Jan '19 Transfer Window Verdict

[saintbenny]

I thought Ralph and Ralph said that this window would be quiet and that an overhaul of the squad would be made in the summer? Like it or not Saints have shipped out 4 big earners who clearly dont figure in the managers plan. Whilst the squad may look weaker on paper, having a group of players who are focused and a manager who wants to work with them is a great deal better than having uninterested players who dont fit with the ethos of the boss. I think I must be one of the only people on this board who doesn't think we are that bad. Yes we could do with more options but we easily have enough in the squad to stay up this year and then push on in the summer when we have already been told tat investment will be made.

[SFC Forever]

I am disappointed that no players came in but am happy that we managed to rid ourselves of some expensive fringe players.

 

I think we should allow Forster to leave on a free so he can then find a club somewhere that will give him a signing up fee to top up his wages.

 

I still have faith in our ability to survive before starting to rebuild in the summer.

[Badger]

I am disappointed that no players came in but am happy that we managed to rid ourselves of some expensive fringe players.

 

I think we should allow Forster to leave on a free so he can then find a club somewhere that will give him a signing up fee to top up his wages.

 

I still have faith in our ability to survive before starting to rebuild in the summer.

 

We can't just abandon him, effectively tearing up his contract. We'd have to pay it off, unless FF agreed otherwise.

 

Thanks again Les.

[kwsaint]

At last a few sensible posts compared to the nonsense on the thread yesterday. It is going to take RH time to sort out the mess left by the three previous managers. But at least he has started. We should have enough to stay up, and then the process carries on in the summer. There are still players to shift who don't have a long term future (Forster, Austin etc), but we have made a good start. Getting the wage bill down will start to free up funds for the summer. Just a pity that we have wasted much of the Van Dijk money on poor players who are now moving on.

[Lord Duckhunter]

I thought Ralph and Ralph said that this window would be quiet and that an overhaul of the squad would be made in the summer? Like it or not Saints have shipped out 4 big earners who clearly dont figure in the managers plan. Whilst the squad may look weaker on paper, having a group of players who are focused and a manager who wants to work with them is a great deal better than having uninterested players who dont fit with the ethos of the boss. I think I must be one of the only people on this board who doesn't think we are that bad. Yes we could do with more options but we easily have enough in the squad to stay up this year and then push on in the summer when we have already been told tat investment will be made.

 

Finally, a sensible post.

 

This isn’t a FIFA 19 or Championship Manager game. The club probably looked at a couple of options, but decided they were over priced. I’d imagine Ralph would have been agitating for players had he really wanted some, as he doesn’t strike me as a yes man.

 

Perhaps Ralph and the club took this novel approach, let’s ship out blokes we really don’t want and have a good look at the rest. That way Ralph will be better equipped and have more knowledge of the individuals to make informed decisions. Most on here would have had Redmond out 2 seasons ago, OR looked a busted flush this time last season. Which is proof players can improve with structure and proper coaching. Looks to me like Ralph’s backed himself to get this lot up the league. I much prefer that than the Redknapp, Fat Sam “we need bodies in” approach that most of the forum seem to adopt.

 

Personally, I wish the Jan window would “slam shut” permanently. Sky have now over hyped it so much they’ve jumped the shark,and the **** wittery of some forum posters during it gets worse every season. Thank **** it’s over for another year.

 

 

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[shurlock]

The real verdict won't be known until the summer - not just in the sense of PL survival but whether we've been able to permanently shift any of the players we've loaned out.

 

Slightly disappointed that we couldn't secure a loan or two - they've been all the rage this window. Ultimately try before you buy would have taken some of the risk out of doing all our business in the summer.

[hypochondriac]

The overreaction from some people on here to posters expressing disappointment that we didn't bring a RB in is far more annoying than posters supposedly going into "meltdown." There's a huge difference between masses of panic buys, shouting for giant spending and there quite rightly being an expectation that we would as a minimum strengthen in an area that we were already very weak in before Soares left. I think most people would have been satisfied with a decent RB and nothing else because it's a real gamble between now and the end of the season. Stating that isn't being a bedwetter or hugely unreasonable.

