mcbendy

So, what's going to happen? At the moment it looks like the one position we'd like to strengthen in is second choice full-back. If KWP or Bertrand are injured our second string players are a significant step down. Where else will we strengthen? Any players who might leave us in January?

It seems likely that quite a few of our players (players generally....) have got caught up in the new quarantine rules.

Sorry - I haven't been through the whole thread, so this may be well known. I just noticed that LD Sports are the main shirt sponsor of Espanyol too. I guess I missed this news. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/17851448.ld-sports-now-sponsor-southampton-espanyol/ The shirts on sale on their website don't have a logo on the front: https://shop.rcdespanyol.com/en/1478-equipaciones-2020-21

I'm sure I read somewhere there's an option in the loan contract...

Yep, they have an option to buy as per their official website. This, plus what Harry himself said in an interview a few weeks ago, makes it near-certain that he will sign permanently for them. https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/august/08/harrison-reed-arrives-at-fulham

I'm sure I read somewhere there's an option in the loan contract...

I'm sure I read somewhere there's an option in the loan contract...

If it finishes like this then I reckon they'll buy him and we'll get a tidy transfer fee...

Is there a record for the longest thread of troll posts in a row?

Slightly premature, as we don't know the third team that is coming up, but I'm interested in your predictions for the 2020-21 season. What will the top four teams be, in what order? Who will get relegated? Where will Saints finish? Who will have a breakthrough season for us? How many goals will Che Adams and Ings get? Which PL managers will get sacked before or during the next season? Which academy player/s will make their debut for us during the season? Which clubs will come up from the Championship next season?

I'm excited to see what happens this summer and next season. The performance yesterday wasn't our very best defensively (see below...) but in terms of our attacking play we had a great game - good use of the ball to work it forward with good movement and penetrating passes. Redmond is so important to us offensively and defensively. I'm amazed at the negativity I see towards him on here. He should score more than he does, but he contributes so much in other ways. After a whole full season I feel confident that Ralph will be clear about who he wants to move on and what sort of player he wants to bring in. With Djenepo (and Reed?) back and a few fresh faces in we could have an exciting season to look forward to. Defensively yesterday there were some significant lapses. Danny was (clearly...) fouled on the edge of the area and we switched off. They had the time and space to play a long ball down the wing which JV didn't cut out. He then didn't hack down Sharp (should have taken the yellow...) and his lack of pace was then exposed. It was a good save by Alex, but Sharp should have scored... Their goal came from a cross from their left wing. Armstrong was (I think?) by then carrying his injury. He attempted to close down the cross but had to check his run to avoid colliding with another one of the SU players and so he failed to get close enough to stop the cross. JV then failed to read the flight of the ball and failed to clear it. I don't think RB was at fault - the ball just broke kindly for Sheffield United. Hopefully JV gets sold in the summer. The way we play (with a very high defensive line when we have the ball) leaves us badly exposed to counter-attacks if the opposition beats our initial press. He tends to dive in and miss the ball, or just gets taken out of the game completely with a single pass, like yesterday... He's also surprising bad dealing with crosses into the box, despite his strength and height. His main strength is heading away direct balls hoofed towards our penalty area from deep. He'd do better in a defence that sits deeper I think...

Look how much JWP and Bednarek have improved in their time at the club. Even Danny has improved within this season - he wasn't a fixture at the start of the season. Armstrong struck me as someone with talent but lacking the fitness to play in this system when he first joined. He's improved, and he's now on the pace of the game for 70 minutes, generally. In Che Adams I see someone with really good awareness. There have been times when his execution has let him down, but I think he's a bright guy and sees things. Like with Armstrong, I think it's not unexpected that moving up to this level has been challenging, especially given Saints all-action style. Our strikers are expected to press relentlessly when we haven't got the ball, then sprint when we have... Che seems like quite a gentle character, and I think his confidence was knocked by the long run without scoring. I can easily imagine him kicking on now, particularly with another pre-season under his belt. The issue for me with Obafemi isn't his ability as a finisher (though I think it's too early to judge this). The problem is that Ralph's system requires the strikers to press from the front, and MO can't (or doesn't). He jogs around in a tokenistic kind of way, but with nothing like the intensity of Ing or Long. It's either an attitude thing, or his body is better suited to fast sprints followed by a long rest... I wonder how he does on the bleep test... I think Adams is far closer to being a starter in Ralph's system than Obafemi. Adams needs more fitness and more confidence, and perhaps also the extra sharpness to the PL pace which I think comes with experience. Obafemi needs to improve his attitude and press properly...

McCarthy KWP Stephens Bednarek Bertrand Smallbone JWP PEH Redmond Long Ings

Yes, this

Yoshida is a better right back than Danso, defensively. He did actually put a few good crosses in, but defensively he was all over the place.

One way of looking at this is that at least Ralf had the chance to see how dreadful Danso is at right back, we didn't get knocked out and we didn't lose any league points. Hopefully he won't play him there against Liverpool...

Maybe. In which case that goal will put a few million on his value, hopefully...

Doh... Match thread has been renamed... Delete this one!

Phew. Looked much better once Danso was off. No thanks to the ref or Daniel Levy in the VAR booth...

If he goes, I suspect the club think that Smallbone is very close to his level, and with big potential

Re Danso - the OS says 'loan', and the BBC say 'loan with an option to buy' - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49290375 Given his physical attributes, and his age (only 21) I wouldn't be surprised if we made his signing permanent. Jack Stephens (25) is still fairly young for a centre back and seems to be blossoming of late. Up until only a few weeks ago I thought he was hopeless. Now, him and Bednarek are looking fairly solid. The first few times I saw Jan play I thought he was gash, too. If we're not going to buy a young top-notch first-team-ready centre back (spoiler alert, we're not - they cost £50m+) then we need to accept that the only sensible strategy is to try and spot someone who has that potential, and then develop them. After a year here on loan, Ralph should be able to judge whether Kevin fits the bill, or whether we have to look elsewhere. I'd be happier with him staying at the club than Vestergaard...

See here: https://ustreamix.su/stream.php?id=lfc-tv&token=baf-6c2-6ff-cc3-9ea-9f5-075-725-921-e70-ca

How about 4-3-3 with: Gunn Yoshida Danso Vestergaard Vokins Smallbone Romeu Slattery Obafemi Long Adams

We need somewhere to discuss the possible departures of Lemina, Carrillo, Hoedt etc and the summer transfer window thread has been locked. Plus... I was never a fan of cold Turkey. Personally I think Lemina will get a move to a major European club. I suspect we'll end up cutting our losses on Carrillo and loan him to Leganes again for peanuts. Hoedt might go on loan to a Spanish club perhaps? Moi to Turkey?