Summer Transfer Window 2025/26

[trousers]

11 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

When we went down to L1, we bought the best players for the level we were at

and that, m'lud, is all a relegated club ever needs to do... #simple

[egg]

46 minutes ago, Turkish said:

End product is a lazy cliche banded around to player who dont effect the game much. What do they actually mean by end product? Scoring or assisting every time they get the ball? That's also dictated by the players around them too, you might be in 15 world class crosses every game as a winger but if you're putting them into strikers who are always on their heels or cant finish then you're going to look shite.

If you look at the stats of players perceived to up there with the best in world, Kevin De Bruyne for example, he only "completes" 17% of crosses and 60% of dribbles, does he have a shit end product because more than 4 out of 5 crosses dont come to anything? 

Football is littered with these players that are quick and or got a trick or two but the reality is a lot of them are show ponies who might pull of something special once or twice a season but do very little the rest of the time. 

Amen to that, and it highlights how stats are largely pointless. Tactics, players around you, etc, all impact to effectiveness of a cross or a player's ability to play a decisive pass. 

Edozie is a show pony. 

[trousers]

12 hours ago, SaintsLoyal said:

we have so many players not fit to wear the shirt

 

12 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

In the Premier League, sure I agree, most aren't good enough, but the vast majority of them are good for what we need this season in a weaker league.

In terms of ability, you are correct, but not being "fit to wear the shirt" is as much to do with a player's attitude and how they deal with pressure. So many of our players last season were weak minded, as well as being weak technically. There's no excuse for not busting a gut or giving it your all, when your technical ability lets you down. Our players failed on both counts last season.

Sure, those same players might suddenly become strong minded in a weaker league, but it's a valid concern that they might not. 

As always, time will tell...

Edited 3 hours ago by trousers

[Saint_clark]

3 hours ago, Harry_SFC said:

Im sure the club will rectify it given previous comments but the lack of pace in the side is frightening. 

Players with pace AND end product are rarer than people think and usually end up at the top clubs. To get pace in the side for a club like Saints you buy players like Sulemana and Edozie who people on here are quite happy to see the back of. 

[revolution saint]

20 minutes ago, trousers said:

and that, m'lud, is all a relegated club ever needs to do... #simple

Who then? #simple

[coalman]

14 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

Agree with @Holmes_and_Watson as usual,

He was dangerous and scoring last time he played championship and I kept a close eye on him from that side of the Northam in particular where he plied his trade. When he got the ball it was usually the only moment of one on one skill we got to see at SMS from one of ours so I was grateful!
Now KS and KWP have gone we only have TD and SE who can actually dribble round a player and, call me old fashioned, but I like to see individual skills on occasion. All this team shit is great but I also want to see individual flair…and Sam has got that. 
 

Agreed. Team shit is great until you get to the other team's penalty box then you need players who can stretch play. Edozie was able to beat players for fun in the Championship and had started adding end product to his game with 6 goals in 16 starts (he'd already added the defensive side). The injury really set him back and then it seemed Martin wasn't a fan (let's face it a player who commits his man rather than stopping and recycling is never going to be popular in a Martin system). Even when there's limited product the threat of a pacy winger pulls the other team out of position and makes space in the middle. Last season in particular opposing fullbacks knew that 99 times out of a 100 we'd stop and recycle so they could be narrow in defense and nullify our threat completely, not least because our central midfielders were hanging out with our centre backs playing triangles.

When we were at our best in the Championship season we had Edozie/Fraser commiting players at pace on the left and Armstrong committing players on the right. It helped we had Che in the middle who linked up the play brilliantly but the space for him and even Smallbone to play in came because teams knew we could get past them down the wings.

Now, Edozie may not develop the way we want but he still gets on the team sheet in my book because he's got that ability to stretch play. He'll also tackle back if you need him to. If we get rid of him without strengthening out wide then I'm not sure Fraser is the answer as he seemed to do best as a sub. Yes our squad is bloated but it's not in attacking midfield positions. Our bloat problem lies in the plethora of central defenders and fullbacks we have on the books.

[gio1saints]

31 minutes ago, egg said:

Amen to that, and it highlights how stats are largely pointless. Tactics, players around you, etc, all impact to effectiveness of a cross or a player's ability to play a decisive pass. 

Edozie is a show pony. 