[Greenridge]

I thought Ralph and Ralph said that this window would be quiet and that an overhaul of the squad would be made in the summer? Like it or not Saints have shipped out 4 big earners who clearly dont figure in the managers plan. Whilst the squad may look weaker on paper, having a group of players who are focused and a manager who wants to work with them is a great deal better than having uninterested players who dont fit with the ethos of the boss. I think I must be one of the only people on this board who doesn't think we are that bad. Yes we could do with more options but we easily have enough in the squad to stay up this year and then push on in the summer when we have already been told tat investment will be made.

 

Ralph H also said, on several occasions, that we were looking to bring people in. That would suggest he wanted additions but let's pretend that never happened.

[Ewell]

Grow up, he has a mind of his own, just listen to the guy. Do you truly believe he came to Saints, having turned down Bayern Munich, to be lied to, and for all of his best players to be sold. He would be off in a jiffy. Time will tell who is right, but I suspect it won't be you.

 

 

Well said.

 

It's unbelievable to see the reaction of Saints fans on here and Twitter the past few days. Has Ralph not earned our trust and respect yet? If he wanted players to leave as they were surplus to his requirements and is happy with what he has then so should we all be.

[Micky]

Meh, I'm cool with it. It's not the ideal situation, but if I wanted somebody to manage it, it would be Ralph.

 

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[trousers]

Whilst the squad may look weaker on paper, having a group of players who are focused and a manager who wants to work with them is a great deal better than having uninterested players who dont fit with the ethos of the boss.

 

I think I must be one of the only people on this board who doesn't think we are that bad.

 

No, you're far from alone. The majority will share your view. The minority just shout louder and more often...

[trousers]

Ralph H also said, on several occasions, that we were looking to bring people in

 

The key word there is "looking". He also said we wouldn't bring people in for the sake of doing so or going for any short term fixes. In all his interviews I've read/seen, its been clear to me that it was far more likely that we would wait until the summer before signing anyone. Ralph simply wasn't ruling out the possiblity that a long term prospect(s) could be brought in this window. It's quite a refreshing change of policy IMO given the folly of some of our previous knee jerk purchases.

[manji]

I am sure was the plan Hasenthull was privy to our project from the beginning. I remember in one of his first conferences he alluded to our bloated squad.

I am convinced that the plan was offload players, improve current players, introduce youngsters and of course avoid relegation.

We have or will achieve all of these.

I suspect we have a few of the summer incomings set up already.

Next season it really will be Ralph’s team and I’m looking forward to it.

So many football fans seem incapable of looking at the bigger picture probably because they are thick.

If we had brought a player last night they would be all excited.

How do we know he would have worked out ?

Ralph was completely clear about our forward plans and am sure he was involved in all the decisions made . To suggest he would leave is complete bedwetting nonsense.

[eurosaint]

I'm certainly disappointed, the whole right back situation worries me, though I suppose we are playing wing backs and the likes of JWP or Lemina could do a job here if needed.

 

The likes of Gabiadini, Hoedt, Davis were surplus to requirements and not involved or likely to be involved IMO. Gabiaddini was clearly behind Ings, Long and Austin in Ralfs plans so selling him is a good idea. Hoedt was nowhere near the team and seemed a bad egg and Davis had dropped behind JWP, Hojberg, Lemina, Romeu and Armstrong so again it made sense.

 

But the squad clearly needed some extra quality, so it's a shame we couldn't get it, however I am going to keep faith with the club and manager for the following reasons -

 

1. No one has really signed much in the transfer window full stop.

 

2. I agree with the club and Ralf that there was no point buying stop gaps, we need to build a squad long term and repair the damage done over the last 2-3 years with poor signings. Some rushed last minute signing is likely to have only had made this situation worse and left us with another player to offload at a loss in the summer. Carrillo says hello basically and Promes who everyone was clamouring for us to sign last January has 1 goal in La Liga this season and struggles to get into the Sevilla team, so that record transfer could have been potentially another poor one.

 

3. If we couldn't get clubs to make deals in January for our long term targets so be it. Go for them in the summer, hopefully with a good kitty from the sales of the likes of Cedric, Boufal, Carrillo, Clasie, Austin, Forster, etc.

 

4. We beat Leicester away, with 10 men, without the likes of Ings, Bertrand, Lemina, Hojberg so this squad is clearly capable of competing.

