January Transfer Window

[Saint Scott]

Burnley didn't take up their buy option for THB when they won the championship in 22/23, if I were him that would of pissed me off and i'd tell Burnley to do one considering they'll like come down again this season.

[revolution saint]

21 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

I've heard this argument made many times over the years and it always irks me.

What's to stop them getting a 'proper' job once their playing days are over? 

Not really that relevant these days either, especially at the higher levels. 

Historically has been an issue though and I remember talking to the ex Pompey keeper John Milkins when he used to run Pot Black above the old C&A in town.  He was desperate to become a mechanic when he retired from playing and went round various garages effectively offering to work for free just to get some experience but no one was interested.  So I guess players would be at a bit of a disadvantage trying to get a "proper" job when they're starting 15-20 years after everyone else.  Probably why many of them used their capital to run a business or run pubs.

Anyway, completely off topic and for the most part I agree with you.

 

[hypochondriac]

At least we've got some players out but still a load I was hoping would have gone by now: 

 

Kayi Sanda 

Edozie 

Aribo 

Archer 

As a minimum. I'd probably look to offload another CB to bring a replacement in too but that may have to wait until the summer. 

[Saint86]

Wrexham look to be going big on the January window. If we aren't going up, I think it would do us a favour for next season if they weren't here competing with us (i.e., got promoted - although not at our expense obviously)... They're showing no signs of slowing down on spending, with £40M already, and a reported £20M striker bid going in...

Edited 6 hours ago by Saint86

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Sheaf Saint said:

He's been shown the door plenty of times, but just refused to walk through it. He knows he's not gonna get paid anything like what he's on here elsewhere, unless he goes to Saudi which I gather he was trying to arrange in the summer. 

Just another in a very long list of terrible recruitment decisions over recent years. He was a useful squad player in our promotion season, but has been utterly horrendous the rest of his time here, never once showing the slightest sign of value for the wages we're paying him.

Half of Southampton is using food banks because he’s scoffed everything in sight. 

[Rebel]

I thought Kayi Sanda was off to Rennes - or was that just a rumour.  The question is will we get anywhere near the fee we overpaid Valenciennes for him to help out another Sport Republic club?

Aribo won't go anywhere until his contract is up - no one else will pay him anywhere near what he's on at the moment on top of a fee - he doesn't seem to want to go loan as he's not seemingly bothered about playing - and he wants the massive signing on fee you get from signing on a free transfer.

I can see us selling THB and cashing in if someone offers us far more than he's actually worth.

 

[Miltonaggro]

Know the media reports are saying that Piroe is unlikely, but a contact has mentioned this morning that it still might happen as a loan.  Think Piroe would fit very well with Armstrong and a healthy(ish) Stewart, and do well for us in terms of attacking threat.  Hope it happens.

[John B]

37 minutes ago, Saint Scott said:

Burnley didn't take up their buy option for THB when they won the championship in 22/23, if I were him that would of pissed me off and i'd tell Burnley to do one considering they'll like come down again this season.

What would you think he should do if they offered a significant increase in his wages

[Scoobysaint]

Not too fussed if THB does go, it’s not as if he has been instrumental in our defensive strength. Get the money while we can and get rid. He thinks he is better than he actually is. One chipped through ball assist a few seasons back and he thinks he’s Glen Hoddle. He reads the game badly, makes rash decisions and gives up easily. One of the Sheff Utd chances the other night was his fault and he just stopped, and watched, no chasing back for any rebounds or such like. Strangely enough, the only one of the current CBs I would like to keep currently is Jack Stephens. Says a lot about our defence! 

Edited 6 hours ago by Scoobysaint

[Saint Garrett]

2 hours ago, Saint86 said:

Seeing as Fraser has left, i had a quick look at current player contracts using Capology... very evident we still need to shift some pretty obvious names off this list:

Aribo - £4.2M per year - exp summer 26

Macca - £2.6M per year - exp summer 26

Fraser - £2.6M per year - exp summer 26 (now gone)

Archer - £2.6M per year - exp summer 28

To name but a few. I'm also shocked by THB's wage - the green tick means its "verified" apparently. Charles also seems to be criminally undervalued. Need to offer him a nice pay rise and get him signed up long term.

