Saints Transfers Thread - Deadline Day

[tajjuk]

http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/07/12/bookies-make-everton-and-southampton-81-outsiders-to-sign-oliver/

 

This would actually be quite a good signing IMO.

[simo]

In this market Id be happy enough to pay 30m provided that he replicated his form at Palace, that is if it wasnt for the fact that I think we need an AM or CM as more of a priority

 

And he's injured ?

[Antrimsaint]

Taking the p*** love it

 

@SouthamptonFC: Are we doing this right? ?✍️ #saintsfc https://twitter.com/SouthamptonFC/status/885551913856630784/video/1

[stevy777_x]

Taking the p***

 

@SouthamptonFC: Are we doing this right? ✍️ #saintsfc https://twitter.com/SouthamptonFC/status/885551913856630784/video/1

 

Hahahaha love this. This is brilliant. We really have the best media team in the land.

[SuperSAINT]

HAMMERS SUFFER KARAMOH BLOW

 

West Ham transfer target Yann Karamoh wants to join Fiorentina this summer, says L’Equipe.

 

The Serie A club have already had a €3m bid rejected, with Caen holding out for €10m. The player is out of contract in 2018 and doesn’t want to sign a new deal.

 

But the Ligue 1 club don’t want him to leave on a free.

[SuperSAINT]

@ChelseaYouth: Expanding upon recent news and the buzz this evening, Nathaniel Chalobah is a few minor details away from finalising a move to Watford. #CFC

[EBS1980]

@ChelseaYouth: Expanding upon recent news and the buzz this evening, Nathaniel Chalobah is a few minor details away from finalising a move to Watford. #CFC

 

Confirmed now

[SuperSAINT]

Confirmed now

 

Well that sucks. I'm still not sure we were in for him.

 

(That alone is somewhat depressing)

[Window Cleaner]

Well that sucks. I'm still not sure we were in for him.

 

(That alone is somewhat depressing)

 

 

Don't think we'll be signing any more midfielders unless we have plans to offload some of those that we already have.

[mrfahaji]

Don't think we'll be signing any more midfielders unless we have plans to offload some of those that we already have.

 

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

[Window Cleaner]

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

 

 

So in fact, you believe that the players that we actually have are no longer good enough is that it?

If so why did we waste so much money on Clasie and Hojberg or whatever his name is then ?

[Rebel]

So in fact, you believe that the players that we actually have are no longer good enough is that it?

If so why did we waste so much money on Clasie and Hojberg or whatever his name is then ?

 

Unfortunately I think its true that our current midfielders aren't really good enough - or to some extent anyway as its probably the mix that's wrong more than anything.

 

Davis is a jack of all and a master of none in midfield. He's not a holding midfielder and he's not an attacking midfielder. He's really the third midfielder in a midfield 3 - but he's not really a dynamic box-to-box midfielder either. And every time he's played as one of the double pivot we have been overrun. He's great against teams when we ae dominating the ball and keeping possession though. He's also past his best but that is another issue.

 

JWP is pretty similar to Davis but I think potentially he is a lot better - and he could become the dynamic box-to-box midfielder we are missing or another deep lying playmaker.

 

I think Claise and Hojberg were bought as deep lying play makers to sit alongside Romeu and replace Schneiderlin. But I think Clasie has proved he lacks some of the physicality needed in the premier league for that role - although he has the passing and the positional sense. Hojbgerg has the physicality and the passing range needed and I think will come good given games and time. He needs to improve his positioning and awareness though. And both need to work in their stamina. Maybe Hojberg could be a box-to-box midfielder in time.

 

Clasie was bought by Koeman as his favourite - bit like Martina - never really understood why Reed and the black box let him do it. And I am guessing Hojberg was bought as Clasie wasn't living up to expectations - and we thought he would be a real money making prospect.

 

What we lack is an out and out attacking midfielder/No. 10 and a second holding or defensive midfielder to play alongside Romeu or cover for him if he gets injured. You could argue we need a dynamic box-to-box midfielder as well.

