The January 2017 Transfer Window Thread

[Gunnery]

People moaning about a striker who hasn't even signed yet ....classic mongboardery !

[SuperSAINT]

All gone quiet on the Sakho front too...

[Gunnery]

All gone quiet on the Sakho front too...

 

I don't believe we were ever in for Sakho, as if we'd spend £20 million on a CB!!

[SuperSAINT]

I don't believe we were ever in for Sakho, as if we'd spend £20 million on a CB!!

 

Certainly don't be spending it if there's no buyers for Fonte.

[saintgeorge8]

From that article:

"Playing in his favoured position, and without a rigid gameplan, Gabbiadini thrived."

 

"In the end, a top-level club simply couldn’t afford to build a team around the forward. It’s a familiar story, with Gabbiadini having also been on Juventus’ books without making an appearance.

 

You get the sense that Gabbiadini’s next move will be the defining one for his career. It’s not yet clear where the Italian international will end up, but West Bromwich Albion look to be favourites for his signature."

 

 

So on one hand he does sound like our kind of purchase in that he's a formerly-promising youngster who's not exactly fulfilled promise... on the other hand he's an inconsistent, unreliable inside forward - the likes of whom we already have plenty.

 

While i do tend to agree we need an out-and-out forward, I think if we land this guy it suggests that the bosses think our problem is from the link from midfield to our forwards - hard to disagree with that, particularly as I have thought Rodriquez has been looking pretty good on the ball of late (when he actually gets it). An injection of quality attacking play from anywhere on the pitch would improve us.

 

Better to buy a quality player in a less-important position than a panic buy striker who won't actually be an improvement on what we've got? I reckon it is. Get more quality players on the pitch and the overall quality will improve - I reckon that's what contributed to Long's success last season as much as anything.

This post is more or less spot on! I've said many times that the missing jigsaw piece is linking the midfielders to the forwards, which I thought Boufal would be perfect for, but unfortunately he's not got a run in the team as of yet. Gabbiadini sounds like our kind of signing in the ways as you've mentioned and I think playing with 3 forwards, all being able to play through the middle and down both flanks is something that would bring more free flowing football. At times this season some of the play seems forced and uncomfortable like with Tadic. Hopefully if the lad does come he adds to our game and more importantly goals!

[captainchris]

Overall the silence is deafening....

There appears to be a distinct smell of complacency around SFC at the moment...

I am wondering where we go if things go badly in the next two weeks or so....

Ummmmm We March On .....

[angelman]

Well the silence either means.....

 

....we are working hard behind the scenes and are trying to tie up a deal

 

- or -

 

.... we are silent because nothing is happening.

 

You choose which one depending on your outlook on things. I try and stay positive and hope that it is the former that is happening to address our somewhat obvious short coming(s). But who knows??

[thorpie the sinner]

Silence really doesn't mean anything with Saints to be fair! Saying that will be glad when Feb 1st comes around, at least we will know exactly where we are! Might even be with a seemingly contrite captain

[Mattio]

No updates from Guan?

[Saint Billy]

So we are looking at a striker who's inconsistent, welcome to saints he'll fit in well.

[Gunnery]

It is obvious to all what we need, I fully expect the club to be working hard behind the scenes. SFC is a well run outfit, it hasn't become unprofessional and complacent over night.

[Heisenberg]

Overall the silence is deafening....

There appears to be a distinct smell of complacency around SFC at the moment...

I am wondering where we go if things go badly in the next two weeks or so....

Ummmmm We March On .....

 

Everything has changed - Koeman talked quite openly about the clubs lack of ambition, but this was poo pooed by some on here as it was easier to believe he was a money hungry ass with zero loyalty.

 

The summer signings were poor, we banked another £40m and now have Ralph and Les coming out with the revised 5 year plan which seems to be about Premier league survival not so much champions league chat anymore.

 

The manager was cheap, the appointment of Black bizarre, the pending exit of our captain avoidable.

