Dman

so you keep saying, yet they keep signing players...

Genuinely, i think we could line up with our strongest 11 from last season and we wouldn't gain promotion. Individually they might be decent players, but as a squad, they are mentally weak and lack any class. They need to move on and we need them to move on. RE your example above, Lavia makes a real difference to us but I think JWP is actually a massive problem. Saturday showed the difference in class between the 2.

Forgot all about DCC - another we desperately need to shift.

Agreed. He simply doesn't do the basics well. Very, very poor keeper and we wont gain promotion with him in the sticks. He pulls off the odd (and I mean odd) fantastic save, but any time he 'has to think' he fails. He's the Che Adams of the goal keeping world. Actually, that would be unfair to Adams.

Brilliant news. Well done Saints for being able to move this idiot on.

He's nowhere near good enough. If we have to rely on him for any period of time next season, we're in big trouble. I'd like us to look at bringing 2 CB's or a CB who can fill in at DM.. Hasn't Charles played CB a few times for City youth team? Perhaps he could act as the 4th CB..

Because we've know for a long time we were going down. Fact check, but we were officially relegated 3-4 weeks before the others.

its finding that sweet spot. In 2016, we were in a much healthier and stronger position than we are today (FWIW - I think the deal for Mane was a pretty reasonable deal, at the time). Fast forward 5/6 years, we're a different club. We're no longer a PL side, we have a very very bloated squad full of massive bottlers and underachievers & we massively need a rebuild to change the mentality of the club (that wont happen with these losers lingering around). Simply put, we're not in a position to hold strong, imo.

Unlikely. £40m is a huge amount for any championship side, such is the gulf in finances between the relegated PL sides and other championship sides. By accepting a little less early in the window, its allowed them to build a side early. That £10m the might have budged on, will potentially turn to £50+m when they get promoted. They've packed their side with experience and seem to have a decent core of younger players still there. Its really disappointing we haven't yet been able to move on the likes of Che, KWP, ABK, Salisu etc. who are better players and will get PL / top league interest. Let alone the weaker players, like Perraud, Diallo, Djenepo, Mara, Lyanco etc. who are just clogging up the squad with averageness and probably have little appetite to play in the champ. We had a head start to build a championship squad, but seemingly are now loosing ground because realistically we cannot bring anyone in, without others leaving. We risk missing out on targets because we're not in a position to bring anyone in just yet. Had we been able to shift, ABK, Lyanco, Salisu already, would we have been in for Doyle? Who knows but i'd like to think so.

In fairness we're seeing the exact same shite as last season. The same mistakes, the same slow ponderous sidewards passing, the same lack of any threat in the final 3rd. That being said, its the exact same group of players throwing in the same shite performances. We need a clear out and re-build and we need it quick. Its disappointing we're 3 weeks away and there is still so much unknown about who we'll have playing for us next season.

according the the saints web gurus, they're absolutely skint. completely fucked and are losing players at a cut down fee for fun. no one would want to join them and if they did, they'd be crazy (including the manager who turned us down for them....) This place is going to be fun when we loose JWP for 25m. The same faces will be saying "we're a championship side, what do you expect"

Lets not put Fonte and Theo / Long in the same bracket when talking about leadership. Apples and Oranges.

He's given up the hope of the euros, his wife doesn't want 2 weeks in Germany.

if it costs you certain targets, thinking Piroe who could feasibly go to Leicester instead now, then it wasn't sensible from us. We could have easily struck a deal with them and met in the middle, kept relationships sweet. If they decide to sell players to us, then they'll only recoup that in the transfer fee anyway.

I love these theories. He's clearly not going to turn down a big money move to a big club north of London because his wife doesn't want to move.

Does anyone know the eligibility of Turner playing for England? How long etc? Given we previously fast tracked the likes of KP, Archer etc I do wonder if we have 1 eye on how he performs at CC level..

imo, England have been the better side for the large majority of this series. We've just been rubbish at the big moments and, lets be honest, reckless batting and disgraceful fielding has meant we've never really been able to pull ahead from them. Aus haven't really played all that well, have been without (arguably) their most dangerous bowler and haven't had to work all that hard for their wins. It easily could and maybe even should be 3-0 England. I'm all for being aggressive, playing on the front foot, but sometimes you need to sense when there is danger and when to ride out the storm (Duckett swinging at absolutely everything 30 mins before COP in bowler friendly conditions springs to mind). Someone needs to have a word because the batting has been out right braindead for most of this series.

He might be a decent coach on the training ground (i.e sticking out cones, putting on drills & sessions), he's a decent bloke so the players liked him, but what Ralph needed was someone to bounce idea's off. Being tactically astute to support him and be his right hand man. Selles isn't that and I don't think he will be. It was noticeable how isolated Ralph looked on the sideline after Rohl departed. It looked like he didn't trust any of the the coaches given to him, which probably lead to his downfall.

I can't see Swansea selling anyone to us. We've burned a few bridges playing hardball over peanuts.

bring back "we don't buy success, we breed it"

Agree. Throwing Ballard in as our main striker would not only be reckless and stupid, but it would also be incredibly damaging for him as well.

Everyone who's played along side him has improved - that's no coincidence. He's a proper leader and in tat respect we've not managed to replace him. The exact sort of player you need for a gruling championship season. I'd snap his hand off to have him back. I don't think he'd be a regular starter, but would be invaluable to have around the club.

Looks a sensible replacement for Lavia. Him, Downes and 1 other (preferably a little older with more experience) would be 3 solid CM/DM options.

By all accounts Martin is just as stubborn in his philosophy.. He's just not been good enough to get tested in the PL yet, but if he does, it could easily get just as messy.

WHY WOULD JOE SHIELS LEAVE CITY!!! (with one eye on fucking off at the earliest possible point) FOR A HUGE PROMOTION (and payrise) IF WE WERE A MESS OF A CLUB!!! All Hail king Rassmus