 

I don't really count Boufal as midfielder - more a winger - but maybe I'll be proved wrong. I see him more as a long term replacement for Tadic/Mane. Sometimes I daydream we bought Hakim Ziyech or even Ondrej Duda instead. I think Boufal was Puel's buy and an attempt to replicate the player he had at Nice with Ben Arfa. Again I don't know why Reed and the black box let him to it.

 

It depends on what formation you play - 4 3 3 or 4 2 3 1 - but I'd argue we need to strengthen the midfield to give us the option of playing a proper double pivot/2 defensive midfielders or a 3 made up of one holding, one box-to-box and one attacking midfielder.

 

Undoubtedly our best midfield at present is a midfield 3 of Romeu as the holding midfielder, Hojberg as a deep lying playmaker and JWP as box-to-box midfielder - so there is room for improvement and strengthening.

 

Replacing Clasie with Chalobah would have given us a second holding midfielder and more options in midfield. I'd also replace Davis with a dynamic box-to-box midfielder and add a proper attacking midfielder.

 

Anyway what do I know.

[doddisalegend]

So in fact, you believe that the players that we actually have are no longer good enough is that it?

If so why did we waste so much money on Clasie and Hojberg or whatever his name is then ?

 

 

That our midfield is are not up to it was pretty well demonstrated last season its our weakest area of the squad but it seems the club ( or at least Les) don't see it that way when he said we have the best midfield options in the league last summer it was laughable.

[mrfahaji]

So in fact, you believe that the players that we actually have are no longer good enough is that it?

If so why did we waste so much money on Clasie and Hojberg or whatever his name is then ?

 

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!)

Edited 14 July, 2017 by mrfahaji

[austsaint]

That our midfield is are not up to it was pretty well demonstrated last season its our weakest area of the squad but it seems the club ( or at least Les) don't see it that way when he said we have the best midfield options in the league last summer it was laughable.

 

Yep, without additions to our midfield I think we are going to struggle. Davis has been a great servant to the Club but is surely in decline; Clasie has been mostly underwhelming; PEH has something about him but tailed off noticeably last season and poster 8575 talks about JWP as a dynamic box-to-box midfielder....Kreist, how is that going to happen??? Romeu needs some quality around him but there's no indication it's going to happen.

[Baird of the land]

I still think our midfield is pretty good. The 2 problems i see with our midfield is a lack of a midfielder who chips in with goals and the lack of physical presence cover for Romeu.

 

JWP on paper should perhaps be that goalscorer especially given how highly rated his set piece ability is.

Davis is still a very good player. Under Potch he was the perfect bustling energy worker in the 3 of the 4-2-3-1.

If we're going back to that it might suit him as i still think he's got plenty in his legs for a couple more seasons at this level.

 

Clasie & Hojberg are the obvious wildcards. Both very talented players who haven't consistently shown the sort of quality we might have hoped from them. It's perfectly possible that under a new manager they will kick on alongside Romeu.

 

Even if Clasie stays i think we should be bringing in another physical midfielder, ideally one that might cause problems in the opposition box as well as being a defensive shield.

[Dusic]

Mobility is severely lacking in our midfield. Romeu is slow. Clasie is slow and rarely lasts 90mins. JWP is slow. Hojbjerg is slow.

 

Need a partner for Romeu and I would be happy if that was our only signing as long as nobody leaves.

[SonicBoom]

I think you can tell the quality of our midfield by the fact there isn't really a "first choice". You might have your preferences, but overall they are all kind of interchangeable (although I conceded some may see this as a positive).

If Davis is injured, that's generally met with a shrug as JWP will come in. If Hojbjerg is out then Clasie comes in, I'm never that excited by them and never that disappointed. Previous seasons saw us having the likes of Lallana, Schneiderlin, Wanyama, etc all of whom were on the team sheet if fit.

That's what I like to see. Stand out automatic selections, backed up by decent and improving squad members.

[patred44]

We need at least 12-15 goals from our midfield, we are not getting half that. Lack of pace, physical presence and penetration. We are quite good at keeping the ball but our lack of playing 'telling balls' leaves us struggling to score. As for winning the ball back, only Romeu seems capable. At the moment the only creative play comes from an ageing Steven Davis.