 

Complacency and an owner that has only £'s interest in the football club. Its all gone a bit Pete tong from the 1st team through to the u18s

[Toadhall Saint]

It is obvious to all what we need, I fully expect the club to be working hard behind the scenes. SFC is a well run outfit, it hasn't become unprofessional and complacent over night.

 

 

This.

[thorpie the sinner]

Poch left due to perceived lack of ambition, but I am not entirely sure the club have ever changed their strategy re ambition. It has always been the sustainable business model. A manager's ambition would be buying best players etc, hence why Poch went to Spuds. We are what we are, no different to me though, I will always be a Saint regardless.

[Jai27]

Saying the club has a "lack of ambition" is kind of a get out of jail free card for a manager that wants out of a lower or mid table club.

[Millbrook Saint]

Poch left due to perceived lack of ambition, but I am not entirely sure the club have ever changed their strategy re ambition. It has always been the sustainable business model. A manager's ambition would be buying best players etc, hence why Poch went to Spuds. We are what we are, no different to me though, I will always be a Saint regardless.

 

Pretty much agree with this, managers and players will always use us a stepping stone until the attitude at the club changes. The clues were always there, when the club mentions sustainable business model, read into that, that everyone has a price and the priority at the club is to always have a positive bank balance forfeiting any ambition to win things.

 

Managers aren't interested in bank balances, unless of course you're Wenger, managers want to win things and enhance their reputation, they don't care if we made a profit this year in place of league standings, do you really think managers like Poch or Koeman, both successful players were ever going to be content with us selling our best players and never making a sustained attempt at winnings things, no of course not. Unless we as fans can come to terms with this fact then there's going to be a lot of unhappy people each summer.

 

Trouble with this business model is that it won't take long before fans start looking round at clubs being successful with our ex managers and players and thinking what might have been, it's not a big jump from there to apathy, then no longer attending games and before you know it season tickets sales are down and the stadium is half empty. A bit of ambition from the board when the feelgood factor was running through the club and I genuinely believe the stadium could have been expanded and who knows what could have happened.

[angelman]

Saying the club has a "lack of ambition" is kind of a get out of jail free card for a manager that wants out of a lower or mid table club.

 

Absolutely.

 

I have never really understood what people mean by it. What is our ambition? To win every game we play. People seem to conflate expectation with ambition. Do we expect to win every game, and thus the PL? No we don't. Does someone like Man Utd or Chelsea? Yes they expect to win every game and this the PL. So how then do you go about winning every game - that's the difference between clubs. We have chosen a path where we don't (yet) shell out silly money (relatively speaking). It seems that spending money equals ambition, pure and simple. But spending huge amounts doesn't guarantee success. Would we be happy if we supported Crystal Palace? So OK they sold Bolasie for big money, but signed Benteke on even bigger money and are languishing in the league. Did they show ambition or were they fool hardy?

[thorpie the sinner]

Absolutely.

 

I have never really understood what people mean by it. What is our ambition? To win every game we play. People seem to conflate expectation with ambition. Do we expect to win every game, and thus the PL? No we don't. Does someone like Man Utd or Chelsea? Yes they expect to win every game and this the PL. So how then do you go about winning every game - that's the difference between clubs. We have chosen a path where we don't (yet) shell out silly money (relatively speaking). It seems that spending money equals ambition, pure and simple. But spending huge amounts doesn't guarantee success. Would we be happy if we supported Crystal Palace? So OK they sold Bolasie for big money, but signed Benteke on even bigger money and are languishing in the league. Did they show ambition or were they fool hardy?

 

Totally agree! FWIW, I am sure we would have the same concerns if we supported Stoke, WBA or Palace

[Jai27]

Pretty much agree with this, managers and players will always use us a stepping stone until the attitude at the club changes. The clues were always there, when the club mentions sustainable business model, read into that, that everyone has a price and the priority at the club is to always have a positive bank balance forfeiting any ambition to win things.

