saint1977

Plus he's at a new employer (albeit on loan) so is bound to be careful in what he says. Tbh, if he'd said anything spicier he'd have had people criticising that. I'd much rather he did his talking through displacing either Stephens or Vestergaard (won't be difficult), in getting some PL games under his belt and providing some much needed pace to the backline.

Gunn could have done better today but HTF does the club end up with three keepers on those wages and contracts at the same time? Especially when one of the them was given a contract extension after having an appalling season. Something not right about that. In any normal football club, the DoF would have had the sack years ago.

The defeat today was a mix of shocking selections, shocking defending and lack of intensity. Like Ralph but got it wrong today although to be left with that nutcase’s signings from 2016-18 that we can’t give away has rather tied his hands. Vestegaard played like Andreas Jakobson. How can you be that height and get consistently beaten in the air? Useless. Stephens played like Stephens, ball watching and League One standard. Midfield underpowered with the five at the back so hope Danso up to speed quickly so we can go back to a four at long last. Ings a shadow of the sharp player who joined from Liverpool and it shows you the difference in professional standards to carrotville. Hard for Adams today so wouldn’t judge him too much on that. Burnley in the wind and rain requires character and we know we haven’t got any of those.

This, although I would perhaps be more generous and rate as 7.5/10. The horrific problems caused by leaving an incompetent and his assorted puppets in charge of transfers 2016-18 meant this was going to be 3-4 windows worth of rebuilding. If they don't have pace and power, they don't go on the shortlist for a while as we rebuild the spine of the squad. Ross must have enjoyed working with RH a lot more than the previous showers. So to have signed three players with athleticism across the spine is great and we might be able to boost midfield if we can move on some of of the names below before the end of the month (bar McCarthy unless he has mainland European clubs interested - which is possible). There were some surprises for me. Thought McCarthy would have had a few suitors in the PL so an opportunity for him to challenge Gunn. Forster's tea-making skills will be out to the test again. I genuinely thought Cedric and Lemina would early movers. Don't mind Cedric staying as he suits RH's style, can operate both sides and this summer may have been a reality check from the agent bubble. Lemina has made an utter twit of himself by contrast. He had better hope for a move in the European window as he doesn't have a future at SFC and clearly not in the PL where he was a few clubs' fifth choice signing if their other options didn't come off. He might think he is entitled to a move after two years but he forgot some basics - playing well, turning up for a few games, generally being fit for selection. Hopefully never to be seen in an SFC shirt again. Wish Charlie well at WBA - would have been a shame if he'd stalled his career having worked his way from non league. Not Ralph's type of player and not athletic enough for the PL now. Ditto Clasie who I also wish well. Carrillo was a shockingly bad signing for the worst manager in the club's history. Can only hope the total fee to Monaco was contingent on SFC appearances. Going to be a serious bath to take on that one. Hoedt has at least shown willing in pre season but a move looks inevitable, permanent if possible for his sake as well as the club's. Redmond extension great news, now for PEH next.

Sounds like what we need and hopefully all works out so he comes on a permanent basis eventually once more of Les's junk has left. Hope he doesn't get too upset if he makes a mistake - nothing worse than seeing a Danso in distress.

It’s obvious why - one party in Washington is proposing gun controls and another is hiding behind pathetic excuses that it’s unconstitutional etc. Well done to Lindsey Graham for stepping away from the NRA’s blood money and working with colleagues on the other side of the floor on red flags. Trump’s speech is so weak it’s untrue. Clearly the NRA have seriously infiltrated the Trump White House and Republican leadership as well as the far right.

Excellent post Jackanory. Trump can't/won't deal with this because of the relationship to the NRA, who are the real root problem here and have been for decades. You are right about the second amendment but I cannot possibly think that the Founding Fathers would have envisaged that semi automatic assault weapons - had they existed - represented a legitmate means of individual or household defence/right to be bear arms. Be interesting to see if the Democrats finally grow a pair and go big time on Trump's position with the NRA. The numbers are mass shooting are up under Trump and it's no accident with the openly racist rhetoric (given Reagan's recorded remarks about the UN to Nixon in 1971 the Republicans do have some serious issues on this front to resolve) and 'de-regulation' of even the basic controls that previous Presidents were able to put in place under the NRAs $$$s and campaigns/lobbying in the Senate. I agree that this has moved well beyond a right Vs left issue into a NRA and their friends in the Senate. The US electorate have to do their bit now and get behind politicians on all sides who are making serious efforts to reduce the easy access and beefing up checks. Trump has no excuses whatsoever for not doing it - he has a majority in the Senate and the Democrats in either house are hardly going to block it? The days of the old Southern Democrats who might have done are long gone with Nixon and Reagan.

