benali-shorts

You were right re Onuachu rather than BB-D. My apologies. At risk of engaging you, Archer has 18 championship goals across two seasons (18 in 42 apps) so prolific is a generous description. We know Armstrong's strengths and weaknesses. I don't think he is the shoo-in to that you do to bang in the goals next season given his experience and form this season. Spors has already stated how important physical resilience will be next season with regards to players being able to play two or three times in a week. Onuachu should be a question mark on that basis, as well as regarding his potential suitability for a high-pressing game. There are concerns over each of the three and it would be naive to assume a best-case scenario for each of them.

Two of those strikers have paltry returns in the Championship this season, having had confidence-sapping experiences in the Premier League - so on current evidence, I wouldn't be confident that they would be prolific next season. I would hope Archer would be more effective in the Championship, but we have yet to see signs of it in a Saints shirt. If we start the season with all three and no other strikers, I would be extremely concerned. If in addition Bazunu is in goal with McCarthy as back up, I would be highly dubious about our credentials for finishing in the top 2. It would also suggest that Spors' rebuild had failed to address two key areas of weakness that have been evident for the last 3+ seasons, and as such would undermine confidence in SR further still.

If we have those strikers and that keeper, I think I'm going to top myself.

Brereton subbed off at half time, and Armstrong after 60 mins as our two heroes tear up the Championship.

They strike me as a particularly thick bunch of lads, even by footballer standards.

Lest we forget Ryan Fraser too

Agree with all of that, but not sure the meat-market type venue is particularly conducive to that type of player identification / trading. It's probably quite useful to meet several clubs / agents under one roof. But mainly I'm hoping that we might identify players whose clubs don't need to pimp them out at the Ankersens late night disco. I can see Phil Parsons accidentally coming back with 450 hoovers and another right back.

A vague and ambiguous link to Jim Magilton, now Cliftonville manager. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c98166j9l0xo

It seems like a marketplace tool, and particularly useful for the selling club - it feels like quite a reactive way to sign players though. Hopefully Spors will be more proactive in identifying players, although I'm sure Rasmus will be keen to continue using (and presumably paying commissions to) a company which he and his brother own. I wonder what question we asked Transfer Room for Ryan Fraser to be the answer?

No Sam A-A in U19s?

All the mobility of Robocop in goal. No-man's land for the second. All so depressingly familiar.

Running over the same old ground....

Lucky they don’t have VAR

Sam A-A started for Strasbourg in Cup last 16, played 80 mins, losing 3-1. Mara and Silla also started, Silla subbed at h-t.

The previous summer of Larios, Aribo, Edozie, Caleta-Car, AB-K, Mara & Bazunu only saved from ignominy of a full-house incapable of strengthening the first team by the Lavia deal. Like kids in a sweet shop.

And if so, good timing by Ipswich to make an offer / unsettle the player in the week prior to playing us.

THB diving in and getting turned (again), Bednarek marking thin air. Take your pick. Both as crap as each other.

WTF is THB doing there? He has had a total shocker so far.

Sulemana, Dibling, TP and Armstrong probably is enough, in terms of quantity as opposed to quality? If archer is Juric’s 5th choice, he’s unlikely to get much game time (I’d prefer him to Armstrong but they probably see AA as fine for next season whereas Archer is more sellable?).

Suspect we'll leave the loan until the last minute (or perhaps more accurately, until all of the loanee's other options haven't materialised....). I'd be surprised if they didn't use the loan given Sulemana and Dibling injuries.

Wasn't Rasmus the one who recommended Juric before we appointed Jones?

Hopefully Dragan will see sense and get in a proper visionary business leader like Mickey Fialka. He'd deliver the five pledges. Maybe even six.

Odd that Kraft was so ineffectual, and good that the need for change has been recognised.

He must keeping bringing players on, thinking that they can't possible be any worse than the current ones, only to be unpleasantly surprised each time. Next cab off the rank will be AB-K, who has barely played for 18 months, having been a mainstay of our relegation defence. Poor old Juric will be genuinely excited at the prospect of Stephens being available next month. Someone should warn him......

The Narcissistic One is President of Goztepe, and has absolutely, definitely nothing to do with Saints whatsoever. None of this mess is his fault, he has been in Turkey the whole time. He will only be involved once things are going well, and then it will all be down to him, and nothing to do with Phil Giles or Matthew Banham.