 

5. The club has a budget and is working to it, long term that is better than trying to get into debt spending millions for not much gain, look at West Ham and Everton, those two clubs have spent 100s of million over the last couple of seasons, have massive wage budgets, but without Hughe's terrible management I'd reckon we would probably be level if not above them.

 

6. Not really sure any of the clubs around us have strengthened. Fulham are still horrible defensively, Cardiff obviously had the tragedy, Huddersfiled got barely anyone, Burnley got a 38 year old FFS. Newcastle made a big signing, but it remains to be seen if he can adapt to Premier League, and Brighton didn't sign anyone and they could potentially get sucked in.

 

 

Basically it's a risk, but a calculated one I reckon. The only objective is to stay up and I think based on our performances we are going to do that, we are much better than the current bottom 3. Pick up a point at Burnley, beat Fulham and Cardiff we will be on 30 points and probably a good 7-8 points clear of relegation.

 

Rebuild in the summer, clear the dead wood, get in 3-5 new players that suit Ralfs style, are young, and Ralf can mould, and I think we can have a great year next year.

 

Pretty good summary but you never mentioned Palace and they have signed Batshuayi who could make a big difference and take them out of the relegation equation !!

[S-Clarke]

The only conclusion I can get to, regarding our performance in recent transfer windows, is that we are broke. We've been saddled with poor buys over previous windows which has left us in a position where we have a bloated squad, lots of overpaid expensive signings out on loan and highly paid players not performing. We need to sell before we can free up cash to buy.

 

We're not a rich club and the way we've used our 'fortune' over the recent windows from our selling has been disastrous and we can see the impact that's having now. Until we can get the likes of Boufal, Carrillo, Hoedt, Cedric, Forster, Austin off our books for good, then we will continue to be hand tied in terms of what we can do.

 

Yeah, we're probably penny pinching, but we've put ourselves into that situation by wasting so much valuable funds over the last 2/3 years. Congratulations Les and Ross, I'm staggered Ross is still in a job to be honest. He should be wholly accountable as to why we're in this position financially.

[manji]

The key word there is "looking". He also said we wouldn't bring people in for the sake of doing so or going for any short term fixes. In all his interviews I've read/seen, its been clear to me that it was far more likely that we would wait until the summer before signing anyone. Ralph simply wasn't ruling out the possiblity that a long term prospect(s) could be brought in this window. It's quite a refreshing change of policy IMO given the folly of some of our previous knee jerk purchases.

This.

[Saint Garrett]

Pretty good summary but you never mentioned Palace and they have signed Batshuayi who could make a big difference and take them out of the relegation equation !!

 

They're too good to go down, strong on both sides of the pitch, solid, no chance they'll go down.

[shurlock]

The key word there is "looking". He also said we wouldn't bring people in for the sake of doing so or going for any short term fixes. In all his interviews I've read/seen, its been clear to me that it was far more likely that we would wait until the summer before signing anyone. Ralph simply wasn't ruling out the possiblity that a long term prospect(s) could be brought in this window. It's quite a refreshing change of policy IMO given the folly of some of our previous knee jerk purchases.

 

That's a false dichotomy.

 

Other clubs have brought in loans -not as short-term fixes but with an eye on the future. You would think with our recent abysmal record in the transfer record, getting a player in with an option to buy in the summer would, at least, give us the opportunity to run over them before taking the plunge. That's not to say that we didn't try (and fell short); but its wrong to say that it was far more likely that we would wait until the summer to do our business.

[Winnersaint]

I am sure was the plan Hasenthull was privy to our project from the beginning. I remember in one of his first conferences he alluded to our bloated squad.

I am convinced that the plan was offload players, improve current players, introduce youngsters and of course avoid relegation.

We have or will achieve all of these.

I suspect we have a few of the summer incomings set up already.

Next season it really will be Ralph’s team and I’m looking forward to it.

So many football fans seem incapable of looking at the bigger picture probably because they are thick.

If we had brought a player last night they would be all excited.

How do we know he would have worked out ?

Ralph was completely clear about our forward plans and am sure he was involved in all the decisions made . To suggest he would leave is complete bedwetting nonsense.

 

Hmmm sensible post on SWF, who'd have thought it?

[trousers]

its wrong to say that it was far more likely that we would wait until the summer to do our business.

