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Summer 2022 Transfer Window

mcbendy

By mcbendy,
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S-Clarke

S-Clarke

Posted
Posted
Just now, Saint Garrett said:

Got no problem with us offering Long a small 1 year deal. Clearly very important round the changing room, fine as a rare sub. Get rid of A Armstrong and keep Long as fourth choice striker. Bring in a new first choice striker and a younger player on loan and I'd be pretty happy with that. 

I dunno, I don't really buy this argument. What's the point in keeping someone around who we know can't offer anything? If he's good around the changing room then give him a kit man role or something. I don't want to sound harsh because he's been a good servant for us, but we've dragged the life out of Long and it makes no sense having him take up a squad place when we know he cannot play at this level anymore. I'd rather have someone like Ballard or Doyle coming off the bench to impact a PL game, not Long.

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Saint Garrett

Saint Garrett

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

I dunno, I don't really buy this argument. What's the point in keeping someone around who we know can't offer anything? If he's good around the changing room then give him a kit man role or something. I don't want to sound harsh because he's been a good servant for us, but we've dragged the life out of Long and it makes no sense having him take up a squad place when we know he cannot play at this level anymore. I'd rather have someone like Ballard or Doyle coming off the bench to impact a PL game, not Long.

And maybe they will be, but right now they're not going to offer us more than Long IMO.  There is no risk in it.  And actually, he proved this season he still has something to offer.

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Turkish

Turkish

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

I dunno, I don't really buy this argument. What's the point in keeping someone around who we know can't offer anything? If he's good around the changing room then give him a kit man role or something. I don't want to sound harsh because he's been a good servant for us, but we've dragged the life out of Long and it makes no sense having him take up a squad place when we know he cannot play at this level anymore. I'd rather have someone like Ballard or Doyle coming off the bench to impact a PL game, not Long.

He role has basically become a last 5 minutes time wasting sub to run around a bit. I cant believe a premier league club has got a senior player on their books like that. He's been a good servant to the club but i wish we'd let him go with everyones best wishes rather than him becoming a bit of a joke figure. 

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Lighthouse

Lighthouse

Posted
Posted
30 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

With 5 subs allowed next season, having him available to bring on late in a game to pester defenders and draw fouls to take pressure off our defence isn't the worst idea.

He doesn't this is a complete myth. The majority of the time he gives THEM the ball, either with his terrible touch and control or simply by being offside. He's as bad as Zaha when it comes to throwing himself on the ground with minimal contact, only without the talent. Most of the time he doesn't even win the foul doing that, the ref just waves at him to get up. He's a League 1 player and nobody has yet managed to explain this magical quality that only he can bring to the dressing room and what it actually translates to on the pitch.

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beatlesaint

beatlesaint

Posted
Posted (edited)

The way they’ve sneaked the McCarthy/Stephens contracts news in the middle of that article actually smacks of the club being embarrassed about it. As they should be.

So that’s three players I didn’t want around come August likely to still be here. Just great🙄 

Edited by beatlesaint
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Rebel

Rebel

Posted
Posted

Letting Forster go on a Free and giving McCarthy a contract extension (although this might have come down to salary demands) when Fraser was the better keeper

Giving McCarthy and Stephens contract extensions and then not announcing them.

Keeping Harry Lewis sitting around for no apparent reason for a couple of seasons as cover - before letting him go one a free - and when you did need him me signing Caballero (a 40 year old) to play instead.

Retaining Caballero as cover / 3rd choice keeper when this should be a your B team keeper and you already have McCarthy for this role anyway.

Supposedly signing Bazunu to be your number 1 when you have kept McCarthy for that role. 

Keeping 3 failed goal keeping coaches as the 3 first team coaches for a couple of years when they were never up to the job (and appointing them in the first place)

Giving Walcott a  2 year deal on £75K a week (reportedly) when he's apparently not good enough to play regularly.

Giving Shane Long a contract extension last time when he should have been released - and then saying you are in discussions about another one when you are not according to his wife.