Romeu sadly also seems to be a bit of a luxury on the wages front. Stephens on £2.6m per year till 2028 just doesn't make sense to me at all, Edozie is another £1M per year that we aren't seeing anything for...

 

This always seems to come out the woodwork. 

Most is guesswork/assumptions - not accurate.

 

[hypochondriac]

4 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Know the media reports are saying that Piroe is unlikely, but a contact has mentioned this morning that it still might happen as a loan.  Think Piroe would fit very well with Armstrong and a healthy(ish) Stewart, and do well for us in terms of attacking threat.  Hope it happens.

Given that this season isn't really going to end up with much, is there much point in a Piroe loan? Unless we get an option to buy I don't see the point. 

In other news I see THB is linked to Burnley for £20 million. I know he's our best defender but I'd seriously consider that if it allowed us to strengthen properly at the back and up front.

[DT]

2 hours ago, LGTL said:

Burnley in for THB. 

Good. Tosser, I reckon. Has all the hallmarks of a snake, and clearly thinks he is a LOT better than he is. That's England call-ups for you. We need to see the back of this type of player. Perhaps with the Armstrong rumours too, someone else in the club feels that way too.

Need to get Flynn Downes back playing elsewhere but problem is that Russell Martin hasn't got a club.

[DT]

2 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

I thought THB looked a bit more shouty at the back in this transfer window, and a little keener. I, of course, put it down to him working hard to turn us round, and developing. 

Amazing what a transfer window does to a player. And strikers coming back from injury too. And clubs not wanting to spend money.

[Miltonaggro]

1 minute ago, hypochondriac said:

Given that this season isn't really going to end up with much, is there much point in a Piroe loan? Unless we get an option to buy I don't see the point. 

In other news I see THB is linked to Burnley for £20 million. I know he's our best defender but I'd seriously consider that if it allowed us to strengthen properly at the back and up front.

Told Piroe / Leeds not interested in an option to buy, just a half season loan.  Think it's a case of whether Saints want to invest in an outside attempt at a play off place in the next week.

[leesaint88]

32 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

Wrexham look to be going big on the January window. If we aren't going up, I think it would do us a favour for next season if they weren't here competing with us (i.e., got promoted - although not at our expense obviously)... They're showing no signs of slowing down on spending, with £40M already, and a reported £20M striker bid going in...

PSR rules change between the Championship and League One, it's actually benefitted both them & Birmingham. It means they have a bit more freedom to have larger losses.  

[skintsaint]

31 minutes ago, Scoobysaint said:

and gives up easily.

it was shocking watching him strut back after the mixup that let the Sheff Utd striker through on goal....

[hypochondriac]

25 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Told Piroe / Leeds not interested in an option to buy, just a half season loan.  Think it's a case of whether Saints want to invest in an outside attempt at a play off place in the next week.

I suppose but this season is pretty much a dud. Not sure it's the smartest choice to spend a chunk of wages on what amounts to half a season for Piroe to work on his fitness. We are very likely to be in this league again next year and will have to start again. I suppose getting a loan in now might be the more sensible choice.

[hypochondriac]

30 minutes ago, DT said:

Good. Tosser, I reckon. Has all the hallmarks of a snake, and clearly thinks he is a LOT better than he is. That's England call-ups for you. We need to see the back of this type of player. Perhaps with the Armstrong rumours too, someone else in the club feels that way too.

Need to get Flynn Downes back playing elsewhere but problem is that Russell Martin hasn't got a club.

Armstrong 

THB 

Manning 

Downes 

All out and replaced if necessary with solid pretty good pros prepared to work their arse off and put everything in every week to win. That's what is required to be more successful.

 

[tdmickey3]

2 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I suppose but this season is pretty much a dud. Not sure it's the smartest choice to spend a chunk of wages on what amounts to half a season for Piroe to work on his fitness. We are very likely to be in this league again next year and will have to start again. I suppose getting a loan in now might be the more sensible choice.

