Summer Transfer Window 2025/26

[Gloucester Saint]

11 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

It's difficult to disagree. The two players that Spors was taking a victory lap about signing nice and early have so far proved to be wasted effort and money and neither would have been coveted by any of our rivals. In fact someone else (Ipswich?) actually signed the striker ahead of Downs in the USA pecking order.

I'm not writing either off, sure both could be great eventually but those are signings that could have waited until August 31st.

Spors has not unearthed anything of note for us. Signing a good winger from Middlesbrough or a handy attacker from Cov or WBA would be great but is not evidence of wonder scouting either. They are signings that any Championship club with coin can make happen.

Big week for Spors, this.

Yep, one week to save his job. Promised much and delivered fuck all.

5-6 starters needed through both the spine and out wide.

Tick tock. He’s had plenty of time. Aribo and Edozie need to be given cut offs to get their moves done as Sam could’ve helped us today when Stoke went down to 10. This limbo position is not helping anyone.

[Harry_SFC]

2 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Poor performance by the Director of Football. Needs a really stellar week or on his bike I think. Good start with Sulemana and Onachu but dreadful since. Downs - I’ve seen big lumps in National League South with a better first touch. To call him a donkey is an insult to the animals. Ali Dia had better technique than that.

£7m is beer money but still utterly wasted, and the £15-20m needed for a standout striker at this level is still needed, so dig deep Dragan. This week should hurt a great deal if the club is get back on track.

A 10, a winger, a striker and a keeper. That's the bare minimum needed. I'd like to see a proper defensive midfielder too.

 

[Dusic]

Still very clear post game that he wants a #10 and a few wingers who can score.

One week to get them...

Anyone who want a £15m no9 is going to be disappointed and I agree that creativity and overall threat is more of an issue. Still has openly said we are only playing this system because we don't have those players so when we do then its up to him to pick the best forward(s) we have to play with them.

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, Dusic said:

Still very clear post game that he wants a #10 and a few wingers who can score.

One week to get them...

Anyone who want a £15m no9 is going to be disappointed and I agree that creativity and overall threat is more of an issue. Still has openly said we are only playing this system because we don't have those players so when we do then its up to him to pick the best forward(s) we have to play with them.

Well, the manager needs to put pressure publicly on Spors to deliver. Spors has made the promises and miles short so far.

Ralph got shafted by Ankerson over strikers and cost him his job. Makes 
Spors accountable. Downs is a total waste of money, better off getting a free agent than someone sign technique that would have been frowned upon at Bromley or Cheltenham. 

[Gloucester Saint]

7 minutes ago, Dusic said:

Still very clear post game that he wants a #10 and a few wingers who can score.

One week to get them...

Anyone who want a £15m no9 is going to be disappointed and I agree that creativity and overall threat is more of an issue. Still has openly said we are only playing this system because we don't have those players so when we do then its up to him to pick the best forward(s) we have to play with them.

No excuse still though for 5 at the back at home to Stoke. Understandable at Portman but not acceptable today. Early days, and Spors looks another shocking hire by SR, but Will needs to do a lot better than today.
If Spors and Dragan don’t come up with the goods, I’d walk if I were him. His stock is quite high and the club’s isn’t. 

Edited 5 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[saintant]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

No use getting Azaz if we are going to play 6 defensive players 

This is what I don't get. What are we afraid of? Buy some decent creative midfielders and a winger plus a centre forward - ditch the dross clogging up the pitch and stop playing 5 at the back.

[Farmer Saint]

3 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

No excuse still though for 5 at the back at home to Stoke. Understandable at Portman but not acceptable today. Early days, and Spors looks another shocking hire by SR, but Will needs to do a lot better than today.

We have no wingers so have no width with 4. That's the excuse, and that's on Sporr.

[davefizzy14]

Ita quite obvious where we need to strengthen, creativity wise is top of the list. Will Still needs to be backed this coming week.

[AlexLaw76]

1 minute ago, Farmer Saint said:

We have no wingers so have no width with 4. That's the excuse, and that's on Sporr.

I have no wingers…. Fraser?

[sockeye]

3 minutes ago, saintant said:

This is what I don't get. What are we afraid of? Buy some decent creative midfielders and a winger plus a centre forward - ditch the dross clogging up the pitch and stop playing 5 at the back.

Striker is such an important position and carries a premium accordingly. SR have shown they are willing to shell out for players like Spertsyan as well as Charles in the last Championship season so why did they shop in Poundland for Downs? Look at Birmingham, they picked up Stansfield for £15 million who was able to give them a decent outlay of 12 in 43 at 20 years of age, and already has 2 in 2 this year. Just spend the money FFS?

[saintant]

12 minutes ago, Dusic said:

Still very clear post game that he wants a #10 and a few wingers who can score.

One week to get them...

Anyone who want a £15m no9 is going to be disappointed and I agree that creativity and overall threat is more of an issue. Still has openly said we are only playing this system because we don't have those players so when we do then its up to him to pick the best forward(s) we have to play with them.

We'll score very few goals then.

[Farmer Saint]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I have no wingers…. Fraser?