When you say show pony do you mean that as a criticism of him? His job was to, bravely, isolate the full back and go round him to create a dangerous opportunity -often whilst the rest of our team just watched and held their spaces. In a team with an iota more attacking initiative -and not just let’s retain possession and pass opposition to death - we might see a lot more dangerous output from him.
We may literally have nobody with flair left if both he and Tyler go that will be worth paying ticket price for. 
NB: his replacement was BBD ( Boring Beyond Description ) who would you rather see? I think we need another as well as SE -but to unload SE without having two good ones already in the house -very bad. 

Edited 3 hours ago by gio1saints

[trousers]

11 minutes ago, revolution saint said:

Who then? #simple

I'll let you know at the end of the window.... #simple

P.s. pay me the same wage as Spors and I'll let you know sooner

Edited 3 hours ago by trousers

[revolution saint]

Just now, trousers said:

I'll let you know at the end of the window.... #simple

#bottlejob

This "experienced quality" argument is a load of bollocks if you're not prepared to put your money where your mouth is and name anyone.  Surely it would be easy if it were so #simple?

From what I can see we've already got a load of experienced quality in the squad.  They've already achieved promotion once and yet we will probably be wanting to move half of them on given the chance.  Wrong type of "experienced quality"?

[Patrick Bateman]

45 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

Agree with @Holmes_and_Watson as usual,

He was dangerous and scoring last time he played championship and I kept a close eye on him from that side of the Northam in particular where he plied his trade. When he got the ball it was usually the only moment of one on one skill we got to see at SMS from one of ours so I was grateful!
Now KS and KWP have gone we only have TD and SE who can actually dribble round a player and, call me old fashioned, but I like to see individual skills on occasion. All this team shit is great but I also want to see individual flair…and Sam has got that. 
 

Agreed. I'd like to see more of Edozie too this season in a saints shirt. 

[hypochondriac]

13 minutes ago, trousers said:

I'll let you know at the end of the window.... #simple

P.s. pay me the same wage as Spors and I'll let you know sooner

Yep. It's for the club to come up with options not some random supporter on a Web forum and Google. 

[revolution saint]

4 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Yep. It's for the club to come up with options not some random supporter on a Web forum and Google. 

Presumably because said random supporter doesn't have the expertise in that area?  Probably true, I'll give you that, however the correlation is that said random supporter doesn't have the expertise to prejudge the merit of any signings we do make either.

[S-Clarke]

4 hours ago, Toussaint said:

I think we need to stop being sentimental about players who “may” come good one day. We all know we have a huge squad which we need to thin. If some of those players fulfil their potential in the future, so be it. 

Yeah, exactly that.

After 6 months or a season the 'may come good' line still holds some truth, they're worth persevering with, but after 3 years....if it's still the same story, I think the game is up.

Bazunu, Larios, Edozie, ABK all fall into that category. I don't think they'll ever 'come good', I think what we see in front of us are the players that they will always be.

[hypochondriac]

22 minutes ago, revolution saint said:

Presumably because said random supporter doesn't have the expertise in that area?  Probably true, I'll give you that, however the correlation is that said random supporter doesn't have the expertise to prejudge the merit of any signings we do make either.

Of course they don't but they are perfectly entitled to give an initial opinion based on the available evidence. 

[revolution saint]

1 minute ago, hypochondriac said:

Of course they don't but they are perfectly entitled to give an initial opinion based on the available evidence. 

Of course they are.  My point was with trousers saying this is #simple.  Clearly it's not.

[beatlesaint]

4 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Yeah, exactly that.

After 6 months or a season the 'may come good' line still holds some truth, they're worth persevering with, but after 3 years....if it's still the same story, I think the game is up.

 

Don't say that, I'm still hopeful for Captain Jack ! 😂

[saint michael]

3 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Of course they don't but they are perfectly entitled to give an initial opinion based on the available evidence. 

Agree with you. Playing football and Watching football for 10’s of years I’ve got a fair idea of what a good player looks like. Everything seems to be too clever now. As somebody said above. Spend the money on quality you know and make them better and you will still make money from it. Buying raw and trying to make super stars seems high risk as has been proven recently. Does seem we are on this journey again with another expert at the top that we rely on. 

[Farmer Saint]

Prior to his injury around Xmas last time in the Championship, I thought Edozie was looking like he'd turned a corner. He had some end product, and was looking consistently dangerous.

