Ivan Katalinic's 'tache

New coaching staff, new system, (some) new players, same manager, same comedy defending and poor overall team performance. Hmmm... Always going to be a tough ask to go to Spurs and get something but why does it always have to end in a hiding?

Sorry to hear that. Perhaps try joining the Saints Archive Facebook group. Loads of knowledgeable people on there plus older Saints pros (like Dave Puckett, Steve Moran, Malcolm Waldron and Glenn Cockerill for example) who might be able to help or even identify their own signatures! Good luck.

Gone to pot I'd heard....

On holiday and happened to meet a Bordeaux fan today. He brought up Mara and said he's very young but very talented and felt he'd be a top striker in time. He thought he'd need at least a season in the Prem before we saw the best of him. He didn't see him as an instant starter but I guess we thought that about Broja last season too, when he first signed, so who knows. He was keen to see how Mara got on though. Interestingly, he didn't really see Saints as saviours of their club but more a business decision they took when we made our bid which ultimately saved their club (arguably the same thing but I took his point as we got a player we wanted rather than benevolently offering the money and then picking which player we'd like!).

Local journo says no approach for Che...

I can't believe it's nearing the end of July and we've not had a link to Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Surely we can't go a whole window without one?

He was. Henry never played for us... 😁

OK, point taken... 🤣

I'm pretty sure I read a post on another thread saying Alex Crook said we were close to signing a striker? I guess he meant Mara then? He's on 🔥 re: Saints, comparatively speaking, given he got our lack of interest in Svanberg right and maybe other stuff too?

Ok, unless he turns out to be the perfect mix of Henry, Shearer and Papin, I shall be incredibly disappointed... 😁

Fulham want Maxwel Cornet after Everton failed to get him on loan.

Which players name have you mis-spelled if you wrote Harry Wanks?

Not fussed. We will buy him back off Chelsea for £5m when he's 19 anyway.

I wish we were Barcelona. Oh, hold on...

I reckon he'll do a season at Chelsea, won't get as much game time as he'd like and he'll be flogged off to Everton in an underwhelming move next summer. I can't see him coming back to St Mary's and I'd guess we've moved on to other targets.

Flying out to join Chelsea in the States, now, according to the Saints' Athletic reporter.

Talking of Garys, Gary Mabbutt was another one which supposedly nearly happened in the late 80s/early 90s

I remember us being linked with Gary Lineker when he wanted to return from Japan but he chose to retire instead...

Is it just me or has Fabrizio made the need for forum ITKs redundant when it comes to transfers? Welcome Joe...

Part of it is that there's some structural stuff they need to do to the roof for the new screens and they need some form of crane to lean over from the outside of the stadium to allow them to do this + install the screens. With the Euros this summer, there wasn't the time to do this but the break for the World Cup does give enough time. For once, IKT is ITK(ish)...

I think they're going to be done Nov/Dec this year whilst the World Cup is on.

That's how all football articles should be written in the future. I like the idea of Rangers shredding his contract and that they feel they have "made a killing" on the deal. When Jacob Tanswell one day ends his coverage of Saints on the Athletic, this is the person we need to take over.

Well tell them to stop sniffing, inhale properly and he's all theirs...

It's clear he's being backed this summer (we will hope the incomings aren't being offset with the sale of JWP) and he has a brand new backroom team, one you have to assume he's comfortable with. For me, there are no more excuses. Whilst every team (bar maybe City and Liverpool) goes through a poor run during a season and that can be largely overlooked if they recover well enough, there can't be the types of poor runs we typically have, with heavy defeats, shapeless play and (what looks like) a dearth of effort on the pitch. At that point, it has to be time to pull the trigger and find someone new.

Flynn Downes set for Crystal Palace move as Swansea City close in on Joe Allen - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62024199 Looks like we might be missing out on Flynn Downes who we were linked with recently.