 

Maybe I worded it badly. All I'm saying is that it doesn't surprise me, or overly concern me, that we haven't brought anyone in this window and I'm expecting to see some significant ins (and more outs) in the summer. (based on what I've read/heard from recent RH interviews and a bit of reading-between-the-lines)

[John B]

That's a false dichotomy.

 

Other clubs have brought in loans -not as short-term fixes but with an eye on the future. You would think with our recent abysmal record in the transfer record, getting a player in with an option to buy in the summer would, at least, give us the opportunity to run over them before taking the plunge. That's not to say that we didn't try (and fell short); but its wrong to say that it was far more likely that we would wait until the summer to do our business.

 

I think our strategy is clear out the dross and see if the Academy players can cut in the PL before embarking on buying for the sake of it.

 

There is no point in investing in an Academy if we are not using their players so far it seems to be working OK

[angelman]

The only conclusion I can get to, regarding our performance in recent transfer windows, is that we are broke. We've been saddled with poor buys over previous windows which has left us in a position where we have a bloated squad, lots of overpaid expensive signings out on loan and highly paid players not performing. We need to sell before we can free up cash to buy.

 

We're not a rich club and the way we've used our 'fortune' over the recent windows from our selling has been disastrous and we can see the impact that's having now. Until we can get the likes of Boufal, Carrillo, Hoedt, Cedric, Forster, Austin off our books for good, then we will continue to be hand tied in terms of what we can do.

 

Yeah, we're probably penny pinching, but we've put ourselves into that situation by wasting so much valuable funds over the last 2/3 years. Congratulations Les and Ross, I'm staggered Ross is still in a job to be honest. He should be wholly accountable as to why we're in this position financially.

 

I would disagree with you to a certain extent. I think when KL was in charge, it was fairly clear she wasn't going to invest in the club. TBH that is quite refreshing, that a club should be run standing on its own two feet. Not the norm in football, and not likely to bring huge amounts of success.

 

Over the past 2 years, according to trasnfermarkt...

 

2017/18

Arrivals - £55.26m

Departures - £83.25m

 

2018/19

Arrivals - £56.03m

Departures - 21.51m

 

Near enough an even balance. So not sure the accusations of not spending are accurate.

[Diabolus Ex Machina]

The only conclusion I can get to, regarding our performance in recent transfer windows, is that we are broke. We've been saddled with poor buys over previous windows which has left us in a position where we have a bloated squad, lots of overpaid expensive signings out on loan and highly paid players not performing. We need to sell before we can free up cash to buy.

 

We're not a rich club and the way we've used our 'fortune' over the recent windows from our selling has been disastrous and we can see the impact that's having now. Until we can get the likes of Boufal, Carrillo, Hoedt, Cedric, Forster, Austin off our books for good, then we will continue to be hand tied in terms of what we can do.

 

Yeah, we're probably penny pinching, but we've put ourselves into that situation by wasting so much valuable funds over the last 2/3 years. Congratulations Les and Ross, I'm staggered Ross is still in a job to be honest. He should be wholly accountable as to why we're in this position financially.

 

This sums it up better than I could and outlines where we currently are IMO. I'd add that we're only 'broke' in terms of us having to have spent out as much/more in players than we're getting in. The club is still making a profit overall (which is a good thing as it's shows that we're secure at least financially). But these profits are likely being used for off-the-field purposes rather than being potentially wasted on adding another expensive player to an already bloated squad. The club have repeatedly stated that this would be the case for a couple of years now ("all funds from player sales will be put back into strengthening the squad", i.e. non-player sales profits won't be).

 

And if anyone honestly believes these profits are going straight into our owners pockets then please i'd love to see even a single bit of evidence to back up your claims. Honestly even if some of it was going back to them I wouldn't have too much issue with it - what's the point in investing in something if you're not making money off of it? The caveat is that to make a profit we need to stay in the Premier League so i'm assuming the owners have enough faith in Ralph and the current players that they can keep us up.

[qwertyell]

I think I must be one of the only people on this board who doesn't think we are that bad.

 

4 points from the relegation zone having finished 3 points above it last season. Yeah, we're going great guns...

 

 

 

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[S-Clarke]

I would disagree with you to a certain extent. I think when KL was in charge, it was fairly clear she wasn't going to invest in the club. TBH that is quite refreshing, that a club should be run standing on its own two feet. Not the norm in football, and not likely to bring huge amounts of success.

