Current Saints Squad

[spyinthesky]

Still quite bloated.

Allowing for expected inbound and outbound players, it looks something like this:

GOALKEEPERS
Baz  / McCarthy                                                                Ramsdale?
                                                                                           Incoming?
RIGHT BACK
Bree/Sugawara                                                                 Incoming???
LEFT BACK
Welington/Manning/Taylor
DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD
Downes/Charles
CENTRAL DEFENCE
Edwards/Wood/Stephens (+ Taylor)                              Harwood Bellis?/Bednerak?
Quarshie/Sanda                                                               Bella Kotcha?
RIGHT MIDFIELD
Dibling/Robinson
LEFT MIDFIELD
Edioze/Fraser        
ATTACKING MIDFIELD
Smallbone/Aribo                                                               Fernandes ?   Incoming?  
SUPPORT STRIKER    
Archer/BBD                                                                        Armstrong?
MAIN STRIKER
Stewart/Downs

There are 24 players with no immediate feedback on departure although there will be some that still have questions against their names as a consequence of their contractual arrangements or the fact that they are not really that good.
My assumption is that 6 players have a reasonable value and the club may be willing to agree a sale/loan arrangement.
I have also assumed there is the possibility of three more positions to fill, ie 'Keeper (if Ramsdale goes) and an attacking midfielder to replace Fernandes plus the possibility of a right back to replace the dearly departed KWP.
Even allowing for this, the squad would be a hefty 27 players without the inclusion of the likes of Ballard, O'Brien Whitmarsh, Akachukwu and some of the other U21 squad who did relatively well last season.

[coalman]

Christ we have a lot of central defenders.

[ally_uk]

Sell: 

Aribo, Bednarek, Ramsdale Bella Kotchap, 

If someone offers 30 million for Bellis I'd take it.

Fraser,  Smallbone 

BBD and possibly Armstrog. 

Thats 9 players gone 

 

[S-Clarke]

I'd expect Aribo, Bednarek, ABK to go (just give ABK away at this point) for certain. That would leave us with Quarshie, THB, Wood, Stephens, Edwards as first team CB's - probably one too many there, so either we get a bid for THB, or we shift Wood out on a loan nearer the end of the window.

The two areas that raise some alarm bells as of now are Wide Attack and AMC. We cannot go into a season with those as our options, there needs to be more to work with.

The strikers in BBD, Armstrong, you'd be daft to actively move on at this point. They're proven at the level we're currently in, so we don't want to cut our noses off.

Edited July 5 by S-Clarke

[EBS1980]

Any incomings now gonna be effected by who we can shift and getting the squad numbers down.

although didn’t Spoors say 3 players would be coming in regards, defender in, forward on his way, so just the creative mid to go?

[Harry_SFC]

I'd shift ABK, Bednarek, Smallbone, Aribo, Fraser and probably one of Armstrong/BBD. Also send Bazunu out on loan again too.

Then obviously a couple of the better players in Fernandes, Ramsdale, Dibling and THB will likely go. 

[SuperSAINT]

30 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

I'd shift ABK, Bednarek, Smallbone, Aribo, Fraser and probably one of Armstrong/BBD. Also send Bazunu out on loan again too.

Then obviously a couple of the better players in Fernandes, Ramsdale, Dibling and THB will likely go. 

Bazunu to Göztepe would seem a logical move.

[Give it to Ron]

42 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

I'd shift ABK, Bednarek, Smallbone, Aribo, Fraser and probably one of Armstrong/BBD. Also send Bazunu out on loan again too.

Then obviously a couple of the better players in Fernandes, Ramsdale, Dibling and THB will likely go. 

Someone has to want them first for sensible money can’t see a big queue for some in that list.

Edited Sunday at 07:38 by Give it to Ron

[IFHP]

14 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

Someone has to want them first for sensible money can’t see a big queue for some in that list.

Have to agree, we went down as the 2nd worst side in top flight history and it wasn’t just because we had shit managers. 
 

[Pwoite]

Possibly add Matsuki to that list. Definitely need a third keeper, whether Ramsdale or someone coming in. Possibly two if Bazunu off on loan.

Can see a new left back in and one of our two off.

Then there are potential loans, though the indication is that we won’t rely on these.

Unfortunately, many, if not most, of the moves won’t happen till late August, which is never helpful. Begs the question of whether Still/Spors effectively cut the squad size down soon, and get surplus players training with the U21s.

[saintant]

1 hour ago, SuperSAINT said:

Bazunu to Göztepe would seem a logical move.

Or Rangers where he is highly rated by the manager.

[coalman]

4 minutes ago, saintant said:

Or Rangers where he is highly rated by the manager.

He'd be the best keeper in the division.

Edited Sunday at 08:40 by coalman

[Viking Saint]

21 hours ago, coalman said:

Christ we have a lot of central defenders.

And they're all shit

[Viking Saint]

21 hours ago, ally_uk said:

Sell: 

Aribo, Bednarek, Ramsdale Bella Kotchap, 

If someone offers 30 million for Bellis I'd take it.

Fraser,  Smallbone 

BBD and possibly Armstrog. 

Thats 9 players gone 

 

Add Stephens to that list. Part of our malaise of accepting mediocrity and needs shipping out 

[coalman]

Just now, Viking Saint said:

Add Stephens to that list. Part of our malaise of accepting mediocrity and needs shipping out 

That's the first true test of Will Still's management - if he keeps Stephens as captain something inside of me is going to die.

