Ralph Fastenbüttl

Are all the people crying out for a striker doing so because they've already concluded Archer is not up to scratch? Y'know, despite his brace in his first start (which, obviously, I concede was against lower league opposition)? I mean, don't get me wrong - I'd be happy to see us sign another striker, especially a proven Premier League one. But I'm not anxious about it and will be calm if we don't get anyone.

Gawd, I'm so excited about Ramsdale that I just found myself on the web store looking at replica keeper shirts! (The price soon snapped me out of my haze...)

True, I cannot deny that would be a proper incredible moment!

It goes without saying that I love and respect JWP. He has many excellent qualities... but he's actually quite limited as a footballer, in my opinion. Obviously the stuff he does well (superb passing, dead ball scoring, incredible fitness, winding up Zaha) he does REALLY well and of course he'd do a job for us if he returned. His free kick goals alone would net us points. But his weaknesses I think are actually amplified here due to how RM wants us to play. JWP isn't great at taking players on, he doesn't travel with the ball especially well and his playstyle inherently slows us. And while I'm of course not blaming him, let's remember that he was ever-present throughout a long period where Saints were the poorest they've been while I've been a supporter (since the early/mid '90s). Plus, in all honesty I don't think he was an especially great captain, either.

I remember it well - a chilly night on February 17th, 2006. For reasons I shan't elaborate on here, I just happened to be present in the maternity ward of Royal Devon and Exeter hospital as a young Tyler Dibling emerged fresh from the vag. As my gaze fell upon the screaming newborn, I clearly recall muttering the words: "Hmm, oddly reminds me of Jack Grealish." His talent was clear for all to see even then.

Mate, please stop. You cannot thrust pedantry in the face of every opinion you disagree with - you'll drive yourself and everyone else mad. Just be content with expressing your own opinion.

There is the fallback option of the hundreds or possibly thousands of other keepers playing here and all over the world that we aren't aware of or haven't even heard of.

Just been chatting to a mate of mine whose dad is a super experienced and senior physio. Sounds like he fobbed off work much of this afternoon to try and read up about Bijlow's injuries and whatever information he could find about the treatment he's received. On the presumption that the problem was with the wrist, his dad speculates that Prem clubs are a lot more surgery-happy than leagues elsewhere on the Continent. He thinks it very possible that Saints would have wanted to operate to correct the ongoing issue whereas his home club may be favouring long term intensive physio and/or other non-surgical approaches. The advantage of this approach is that the player remains available and has a decent chance of a full recovery, but the long-term prognosis is a lot less certain and recurrence statistically significantly more likely. Were that the case, the surgery is a treatment that, while enjoying an excellent success rate, needs to be almost completely rested until it mends, which can be anything between 6-12 weeks. In some cases that recovery period could stretch to four, five or in the worst cases even six months. Add in the work/time needed to then return to match fitness and you'd be looking at an absolute minimum of 2 months out of action, but conceivably as long as over 6+ months. Understandably the club probably just couldn't justify the move when there was the possibility, even if only remotely, that he'd be out of action until the spring even if the surgery took place immediately. All pure conjecture and could be entirely nothing like the actual situation, of course, but I thought it interesting regardless.

Folk got very carried away with the blooper video but the skills video contains a lot of impressive stuff. Plus, his real world stats seem decent to me. Obviously there's no way of knowing how he would or would not adjust to the UK and the Prem but he's clearly a dude with bags of skill and potential.

We're two games into the season, lad. Please.

As comical as the collective bedwetting on here is, I do concede that I'd love to see how we'd get on: a) Without Smallbone in midfield b) Without Jack at CB or wedged uncomfortably into FB c) With Edozie far, far away from the stadium where he can do no harm

omg, Edozie drives me fucking mental. Absolutely zero end product. Infuriating player.

My wife agrees that she's fucking hot.

Almost! Bijlow Sugawara, THB, Bednarek, KWP Downes, Lesley Fernandes Arma, Archer, BBD Or alternatively: Bijlow Sugawara, THB, Bednarek, KWP Downes, Lesley BBD, JWP!, Fernandes Archer

Ideal spot for JWP, that.

Don't fret folks - remember, as the great Nathan Jones once pointed out, playing against 10 men puts you at a massive disadvantage.

Silver lining - club's desire for a new keeper rapidly growing?

iirc Carrillo was brought it at the behest of Pellegrino, who chose his former striker over the long-scouted Raul Jimenez and pro coke trafficker Quincy Promes. I think it was reported that one person from the recruitment team even wrote a letter of resignation to protest the signing, saying that their data showed Carrillo to be dog shite. It says something that even Mark Hughes, who was a dreadful manager for us, only gave Carrillo one start and one sub appearance before recognising him for the dross that he was and freezing him out.

Came here to say exactly this. Prior to that, I think Downes was a fairly exciting signing. I think the sting of Ramirez and Osvaldo has taken the sheen off 'big name' foreign striker signings.

Sir, I believe you meant to say that "this is just so CERTAINLY PINK!"?

I just got the kit email promo and must admit that I really quite like pink kit, though my wife was like "owww, those lot on the forum you go on about aren't gonna be happy" and foolishly I stuck up for you all, saying that as deranged as a few of you are, it would likely take more than the colour pink to set you off. But I have of course overestimated you. Cannot believe you're such a bunch of speshial ickle snowflakes. We'll only wear it a couple of times. It'll get a few folk talking. It'll probably sell to some "first time SFC consumer partners" which will make the brand department cream. As a piece of design I honestly think it's pretty sound, particularly when it comes to the shirt in isolation. (But yeah, I personally would have used the shorts to break up the colour a little)

I don't especially like contributing to the overly-negative sentiment that riddles these boards, but surely everyone understands by now that neither AM nor GB are rounded enough to be No.1s in the Prem? I'm perfectly happy with AM being our No.2, but it's hard not to remain unconvinced by Bazunu, no? I do tire of our ongoing inability to get a 1st choice keeper of sufficient quality into the club. I'm generally a pro-Russel Martin guy, but I do get the impression he's a bit of a pack animal - fiercely loyal to the tribe and attributing perhaps a little too much importance into the idea of "keeping the gang wot got us back up togevver". It's the sort of thinking that means we're in danger of going into next season with AA and Che as our top strikers. Loyalty is an admirable trait, but our Prem return necessitates fresh blood at both ends of the pitch. As has been the case for a while.

MLT is definitely the most naturally talented player I've ever seen in a Saints shirt and arguably I've ever seen in the flesh. He was my hero for over two decades. All of which explains why his outing as a fucking helmet is really, really sad. It's easy to write him off as a idiotic numpty but the truth is that the sort of messaging he's peddling is more than just daft nonsense - it's actively damaging and dangerous. That doesn't become untrue because he performs magic with the football and visited a lot of hospitals. But at the same time, the fact that he's Solent's village idiot doesn't change the fact that he was a generational football talent. Safe to say I much prefer the pre-critical-thinking version of Le God, as this current incarnation is a fucking tool.

"Wesley Hoedt, he scores for fun"

I watched much of the second half. Lots of folk whinging about our play but I thought we looked pretty good tbh. We certainly were quite clearly a class above Stoke when it came to skill on the ball. KWP looks like a world beater in this league.