January 2022 Transfer Window

[TWar]

33 minutes ago, Sarisbury Saint said:

How long would you define a lull ?

 

I'd say we've been poor (and a bit unlucky) since the Norwich game, but looked quite good for the previous few games, if that answers your question.

Edited 13 December, 2021 by TWar

[Sarisbury Saint]

13 minutes ago, TWar said:

I'd say we've been poor (and a bit unlucky) since the Norwich game, but looked quite good for the proceeding few games, if that answers your question.

So your quite happy with the way things have gone over the last 40 odd games ? Fair enough, I guess you’d be happy if we continued at that rate for the rest of the season then ?

[TWar]

4 minutes ago, Sarisbury Saint said:

So your quite happy with the way things have gone over the last 40 odd games ? Fair enough, I guess you’d be happy if we continued at that rate for the rest of the season then ?

Things have fluctuated. I was not happy at the back end of last season (with a couple of exceptions) although I thought it was mainly due to injuries and people not coming back fully fit. I was pretty happy with our performances from the start of this season until the norwich game (again with a couple of exceptions). I think if you arbitrarily cut out a time frame with a big poor patch in it you could easily overshadow a smaller good patch. If you look at all of last season and this one, I'm reasonably happy, if you look at all of this season I am happy enough or was until about 4 games ago. If you group the bad bit of last season with this one to prove we are poor right now and have been for X games I'd call that disingenuous. 

[Dman]

48 minutes ago, TWar said:

I remember last time we had a bad swing you said our manager was worse than the that of san marino and that we were worse off than pompey. Of course YOU don't think people are overreacting 😂

Go on then, I’ll take the bait. 

That’s not true, what was said was that their manager was better at organising them defensively than Ralph is us. Given the gulf in quality when they play the likes of England etc. Yet still (until recently, which was after said post), they don’t get turned over by 9, which demonstrates how bad that result is for a premier league club. 

As for the Pompey comparison, that was in terms of attraction / ROI to a potential investor. Naturally, a club which will cost less and have more room to grow, will be a more attractive proposition. I don’t think we, which is probably why we’re yet to be taken over, are all that attractive to a potential buyer. Much better value in the championship for similar, if not better, infrastructure. 

If you think questioning the manager after a full year of total shite, is overracting, then I guess you would still be happy with Pellegrino and Hughes in charge.. no? 

Your head is so far up Ralph’s arse you can probably taste what he had for dinner last night. But your blokes a dud and is on borrowed time.

[Sarisbury Saint]

1 minute ago, TWar said:

Things have fluctuated. I was not happy at the back end of last season (with a couple of exceptions) although I thought it was mainly due to injuries and people not coming back fully fit. I was pretty happy with our performances from the start of this season until the norwich game (again with a couple of exceptions). I think if you arbitrarily cut out a time frame with a big poor patch in it you could easily overshadow a smaller good patch. If you look at all of last season and this one, I'm reasonably happy, if you look at all of this season I am happy enough or was until about 4 games ago. If you group the bad bit of last season with this one to prove we are poor right now and have been for X games I'd call that disingenuous. 

We’ve had, as you say, a small good patch and that was against weakened teams who we only just beat. The general trend does not look likely to change other than the odd smaller good patch. Can you not see that ?

[TWar]

Just now, Dman said:

Go on then, I’ll take the bait. 

That’s not true, what was said was that their manager was better at organising them defensively than Ralph is us. Given the gulf in quality when they play the likes of England etc. Yet still (until recently, which was after said post), they don’t get turned over by 9, which demonstrates how bad that result is for a premier league club. 

As for the Pompey comparison, that was in terms of attraction / ROI to a potential investor. Naturally, a club which will cost less and have more room to grow, will be a more attractive proposition. I don’t think we, which is probably why we’re yet to be taken over, are all that attractive to a potential buyer. Much better value in the championship for similar, if not better, infrastructure. 

If you think questioning the manager after a full year of total shite, is overracting, then I guess you would still be happy with Pellegrino and Hughes in charge.. no? 

Your head is so far up Ralph’s arse you can probably taste what he had for dinner last night. But your blokes a dud and is on borrowed time.

