Saints will buy at CB and FB, new DoF in a month, says Telegraph

[Batman]

Is this the same Leicester that sold Kante, Mahrez and Maguire? It's not that they haven't sold, they've just bought better. Winning the title helps.

 

Bournemouth and their spending is more worthy of comparison. They've got a smaller squad than us, and though the top earners make a fair amount more than ours I wonder how their median wage compares.

 

Name one club outside of Leeds/Portsmouth who have sold the number of first team players in such a short space of time, like us?

[tajjuk]

West Ham who are comfortably better than us?

 

Yeh that massive 5 points after playing easier teams and spending hundreds of millions over the last season or two.

 

West Ham have lost 4-0 at Oxford, drawn with Bournemouth, lost to Everton, lost at home to Palace, drawn at home with Sheff Utd, drawn at Villa, drawn at Brighton. The have beaten Norwich at home, Watford away and their only decent result is beating Man Utd at home.

 

Look at that fixture list -

 

Bournemouth, Everton, Palace, Sheff Utd, Villa, Brighton, Norwich, Watford, Man Utd.

 

Their only tough game has been against Man City at home, where they got thumped 5-0.

 

They have spent £165 million this season and last.

[DuncanRG]

Name one club outside of Leeds/Portsmouth who have sold the number of first team players in such a short space of time, like us?

 

I can't, although there may be one or two. You may remember that our very best seasons were after the biggest sales. I'm not saying all our sales were the right calls but it's obvious that the purchases have been the bigger problem.

[Batman]

I can't, although there may be one or two. You may remember that our very best seasons were after the biggest sales. I'm not saying all our sales were the right calls but it's obvious that the purchases have been the bigger problem.

 

Selling like we do was like playing Russian roulette.

 

We simply refused to up our spending ceiling. Was only going to end one way

 

There was absolutely no need for any of it really.

 

No other club really has that issue.

[Turkish]

Is this the same Leicester that sold Kante, Mahrez and Maguire? It's not that they haven't sold, they've just bought better. Winning the title helps.

 

Bournemouth and their spending is more worthy of comparison. They've generally had a smaller squad than us, and though the top earners make a fair amount more than ours I wonder how their median wage compares.

 

Our recruitment problems started around the time we had to bulk up the squad for Europe. Once we dropped out of it we had a lot of players on good wages and long contracts who couldn't get a game, which is a recipe for trouble even if they're good.

 

The difference is Our board would have sold Schmichel and Vardy as well and probably Maddison already too.

[HarvSFC]

The difference is Our board would have sold Schmichel and Vardy as well and probably Maddison already too.

 

Would have let Tielemans go to one of the big boys too after a successful loan.

[nta786]

Selling like we do was like playing Russian roulette.

 

We simply refused to up our spending ceiling. Was only going to end one way

 

There was absolutely no need for any of it really.

 

No other club really has that issue.

 

 

Yep, also want to say that Europa League campaign was somewhat a poisoned chalice and really when the squad started to get bloated.

 

We also shot ourselves in the foot giving high wages to average £10-£15m players (who have done nothing of note apart from display ‘potential’), when those wages should be saved for those who have consistently played well (either for us for at least 2 years) or for anyone who has actually come in with a pedigree in the £25m-£35m range.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Vardy turned down a move to arsenal guys

[jasonb]

Deleted for being too absurd.

[Turkish]

Vardy turned down a move to arsenal guys

 

Because Leicester offered him £100k a week. Don’t recall us offering any of our lot a better deal to stay. We couldn’t wait to get them out to door and count the cash

[Convict Colony]

Deleted for being too absurd.

I'm in, what did you write [emoji38]

[Kenilworthy]

Because Leicester offered him £100k a week. Don’t recall us offering any of our lot a better deal to stay. We couldn’t wait to get them out to door and count the cash

 

Virgil?

[Turkish]

Virgil?

 

You mean the player we offered a new deal too when he signed his 5 year contract he said he’d stay for another year or two. Then we agreed to sell in August then called off the deal so Goa could sell him before the transfer window opened in January?

[Saints foreva]

Yeh that massive 5 points after playing easier teams and spending hundreds of millions over the last season or two.

 

West Ham have lost 4-0 at Oxford, drawn with Bournemouth, lost to Everton, lost at home to Palace, drawn at home with Sheff Utd, drawn at Villa, drawn at Brighton. The have beaten Norwich at home, Watford away and their only decent result is beating Man Utd at home.

 

Look at that fixture list -

 

Bournemouth, Everton, Palace, Sheff Utd, Villa, Brighton, Norwich, Watford, Man Utd.