 

Over the past 2 years, according to trasnfermarkt...

 

2017/18

Arrivals - £55.26m

Departures - £83.25m

 

2018/19

Arrivals - £56.03m

Departures - 21.51m

 

Near enough an even balance. So not sure the accusations of not spending are accurate.

 

I know what you are saying, but it's worth noting that over those years the revenue we make from TV/Prize money has also gone up. Our spending isn't increasing with the trend, and we do need to sell before we can outlay anything. Basically, those numbers above show that we've received about £104m in players and have spent £111m out on new - so that's only around £10m being spent which isn't being pulled in from sales.

 

I know that's a very simplistic way of looking at it, and obviously you need to consider wages and the way transfer deals are structured etc, but we don't seem to have any disposable income for players unless we sell big first.

[aintforever]

We will probably stay up but they have taken a gamble, a few key injuries and we could be in a right mess.

[aintforever]

Near enough an even balance. So not sure the accusations of not spending are accurate.

 

Sell £100mill worth of players then buying £100mill to replace them is zero investment.

[aintforever]

Not at all. Signing on fees, agents fees, difference in wages, installments of payments received and made, sell on fees.

 

Let's not pretend it's that simple.

 

The same costs every other club has, yet we always seem to have to sell to buy.

[StrangelyBrown]

You'll have to point out to me where I am advocating any panic buying.

 

I can only assume that if we had announced the signing of a right back or striker last night, this morning you'd be dismissing them as a panic buy?

I wasn't suggesting that for a minute - don't be so sensitive. I was disagreeing with your made up fact that we've decided to ignore injuries.

 

Panic buying is what we've been doing for the last couple of years and it hasn't worked well. I'm just glad to see we're been more prudent.

 

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[charliemiller]

I dont have an issue with the club NOT spending in the January window , name the last purchase in January that was a success ?

 

The outs free up wages and space for the summer and RH has faith in Valery over cedric so no issue there , yes we are an injury away from a potential U23 having to play but thats not fazing RH at all .

 

If you took it that the season started when RH took over excluding Cardiff we would be sixth in the league on points gained ! lets get to the end season regroup and go again really excited to see what he does with the team next season tbh

[simo]

I thought Ralph and Ralph said that this window would be quiet and that an overhaul of the squad would be made in the summer? Like it or not Saints have shipped out 4 big earners who clearly dont figure in the managers plan. Whilst the squad may look weaker on paper, having a group of players who are focused and a manager who wants to work with them is a great deal better than having uninterested players who dont fit with the ethos of the boss. I think I must be one of the only people on this board who doesn't think we are that bad. Yes we could do with more options but we easily have enough in the squad to stay up this year and then push on in the summer when we have already been told tat investment will be made.

 

The problem is we've only shifted them out until the summer then we will have to do it all over again before doing our summer ins!? As it stands all we have done is saved a few quid for the rest of the season .

[shurlock]

The problem is we've only shifted them out until the summer then we will have to do it all over again before doing our summer ins!? As it stands all we have done is saved a few quid for the rest of the season .

 

And that assumes we’re not co-funding their wages.

[Batman]

And that assumes we’re not co-funding their wages.

 

Given our last two years or so in the market, do we really expect the club to succeed in shifting 8+ players and bringing in 4-5 starting quality level players?

 

The evidence says non

[Toadhall Saint]

Personally I would have liked to get in some cover for a couple of positions but it wasn't to be. I trust RH to use what he has at his disposal and get the very best out of them be they seasoned pros or U23's. He's not done too bad with his selections since he joined and I trust that will continue. IF we get injuries to the players already mentioned then so be it again, I trust that RH will have thought about that and will have formulated a plan for that possibility.

[trousers]

4 points from the relegation zone having finished 3 points above it last season. Yeah, we're going great guns...

 

I would venture that our form since Hasenhuttl took over is more indictative of where we'll end up in the table rather than looking at our form over the whole season thus far...

 

 

p.s. If only Cedric had played more than just 2 sub appearances in those 8 games we'd have been far higher than a somewhat disappointing 5th in the form table....

