Lewis Dobbin

[CSA96]

[Willo of Whiteley]

Good signing if we get this over the line.

Demonstrates good intentions, also encouraging that we haven’t pissed about looking for some unknown in the Dutch fifth division or something weird like that.

[CSA96]

 

[Turkish]

Good signing, a bit surprised as everywhere says he's a winger and that's one place we seem a little over loaded. Suggests we might be about to sell one or two.

[CSA96]

 

[Saint Garrett]

30 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Good signing, a bit surprised as everywhere says he's a winger and that's one place we seem a little over loaded. Suggests we might be about to sell one or two.

Leo needs some help on the left hand side, Edozie is meh, Robinson showed pretty much nothing last season. 

Supposedly he can also play in the middle behind a striker, and also can play on the right. Fellows is decent but hardly set the world alight, and Matsuki I like, but lacks pace. He's probably an upgrade on most of those players...?

[Turkish]

4 minutes ago, Saint Garrett said:

Leo needs some help on the left hand side, Edozie is meh, Robinson showed pretty much nothing last season. 

Supposedly he can also play in the middle behind a striker, and also can play on the right. Fellows is decent but hardly set the world alight, and Matsuki I like, but lacks pace. He's probably an upgrade on most of those players...?

I dont know much about him TBH so take your word for it, If he can play across the wings and centrally plus has goals in his locker then that's a good option to have. My initial thoughts were he'd be a replacement for someone but perhaps not then.

[Patrick Bateman]

I expect, based on Solak's comments about allowing certain players who have been here a number of years to move on, that Archer and Edozie are abolutely leaving. Oh yeah and Ben BD - completely forgot he was back. 

[CSA96]

Just seen a Saints fan asking a Preston fan on X about him - to which he said this...

He is exceptional as a second striker. He needs someone to feed off of, use as a decoy. Needs to be centralised, likes to drop deep and carry the ball. Incredible

I think your 4231/433 system will not work for him, can guarantee he’ll be played on the left. That’s not his strong suit. Needs to be in the middle. Doubt you’ll play him as a 10 with Azaz there. Don’t see him replicating it on the left. Sweeps from left to right as a second striker 

Playing off of Larin would be his perfect counter part I’d say. But MUST be centralised. He easily drifts left or right after starting in the middle. Huge waste if he doesn’t start

Edited 2 hours ago by CSA96

[beatlesaint]

20 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

Just seen a Saints fan asking a Preston fan on X about him - to which he said this...

He is exceptional as a second striker. He needs someone to feed off of, use as a decoy. Needs to be centralised, likes to drop deep and carry the ball. Incredible

I think your 4231/433 system will not work for him, can guarantee he’ll be played on the left. That’s not his strong suit. Needs to be in the middle. Doubt you’ll play him as a 10 with Azaz there. Don’t see him replicating it on the left. Sweeps from left to right as a second striker 

Playing off of Larin would be his perfect counter part I’d say. But MUST be centralised. He easily drifts left or right after starting in the middle. Huge waste if he doesn’t start

I’m sure Tonda will be fully aware of his strengths.

I was gonna say I’m sure he’s had him watched but let’s not go there 🤦🏻

One of the things I liked most was after he dropped the 3 central defender disaster (due to no decent right back option)  there wasn’t a pattern of square pegs in round holes. 

Edited 2 hours ago by beatlesaint

[CSA96]

BBC running it now: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c0jyx2gl26po

Aston Villa forward Lewis Dobbin is close to a move to Southampton for almost £9m.

The Saints have beaten a number of Championship clubs, including Middlesbrough, to the 23-year-old.

Dobbin has never played for Villa since a £10m move from Everton in 2024 and spent last season on loan at Preston.

He scored 11 times in 41 appearances for North End while he also had loan spells at West Brom and Norwich.

Dobbin joined Villa two years ago as midfielder Tim Iroegbunam moved to the Toffees in a separate deal as the clubs looked to comply with Profit and Sustainability regulations.

[Fabrice29]

1 hour ago, CSA96 said:

Just seen a Saints fan asking a Preston fan on X about him - to which he said this...

He is exceptional as a second striker. He needs someone to feed off of, use as a decoy. Needs to be centralised, likes to drop deep and carry the ball. Incredible

I think your 4231/433 system will not work for him, can guarantee he’ll be played on the left. That’s not his strong suit. Needs to be in the middle. Doubt you’ll play him as a 10 with Azaz there. Don’t see him replicating it on the left. Sweeps from left to right as a second striker 

Playing off of Larin would be his perfect counter part I’d say. But MUST be centralised. He easily drifts left or right after starting in the middle. Huge waste if he doesn’t start

All his best work in his YouTube clips from last season comes from central positions so understand this point of view. Looks like a flexible Azaz/Stewart cover for me so not expecting much else in those areas now. Especially considering Robinson and Oyekunle coming through it allows flexibility and a pathway (assuming nobody unexpected stays like Archer, BBD)

Edited 56 minutes ago by Fabrice29

[hypochondriac]

28 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

All his best work in his YouTube clips from last season comes from central positions so understand this point of view. Looks like a flexible Azaz/Stewart cover for me so not expecting much else in those areas now. Especially considering Robinson and Oyekunle coming through it allows flexibility and a pathway (assuming nobody unexpected stays like Archer, BBD)

Assuming that Archer and BBD leave, I'm not sure I'd want to go through an entire season with Larin, Dobben and then youth team players as our strikeforce. Dobben supposedly doesn't play up top on his own so what on earth would we do if Larin was injured for any length of time? We will need one more IMO.

[Chez]

2 hours ago, CSA96 said:

Just seen a Saints fan asking a Preston fan on X about him - to which he said this...

He is exceptional as a second striker. He needs someone to feed off of, use as a decoy. Needs to be centralised, likes to drop deep and carry the ball. Incredible

I think your 4231/433 system will not work for him, can guarantee he’ll be played on the left. That’s not his strong suit. Needs to be in the middle. Doubt you’ll play him as a 10 with Azaz there. Don’t see him replicating it on the left. Sweeps from left to right as a second striker 

Playing off of Larin would be his perfect counter part I’d say. But MUST be centralised. He easily drifts left or right after starting in the middle. Huge waste if he doesn’t start

I hope we have a plan for him. Not sure he pulled any trees up for West Brom playing left wing, so to buy him after a good season as a second striker only to not play him out there for us seems odd. Having him and Azaz to play in the hole would be great depth, but if players don't play regularly they can go off the boil.   

[Fabrice29]

23 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Assuming that Archer and BBD leave, I'm not sure I'd want to go through an entire season with Larin, Dobben and then youth team players as our strikeforce. Dobben supposedly doesn't play up top on his own so what on earth would we do if Larin was injured for any length of time? We will need one more IMO.

We invested 10m or so last year in another striking option so would not be shocked to see him being given a chance. Especially if we can’t offload yet. Maybe one to revisit late in the window depending on how he starts. 

Don’t really see why Dobbin can’t play as a lone striker just because it supposedly didn’t suit him at Preston. And definitely don’t see why Oyekunle can’t be given Archers minutes from last season. 

That pathway is vital to keeping those youngsters engaged. Unless he goes out on loan himself but I think fobbing off promising strikers is probably what lost us Dom Ballard in the long run.

Edited just now by Fabrice29