 

Their only tough game has been against Man City at home, where they got thumped 5-0.

 

They have spent £165 million this season and last.

 

They comfortably got six points from us last season. Comfortably finished above us too and will again this season.

[shurlock]

Is this the same Leicester that sold Kante, Mahrez and Maguire? It's not that they haven't sold, they've just bought better. Winning the title helps.

 

Bournemouth and their spending is more worthy of comparison. They've generally had a smaller squad than us, and though the top earners make a fair amount more than ours I wonder how their median wage compares.

 

Our recruitment problems started around the time we had to bulk up the squad for Europe. Once we dropped out of it we had a lot of players on good wages and long contracts who couldn't get a game, which is a recipe for trouble even if they're good.

 

We didn’t significantly bulk up the squad. Ultimately when you experience the type of player churn and sales we have, you’re compelled to bring more players in and need to run just to stand still. Either way, if it’s an explanation, it’s a second-order one. Poor recruitment and an unwillingness to keep up with market inflation are the main culprits.

Edited 26 October, 2019 by shurlock

[Saints foreva]

Ask yourself how Leicester kept Vardy, Bournemouth keep Ake or Villa keep Grealish. If any one of those players were at Saints, we would have cashed in on them and bought the sub-standard sh*te we have to replace them.

 

Bournemouth are currently keeping Wilson too after giving him £100k a week, but that is out of our budget. Comfortably outspent by AFC Bournemouth.

[Turkish]

We didn’t significantly bulk up the squad. If it’s an explanation, it’s a second order one. Poor recruitment and unwillingness to keep up with market inflation are the main culprits.

 

Correct, it’s simply not true. We signed a few low cost, low risk squad players like pied, martina, Juanmi, and caulker on loan but but between them cost less than £8m and were all moved on without any fuss. Using the europa league is a lazy excuse, it was a great time for our club and some good memories. The problem started like you say when we didn’t move with the market and expected a £12m in 2014 to be £12m 2018.

[Turkish]

Bournemouth are currently keeping Wilson too after giving him £100k a week, but that is out of our budget. Comfortably outspent by AFC Bournemouth.

 

I’ll say it again because it beggars belief. The only club in the premier league to make a profit from transfers in the last 5 years yet still needs to sell to buy.

[austsaint]

Attention to the weaknesses at CB and FB is clearly urgent, but there is also a pressing need to deal with the static, undermanned midfield. If the Club doesn't add pace and creativity to the midfield, the game is up. PEH, and Ward-Prowse in particular must be improved upon.

[DuncanRG]

We didn’t significantly bulk up the squad. Ultimately when you experience the type of player churn and sales we have, you’re compelled to bring more players in and need to run just to stand still. Either way, if it’s an explanation, it’s a second-order one. Poor recruitment and an unwillingness to keep up with market inflation are the main culprits.

 

Off the top of my head we signed Romeu, Van Dijk, Clasie, Juanmi, Cedric, Stekelenburg, Martina and Caulker that summer. With the last three of those eight the club was pretty explicit that they'd come to pad out the squad. We didn't sell eight players and didn't have a tiny squad to begin with.

 

Poor recruitment is, of course, the main culprit. The bloated squad makes it harder to keep up with market inflation, even if there's more we could have done.

[Turkish]

Off the top of my head we signed Romeu, Van Dijk, Clasie, Juanmi, Cedric, Stekelenburg, Martina and Caulker that summer. With the last three of those eight the club was pretty explicit that they'd come to pad out the squad. We didn't sell eight players and didn't have a tiny squad to begin with.

 

Poor recruitment is, of course, the main culprit. The bloated squad makes it harder to keep up with market inflation, even if there's more we could have done.

 

Of those players Romeu is now probably our best midfielder, van dijk is now the worlds best defender, Cedric been our first choice right back for 4 years and won a trophy for his country, 4 did a job and were moved on easily enough, its only really Claise, whom IMO was underrated by saints fans that we’ve struggled with. Now let’s talk about carilllo....

[DuncanRG]

Of those players Romeu is now probably our best midfielder, van dijk is now the worlds best defender, Cedric been our first choice right back for 4 years and won a trophy for his country, 4 did a job and were moved on easily enough, its only really Claise, whom IMO was underrated by saints fans that we’ve struggled with. Now let’s talk about carilllo....

 

No disputes there, it was a good summer and I'd do it again if I had the chance. But a bigger squad still costs money and it didn't really slim down once we fell out of the Europa League. Obviously Carillo's the worst of the worst.

[Saints foreva]

I’ll say it again because it beggars belief. The only club in the premier league to make a profit from transfers in the last 5 years yet still needs to sell to buy.

