Which would you prefer...

[Dibden Purlieu Saint]

...Waghorn and Fontaine, or no-one?

 

Personally, I'd take the signings, as Fontaine is an upgrade and Waghorn is a decent player, and young. We aren't getting J Rod or Maynard now, we know that, so I would welcome them.

[Saint_clark]

Obviously the signings. Waghorn would just be a different option for me - I would never consider dropping Connolly the form he's in - but Fontaine would be a big improvement alongside Fonte. Having said that, Seaborne has been very impressive the past 2 games.

[Saint Charlie]

And up front it would be nice to have options from the bench. Lambert can't play 90mins every match.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

It's has to be said that its a shame we seem to be reduced to looking at our 3 or 4th choice of Centre Half now - if any of the players in question are not significantly better than Seaborne, or Martin, than we might as well leave well alone in my view and try again later.

[Saints67]

I would be happy with these two signings. I was underwhelmed when we signed Jose Fonte and he has proved me wrong. I think the team are a tight knit group now and a signing like Maynard/Rodriguez for big money may de-stabilise the team ethic.

[Raging Bull]

Honest question, how do you know we won't get Maynard?

[Dibden Purlieu Saint]

It's has to be said that its a shame we seem to be reduced to looking at our 3 or 4th choice of Centre Half now - if any of the players in question are not significantly better than Seaborne, or Martin, than we might as well leave well alone in my view and try again later.

 

To be fair though, how do you know it's third or fourth choice CB?

 

I think Martin will be a half decent Premiership CB, he just needs time and games. Seabourne is fine as back up, and has been pretty good recently.

[Dibden Purlieu Saint]

Honest question, how do you know we won't get Maynard?

 

It's opinion, but I don't think we've ever been interested in him at the prices banded about.

[MerceSaint28]

I think Fontaine could be a good signing...we must trust NA here, he obviously rates him higher than Gorkss.

 

In terms of Waghorn, im not convinced there is anything in this...i still think there is plenty of money in the kitty and we will hold out until late in the window to buy a striker.

Maynard would be fantastic but looks unlikely at the moment..Rodriguez would be excellent but is overpriced...Ebanks Blake would be quality but Wolves won't let him go.

 

I definitely feel the "pacey" option is a neccesity with our ability to play on the break

[Joensuu]

...Waghorn and Fontaine, or no-one?

 

Honestly, I'd opt for no-one. I'd rather we didn't buy anyone, unless they are better then our current first choice in the given position. (If we need a backup for this season, we should loan them in). However, I'm still hopeful that there is a surprise in store.

[shurlock]

Fontaine is better than Seaborne and Martin - Brizzle's best CB who's gone off the boil the last couple of seasons in a nothing team and unfortunately rushed back into action ater a few niggling injuries. Before that looked premiership class and now needs a new challenge. Only 25 - remember seaborne is 24. He is quick on the deck, Gorkss isn't, so depends what you want from a CB. Technically good on the ball, though could be more vocal and aggressive but think he'll work well alongside Fonte. Was on my CB HCDAJFU list (along with Gerrard from Cardiff).

 

Waghorn is an interesting one - will give us power and unpredictability up top and challenge Lambo as a quasi-target man. Good in the air and can take players on. Not quick off the mark but has got pace once he hits his stride. Looked excellent when he first went to Leicester but desperately needs games. Is a confidence player - so do worry if he doesn't get a run of games.

 

Both are gambles but both have shown real potential, so the payoffs could be huge if the signings work out.

 

Even if we did sign them, it wouldn't necessarily be the end of our activity.

Edited 24 August, 2011 by shurlock

[Secret Site Agent]

I'd take them if nothing else.

[Avenue Saint]

think we'll sign fontaine, and from what i can gather, would be quietly content with this. He obviously has potential to be improve and grow whilst having good championship experience. Has pace and can play it out. So is he better than what we have? For all of Seaborne's improved performances of late, Fontaine would most definately be an upgrade!

 

In terms of Waghorn, still believe we will get someone more prominant but if we did get him as an ex £3m player who is still young, wouldn't be a cause for disappointment!

 

So as far as things stand at moment,

 

STILL HAPPY DAYS...

[dronskisaint]

Neither for me at this moment. Nothing particularly against either but do think we should attract better than this - as Joensuu says they have to be better than we have or add another dimension (i.e.speedy forward a la Rodrigues or Maynard)...the 'at the moment' bit allows for a month of loan window to come still and a reasonably well-covered squad if nobody was signed.

 

Then there's January.....

[St.JonB]

My own moan about Adkins is that in nearly a year in charge only one of his signings can get into the first team. If we sign these two I think this will still be the case.

[Saint_clark]

My own moan about Adkins is that in nearly a year in charge only one of his signings can get into the first team. If we sign these two I think this will still be the case.

