Dusic

https://targetscouting.com/2024/04/16/kuryu-matsuki-fc-tokyo-scout-report/ Hopefully about to finally see the benefits of being in a multi club group. If he can't get a WP then wonder if the same will apply to the 17yo we signed on a pre contract - maybe he will end up at Goztepe first too? I think their promotion back to Super Lig was quite important to us - hopefully they stay up.

Dubravka was pretty awful for Newcastle 2nd half of last season, hence why they have signed other backup keepers. They had a run at some stage where almost every shot on target was going in and some fans were calling for an Academy keeper to replace him.

Of course they talk to various players/agents all the time. But then there comes a point when its decision time and clearly re Delap that has been this week. So pretty logical to deduce we wanted him as were ready to close the deal - I doubt we would have done that if we still had players above him on our list.

FFS...because the fact we agreed a fee for our third choice suggests we also missed our first and second choice. Can also stop thinking about O'Riley - clear we are financially unable to compete for players who are in demand. Broja on a loan with option would be a great deal for us IMO..and I think most loans will open up in Aug. Hard not to be a little pesimistic so far...first XI worse than in May!

Very unlikely because you have to be exceptional and our best U21s have either left or are already in the first team setup. The majority might have careers in football but it won't be PL/Championship.

Huge ask for an SPL striker to make any impact at PL level. Most of SPL is L1 standard at best.

Or just paying the market rate for potential. Seems a few think we will suddenly sign a 25yo striker with 20 goals in a major league last season for a bargain £15m.

Ive seen plenty of Steele as live in Brighton and the only reason he got in the first team at Brighton was because he is good with his feet and De Zerbi values that very highly. Until then he was a clear no2 keeper. McCarthy as an actual goalkeeper is much better. Steele definitely not worth signing, but is pally with Lallana so if he has Russell's ear then perhaps we will go for him. As a no2 behind McCarthy on a loan he would be ok.

If Delap is £15m+ 5m then Broja for £20m or thereabouts looks good value to me.

No great loss perhaps but not a great look to be losing out to Ipswich and seemingly already quite far down our list of striker targets if Ings has turned us down too (and thats just the ones we know about). If we got to the point of agreeing a fee with City then we obviously wanted him. Our best run of fixtures is at the start so vital to have got a decent amount of the business done in time for that and there is a huge amount to do to even have a slight chance of staying up.

Doesn't really seem like it from the profile articles and video...sounds like he would more replace the type Rothwell was supposed to be: box to box but with a bit of quality.

Highlights for me the total lack of young players coming through that even with a small squad and a few to return e.g Smallbone, Charles the only younger players to train with the first team are players who have already featured for a couple of years. Obviously the lack of attacking quality is stark but recruitment will be key there.

https://gianlucadimarzio.com/it/welington-torino-sao-paulo-southampton Di Marzio, who is usually spot on with Italian related transfers is saying Torino still confident of beating Saints to Wellington by offering to buy immediately.

Seems Liam Delap is on his way to Ipswich as well as Greaves and Philogene! Re AOC I doubt anything in it and certainly wouldn't trust any report out of Turkey!

Understand this point of view but the PL advances all the time. Aside from the 3 promoted sides the weakest teams in theory are Forest and Brentford. Yet both of those have 3 or 4 attacking players that are better than any of ours. I fully expect some of our promoted lads to be pretty decent but even the most optimistic fan surely realises we need some major quality to be added in attack to even have a chance. Our best CF is about to leave on a free and our only reliable scorer last season struggled hugely at this level last time. IMO its those signings that will determine our fate.

Hard to argue with that. Unless the young player is really top like Luke Shaw, the reality is that a promotion race or relegation fight isn't really the ideal circumstance for a manager to give them a go. Unfortunately for us its hard to see the next 2/3 years being any different.

Delgado has zero relevance to our current recruitment. South America seems one of the few markets where there is actually value to be had for clubs without endless budgets. Quite happy for Saints to be looking there and in Asia.

Assuming we sign Fraser later in the window (assume Newcastle won't sell til after we have played them) then do we actually need Ghoddos? At some stage we will really need to sign some genuine quality in attacking areas...not sure he is that!

They are reporting that someone else "ManchesterWorld" are reporting that Saints are one of four PL clubs interested in him - bit of a difference!

Respect your knowledge so interested to hear your expanded view on this? IMO if the goal of the academy is to produce players for our first team and subsequently generate revenue then its madness that almost all of our recent best prospects have chosen to leave the club: Miles, AGR, Doyle, JJM, Dibling initially etc. Surely whilst you need principles its a little pointless if the market then dictates that the few academy players who have PL potential end up leaving to rivals? End of the day talent has a market value and ifnwe try to undervalue them does it do us any favours? Also...re pathway comments from others, its not just about first team apps. Our use of loan moves to develop players has been absolutely abysmal for years. Aside from Tella and Smallbone who were outside of academy age anyway I can barely think of a move that has gone well for one of our top lads. Doesn't bode well for the likes of Dibling, Ballard, Meghoma and SAA if they still don't get a chance here. Its clear something isn't working right whether strategic or execution of that strategy.

I'm fine with the signings we have made - would take Wood or Edwarss to be squad options every time over dross like Lyanco and financially its got more upside too. I'm more worried about the attacking element - we really will need to add some proper quality there (both up front and out wide/no10) to even have a sniff of staying up. Thats what will cost big cash and hopefully by being canny with the sigings we have made we will have budget for it. We are already weakened by not having Stu, Adams or Brooks so major work to do there in the next two months - needs at minimum one guarenteed starter.

Patience definitely required because ultimately it is very difficult to stay up as a newly promoted side. Chopping and changing won't help and we will be recruiting to play his way so clamouring for change after a couple of defeats won't help anyone.

What a blow for anyone working in the academy - its becoming more and more of a difficult to see an actual homegrown prospect make it. Only the very best academy players are good enough for PL football (or even Championship) so if you can't keep your top 5% beyond the age of 16 then you really have no chance of ever seeing a first team debut aside from players you buy in later on like SAA/Meghoma. Of our recent long term academy players who have clearly been very good at youth level nearly all have chosen to leave before making any impact in our first team: Morgan, Doyle, Dibling (came back as couldn't settle) and now these two. Its not really a good advert for our academy. The only players aside from Dibling who are anywhere close are players we bought in the same way, from Spurs. If Miles or Gomes don't make it at City or wherever they will still make a tidy profit on them whereas we will get peanuts - seems an unsustainable model for non big clubs. I get in some ways the idea of not caving to pay demands but if the point of an academy is to develop players for your first team and you have a couple of the best in Europe for their age then surely you do absolutely everything to keep them, even if that means upsetting others who are lesser players?

Is there any evidence that he has a "terrible, terrible attitude and commitment to the game"? His injury record, mostly shoulder, has certainly been a problem for him but I must have missed something?!

Swansea fans knew he wanted to leave last summer and knew he definitely would this summer so thats probably why they aren't bothered. I would much rather go down a path like this than another Lyanco or DCC type signing. Manager knows what he gets with Wood, player knows the style of play and its at a price where even if it doesn't work out there is still a big market for him unlike those mentioned above.