Since when do they make those?

[hypochondriac]

5 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

Since when do they make those?

Lack of available money to spend probably means they have little choice. 

[tdmickey3]

8 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Lack of available money to spend probably means they have little choice. 

Need to learn to stop wasting it then

[Midfield_General]

22 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Armstrong 

THB 

Manning 

Downes 

All out and replaced if necessary with solid pretty good pros prepared to work their arse off and put everything in every week to win. That's what is required to be more successful.

 

Yep, we’re not going up and we’re not going down so might as well get some use out of this season and use it to purge the clique. Get rid of the lot, make Scienza captain and build the team around him for next season to try and get him to stay. 

[Fabrice29]

2 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Yep, we’re not going up and we’re not going down so might as well get some use out of this season and use it to purge the clique. Get rid of the lot, make Scienza captain and build the team around him for next season to try and get him to stay. 

This is all well and good until we lose a couple of games and everything about the club is toxic again. Manager, owners and fans are on a knife edge as it is. Taking out some of its best players and trying to convince the crowd in the stadium that it’s all for next season doesn’t feel like a particularly clever idea. 

[ally_uk]

Any incoming news or rumours ?

[leesaint88]

7 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Yep, we’re not going up and we’re not going down so might as well get some use out of this season and use it to purge the clique. Get rid of the lot, make Scienza captain and build the team around him for next season to try and get him to stay. 

I don't feel hopeful about Scienza staying, I can certainly see someone in the bottom half of the Premier League taking a punt on him. I fear this summer more than any, it's going to be a threadbare squad once we've been stripped of any talent we have and we won't be in a position to attract that of a similar standard. 

[hypochondriac]

Just now, leesaint88 said:

I don't feel hopeful about Scienza staying, I can certainly see someone in the bottom half of the Premier League taking a punt on him. I fear this summer more than any, it's going to be a threadbare squad once we've been stripped of any talent we have and we won't be in a position to attract that of a similar standard. 

If this season has taught us anything it's that individual talent is far less important than having a coherent strategy with everyone aligned and playing their role so that the whole is greater than the sum of their parts. You won't convince me that teams like Millwall, Stoke and Hull have more talented individuals than we have but their teams are miles better.

[Willo of Whiteley]

4 hours ago, Saint86 said:

Seeing as Fraser has left, i had a quick look at current player contracts using Capology... very evident we still need to shift some pretty obvious names off this list:

Aribo - £4.2M per year - exp summer 26

Macca - £2.6M per year - exp summer 26

Fraser - £2.6M per year - exp summer 26 (now gone)

Archer - £2.6M per year - exp summer 28

To name but a few. I'm also shocked by THB's wage - the green tick means its "verified" apparently. Charles also seems to be criminally undervalued. Need to offer him a nice pay rise and get him signed up long term.

Romeu sadly also seems to be a bit of a luxury on the wages front. Stephens on £2.6m per year till 2028 just doesn't make sense to me at all, Edozie is another £1M per year that we aren't seeing anything for...

 

Gonna call bollocks on some of those figures straight away 🤣

[Midfield_General]

1 hour ago, Fabrice29 said:

This is all well and good until we lose a couple of games and everything about the club is toxic again. Manager, owners and fans are on a knife edge as it is. Taking out some of its best players and trying to convince the crowd in the stadium that it’s all for next season doesn’t feel like a particularly clever idea. 

I’m not convinced we’d necessarily do worse without those players. I do know we’ve been appalling with them though, and it’s not like we’d be risking derailing an otherwise brilliant season is it? We’re not going up and we’re not going down. Perfect time to do it. And we are allowed to sign other players to replace them, it’s not them or no-one. God forbid, we might actually try to sign some who are better than them and improve the team. 

Maybe Manning could be next, or would that be way too risky? 