 

Managers aren't interested in bank balances, unless of course you're Wenger, managers want to win things and enhance their reputation, they don't care if we made a profit this year in place of league standings, do you really think managers like Poch or Koeman, both successful players were ever going to be content with us selling our best players and never making a sustained attempt at winnings things, no of course not. Unless we as fans can come to terms with this fact then there's going to be a lot of unhappy people each summer.

 

Trouble with this business model is that it won't take long before fans start looking round at clubs being successful with our ex managers and players and thinking what might have been, it's not a big jump from there to apathy, then no longer attending games and before you know it season tickets sales are down and the stadium is half empty. A bit of ambition from the board when the feelgood factor was running through the club and I genuinely believe the stadium could have been expanded and who knows what could have happened.

 

I don't believe it'll get to the stage of a half empty stadium unless we go down again. I do however believe that we need to make more of an investment in the squad this summer.

 

We are sat on a 20mil profit from the last transfer window. Only Swansea also made a profit (5mil compared to our 20) and look how that's working out for them. If you loose players and don't reinvest in the squad then you'll start moving backwards. I fail to see how we are financially any different from clubs like West Brom, Stoke, Watford, even Bournemouth and Burnley, all of which made a substantial investment in bringing in new players.

[Mallagroth]

Ambition: a strong desire to do or achieve something.

 

People say we lack ambition because no one really has a clue what Saints FC owner and exec's really want. The problem is they seem quite happy with us dawdling along as we are, ergo: They have no strong desire to do or achieve anything in particular, they simply want to maintain the current status quo.

[Unbelievable Jeff]

If we go through this window without bringing in a good striker, I will certainly be going down the "board complacency" route.

[SuperSAINT]

If we go through this window without bringing in a good striker, I will certainly be going down the "board complacency" route.

 

I'd agree with that. I believe we are looking - but there's also no doubt that January is the worst time to be looking.

 

But most of us flagged the strikers up as a problem area in the summer.

[Heisenberg]

Ambition: a strong desire to do or achieve something.

 

People say we lack ambition because no one really has a clue what Saints FC owner and exec's really want. The problem is they seem quite happy with us dawdling along as we are, ergo: They have no strong desire to do or achieve anything in particular, they simply want to maintain the current status quo.

 

The biggest issue is the owner - she inherited the club and is not a fan. She doesnt go to games anymore suggesting she never quite fell in love with the club like Markus did.

 

Every club in the premier league now recieves £85-90m regardless of league finish (equal share) and each place is then worth an additional £2m in merit money (7th get £28m, 8th get £26m ect)

 

Kat is maybe looking and thinking why spend £40m to get £10m more in merit money? Business view not fan view

 

Even if we finish 17th the club will recieve over £150m this season all in.

 

She is not wanting to gamble on success, she just needs to do enough to keep us in the league.

[SuperSAINT]

NOTHING CLOSE WITH SAKHO

 

Sky Sports News HQ understands no deal is imminent for Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho.

 

The Frenchman was left out of Liverpool’s U23 squad yesterday, prompting speculation a transfer could be on the cards this week.

 

But as it stands, nothing is close. It remains Liverpool’s intention to sell Sakho, who they value at £20m.

 

Tiago Ilori’s departure to Reading could be confirmed later today.

[Wade Garrett]

Not sure what striker we could get in. Puel seems to reward a striker that scores a place on the bench for the next game.

 

F*ck me, I am depressed at our club at the moment.

[SuperSAINT]

Not sure what striker we could get in. Puel seems to reward a striker that scores a place on the bench for the next game.

 

F*ck me, I am depressed at our club at the moment.

 

I remember I used to say that Crouchie at Liverpool always "got the goals subbed out of him" by Rafa. I remember him scoring goals for them and then being left out the next game and he wasn't able to get a run going.

[BILLY]

Not sure what striker we could get in. Puel seems to reward a striker that scores a place on the bench for the next game.