A couple of freak poor results doesn't make a manager of Ralphs quality worse than whatever part timer is in charge of San marino, you nutter. You think that manager gets clean sheets at City, West Ham, Liverpool etc. like we have over the last year or so? Definitely not.

Pompey don't have room to grow, they basically sold off their academy, their facilities are shite, their stadium is half the size of ours and would take huge investment to get anywhere near our quality, they have no good players. When we were in league 1 we had a quality academy and big stadium so we were appealing, what do pompey have? I shouldn't have to explain this to a southampton fan, I've met skates less deluded about their quality than you. Honestly...

No, as Ralph is better than those two. Hence why his win % is almost double theirs...

I'm not taking advice on whos a dud from a guy who just said pompey have "room to grow". Absolute bollocks like that is why you get a ban, because it comes across as very fishy...

[TWar]

11 minutes ago, Sarisbury Saint said:

We’ve had, as you say, a small good patch and that was against weakened teams who we only just beat. The general trend does not look likely to change other than the odd smaller good patch. Can you not see that ?

I don't think we had a small good patch. I think we got good victories against some decent sides in and around where we were finishing and took points off City, West Ham and United who are all great sides with tonnes more money pumped into them than us. This season we have been more good than bad, even with the poor run we are on right now. Last season we were also fine, that's why we weren't relegated. I would love for an acceptable season for us to mean top half or europe but that's just not where we are financially. A passing grade is survival. We survived last year and we are on course to do so again. For our investment, thats the aim.

Edited 13 December, 2021 by TWar

[Sarisbury Saint]

58 minutes ago, TWar said:

I don't think we had a small good patch. I think we got good victories against some decent sides in and around where we were finishing and took points off City, West Ham and United who are all great sides with tonnes more money pumped into them than us. This season we have been more good than bad, even with the poor run we are on right now. Last season we were also fine, that's why we weren't relegated. I would love for an acceptable season for us to mean top half or europe but that's just not where we are financially. A passing grade is survival. We survived last year and we are on course to do so again. For our investment, thats the aim.

We are on course for a relegation scrap, how can you not see that ? 

[CB Fry]

1 hour ago, TWar said:

I don't think we had a small good patch. I think we got good victories against some decent sides in and around where we were finishing and took points off City, West Ham and United who are all great sides with tonnes more money pumped into them than us. This season we have been more good than bad, even with the poor run we are on right now. Last season we were also fine, that's why we weren't relegated. I would love for an acceptable season for us to mean top half or europe but that's just not where we are financially. A passing grade is survival. We survived last year and we are on course to do so again. For our investment, thats the aim.

Pretty sure you said we had a better squad than Aston Villa not that long ago.

Interesting you are now downgrading your expectations to fourth-bottom.

So unless you are now saying Villa are on course for relegation that feels like a bit of a climb down.

[TWar]

9 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

Pretty sure you said we had a better squad than Aston Villa not that long ago.

Interesting you are now downgrading your expectations to fourth-bottom.

So unless you are now saying Villa are on course for relegation that feels like a bit of a climb down.

This is the same Aston villa that should have been relegated if it wasn't for a fluke dip in goal line tech?

Yeah we are better than Villa as a squad, and Norwich, Watford, Burnley, Brentford, and Newcastle. We are a team that should be achieving 12th-16th most seasons, if we do really well we may push higher, if we do poorly we could be relegated. Because there are no awards for finishing 13th instead of 14th the most pressing issue is to avoid relegation. As long as we do that that'll be fine and can keep building hoping to uncover a gem or two with cheap signings and hoping to be bought. I think the same is true of all the teams I listed including Villa despite their delusions of grandeur.

I'm not "downgrading my expectations to 4th from bottom" I'm saying that for a team of our size even if there are 5 or 6 worse teams than us relegation is possible with a run of bad form, bad luck, or injury, and avoiding it is our main goal. And since we don't have anywhere near the squad for a European challenge it's our only major goal outside the cups.

[TWar]

21 minutes ago, Sarisbury Saint said:

We are on course for a relegation scrap, how can you not see that ? 