So in my opinion we need a rethink of personnel and shape. Maybe 2 in and 2 out of the door.

[Cartman]

We need at least 12-15 goals from our midfield, we are not getting half that. Lack of pace, physical presence and penetration. We are quite good at keeping the ball but our lack of playing 'telling balls' leaves us struggling to score. As for winning the ball back, only Romeu seems capable. At the moment the only creative play comes from an ageing Steven Davis.

So in my opinion we need a rethink of personnel and shape. Maybe 2 in and 2 out of the door.

 

You are out of your mind. 12-15? Only the likes of Bayern and Madrid's midfielders get those sorts of numbers. People seriously need to drop this "goals from midfield" nonsense. For Spurs only their 3 starting forwards Kane, Alli and Eriksen, first choice backup forward Son and Wanyama scored more than 2 goals in the league and europa combined. Our forwards don't score enough, Tadic with 2 from open play is embarassing, Long is hopeless, Boufal was unfit. It's not on the likes of Davis, Ward-Prowse (who would have been Spurs 5th highest goalscorer with 4), Romeu, Hojbjerg or Clasie to make up for the forwards' incompetence.

[danjosaint]

So u wouldn't say Eriksson was a midfielder because I would and he had 12 on his own

[Dusic]

So u wouldn't say Eriksson was a midfielder because I would and he had 12 on his own

He is comparable with Tadic, Boufal and Redmond. Not JWP or Davis.

[John Boy Saint]

I think Hojbjerg is one of those players who improves with use, last season he seemed to start brightly then went missing, in and out of the side. Then when he got his chance again probably due to him trying far too hard to put in a performance to get a regular run, he was making some simple basic mistakes, the crowd groaned and he visibly got annoyed at his silly mistake.

Hopefully with a new manager the slate is clean and he can get a run alongside Romeu, providing a bigger screen for the defence. We need that Hitman and Surgeon combination that we had with Vic and Morgan in the centre of Midfield. Romeu obviously has the Hitman part in his game plus he can also ping a ball over 10yrds.

Of course We aren't going to know anything about the managers thinking until we start playing the warm up games.

[patred44]

12-15 goals from 4-5 midfield players is not unreasonable to expect in a whole season.

And please keep your replies to me civilised.

Starting off by saying "You are out of your mind"..thats not very polite

Edited 14 July, 2017 by patred44

[Cartman]

12-15 goals from 4-5 midfield players is not unreasonable to expect a whole season.

And please keep your replies to me civilised.

Starting off by saying "You are out of your mind"..thats not very polite

 

It's not just unreasonable, it's delusional. Even the likes of Modric and Kroos don't score that many. 5-7 is more reasonable, but this is besides the point. Look at clubs like Spurs or Chelsea or other clubs at the top across europe, you will see a group of about 4 players who score the huge majority of the goals, the 3 first choice forwards and the main backup forward. Compare their numbers to that of our forwards and you will see where the problem is.

[SNSUN]

Yep, without additions to our midfield I think we are going to struggle. Davis has been a great servant to the Club but is surely in decline; Clasie has been mostly underwhelming; PEH has something about him but tailed off noticeably last season and poster 8575 talks about JWP as a dynamic box-to-box midfielder....Kreist, how is that going to happen??? Romeu needs some quality around him but there's no indication it's going to happen.

 

Still 49 days of the transfer window to go! We're well equipped to start the season, even if we make a few last minute signings like in previous years. I'm sure the club can see we need a DM as much as the fans can, especially moving from a manager who started off playing a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond last year with one DM to having a manager that plays 4-2-3-1 that needs 2. If we haven't brought anyone new in by September 1st, then I'd worry.

 

I still think we'll break our transfer record this summer, and I don't think a £30 million signing in today's market is beyond us. All IMO of course.

[patred44]

it depends on how many goals you expect a season. I would say 60 goals in a season is a reasonable target, that includes cup games. I would expect 3 strikers to get 30-35 of those. So, if your midfield can only manage to score 5-7 between them..How many do you expect the defenders and goalkeepers to score?