 

F*ck me, I am depressed at our club at the moment.

 

Me too!

[Mallagroth]

The biggest issue is the owner - she inherited the club and is not a fan. She doesnt go to games anymore suggesting she never quite fell in love with the club like Markus did.

 

Every club in the premier league now recieves £85-90m regardless of league finish (equal share) and each place is then worth an additional £2m in merit money (7th get £28m, 8th get £26m ect)

 

Kat is maybe looking and thinking why spend £40m to get £10m more in merit money? Business view not fan view

 

Even if we finish 17th the club will recieve over £150m this season all in.

 

She is not wanting to gamble on success, she just needs to do enough to keep us in the league.

 

Yeah I think you are right and I think if people are honest with themselves they will know it to be true as well. As it stands this is the most logical and realistic explanation for where the club finds itself.

 

My belief is that this is a very dangerous business move; in an entertainment industry standing still (being boring and safe) is the worst place its counterproductive to the entire point of competitive sport... I.e. To compete to win and be the best. Our entire structure is geared towards 'competing at an adequate level to ensure a steady stream of reliable income whilst overseeing the development of players for clubs who do aim to win and be the best.'

 

This season Saints are actually taking control of each game we play and then turning them into dull, lifeless and predictable affairs.

 

If we genuinely don't want or believe that we can move beyond our current achievements we may as well just turn ourselves into a development outfit... maybe we already have.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Not sure what striker we could get in. Puel seems to reward a striker that scores a place on the bench for the next game.

 

F*ck me, I am depressed at our club at the moment.

 

 

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/15026930.The_staggering_extent_of_Claude_Puel_s_player_rotation___when_will_it_stop_/?ref=mac

[Chez]

The biggest issue is the owner - she inherited the club and is not a fan. She doesnt go to games anymore suggesting she never quite fell in love with the club like Markus did.

 

Every club in the premier league now recieves £85-90m regardless of league finish (equal share) and each place is then worth an additional £2m in merit money (7th get £28m, 8th get £26m ect)

 

Kat is maybe looking and thinking why spend £40m to get £10m more in merit money? Business view not fan view

 

Even if we finish 17th the club will recieve over £150m this season all in.

 

She is not wanting to gamble on success, she just needs to do enough to keep us in the league.

 

Good. We have an owner that after allowing the club spend to get into the Prem and stay there is trying to get the club to balance the books rather than build up more debt and that is fine by me. Whilst we are in the Prem there is plenty of money to spend. Blaming the owner for not spending more of her own money on top of that income doesn't cut it with me. The key is to spend (what we bring in) better. On the whole we have tried to do that, but at this current moment some of the recent signings and some of the young players coming through are not performing to the desired levels.

 

Put simply, I don't have a problem with her failing to spend her money to make your dreams come true.

[Chez]

 

If we genuinely don't want or believe that we can move beyond our current achievements we may as well just turn ourselves into a development outfit... maybe we already have.

 

how exactly do we move further up the football pyramid without someone buying the club and spending, not investing, spending their millions, billions even?

[Chez]

NOTHING CLOSE WITH SAKHO

 

Sky Sports News HQ understands no deal is imminent for Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho.

 

The Frenchman was left out of Liverpool’s U23 squad yesterday, prompting speculation a transfer could be on the cards this week.

 

But as it stands, nothing is close. It remains Liverpool’s intention to sell Sakho, who they value at £20m.

 

Tiago Ilori’s departure to Reading could be confirmed later today.

 

 

 

I simply cant see anyone in the Prem paying £20m for a player LFC signed for £18m and then not exactly covered himself in glory since. Just that sentance "Liverpool value him at £20m" reads like a desperate advert.

[Wade Garrett]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/news/15026930.The_staggering_extent_of_Claude_Puel_s_player_rotation___when_will_it_stop_/?ref=mac

 

Didn't have the patience to wait for the article and 300 adverts to download. I did get the gist of it though.

