Summer Transfer Window 2025/26

[revolution saint]

Just now, Turkish said:

What’s this Matsuki fella like then? I’d forgotten all about him. Seen him described as a ball winning midfielder and an attacking midfielder. 

He was alright, plenty of energy and should have scored.  Probably more of an attacking midfielder than a defensive one.  

[S-Clarke]

40 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

I am 💯confident that will be the case.  The reality is, most clubs would probably see them both as good enough for the Championship. For aspiring Championship winners, that’s another matter. 

But even saying he's good enough for the Championship is a stretch, if not a total lie really. He was the worst keeper by a margin last time we he played in this league.

I'd be depressed if I supported Hull and he signed for us. (well, there are many reasons to be depressed for supporting Hull tbf - but that would tip me over the edge)

[Miltonaggro]

1 hour ago, Badger said:

Yet Bazunu remains reasonably popular, or perhaps it’s just politely popular, among support at games. Have to wonder how bad he has to get for the ‘nods’ to turn on him. 

Season before last my seat was in line with 18 yard box and most of those around me used to despair and vocalise when he was picked and the inevitable incompetent fuck up happened, you could feel the collective angst. Say what you see I suppose. 

[Farmer Saint]

1 hour ago, Oldandtired said:

Perhaps you need to use the right word... volume, in the context of measurement, is an expression of how much space a substance or object occupies, not an expression of numerical quantity.

To use your expression, some people really are fucking dense, especially when they live in glass houses and start throwing stones...

 

1 hour ago, SW11_Saint said:

Did you make a typo and have to edit your reply? Easily done…

It was quite obviously a joke based on Mass = Volume x Density, hence the bold parts.

Sorry you didn't get it.

Edited 10 hours ago by Farmer Saint

[Gloucester Saint]

2 hours ago, SW11_Saint said:

I am 💯confident that will be the case.  The reality is, most clubs would probably see them both as good enough for the Championship. For aspiring Championship winners, that’s another matter. 

McCarthy is just about still but Gavin never has been and there’s no argument with the volume of data despite a minority of fans refusing to acknowledge what is right in front of them. Funnily enough there’s now revisionism that Martin’s tactics were to blame and he will be alright in a Still defence. No, he won’t. And Martin picked him for his distribution not his goalkeeping. His spell at Liege was mixed at best. Needs a loan in League 1 where’s more comfortable and maybe back up in final year of his deal.

https://www.southamptonfc.news/opinion/one-alarming-statistic-shows-why-russell-martin-must-upgrade-key-southampton-position/

https://forum.ybig.ie/gavin-bazunu_topic57765_page111.html

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/we-need-southampton-urged-to-upgrade-on-gavin-bazunu-after-disaster-of-a-loan-spell/

[Gloucester Saint]

5 hours ago, Barsiem said:

 

 

Sounds like one or both want to move on to me. AA probably has a bit more of a market out of the two albeit still quite niche. If we’d need to subsidise most of BBD’s wages on loan somewhere we might as well keep him and hope he improves when fitter.

Interesting comments by Still yesterday post-Eastleigh that he’s not been impressed by the standard of fitness. We suspected it was a holiday camp under Martin and before that even if we’re honest.

[Wade Garrett]

1 hour ago, Badger said:

Yet Bazunu remains reasonably popular, or perhaps it’s just politely popular, among support at games. Have to wonder how bad he has to get for the ‘nods’ to turn on him. 

I think he’s absolute fucking garbage.  Easily one of the worst keepers I’ve seen that does it for a living.

But why would I give him a hard time during games?  Would only make things worse.

[S-Clarke]

2 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

McCarthy is just about still but Gavin never has been and there’s no argument with the volume of data despite a minority of fans refusing to acknowledge what is right in front of them. Funnily enough there’s now revisionism that Martin’s tactics were to blame and he will be alright in a Still defence. No, he won’t. And Martin picked him for his distribution not his goalkeeping. His spell at Liege was mixed at best. Needs a loan in League 1 where’s more comfortable and maybe back up in final year of his deal.

https://www.southamptonfc.news/opinion/one-alarming-statistic-shows-why-russell-martin-must-upgrade-key-southampton-position/

https://forum.ybig.ie/gavin-bazunu_topic57765_page111.html

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/we-need-southampton-urged-to-upgrade-on-gavin-bazunu-after-disaster-of-a-loan-spell/

I mean the stats aren't even borderline, they're pretty conclusive. That's why I just don't understand the view that some have in that he's ''fine for the Championship'' - surely everything on record suggests he's the worst option for a Championship club?