Edited 1 February, 2019 by trousers

[saintbenny]

The problem is we've only shifted them out until the summer then we will have to do it all over again before doing our summer ins!? As it stands all we have done is saved a few quid for the rest of the season .

 

You make a fair point there Simo...

[doddisalegend]

I wasn't suggesting that for a minute - don't be so sensitive. I was disagreeing with your made up fact that we've decided to ignore injuries.

 

Panic buying is what we've been doing for the last couple of years and it hasn't worked well. I'm just glad to see we're been more prudent.

 

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I'd disagree we've been panic buying at all. Carrillo seems the only signing that might fall into the category though I'd suggest that was more a misguided attempt to show support for a failing manager than anything else. If you believe the club all our player recruitment is careful tracked, researched and planned which in theory makes all the turkey's we've recruited even more baffling.

 

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[egg]

And that assumes we're not co-funding their wages.

 

But if we don't a) we pay all their wages and b) they don't get in the shop window thus reducing the prospect of getting rid of them. However you cut it, loaning out players that the manager doesn't want makes sense.

[Dalek2003]

I am sure was the plan Hasenthull was privy to our project from the beginning. I remember in one of his first conferences he alluded to our bloated squad.

I am convinced that the plan was offload players, improve current players, introduce youngsters and of course avoid relegation.

We have or will achieve all of these.

I suspect we have a few of the summer incomings set up already.

Next season it really will be Ralph’s team and I’m looking forward to it.

So many football fans seem incapable of looking at the bigger picture probably because they are thick.

If we had brought a player last night they would be all excited.

How do we know he would have worked out ?

Ralph was completely clear about our forward plans and am sure he was involved in all the decisions made . To suggest he would leave is complete bedwetting nonsense.

 

Depends which league we are in next year.

Championship players are often a different animal from Premier players.

Maybe we are hedging our bets. If we go down we are half prepared for it and if we stay up, we have some targets in mind.

[Pilchards]

It would of been nice to have a great option to come off the bench as Long and Austin don’t lift the crowd.

[IronCitySaint]

Disappointing window for me, although we will not really be able to judge its effect until the end of the season. To weaken the squad at this point is a real gamble. The players that left have not really been figuring in recent months so not such a big deal as such, but the squad is just so lacking in quality in almost every area. RH himself alluded to wanting to play four at the back to provide more attacking options but agreed that the team cannot function that way with the current personnel (i.e. all the defenders being a bit rubbish) so had to sacrifice attacking for more solidity at the back. Yet nobody was brought in to address lack of quality at the back or provide more attacking options.

 

Lots of people seem to be assuming that everything will be put right in the summer but there is not a lot of evidence from recent years to suggest that will be the case. The assumption seems to be that we will be rid of all those players we don't want and will be able to buy new ones that we do. It seems more likely on recent evidence that those players we don't want will be back and and we will have to sell some players we don't want to sell before bringing in anyone new. The net improvement probably won't be that great and we will still be stuck with loaning out those same unwanted players at the end of the summer whilst being restricted on what we can bring in.

[Diabolus Ex Machina]

Sell £100mill worth of players then buying £100mill to replace them is zero investment.

 

The problem with calling it an 'investment' is that it signifies something you can get a return from. We're currently in 17th which would have got us £7.7m in prize money last year. Say we'd got in Che Adams for £15m having not sold anyone off. In order to recoup that we'd need £22.7m in prize money which would mean finishing 10th which we are currently 10 points behind. Would a single player make that much difference? Let's say you also got a right back in as we arguably need cover there the most. Call it £10m. That puts the total prize money needed to cover your two 'investments' at £32.7m which equates to 4th place prize money which is currently occupied by Arsenal with 67 points (over double what we currently have). Not gonna happen is it.

 

Yes you may be able to make money off the players by selling them at a higher price later but there's no guarantee of that and recent history has us taking massive losses on players rather than profits. As always it's not about how much money you spend but how you spend it that is important. Add in a bloated squad and a number of loanees still on the books and you can see why the idea of getting more players in before we move some out makes no sense. In fact if you want to make more money with your 'investment' in the club it makes much more sense to try and improve your non-player revenue sources such as the commercial side of things (which is exactly what we have been doing and is a big part of why the club continues to be profitable).