Signing Adam Armstrong and playing Long ahead of him. 

Not sacking a manager who has lost 9-0 twice - and finished with less points than last season (and giving that manager a 2 year contract extension at £7M per year meaning you can't afford to sack him).

I could probably go on

We are not exactly well managed are we?  (And that's just on the football side - lets not talk about the kit fiasco of recent years)

Is Crocker DoF or just 'director of football operations' or head of the academy?

It looks to me like we need to appoint someone / a Director of Football to take control of it all and give us some sort of plan. It doesn't really feel like we have one at the moment.  

And its maybe time for a new MD as well.

 

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S-Clarke

S-Clarke

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, Rebel said:

Letting Forster go on a Free and giving McCarthy a contract extension (although this might have come down to salary demands) when Fraser was the better keeper

Giving McCarthy and Stephens contract extensions and then not announcing them.

Keeping Harry Lewis sitting around for no apparent reason for a couple of seasons as cover - before letting him go one a free - and when you did need him me signing Caballero (a 40 year old) to play instead.

Retaining Caballero as cover / 3rd choice keeper when this should be a your B team keeper and you already have McCarthy for this role anyway.

Supposedly signing Bazunu to be your number 1 when you have kept McCarthy for that role. 

Keeping 3 failed goal keeping coaches as the 3 first team coaches for a couple of years when they were never up to the job (and appointing them in the first place)

Giving Walcott a  2 year deal on £75K a week (reportedly) when he's apparently not good enough to play regularly.

Giving Shane Long a contract extension last time when he should have been released - and then saying you are in discussions about another one when you are not according to his wife.

Signing Adam Armstrong and playing Long ahead of him. 

Not sacking a manager who has lost 9-0 twice - and finished with less points than last season (and giving that manager a 2 year contract extension at £7M per year meaning you can't afford to sack him).

I could probably go on

We are not exactly well managed are we?  (And that's just on the football side - lets not talk about the kit fiasco of recent years)

Is Crocker DoF or just 'director of football operations' or head of the academy?

It looks to me like we need to appoint someone / a Director of Football to take control of it all and give us some sort of plan. It doesn't really feel like we have one at the moment.  

And its maybe time for a new MD as well.

 

I think going back through all of this, some of it can be explained out. I think we offered both Forster and McCarthy the option to stick around and Fraser wouldn't take the wage drop, so that was that. I don't ever see that as us letting him go instead of McCarthy. The contract for McCarthy wasn't the most sensible, but I guess as a club we were protecting ourselves from going into a summer with absolutely 0 goal keepers.

What you mention about the coaches and the lack of replacements for 3 years is probably purely down to finances. Now we've had a takeover, we could pay each one off and still have the money to go and poach a coach from another club to replace them. That isn't a luxury we have had for many a year, I don't think some realise how we were literally tracking every single penny. The fact it's happened now is a positive.

Sacking the manager, in my view, would have been reactionary. It's not the Ralph thread and I don't want to bring it round to that, but we took the decision to revamp the coaching staff rather than Ralph. We clearly believe in him, like I do, so it's time we gave him the support which we seem to be doing.

Walcott is so far the only big blot on the copybook of Crocker in my opinion. Crocker is the head of all ops, so our director of football type really, and I think in the main we're taking positive steps forward after the years of Ross Wilson and Les Reed - you couldn't say we had a strategy then. We clearly have one now, but things like this don't happen over night and the input of a 'DoF' is usually seen after a decent amount of time (As it will translate to all levels, the academy too - which has turned around)

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The Left Back

The Left Back

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, Rebel said:

Letting Forster go on a Free and giving McCarthy a contract extension (although this might have come down to salary demands) when Fraser was the better keeper

Giving McCarthy and Stephens contract extensions and then not announcing them.

Keeping Harry Lewis sitting around for no apparent reason for a couple of seasons as cover - before letting him go one a free - and when you did need him me signing Caballero (a 40 year old) to play instead.