Stats are stats and not always the full picture, but even with my own eyes I can tell you (and most fans) that he is an absolutely horrific goalkeeper and he lacks the right attributes to ever contribute at the top level. That's not bias, that's not agenda driven, it's come from having to watch this guy try to keep goal for 2 seasons for us.

I'm sure he's a good lad in the changing room though.

[Farmer Saint]

1 minute ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Sounds like one or both want to move on to me. AA probably has a bit more of a market out of the two albeit still quite niche. If we’d need to subsidise most of BBD’s wages on loan somewhere we might as well keep him and hope he improves when fitter.

Interesting comments by Still yesterday post-Eastleigh that he’s not been impressed by the standard of fitness. We suspected it was a holiday camp under Martin and before that even if we’re honest.

Martin left 8 months ago though...not sure you can blame their fitness now on him.

[Wade Garrett]

44 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

 

It was quite obviously a joke based on Mass = Volume x Density, hence the bold parts.

Sorry you didn't get it.

Don’t give up your day job Farmer.  You’re no Peter Kay.

[Gloucester Saint]

12 hours ago, Saint86 said:

Current CBs:

Bednarek

ABK

THB

Edwards

Quarshie

Woods

Sanda

We clearly have too many cbs at the moment. My working assumption has always been that ABK and Bednarek will both be off, leaving us with 5. If bednarek doesn't leave then I think we have to assume that THB is off.

Again, I’m surprised Jan hasn’t gone already with such a low release fee, and Roma bid over that in January.

Mind you, football clubs are so disorganised in transfer windows that it shouldn’t be a surprise. I reckon ABK will go very late in the window for 4-5 Euro.

[Whitey Grandad]

6 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

McCarthy is just about still but Gavin never has been and there’s no argument with the volume of data despite a minority of fans refusing to acknowledge what is right in front of them. Funnily enough there’s now revisionism that Martin’s tactics were to blame and he will be alright in a Still defence. No, he won’t. And Martin picked him for his distribution not his goalkeeping. His spell at Liege was mixed at best. Needs a loan in League 1 where’s more comfortable and maybe back up in final year of his deal.

https://www.southamptonfc.news/opinion/one-alarming-statistic-shows-why-russell-martin-must-upgrade-key-southampton-position/

https://forum.ybig.ie/gavin-bazunu_topic57765_page111.html

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/we-need-southampton-urged-to-upgrade-on-gavin-bazunu-after-disaster-of-a-loan-spell/

Not thus xGC crap again. This was debunked a few weeks ago. By all means base your opinion on what you see but a pitiful computer algorithm is never to be trusted.

[Farmer Saint]

Just now, Wade Garrett said:

Don’t give up your day job Farmer.  You’re no Peter Kay.

Shit, am I not? Fuck. Best not come out of retirement then.

[Whitey Grandad]

2 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I mean the stats aren't even borderline, they're pretty conclusive. That's why I just don't understand the view that some have in that he's ''fine for the Championship'' - surely everything on record suggests he's the worst option for a Championship club?

Stats are stats and not always the full picture, but even with my own eyes I can tell you (and most fans) that he is an absolutely horrific goalkeeper and he lacks the right attributes to ever contribute at the top level. That's not bias, that's not agenda driven, it's come from having to watch this guy try to keep goal for 2 seasons for us.

I'm sure he's a good lad in the changing room though.

These srats that you adore so much are worse than guesswork. 

Sure, he's not the greatest goalkeeper in the world but he got us promoted. 

[S-Clarke]

3 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Sounds like one or both want to move on to me. AA probably has a bit more of a market out of the two albeit still quite niche. If we’d need to subsidise most of BBD’s wages on loan somewhere we might as well keep him and hope he improves when fitter.

Interesting comments by Still yesterday post-Eastleigh that he’s not been impressed by the standard of fitness. We suspected it was a holiday camp under Martin and before that even if we’re honest.

I think it's well documented that Martin's teams didn't 'train hard', it was more around energy conservation by retaining the ball. Obviously at a higher level when you can't keep the ball, you need to run harder, but we never could. I'd say we have some unprofessional players in the mix too, as they don't seem to have pushed themselves since he was dumped in December.

There will be some players who simply won't be able to handle the intensity, it won't be in their makeup as we were built for pass, pass, pass. The two signings suggest the profile we're looking at, but we really do need to shift a lot of our existing as it's still a right old mish mash of a squad that will struggle.

[Wade Garrett]

2 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Martin left 8 months ago though...not sure you can blame their fitness now on him.