 

It's hilarious that people accept it as if we're a well run club because of it.

[Turkish]

It's hilarious that people accept it as if we're a well run club because of it.

 

The best excuse I’ve heard is it’s because we have to pay agents fees, bonuses and national insurance contributions. As if we are the only club in world football that has to pay these things. The cheerleaders can’t accept the we are a joke and run horrendously.

[Daft Kerplunk]

I will be happy with this a)when I see it actually happen and b)when the players are decent and not ‘one for the future’

[Fan The Flames]

That article is more than an appeasement piece about who we are going to buy, its an explanation piece of where the trouble lies and places the blame squarely at the feet of the players. It alludes to player dissatisfaction with the manager as being at the heart of the problem and the bit about buying new players is less about appeasing us and more of a signal to the players that Ralph isn't going anywhere. Shape up or get ****ed off.

 

How correct the piece is or how correct it is to put it out there is up for debate.

[SKD]

Of those players Romeu is now probably our best midfielder, van dijk is now the worlds best defender, Cedric been our first choice right back for 4 years and won a trophy for his country, 4 did a job and were moved on easily enough, its only really Claise, whom IMO was underrated by saints fans that we’ve struggled with. Now let’s talk about carilllo....

 

Agree. I’d rather Claise over someone like JWP. He was never really given a fair crack imo.

[SKD]

We didn’t significantly bulk up the squad. Ultimately when you experience the type of player churn and sales we have, you’re compelled to bring more players in and need to run just to stand still. Either way, if it’s an explanation, it’s a second-order one. Poor recruitment and an unwillingness to keep up with market inflation are the main culprits.

 

This is it for me. You may get lucky with 1 or 2 bargain bin signings, but you’re never going to get a full squad of them. A on average, a £15m player is the equivalent of £5m 5 years ago, for example Carrillo.

 

We needed to push the boat out £25m+ to get a top CB in the summer. We didn’t, and we’re sunday league as a result.

 

Our model is sustainable (buy, develop, sell), as long as you’re willing to move with the times in terms of transfer fees.

[DuncanRG]

That article is more than an appeasement piece about who we are going to buy, its an explanation piece of where the trouble lies and places the blame squarely at the feet of the players. It alludes to player dissatisfaction with the manager as being at the heart of the problem and the bit about buying new players is less about appeasing us and more of a signal to the players that Ralph isn't going anywhere. Shape up or get ****ed off.

 

How correct the piece is or how correct it is to put it out there is up for debate.

 

It's very clearly been briefed by the club. It's their take on events but it's useful to know either way. Which bits do you think are alluding to player dissatisfaction with the manager?

[doddisalegend]

This is it for me. You may get lucky with 1 or 2 bargain bin signings, but you’re never going to get a full squad of them. A on average, a £15m player is the equivalent of £5m 5 years ago, for example Carrillo.

 

We needed to push the boat out £25m+ to get a top CB in the summer. We didn’t, and we’re sunday league as a result.

 

Our model is sustainable (buy, develop, sell), as long as you’re willing to move with the times in terms of transfer fees.

 

The other is problem we've now been ****e for a while which really makes it hard to buy a "top" player of any type even if we where willing to splash the extra cash we wouldn't be any players preferred destination now.

Edited 27 October, 2019 by doddisalegend

[aintforever]

We’ve been fed the same bullish!t from the club before, this summer was supposed to be a big rebuild but that turned out to be lies.

[qwertyell]

Agree. I’d rather Claise over someone like JWP. He was never really given a fair crack imo.

Clasie has been utter rubbish in all his loans - we virtually had to give him away. Fair crack or not, he just isn't a very good player.

 

Neither is Prowse, but that's a separate issue.

 

Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

[Micky]

We’ve been fed the same bullish!t from the club before, this summer was supposed to be a big rebuild but that turned out to be lies.

And the main reason for that it's that we couldn't offload our dross to anybody else (unsurprisingly) , and therefore couldn't raise funds to buy. Nothing had changed since then, so I'm not overly optimistic of any radical changes any time soon.

 

Sent from my SM-T590 using Tapatalk

[ally_uk]

Our whole transfer philosophy needs to change. forget polishing younger players. We need experienced lads with grit and determination.

 

I said get Cahill but the wet fannies on here threw toys out pram.... He is exactly what we were and still are crying out for an experienced player who can organise and lead....

 

This whole over reliance on the youth needs to stop until we can at least finish mid table comfortably and can actually produce a clean sheet once in a while...

