Saint Troy

im genuinely enjoying this - normally i come on the transfer thread and learn bugger all about anything - with this im actually finding stuff out so its not a waste of time. From now on maybe if people are only going to talk nonsense they could put a fact at the bottom of their post so my time isnt wasted. Bats hang upside down in a different way to we would. We use an active grip using several muscles and tendons. A bats tendons to its claws are only connected to its upper body and so muscles are used to open its claws but once they are gripped by relaxing their claws their own body weight holds the tendons shut and they are hanging there at no effort at all.

This is the odd thing - when he came in back end of the season he really did very well from what i could see. Not flawless or super fast but just liked actual defending (heading, blocking, getting rid of the ball from danger etc). He then had really quite a decent world cup - was left out then his addiion improved the side for next couple of games. Come home and then frozen out. No idea what influence Reed had on the Hoedt situation though - probably felt he couldnt afford another failed signing (and ultimately was right) so maybe there was some pressure there. Hes doing brilliant, love the simplicitiy but also he clearly cares about his profession - he worked hard to find out how he could improve in many areas when left out and we are reaping the rewards of his characther now. Great to see. Be interesting to se him in a back four but at the mo loving everything he does

Too right! Every academy product should be Bske or take out and shot. Joking aside I think being a youngster in a pretty solid first team is very different to being one of a few in a less established team so valery has been at a real advantage there.

where does it say we cant afford to compete with him?! maybe saints dont fancy him as much as other options or dont want to get in to an auction?

(i know its not the shane long thread but given hes who we're trying to improve upon in jan....) I agree hard work is the minimum you should expect but firstly - you dont always get it from others where you do with Long and secondly - one persons hard work isnt the same as anothers. If you were asked to build a saints player out of all the characteristics of the players we have had over recent years then work ethic would be Long (shh its a likely scenario). What i mean is that yes all should work hard but he is well above others and the norm and to write that off is wrong. Hes still not my preferred route for the future but theres a place in the squad for him with the way ralph plays i think for sure

but Vardy cant be penalised retrospectively because it didnt con the ref! Football is so far behind the times its unfunny.

Young player playing his first few games adn trying to prove himself thats all (at this stage). Its a hi energy high press system and he missed teh mark a bit. Think he got little too involved with some more experienced guys but will learn. Nothing really to see here i dont think. Hes not nasty and has made mistakes. I thought he was fine with the pen shout personally. There was contact - wasnt a pen but not a horrible dive. If you want to see a nasty dive look the other end at vardy. Could be wrong but dont think theres an issue ther ereally

there seems to be an assumption that we have an absolute need to sell before we can buy. I think we need to under instruction yes but that doesnt equate to an absolute need. Regardless of what Gao wants to put in to the club unless he is happy to sit there and burn money then of course he wants dead wood sold before new blood comes in. From what was said in the press conference there are irons in the fire and we are working to bring people in. We are also working to get rid of people. I think the only one i am not comfortable with is McCarthy - the others nearly all are happy to see go. Cedric may cause some questions but i can see why he would go if he is saleable and not appearing totally up for the fight. If i was gao id be asking for the same process to be takign place right now. Without les reed its clear Gao on some level was quite involved with Ralphs appointment and there will have been an understanding about this transfer window and i imagine an agreement that a lot needs changing. It makes sense that if a lot changes then people have to go to accommodate that - we already have too many on the wrong kind of loan (not experience seeking - just trying to get our of the building) and when the squad is full no matter who you bring in the end result is more people on loan or not figuring on match day. Id keep McCarthy and from the conference it sounds as though Ralph would too. Maybe there is the reason to worry btu not wih every other transfer thats possible thats been touted. Given the choice between Valery/Reed/Stephens/Maya etc at RB and a new striker or CB that Ralph wants or keeping Soares id take teh former every time. Maybe its just sensible to try to get rid of some people even if that means a little bit of wheat gets out with the chaff too - its about changing the momentum of the entire unit

No idea how Ralph sees him but assume in their 1 to 1 he made it clear he wasn’t loving being at saints and wasn’t committed and that was that. Not itk but he’s given most a chance really soassumw it’s more than just not thinking he’s any good

Anyone got a link to a stream that works on a phone? Thanks in advance (hopefully!)

personally i think he stays there. hes playing regularly and playing pretty well. Reminds of the Lallana mould a little a bit of lower league time did him no harm. Feels like a positive loan at the moment. Needs to be aware we are still looking at him and he needs to be a part of the new direction of teh club but dont see the immediate benefits in bringing him back unless hes really going to be playing first team footy this year

