Summer Transfer Window 2024

[AlexLaw76]

56 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

This chart shows him being a bit of a Primeira Liga rockstar except for touches in the box, non-penalty goals and aerial duels. So for me he is probably more of a Lavia than a Bryan Robson. But I agree he is more of an 8 than 6. He would be Morgan, while Big Les plays the Big Vic role in a double pivot. But where does that leave Flynn?

High on lateral passes - good for russ-ball

[Patches O Houlihan]

33 minutes ago, Hopper said:

I think Flynn and Les are your double pivot with Mateus a backup/stand in for Les when we are playing a team we can be more progressive against.

AM still a role we need to cover as I’d imagine that to be Will or Charley as it stands.

I think you are underestimating the physical colossus that is Adam Lallana 😉

[hypochondriac]

Seems to me like we want some different midfielders who can perform different roles rather necessarily being backups to each other. You'd think we will still bring in a dynamic AM which is again different from what we have. 

[AlexLaw76]

41 minutes ago, Hopper said:

I think Flynn and Les are your double pivot with Mateus a backup/stand in for Les when we are playing a team we can be more progressive against.

AM still a role we need to cover as I’d imagine that to be Will or Charley as it stands.

Why the heck are we bringing 'back ups'?

[Midfield_General]

3 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Seems to me like we want some different midfielders who can perform different roles rather necessarily being backups to each other. You'd think we will still bring in a dynamic AM which is again different from what we have. 

I’ve got a sinking feeling that Fernandes is being brought in to play in that role higher up the pitch. He looks decent but not the attacking/ all-round creative threat we need. I think the idea is that he threads through-balls for our now more mobile front 2 or 3 to run onto. I don’t think we’re getting the MOR style more tradition creative AM, although I very much hope I’m wrong and we pull a quality loan of that type out of the bag like Luton did with Barkley last year. 

[Miltonaggro]

37 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

 

Five defenders, five defensive midfielders, 37 0-0 draws and we stay up with 37 points and a goal difference of minus 1 😱

Would take that to be honest!

[Bakovnetski]

1 hour ago, Midfield_General said:

He’s a defensive midfielder in the Kalvin Phillips mould. Harsh to judge him on attacking stats. 

That is really worrying if so............

[Give it to Ron]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Why the heck are we bringing 'back ups'?

Because we never get injuries or suspensions do we

[Miltonaggro]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Why the heck are we bringing 'back ups'?

For when we loan out last season's 'great potential circa. £12m' signings...

[Saintsarmy]

Been told Shea Charles off to Oxford on loan for the season

[Bakovnetski]

1 hour ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

This chart shows him being a bit of a Primeira Liga rockstar except for touches in the box, non-penalty goals and aerial duels. So for me he is probably more of a Lavia than a Bryan Robson. But I agree he is more of an 8 than 6. He would be Morgan, while Big Les plays the Big Vic role in a double pivot. But where does that leave Flynn?

Definitely a Rothwell upgrade then.....

[St. Neil]

Oh boy wait until DT wakes up to the Ramsdale news.

[MarkSFC]

3 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Why the heck are we bringing 'back ups'?

Because most football fans thinks this is how it works...first eleven then next eleven, whereas in reality and in good squads (our size club) you need 16-18 players all of whom can be 'first eleven". 

[Give it to Ron]

If you don’t understand why we are buying Fernandes then where have you been ? It’s the complete SR model buy young sell in 18 months for profit .

Whether it’s right in list of priorities I agree but it’s the revenue stream we operate.

Edited 20 August, 2024 by Give it to Ron

[ErwinK1961]

Looks like Arsenal are getting their Ramsdale replacement, so he will def be on the move.

Who knows how much money we’ve got, but if we can do it then I’d pay the loan fee with an option to buy if we stay up (THB esque). Would he go for that though, probably not.

[Turkish]

5 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Would take that to be honest!

Martin will be hounded out by the fans for being boring if we dont score in three games in a row.

[Patches O Houlihan]

2 minutes ago, St. Neil said:

Oh boy wait until DT wakes up to the Ramsdale news.

Every year this forum more strongly demands a bedwetting like emoji be added

[revolution saint]

8 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Seems to me like we want some different midfielders who can perform different roles rather necessarily being backups to each other. You'd think we will still bring in a dynamic AM which is again different from what we have. 

Yep, 100%.  It's all well and good bringing players like Fernandes in if we've got the rest of the squad sorted.  Fernandes is basically Downes.  We're still sorely missing a bit of creativity and goals from midfield.

[Turkish]

3 minutes ago, MarkSFC said:

Because most football fans thinks this is how it works...first eleven then next eleven, whereas in reality and in good squads (our size club) you need 16-18 players all of whom can be 'first eleven". 

Yep ideally for me you need 16-18 good players who could all be first choice which depends on form, fitness, suspensions etc, then supplemented with a few promising younger players on top to make the squad about 21-22 strong.

[Patches O Houlihan]

1 minute ago, revolution saint said:

Yep, 100%.  It's all well and good bringing players like Fernandes in if we've got the rest of the squad sorted.  Fernandes is basically Downes.  We're still sorely missing a bit of creativity and goals from midfield.

