Fabrice29

No.

The fact that Puel had to ask who/what when Jagielka was mentioned to him pretty much relieves all fears I had of him signing.

Whilst I'd love an attacking midfielder, he wouldn't have anyone to play with. The lack of confidence yes, but I think it's a lack of confidence in the strikers personally. We get the ball wide, we don't cross it enough because the players dont have someone like Pelle to hit. The strikers routinely miss chances, good chances, have done all season, at some point the midfielders must get frustrated with that. Don't get me wrong, it's more than just a striker issue but someone to spearhead our attack with a presence, someone to drag defenders away, to occupy defenders, and someone clinical would be a huge asset. Right now the pressure is on the midfield and attacking midfielders to do it all and because they cant they lose confidence and start to play safe as you said. Boufal is a prime example, everytime he plays he's coming deep, getting the ball, looking up and has no option, so tries to beat a man too many. Tadic is a huge chance creator, one of the best in the league, but is getting worse every week becasue he's got no options. Redmond is so frustrating because he's trying too much. Like I said, the games our strikers have actually performed in this season we've won. Get a striker who performs more consistently and we'll win more games. I agree about the lack of imagination in the central midfield though, it's an issue but one in which has been covered up slightly the past couple of years through having good strikers who mask it and going a little long ball last season and by passing them. A really good one would be great but for me a striker is the major issue, right now it's like playing with 10 men (9 tonight I imagine), we really really need a spearhead in the attack.

No but they're hardly an option are they? Everytime the ball goes forward it comes back pretty quickly. I urge you to watch their game closesly. If the defence/midfield try to up the tempo, the ball is lost within 2-3 passes. They are not a threat. We've become easy to defend against because whichever one of those two play it's easy to nullify them. The midfield cant get close enough to them to become a threat because it's not being held up. We try to play our way through defences but it's difficult because defences drop deep knowing how little a threat Long and Rodriguez are. It's no surprise our biggest threat is down the wings from full backs or wingers taking players on because there is nothing threatening or imaginative about our strikers. If teams let the defence and deeper midfielders have the ball, they know they can keep a good shape and block off balls to Long/Rodriguez knowing if it does get to them they've hardly shown anything all season to be worried about. In fact the two times they have been good this season were recently against Bournemouth and Liverpool, not surprisingly two teams who came at us rather than sit back and not surprisingly two games we won. The sideways and backward passing is because they are devoid of options. A winger like Mane would help, someone capable of darting between players quickly and I think we lack something there for sure but ultimately not having a striker capable of bringing others into the game or keeping up with quick tempo is a huge hindrance to us right now.

The really **** front two we have I'd say.

Are Olomola and Barnes fit? Would love to see one of those start upfront tomorrow if it's not going to be Jay, couldn't do any worse than Long.

The only things that's changed is that probably for the first time in 6 years (?) we've made a bad call on recruitment. I can see why we made the call, Austin was set to take over as the main striker, Long had come off his best season and Rodriguez was fully fit and showed in the game before the transfer window closed he was able to score and even got VVD declaring he should be staying. Rodriguez was clearly set to be loaned out (his own words) and that goal changed everything, including getting a new striker I imagine. I'd be intrigued to know what happened to who ever that guy was, was it Heller? Did we annoy him and his people by pulling out and now are looking to explore their options before making a decision on their next move? It's a bad call. That's all. It SHOULD be sorted this month.

I think part of the problem with midfielders not getting in the box and assisting CAN go back to not having a good enough striker. A lot of the problems with us passing sideways etc is because we don't have a striker imposing enough to be able to get in the game. If we had a striker who gets involved in the game it would allow midfielders to get close to him and assists and goals will come. At the moment everytime our players get the ball, we're almost playing with 10 men. Yesterday and the Spurs game are classic examples. I'll take Spurs first. Against Spurs we were under so much pressure, we were absoloutely desperate for our striker to hold up the ball, win free kicks and/or bring others into the game. Everytime we cleared the ball or got hold of it, we'd lose it in 2 passes because Rodriguez was so non existent. He was better Vs Liverpool and got an assist and we created better chances. Yesterday everytime the ball goes to Long, he'd lose it. We're missing Pelle massively, although he wouldn't suit our system now, he would be capable of bringing others into the game and allowing the midfielders to get close to him and beyond. Right now the ball goes forward and before anyone can get up with it, it's back again. Liverpool and Bournemouth have been the two times our striker has actually performed recently (Without Austin) and they meant we got wins. A dynamic powerful striker is a must. It'll relieve pressure on the rest of the team, it'll make us less easy to defend against, it'll allow midfielders to get further up the field and it'll mean in dominant periods of games we can score goals and take games away from teams.

I think it's a good question and like you say it's been obvious for a while now we've needed a striker. I think the gamble was worth taking in the summer window to go with these 3 but it hasn't paid and it has to be addressed now. I think it would have been ideal to have it sorted for January 1st but I think the realistic answer is that strikers are harder to get in January. They're in demand and probably themselves and agents know that clubs will come to them late in January so they might be trying to hold out for a better deal. I don't know of any/many top strikers that have been signed so far in January and the last 10 days is probably where most business for strikers will be done. I think this is especially so for clubs like ourselves who aren't able to attract the players we want straight away like a top club would. We're also not West Ham for example who will literally take anything going at the moment. It's very frustrating as we need one so badly but I'm happy to give the board the benefit of the doubt until the end of the month, at that stage if we dont have one in, I'll be furious.

