Charlie Wayman

Likely we will start with 3 at the back and just as likely to be Yoshida, Vestergaard & Hoedt in that order. Bednarek is very promising indeed but lacks experience and we'll keep developing him to gradually replace Yoshida who is ageing and only has one maybe two seasons left in his legs. If Cedric and Bertie stay and it looks increasingly likely that they will, this gives us a tremendous back five on paper and with Romeu doing his usual protective graft in front of them our defence could be very strong as long as they don't doze off periodically and lose concentration. We might be hard to score against but isn't that a hallmark of Hughes' teams?

How on earth have you reached this conclusion without a shred of evidence? He always looks really happy in training to me.

He was injured according to some usually reliable sources but as SuperSAINT says, no sign of him at Staplewood.

Any news at all about Boufal? Was he at training today? Maybe the Club are not so keen to lose him as some think.

Some conversations on here are too dumb for words but honestly guys stop and think a while, Lemina is a class player and if the New Saints stay in the top third of the table this season you will find out just how good this lad will become. Talk of selling or "getting rid" is 'crap-speil' pure and simple!

Only if all four play at the same time will we have an adequate back-up

Just imagine if we could pick our opposition every week, we'd win the Premier League and keep at least one clean sheet. Bring on Worthing Old Boys. Don't worry about Everton, they'll be the usual shambolic outfit we've always seen and Silva will be gone by Christmas. This is a just a re-run of the Koeman hype and look how that ended up.

Not twice in a row 'though. People are supposed to learn from their mistakes so Heis is right.

Signing Ings would smack of the same dire misjudgements that led to Austin ending up here. Fat lot of good he has been. Journeymen both, young fit and inventive they are not,

If Austin & Long are the answer then what was the bloody question? OK her's my six pennyworth McCarthy Cedric Yoshida Vestergaard Hoedt Bertrand Romeu Elyounoussi Lemina Armstrong Gabbiadini

Minsk, sensibly we will hedge our bets until Bertie & Cedric are secured for another season. Loan deals can be made after the official window closes on the 9th August. No news of Cedric is a bit worrying, he was out of the WC yonks ago. Guess we'll find out on Monday from who's missing at Staplewood. Presume everyone should be back now from the WC, hols and other distractions.

Are you feeling alright? These utterings seem like the first signs of madness.

That would be a huge mistake as very clearly we have no remotely comparable replacement for either. Valery is nowhere near ready and Targett or McQueen are Championship players at best IMO.

"Chicks"? Another relic from the stone ages, give me strength! Plain ignorant sexism and from you? Shocking.

A ball has not been kicked and our first two home games already get moved to stupid unsociable times. The net consequence (for me) is that I will miss both and a season being looked forward to with relish has suddenly descended into the same old business as usual routine. So who loses most in the end, we fans or the club? It emphasises the complete contempt held for fans by those running the PL and their clubs and their all consuming subservience to TV companies. We might as well not be there at all.

Big thumbs up for Hoedt who looks like he means business judging by the effort and determination going into his the gym work. Got a good personality too not like half the lazy mono syllabic inhabitants of our dressing room. We might have a real gem in the making here. Nothing can be judged about him under last season's appalling leadership and coaching.

Hughes said all his players will get 45 minutes so whole team change at HT. Starting XI is irrelevant and anyway Yoshi, Cedric, Bednarek and the new guy are not even there yet so we can learn nothing from any team line-up at this stage. All four of those are likely first team starters. Be good to see Forster between the sticks again if only to improve his morale and give him a chance to fight back for his place. He has not always been a bad goalkeeper after all.

is he an aircraft fitter by trade then?

Bloody Hell Heis can't you give your bloody attachments a miss now and then. its obviously become a fetish with you. Just makes you look silly like a three year old with a new toy. Nothing personal just mind bogglingly repetitive and boring!

Based on nothing more than open-eyed pessimism I'm going for a 3-1 win to Columbia in normal time.

That is an excellent idea, le's hope the new regime have more heart than the last who couldn't be bothered to publicly recognise and reward the feats of our two Portuguese stars who had just won the European Nations Cup. It always seemed to me that Yoshi is a natural shoe-in as Club and on-pitch Captain, yet we keep giving the armband to totally uninspiring journeymen. Captains are born as Captains!

Just class! Well done Maya.

Count me in as one of the fans who thinks we will miss him badly. Fans have been a bit fickle of late which may have persuaded him to call time here. Choosing to live in Amsterdam rather than Southampton must have been a tough choice also for him. I'll certainly pop along and watch him when over there in the autumn. Thanks for the kind words Dusan, we've certainly enjoyed your stay here. Au Revoir!

It is obviously good that we do not have to waste money on a new keeper. We must hope his form is not transient. The demise of Fraser Forster is a complete mystery to me and many of you one suspects. Obviously he is not going to hang around here warming the bench. Presumably the club are hoping that some highly paid players will seek other clubs so are likely to have told a few that they can leave; the rest is up to their agents. Most would have FF in that category but what if Mac gets crocked early on in the season? Gunn should still be a target even if we cannot guarantee him first team football.

Now you've learned to clip-on images to your text it seems that is all we'll be seeing in your posts for the rest of time. Not every time please it is becoming incredibly tedious already and adds little to nay point you might be making.