 

It would be near impossible to sign players that improve on the likes of Lambert, Lallana, Fonte, Davis etc.

[hutch]

My own moan about Adkins is that in nearly a year in charge only one of his signings can get into the first team. If we sign these two I think this will still be the case.

If only he'd signed better players, we could be top of the nPC rather than....

[Chez]

It would be near impossible to sign players that improve on the likes of Lambert, Lallana, Fonte, Davis etc.

 

what about all the other positions?

[The Kraken]

My own moan about Adkins is that in nearly a year in charge only one of his signings can get into the first team. If we sign these two I think this will still be the case.

 

In a way you're right, but you need to look at the players we've actually signed on an individual basis:

 

Chaplow: originally went straight into the team, and bolstered what was a weak squad (we only had Hammond and Schneiderlin as viable CMs).

Forte: Squad player at best and admittedly not inspiring.

Cork: Excellent signing.

de Ridder: Time will tell, looks like he's being given time to adapt to English football, and is being kept out by Guly who is one of the best performers of the season so far.

Fox: Too early to tell but has Premier League and SPL experience, I expect him to be in ahead of Harding before long.

 

Fontaine has 4 years of Championship experience, finishing 4th, 10th, 10th and 16th with City; he seems like a first choice signing to me.

[Saint_clark]

what about all the other positions?

 

That would just be unlikely

[St.JonB]

OK I get your point but we have only played 4 games. We signed Lambert and Fonte when we were in League 1, and I think I read somewhere we have received £12m for some player from last year. If we can't get better than why do't we stick with what we have? We have been brilliant so far this year, but this is no reason not to try and improve. We don't need more squad players.

[Saint_clark]

OK I get your point but we have only played 4 games. We signed Lambert and Fonte when we were in League 1, and I think I read somewhere we have received £12m for some player from last year. If we can't get better than why do't we stick with what we have? We have been brilliant so far this year, but this is no reason not to try and improve. We don't need more squad players.

 

Fontaine and Waghorn most likely would be in improvement - it's not a bad thing that they couldn't just walk into the team, as it means our current 11 are performing very, very well.

(In the case of these two, Seaborne and Connolly would have every right to be upset if they were displaced as soon as new signings came in).

[shurlock]

My own moan about Adkins is that in nearly a year in charge only one of his signings can get into the first team. If we sign these two I think this will still be the case.

 

Who's he signed permanently though?

 

Cork

Chaplow

Forte

De Ridder

Fox

 

Cork is one of the first names on the team sheet; Chaplow, if not starting games, features in most of them; its too early to assess De Ridder or Fox who have joined us during our best run of form in our history; only question mark is Forte.

 

At any rate, its outdated to look at just the starting XI. To say its a squad game isn't happy clappy ********, denial that there are winners and losers. Its part and parcel of the modern game. Just look at NA's willingness on saturday to replace Lallana with Fox who helped steel up the left hand side.

[The Kraken]

OK I get your point but we have only played 4 games. We signed Lambert and Fonte when we were in League 1, and I think I read somewhere we have received £12m for some player from last year. If we can't get better than why do't we stick with what we have? We have been brilliant so far this year, but this is no reason not to try and improve. We don't need more squad players.

 

I think my point was that I don't think we are signing squad players. Guly played most of the back end of last season; he's a different player to de Ridder entirely, I think de Ridder is more of a direct replacement for AOC. So maybe a squad player, but with first team intentions firmly in mind while offering a completely different alternative to the current incumbent.

 

Fox, I really can't see us lashing out nearly £2M on a squad player, I think he'll soon be the number one left back.

 

And as I said, Fontaine I think is targetted as a starting centre-back with Fonte.

 

You say we don't need more squad players and I agree; anyone we sign should be a first team player and that's exactly what I think we're looking to do.

[Toadhall Saint]

Its not just about the first team is it tho'. Its about a squad.

[Saint_clark]

If those two are our signings I'd start to wonder about the financial situation again TBH. Big money isn't everything I know, but definitely would have thought we could do better than Waghorn. Even if we're going cheap I'd rather have Le Fondre, Baldock or Jordan Rhodes.

 

Have you not heard the prices quoted for those 3?

[The Kraken]

If those two are our signings I'd start to wonder about the financial situation again TBH. Big money isn't everything I know, but definitely would have thought we could do better than Waghorn. Even if we're going cheap I'd rather have Le Fondre, Baldock or Jordan Rhodes.

 

I agree about Waghorn and wouldn't be massively enthused if we went for him. I'm hopeful that's just agent-talk for now.

[MerceSaint28]

i quotes Baldock a few months ago as a player to sign...he is quick, young and we could get him at a decent fee around £1.5 mill...