Edited 3 hours ago by Midfield_General

[hypochondriac]

6 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

I’m not convinced we’d necessarily do worse without those players. I do know we’ve been appalling with them though, and it’s not like we’d be risking derailing an otherwise brilliant season is it? We’re not going up and we’re not going down. Perfect time to do it. And we are allowed to sign other players to replace them, it’s not them or no-one. God forbid, we might actually try to sign some who are better than them and improve the team. 

Maybe Manning could be next, or would that be way too risky? 

All those players bar manning are top championship players. The issues are with their mentality, how we play and getting the best out of them and our team as a unit and how we operate or how the players have been asked or are choosing to play.

[coalman]

11 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

I’m not convinced we’d necessarily do worse without those players. I do know we’ve been appalling with them though, and it’s not like we’d be risking derailing an otherwise brilliant season is it? We’re not going up and we’re not going down. Perfect time to do it. And we are allowed to sign other players to replace them, it’s not them or no-one. God forbid, we might actually try to sign some who are better than them and improve the team. 

Maybe Manning could be next, or would that be way too risky? 

One might argue that the bigger risk was to rebuild the team around that core of players (again)

[Midfield_General]

1 minute ago, hypochondriac said:

All those players bar manning are top championship players. The issues are with their mentality, how we play and getting the best out of them and our team as a unit and how we operate or how the players have been asked or are choosing to play.

Yep. The point is that if they’re not performing for whatever reason and haven’t for ages, and if the increasingly persistent rumours are true that they are the toxic influence in the dressing room, then there is no value in keeping them however good they are meant to be, we may as well get rid and start afresh, and now there’s not really a lot left to play for this season, we may as well start now. 

[Saint Garrett]

Personally think with the right manager in charge, then they'd get the best out of Downes/THB. They were top championship players a few seasons ago.

All this "they're bad from the dressing room" seems like made up rubbish to me....

Think it's more representative of where the club has been over the last few years.

[Midfield_General]

2 minutes ago, Saint Garrett said:

Personally think with the right manager in charge, then they'd get the best out of Downes/THB. They were top championship players a few seasons ago.

All this "they're bad from the dressing room" seems like made up rubbish to me....

Think it's more representative of where the club has been over the last few years.

They got relegated under Martin and we’ve had five managers since then. How many more do you want to try? 

[hypochondriac]

10 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

They got relegated under Martin and we’ve had five managers since then. How many more do you want to try? 

If its true that Burnley is offering us 20 million for THB and someone else maybe 8 million for Armstrong then personally I'd take the money. 

Peretz 

Jelert new cb Stephens Welington 

 Charles Jander 

Fellows Azaz Scienza 

New striker/Stewart 

Is imo a better team. Maybe we could get a reasonable alternative to Azaz too.

[hypochondriac]

Very much what the fuck if this is true. I can only think maybe we owe a large bonus or something because otherwise not using a decent championship player is bizarre.

[Saint Garrett]

57 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

They got relegated under Martin and we’ve had five managers since then. How many more do you want to try? 

They got relegated from the premier league...I didn't saw theyre top premier league players. and the squad was also appalling for that league. Doesnt meant they're bad players in the championship.

And are you really counting the likes of Juric, Rusk, Still ?! Who are the other managers we've had ?

[Gloucester Saint]

56 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Very much what the fuck if this is true. I can only think maybe we owe a large bonus or something because otherwise not using a decent championship player is bizarre.

Alan McLoughlin-esque situation. Crying out for wingers to give Fellows and Scienza a break, and SR wont seemingly won’t use one they’ve got who did well at this level last time.

Haven't heard the club’s side of it, but they allowed Aribo to waddle to the pitch and unless Samuel has called Still a ginger cunt to his face or something it seems odd to freeze someone out like that once September passed and no move. Unlike Aribo one year left beyond this season.

[Wade Garrett]

1 hour ago, hypochondriac said:

Very much what the fuck if this is true. I can only think maybe we owe a large bonus or something because otherwise not using a decent championship player is bizarre.

He had that one spell that ended when he got hoofed at Norwich where he was outstanding.

Those days are long gone though.  He looked shite when he came back.