Saint86

Am i missing something re the official site, or are all the videos these days like 30seconds - 1min in length? In my mind coverage used to be a lot longer for the preseason training and activities. Same thing applies to new signings - is all the material basically just in short clips rather than one concise video that can just be watched without having to go searching for all the constituent parts? Its like the media team have lost the ability to focus for more than a minute...

I mean, you're more the one using statistics here Golac 😆. I'm just using a bit of judgement / reasoning to say that certain games weren't very reflective of the overall team performance... You're taking the actual data and repeating it verbatim to produce a 1.4 goals per game average 🙃 Plus ofc, we managed all of that with the bazunu factor between the sticks. Thats actually a very solid outfield 10 👀 (reaches for coat before i get lynched for doubting baz).

Hah, well... i know you shouldn't read too much into preseason friendlies, but losing to a 2nd string sligo rovers side is a far cry from beating national league Eastleigh 7-1 😅. Can imagine there would have been a mini summer meltdown on here if that happened to us 😅

Since my post was a comparison against the relegation side, i maintain that our defence should be better than that teams defence next year... Also, i've already broken this down on here, but if you take out the first 6 games (Norwich 4-4, Sunderland 5-0, Leicester 4-1) - when we were changing style and had a hugely unsettled squad - and the Leicester one off game in the run in (which has plenty of mitigations), we were a solid side last season; averaging basically goal against per game whilst also being the most attacking side in the league. The playoffs as well saw us switch to a more defensive shape in which we let in only one goal (vs WBA), which was a consolation goal deep in injury time. Leeds in the final we kept comfortably at arms reach bar a couple of long shots when they were giving it their all. Seems unreasonable to me to base next season's expectations off of Martin's defensive frailties (with other sides) when he was a very new/young manager, let alone in preference to his time at saints. If he wants to keep it tight, our tactics at the end of last season show we're more than capable of playing that way.

Thought it might be interesting to look at other team's transfers and found my way to Everton. Maybe i've been living under a rock, but they've not signed much quality this far, and they've sold Onana (played for them 30times last season and easily one of their best remaining players) for big money to villa. I'm assuming this is also related to PSR regulations as there appear to be multiple villa everton shenanigans going on, with 3 players changing over between the two sides - all of them under 22. They also sold Godfrey from defence (played for them 15times in the prem last season), and left winger dobbin (played 12 times in the prem and scored 1 goal), plus danjuma has returned to Villarreal (14 prem games, 1 goal - left wing again). On the face of it, i'd say they've got some serious strengthening to do if they want to stay competitive at the bottom end... Although they're probably sat there looking at Leicester (points deductions and limited funds), us, and ipswich and thinking they've got it comfortably wrapped up - let alone the likes of forest etc. This is their current outfield squad... It doesn't exactly scream quality - alot will hinge on whether they can keep DCL fit / the quality of their back up strikers.

Scored 11 goals in 39 last season. People will laugh, but i actually thought he was a good player for WBA. He played in a very defensive WBA side but was always a threat when we played them. Very powerful player that holds the ball up well, carries it, and stretches defences. With the way saints play he'll offer the physical presence that Che Adams offered, but is more mobile, and would be a good foil for Armstrong/smallbone/alcaraz/sulemana/edozie/fraser running off him if introduced late on or as a squad player. Given he's out of contract this summer, we'll be picking him up on the cheap - so as a minimum its more shrewd business to add depth and players for a worst case return to the championship. You'd like to think that this is a like for like che adams replacement, i.e. not the first choice prem level striker we're after!

Agreed.

The academy just isn't valued that highly by Sports Republic.

Stunning kits. Remind me again which cretin at the club is in charge of choosing our kits - need sacking asap.

So... i think what you're trying so suggest is that Downes is Martin's inside man and snitch on the inside of the squad? 😰

This is hardly a ringing endorsement of the website 😆.

The current squad is weaker than the one that got relegated (Lavia, Tino, JWP all missing), but the team that got relegated should never have gone down - That was entirely down to SR undermining the manager and coaching setup, sacking hassenhuttle, and then making two terrible appointments. Against that, I have faith that we once again have an effective style of play and team. The attack is weaker currently - its the same as what came down, minus Che - which is impressive.... but surely this is the window where SR finally buy a good striker?!?!? Surely?!?! Right?!?!?! The defence is better, and with Downes in midfield, a more structured defence, and the cb's we have for a back 5 - i think we'll be better defensively than when we got relegated. If we sign a good attacker, and possibly Ramsdale (i can't quite believe he'll go from Arsenal to saints, or that if he is available we'll be the ones to get him), then i think we'll be sound. Over to SR to finally sign a good striker...

This times 100. Its been said above, but these kit manufacturers must provide the club with a choice over kits, and time after time, some utter numpty in the club keep picking shit versions... It cannot repeatedly be the various kit manufactures constantly giving us poor kits.

The club wanted to maximise commercial revenue i guess.... hopefully that didn't include shirt sales 🤣

Not us. Ours are absolutely horrific.

The home kit is atrocious. Reminds me of the old flybe exeter kit (which was better). Struggle to nail "lower league" better if we had tried.

Why do the socks look like they're designed to prevent strokes post operation?!?!

People will laugh, but i actually do think Rollbit warrants fan push back. Awful company to be associated with.

Is this going to be clever accounting - i.e. we sign Downes so WHU can bank a larger fee and we can split the transfer spend over 4 years etc... and they sign KWP the same way around... or are we in with a chance of lining up with KWP and Sugar as our wing backs next year... Or has a bigger club come in for KWP

Trying to see how this doesn't look terrible on our striped shirts as well... Let alone the headlines where we get rolled over 😆

What an atrocious sponsor.

I'd have been more likely to cancel mine had tanswell moved back, the worst one though was Sheldon.

Think we need to just acknowledge that SR don't care about the academy tbh. They binned off most of the key staff that took the these batches through and developed them and they're now making no serious attempt to even keep what are some serious prospects. Feels like all they really want to do is buy young kids from elsewhere that they can sell on for a profit - seemingly no interest in developing our own home grown talent through to the first team.

Tbh, if we can't match lyon's wages for our best academy player it's pretty laughable. This is a pretty damning day all in.

I actually reckon Carlton Morris may not be a bad shout for us, certainly someone who can fill the Che Adam's void.