[LGTL]

Heard all this bull**** before. Who’s in charge of our propaganda these days? They’re going to have to ramp it up a notch or two.

[Turkish]

Heard all this bull**** before. Who’s in charge of our propaganda these days? They’re going to have to ramp it up a notch or two.

 

Yep, if we had to sell to buy in the summer what’s suddenly changed so we can now afford two new players? It’s another appeasement article the type we’ve seen before several times.

[Nordic Saint]

Let's hope the central defender we buy is someone good, like Dael Fry, and not another Vestergaard.

[Suhari]

I wonder which side the FB will be? Presumably left, and a replacement for Bertie.

[Nordic Saint]

I wonder which side the FB will be? Presumably left, and a replacement for Bertie.

 

Yes, I guess they are hoping the transfer fee they get for Bertrand will pay for him. But, this is obviously the worst time ever to get a decent transfer fee for any of our defenders.

[James]

The club’s mouthpiece also said we were going to use the Virgil money to sign Walcott, Daniel Sturridge and Cenk Tosun (who, if I remember correctly, had almost signed for Everton on the day the article was published). The reality was we signed Carrillo and almost went down that year as well. It’s just spin - until the club actually stumps up some real money for some quality players who will help us out of this downward spiral - words are completely meaningless.

[Give it to Ron]

We could do with looking at Brentford some good players here. Mbueno, Da Silva left midfield left back Henry is highly rated . Pontus Jansen cost less than 5 m a leader the Mahrez look a like Benrahma? QPR Eze and Samuel all could do better than what we have currently

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gordon Mockles]

We’ve been fed the same bullish!t from the club before, this summer was supposed to be a big rebuild but that turned out to be lies.

 

That’s the only consistent thing the club have done under Gao. Lie bigger and more often. Break every promise and some keep buying it. It’s so transparent. This regime have treated the fans with utter contempt from the outset. The owner still hasn’t even outlined his plans which is nothing short of disgraceful contempt to the paying fan base.

 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46137489

 

Remember this a year ago? In a statement, Saints said: "The club believes the time is right to take constructive action and make a change that will provide new drive and direction to our football operations team and enable them to get results back on track."

 

12 months later, I think it’s fair to say, much like the continuously false transfer window spin, carrot dangling & moving of proverbial goalposts, the club were talking sh*t! Also, how are those improved results going boardroom?

 

We were apparently appointing a DOF to replace Les Reed in Nov 2018. It’s only a year. We tend to shed staff under Gao (Rohl, Wilson, Reed, Krueger, etc. etc.) and never replace them or we force up cheap appointments already in situ (Kelvin Davis as first team coach says it all. Entirely out of his depth). Who exactly is Rohl’s replacement? Wasn’t someone forced up from ‪the Academy‬?! Another inadequate replacement & cost-cutting exercise no doubt. Are we ever going to appoint people of football brainpower rather than market strategists who have about as much influence on progression in sport as Paul Daniels. Still, at least the club can learn to manipulate & bullsh*t a lot better than they did before (or do currently).

 

Gao clearly doesn’t like paying wages or money out to anyone outside of marketing and social media. That’s probably the only reason why Ralph is still here. To avoid the pay off and to get back at the players.

 

Now read the lastest Echo article. https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/17996253.southampton-plan-appoint-director-football-support-ralph-hasenhuttl/

 

Saying the same thing as a year ago. The club is run like a communist propaganda column. Saying what they think people want to hear but doing nothing of the sort. Then the club reneges on 3 transfer windows. Always moving the goal posts/going back on their word. Having too many players. We shed enough. Having to sell to buy. We sold some. Loaned out others. Then January is cited by the club as being a bad time. We wait for summer. Then the big window in July/August the club spin doctors alluded to allowing Ralph to rebuild the squad he wanted ending up being……………1 last min panic loan (Danso) who doesn’t play unless it’s out of position or a panic sub. That was the major rebuild our club deferred and lied their way through for 2-3 years. At least 3 successive windows.

 

It begs the question, as others rightly highlight, why buy Danso if he is no improvement and can’t step straight into the first 11?! That was suicidal negligence as this season has proven. I even remember them going for Quincy Promes a few years back and the “club” saying we would go back end of season (which they didn’t, of course. Totally false, transfer tyre kicking to appease the fans and run down the window clock). This is what the club do now. Spin lies and deliver on nothing or treat the fans with abject silence and contempt. Unforgivable.

 

I ignore any promises uttered by the club now. How gullible can our fans be? Actions, no more words. Of course, nothing will happen. We need a new squad. An overhaul. Apparently Ralph has lost the dressing room and players are trying to do what they did under Puel. Oust the manager. Unbelievable when you consider their performances and their inability to look inward. Unbelievable arrogance. This club is rotten from the core.

