fees for some of these all the better as it will give us the extra money we need to rebuild the team.

I was hoping we keep a core of 'good' players (at this level) together to build around (Smallbone, Bednarek, Stephens, Tino, Tella, Edozie, Bazunu + ??) and add some more good players like Manning, Grimes and Piroe - plus give the youngsters like Ballard, Amo-Ameyaw, Dibling, Doyle and Meghoma a chance to come through.

I was feeling fairly positive about it all - in a realistic way - until the car crash that was the Gillingham game and the unexpected sale of Tino.

Now I am more than a little bit apprehensive about what's going to happen over the next few weeks.

Right back is worrying me as despite selling Tino, I still expect KWP to go and Bree looks far from being good enough.  Aarons would have fixed that problem - I just hope they have another solution for that position lined up.

I also wouldn't be surprised if we lose both Che Adams and Adam Armstrong before 1st September.

If we let Tella or Smallbone leave then I will start to worry.

I'd feel better about things if we made some actual signings other than a free transfer and another kid from an academy.  Or if at least they were some solid transfer rumours.

[Fan The Flames]

14 minutes ago, Baird of the land said:

No ones is really complaining about the current departures. Lavia, JWP were expected, Livramento a disappointment but understandable given the fee as long as you don't remove the only other capable right back we have. I don't believe for a second we can handle the gutting of the current first xi and seriously be trying to get promoted this season. Curious are there similar sell most of the whole week 1 first xi thoughts at leicester and leeds.

I know no one is complaining, most were expecting those transfers and I believe that the majority of upcoming transfers apart from the odd one, will be expected as well. We will be alright.

[Pamplemousse]

Time to dust off the black box

[miserableoldgit]

17 minutes ago, Sunglasses Ron said:

There is no place here for common sense like that.

I think you need a temporary ban to reflect on your actions.

Yes....definitely need to stand in the corner and think about what he has done....

[Baird of the land]

5 minutes ago, Fan The Flames said:

I know no one is complaining, most were expecting those transfers and I believe that the majority of upcoming transfers apart from the odd one, will be expected as well. We will be alright.

Depends on what the upcoming transfers are. If its selling Onachu/Djenepo/Lyanco etc no one will bat an eyelid. Selling remaining members of the current first xi just because we can certainly wasn't expected by me

[Barsiem]

3 hours ago, BotleySaint said:

Nathan Jones. Ruben Selles. 

Still confused? 😉

Ralph as well unfortunately.... He'd well and truly lost his mojo.  Hopefully he'll be back to his best after a break

[manji]

10 hours ago, woodsaint1 said:

Wheres the quotes for this? Was Aarons one of those supposed players?

I’ve watched every interview a couple of times. It’s like Martins first official for Saints. A lot of fans were saying it was a bland interview. I’ve watched it a few times ( yes I’ve got too much time on my hands at the moment ) and there was a lot in the there. I remember him being asked about his possession football and said something along the lines of he would be prepared to change it in a particular game if necessary.

Hes mentioned several times that we have 3 or 4 players lined up he’s spoken to the players and their clubs. They are keen to join us and are prepared to wait.

Wilcox interview was excellent. He’s even mentioned although his contract didn’t officially start until the end of last season he’s been looking at players for us since January. 
im assuming with the approval of City after Joe Shields jumped ship to Chelsea so quickly. You can take my word for it or not up to you.

Even Dragan admitted last season was a mess and said he should have keep more of an eye on what was happening. Don’t forget he own quite a few major companies as well as SR. He said he would be keeping a much closer eye on Southampton this year.

I don’t think people realise how powerful he is in Eastern Europe. He’s a even a major player in opposition to the Serbian Government.

He has a reputation can’t see him accepting failure again.

[Miltonaggro]

50 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

I'm sure a few academy signings from Man City and Chelsea and some free transfers and loan signings will get 8/10 from most posters on here.

9.33

[Saint Fan CaM]

36 minutes ago, Fan The Flames said:

Like everything, it depends on how we respond. 

I mean you're worrying about Martin being poached before Christmas, step away from the future thinking and deal with the here and now. We have put a team in place to manage the transfer window, which is reassuring to a point.

Every transfer window is like this for us, I know coming down people thought we could be the big boys, but we are operating in two markets, the prem one where we are still Southampton of old, where the big clubs will hold out on doing deals for our players, who are not so important to them in their scheme of things. And the Championship one where we have some muscle, but the club have decided to let the outs go first before we purchase players.

Now that might be the sensible measured approach, it might be too cautious and there's a very slim chance it might be a sign of the owners wanting out or something. I like to wait and see and deal with the facts as they present themselves.

You’ve misread my point - I’m not worrying about Martin and Wilcox leaving…not yet anyway. My point was that in our tenuous position now, those appointments are the most important in terms of stability. And that their decisions regarding new incoming players are critical to relative success and another disastrous season.