the saint in winchester

Head of Data and Research? So a right nerd, sat in front of his laptop, producing meaningless statistics. Right up Rasmus' street. I had hoped the Echo interview indicated we were moving away from that approach. Onuachu came back as #1 in height but we don't play for crosses.

Good. It's been ridiculous and embarrassing with this stand-off. We don't want to be looked on as the 'Tottenham of the Championship' where other clubs find dealing with us to be painful. Refusing to negotiate a settlement for Martin has meant he hasn't been able to get in and review the squad (if only on paper, I know the players are on leave). Deals are being struck around us even though not going through officially. If we really want to take a few Swansea players, we will have rubbed them up the wrong way by not looking for a negotiated settlement on Martin. I look forward to this being resolved, and I hope he can identify transfer targets quickly, then we can get them in early.

I would do the opposite. Ask (or tell, depends on your perspective) Tella we want him to stay one more season. That he has proven to be worthy of a regular place in the side. This next season we either get promoted or not. If we get promoted, let Tella decide if he stays with us, or moves on. We thank him for helping us win promotion. If we fail to win promotion, we accept he is likely to go. It could even be that next season, Saints win promotion and Burnley get relegated. So, in summary, we say 'give us next season, Nathan, then you can make the decision yourself'.

Can't we just agree to pay them 600k (split the difference) and move on? 200k isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things. Let's get him settling in.

He's saying he will come if he can bring certain players with him? And this negotiation is between Martin and Saints? Or are Swansea saying "you can go, but you're not taking any players?" Interesting. I haven't seen Swansea play, but I would think it will help him settle in and win over Saints players if he has a few buddies in the squad.

I was hoping this thread was about him coming back on a transfer, but it seems to just be him reminiscing about us? Sounds like he would be an asset for us.

He isn't staying. We are simply looking to get our money back and have other teams interested. Zagreb's offer was likely a low one after their rhetoric about "the English team will have to accept he has fallen in value". If they have spent the £8M we gave them, that's their problem.

Rob Edwards is a good coach. He was sacked at Watford after 11 games, when he lost only 3 of them. He has Luton playing with energy, on the front foot too.

No to any assistant who has watched the manager perform and now thinks "hey I could do that". I have concerns about Russell Martin, but he has the experience. Let's not give the job to an assistant, kit man or tea lady just because they were at Man City and have golddust on their clothes.

We all focus on different things in Wyn's posts, but for me, this is what we need. The very opposite of Adams who gets a rush of blood to the head when he can see the goal. Yes to Piroe!

Ironically, with Liverpool having nothing to play for, and Prowsey saying we want to win this for Selles, maybe we can see Southampton win! Depends what team Selles sends out, though.

Thanks for all this, Wyn. I hope we move quickly to get the three players mentioned. Grimes sounds like captain material.

I hope we have secured deals for a few Swansea players as well. Need to leverage his local knowledge. Or are we going for Duk of Aberdeen or recently released Troy Deeney?

One of the guys on The Saints Podcast at the weekend said that Potter was asked earlier on and he had replied that if we were to stay up, he would be interested. That was never going to happen, was it? A shame. I was also in the Potter camp.

Good. We need someone strong that can put themselves about a bit.

Yeah, Leicester not thinking that he wouldn't consider a team in the Championship. I would certainly like Saints to speak to him. Ask him for an interview. At the moment, it seems like a coronation for Russell Martin.

Zac Steffen available, although Middlesboro may offer. Dean Henderson available, as Forest expected to go with Navas. May not be within our budget, but we ought to be pushing the boat out.

It looks like we are moving quickly to secure him as Leicester have identified him as their first choice IF they are relegated (presumably they have another candidate in mind if they somehow stay up). For once, our certainty (knowing we are relegated) gives us the advantage to get him secured.

I would have thought he was happy at Ipswich, and the club must be happy with him, being as he got them promoted?

That's the top and bottom of it, yes. We seem to have hardened ourselves to getting in 20 yo lads and instructing them to play out from the back, and keep possession above anything else, including getting forward and trying to score goals to win games. And looking for a coach that will go along with that. How about discarding that play style and hiring the most successful manager we can afford, and asking him to set the tone and implement the playing style he recommends based on his experience, letting him recommend the players he wants, be they 23, 28 or 33.

You say that, but he had scored a shedload of goals at Gent. We just didn't play to his strength of arriving late. Or was that what Prowsey meant by late arrivals?

I don't think they will exert themselves at all. They will stroll around, everything too much effort, take a pasting, blame the owners, grumble about 'slipping standards' and check their bank balances on the helicopter home.

Appreciate a clickbait report, but, wowsers: Fenerbahce want to sign five Southampton players; Lyanco, Kameldeen Sulemana, Paul Onuachu, Moussa Djenepo and Ibrahima Diallo this summer according to Fanatik. They must have been impressed by Nathan Redmond!

So, if Ralph had to leave because he was tired and he didn't have the resources at his disposal, whereas now he is refreshed and we will likely have up to £200M (sale proceeds), then is Ralph a candidate for manager 2023-24?

They did say it was just an interim statement, and that a full statement will follow at the end of the season, outlining the way forward.