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So, with most business done, this is our squad as things stand: GK: Peretz, Long, Jones, Ramsdale RB: Bree, Roerslev LB: Manning, Welington RCB: Wood, Abbott LCB: Schlotterbeck, Stephens CM: Jander, Downes, Bragg, JWP, Williams AM: Azaz, Akachukwu RW: Fellows, Matsuki LW: Scienza, Dobbin, Edozie That's 24 players including 2 who are under 21. However, it looks likely that Ramsdale will be leaving - probably to play in Saudi Arabia or somewhere like that. We may also see Edozie leaving, but if not I hope he is given some level of support in the hope that he may finally begin to show the final product that he has so often failed to deliver. With only 20 or 21 players over 21 once Ramsdale leaves (and maybe Edozie too) that leaves us plenty of spare capacity to bring in players in January. It also means we could bring in a player from the free transfer market in the next few days if there is anyone that we think is worth bringing in... but unless there is a decent striker theer I doubt we will see that happening! Our squad is definitely more honed. Tonda and his coaches don't have to waste time on fringe players who are never going to play. I would say there is no huge difference in squad quality: Ward-Prowse offers different qualities that Shea did not. Dobbin is an extra option and will hopefully come good. He is versatile and could cover the striking position if needed. Abbott won't yet be as good as THB, but Wood is decent (and underrated) and Abbott will hopefully develop quickly into another bright talent. Schlotterbeck looks like he has qualities that Stephens and Quarshie can only dream of and I trust Tonda to help him iron out the mistakes (which are not a patch on Stephens mistakes!) Hopefully the pairing of Schlotterbeck and Wood (or Abbott) will be as good or better than THB and Stephens. Akachukwu offers us an extra alternative that wasn't ready last year. He may also be a striking option in case of injury. The main position we are potentially weaker is centre forward but Mubama will not spend every other week injured (unlike Stewart) and will hopefully develop. There are other options too including Dobbin, Akachukwu, Ehibotiamhan and Dipepa. Goalkeepers don't get injured as often as outfield players so hopefully Peretz will remain fit. Long is not without merit and will do a job if called upon.

You're suggesting that THB hasn't been replaced. He has. After we signed big Kev, some people were actually expecting Stephens to be upgraded. That would have been nice, but given that one of the lads stayed to play CL football, and the other went to Fulham, we were pushing our luck. Anyway, the point is that THB has been replaced by Big Kev. Who's good. Let's not pretend he hasn't been replaced.

Affengruber now confirmed as signed for Fulham.

Given that we tried to sign at least two international centre backs to replace Harwood-Bellis, we obviously recognised the importance of replacing a key starting player with comparable quality. But all we ended up doing is loaning in a kid to cover fourth choice Quarshie's loan. Seems pretty clear the club didn't meet their own expectations there.

THB has been replaced by Big Kev. The nipper has replaced Quarshie. I'm not sure what else people were expecting at CB. Stewart, I'll grant you hasn't been replaced, but he was AWOL for years and couldn't be relied on. Elsewhere, we're about as we were, although I'd have preferred a brute who could carry the ball as a midfield option.

Rejoined on a one year deal. Suggests still trying to move Ramsdale on. https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/jones-returns-on-one-year-deal

3 points this season as well!

Transfermrkt (usually a reliable site) and a few other places list him as 6'2". I'm excited to see him play though I'd keep faith in Wood and Schlotterbeck for now.

Steak. Good quality, well cooked, rested, dollop of mustard. Bliss. No cut I don't like, although sirloin is overpriced, and always bettered by many "inferior" cuts like flat iron, bavette, onglet, etc.

Done. Can close the thread already. 1st of September

I think he’s got something. But we do need to stop just whacking the ball at him above hip height and expecting him to make something of it. He’s not Larin, who can do that at times. Mubama is more agile and lively and we need to harness that with more passes off the shoulder of the last defender for him to stretch teams late in games when they’re tiring

Good to have you back watching the games pal.

Only if we don’t change the way we attack. It’s perfectly possible we supply the strikers differently. We don’t have to keep smashing the ball up to Mubama if we don’t want to. We also don’t have to do that to Larin either but that’s a whole different debate.

Agree. Gives me Jos Hooiveld vibes. Good with his left, bit clumsy with his right and gives you some heart in mouth moments. But full-blooded, gives everything and will get his head on the end of a few set pieces too

Just to put a positive spin on things we have 7 points from 4 games which yielded only 3 points last season.

All a bit clunky but to get out with a point and some gelling to do feels okay. Agree with the above about Larin and Mubama though. Different players and Mubama will need us to actually create some chances for him. Suspect he takes one of the ones Larin missed today.

So your opinions and comments are allowed but my opinions and comments on your opinions and comments I shouldn’t bother with? How about…all opinions are allowed but ones I think are a bit daft, dramatic and not really making any coherent sense, especially as they depend on something that hasn’t happened yet…I can comment on saying so? And you can yawn at them.

Jamie Jones has appeared on the OS as a first team keeper.

To be fair, whenever we've had a transfer window that has the muppets out in force claiming we've absolutely smashed it, we've turned out to be rubbish. So perhaps after a pretty mediocre one we'll confound expectations. Perhaps. Replacing Stewart with Mubama on loan is a downgrade. Replacing Charles with Prowse on the cheap is not like for like at all and certainly doesn't feel like progress - albeit Prowse will certainly bring something to the side. And selling our best defender and ostensibly promoting Wood as his replacement, and bringing a kid in on loan to make up the numbers, is a backwards step. Light at goalkeeper and striker - and I don't think our wingers are very good and needed upgrading regardless of people leaving. Shut down Scienza, and you shut down our entire threat out wide. Feels like we're weaker than last season. Only marginally, but it might make all the difference. Hopefully our contingency planning for Tonda's incoming ban is better than our planning to replace Stewart and Harwood-Bellis.

Well there's our third keeper. Jesus SR! 🤬🤬🤬

No we can sign and register them any time as long as we have space in our 25 man senior squad. I haven't done the Maths (MLG will probably know) but I think we'd have space for free agents to join because we have a lot of younger players.

Yeah Burnley fans not happy with that. Signed a lot of defenders but don't have much in attack.

I agree he's better than Peretz, just feel if he is still here beyond the window we need to use him in some capacity.