We've just had a season where everyone will agree we struggled to score..we totalled 53 goals. And, that includes none in the FA Cup. So a total of 60 goals is about average.

But we should be getting/expecting more than average, and that's why the midfield has to contribute.

[vectraman]

I think you can tell the quality of our midfield by the fact there isn't really a "first choice". You might have your preferences, but overall they are all kind of interchangeable (although I conceded some may see this as a positive).

If Davis is injured, that's generally met with a shrug as JWP will come in. If Hojbjerg is out then Clasie comes in, I'm never that excited by them and never that disappointed. Previous seasons saw us having the likes of Lallana, Schneiderlin, Wanyama, etc all of whom were on the team sheet if fit.

That's what I like to see. Stand out automatic selections, backed up by decent and improving squad members.

 

I think you can tell the quality of our midfield because nobody wants to buy any of them!!

The midfield is the engine room of the team, and sadly all of our midfielders are fitted with economical diesel engines, they'll keep going for a long time, but at a slow pace. We need a lot more power and pace in our midfield. Dynamism is missing. Some height in there wouldn't go amiss either...

if we sold any two of them (out of Clasie/Davis/JWP/Hojberg) and replaced with tall pacy upgrades, one a DM, one a CM, I'd be happy and say our work is done transfer wise...

[Paul.Studio]

I wonder if the sale (if at all) of VVD will affect who/when we are going to buy anyone? (apart from then needing another CB).

Still cant understand why the backroom staff haven't been agreed/announced. Surely they need as much time as possible with the squad before 12 August?

[saint77]

I wonder if the sale (if at all) of VVD will affect who/when we are going to buy anyone? (apart from then needing another CB).

Still cant understand why the backroom staff haven't been agreed/announced. Surely they need as much time as possible with the squad before 12 August?

 

Backroom staff There out in Austria with squad but weird why they haven't been named

[Evil Monkey]

It's not just unreasonable, it's delusional. Even the likes of Modric and Kroos don't score that many. 5-7 is more reasonable, but this is besides the point. Look at clubs like Spurs or Chelsea or other clubs at the top across europe, you will see a group of about 4 players who score the huge majority of the goals, the 3 first choice forwards and the main backup forward. Compare their numbers to that of our forwards and you will see where the problem is.

 

You know he means in total right? No one is expecting Romeu to score 12-15 on his own.

[stevy777_x]

Backroom staff There out in Austria with squad but weird why they haven't been named

 

Haven t seen Eric Black on any of the videos.

[Appy]

Trying to value Gylfi Sigurdsson - why Swansea's Everton and Leicester target is worth nowhere near £50m

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/transfer-news-gylfi-sigurdsson-profile-everton-leicester-swansea-latest-a7837516.html

 

^ Interesting piece on the valuation of Sigurdsson, breaking down his stats etc.

 

He's worth that much to Swansea though, would've gone down for sure without him.

[Dark Munster]

Still 49 days of the transfer window to go! We're well equipped to start the season, even if we make a few last minute signings like in previous years. I'm sure the club can see we need a DM as much as the fans can, especially moving from a manager who started off playing a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond last year with one DM to having a manager that plays 4-2-3-1 that needs 2. If we haven't brought anyone new in by September 1st, then I'd worry.

 

I still think we'll break our transfer record this summer, and I don't think a £30 million signing in today's market is beyond us. All IMO of course.

I'm not sure. Given that every man and his dog knew we needed to bring in a striker last summer, and a CB in January.

[Matthew Le God]

Haven t seen Eric Black on any of the videos.

 

Possibly him in the background of the last few seconds of this video...

 

[Pamplemousse]

From Brighton's forum. Probably rubbish though

 

http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?353861-Southampton-After-Knockaert

[saint1977]

From Brighton's forum. Probably rubbish though

 

http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?353861-Southampton-After-Knockaert

 

Last couple of posters saying he's now injured - bad one?

 

Couldn't see it anyway - unless Tadic or Boufal were being sold. Very unlikely we'll sell Boufal before he has proven himself. Tadic was unhappy under last 2 manager seemingly but new manager in.