[trousers]

53 minutes ago, revolution saint said:

#bottlejob

This "experienced quality" argument is a load of bollocks if you're not prepared to put your money where your mouth is and name anyone.  Surely it would be easy if it were so #simple?

From what I can see we've already got a load of experienced quality in the squad.  They've already achieved promotion once and yet we will probably be wanting to move half of them on given the chance.  Wrong type of "experienced quality"?

As I've previously expressed, as long as we have one of the best squads* at the end of the window then I don't give a stuff how we reach that point... it could be that our squad as it stands can already be considered "one of the best", in which case we don't need to sign anyone else in order to remain an automactic promotion candidate. 

Conversely, if we don't have one of the best squads then it logically follows that we need to buy "better" players to bring it up to the requisite level. 

In other words, I'm stating the bleedin' obvious. (something us simpleton bottlejobs are prone to do I'm afraid)

(*and yes, of course, this is inevitably a subjective viewpoint)

Edited 2 hours ago by trousers

[Verbal]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

With Edozie in departure lounge by the looks of it am i right in saying the other two left from that 9/10 summer window 2022/23 are Bella-Kotachap and Baz and we'd happily see the back of them too?

You'd be right - crikey, never thought I'd say that.

[trousers]

16 minutes ago, revolution saint said:

Of course they are.  My point was with trousers saying this is #simple.  Clearly it's not.

I disagree

[trousers]

 

 

[sockeye]

5 minutes ago, trousers said:

 

 

Heart rate spiked; thought the club was waving goodbye.

[revolution saint]

8 minutes ago, trousers said:

As I've previously expressed, as long as we have one of the best squads* at the end of the window then I don't give a stuff how we reach that point... it could be that our squad as it stands can already be considered "one of the best", in which case we don't need to sign anyone else in order to remain an automactic promotion candidate. 

Conversely, if we don't have one of the best squads then it logically follows that we need to buy "better" players to bring it up to the requisite level. 

In other words, I'm stating the bleedin' obvious. (something us simpleton bottlejobs are prone to do I'm afraid)

(*and yes, of course, this is inevitably a subjective viewpoint)

Oh fuck me.  We need to sign "experienced quality", it's simple but don't ask me who.  Just get better players in.  Again, don't ask me who, but it's simple.  Anyone could do it.  Except me because I don't have the expertise in that area.  That about sum up your viewpoint?

 

[trousers]

5 minutes ago, revolution saint said:

Oh fuck me.  We need to sign "experienced quality", it's simple but don't ask me who.  Just get better players in.  Again, don't ask me who, but it's simple.  Anyone could do it.  Except me because I don't have the expertise in that area.  That about sum up your viewpoint?

 

Yay... you've got it! Simpletons of the world unite!

p.s. you neatly skipped over the bit where I said we might not need to sign anyone else.... 

Edited 2 hours ago by trousers

[Gary R76]

14 minutes ago, trousers said:

 He has been offered 100k a week to stay and would love too, but he desperately wants to go to world cup next year with England. We will see

 

 

[trousers]

8 minutes ago, Gary R76 said:

 He has been offered 100k a week to stay and would love too, but he desperately wants to go to world cup next year with England. We will see

Source? 

Cheers

p.s. "interesting first post in 5 years" klaxon

Edited 1 hour ago by trousers

[goodymatt]

if we could somehow keep Ramsdale, that would be huge. Just don’t see it.

[Gary R76]

i know  good friend of Simon Rusk and was told this at the weekend  . 

[DT]

7 minutes ago, Gary R76 said:

 

Will be amazed if he is here at the start of the season. Bournemouth? Hope we have our sights on a few to replace him late in the window (probably, knowing us)

[trousers]

1 minute ago, Gary R76 said:

i know  good friend of Simon Rusk and was told this at the weekend  . 

Cheers - appreciate the insight 👍

[trousers]

2 minutes ago, DT said:

Will be amazed if he is here at the start of the season. Bournemouth? Hope we have our sights on a few to replace him late in the window (probably, knowing us)

I'm led to believe that you have to name names if you're going to suggest we might need to sign other players....  

Edited 1 hour ago by trousers

[beatlesaint]

If Jordan Henderson can be continually picked by England after leaving the Premier League there should be no issue for a keeper in the Championship getting picked.

Of course there will be BUT it shouldnt make a bit of difference, esp for a keeper like I say.  

100k a week or sitting on a bench watching Pickford every match in the next World Cup. 

