gio1saints

Just remarking on what may purely be coincidence but it looks quite like the finance team is trying to balance the cash flow quite strictly. Note for example the Onuacho v Paintsil swop deal idea, note the two loans, note that we apparently only wanted c £5m in cash up front of the £15m for Che - and that we have recently apparently offered c £7m in cash plus add ons for the swans CB. Money in money out from now on it seems.

I think Holgate and hopefully Wood are in to replace two or three out of ABK, Lyanco, KWP, Larios, Bree and Perraud. Both are potential starters but probably would be bench at first. Given the high number of games and the increased booking suspensions from new rules this season plus more injuries ( from playing 100minutes not 90) they will certainly get good game time and opportunity to claim starter spots. Id prefer we kept KWP and ABK of course out of the five most at risk…

The loan system is a farce. Said Turkish. I agree if ABK gets simply loaned to Dortmund. Flynn is how it’s “meant” to work from that perspective. Player loans are today primarily a feature of “trading” not “playing” or “ squad management “. It’s yet another indicator of how much football has changed in a short short time. That’s capitalism for you!

WRT to Nathan Wood today is first I’ve even heard he exists. But checking his wiki and the usual publicly available info sites it’s clear he is an extremely viable Saints prospect. specifically 1. He is a young promising CB to perhaps directly replace a likely outgoing Bella-K. 2. Got his First u21 England cap in March 23. Multiple caps at lower age group levels . Probably upward transfer value trajectory especially as CB. But would need leave Swans to accelerate that. ( NB see Maquire…) 2.Pace, Athleticism AND 6”2. Speed ability and height. 3. Already coached in the Russell way so short induction time. 4. Saints perfect onward development club for him and for us. If it’s £10m and a sell on it’s a fair price. Oh, and I actually think he would accelerate his learning playing with the better players at Saints. Especially the experienced ones like KWP, Beds, Jack and Stu.

Che leaves on a free next year. Means he would likely get a sign on bonus from whoever bought him and very tasty wages. Stay at saints score lots of goals take your pick of the clubs. versus : get a bigger wedge than he is on currently with Everton and an extended contract. versus : accept saints offer and contract extension. it’s clear the third option is the non starter. It’s between the first and second and given he needs relocate to Liverpool and Everton’s recent bad form it’s not clear cut to me he would be delighted to join them.

RM has said publicly he expects at least one or two incoming imminently , and more. I don’t have him down as a liar but shit happens The reset will not take 3 months or One transfer window. Nothing sustainably good happens overnight.

Imagine it’s 10pm last night of the transfer window. Saints have accepted bids of £20m for Che, £20m for Charlie, £20m for Nathan, £20m for KWP, £20m for Sule, and allowed Alex a free. What players would we want and what would we be prepared to pay? Our propensity to pay a higher price goes up the nearer the end of window we get So, if Swans wanted £18m for Piroe today it’s £25m on last day of window, macatee, grimes, Doyle etc ditto. there’s room to negotiate both ways because of that. And that’s what’s holding stuff up.

I think SR strategy is NOT. to recruit what’s traditionally required to get out of the Championship. Because history shows those clubs inevitably get found at in the EPL. likely means we are looking at promotion yes- but promotion in a way SR calculate will mean we have a better chance of staying up. So do t expect us to steamroller every team. It might take a season to truly get this system for our players ( and support). sadly, support does not have more than two minutes patience at kick off so it’s an incredibly hard ask. Far easier to boot it long with big guys everywhere.

Ha. Too easy. Virginia Plain

Che is / will/would be a monster at this Championship level. He already looks a bully in the two sub appearances he’s made. He knows how we play- means a lot in this Russell team and possession style of playing. Is it worth £12M to get those goals and for that continuity? If he leaves preference is a direct replacement WHO KNOWS HOW WE WILL PLAY. And we all know who they should be to get that instant understanding. Only Piroe fits that description. Is it worth paying a premium for Piroe ( maybe £5-£10m over the Che fee) to get that - or is it better to give Che a fat new extended contract and think about it next season when we are in the EPL? Thats what Willcox and co are working out imo.

The lack of links to incoming players is a signature of this new regime. A welcome signature if it means we get the right people at the right price in and out the building. Unlike, arguably, previous regimes which practice contributed to and ended up with our relegation.

Even if Downes arrives I don’t see him starting. At best he will have trained twice with team. Bench. Shea will likely replace Will and when and if we are looking porous in midfield again like as per Norwich because both Stu and Charlie are not so good at tracking back then Flynn may come on. Given Russell’s love of Armstrongs flexibility I’d also not be surprised to see him backing up Che who actually starts and Sam being dropped for this one. He’s not as fast not as tricky but he tracks back better. That may suit Russell for this tough away game.

