Saint86

I predict a tonking. I predict a tonking!!!! What do we reckon, 0-5? or do we think we'll score?

The championship net spent trophy won't win itself!

Agree with all of that. Fans didn't even boo at full time but the players absolutely deserve it for that shower of shit. They flattered to devieve today, and didn't really try/care. Almost like they're on holiday and waiting for the exits. Any other fanbase with give them both barrels and then some, but we just clap along like we're conditioned to it now. Eitherway we were outclassed by a championship team who had more shots on goal and a higher xG than us despite coming to park the bus. We won't be as strong as this next season, so it should be setting off serious alarm bells throughout the club and the fanbase. Question marks starting to appear over juric as well.

Between him and Charles, we've got a couple of very good championship players coming into the side in the summer.

I absolutely would not sell him to a championship rival. Scotland or Europe fair enough, but can you imagine him holing our promotion chance next year - either through significant goals and assists for another team, or more directly by sinking us in a game or 2.

I think we were circling the drain regardless, but ultimately that relegation led directly to the championship administration, then to League 1 minus 10... So i doubt we'd have had Leiherr's buyout and the Don in charge, no Lambert, Fonte, Nigel et al, no back to back promotions, no poch, not EFL tophy win, no 2014 buy and sell under Koeman, and probably no Europe and league cup final. So really, it all worked out for the best, and in footballing terms it shows that sometimes you really do have to hit bottom to come back stronger. Just a shame that we lost our way once Marcus passed and then under successive owners with poor investment - and more recently with investment but poor recruitment. But does give me faith that we'll come again.

Yup. Just like i remember everyone saying at the time how costly it was, and just like i think back to it even now sometimes when we let a late goal in. Not quite the same, but i also remember Doucoure's last minute hand ball equaliser for Watford.

Indeed, i know we're not ones to talk at the moment, but when was the last time QPR watched a competitive Premier league Hoops side at Loftus road? 😅

So... are you saying this is a bad game to take my 6 year old to? ^_^ I reckon Burnley will rotate because for them its all about finishing top 2. We won't rotate much because we need to actually get some confidence in the side, and we'll score 2 or 3 against them. Probably the most nailed on saints win for the rest of the season. Have i jinxed it enough? Ideal world, i look forward to an updated graphic that shows Games 32 | GA 13 on sunday morning 😆

I think this is overly pessimistic on a couple of fronts. CB wise: Personally, its unlikely that we chose to shift both THB and Bednarek in the summer. On THB especially, he's almost certainly got a relegation wage clause in his contract, and we've only just signed him this year (i.e., has a long contract remaining). If he does go we'll be able to set the price and presumably sell him for a profit (or chose not to) - and that money can be reinvested. I personally also think that Woods, Edwards, and one of THB/Benarek is a very solid set of CBs for the league. Plus we've got the somewhat hyped french youngster on the books as well (Sanda). Suga is certainly good enough for the champ given his pedigree. Wellington looks like he'd certainly not be out of place in the worst case. Plus we have Manning as LB on the books who is more than proven at championship level having already been in a promotion winning side. CM: Charles and Downes... if there is a better CM pair in the champ next season i'll be somewhat surprised. Not clear Aribo will be off - He's rumoured to be on high wages and would likely command a small fee (which can be reinvested). Smallbone is a good squad player for a promotion side as a minimum. At times he was very good for us last year as well, albeit in a different system. Attackers: Firstly, i think its very unlikely that we shift all of Lallana, Fernandes, and Dibling this summer. I think its even more unlikely that we shift all 3 of them and don't strengthen the attacking midfield significantly. We'll retain at least 2 of Armstrong, Archer, Onuachu, Edozie, Sulemana. All of which will be very good players at championship level. Whatever we sell here will be replaced with players of at least a similar standard imo (except maybe Sulemana). Don't forget, we have the loch ness drogba (rumoured to exist although sited very sporadically).... In all seriousness, i wonder if we can even give him away at this point. Loans: The club will certainly make use of the loan market again - which was particularly well used last season imo - And groanbaek and Lesley haven't been bad acquisitions this year either. At championship level, as a promotion chasing side, and with our facilities - we have surely got to be one of the most desirable places for the bigger clubs to send a promising u21 player next season. Edit - i've written off BBD - i don't think we'll see him in a saints shirt again due to the rumoured promotion clause in his loan, but if we do then he's a proven player at championship level.

Woah woah woah there woodsaint, hold your horses. We've done some excellent business for the group - signed a couple of really promising youngsters don't you know? Plus we've bunged our struggling french sister club 5Million smackeroos to get them climbing up the table. Its all coming together, you've just got to think long term!!!

Had to check this. He played 14min for spam in the first game of the season. Hadn't realised that. Shame as he could do a job for us truth be told.

JWP recalled from Forest - do we have a loan spot free still?