I know which i'd be opting for 😂

[Turkish]

48 minutes ago, Verbal said:

You'd be right - crikey, never thought I'd say that.

says more about you than me

[Saint86]

8 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

If Jordan Henderson can be continually picked by England after leaving the Premier League there should be no issue for a keeper in the Championship getting picked.

Of course there will be BUT it shouldnt make a bit of difference, esp for a keeper like I say.  

100k a week or sitting on a bench watching Pickford every match in the next World Cup. 

I know which i'd be opting for 😂

If he moves to a prem club, I would have assumed 100k per week is not an unlikely salary for him.

[beatlesaint]

2 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

If he moves to a prem club, I would have assumed 100k per week is not an unlikely salary for him.

I'm sure it wouldnt be BUT the big caveat if this is true is that he wants to stay here !

[suewhistle]

1 hour ago, hypochondriac said:

Of course they don't but they are perfectly entitled to give an initial opinion based on the available evidence. 

But Trousers never gives an opinion!:-) 

Not one he can be held to, at least..

[trousers]

1 minute ago, suewhistle said:

But Trousers never gives an opinion!:-) 

Not one he can be held to, at least..

I agree with Sue! 😂

[Saint Fan CaM]

45 minutes ago, Gary R76 said:

 

This could be fantastic news if he’s stays. I can’t see him being Englands first choice starter, so there’s no reason he couldn’t be a backup from the Championship.

[Patrick Bateman]

6 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

This could be fantastic news if he’s stays. I can’t see him being Englands first choice starter, so there’s no reason he couldn’t be a backup from the Championship.

Absolutely, it's happened before. Sam Johnston at WBA from memory. 

If you're good enough and especially if the club get promoted, he's as good as a Premier League player by then anyway!

[Strangely Brown]

So is there actually any transfer news? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[sockeye]

54 minutes ago, DT said:

Will be amazed if he is here at the start of the season. Bournemouth? Hope we have our sights on a few to replace him late in the window (probably, knowing us)

Bournemouth don’t rate him any more and their fans call him Relegation Ramsdale

[egg]

2 hours ago, gio1saints said:

When you say show pony do you mean that as a criticism of him? His job was to, bravely, isolate the full back and go round him to create a dangerous opportunity -often whilst the rest of our team just watched and held their spaces. In a team with an iota more attacking initiative -and not just let’s retain possession and pass opposition to death - we might see a lot more dangerous output from him.
We may literally have nobody with flair left if both he and Tyler go that will be worth paying ticket price for. 
NB: his replacement was BBD ( Boring Beyond Description ) who would you rather see? I think we need another as well as SE -but to unload SE without having two good ones already in the house -very bad. 

1. Show pony - runs around looking skillful, but doesn't create. He never gets his head up. He's a frustrating player. Initially he got me on the edge of my seat. That stopped when it became clear that he'd rarely do anything to celebrate. 

2. Daft question as the choice isn't Edozie or BBD. The answer is a wide player who does something meaningful with the ball. 

 

[Dusic]

3 hours ago, trousers said:

and that, m'lud, is all a relegated club ever needs to do... #simple

It was simple enough over 10 years ago when we were in L1.

But these days it is not so simple.

We couldn't afford the best players from the Championship when we were in the PL recently so not sure how simple it is to expect that we can now?

The simple truth is to say we need to sign a few good players (regardless of age or where they are signed from), try not to sign players who are rubbish (regardless of age or where they are signed from) and try to keep some of our best players (the main two of which are young and have no experience of the Championship).

[Verbal]

48 minutes ago, Turkish said:

says more about you than me

Which is why the worst 3 words in the English language are

"Turkish has replied"

[Chez]

9 minutes ago, sockeye said:

Bournemouth don’t rate him any more and their fans call him Relegation Ramsdale

the club or the fans?

[sockeye]

Just now, Chez said:

the club or the fans?

Fans. Just a funny tidbit imo which sort of reflects how they see themselves nowadays

[Chez]

1 hour ago, saint michael said:

Spend the money on quality you know and make them better and you will still make money from it. Buying raw and trying to make super stars seems high risk as has been proven recently. 

What does spend the money on "quality you know" manifest into in terms of a player you think we should be signing this summer? Ben Mee rather than Quarshie perhaps? Josh Maja instead of Downs?

 

[goodymatt]

 

[goodymatt]

Nothing new here really, but German Athletic correspondent confirming what Alfie told us last week.