Retaining Caballero as cover / 3rd choice keeper when this should be a your B team keeper and you already have McCarthy for this role anyway.

Supposedly signing Bazunu to be your number 1 when you have kept McCarthy for that role. 

Keeping 3 failed goal keeping coaches as the 3 first team coaches for a couple of years when they were never up to the job (and appointing them in the first place)

Giving Walcott a  2 year deal on £75K a week (reportedly) when he's apparently not good enough to play regularly.

Giving Shane Long a contract extension last time when he should have been released - and then saying you are in discussions about another one when you are not according to his wife.

Signing Adam Armstrong and playing Long ahead of him. 

Not sacking a manager who has lost 9-0 twice - and finished with less points than last season (and giving that manager a 2 year contract extension at £7M per year meaning you can't afford to sack him).

I could probably go on

We are not exactly well managed are we?  (And that's just on the football side - lets not talk about the kit fiasco of recent years)

Is Crocker DoF or just 'director of football operations' or head of the academy?

It looks to me like we need to appoint someone / a Director of Football to take control of it all and give us some sort of plan. It doesn't really feel like we have one at the moment.  

And its maybe time for a new MD as well.

 

And perhaps a new club for you and some new supporters for us?

Fuck me I've heard of glass half empty but yours is parched dry 

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LuckyNumber7

LuckyNumber7

Posted
Posted

If we are seriously offering Long another contract then my faith in Semmens and the new owners will be severely dented. At 35 he should be nowhere near a PL pitch, as shown at Bournemouth he's not even good enough for the Championship now. I honestly don't know what we are doing but the thought of McCarthy and Long both still being around the team next season is utterly depressing.

Not even bashing Long, he's been a great servant for us but all he does now is come on for a few minutes and run around a bit and throw himself to the floor. He should have been released two years ago, by keeping him around when he's well past it all we're doing is tarnishing his memory here. I honestly can't believe we're not releasing him. What other PL club would have him?

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Chez

Chez

Posted
Posted

Long to get a new deal. Called it months ago. It was obvious and with no chance of Broja returning, leaving us with two strikers, the club just don't have the money, bottle and/or maybe scouting ability to replace him.

No holds barred my arse. When they said there wouldn't be a revolution they meant it. 

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EBS1980

EBS1980

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Matthew Le God said:

His wife thinks otherwise based on her Instagram account in the post above yours.

The press release from saints just says we are in talks with Long. Doesn’t say what about, could be about a coaching roll with the younger age groups. Just seems odd they didn’t mention in talks about a new contract. 
 

Sometimes it’s what isn’t said rather than what is..

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Saint_clark

Saint_clark

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, EBS1980 said:

The press release from saints just says we are in talks with Long. Doesn’t say what about, could be about a coaching roll with the younger age groups. Just seems odd they didn’t mention in talks about a new contract. 
 

Sometimes it’s what isn’t said rather than what is..

Pretty sure his wife would know.

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Saint_lambden

Saint_lambden

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, EBS1980 said:

So why say we are in talks then?! What benefit is there for us saying we are if we aren’t?!?

Sounds like we just haven't made our minds up on him yet so 'in talks' is just code for that. 

How we're even contemplating giving him a new deal is beyond belief. It'd be even more of a stupid decision than giving Walcott a 2 year contract and extending McCarthy's stay. 

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trousers

trousers

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, Saint_lambden said:

Sounds like we just haven't made our minds up on him yet so 'in talks' is just code for that. 

Yeah, it's just a turn of phrase at the end of the day*

(* A bit like the phrase 'At the end of the day')

:)

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Chez

Chez

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Saint Garrett said:

Got no problem with us offering Long a small 1 year deal. Clearly very important round the changing room,

game is played on the pitch. Why pay a cheerleader £70k a week?