We'll see. We've not come anywhere near to relegation for the last couple of seasons under Ralph. Will believe it when I see it. Not saying it won't happen, as per my last post, but there are definitely atleast 5 teams worse than us, so comfortable lower mid table will be my prediction. If we had the same numbers we had under our two previous managers we'd be gone though.

[CB Fry]

11 minutes ago, TWar said:

This is the same Aston villa that should have been relegated if it wasn't for a fluke dip in goal line tech?

Yeah we are better than Villa as a squad, and Norwich, Watford, Burnley, Brentford, and Newcastle. We are a team that should be achieving 12th-16th most seasons, if we do really well we may push higher, if we do poorly we could be relegated. Because there are no awards for finishing 13th instead of 14th the most pressing issue is to avoid relegation. As long as we do that that'll be fine and can keep building hoping to uncover a gem or two with cheap signings and hoping to be bought. I think the same is true of all the teams I listed including Villa despite their delusions of grandeur.

I'm not "downgrading my expectations to 4th from bottom" I'm saying that for a team of our size even if there are 5 or 6 worse teams than us relegation is possible with a run of bad form, bad luck, or injury, and avoiding it is our main goal. And since we don't have anywhere near the squad for a European challenge it's our only major goal outside the cups.

Fair enough - you don't think we are going to be in a relegation scrap this season, that's your position, absolutely 100% clear, and we're a team that should be achieving as high as 12th. Thanks for confirming.

 

[Saint Garrett]

1 minute ago, CB Fry said:

Fair enough - you don't think we are going to be in a relegation scrap this season, that's your position, absolutely 100% clear, and we're a team that should be achieving as high as 12th. Thanks for confirming.

 

Bonkers. We’re a poor side, who leaks goals and doesn’t score many. We are 100% in the shit this season. I do believe Ralph is capable of keeping us up though. 

[TWar]

7 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

Fair enough - you don't think we are going to be in a relegation scrap this season, that's your position, absolutely 100% clear, and we're a team that should be achieving as high as 12th. Thanks for confirming.

 

I don't think we will be, but we could be. I also think we could reach higher than 12. It's all probability really. 538 have a cool predicted chances by league finishing position plot here: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/soccer-predictions/premier-league/

Giving us a 17% chance of relegation and a 3% chance of europe. Thereby a massive 80% chance of boring midtable with our most likely finishing position being about 15th/16th. I don't fully agree with the model, I think we probably have a slightly higher chance of europe and lower relegation, but I think this is basically right.

I won't rule out relegation, as that would be silly, but I would say it's unlikely. Unlikely things happen though, look at Leicester.

Edited 13 December, 2021 by TWar

[Teddeer]

6 hours ago, Bob76 said:

A lull😂😂😂😂😂

Yeah, God forbid we go into a slump!

[notnowcato]

7 hours ago, TWar said:

Works well for a number of sides, nothing is inherently wrong with it. It has worked well for us in the past, we are just in a lull at the moment.

It’s too predictable

[CAH61]

This bloke may be worth looking at, he's a Skate who has a touch of LeGod about him. Nearly joined our Academy as a kid apparently...

 

 

[Billy the Kidd]

1 minute ago, CAH61 said:

This bloke may be worth looking at, he's a Skate who has a touch of LeGod about him. Nearly joined our Academy as a kid apparently...

 

 

Yeah he looks better than anything we have at number 10.

What is his contract like currently?

[Billy the Kidd]

1 minute ago, Billy the Kidd said:

Yeah he looks better than anything we have at number 10.

What is his contract like currently?

Just checked, ends summer 2022. 

I just hope Ralph sees him and thinks he could do a job at LB. 

[HarvSFC]

Ilias Chair from QPR is the number 10 from the Championship that has impressed me the most this season, although he's on a long term contract, so probably out of our price range. Plays a lot like Tadic, although in some phases at 24 he also reminds of Elyounoussi in that he doesn't have much pace/power.

[Wade Garrett]

A good manager finds a system that suits his players best.

Ralph is not a good manager….

