saint-crinny

No doubt, but also some really poor play that could have seen us go behind. not least the inexplicable dropped cross when basically unchallenged. For me, he is more exposed now than at any time in his Saints career - we're still pretty good defensively but not the rock solid unit we were when we also had Wanyama and Morgan protecting for example. As such he's having to do more, has made a few mistakes and struggled with niggly injuries that have contributed to a major drop in confidence. Assessment - he isn't as good as we thought he was in years one and two, when he was superbly protected but probably not as bad as he is showing currently which is due to loss of form and severe lack of confidence. I would absolutely add another top keeper to the mix if we could. He's the best of an average to not very good/not ready bunch, so we need to get behind him rather than the ironic cheers when he catches a ball

Boufal should get a three or four starts in a row for me - if he doesn't set the world on fire in the first game he shouldn't be immediately hooked and not seen again for another month. He clearly has some talent but he wont adapt if he isn't given at least a small run in the side, which he basically hasn't had since arriving. If he plays and doesn't perform against Newcastle no doubt people will be kicking off on here (and in the ground) but I would say that if he plays instead of Redmond then what exactly would people be complaining about? Redmond has pretty much delivered nothing all season and played every game. Totally appreciate we can't really afford to carry a player while they (hopefully) get themselves going, but when we've basically been carrying Redmond anyway, waiting for him to even reach the relatively good levels he occasionally hit last season (which he hasn't). So I don't really see why we wouldn't give Boufal a run.

There is a bigger issue here clearly, but I don't think there would have been so many contributors to this thread if the last 18 months or so of football from Saints hadn't been as dull as they have at times. Might just be me, but I doubt I would have even opened this thread when we were on that great run to the end of the season in Koeman's last few months.

I think enough time has passed that he wouldn't see an issue coming back. Hardly a tail between his legs style return in the way that say, Morgan returning to us from United would have been. Would be a superb signing for us as well - main issue is wages. Would we pay close to what he is getting now? You know West Ham would

Other than MLT, absolutely my favourite player we've had in my lifetime. A gent, a hero, and a guy that genuinely loved Saints and football in general. He epitomised what we were about as we rose up the league and took on the Prem. If you haven't watched this before, enjoy. I think one of the reason everyone loved his England story so much was because he lived it like any normal bloke wouid - absolutely realising his dreams.

Ibe isn't really relevant here, but ash he came, he came on in Bournemouth's last game and won it for them with two assists in about 10 minutes. Has Redmond got an assist this season?

He must look brilliant in training because he's really not doing much at the moment on the pitch. Has to start showing more for me, he's had "potential" for years now. has shown in flashes what he could be - Liverpool away in the cup last season was great I thought - but lots of players have one off good games. A consistent improvement required from him over next few months - hopefully as we settle into season that will happen although not convinced of that right now. People saying that him (and Tadic) are championship players due to lack of consistency is utter rubbish though. they'd tear the championship apart. If they were consistently good they be playing for a top 6 side - they aren't so they are playing for a mid table side instead

Clearly Watford were much bigger and more powerful than us and we totally lost the central midfield and lost the game from there for me. Just thought were lacked any urgency on the ball - we could have still competed well in the middle if we moved the ball quickly but far from it. Add in then that the likes of Redmond and Boufal offered very little and Gabbi was left totally isolated and a predictable defeat followed. Got to speed up and play with a sense of urgency and purpose. Against Palace I'd be happy enough if Lamina replaced Davis, Tadic started in 10 role (he did actually improve things marginally) and then a front three of Gabbi, Austin and Long - Long and Gabbi wider and Austin centrally.

VVD has had some stinkers in that Dutch side as well. I'm reserving judgement until he's played a good few games for us. Appreciate that is a bit out there but what can I say, I don't play by the rules

Do you really believe that, even if he is over-hyped, he wouldn't be a big improvement on what we have already? And it is embarrassing when people suggest he might be someone we'd go for - he's refusing a new deal with Everton to force a move. You think he'd even remotely consider joining us?

It's embarrassing when people on here suggest they wouldn't want Barkley or he isn't good for us - why on earth not when most of the other transfer thread is about how we need a powerful AM that can score goals and can shoot from range etc. He would be one of our best players the moment he walked in. It's also embarrassing because he wouldn't even consider joining us, so I don't know why we are even talking about him.

If Tadic is still on pens and subsequently misses in this game as we lose 1-0, I will be melting down with the best of them

Technical point but Barca couldn't hold onto Neymar because his release clause was paid. But in general, I'm inclined to agree - wanted us to stand firm on VVD but if we do, and he just becomes a divisive figure within the camp, I don't think that really benefits anyone. least of the new manager who I'm sure could do without this saga as he tries to make his mark on the team. If he left and Hoedt is as good as we hope, then we're pretty much back to where we were once Jose had left (albeit Hoedt is probably not quite as good as VVD), given Yoshida was outperforming an ageing Fonte before he left anyway. Which is not distastrous, just not as good as VVD removing his head from him backside, focusing and playing alongside Hoedt.