Better cutting in to create room for wing backs - and the point of the word "wingers" is it's a pluralisation.

[saintant]

4 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

We have no wingers so have no width with 4. That's the excuse, and that's on Sporr.

It's no excuse. We could all pick a side playing 4 at the back from the players available and I'm sure it would perform better than this 5 at the back rubbish..

[Harry_SFC]

3 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I have no wingers…. Fraser?

Fraser and Robinson who have looked our most dangerous players so far. Why can't they play out wide? 

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

Better cutting in to create room for wing backs - and the point of the word "wingers" is it's a pluralisation.

Will Still is known for his flexibility, even Martin got a tune out of Armstrong out wide

[Farmer Saint]

Just now, saintant said:

It's no excuse. We could all pick a side playing 4 at the back from the players available and I'm sure it would perform better than this 5 at the back rubbish..

Literally no reason to think that whatsoever.

[Farmer Saint]

Just now, AlexLaw76 said:

Will Still is known for his flexibility, even Martin got a tune out of Armstrong out wide

#martino

[Farmer Saint]

1 minute ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Will Still is known for his flexibility, even Martin got a tune out of Armstrong out wide

As a winger? Do you know what a winger is because you've just quoted two players who aren't traditional wingers?

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

As a winger? Do you know what a winger is because you've just quoted two players who aren't traditional wingers?

Will still cannot play anything other than 5 at the back unless he has out and out wingers?

looking forward to the 2 or 3 we will be signing in the next 7 days 

[The Kraken]

1 minute ago, saintant said:

It's no excuse. We could all pick a side playing 4 at the back from the players available and I'm sure it would perform better than this 5 at the back rubbish..

Agreed. Call them inside forwards instead of wingers if you like, but when we used Fraser, Edozie, even Armstrong, I don’t recall criticism of us for being too narrow. Jo Tessem said something in the game today I very much agreed with; he prefers full backs running into the space ahead of them rather than wing backs looking to occupy the space. 352 imo gives us much less width than a 4 would, regardless of whether or not we have native wingers at our disposal.

[Farmer Saint]

1 minute ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Will still cannot play anything other than 5 at the back unless he has out and out wingers?

looking forward to the 2 or 3 we will be signing in the next 7 days 

That was my point, he's told us consistently what he wants, it's now on Spors.

Edited 4 hours ago by Farmer Saint

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

That was my point, he's told us consistently what he wants, it's now on Sporr.

Then he was a stupid appointment , given we prepared for this season with out signings last season 

[Matthew Le God]

1 hour ago, trousers said:

Despite @Matthew Le God reassuring us otherwise, none of our strikers are good enough for a club with automatic promotion ambitions. Discuss...

 

1 hour ago, Matthew Le God said:

Give them some service and they will be.  Which is why Will Still said today they want a number 10 and at least one wide player.

Will Still agrees...

 

 

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Matthew Le God said:

 

Will Still agrees...

 

 

Playing Armstrong as a lone striker is hilariously bad. 

[woodsaint1]

38 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

It's difficult to disagree. The two players that Spors was taking a victory lap about signing nice and early have so far proved to be wasted effort and money and neither would have been coveted by any of our rivals. In fact someone else (Ipswich?) actually signed the striker ahead of Downs in the USA pecking order.

I'm not writing either off, sure both could be great eventually but those are signings that could have waited until August 31st.

Spors has not unearthed anything of note for us. Signing a good winger from Middlesbrough or a handy attacker from Cov or WBA would be great but is not evidence of wonder scouting either. They are signings that any Championship club with coin can make happen.

Big week for Spors, this.

Derby County actually. And hes already injured

[tdmickey3]

We are premier league at selling but as for purchasing we are national league 

Never mind, nice tidy profits👏 

[Farmer Saint]

1 minute ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Then he was a stupid appointment , given we prepared for this season with out signings last season 

That's what happens when the original plan was to have Martin in charge ALL SEASON, irrelevant of what happened.

[Andrew Watson]

Azaz, Sargent and a Josh Brownhill type in midfield would be good. The lightweight deadwood up front is totally embarrassing and we have no one with a winning mentality in midfield,who is prepared to put their foot in and gee this feeble lot up.

[LGTL]

Spors has been a fucking disaster so far, completely clueless as many predicted. 10 days to save his job.  

[tdmickey3]

3 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

 

Will Still agrees...

 

 

What about the glaring misses Will?

[tdmickey3]

Just now, LGTL said:

Spors has been a fucking disaster so far, completely clueless as many predicted. 10 days to save his job.  

He’s not going to lose his job, we are making good sales.

Fernandes next up for the bank balance

[Matthew Le God]

1 minute ago, tdmickey3 said:

What about the glaring misses Will?

Maybe as a professional manager he isn't as reactionary as many Saints fans are and doesn't write a player off on the basis of a couple of misses.

[saintant]

Just now, tdmickey3 said:

He’s not going to lose his job, we are making good sales.

Fernandes next up for the bank balance

Yeah and then a week spent talking a good game about trying to get some players in but not quite getting them over the line before the window closes.