 

DMC/athletic MC/AMC areas for strengthening as priority anyway. Think PEH will come good, Davis maybe more squad player next year but still important at club and OR essential. JWP improving and home grown. Clasie will depart IMO. Put a midfielder with more pace and power in there and the others will improve as well. Boufal could be the AMC in the right system but didn't suit Puel's preferred set up.

[patred44]

You know he means in total right? No one is expecting Romeu to score 12-15 on his own.

 

lol...I was beginning to wonder if he thought I meant individual goal tallys.

[St Jim]

Don't know if this has been posted, but another, probably ********, rumour......

 

https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/45970/

[for_heaven's_Saint]

Don't know if this has been posted, but another, probably ********, rumour......

 

https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/45970/

 

Quite clearly a p!ss take of Liverpool.

[Minsk]

Quite clearly a p!ss take of Liverpool.

 

[emoji23] [emoji23] [emoji23] That is a most excellent article!!

[Turkish]

it depends on how many goals you expect a season. I would say 60 goals in a season is a reasonable target, that includes cup games. I would expect 3 strikers to get 30-35 of those. So, if your midfield can only manage to score 5-7 between them..How many do you expect the defenders and goalkeepers to score?

We've just had a season where everyone will agree we struggled to score..we totalled 53 goals. And, that includes none in the FA Cup. So a total of 60 goals is about average.

But we should be getting/expecting more than average, and that's why the midfield has to contribute.

 

How do you work out our midfielders only scored 5-7 between them?

 

Presumably the three strikers you refer to are long, Gabbiadini and Austin and I would agree with 30-35 being a reasonable return from them.

 

In which case Redmond, Tadic, Boufal, Ward-Prowse, Claise, Hojberg, Davis and Romeu are the midfield you're expecting "12-15 goals" from

 

Last seasons return

 

Redmond 8

Tadic 3

Boufal 2

JWP 4

Claise 2

 

That's 19 right there, in a season where Boufal, Tadic and Davis contributed fewer goals than you'd expect them too yet still above you're "12-15 goals" target already and 3 times more than your "5-7 goal between them" claims.

[spyinthesky]

[emoji23] [emoji23] [emoji23] That is a most excellent article!!

 

Interestingly Coutinho was very close to signing for Saints when Cortese was here but Liverpool came in with an 11th hour bid than won the day

[SW5 SAINT]

Interestingly Coutinho was very close to signing for Saints when Cortese was here but Liverpool came in with an 11th hour bid than won the day

 

Those were the days when the Black Box actually seemed to work.......

[saintadam]

Those were the days when the Black Box actually seemed to work.......

 

Yeah because we have just signed **** players since? VVD, Mané, Gabbiadini, Boufal (wait and see) etc etc..

[Alwightmush]

Possibly him in the background of the last few seconds of this video...

 

Certainly looks like him

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[Katalinic]

Deffo him

[patred44]

Southampton...Thomas Vermaelen is 'reportedly' heading towards the south coast team...Mirror

 

IMO would be a good signing if he has got over his injury problem even though it will only be for 1 year.

And, if he is not a replacement for VvD.

[Baird of the land]

See Lewis has been loaned to Dundee united

[patred44]

How do you work out our midfielders only scored 5-7 between them?

 

Presumably the three strikers you refer to are long, Gabbiadini and Austin and I would agree with 30-35 being a reasonable return from them.

 

In which case Redmond, Tadic, Boufal, Ward-Prowse, Claise, Hojberg, Davis and Romeu are the midfield you're expecting "12-15 goals" from

 

Last seasons return

 

Redmond 8

Tadic 3

Boufal 2

JWP 4

Claise 2

 

That's 19 right there, in a season where Boufal, Tadic and Davis contributed fewer goals than you'd expect them too yet still above you're "12-15 goals" target already and 3 times more than your "5-7 goal between them" claims.

 

As someone has already said Redmond and Tadic are considered wingers not midfielders.. Redmond in particular was described by our manager as the new Thiery!!

We could argue this out for eons, it doesn't change the fact our midfield did not contribute enough goals..end of. It's not phisical enough, lacks pace and hieght, quile and definately lacks goals. That needs sorting