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Ex Lion Tamer

Ex Lion Tamer

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, SuperSAINT said:

 

Maybe I'm being generous but perhaps the club want to give him a proper send off rather than announcing his departure as a one-liner alongside the retained list, but weren't ready so cooked up the story about contract negotiations at the last minute.

Does seem like another comms cock up one way or another 

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Chez

Chez

Posted
Posted
23 minutes ago, EBS1980 said:

The press release from saints just says we are in talks with Long. Doesn’t say what about, could be about a coaching roll with the younger age groups. Just seems odd they didn’t mention in talks about a new contract. 

Sometimes it’s what isn’t said rather than what is..

Hmm. Or it could just be that the second use of the word `contract' is superfluous. 

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Matthew Le God

Matthew Le God

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 minutes ago, Ex Lion Tamer said:

Maybe I'm being generous but perhaps the club want to give him a proper send off rather than announcing his departure as a one-liner alongside the retained list, but weren't ready so cooked up the story about contract negotiations at the last minute.

Does seem like another comms cock up one way or another 

The contract offer is listed on the PL website...

https://www.premierleague.com/news/2637594

 

Edited by Matthew Le God
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nta786

nta786

Posted
Posted

Pffft who is to say the club aren't using a fax machine or typewriter to negotiate with Long, what would his missus know.

On a more serious note, I'm happy to keep Shane on a £10k a week contract. It's still more money than 99% of the public earn ffs. If he can get more elsewhere than good for him and we'd all give our blessings and thank him for the 8 years of service.

 

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Chez

Chez

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, trousers said:

Is that the value of the new contract we're supposedly offering him?

#ITKWatch

no idea. I fucking hope not, but you don't have a £114m wage bill unless you pay these chumps a shed load more than some imagine. 

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Chez

Chez

Posted
Posted

 

1 minute ago, Ex Lion Tamer said:

The plot thickens. I guess the club doesn't have to provide any evidence, just say that a contract has been offered. Ultimately you would think Long's wife would know...

I wouldn't take that phrase at face value. My guess is `contract offer' is a broad term used to describe the limbo status of a player - not gone, but not signed. So, an offer may yet to have even been discussed. 

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Chez

Chez

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

The contract offer is listed on the PL website...

https://www.premierleague.com/news/2637594

I presume you are now happy to accept that McCarty and Stephens were indeed offered new deals and signed them, as was revealed in The Athletic a year ago?

As mentioned, journalists don't write stories about such benign subjects unless they are true - no point. Salah to Barca/real etc., sure, Stephens gets new three year deal at Saints, nah. Why the club didn't announce them at the time I will never know.

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Matthew Le God

Matthew Le God

Posted
Posted (edited)
9 minutes ago, Chez said:

I presume you are now happy to accept that McCarty and Stephens were indeed offered new deals and signed them, as was revealed in The Athletic a year ago?

As mentioned, journalists don't write stories about such benign subjects unless they are true - no point. Salah to Barca/real etc., sure, Stephens gets new three year deal at Saints, nah. Why the club didn't announce them at the time I will never know.

I don't recall saying it hadn't happened, I just wondered if it had been done why it then wasn't announced at the time by the club.

Edited by Matthew Le God
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VectisSaint

VectisSaint

Posted
Posted
22 minutes ago, Chez said:

 

I wouldn't take that phrase at face value. My guess is `contract offer' is a broad term used to describe the limbo status of a player - not gone, but not signed. So, an offer may yet to have even been discussed. 

Saints have probably contacted his agent. I did wonder whether he was going to be kept as the new Olly Lancashire (for the B Team) but then noticed that Lancashire has been retained. Maybe there is some sort of coaching deal, though personally don't see Long as a potential coach type (bit like Walcott).

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qwertyell

qwertyell

Posted
Posted

Spurs about to drop £20m on Djed Spence (good player - attitude has supposedly been a bit iffy in the past).

Maybe puts Middlesbrough in a position to make a permanent move for Adam Armstrong (rumoured to be sounding us out about a loan)?

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