Gorgiesaint

Photo's up on the website https://southamptonfc.com/news/2018-06-28/gallery-southampton-pre-season-training-day-one-2018 Looks like him in the middle of photo number 18.

Some good points. We have a bloated squad that needs trimming and we need to trim to bring in new players to fit with in the Premier League squad size. It's a shame Tadic is going but he's one of the higher earners I would presume and he's given us a fair shift. I do wonder if the current batch of transfers are aimed not just as freshen up of the squad but a policy of reducing the wage bill and trying to correct the mistakes of the last few years in that regard.

And that is exactly why we pointed it out...

If it's any consolation, Wolfsburg only survived in the Bundesliga this season by winning a two leg play-off with the 3rd place team from Bundesliga 2 at the end of the season. So in that respect, they finished lower in their league than we did in ours, so we have a fighting chance.

You missed a bit of your quote off.

Given that Celtic spend much of their money and the last 5 seasons taking every other clubs best players, they shouldn't have lost as many as 8. With Rangers having messed up their fanances, they lost the only competition they had. Don't confuse them being good with a lack of competition.

It is now, but at the time it was written (half time) we were 5-0 up and both teams were +6 goal difference. Belgium were 8 scored v 2 conceded and we were 7-1. You are right as we are now 8-2 at the end of the game, it does go on disciplinary record, whic we lead we 2 yellow cards to Belgium's 3.

I must have missed that quote, can you provide a link for that. I'm not accusing you of making that up, I'm just amazed that he would be on wages that high at a Championship club that outstrip a new 5 year contract at a settled to half Premier League side.

Could do worse than signing a couple of these Iranian defenders. No nonsense & put their body on the line. And Tehran would make an interesting pre-season tour!

It's criminal that Mahrez, having initially thrown his rattle out of his pram in each transfer window, has actually accepted the clubs decision and given 100% for the club that pays his wages. Everyone knows that once a top 6 side makes an enquiry the player is legally obligated to act like a petulant cu nt and dawdle his way through the rest of season, annoying teammates and fans alike to ensure his move goes ahead. Perhaps that was because his head never arrived in Manchester...

According to the Sun, Huddersfield close to signing Anthony Limbombe from Club Brugge. Says Southampton were interested in him. https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/6574186/huddersfield-anthony-limbombe-club-brugge/ Nothing to back it up, other than they've had a bid turned down but prepare for the meltdown on here. But if we are interested in him then what happened to that supposed tie up we supposed to have with Club Brugge?

So what are your expectations here? We have apparently had a fee agreed with Norwich for the player, and he has chosen to go to club which finished well above us last season, has a league title & a season in the Champions League in the recent past and is seemingly in a more attractive place than us. So tell us how you would have got him to sign?

UEFA look at all the commercial deals done to ensure nothing like that happens. I seem to recall that UEFA took a long heard look at Manchester City and the deal they did with Etihad to sponsor the new ground and the surrounding campus. If they feel it's overvalued then they will reduce it's value to the market value and fine the club if they're still adrift on FPP.

Indeed...

You might be right with the too many average players, but I would phrase it as too many under-performing players as they didn't even reach average under Pellegrino. Question I would throw out there is, hypothetically, if we'd appointed Hughes instead of Pellegrino last summer, where do we think we would have finished with the squad we had?

Teaming up with Richard Chaplow.

Huddersfield also picked up Ben Hamer from Leicester.

An option to buy for £10m... but how much have they had to pay agents to get that deal done? Mendes influence at work again?

Not sure this season will show Sporting players at their best. Their Club President tweeted after they got beaten by Athletico Madrid in the Europa League that he was going to sack 19 members of the first team squad! They do appear to be a basket case of a club at the moment. Anyway, surely he could replace Carrillo?

Our season in a nutshell... Not strong enough at the back, Hoedt's attempt to defend Morata at the second goal was pathetic. A Midfield with an inability to pass a football. Strikers who simply struggle to put the ball in the back of the net. No luck whatsoever. Refs that cost us at vital points of the game.

Re the OP request to get Paul Mitchell back. No chance that will happen, he's just joined Red Bull Leipzig.

If we need a left back to replace Bertrand and we also want to look at up and coming Championship players rather than abroad, then I believe Fulham have one who has been getting very good reviews recently. He's also well within our price range... Matt Targett anybody? Okay he's not quite Ryan Sessegnon yet, but I think he's out of our range anyway with Spurs & PSG chasing him. It'll be a while before we sign a £50m left back.

As football fans, most of us will have played the game at a low level. However the game at a low level is under-funded massively. Can you take a look at the attached petition and, if you feel it's worth supporting, add your voice. Thanks. https://www.change.org/p/government-impose-5-levy-on-the-premier-league-s-broadcasting-rights-back-into-grassroots?recruiter=785501656&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=share_petition We call on Government to impose a 5% levy on The Premier League's £8.3bn combined revenue from UK and international TV deal for 2016-2019 to be reinvested back into Grassroots football Cuts by government to local councils are having a huge impact on Grassroots football across the country with most authorities not able to fund grassroots football anymore while the Premier League clubs have just spent £1.4bn in this summers transfer window. As many Grassroots clubs and teams struggle to survive in these difficult times with ever increasing fees and a lack of affordable facilities both indoor and out, we call on government to impose a 5% levy so that the £billions at the top of the tree reach the roots, the starting place for every football player.

And West Ham have become significantly less of shambles since he left in what way? I'm only advocating him short term *****il the end of the season) but I think he'll put a rocket under the players more than Hughes would. But looks like it's going to be Hughes so we'll need to get behind him.

Why? Didn't read what you wrote earlier. I'm throwing a name out there who is out of work at the moment and available. Realistically do I think we'll get him? No - but it's worth a phone call to his agent. Will I be outraged if we get Hughes ? No, would prefer Bilic but the fact the club have waited until 8 games left doesn't give us a lot of options. But why would you not consider getting the best option that might be available?