Fitness is pretty much built up in pre-season.  Still needs to beast them as come the first game he won’t be able to blame lack of fitness on anyone else.

[Wade Garrett]

1 minute ago, Farmer Saint said:

Shit, am I not? Fuck. Best not come out of retirement then.

Better 😂

[Wade Garrett]

2 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

These srats that you adore so much are worse than guesswork. 

Sure, he's not the greatest goalkeeper in the world but he got us promoted. 

He fucking didn’t.

[S-Clarke]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

These srats that you adore so much are worse than guesswork. 

Sure, he's not the greatest goalkeeper in the world but he got us promoted. 

I don't adore the stats, don't get me wrong.

I made the point underneath that though - forget stats, I watched him with my own eyes in our PL season and our Championship season and he was truly, truly rubbish.

I'm never one to play the 'in spite of' card, but we certainly got promoted in spite of Bazunu. No doubts about that. His presence contributed to us never truly being in the auto race.

[Gloucester Saint]

10 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Martin left 8 months ago though...not sure you can blame their fitness now on him.

Oh yeah, it goes back to later in Ralph’s time. He was very hot on fitness earlier on but got ground down by the lack of investment and then the investment when it finally came going on children from Manchester. We saw the lack of resilience after the Leicester away win and after Adams’s sitter at Wolves. They weren’t fit physically or mentally which is why we reverted to long balls because they couldn’t sustain the press for more than a few minutes. That, and Romeu had gone, and pivotal to organising it on the pitch, and Lavia could only play circa 20-25 games.

Got worse under Martin and I don’t think Juric or Rusk thought they could do a Poch and institute double session mid-season given a few player episodes like Flynn Downes and others. 

If you’re a 32 year fresh faced manager whose Ligue 1 teams have been top of the energy standings I can see why you’d be bemused. 

Edited 9 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[Farmer Saint]

4 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Better 😂

Maybe I just shouldn't make Physics jokes...

[Whitey Grandad]

5 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

He fucking didn’t.

Er...

[Verbal]

10 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Don’t give up your day job Farmer.  You’re no Peter Kay.

But we need a new corrections officer in the Saintsweb grammar police and I thought he was well in root to promotion.

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Er...

He was too inconsistent - if I’m being generous - to have won the play offs. McCarthy made a huge difference, I’m not a fan of his either, but it was night and day the contrast.

Gavin never gets low to James’s shot at Wembley, he conceded those most weeks for two years, even you’ve got to admit that. 

He might be like Bart, shaky with the odd good game as a youngster, and make a Championship career regularly in his 30s after improving in League 1.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

21 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Maybe I just shouldn't make Physics jokes...

Density jokes are tough. You think you're making a star post, but instead you come across as a hole. 🙂

 

Edited 9 hours ago by Holmes_and_Watson
autocarrot

[Fabrice29]

14 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Got worse under Martin

The idea that we were unfit last time we were in the Championship considering our record in the final parts of the game stands up pretty well that season is about as on point with the idea that we didn't attack teams in that season too.

[Gloucester Saint]

4 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Density jokes are tough. You think you're making a star post, but I steady you come across as a hole. 🙂

Oh dear, what can the (dark) matter be?

[Farmer Saint]

3 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Density jokes are tough. You think you're making a star post, but I steady you come across as a hole. 🙂

That joke's so good it would work in a vacuum.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

18 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I think it's well documented that Martin's teams didn't 'train hard', it was more around energy conservation by retaining the ball. Obviously at a higher level when you can't keep the ball, you need to run harder, but we never could. 

Very much this. Stats or not, you could see it whether Martin was in charge or not.

I'd like to think the fitness, coaching and analytics team were about to mutiny behind the scenes, at how much it would impact performance against teams at Champ and PL levels.

Instead, I think it just became the new culture, that other managers couldn't shift and the coaching, fitness and analytics were rubbish.

Still will hopefully be benchmarking expectations on basics against the best teams promoted from this league and those that then stay up. Because, if he buys into what's been in place, he's on a hiding to nothing. 

Which is why...

26 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Fitness is pretty much built up in pre-season.  Still needs to beast them as come the first game he won’t be able to blame lack of fitness on anyone else.

Very much this too.

[Gloucester Saint]

14 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

The idea that we were unfit last time we were in the Championship considering our record in the final parts of the game stands up pretty well that season is about as on point with the idea that we didn't attack teams in that season too.