[Diabolus Ex Machina]

Actually, being we're currently 16th and not 17th we would have got £9.6m not £7.7m. Doesn't change anything except we'd need to finish 5th not 4th to cover the cost of 2 players but the point stands.

[Dusic]

And that assumes we’re not co-funding their wages.

In addition we are still liable for the transfer fee installments of Carillo, Hoedt, Boufal etc until we have paid what we contractually agreed to.

 

The fees don't go away just because the players do.

[SNSUN]

That proves it - faith in the youth. Irrespective of our financial situation, (assuming we didn't bring anyone in due to having rubbish players on high wages hence the trimming of the wage bill), this is the Academy's chance to shine. Only time will tell if Valery is a capable right wing back, if Jones becomes our 5th choice centre back, if Slattery can get game time in central midfield, if Johnson or Sims can be the attacking players and pace I feel we lack, or if Obafemi and Gallagher can get a look in beyond Austin (who I guess we're stuck with and could be frozen out?) and Long.

 

I do feel we lack experienced pace up front, but Sims, Johnson and Obafemi have that, so I'm not too concerned - I'm especially pleased we didn't loan Sims out again as I think he could add something to a Hasenhuttl team. As for Valery as first choice? That's the one I feel we needed a signing for. Still, Wan-Bissaka and Alexander-Arnold came out of their academies for their clubs, so maybe we should have faith in Valery.

 

I can't see Huddersfield staying up now, and I think Cardiff won't have enough for the season, so really there is only one relegation spot we need to concern ourselves with IMO, and as long as we can maintain the progress we have under Ralph, we will be fine - and this transfer window won't feel so wasted.

[Saint Troy]

once Lemina is back we will have once of the CM options (JWP/lemina) likely to be playing / back up as wingback along with Valery. Its not ideal to not have a nailed on first choice wing back but there is simply no point in trying to get rid of some squad size to bring in someone you dont completely want at the end of a window. Its not ideal, i agree, id rather have a first choice wing back but im actually happy with the rb options rather than someone else bloating the squad

[Doctoroncall]

Well, we didn't buy anyone rubbish.

 

Yep, this is now the measure for us.

 

At least the bloated squad has been trimmed, even if it’s temporary until the loanees come back.

[tajjuk]

Pretty good summary but you never mentioned Palace and they have signed Batshuayi who could make a big difference and take them out of the relegation equation !!

 

Maybe, though he's always been a bit of a inconsistent player, I mean he's just come off a loan spell with Valencia where he has scored 1 goal in 15 I believe.

 

But we have already played Palace twice and I don't think they are going to get relegated, so them being stronger and beating teams below us probably helps us.

 

We were never going to stay up at the expense of Palace IMO.

 

That's a false dichotomy.

 

Other clubs have brought in loans -not as short-term fixes but with an eye on the future. You would think with our recent abysmal record in the transfer record, getting a player in with an option to buy in the summer would, at least, give us the opportunity to run over them before taking the plunge. That's not to say that we didn't try (and fell short); but its wrong to say that it was far more likely that we would wait until the summer to do our business.

 

Most of those players though are probably surplus to requirements at their clubs, much liek ours who have gone out on loan were, the targets we were reported to be in for, the likes of right back, mepham, adams were first choices at their club and would need to replace them.

 

Only probably Augustin was the the one that might have been able to be loaned in as he is not a regular as Leipzig.

[SaffaSaint]

Pretty good summary but you never mentioned Palace and they have signed Batshuayi who could make a big difference and take them out of the relegation equation !!

Batshuayi is a quality signing for them but theres no guarantee they can sign him in the summer. He can go there, do well and go back to Chelsea or be bought by anyone in the summer. I am glad we decided not to go down that route

 

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[pimpin4rizeal]

Grow up, he has a mind of his own, just listen to the guy. Do you truly believe he came to Saints, having turned down Bayern Munich, to be lied to, and for all of his best players to be sold. He would be off in a jiffy. Time will tell who is right, but I suspect it won't be you.

 

Think you misunderstood a little I didn't say anywhere the club Is lying to him, what I'm saying is it is likely that after discussions with the club he knows what he has to work with.

For example when he says I know fans like big signings but I don't think that's the way for us-what he probably means is the club have told me there isn't money for me to do that, so my job is to work with youth and find bargain trees he can water and turn into beautiful ones.