CSA96

RM did say that from tonight onwards it’ll become clear who he’s considering as starters/fringe players and also said it would be two different XIs to give everyone one last go and then it will settle down So presumably second half will be more of the starters and that’ll then continue into Millwall, Lazio and Getafe

Saints v Oxford: McCarthy; Edwards, Wood, Taylor; Bree, Charles, Alcaraz, Manning; Amo-Ameyaw, Mara, Sulemana

Brentford have lost their new £32m striker Igor Thiago to a knee injury, not expected to play until 2025 following surgery

Huw Edwards has this morning chosen to plead guilty to three counts of making and sharing indecent images of children The charges relate to 41 images that were shared on a WhatsApp chat between 2020 and 2022. Edwards was charged with having six Category A images, the most serious classification of indecent images, on a phone. He was also accused of having 12 Category B pictures and 19 Category C photographs One Category A photo involved a child who was aged between 7-9 years old, while all other photos involved a child between 12-14 years old

Can you add a couple more colours, please?

Yeah, that current team is definitely weaker than the ones before it, on paper at least, even if I think it has more cohesion and team spirit right now. However, I think there's a chance we sign three (or four) starting players (GK, CM, RW/LW, ST) before the window shuts, which will make a difference, and our depth may well end up being better than our last run at this level

We don't have a proper left winger at the club, so I'd say yes (I don't count Edozie because he can't cross the ball without falling over yet)

The comments on the official Saints social media (especially on Instagram) are overrun with Chilean and Japanese football fans today Judging by BBD's former clubs, we should expect them to be overrun with Chileans continuously. They seem to love him (although some very much the opposite because he can't sing the anthem/speak Spanish) and a lot of them are shitting on Villarreal for wasting his time with last summer's transfer

Well, if he's the Che replacement then 7+ is a good season. If he hits 10+ then he's had a very good season for a £7m signing

Ben Brereton Diaz on Russell Martin: "He was lively when I met him, I think he sniffed my hair at one point, but yeah - I've only heard great things about the gaffer and I can't wait to work with him."

Armstrong spent most of his time last season on the right, so perhaps there are times where RM will play Arma on the right and Ben off the left, with a central focal point to bring others into play (new player/Stewart) - makes sense on the face of it given how high RM pushes his full backs

An idea of RM's thinking... "I'm really delighted to welcome Ben to the group. He's a versatile and intelligent footballer, capable of playing in a number of positions across the forward line. "He is a strong, powerful runner and a confident finisher with a good goalscoring record, including last season's spell in the Premier League in which he adapted to the level extremely quickly. "He is a proper team player and the sort of hard-working, hungry character we want in our squad. His athleticism and physicality makes him a great fit for the Premier League, and we think he has all the tools to add to our attacking options."

FYI: anyone who wanted a men's shirt with Starling rather than Rollbit, they are now available on the club's online shop

We had a scout at Stevenage v Coventry the other night. Ben Sheaf maybe? One of the best combative/deeper midfielders in the Champ and surprisingly quiet about him moving on... his profile fits on paper, too

That would be a really good loan move for him IMO, but also, you'd assume we absolutely have to add another DM in that case (which might be good, as I wasn't that confident in Charles picking that role up just yet)

In financial terms it's a pretty shrewd signing too. For £7m and the sort of salary he is on, if he has one good scoring season he becomes great value and would sell for 2/3 times that amount - and if things go the other way and we go down, he's the sort of player (like Arma) who can help get you back up without too much threat of losing him (unless he has a great season)