Will Still doesn’t think they are as fit as they should be and he’s working with them every day. My observation, and it’s no more than that, is that the fitness wasn’t optimum in 22/23 for the PL, it didn’t get any worse in 23/24 and the extra quality we possessed off the bench meant we had a spell of scoring late winners. Last season, even you’ve got to to admit the fitness and conditioning was well below PL level, we looked like pub players even taking into account the gulf in quality. Martin himself has stated since on Sky that the physicality and intensity surprised him. 

Edited 9 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Miltonaggro said:

Season before last my seat was in line with 18 yard box and most of those around me used to despair and vocalise when he was picked and the inevitable incompetent fuck up happened, you could feel the collective angst. Say what you see I suppose. 

Yes, he gets a few groans when announced, but most seem to give a cheer almost overwriting has last ‘dropped bollock’ in the previous game. 

I’m normally met with a couple of disapproving looks from a couple of nods when I express a groan on hearing his name.

23 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

I think he’s absolute fucking garbage.  Easily one of the worst keepers I’ve seen that does it for a living.

But why would I give him a hard time during games?  Would only make things worse.

This is the great dilemma of course, although Saints players get an easier ride than if they were playing at a lot of other clubs. 
 

But although the support has never been that bitter or volatile, I do recall large audible groans at The Dell for certain players, Lew Chatterley springs to mind. And there was a palpable sense of indifference to Ian Turner when he started out with us. 

[Fabrice29]

Just now, Gloucester Saint said:

Will Still doesn’t think they are as fit as they should be and he’s working with them every day. My observation, and it’s no more than that, is that the fitness wasn’t optimum in 22/23 for the PL, it didn’t get any worse in 23/24 and the extra quality we possessed off the branch meant we had a spell of scoring late winners. Last season, even you’ve got to to admit the fitness and conditioning was well below PL level, we looked like pub players even taking into the gulf in quality. Martin himself has stated since on Sky that the physicality and intensity surprised him. 

I dont think fitness and conditioning are the same as "quality, physicality or intensity" fwiw.

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, Badger said:

Yes, he gets a few groans when announced, but most seem to give a cheer almost overwriting has last ‘dropped bollock’ in the previous game. 

I’m normally met with a couple of disapproving looks from a couple of nods when I express a groan on hearing his name.

This is the great dilemma of course, although Saints players get an easier ride than if they were playing at a lot of other clubs. 
 

But although the support has never been that bitter or volatile, I do recall large audible groans at The Dell for certain players, Lew Chatterley springs to mind. And there was a palpable sense of indifference to Ian Turner when he started out with us. 

David Lee got some, Speedie someone IIRC at home to Boro got on the pitch from the lower East and swung at him (which would have been front page now but barely in the match reports next day back then). Dowie got a bit but then Dixon was so woeful and Dowie hit some form it turned around. Stuart Ripley was never Mr Popular.

[sfc4prem]

1 minute ago, Fabrice29 said:

I dont think fitness and conditioning are the same as "quality, physicality or intensity" fwiw.

Surely intensity is borne of fitness? Similarly, physicality is enabled by training and strength conditioning, right? 

So if you're being artistically literal, you are correct, they aren't the same.

However, if you're being a common-sensical and realistic human, they are pretty much the same kettle of fish.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

2 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Will Still doesn’t think they are as fit as they should be and he’s working with them every day. My observation, and it’s no more than that, is that the fitness wasn’t optimum in 22/23 for the PL, it didn’t get any worse in 23/24 and the extra quality we possessed off the branch meant we had a spell of scoring late winners. Last season, even you’ve got to to admit the fitness and conditioning was well below PL level, we looked like pub players even taking into the gulf in quality. Martin himself has stated since on Sky that the physicality and intensity surprised him. 

It was a sad indictment of his planning/ coaching. But not just him. He was an up and coming managers going into a club with decent tenures in the PL. That there was noone else at the club who was involved in laying down/ insisting on basic requirements for Martin to build on made everyone involved look incompetent. Lots of people happy to go along with failure.

[Gloucester Saint]

3 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

I dont think fitness and conditioning are the same as "quality, physicality or intensity" fwiw.

You need to have more of the first two when you have less of the last three, and had the first two give you more of the last one.

See WGS teams 2001-3.

[Verbal]

17 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Density jokes are tough. You think you're making a star post, but instead you come across as a hole. 🙂

 

And we're off...

[Holmes_and_Watson]

2 minutes ago, Verbal said:

And we're off...

There's always space for cosmology puns.

[Fabrice29]

4 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

You need to have more of the first two when you have less of the last three, and had the first two give you more of the last one.

See WGS teams 2001-3.