Great player for us and we had his best years. Lots of he said she said when he left but at the end of the day - we got a great price for a player past his peak and he got a great financial deal for himself. Booing all a bit unnecessary but equally, its football. It's a tribal thing and giving an ex player a bit of stick is part and parcel - people read a bit too much into it. If he was back in a couple of years time for a testimonial he'd be we'll received I'm sure.

Maybe Bertrand just had an off day - happens sometimes. I thought he was very good against Swansea. We can't decide people are leaving, want out, hate it hear, hate the manager, have had their head turned, every time they underperform or don't do a full lap of appreciation.

You've obviously given this plenty of thought but it's based on a load of assumptions that you have know idea if they are correct or not. Do you believe that Les felt the six year contract was the end of any issues? Or that all the big boys would be "honourable" because he is so naïve? A guy who has worked in football all his life and yet some on here seem to act as though we have plucked him out of an admin role at a nursery. On this one, I don't particularly feel we've made any mistakes - we're just a victim of our success in terms of player recruitment. Who else, as a team of our size has picked out a world class player that the big boys aren't prepared to buy and turned them into one of the most coveted players around and then not sold them? This summer, look at the transfers that are happening/will happen - Lukaku gone despite Everton throwing money at him. Sigurdsson set to go too. Unfortunately, as Carragher and Redknapp so distastefully articulated it the other night, there is an order in football and there are teams above us that if our players are good enough, will always want to play for. And they will ultimately get what they want in almost every case. Would we rather keep signing these top players in waiting, knowing we will lose them, or just be a West Brom type - sign players no one in the top four would ever be interested but they hopefully do a job and keep us up? I'd rather we get to see these players for a few years to be honest, as much as I hate having to go through this saga with them almost every time. the only time we wont be facing this kind of thing is if we start signing average players - you could argue this has already started as some recent signings haven't taken off and people are kicking off about that too.

I genuinely don't know why people are talking about Barkley - he's set his stall out for a big club and turned down 100k a week at Everton. he is 100% not going to consider moving to us

You'd have to assume the attacking loan would be Roberts. Can play the 10 role or wide, clearly has talent and is still a young guy, made a move to a top side as a kid and hasn't worked, isn't going to get a look in at City, doesn't appear to be on his way back to Celtic, is untested at Prem level so we want to see how he goes and if he's good, then take up the option. Basically ticks all the Saints boxes and makes perfect sense to loan someone like him first - win win really.

This just about takes the biscuit for me, of all the player departures we've had in the past few years, this is the worst. To recap: - Signs new six year contract a year ago - Gets made captain, which he calls an honour - Injured immediately for the rest of the season - While Saints are busy helping him recover from injury, he's busy meeting Liverpool to discuss a summer move - Despite no bid being made, he tries to force the club's hand by saying he's not right mentally to play And now the club are in the wrong...? Right What a genuine t**ser

Fair (and terrifying) point, but you know what I mean - Bednarek doesn't come with anywhere near the level of hope/excitement I felt when we signed likes of Boufal and Hoj. OK, they haven't worked out so well so far, but you knew they came with a rep as a really promising young talent. Bednarek hardly has that does he.

Slightly concerning thing for me is that we're criticizing signings of the likes of Clasie Hojbjerg, also Boufal to an extent and this summer (as of now) we haven't even signed that sort of player. The three above all came into the first team reckoning and played a good number of games with sporadic success - Bednarek may not even make the matchday squad that often, and he's all we've done right now

We haven't been active obviously, and we must be, as we're clearly short even if VVD stays (which I'm pretty much certain he won't). And while others have been busy, I think the only real transfer that has made me jealous is Iheanacho - a real talent, good price, one of our rivals. It's a worry, but I guess if we had another deadline day that saw a Toby and a Mane arrive I'd readily accept the late arrivals

They don't have to and I really don't think it will make any difference. For me signing a couple of good quality players is not going to convince VVD of anything. He has decided he wants to leave, and if we sign two decent players, we still wont be anywhere near the size of club that Liverpool is (or Chelsea/City), have the quality of player they do, pay the wages they do or be in the Champions League. What will make him stay is us making him stay. he won't like it, but will have to suck it up for a season if that is the path we go down, as others have said.

Albeit it won't help, I quite enjoyed Adkins' comments, telling VVD to show some respect. Spot on. But as I say, won't make a blind bit of difference...

Apologies from me Tom28 - shot you down when in fm fact you were spot on. And VVD, what an absolute s*it. Captain fantastic eh. Immediate reaction as a fan is to take the money we want and get him out, but from an impartial footballing point of view, if we can keep and get him refocused he is clearly a huge player for us and we won't get better. If we do keep him I suppose, in a World Cup year he's more likely to knuckle down as we saw with Morgan than go through the motions which really, was more what Victor did.