[Jeremy Corbyn]

5 minutes ago, adriansfc said:

Redmond, Tella, Moi and probably even Djenepo would tear it up in the Championship. I'm not sure the prices of players in that league make it worthwhile at the moment. More to the point, we aren't signing any new no10s when we have so many on the books taking up wages. If we stay up we need to move Long, Walcott and maybe Moi and Djenpo on unless they show something the rest of the season. Redmond has been the best of a terrible bunch and hasn't even scored a fcking goal.  

We moan about our strikers, but it would be fascinated to see how Adams or Armstrong would do with Mane and Tadic around them rather than the crap we have. Our attack is just so depressingly bad. I get players will be erratic but the likes of Djenepo seem to have any flair quickly coached out of them. Are we just over coached in that way? Too rigid in tactics? It doesn't seem to help any of our attackers. 

Our tactics are incredibly predictable - which is the problem with having a playbook.  Also, that the centre of our team is flat, now JV has gone and JWP has lost what mojo he had there is very little breaking of the lines in the middle, which is a problem.  We also desperately miss Stuart Armstrong who offered a bit of spontaneity (and quality).

[Bob76]

4 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

A good manager finds a system that suits his players best.

Ralph is not a good manager….

Nail head hit. This is his job see the squad we have a find a way of getting the best out of it.

Not shoehorn the players into a system not suited to then.

[danjosaint]

4 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

A good manager finds a system that suits his players best.

Ralph is not a good manager….

Agree as above also agree with post above I think Djenepo has had his freedom and flair coached out of him (not that he done great deal with it) and I also feel Tino is falling in that bracket,  he was a marauding direct rb now he doesn't get forward as much albeit maybe he's knackered mentally and physically but he's also not very good and a bit of a liability at Rb when just defending,  if there ever was someone who needed to play further forward with a experienced pro behind him to help/encourage him then this is the time, Ralph obviously is such a stubborn prick this won't happen instead he'll drain all the life out of Tino 

[Disco Stu]

1 hour ago, HarvSFC said:

Ilias Chair from QPR is the number 10 from the Championship that has impressed me the most this season, although he's on a long term contract, so probably out of our price range. Plays a lot like Tadic, although in some phases at 24 he also reminds of Elyounoussi in that he doesn't have much pace/power.

If he looks slow in the Championship, I have my doubts he'll be able to impose himself in the Premier league. Not without exceptional technical ability.

 

The players that seem to make the step up effectively are the strong, athletic players.

[Viking Saint]

2 hours ago, Bob76 said:

Nail head hit. This is his job see the squad we have a find a way of getting the best out of it.

Not shoehorn the players into a system not suited to then.

This, in a nutshell.

[Streaky]

On 13/12/2021 at 17:38, TWar said:

Oh sorry, forgot the forum was overreacting at the moment. Let me try again:

We are just going through a permanent period of regression wherein relegation is inevitable, our manager is the worst we've ever had, and Gao is about to to sell us for asset stripping. Is that better?

That's more like it.

[SuperSAINT]

Obvious to say, but Djenepo / Long / Walcott as subs today shows where we’re weak.

[TWar]

1 hour ago, SuperSAINT said:

Obvious to say, but Djenepo / Long / Walcott as subs today shows where we’re weak.

I think that they are fine as 5th choice forward and 5th/6th choice AM. It more showed that we had Stu, Arma, and Adams out and were scraping the barrel somewhat. When we get the aforementioned back Adams, Arma, Broja as strikers with Tella and Redmond also options and Stu, Tella, Redmond, Elyounoussi as AMs is probably plenty. I'd see another DM, a keeper, or a better CB to play next to Salisu signed first, personally.

[TWar]

Dean Henderson wants out of united apparently. Absolute dream signing but I think his sights will be set higher than us.

[S-Clarke]

51 minutes ago, TWar said:

Dean Henderson wants out of united apparently. Absolute dream signing but I think his sights will be set higher than us.

He's done his trade at a 'lower fodder' club (Sheffield United). I can see him turning up at somewhere like West Ham (if they don't sign Areola) or Spurs as a replacement for Lloris.

