MarkSFC

I'm not one who trusts Alfie House information. My impression is that he is happy to believe the negative and conservative approach around Saints and despite his working connection to the club doesn't "really" know much. If you compare his reporting to Adam Blackmores, there is a difference of general opinion. Clearly we haven't got 100s of millions to spend but I also do not believe it's as date as he is trying to make out. He's a fan I believe and our fan base in large parts is extremely negative and pessimistic and I do not think it's helps. He is in that mindset I believe. And that's fine but I take most of what he says with a big pinch of salt, not because I don't want to hear it, but because I think he makes assumptions based on his general feeling. There is no sense in gambling on stating up by not spending / buying 2-3 more definite improvements to the squad on top of what I think has been a good window overall so far. The cost of relegation will almost certainly be more than the say 70-80m outlay still required (less sales don't forget) to get more quality to have a much better chance of survival. Dragon is quoted (I believe) as saying they wish to make us a top 8 competitive team. This needs clever investment over 3 or 4 seasons. Not spending now puts that massively at risk.

Well we have with some but THB and FD were more than that. If we have any chance of staying up we need to sign 2 or 3 more in the 20-25m bracket to get a certain quality that will more likely help us now rather than a year or two down the line. It feels to me like we might have 3 or 4 deals lined up but just waiting for 2 or 3 to go out too, so it's just getting all the pieces aligned and hopefully that will happen over the next week. I'm not worried yet but if no more come in this window I will be.

It might be that Stewart has a big injury set back which necessitates (even more so) the need for another one. If it was public knowledge then perhaps teams we approach will know this and assume we are more desperate meaning we end up paying more. So by keeping it quiet we be better placed in negotiations.

Oh....

At the risk of sounding stupid, who is TP?

Best players GK...AmC. need an upgrade! LB...Taylor, Manning, kids. 👍 RB...KWP (if stays), Sugawara. 👍 Bree. Not so good if KWP goes in terms of back up. CB...Bednarek, THB 👍. Edwards. High potential. Stephens, okish back up. Wood. Doesn't look great so far. Ideally (unlikely) get rid of Stepehns and get someone better than the lot of them!! CM....Downes 👍 Charles, not great. Smallbone, average. NEED SOMEONE ELSE AM....Alcarez 👍 Smallbone?? Dibling, looks good. Lallana, happy eith him as sub. NEED SOMEONE BETTER THAN ALL OF THEM WINGERS/FRONT PLAYERS Edozie 👍 Sulemana, jury out. Armstrong 👍 BBD 👍 SAA 👍 STRIKERS Stewart. Hopefully comes good as I think he can. Armstrong 👍 BBD 👍 Mara, get rid. NEED AN OUT AND OUT STRIKER So my take on our situation is that we need players in these positions that are BETTER than we have. GK- Ramsdale 🤞🤞🤞 CM - 🤔 AM - O'Riley still available but who knows STRIKER - 🤔 CB - I'd take Gomez from Liverpool. But someone with good experience or huge potential. I still expect us to get Fraser back too. So far a good window, and a bottom 6 team, need 4 or 5 quality signings / loans to push further.

Like I've said in other posts, his value will mostly be on the training pitch and his sharing of his experience which cannot be underestimated. Of our current squad he has the most in that regard. He is clearly a coach in the making and we will benefit from him for sure, even if on the outside it looks like he's not contributing alot on Match day on the pitch. I think he's a very good signing.

Now he would be awesome!!!!

That does not mean he is better than S Armstrong is/was!!!

Whenever a player touted as our big/main signing of any particular window seems to drag on (for weeks after first link) I think it rarely happens. It's clear he has other suitors, and as I've stated already, I believe if we are to get him it needs to/will happen this week. The reason I think that is that this delay indicates that one party at leastis not settled on the idea; either we are limiting our bid (which indicates we don't hold him "that highly or important"), or he is not completely sold on the idea (which is clearly not great), or Celtic are playing hardball (which will just drag it out further and probably create a bidding war). All this delay tends to dampen the excitement of this potential. We certainly need a player of a higher level in the attacking midfield area, and if MO proves to be we shall see but I cant help thinking we have moved on already (caveat, it happens today or tomorrow🤣🤣).

I think Lallanas value will be more in the training pitch. That doesn't mean he won't have a part to play on match day but I think it was a very shrewd signing. Probably as much with a view to doing the coaching team in a year or two as sharing his immense PL experience with our developing youngsters. I can see why every player has been signed so far, this is exciting, we seem to be very clear in our targets. O'Riley (🤞🤞), an out and out striker (still wonder about Broja being worth a punt), another DCM (on the basis Charles does go) seems necessary, plus of course the most important signing, a GK. Great to have a really positive summer window!!!

Well the Mets stadium was a replacement for the Shea stadium...and presumably the bolt of lighting referes to a bright light in the sky of signings or that it strikes again at celtic🤔🤔🤔

As does Ben Brereton Diaz!

I'm sure the club is days ahead of the "news" in their actions. It always amuses me when people comment on these tweets as if they are live news!!!

If we REALLY do want O'Riley and he's that good for us, then I don't see why we've not made it happen yet given at least one other team seems interested. Some players are just "one on the list of suitable options" and some are more specific. If we don't get this done this week I doubt we will.

Yeah I agree, 5 more sounds alot but it is needed. Some players will go, ABK, Lis, Sulemana maybe, and a few of the youngsters will no doubt go out on loan. Dibling should be in the squad, as should SAA. I also agree GK is critical. We've heard whispers that lots is going on so likely there will be a few more new players by the end of the window.

BBD is a decent if unspectacular signing. Unlike many I think Stewart will come good and I suspect the club will assume this. We still have AA who can of course play through the middle but I'd love it if we get one more. If we can get O'Riley (who I admit I've never seen play, but from all reports is decent) plus this lad from metz then that's some good attacking business. I think we still lack another DCM, hopefully another coming in there. Plus a GK. If we can get these done then it will be a very good window, which is going very well so far!

Just get him in!!! 20m or 30m....who cares!!!

It's an Ox eye daisy

SR, Dragon, have stated their desire to be a top 8 contending club if I remember correctly. This means they MUST invest in some quality players. Too many clubs are now purchasing players for 20, 30, 40m, clubs who we might consider outside the top 6. The reality is, they either step up or we will just go straight down or certainly not last more than a couple of seasons. I expect 3 more players at least in the 20-30m bracket to sign this window regardless of what many people seem to think is a very limited budget. These guys aren't actually srltupid!!! As for the youngsters conversations, of course ideally we keep them and they develop into PL class players but if the clubs judgement is that they won't or the money is too much to refuse (and helps current scenario) then so be it. I don't care what name represent Saints, I just want those names to be good enough to help us compete every season in the top 10/12 without any potential worries for relegation - but this is getting harder every single season - hence the need to buy some quality now.

This does not say AMc us number one GK....

How do you define "right players for our system"?

If the owners are serious about stating in and competing in this league they will have to spend big 25m+ on at least 1 or two players each season. The quality in the top 10 is getting better and better and only those outside that who can find some gems but also get a few decent quality players in their team will not be fighting relegation. We have potential in our twma and squad and that's good but we need some real quality NOW. Ramsdale would be just that. Here's hoping the club know this and can pull it off.

He's played there a lot! But I get your point.

Is it possible that we are planning on KWP staying and signing a new deal and that Taylor will actually be used as a left-sided CB (probably in a 3), with Sugawara/KWP and KWP/Manning/Larios as the wing back choices and as the youngsters develop?