Steven Davis on "Unbelievable transfer window - BBC

[Saint86]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29163124

 

Southampton: Steven Davis says transfer window "unbelievable"

 

Southampton midfielder Steven Davis says the players are now fully focused after an "unbelievable" transfer window.

 

The likes of Rickie Lambert, Luke Shaw and Adam Lallana all left this summer but eight replacements were brought in.

 

They included the deadline day arrivals of Sadio Mane and Toby Alderweireld.

 

"It's been an unbelievable transfer window, I don't think anyone could foresee what was going to happen," Davis, 29, told BBC Radio Solent.

 

"From outside there were questions marks about the direction of the club, especially as we lost a number of top performers from last season.

 

"To be fair to the board, the manager has been backed and it's been a good transfer window for us.

 

"We just want to settle down and concentrate on our football and win some games," he added.

 

Along with Mane and Alderweireld, Southampton also recruited Graziono Pelle, Dusan Tadic and Shane Long. Davis says he is optimistic about the future.

 

"With another couple of additions the squad is looking really strong now," he added.

 

 

Artur Boruc was expected to leave Southampton this summer but is still at the club

 

"There is competition for places and you have to be right bang at it to stay in the team and that can only be good."

 

Boss Ronald Koeman, who replaced Mauricio Pochettino in the summer, admitted it was a challenge to reshape his squad in a short space of time.

 

"It was a strange summer because we had changes but now we know our squad," he said.

Koeman says goalkeeper Artur Boruc, who was expected to to leave St. Mary's this summer, must now focus on trying to win his place back after losing his spot to Fraser Forster.

 

"I spoke to Artur and the best situation for everybody was if he played in another team," said Koeman.

 

"That was not a possibility for him and he is a player of Southampton and has to bring the spirit to the team and maybe I will change."

[The9]

Boruc threadjack starts... NOW!

 

"I spoke to Artur and the best situation for everybody was if he played in another team," said Koeman.

[Minty]

The next line is more important:

 

"That was not a possibility for him and he is a player of Southampton and has to bring the spirit to the team and maybe I will change."

 

i.e. I know who is my number 1, but if Boruc knuckles down then maybe he'll change my mind.

 

Seems fair enough, and also sounds like he's been honest Boruc throughout.

[The9]

Yeah, have that irene. Complete contradiction to pretty much everything we were told when Boruc disappeared from the matchday squad.

[Saint_Abroad]

Clearly Steven Davis is a happy clapper propaganda machine for the board. That's the only conclusion one could deduce.

 

 

(sarcasm)

[david in sweden]

Clearly Steven Davis is a happy clapper propaganda machine for the board. That's the only conclusion one could deduce. (sarcasm)

 

of course being one of the MOST experienced players in the club, and having played in a number of different clubs..... might also mean he knows what he's talking about, too

[Professor]

Not at all an unreasonable reaction. It was an unbelievable window in the sense that no one would have predicted that half of the regular outfield players in the first team would be asking to leave at the end of such a successful season. Because the exodus was player-led it didn't appear to be the club's plan to make such a fundamental change and it presented a difficult task, to replace those players with similar quality. In pre-season the manager did what you might expect, which was to see if players from the development squad were ready to step up but ultimately, whilst one or two may be used in the squad, first choice players were recruited by transfers and loans over a fairly short period, and right up to the closure of the window. That adequate replacements were achieved was quite remarkable and overall it would be hard to believe that a decent looking squad has been the outcome if we had not seen it happen.

We will never know if we would have been better off in terms of performance, if those players had stayed, or if squad strengthening would have been financially viable. We still don't know how the new looking squad will perform but the next three games will be a good test. It's good to see Steven Davis reflecting what looks to be a good attitude in the squad and if the new players are picking up on that the future looks positive.

Oddly, the one departure that I have no regrets over is Pochettino. With Koeman coming over so well, I wonder if that's how the longer serving players such as Davis, feel as well.

[Ohio Saint]

Finally! After all the "Head's gone" players we have a "Head screwed on" player!

[Dalek2003]

The quality of the summer transfer window will be judged on where we finish at the end of the season.

[cellone]

Cor that's a nitty gritty in depth interview