Sadly (given Valerys effort and the exciting fact hes a academy youngster) it has to be soares. Itll happen for Valery and expect him to be gradually brought in so soares can do one. Think its hard to compare as Valery looked v competent defensively at teh weekend but cedric does with 3 CBS - he doesnt have as much far post defending to do in that set-up.

dont think its anywhere negative as the impression you give to be fair. He says he asked to play in under 23s because of a lack of fitness from not playing any matches the way i read it and the fact there is more intensity under Ralph implies less under hughes but its not exactly openly scathing. Dont get me wrong i dont think for one minute it was hard work under hughes or things were going well - i loike the way ralph has started too but its not really a scathing attack on hughes. Fingers crossed the Romeu of earlier years comes out to play as that would be like a new signing for ralph

it really is a fair analogy - it doesnt typically matter what you earn - you get used to it and so earning the same for doing more can be annoying. If anything how well paid they are is testament to how preciously they are treated and in fact may take it worse than people like us paid a normal wage and just used to accepting ****! Not saying i agree they should be annoyed but the previous poster is correct in my opinion.

I thought it was made clear he would be on the bench for this game (as would be classed as an official cap) but could get playing time in the next game later this week. As for demanding 16 year olds pledge their allegence thats plainly ridiculous. There are many people who it is no option, always been a simple choice but for others thats not the case. If you feel an equal allegiance to the lands you live in, grew up in and your heritage is from then so what, choose whichever you want. No need to make that choice as a kid when you dont know enough about things to make a good choice. Its a shame i agree that it feels like it devalues the cap for people who only know one option (genuinely makes me grumpy too sometimes) but its just different situations and silly not to see that.

Interesting interpretation of spine - cant really have a decent spine which includes one grumpy meandering left back (good as he is) as the defence! So often its all about building from CB and we have not sorted it. Romeu is a conundrum - one which i dont think anyone has really provided a good answer on on here - he was great after victor left and now cant get in the side and looks ponderous at best - wonder whats happened to him. Maybe a new manager could reinvigorate him or maybe he wanted to go and still does.

not that i disagree with some of the sentiment but im not sure what hes said wrong here. Isnt he saying its importnat to get the poiints to get us out of the real scrap and work towards midtable. Sort of seams an ok ambition to be midtable end of this season really. Anything morethan that would be complete bs

"We are expecting a change in performance and a change in results with some minor shifts we have done within the club." This is the interesting bit to me. The changes.... Reed/Hunter gone. I understand they are big players but in theory those two going on a thursday shouldnt impact the result at teh weekend. This means something has been happening that has been some form of interference - be it the team formation/personnel we may never know or we may know at teh weekend. Either way i found it a quite pointed and interesting comment. Interested to know if anyone has any snippets about what it is referring to??

terrible analogy. Its like a bricklayer being used to laying in one style and then being asked to lay in another style. Clearly they will be able to do it but they will get better at it while they get used to it. Still not a perfect analogy of course but to think footballers dont need to settle in is ludicrous. Playing styles of the league, club, partnership with full back etc, pace of play etc and a thousand other reasons why it is a situation that clearly takes place... probably doesnt show as much when youre cruising the league to be fair

If I ran a perm team and a player had the ****s and thought it was a bug they’d stay away from the facilities for a good 48hrs or more from when cleared up. He’s been playing the the World Cup v recently so his fitness should be fine. Not saying this is true as equally speculative but with no noises in the press at all it is just as possible he had a bug for 24hrs and has been kept away until certain it’s clear. In all it’s as likely as not he’s just been a bit poorly

Its comments like that that made our Kenyan friend leave i reckon!

THe goalkeeper situation is about risk and timing. If there is an injury do we want FF as 1st choice all season. Also the timings that Gunn has come available - do we think that oevr the next 2/3 years we will have an opportunity to pick up someone this highly rated again? Seems a fair move really - be a shame to have a great striker in and FF in goal all season just as muc has having 3 keepers and relying on our current bunch up front

obviously v silly to assume anything from squad list but it does look like stephens is out there as a right back from the order of the list

would assume bertrand at wing back and bednarek/hoedt at CB. Hughes rightly impressed with Bednarek at end of last season - not sure how hi world cup went but he got game time and clearly has promise. Other than that, with that formation looks a likely side at this stage of proceedings i reckon

They are pretty much available in the same way that any footballer it - certainly noone is looking to get rid of zaha surely - just he wants a bigger club (and thats not us really). Martial wantsa games i agree but he wants them in teh champions league and will get them (and thats not us). Abraham isnt a bad shout - questions about gallagher but my preference would be to bring him through wit hwhat we have rather than pick up abraham (not the same as saying hes as good at this stage as abraham). Would be a reasonable signing for us im sure though