Any noise about Smallbone is surely agent angling to get him a better saints contract rather than him wanting to go. It’s to be expected in this situation 100%. His small gesture of clapping applause he made to the Northam in first half when taking his first corner and in response to the positive ovation he received did not seem fake appreciation. Similarly all of a sudden Che looks devastating when either a new or improved contract or a transfer is on the cards m. Not saying he wasn’t trying before but clearly both players have additional motivation to put the performances in now.

Wow glass half empty or what? IF Adam misses the first one then he was never going to start again and our “fans” would put such a big “ hate “on him he might have had to be taken off. He misses the last one in injury time and that’s end if his career at southampton maybe even at this level. But they both went in . For such a small bloke he’s got big cojones. A good penalty is one that goes in. A bad one is a miss. That’s all we should care about. As far as showing his mental strength AA just got an A from me. Fair do’s to often much maligned but hardworking footballer. So, I disagree with your view. 😇

Yup I’m with you SS on that but if we sell Tall Paul and get Piroe in who starts? RM has said he wants starters at this point of the window- and Piroe would be thinking same - not coming to be a squad player. But I guess one of our issues has been no competition for the striker berth. If Piroe joins then that’s going to heat things up- or would it piss off AA and Che ?

Just wondering if the transfer permutation is simply we keep AA ( who RM loves ) but cash in on Che plys release Tall Paul to be replaced by Piroe. Financially that would be a surplus to saints in wages and fees - and hopefully no net loss in goals. Che is certainly “ on fire” if that can be said if a 2 in 2 spree but his value is now at the highest it’s ever going to be for saints… o

In currEnt formation he replaces Will not plays with him. Given neither Stu or Charlie are much coo at defending I would have thought it more likely that one of those two would make way not Will. I felt the Will/JWP axis seemed to work quite well the little we saw them together so depending on who we are playing and who is fit it’s perm 3 from 4 - but that discounts Shea entirely. I wonder how and when Shea plays then as he is clearly earmarked as a big future prospect.

It looked like Nathan Tella wanted the first pen yesterday but two out of two ain’t bad so as long as AA is on the pitch I guess that’s settled. Will took right footed Inswinging corners from the left wing mixed with short corners (about 1 in 3/4 were played short to Ed).

You never know what you had until you lose it. Anybody truly happy JWP has left and feeling he’s not good enough for saints it’s the end of crab football and so on. Well, I do not agree with you and think it’s a pity you think that way. I’m not sure that I’d take your advice on anything to be frank if that’s your view on JWP.

Charlie?

I was with you at that Bristol nightclub and you nearly got all us saints into a lot of bother with the locals ahead of onward trip to Cardiff! Or were you our black belt protector from them Col? Memory fails!!! No idea where I crashed the night… As for that pompey away - yeah I was there too ducking the concrete but I went to fratton in a full tuxedo giving out Ferraro rocher as part of the Southampton diplomats crew. Made it into the Daily echo pic lol. Quite epic in It’s way. Went to see saints away at orient in an fa cup match way back when wearing a cut off denim jacket with saints badges / patches all over the back was cool/ hard. Well I thought it was. Except it marked me out as a big target for likely lads. Just me and a mate and we got rather outnumbered swiftly outside..same happened spurs away. Went to an Saints evening match away to millwall first time there by myself got lost parking my car was walking around the damn minefield bushwhacker territory of s place with a saints shirt tucked so tight under a jacket I squeaked when I walked. Don’t think I ever saw as many animals in cages even at Whipsnade as there.

Def Russell. Might just go ask him a question…

I might be wrong but just spotted Ryan manning at the ha bar pushing a pram - and maybe Russell wearing a bandana. Think it means grimes is obvs agreed 😄

Losing a captain gaining a captain seems a harmonious solution. Same age both articulate. G knows the Championship and most importantly knows R and what he wants. IF G comes then he’s an immediate starter to replace JWP for sure. My wish list preference would be to collect P at same time. The time we save having to “ train” players in how R wants to play may be a factor - and with those plus Manning we are already somewhat ahead of the game…

I don’t expect consistency from the squad, yet, if and when we play with consistency to the standard we know the first 11 are capable of, we will get promoted. until then not only will we continue to lose these games but we will lose them and look really bad. We will look really bad because it’s currently my way or the highway. Any player deviates from that is going to get dropped and sold. So if it’s not working but yuu do what you’re told then, for players much as they might dislike being best, they are doing their job as per their employers specification. The younger players cannot even talk back. And they tend to be our best. The older ones are seasoned pros and they know the score - so they will carry in it risk getting ditched. With deference to Lyanco he must have pissed of Russell mightily playing the way he did at times, does he think he’s a footballer ffs??? Carrying /dribbling ball out of defence and attempting Hollywood passes. He’s got a strong streak in him as does Alvarez. People might not rate L but he appear to have courage and self belief. Maybe his skill does not match up to reality but he’s a man alright and not someone to flinch. Cannot be said about some of the others.