 

He's crap isn't he.

[Dan Johnson]

Ambition: a strong desire to do or achieve something.

 

The problem is they seem quite happy with us dawdling along as we are, ergo: They have no strong desire to do or achieve anything in particular

 

The problem is they seem quite happy with us dawdling along as we are - how are you defining this though? through league position? Player purchases, player sales?

 

We've finished consecutive higher in the league since the 2008-2009 season, if we were happy dawdling along surely we'd still be in league one?

 

If it's through spending, what happens under the circumstance when we spend £150 million in a transfer window but fail to achieve anything? we would have showed a strong desire to do or achieve something but achieved nothing, would we be happy?

 

If there was a direct coalition between spending and league position then encouraging spending is fine, when there's no guarantee, is it wise to spend large amounts of money?

 

Is it keeping players? You could argue that the only reason we signed players like Mane, VVD, Wanyama is because we are ambitious?

 

if we were happy dawdling along ambitious players wouldnt have signed for us in the first place, a players career is brief, if they're ambitious and have a strong desire to achieve, you can understand them wanting to move to a club who are more likely to challenge for honors, that doesn't make that club more ambitious than us, it doesnt help that other clubs can pay x2 x3 times more than we can.

 

The club will be here allot longer than a players career, we can't take the shortcuts to success like a player can, so we have to show that ambition over a longer period and our assent to success will likely be allot slower. I would suggest, that the last 8 years of sustained progression have been evidence of ambitious more than sufficient of a club our size and stature.

[SuperSAINT]

Swansea sign Tom Carroll from Spurs & Martin Olsson from Norwich.

[MarkSFC]

The problem is they seem quite happy with us dawdling along as we are - how are you defining this though? through league position? Player purchases, player sales?

 

We've finished consecutive higher in the league since the 2008-2009 season, if we were happy dawdling along surely we'd still be in league one?

 

If it's through spending, what happens under the circumstance when we spend £150 million in a transfer window but fail to achieve anything? we would have showed a strong desire to do or achieve something but achieved nothing, would we be happy?

 

If there was a direct coalition between spending and league position then encouraging spending is fine, when there's no guarantee, is it wise to spend large amounts of money?

 

Is it keeping players? You could argue that the only reason we signed players like Mane, VVD, Wanyama is because we are ambitious?

 

if we were happy dawdling along ambitious players wouldnt have signed for us in the first place, a players career is brief, if they're ambitious and have a strong desire to achieve, you can understand them wanting to move to a club who are more likely to challenge for honors, that doesn't make that club more ambitious than us, it doesnt help that other clubs can pay x2 x3 times more than we can.

 

The club will be here allot longer than a players career, we can't take the shortcuts to success like a player can, so we have to show that ambition over a longer period and our assent to success will likely be allot slower. I would suggest, that the last 8 years of sustained progression have been evidence of ambitious more than sufficient of a club our size and stature.

 

Its not about the total amount the club spends but the quality of player it buys. To use your number, if the club soent 150m in the summer on 4-5 £30-40m players, as opposed to 10-15, £10-15m pound players which would have the better outcome?

 

We are in danger right now of "doing a Lowe" and filling the squad with mediocre. Boufal price tag should now be the minimum we spend on a player that needs to go straight into the team. We need a better team not a bigger squad.

[Dalek2003]

The biggest issue is the owner - she inherited the club and is not a fan. She doesnt go to games anymore suggesting she never quite fell in love with the club like Markus did.

 

Every club in the premier league now recieves £85-90m regardless of league finish (equal share) and each place is then worth an additional £2m in merit money (7th get £28m, 8th get £26m ect)

 

Kat is maybe looking and thinking why spend £40m to get £10m more in merit money? Business view not fan view

 

Even if we finish 17th the club will recieve over £150m this season all in.

 

She is not wanting to gamble on success, she just needs to do enough to keep us in the league.