Loads of them north of Birmingham too, especially former mining areas who claim to hate Thatcher for the 1980s and have brought people into ministerial posts who have busts and pictures of her on their desks, having displaced one nation Tories. Without programmes like Interreg they will get eff all investment for regeneration now. Corbyn didn’t help any of them during the referendum campaign but then he is too interested in various far off disputes in Palestine to help his own domestic voters. Still, that bit belongs on another thread.

Club just need to take the hit and lose the wages for low/no fee. They shouldn’t have allowed someone whose sense of any market or professional perspective at the top level was vanishing rapidly to stay in charge for over two years. As soon as Reed tried to sign Carrillo, Kreuger should have been telling Les no and instantly sacking both Pellegrino and Les for gross ineptitude. Tbh, the Forster extension was sackable even before that. Kreuger would have done it if the owners had insisted, as anyone with any business brain would have done.

May come back again to who we can shift (or not). If Hoedt and Lemina had already left, I doubt this would be an option on the table and the club would be looking to buy, but if Tomori fits what RH wants to do, then £9m loan fee is steep (Zouma was a more senior player though) but insignificant compared to another year's PL football. If we finished 9-12th, that would be recouped easily as well.

Would be a very good move IMO. Having managed him last season, Lampard might feel Tomori is ready for mid table PL as a significant step up but that pushing for top 4 he isn't consistent enough for yet. Christiansen is more likely to be a first teamer at Chelsea now. Tomori will make mistakes but has recovery pace and also the likes of Vest and Bednarek are good defenders who read the game well but benefit from more pace alongside them. Yoshi is the only one with any pace at present and would keep him. Not sure what that might mean for Hoedt, if RH thinks his attitude is better might he sell one of the other CBs who someone is more likely to want?

Moeen has played himself out of contention after a poor WC as well, Burns has looked terrible outside off stump. Bairstow had a great WC but needs some practice as two poor dismissals. At risk a bit with Buttler and Stokes to return. Root out twice to poor shots. Shame Leach didn’t get his hundred and at least Roy got some runs. Stone is another option to replace Wood if he too doesn’t get injured. Hants didn’t help the Aussies with the practice game pitch!

Funny how the Brexiteers and Corbynites are really rather similar. Rather a lot of noise when not in positions of leadership but when it goes wrong, or the policies have to be more pragmatic, it’s always the EU/media/Tory One Nation/Blairites fault.

Until Asensio did his ACL. Emery seems to think that might throw a spanner in the Ceballos loan deal. Lemina could be within budget for them given they haven’t been in the CL for 2 years. Would be a gamble but he might be more motivated there.

Not Hampshire-related, although the Edwards loan is odd, but England being ripped apart at Lord's by a 37 year old county trundler.

Says the member of another party who has just elected the Prime Minister on the basis of 100,000 mostly old white (well, with a hint of gammon) men. I don't neccessarily agree with her position but the contradiction needs pointing out. Congratulations, you've just appointed the most gaffe-prone politician these shores have ever seen, and that's going some with Corbyn around. No buses or false slogans to hide behind now. Still, can't wait to see your reaction when he sells you lot out (What's good for Boris has always been more important than any single principle or value - be warned).

Apples and oranges to some extent - some of those players have been there quite a few years when their fees - £22m, £15m, £11m - was a lot at the time comparatively. I agree they haven't spent what Liverpool, Man U, City have, and to some extent Chelsea and the Gunners, but Spurs just splashed out a big fee this summer that would have been two years' budget under Gao. They have outspent Saints for a long time and since the 80s. Also there are players such as Lamela who were very expensive who didn't appear there. I take your broader point and yes, an inspirational manager (Nigel, Poch, Ronald, Ralph) is vital. Puel, Pellegrino and Hughes were lousy hires. It also helped Spurs with Paul Mitchell moving - look at our dealings before and after. This summer I think will be the best since 2014-15.

