SaintLondon

€3m for Perraud - deal almost done according to Fabrizio Romano

Ryan Fraser popping up with a late winner at St James Park (for Saints) to silence the Newcastle fans would be nice.

Ings isn't signing.

I don't care about the way he left all that much, he was young, he went about it all wrong but whatever, it was Liverpool and he won the PL and the CL so can't really blame him. What I don't like is this - https://x.com/_LiamGrace/status/1795399641225212027 "I'm a Bournemouth lad, I'm not Southampton, I'm Bournemouth through and through" Again, who really cares if he does a job, it's just that it'll cut through all his PR nonsense about how great it is to be 'home' Many times, he's shown that Southampton isn't anything to him other than an employer so let's not get dewey eyed upon his return plz.

Opta Supercomputer giving Saints an 8.7% chance of autos now. I know nothing is done until it's done but it's such a shame that seemingly two blips are going to dictate our season. Also, madness if Leicester throw this away from where they were...

Christ.

"He isn't" You're right, we would sell, we would reduce spending and there would be lay offs. The future plans for the club rely on us going up and going up this season. We won't be able to compete at the business end of the Championship and years of mediocrity in the second tier would be a distinct possibility. I'm not talking 2009 but I mean we would be in big trouble as to our future proof planning of being a solid mid-table PL club. It's all up in the air if we don't get promotion. So I'm led to believe.

Emmanuel Dennis going back to Watford on loan - taking a 70% pay cut. Remember when people were crying that we didn't sign him. Good signing for Watford tbf. Let's hope he's not registered by the weekend eh?

Yes, well, not yet. However the club *needs* to go up this season. Otherwise, it's not good news.

https://x.com/sachatavolieri/status/1747299540477071592?s=46&t=Byxa-eg_DNJ2-nyxjcqITw Back For Benson

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/stadium-developments-upgrading-matchdays-at-st-marys

I had completely forgotten about him.

🤝 Indeed, we can disagree agreeably!

This is all well and good but when the performances being churned out are so below par, it isn't unreasonable to question them. What do you want us to to do on a forum, where the sole purpose is to discuss the club, on a thread designed to discuss the manager? Talk about how we're fine with playing the way we are? Not to call out odd decision making? Not to vent our anger on the same mistakes happening week in week out? You're in the minority pal and you might want to go elsewhere if it irks you so much. He's clearly going to be given time so you needn't worry yourself.

I'm reminded of a certain lower league manager saying something about 'levels'

My major worry here is that I think it's clear that Russell isn't working, the longer he's had the worse he's making the players. I don't remember him banging on so much about scar tissue when we were winning. He's a rabbit in the headlights and I genuinely think he's scratching his head as to how to dig us out of this mess. But back to my worry, who do we turn to? If you're a high performing current Championship manager at the likes of Hull, Sunderland or Ipswich then even if the club allowed you to talk to us, why would you come to us? We're a basket case of a club and let's be honest, we have been since the Puel days. The only sort of manager that will come here is a journeyman which is a risk of course or even riskier someone we've not heard of from the Serbian second division. I don't want to be accused of bed wetting but I actually think we're in rather a dangerous / bleak position here, do I think we'll be relegated? No, I don't. Do I think we're (as it stands) destined for years of mediocrity in the Championship? Yes. Great fun this Championship lark.

I can only go on previous transfer windows under SR where they have failed to address the forward line. Losing Che and Mara with 24 hours to go in the window might be 'part of the plan' but I'm just saying I'm not filled with confidence but in Manji we trust. .......please make these people go away FFS

I’ve a nasty feeling we’ve sanctioned the Che & Mara deals without replacements and SR and banking on being able to find a striker last minute.. Tall Paul all over again…

Yes but with a £5m loan fee. Basically his worth.

It does seem awfully quiet but I wonder after Russell's comments the other day about "too much gets out at this club" that they've tried to make it more water tight. I'll take quiet tbf - I'd rather keep everyone we've got and not sign anyone further. Yes, it would have been nice to replace Tella but I think we can make do with what we've got. A championship team of the likes of Che, KWP, Downes, Alcarez, Sulemana & co should be more than enough to fight for promotion. If we can get rid of a few more bits of dead wood then I'd say it's not all doom and gloom.

Been away all day in meetings - just home. What have I missed? All good news I trust..

I've just written a few posts up that we need to realign our expectation now we're a Championship club but Ryan Fraser is not a good signing. A proven disruptive influence in the dressing room and potentially blocking the pathway of a younger player. Maybe SR do want to recoup as much money as possible and think they can Rasmus a promotion push on the cheap. Idk. I'm not filled with confidence but it really really does hang on who stays now rather than who comes in.

We just have to realign our expectations now we’re in the championship and remember that the market is always a bit of a domino effect. I personally feel like we’re missing quite a few components but until I fully shit the bed, I’ll wait another week and see what’s what. I’d like to think that if we really wanted Piroe for example we could have got him for £12m and let Everton have Che for £15m staggered. I’m holding on to the fact that we’ve hired some proper people like Wilcox from the footballing perspective and the Dyson fella from a commercial POV. I don’t think they would come here if it was all penny pinching and just balancing the books etc. It’s very easy to be reactionary and I guess we just have to wait and see what happens and “TRUST THE PROCESS”

Wood not happening… Holgate in. Hope that’s not a pre deal with Everton for Che..

Leeds agreed £12m deal for Piroe