 

I have been saying this for some time. I think our ambition is to stay a PL club with the minimum outlay. In other words spending a little and finishing 17th is better business than spending a lot and finishing 6th. BTW, the Europa league costs the club more than it makes, so why bother.

[Window Cleaner]

Swansea sign Tom Carroll from Spurs & Martin Olsson from Norwich.

 

 

#preparingforthechampionship.

[itchen]

Good grief there are a lot of people on here today desperate to spend somebody else's money. How many times does it have to be explained that you cannot just take money spent from money received and calculate a "profit"? We don't know the figures, how the payments are staged or, most importantly, the wages. And of course there's financial fair play which is skewed in favour of clubs with a bigger fanbase than us.

 

And we're not even sure who we want or who's available but Kat should "spend some money" because it will show ambition. It may not achieve anything but it will give us boasting rights down the pub. I'd have thought that consistently higher finishes since we were in League 1 shows ambition. A new training complex shows ambition. A club built on sustainable foundations shows ambition. But, apparently, we have to flash the cash to satisfy some fans.

 

I'm as frustrated as the next fan by our recent results and I hope we can identify a striker at he right price who can come in and make a difference. But if we can't find such a person it won't mean that the club lacks ambition. Honestly, get a grip.

[Ivan Katalinic's 'tache]

The biggest issue is the owner - she inherited the club and is not a fan. She doesnt go to games anymore suggesting she never quite fell in love with the club like Markus did.

 

I'm not sure how regularly she goes but she was most definitely there as recently as December for the Boro game because I saw her leave the ground! Clearly, she's not as dedicated to our club as Markus but she has still ensured our survival by retaining her ownership. If she's now exploring potential new owners because she's decided she's done enough then fair enough, I say. We need our owner to have a tangible interest in seeing us continue to progress for us to kick on any further then where we are now. Whether that person or group exists out there, who knows.

[trousers]

How many times does it have to be explained that you cannot just take money spent from money received and calculate a "profit"? .

 

Probably as many times as it takes someone to try and convince people that posting a hotel website photo of a hotel to show you've arrived when posting just your own would have been sufficient is 'normal'....

[positivepete]

Good grief there are a lot of people on here today desperate to spend somebody else's money. How many times does it have to be explained that you cannot just take money spent from money received and calculate a "profit"? We don't know the figures, how the payments are staged or, most importantly, the wages. And of course there's financial fair play which is skewed in favour of clubs with a bigger fanbase than us.

 

And we're not even sure who we want or who's available but Kat should "spend some money" because it will show ambition. It may not achieve anything but it will give us boasting rights down the pub. I'd have thought that consistently higher finishes since we were in League 1 shows ambition. A new training complex shows ambition. A club built on sustainable foundations shows ambition. But, apparently, we have to flash the cash to satisfy some fans.

 

I'm as frustrated as the next fan by our recent results and I hope we can identify a striker at he right price who can come in and make a difference. But if we can't find such a person it won't mean that the club lacks ambition. Honestly, get a grip.

 

Amen!

[Gunnery]

It's the same people every single transfer window who pîss and moan about an apparent lack of ambition and cry because we haven't signed anyone on Jan 1st. They see clubs like West Ham whoring themselves in the sports media claiming to be in for anyone who's available and use that as a yardstick as to how much more ambitious they are compared to us......then we sign someone decent and off they fück until the next window opens.....boring!

[SuperSAINT]

http://sportwitness.co.uk/southampton-delighted-new-target-determined-sign/

[Matthew Le God]

Obligatory "best bits" video...

 

[video=youtube;G-hzlahTsdk]

[Batman]

http://sportwitness.co.uk/southampton-delighted-new-target-determined-sign/

 

exciting!!!

[ErwinK1961]

Been linked to Julian Korb - Monchengladbach Right back

[saint77]

Looks like a young gaston

[DT]

Looks promising. 'Saints not sure whether to buy now'. Great.

[Pamplemousse]

Seems like someone we will move for in the summer.