mrfahaji

Correct, although he also takes quite a good free kick from a wide position. Probably because it's similar to taking a corner. Agree on his free kick shooting though. Having said that, if his corners are so good, why do we never score from them? And if it's because we haven't got good enough players in the air, should we see a 'set piece specialist' as something worth having in the team if it comes at the expense of overall quality?

I've heard similar, although only as much as "he seems like a good bloke" kind of stuff, nothing very specific or interesting.

Come on John Boy, he's Dutch. I think this is just an excuse not to talk to you

Agreed, to an extent! I tihnk a lot of people are also quick to dismiss Austin's mobility, and I wonder how much of that is watching him play with their own eyes, and how much is just assumption based on a few snippets here and there. I saw a couple of poor games from him last year, but I also saw a few games where he lead the line excellently - chased down defenders, held the ball up, brought other people into play etc. And then there is the obvious goal threat, as well as being capable in the air. Of course, compared to Gabbiadini and Long he isn't as mobile. But before him we had Pelle, who wasn't exactly Mr Mobility, and he did a pretty good job for us.

Funny that there's been no sign of a transfer request. I'm not quite sure how these things work but I would have thought a transfer request would be the obvious move if leaving was so important to him. Oh but that's right, you forgo your 'loyalty' bonus if you hand one in. Joke.

Disappointed, a little concerned/anxious, but not throwing toys out the pram. I want us to be better than last season, and while I am hopeful that a change of manager can bring that, I would also like to see a better squad. If we lose good players, I would hope the transfer fees would be spent well so that they are replaced and other areas of the team are strengthened. Having said that, I don't want or expect us to sign LOTS of players. In fact, ONE player would suffice in my book. A DM/CM whose style compliments Romeu (i.e. quick across the ground, more of an industrious, box-to-box type) or an attacking midfielder who will link and join the attack and find the net fairly often (yes, I know they are hard to find). I wouldn't mind a new GK but can't see it happening.

£25m does seem a little on the cheap side, but would take £35m. Think holding out for £50m is unlikely, and probably unwise.

My best mate is a Spurs fan, and we were discussing the way people's opinions differ based on the team they support. For example, he says he can't understand how VVD can be better than Alderweireld, but given I've seen them both, accepts my view that he is. Equally, he doesn't see how Bertrand could even be comparable to Rose, but mainly because he watches Rose a lot but rarely see Bertrand. He also says that a common misconception about Walker is that he is shaky defensively, when in fact he is fantastic. Says he's not sure he's ever seen him beaten one-on-one defensively, and his pace means he gets up and back all day long and is perfect for a wing back role. He's also not nearly as prone to lapses as he was a few years back. He did say, however that Walker's final ball is pretty poor, and that while Trippier isn't a patch on him defensively, he will probably offer more going forwards. Last season Trippier managed the same number of assists in about quarter of the minutes, for example (I haven't checked the precise stats, but it was something like that).

They are just so desperate to be like their city neighbours...

So in fact, yes that's correct. I believe that Hojbjerg could still yet be the sort of player we need and considering his age should definitely be given more time to develop and improve. I don't think Clasie can be though unfortunately, and I would look to move him on and replace. Your second sentence is a bit of an odd one - I imagine that the club had higher hopes for both players when they bought them, as did I! I'm not saying we should be buying 3 or 4 new players, just a mistake to go into next season thinking that our midfield is currently good enough, when last season it was apparent on numerous occasions that it wasn't. Other posters have already alluded to why above. (just seen in another thread that you claim Hojbjerg and Clasie are nowhere near as good as the players they replaced... so not sure why you're jumping down my throat for saying our midfield needs strengthening!)

Which would, in my opinion - and I'm sure many others on here - be a huge mistake.

From a Swansea perspective, a sound logic, and probably the sort we should be taking when it comes to selling our best players. Especially as the entire market seems to have inflated by about 75% since last season. However, from a buyer's perspective, adriansfc is probably right - I'm not sure I'd want Saints to splash in excess of £40m on him.

Correct. Not to mention that he plays for Tottenham, not Southampton. So clearly it's going to take a little more to prise him away.

Money. And perhaps it's more important to ask what was in it for his agent. "It's a no brainer Virgil, a bigger pay packet and more security for the long term in case you pick up an injury" "What about if I want to move on? Won't this make things more difficult?" "Don't worry about that, where there's a will, there's a way."

Forster* Cedric VVD Yoshida Bertrand Romeu Hojbjerg* Davis* Tadic* Gabbiadini Redmond* Subs (7): McCarthy, McQueen/Pied, Stephens, JWP, Boufal, Austin, Long/Sims. Asterisks explained: Huge question marks over Forster, tempted to put McCarthy but churlish to say he's better without having seen him play. Hojbjerg needs to rediscover how to pass the ball and not panic in possession so much. Davis gets the nod over JWP because JWP is so slow, and Romeu & Hojbjerg is already slow enough. Davis offers slightly more for a 'linking' position but JWP could oust him. Even better if we find an upgrade... Boufal could yet usurp Tadic OR Redmond, perhaps play them in rotation (along with Sims please!), but at the moment Boufal is too unreliable. Ha, imagine being behind Tadic is the reliability stakes. Don't think the asterisks ALL need to be addressed, but would be a concern if by the start of the season, none of them had. Particularly if we also lose one or two of our best players.

Generally agree. Normally I'd say attacking midfielders who score goals are "worth their weight in gold", but looking at the current figures, I'm not so sure anymore! What I would say though, is that while snaring a top quality AM might cost an amount way beyond what we could or should be spending, I wonder if a decent industrious central/defensive midfielder would be. I know we miss goals from midfield, but if it's too difficult to buy them, I'd like to see us bolster the general strength of it and give a bit more freedom to the likes of Redmond/Boufal/Tadic. Still hopeful that Hojbjerg could do a job in that sense, but less so Clasie (even though he had a couple of decent games last season).

Most Saints fans appreciate this, it's the underhand tactics and the sense they are untouchable in the PL eyes that we're fed up with. Doesn't help that so many scousers, at least those that get air time, are so partisan and blind to how biased they are being.

Not particularly well...

I think it would be much better if the league were to supply a pool of agents, and allocate a number of players to each one, and said agents would be paid a salary by the league (which could then recouped from a slice of player fees/wages). That way you still have someone representing the player and stopping them from being exploited (which would obviously happen if they were left to negotiate their own contracts...), but there wouldn't be any personal incentive for agents to orchestrate a move, talk to press etc - basically stop football agents from ruining football!

Absolute nonsense. Particularly the bit about Salah & 'bad news'. It's like these people have never watched a game of football in their lives.

Probably should have clarified that I was talking about Mahrez in his first PL season.

I remember my dad telling me that too (though he left out the swear word) - not sure if he heard the story or also heard it directly as we also sat in the Junior Saints section. It may well have been Arsenal, certainly a game that we were 0-0 or 1-0 up in as I think the whole reason it was funny was because of how desperate/important the situation was!

He (Mahrez) actually had quite a good end to that season, I remember transferring him to my fantasy team with a few months to go!

Haha, yep! It just shows the level of thought that goes into these pieces. You'd like to think the journalist chuckled to himself while writing it, appreciating the irony, but I suspect not.

Don't think I've said anything to dispute this? I agree with it. Doesn't change the fact that the PL as a business focus on their expanding market and the 'consumers'. Probably because they take the supporter side for granted - they know people will still turn up. I get that football is a marketable product, and it's a business. I just feel that the sporting considerations should always be the first priority. Would be nice if fans could have an organised boycott of games - though easy for me to say as someone who can't justify the expense of a season ticket! - just can't see it happening.