Will Smallbone could be the fittest player in the club and league for all I know. He could be able to replicate his top skills consistently more than anyone over a longer period of time. That's fitness to me. He undoubtedly isn't the strongest or quickest though which would be physicality to me. I never thought anyone apart from Onuachu and Fernandes occasionally looked like they were out on their feet last season, so I had no issues with fitness. Did I see the majority of the squad get bullied physically? Yep, 100%. I think that lies in recruiting more physical players, not boosting players fitness.

[Gloucester Saint]

3 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Will Smallbone could be the fittest player in the club and league for all I know. He could be able to replicate his top skills consistently more than anyone over a longer period of time. That's fitness to me. He undoubtedly isn't the strongest or quickest though which would be physicality to me. I never thought anyone apart from Onuachu and Fernandes occasionally looked like they were out on their feet last season, so I had no issues with fitness. Did I see the majority of the squad get bullied physically? Yep, 100%. I think that lies in recruiting more physical players, not boosting players fitness.

I agree that if can be both and not an either/or, we don’t necessarily need 25 Papa Bouba Diops but the spine of the team is weak as alcohol free cider, hence the first two signings are big units.

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Gloucester Saint said:

If you’re a 32 year fresh faced manager whose Ligue 1 teams have been top of the energy standings I can see why you’d be bemused. 

Interesting. Whether he can impose that regime and system here remains to be seen. This is likely to prove critical, and define his time and success or otherwise with us. 

Edited 8 hours ago by Badger

[MarkSFC]

So are we any closer to knowing who tbe AM is that was mentioned alongside the CB and ST as immediate signings?!

[Matthew Le God]

3 minutes ago, MarkSFC said:

So are we any closer to knowing who tbe AM is that was mentioned alongside the CB and ST as immediate signings?!

No

[Weston Super Saint]

10 minutes ago, MarkSFC said:

So are we any closer to knowing who tbe AM is that was mentioned alongside the CB and ST as immediate signings?!

About as close as we are to understanding the definition of 'immediate' being portrayed.

[Badger]

22 minutes ago, MarkSFC said:

So are we any closer to knowing who tbe AM is that was mentioned alongside the CB and ST as immediate signings?!

Earlier posts on here suggested that some Armenian bloke (playing in Russia) had been the target but he wasn’t interested.

No idea who next on the list might be. Perhaps we’ve identified an even more obscure target that no one has heard of (that does seem the Saints way). 

Edited 8 hours ago by Badger

[SA1NT5]

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[Yozzman]

1 hour ago, Fabrice29 said:

The idea that we were unfit last time we were in the Championship considering our record in the final parts of the game stands up pretty well that season is about as on point with the idea that we didn't attack teams in that season too.

To be honest I think that was more to do with the quality of the bench rather than fitness. 

[Matthew Le God]

16 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

Joe only just came back to training.

Is this the club's way of saying it is his first day back in training (as they did similar for Manning and Smallbone)? Aribo did not play for Nigeria this summer, so does anyone know why he would get an extended holiday?

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Matthew Le God

[SW11_Saint]

2 hours ago, Farmer Saint said:

 

It was quite obviously a joke based on Mass = Volume x Density, hence the bold parts.

Sorry you didn't get it.

I’m not sure anyone got that… Sunday morning is not the time for subtly on here (when is?!?). First glance it just looked like an obnoxious response to a spelling error. Fair enough, I withdraw my grievance! 

[SW11_Saint]

2 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

McCarthy is just about still but Gavin never has been and there’s no argument with the volume of data despite a minority of fans refusing to acknowledge what is right in front of them. Funnily enough there’s now revisionism that Martin’s tactics were to blame and he will be alright in a Still defence. No, he won’t. And Martin picked him for his distribution not his goalkeeping. His spell at Liege was mixed at best. Needs a loan in League 1 where’s more comfortable and maybe back up in final year of his deal.

https://www.southamptonfc.news/opinion/one-alarming-statistic-shows-why-russell-martin-must-upgrade-key-southampton-position/

https://forum.ybig.ie/gavin-bazunu_topic57765_page111.html

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/we-need-southampton-urged-to-upgrade-on-gavin-bazunu-after-disaster-of-a-loan-spell/

But young players can, and do, improve. Goalies in particular mature more slowly than outfield players. No idea if Gav has improved enough to be a true #1 yet? (his loan spell at SL and injury may suggest otherwise). It is one big decision that Still & Spors need to address though, and quickly. McCarthy thankfully came good in the playoffs but was unconvincing last year (putting it mildly). 

Should have bought that Rotherham goalie a couple of years ago. Think Birmingham got him for a snip….