You said (And yes I've trawled through your posts) that we should spew the game because we have no chance of winning the competition and save ourselves for the Europa league game. I don't believe Puel has ever thought "lets spew this game". Spewing the game doesn't mean prioritising. I know I'd rather have someone rotating the team rather than spewing games. Stop trying to be clever and get yourself out of the hole your overreacting has got yourself in.

But it wouldn't be if you had your way because you wanted us knocked out before this? You don't need to trawl through your posts to know you've posted some utter drivel recently tbf. Any Saints fan wanting Saints to lose any game, whatever competition, shouldn't be turning up when they win and get a better game because of it and should also be ashamed of themselves. You're not a fan if you want us to lose a game. That's literally the essence of being a fan.

Totally agree about the pre match warms up though. The crossing exercise is awful. The rest of the post is bull**** tbf.

Really? For a while? Neither have been proflic in their careers.

Just out of interest which of this squad have scored just fine "for a while" prior to this season?

Fancy him to have a strong end to the season myself. Look forward to reminding you all of that later.

Well no because United quite clearly aren't interested. I'd suggest if people want ITK or correct info and an idea of what's been going on they might want to look back at some of my posts on this situation.

Would it be nice? Really? West Ham are currently being whoring themselves to the world in a proper desperate attempt to get a striker and are being rejected by every single one of them. Infact they've been doing it for well over a year now and they've ended up with some ****ing ****e they're still looking to replace up front as well as a joke reputation. So would it be nice if we did similar? Rather be desperate and quietly looking to get our business done rather than publicly being humiliated and desperate as well.

So far so good?

Where in the league were Villa this time last season? If we're comparing ourselves to Villa might as well do it properly. The board, Reed etc want success so if Black is an issue it will be dealt with. We're 10th in the league and have lost a few games in a row. We've played poorly at times, personally I'll put it down to a lack of a striker which can be resolved this month. Shows you how good we've had it and how far we've come that a few games defeat and people are in meltdown and think somethings wrong. Its a little bit of bad form. Get over yourselves you pathetic bunch of wet wipes. If we don't address the striker issue in January at least, then I think we can start criticising. If we do and it still isn't good enough then I think we can start criticising. Until then grow the **** up and appreciate where we are.

Seriously? And other than a good 6 months at Leeds and Swansea, what have they done to deserve that?

Fair. He absolutely booted something as he came off and both Fonte and Bertrand had to chase him down the tunnel.

Nothing to do with playing with 10 men every week because our strikers are so non existent and ****. No coincidence that we've good most threatening this season with Austin up top who has some sort of ability to compete with defenders physically. Without a striker we lack an out ball when under pressure (Spurs) and we lack someone to hit when teams have figured out our only threat is our wide players. We also lack someone our midfield can use. Honestly cant stress enough how non existent Rodriguez and Long are when playing. They offer nothing and when they do offer something it's because they've come so deep they're no longer a threat. We need someone to play off, someone to hold it up and bring our attacking players into the game, Pelle was excellent at bullying defenders, winning headers, chests and allowing the midfielders the chance to get close to him. Right now we don't keep the ball any longer than 2 passes if it goes over the half way line, that's why it comes back. At times towards the end of yesterdays game both are going short to Boufal and Sims instead of being a threat in the box. Sims was the only player who competed for a header in the box second half. It's a joke how bad they are. I'd go with Redmond, Tadic and Boufal/Sims tomorrow. Sack those two off, try something a little different for one game and get striker in asap. Then I feel we can judge Puel if we're still **** but at the moment he's hindered massively by playing without a striker.

As of yet they haven't afforded him. Don't get sucked into believing media hype or that a bid is a completed deal. When it comes to his wages, it'll become a sticking point and he'll go to Everton. They themselves are in a similar position but have the luxury of probably selling Lukaku in the summer and also they have ambitions to be able to qualify for Europe and so will pay for it that way. Whoever signs him will have to qualify for Europe very quickly or sell him again (WBA/Everton). WBA if they miss out on the other hand can tell everyone how ambitious they're being by going close to signing him and boost the reputation of their club in the hope to get someone else in on lesser wages. All the hype drives the price up and everyone is a winner. Except Morgan.

The top sides don't leave themselves short in central midfield and therefore needing him in January. If he wants a top club, he's best off waiting for the summer. If he wants football now, he'll have to settle for probably Everton. We aren't short in midfield, he won't go for 13million anyway but the fee plus his wages mean a big outlay for something we don't need. He's better than Romeu, yes, but not so much better that he's worth shelling the fee and wages out for. That said, of course the club know better than me and if they choose to go for it, I'll be buzzing because he's been my favourite player down here over the years.

I'll be surprised if United are actually interest in Fonte. If they wanted him they'd have signed him in the summer. There's no real reason to wait until January or next summer as signing him next year on a 3 year contract just doesn't make a whole load of sense. He's not Ibrahimovic who will make the money back instantly with shirt sales. I think the link is convenient for United whilst they try and sign someone else. It's convenient for Fonte as he's not being offered an extended contract which I imagine he wants and the agent (an agent closely linked to United btw) because his player is in the news and might force either us or another club to offer get him money. The pay rise probably didn't profit the agent massively but a new contract with either us or someone else does. He wont be interested in Everton as it's a step down and he wants the European football at least (hence he's ****ed off not playing) but a nice link to United might interest bigger clubs through association. Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up at Benfica to replace the Swedish guy going to united, as everyone (and most importantly the agent) wins all round there. I just dont see the United interest being legit, it's a convenient link but if they wanted him it's not a hard deal to do, a double figure bid would do it easy enough and there's no logic to waiting until January or next summer to do it.