[revolution saint]

21 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

The strikers in BBD, Armstrong, you'd be daft to actively move on at this point. They're proven at the level we're currently in, so we don't want to cut our noses off.

I can definitely understand the argument for keeping Armstrong although I probably would shift him on if the right offer came in.

BBD though?  I just don't see him working out at all and whatever he once had seems to have gone.  Even Sheff Utd fans didn't rate him last season and they loved him the season they got relegated.  No pace, no tricks to get past a player whatsoever.  Hopefully some mug team will fancy a shot at returning him to previous form but I think we may end up loaning him out again.

[trousers]

26 minutes ago, coalman said:

That's the first true test of Will Still's management - if he keeps Stephens as captain something inside of me is going to die.

I'd venture it's almost a certainty that's what'll happen. Stephens has been far too involved in pre-season photoshoots for him to then be sidelined / demoted, IMO. 

[Verbal]

44 minutes ago, trousers said:

I'd venture it's almost a certainty that's what'll happen. Stephens has been far too involved in pre-season photoshoots for him to then be sidelined / demoted, IMO. 

Typical heartless bastard comment IMO. Coalman HAS JUST SAID a bit of him will die if it happens, and yet here you are.

[saintant]

45 minutes ago, trousers said:

I'd venture it's almost a certainty that's what'll happen. Stephens has been far too involved in pre-season photoshoots for him to then be sidelined / demoted, IMO. 

Agree. Unless another club makes a decent offer for him Stephens will almost certainly be retained as captain and in the starting eleven for the opening game.

[BarberSaint]

4 hours ago, coalman said:

That's the first true test of Will Still's management - if he keeps Stephens as captain something inside of me is going to die.

Problem is Still has said he wants 'normal' people and JS is definitely on the normal(ly crap, normal -ly- ball-watching, normal[ly] losing his man) spectrum. 

I think we're stuck with him til the end of his contract when he can go to the MLS for a swansong (and still win nothing).

 

[Challenger]

3 hours ago, saintant said:

Agree. Unless another club makes a decent offer for him Stephens will almost certainly be retained as captain and in the starting eleven for the opening game.

A mistake that seems to be continually repeated.

[Viking Saint]

On 06/07/2025 at 09:44, coalman said:

That's the first true test of Will Still's management - if he keeps Stephens as captain something inside of me is going to die.

How you feeling at the moment?!

[coalman]

2 minutes ago, Viking Saint said:

How you feeling at the moment?!

Dead on the inside.

[Football Special]

From last seasons playing squad we've managed to remove wages for ;

Walker-Peters 

Sulemana 

Onuacho 

Lallana 

Lumley 

Larios 

 

Definitely a few more need to go to get that bill down 

Edited yesterday at 12:17 by Football Special

[CamSaint]

Also Big Les & Groenback

[Saint Fan CaM]

10 hours ago, Football Special said:

From last seasons playing squad we've managed to remove wages for ;

Walker-Peters 

Sulemana 

Onuacho 

Lallana 

Lumley 

Larios 

 

Definitely a few more need to go to get that bill down 

 

9 hours ago, CamSaint said:

Also Big Les & Groenback

Even with those players gone, there’s far too many hugely mediocre players in that squad and not enough creativity/dynamics in midfield. Still a big job left to turn things around IMO.

[S-Clarke]

22 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

 

Even with those players gone, there’s far too many hugely mediocre players in that squad and not enough creativity/dynamics in midfield. Still a big job left to turn things around IMO.

Agreed, I don't trust our squad yet. Doesn't fill me with much confidence, the drop down from our 'better' players to the squad players is way too big. i.e Ramsdale to Bazunu, THB to Wood, Dibling to Fraser. We need to balance that quality out.

[gio1saints]

Transfer window does not end until  September 1st. 

About 30% of transfer deals crystallise in the last few week. 

Correlate that to Saints and one can reasonably expect 2-3 departures /arrivals in the last week of August. Given our current heavy squad status that might just be it give take a player in (or more likely out). 

[Gloucester Saint]

On 06/07/2025 at 10:12, trousers said:

I'd venture it's almost a certainty that's what'll happen. Stephens has been far too involved in pre-season photoshoots for him to then be sidelined / demoted, IMO. 

A Doris Stokes moment there @trousers

Come on @Turkish and @Farmer Saint that’s CoT worthy surely?

[Football Special]

17 hours ago, CamSaint said:

Also Big Les & Groenback

Yeah but I figured they've just been replaced by Charles and Edwards coming back from their loans 

[Football Special]

8 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

Agreed, I don't trust our squad yet. Doesn't fill me with much confidence, the drop down from our 'better' players to the squad players is way too big. i.e Ramsdale to Bazunu, THB to Wood, Dibling to Fraser. We need to balance that quality out.

My opinion as well. After last seasons horror show I just don't see us turning it around as some others seem to think. Tough first few fixtures 

[kitch]

On 06/07/2025 at 09:44, coalman said:

That's the first true test of Will Still's management - if he keeps Stephens as captain something inside of me is going to die.

'Foreshadowing'

[Holmes_and_Watson]

32 minutes ago, kitch said:

'Foreshadowing'

Anyone can do that...