[Mr Saints]

2 minutes ago, LGTL said:

Spors has been a fucking disaster so far, completely clueless as many predicted. 10 days to save his job.  

Did anyone expect anything else with SR choosing him? The only thing they’ve got right in 4 years was Jason Wilcox and that was 2 fucking years ago! Inept.

[Matthew Le God]

8 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Playing Armstrong as a lone striker is hilariously bad. 

It isn't ideal. But our two main target men strikers were ill throughout the week. Still also acknowledged in hindsight he should have player Archer central and Armstrong on the right. So he isn't blinkered and unaware.

Edited 4 hours ago by Matthew Le God

[Gloucester Saint]

3 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

What about the glaring misses Will?

He is NOT happy with Johannes Spors. That sounds like someone who might walk before the derby if Spors and Solak don’t pull their fingers out this week.

[woodsaint1]

1 minute ago, tdmickey3 said:

He’s not going to lose his job, we are making good sales.

Fernandes next up for the bank balance

Not sure Spors has anything to do with the sales. Did Dragan not say Ankersen was leading on sales? He deserves a promotion if so....

[tdmickey3]

1 minute ago, Matthew Le God said:

It isn't ideal. But our two main target men strikers were ill throughout the week. Still also acknowledged in hindsight he should have player Archer scrotal and Armstrong on the right. So he isn't blinkered and unaware.

Scrotal ?

[Matthew Le God]

5 minutes ago, LGTL said:

Spors has been a fucking disaster so far, completely clueless as many predicted. 10 days to save his job.  

 

1 minute ago, Mr Saints said:

Did anyone expect anything else with SR choosing him? The only thing they’ve got right in 4 years was Jason Wilcox and that was 2 fucking years ago! Inept.

Here is a radical idea... how about see what happens in the rest of window before judging it?

[Willo of Whiteley]

We need four or five players and we need the deadwood to go.

Dibling, Edozie and BBD gone. ABK gone. A CB gone.

[Gloucester Saint]

5 minutes ago, woodsaint1 said:

Not sure Spors has anything to do with the sales. Did Dragan not say Ankersen was leading on sales? He deserves a promotion if so....

In which case he is really is on shaky ground. Still sounded quite irritated just now about the shocking lack of progress on incomings for wide players and 10s. Wouldn’t be surprised if he walked shortly. His stock is relatively high, the club’s is not. Wouldn’t blame him either.

If Ankerson is in charge of sales, that would explain why they been so turgid after the early Sulemana success (from his own recruitment fuck up).

Rasmus will have a good old naked wank in the mirror about the Dibling fee though. Several TEDTalks from that. Fraud.

Edited 4 hours ago by Gloucester Saint

[Gloucester Saint]

3 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

 

Here is a radical idea... how about see what happens in the rest of window before judging it?

Bit late for that now old bean unless they really pull it out of the bag this week and the starting line-up looks radically different.

[saintant]

5 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

He is NOT happy with Johannes Spors. That sounds like someone who might walk before the derby if Spors and Solak don’t pull their fingers out this week.

When did he say this? 

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, saintant said:

When did he say this? 

Read between the lines in his comments on today ‘this is what we need and how long it is taking’.

[Saint NL]

A fair point

 

 

[Gloucester Saint]

Still tries to evade the question but fails, and the understandable frustration with Spors and Solak comes out.

Neither of Spors’s 99p Bundesliga 2 specials started today or have looked any good for a so-called promotion chasing side. 

[coalman]

2 hours ago, trousers said:

Despite @Matthew Le God reassuring us otherwise, none of our strikers are good enough for a club with automatic promotion ambitions. Discuss...

The important thing here is that they've all scored goals at this level at some point in the increasingly distant past. Get Adam Armstrong a penalty and he's going to put it away. If Archer goal hangs enough he's bound to tuck away a couple. As for BBD - I think we can all see the kind of free scoring footballer that's lurking beneath the surface. Throw in a newbie from the Bundesliga 2 and it's about as potent a strikeforce as you could want at this level if you're trying to build towards turning Saints into a European powerhouse. If we can do a couple of stats searches and choose some youngsters with high stats that don't cost much I reckon this could be the save game to end all save games.

Edited 4 hours ago by coalman

[saintant]

15 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

It isn't ideal. But our two main target men strikers were ill throughout the week. Still also acknowledged in hindsight he should have player Archer central and Armstrong on the right. So he isn't blinkered and unaware.

Yeah, Archer central would have made a real difference - he'd have given those Stoke centre backs the run around.

[coalman]

Just now, saintant said:

Yeah, Archer central would have made a real difference - he'd have given those Stoke centre backs the run around.

They'd be waking up in the middle of the night giggling for weeks after that. 

[Sheaf Saint]

11 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Still tries to evade the question but fails, and the understandable frustration with Spors and Solak comes out.

Neither of Spors’s 99p Bundesliga 2 specials started today or have looked any good for a so-called promotion chasing side. 

And the only other signing so far has got Rasmus' fingerprints all over it and Spors probably had little to do with it.