[TWar]

4 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

He's done his trade at a 'lower fodder' club (Sheffield United). I can see him turning up at somewhere like West Ham (if they don't sign Areola) or Spurs as a replacement for Lloris.

Seen him linked with Ajax, maybe we could compete with that. They have picked up our rejects (Tadic, we won't discuss what transpired after that!) and we have picked up top players from that league before. They are a pretty good side which normally does ok in the CL but the allure of the prem is a big deal, especially for English lads. Very unlikely though as you say and a team like Spurs should be all over this.

Edited 16 December, 2021 by TWar

[Sarisbury Saint]

https://www.givemesport.com/1804097-southampton-transfer-news-st-marys-move-for-198m-star-good-for-both-parties?amp

[The Cat]

30 minutes ago, Sarisbury Saint said:

https://www.givemesport.com/1804097-southampton-transfer-news-st-marys-move-for-198m-star-good-for-both-parties?amp

Love the way that link suggests we are looking at a player worth £198m.

Signing Henderson would be incredible. Really can't see it unfortunately.

[SuperSAINT]

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/19792740.saints-linked-move-georgias-khvicha-kvaratskhelia/

[Far que]

Saints will be looking in the bargain basement again,but in reality can’t afford to buy there.

[HarvSFC]

16 minutes ago, Far que said:

Saints will be looking in the bargain basement again,but in reality can’t afford to buy there.

I hope it isn't the reality, but those at the top will know there's a chance football goes behind closed doors again, which we couldn't afford last time it happened, needing a loan. The joys of the Gao era.

[benjii]

As if we're signing a player in January 🤣

[SuperSAINT]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/17082171/southampton-transfer-mohamed-ali-cho/amp/ 

Edited 19 December, 2021 by SuperSAINT

[Badger]

11 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/17082171/southampton-transfer-mohamed-ali-cho/amp/ 

Interesting read after some googling:

Mohamed-Ali Cho, a rising star at Angers (ligue1.com)

 

Quote

Another man helping Cho make progress at Angers is former Angers, LOSC and Southampton winger Sofiane Boufal.

"As soon as he came here he took me under his wing and he started teaching me loads of things," Cho beamed. "He's teaching me a few little tricks I might put out on the pitch sooner or later. He played for Southampton, Lille, he's travelled a lot so he's teaching me a lot of things and I'm grateful to have him on my team."

Mentoring by Boufal. Not sure on that one.

If we've got £20m to spend, can't see it being on a 17 year old for the future.

[Dusic]

25 minutes ago, Badger said:

Interesting read after some googling:

Mohamed-Ali Cho, a rising star at Angers (ligue1.com)

 

If we've got £20m to spend, can't see it being on a 17 year old for the future.

Why not? Its basically our stated business model.

[Matthew Le God]

6 hours ago, Dusic said:

Why not? Its basically our stated business model.

No it isn't. Saints have never spent anything remotely close to £20m on a 17 year old 'for the future'.

Edited 20 December, 2021 by Matthew Le God

[Convict Colony]

2 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

No it isn't. Saints have never spent anything remotely close to £20m on a 17 year old 'for the future'.

[SuperSAINT]

It’s an exciting link, but anything that’s basically: “if the takeover happens” is a bit wishy-washy.

[Saint Billy]

Deli Alli name keeps coming up in gossip columns saying Ralph is keen on having him. 

[Matthew Le God]

1 minute ago, Saint Billy said:

Deli Alli name keeps coming up in gossip columns saying Ralph is keen on having him. 

What gossip columns?

[Toadhall Saint]

Just now, Matthew Le God said:

What gossip columns?

Was going to be my question 

[Charlie Wayman]

Very doubtful that we'll see any activity from Saints in next month's window especially with ground closure threats with further potential huge loss of income.

[Dman]

21 minutes ago, Saint Billy said:

Deli Alli name keeps coming up in gossip columns saying Ralph is keen on having him. 

We’re clearly not going to sign Dele Alli 

[Sarisbury Saint]

17 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

What gossip columns?

I’ve also seen it , but personally I don’t believe.