 

So, will Gao dip into the January transfer market. Doubtful. He was bad news from the start. Generally, the Chinese in business like to make money. They do not like to spend it. Ideal. Thanks Kat. Years of good, patient work undone in a few short years of one idiot’s incompetent, utterly destructive & potentially divisive reign. Cortese has a point when he ranted on his departure. He knew what was ahead.

 

I fear there is no recovery from this in the short term and we deserve all we get, sadly. Who will we attract in January if, by a small miracle, Gao did put his hand in his pocket? We need big or strong names in. A strong assistant coach to Ralph before we even consider players. A strong DOF. Someone like Wenger as DOF would be ambitious but that’s as likely as us recruiting Erik Stoffelshaus over Manchester United. Our standards as a club are so ridiculously low, any ambitious suggestions or sign of intent would get shot down by the fan base anyway. We have proven over a consistent time, we offer nothing to any prospective suitor. No ambition. No stability. No continuity. No intelligence. No care. No passion. No spirit. No transfer budget and, with it, no future in the Premier League.

 

The board must’ve realised we had little hope at the beginning of the season when they did next to nothing to bolster the squad. If they didn’t, it just shows how far from a competent & functioning board they actually are. Utterly clueless. I’m sorry if that’s bleak but that’s the sad reality of the situation. Friday was so predictable.

 

[Raging Bull]

https://g.co/kgs/rpjDdK

 

How’s your chance to learn how to feed rubbish to people like a pro

[the saint in winchester]

The Telegraph says we will buy in a month? In November, before the transfer window opens?

Are there any good free agents around, that we could bring in before January?

Otherwise, we have what we have, and need decent coaching to get them to play to their potential.

[Batman]

The Telegraph says we will buy in a month? In November, before the transfer window opens?

Are there any good free agents around, that we could bring in before January?

Otherwise, we have what we have, and need decent coaching to get them to play to their potential.

 

We can buy now just can’t be registered until Jan 1st (it when the window opens)

[DuncanRG]

The Telegraph says we will buy in a month? In November, before the transfer window opens?

Are there any good free agents around, that we could bring in before January?

Otherwise, we have what we have, and need decent coaching to get them to play to their potential.

 

No, it says a new director of football equivalent will be in place before the next international break in late November. Nothing to do with transfers.

[Turkish]

I seem to remember last time we went on a bit of a bad run there were all these rumours that we were going to bring in a DOF then and some others as no one person could do Les Reeds job by fhemselves. Paul Mitchell was touted. We ended up not bringing anyone in and the stories went away. I expect Goa is currently hoping for a similar outcome

[hypochondriac]

I miss the days on saintsforever when the PR company posting on the forum on behalf of Lowe was outed and publically shamed. Now we just do it through our own PR efforts and trusted journalists. Simpler times.

[eelpie]

Rubbish article that doesn't say much at all.

 

So who will decide who to recruit?

 

And what is the strategy?

 

It's been obvious for a long time that high pressing tactics (which in theory I like) depends on a strong cohesive midfield and defence. Strachen said that 'defence begins with the forwards'. Yet this won't happen without the whole team playing the same tune.

 

Meanwhile, Ralph is shorn of adequate coaching staff and the DOF is yet to be appointed. - He might come with opposing ideas to the manager. What then?

 

For me, I'd like Ralph to continue with adequate back-up around him and support from above. Kat has an important role to play here. She is now our most experienced director, and she began our problems when she dismissed Cortese in favour of nice Uncle Les. Lets' hope that she takes a long term view for the club - and not her immediate pocket. I would suggest that she swallows her pride and speaks to Cortese.

[hypochondriac]

So who will decide who to recruit?

 

And what is the strategy?

 

It's been obvious for a long time that high pressing tactics (which in theory I like) depends on a strong cohesive midfield and defence. Strachen said that 'defence begins with the forwards'. Yet this won't happen without the whole team playing the same tune.

 

Meanwhile, Ralph is shorn of adequate coaching staff and the DOF is yet to be appointed. - He might come with opposing ideas to the manager. What then?

 

For me, I'd like Ralph to continue with adequate back-up around him and support from above. Kat has an important role to play here. She is now our most experienced director, and she began our problems when she dismissed Cortese in favour of nice Uncle Les. Lets' hope that she takes a long term view for the club - and not her immediate pocket. I would suggest that she swallows her pride and speaks to Cortese.

I doubt she will have a say or much interest. It will be Gao or his proxy making the decisions.