Nice to see another poster from Devon. Yes, it has to be realistic given 17th and 16th with sub-40 point totals and the appalling mess Les Reed created with the squad, not least peeing the VVD windfall away and the GK situation. Going in the right direction again but will take time.

Was Rahane injured or just an end of term thing? Funny really you would have thought Rahane mid season would outscore and play Markram in early season conditions but never worked out like that. Should have Vince and Dawson for T20s as Vince didn’t take his WC opportunities and some way off for the tests bar a glut of injuries.

It’s not even toughness, it’s basic professionalism that we haven’t seen since Koeman, Poch and Nigel. Fortunately we now have the calibre of manager who is intent on re-installing that professionalism in his own style. Good on Ralph and will enjoy him whilst we have him.

Agree with that and reflects what Warne said. However, as he also pointed out, England have been the best side in the world in this format for 3-4 years. Would feel gutted if I was NZ with the two sixes but the throw hitting the bat was a 1 in 1000 fluke and Boult lost his bearings on the catch. The use of Guptill's review cost them later. Williamson is a class act though as captain and best batsman in the world. Morgan, Bayliss, Farbrace, Strauss and Giles have done an amazing job to create this environment since being dumped out of the last WC in 2015. One of the great endings to a game and will be talked about for generations.

Trump describes his own 'administration' and country very accurately. Unfortunately, as you set out here, not so accurate on the actual origin of the people he was throwing vile racist abuse at and in the case of the fourth, as another poster has said, if the same insult was hurled at Boris for being born elsewhere, quite rightly there would be widespread condemnation and the politician concerned hurling that kind of abuse would have to resign. Something for Boris to think about (OK, maybe stretching his capabilities a bit far!) when cosying up to that lunatic with a stoat on his head for a trade deal which would make May's withdrawal agreement look like deal of the century. All of the Americans I know are really ashamed of him and of the dense idiots outside of his far right backers who voted for him. Quite a few have left the US and more planning to.

Ely does look terrible but without viewing hours of scouting footage on paper at least there was a rationale for signing him, had done well in CL, performed v City etc. Carrillo was no business case for whatsoever other than Les being desperate not to sack the nervous wreck he’d appointed, following the dullard before him (who looked like Pep by comparison) after an exciting team had finished 6th and 7th under a manager he couldn’t control, Ronald. Ralph would have eaten Les for breakfast and humiliated him in the press. However, Les should have been sacked the summer after Hughes kept them up.

This and Derry’s post. Let MUFC subsidise his wages and he can pretend on Instagram whilst mugging them off. Don’t mind players moving onto to top clubs if they excel after two years but this guy has been a rank sicknote, two good starts v CP and WBA and a couple of cameos, a few cameos if I’m being really generous. RH has a proper CM with some energy who can do 40+ games a season lined up I reckon so get our money back and another of loopy Les’s Laurel and Hardy transfer dealings and contract extensions out of the club.

Ok, apart from Palace and WBA away under the nervous wreck, and cameos v Man U and Newcastle last season, how many times have you seen genuine ‘quality’ performances from Lemina? Not a lot for 50-odd appearances is it? Also one of the highest earners. We’ve also seen some dreadful displays such as W Ham away. Granted, he joined a mess with the nervous wreck and the past it 80s star, but RH has sound judgement, no mug at all, and reckons we can do better. Most of the fans would agree with RH. The guy does have flashes of quality as evidenced by being at Juventus but then so did Augustin Delgado. His track record of stringing long spells of playing together is not good. Man U can afford a one game in and three games out type with a nice trick, we can’t, we need players with pace and energy who can sustain 30+ games a season. If Lemina goes there, and the only quibble is the lower fee, and can be bothered, it is unlikely the player would have put that level of focus in here. Personally I think RH may have a CM target he wants and any shortfall on the fee might be compensated for a few times over if RH gets a hungry replacement who does well. Plus their wages will be lower so adding that into the equation. Anyone that plays frankly is an improvement. Any chance to bin off a post 2016 Les Reed signing without losing money is well worth taking anyway.