Harsh narrative imo. He cost relative peanuts, is a polish international, and has been here for many years now - he's put in some good seasons in that time under ralph / martin (i.e., promotion) that make up for the fee. Surely the real reason you're directing your ire at him is because we've spent tens of millions on defensive players since and its all been pissed away (i.e., bednarek is still the best we've got 🤣) - but that isn't bednarek's fault.

I don't know, that isn't up to me - but we don't need people like that putting their own negative spin on things for a wider audience. Rumour spreading like that finds its way into wider circulation over time. I also find it hard to believe you're okay with this particular example given you're usual exacting standards.

Charlie Wyat sounds liike a right bell end has to be said. Literally twisted what Juric said to an entirely different meaning just to create a very negative angle and get some bites. Need to lose people like this from around the club tbh.

That was also my reading 😅

The January window is obviously something of a damp squid, but it has made me wonder about next season. Does anyone have a feel for what our wages to turnover ratio is this season? I've seen it reported that the club has sorted out any serious financial concerns re wages and that we've got headroom for next season. I'd like to think that most of our players have relegation clauses re wages as well. The squad is currently too large regardless and i think everyone will agree it needs thinning, but you'd like to think that even with pretty major cuts to the playing squad we can still can put together a very solid side for the championship next year. My assumed list of retained players As a minimum i think we'll be looking at something like the following being retained: GK - Bazunu, Macca, Lumley CBS - Two of THB/Bednarek/Stephens, then Woods and Edwards, Sanda potentially. Full backs - Suga, Bree, Manning, Wellington, Larios CM - Downes, Smallbone, Shea Charles Wingers/Attacking mids - Fraser, Edozie, SAA, Lallana i'd guess. Strikers - Arma and Stewart (I'd like to see us sell him but it isn't going to happen is it 😅😂). We also potentially have a couple of the Goztepe players to come in - Juan and Matsuki. Likely exits/sales I think we'll likely see most of the following moved on / hitting the exit door. I've tried to put indicative numbers against each of them - i'm sure people will have differing views on these but i've given a rounded down figure at end of this post. Ramsale (£25M), BBD (7M), Archer (£15M) , Onuachu (£7M), Dibling (£50M), Fernandes (£20M), Sulemana (£10-15M), Aribo (£5M), ABK (5M), Taylor (£1M). What will be required Looking at the squad from a championship perspective, I think i'd want to see 1-2 good quality additions in the attacking mids/winger positions (rather than quantity), as well as a good quality striker, possibly an improvement at FB/WB as well. I feel that would see us being very competitive for the automatic spots. Loans (with / without options to buy should aid this as well). And where i say "quality" in the above, these need to be players with the ability/potential to improve / step up into the prem and continue to improve and develop. Similar to what the likes of lallana, Morgan, Puncheon, Jose, Rickie did for us previously - i.e. the recruitment team need to actually going out and identify and buy good quality younger players with an ability level near to a Fernandes (who we signed for 15M euros) this summer. In terms of looking beyond promotion and building a team that can not only get promotion but survive - this should also be supplemented by strengthening the positions that are currently not good enough for the prem as it stands - i.e., we should be looking for a player who can become a prem standard CM, an upgrade at CB, and someone who will become a prem standard keeper (assuming ramsdale does leave that is). You'd like to think we'd have a healthy wedge available - The sales outlined above should bring in circa £130-£140M at the end of the day, hopefully wages are in good order, and we've secured parachute payments. It may also require Solak to dip his hands in his pockets a bit to make sure we land on our feet and don't waste what is going to be one of our last chances to get recruitment right.

This basically.

He's a far better manager than Nathan Jones for starters, and with greater experience and pedigree. As for the squad.... Its dire quality wise and full of bloat, it absolutely needs dismantling and rebuilding by the end of the summer. If juric is going to be our manager next season and doesn't fancy the likes of Archer then so be it. Its not his fault that he's not good enough for us in the prem, he's isn't contributing to our season currently, and i've got no issue under those circumstances loaning him out if it means more money which we can use to get players we actually want in in the summer or when a new DoF is involved.

Bit harsh on stu, he's 32, knows the club, and always did a good job for us when he was fit. You could see his passion in the game where it all went wrong and he was giving his all, almost scored, and how upset he was when he went off injured. If he hadn't left this summer, the fans would have been happy he stayed.

Snap their hands off for that. He gets champ experience in a promotion side, might help leeds get out of the division (a good thing), and we save his wages (maybe a small fee as well). Win win all around.

Should get him back on a 2 year contract given we'll be playing in the champ again next season... He was one of our best players last year (in and around injuries). I guess it depends what we do with Lallana.

Hah, whilst funny, it was 1-1 when he went off injured...

Justin Bijlow came off injured (again) tonight. Honestly astounded we didn't sign him 😄