 

definitely think he would be a good option to consider if we are priced out the market for Rodriguez which looks likely

[Fan The Flames]

I originally thought the proposition in the OP was daft, however thinking about it I would go for nothing. Waghorn may be one for the future but I would give up on him to not sign Fontaine if he is only a slight improvement on Seaborne. Too many surplus players can have a demoralising effect, we are only 4 games in and I believe Seaborne is good enough and will flurish this season. Also trust in Connolly and Barnard they will do the business.

[southamptonfclegend]

My own moan about Adkins is that in nearly a year in charge only one of his signings can get into the first team. If we sign these two I think this will still be the case.

 

he signed Guly and Cork.. can you count?

[hypochondriac]

I'd take them if nothing else.

 

Probably this. They are rather meh signings if these are the two we go for with no one else.

[St Marco]

he signed Guly and Cork.. can you count?

 

Guly was actually brought in by Pardew. He signed the permanent deal under Adkins but there were rumours it was part of the orgional loan i.e had the option to buy. So can't really use Guly.

 

Cork on the other hand you can. But we all knew what he was like from being here before.

 

The thing is without trying to sound negative if there has been a weakness so far for Adkins you would have to say it was his own signings. I don't think that is harsh i think that is fair. If you look at the last game we played only 1 of the players was an Adkins signing (Cork). The players he has brought in have not really set the world alight beyond Cork. N'Guessen was gash, Stephens was not very good, Nicholas Bignall well what the hell happened to that guy? Forte seemed to be in the right place at the right time sometimes but very hit or miss, Chaplow in my opinion did the best from the bunch brought in. However he did fade towards the end of the season and has started this one not too well.

 

If we have got Fontaine and for the rumoured £1m then that would take our spending this summer to (Cork = £800k, Fox = £1.8m, Fontaine = £1m and whatever De Ridder cost) around £4m. Pardew put the entire squad together for around that. And other then Cork the other two in my opinion don't improve the position too far from what we already have. Deffinatly not in a going from Patterson to Lambert kind of way. It is an improvement but it is a lot of money.

 

Personally i think it would be harsh to judge the guys until they have played but they have to show they are worth that cash. If they show they ae worth it in the same way Fonte and Lambert have then we will have a very good side! BUT i also think that if your going to spend £1m+ on a player then they will have to be pretty damn good!

[CFSFC]

Correct me if i'm wrong but Adkins signed Guly in January...... Granted he was on loan but still an Adkins signing.

[Saints foreva]

Correct me if i'm wrong but Adkins signed Guly in January...... Granted he was on loan but still an Adkins signing.

 

No that was a Cortese signing.

[david in sweden]

...Waghorn and Fontaine, or no-one?

 

Personally, I'd take the signings, as Fontaine is an upgrade and Waghorn is a decent player, and young. We aren't getting J Rod or Maynard now, we know that, so I would welcome them.

 

With the Fontaine deal dead in the water, it's all rather academic now, but I would still like us to sign another CB.

[david in sweden]

Guly was actually brought in by Pardew. He signed the permanent deal under Adkins but there were rumours it was part of the orgional loan i.e had the option to buy. So can't really use Guly.

 

Cork on the other hand you can. But we all knew what he was like from being here before.

 

The thing is without trying to sound negative if there has been a weakness so far for Adkins you would have to say it was his own signings. I don't think that is harsh i think that is fair. If you look at the last game we played only 1 of the players was an Adkins signing (Cork). The players he has brought in have not really set the world alight beyond Cork. N'Guessen was gash, Stephens was not very good, Nicholas Bignall well what the hell happened to that guy? Forte seemed to be in the right place at the right time sometimes but very hit or miss, Chaplow in my opinion did the best from the bunch brought in. However he did fade towards the end of the season and has started this one not too well.

 

If we have got Fontaine and for the rumoured £1m then that would take our spending this summer to (Cork = £800k, Fox = £1.8m, Fontaine = £1m and whatever De Ridder cost) around £4m. Pardew put the entire squad together for around that. And other then Cork the other two in my opinion don't improve the position too far from what we already have. Deffinatly not in a going from Patterson to Lambert kind of way. It is an improvement but it is a lot of money.

 

Personally i think it would be harsh to judge the guys until they have played but they have to show they are worth that cash. If they show they ae worth it in the same way Fonte and Lambert have then we will have a very good side! BUT i also think that if your going to spend £1m+ on a player then they will have to be pretty damn good!

 

YES... AP did get his squad together for the "same sum ", but we were L1 at the time, and it was considered " a lot of money "then.

 

Now that we are CCC, fees will be higher, but if you're worried about that ..wait till we're back in the Prem. then you'll see the club (transfer) record broken a few times over.