 

Flynn did ok at the weekend

[Toadhall Saint]

1 hour ago, trousers said:

Maybe the plan is to fill our half of the pitch with defensive midfielders so that the ball never gets anywhere near one of our substandard goalkeepers...?

Did it before with big Vic and Morgan- Forster hardly had a save to make.

[Hopper]

20 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

I think you are underestimating the physical colossus that is Adam Lallana 😉

Ah yes, club hero. How could I forget 😅

[Long Shot]

Maybe this forum should organise a Crowd Fund to pay Ramsdale’s salary for a year. 
Don’t think I have ever seen such a desperate need to sign a player before. This is certain relegation v having a chance. 

[SuperSAINT]

10 minutes ago, Saintsarmy said:

Been told Shea Charles off to Oxford on loan for the season

Decent move, that.  They’ve started well.

[Hopper]

6 minutes ago, revolution saint said:

Yep, 100%.  It's all well and good bringing players like Fernandes in if we've got the rest of the squad sorted.  Fernandes is basically Downes.  We're still sorely missing a bit of creativity and goals from midfield.

The thing is transfers don't really happen in a sequential order. The club is going to be working on a number of things at once. Some will be easier to solve than others. 

Edited 20 August, 2024 by Hopper

[trousers]

49 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

 

Five defenders, five defensive midfielders, 37 0-0 draws and we stay up with 37 points and a goal difference of minus 1 😱

Can't see us winning the prestigious 'Unbeaten Run Trophy' for the second season in succession to be honest...   

[Turkish]

Just now, trousers said:

Can't see us winning the prestigious 'Unbeaten Run Trophy' for the second season in succession to be honest...   

we are one we are one unbeaten, we are one we are one i say

we are one we are one unbeaten, playing football the Southampton way

[suewhistle]

There seems at least to be a little more planning (and less money!) than at Chelsea:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/aug/20/raheem-sterling-salary-problem-chelsea-enzo-maresca-transfer-market

[Miltonaggro]

14 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

Every year this forum more strongly demands a bedwetting like emoji be added

Up for that, alongside 'taking the piss' and 'whoosh' emojis for balance.

[revolution saint]

7 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

 

Flynn did ok at the weekend

He did and fair play to him.  That was against 10 men and a team sitting back defending a lead though and I don't think we expect him to be doing that every week.

3 minutes ago, Hopper said:

The thing is transfers don't really happen in a sequential order. The club is going to be working on a number of things at once. Some will be easier to solve than others. 

Of course, and we don't know how much money we've got.  If we end up with options that address the creativity and goals from midfield AND other options that leave us well covered then no complaints from me.  Obviously judge it at the end of the window but the money on Fernandes seems to be quite a lot for someone that, on the face of it, doesn't offer much more than we already have.

[Miltonaggro]

9 minutes ago, trousers said:

Can't see us winning the prestigious 'Unbeaten Run Trophy' for the second season in succession to be honest...   

If Martin can't replicate that in this league with the extra resources, Lucy Pinder and 'sold out Northam Wall' he clearly isn't the right man for the job.

[pimpin4rizeal]

15 minutes ago, revolution saint said:

Yep, 100%.  It's all well and good bringing players like Fernandes in if we've got the rest of the squad sorted.  Fernandes is basically Downes.  We're still sorely missing a bit of creativity and goals from midfield.

Bar jwp  because of the free kicks goals from the midfield isn’t something we have really had much of for a long time anyway .. I’m getting to the stage I think Aribo should be our creative midfielder he looked great Saturday and has all the tools ..

We seem to be doing our usual thing of spend our money everywhere but the places we actually need to.

[chiknsmack]

2 hours ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

and Fernandes is a DM too. We’ve gone from being a bit stuffed when Flynn eats raw chicken innards… to very well stocked with guys who can play 6.

 

1 hour ago, Hopper said:

I think Flynn and Les are your double pivot with Mateus a backup/stand in for Les when we are playing a team we can be more progressive against.

AM still a role we need to cover as I’d imagine that to be Will or Charley as it stands.

 

22 minutes ago, revolution saint said:

Yep, 100%.  It's all well and good bringing players like Fernandes in if we've got the rest of the squad sorted.  Fernandes is basically Downes.  We're still sorely missing a bit of creativity and goals from midfield.

 

Fernandes isn't a DM. He was an AM for Sporting's age group teams, he's now a CM. He's much more Alcaraz than Downes, and is taking his spot (YHGTI, hopefully displacing Aribo/Smallbone before selling for two or three times what we paid for him in a couple of years) rather than being Downes' backup's backup.

Edited 20 August, 2024 by chiknsmack

[hippo]

Mateus seems more like Stewart Armstrong than anyone else we currently have on the books. 

[Patrick Bateman]

13 minutes ago, suewhistle said:

There seems at least to be a little more planning (and less money!) than at Chelsea:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/aug/20/raheem-sterling-salary-problem-chelsea-enzo-maresca-transfer-market

That article is frightening, well if you were a Chelsea fan! It's not as if they can even sell most of those players for cheap, who is going to pay Sterling £325k a week??  Ridiculous situation, ridiculous club. 

[Patrick Bateman]

32 minutes ago, Saintsarmy said:

Been told Shea Charles off to Oxford on loan for the season

Good for him. I think he's a decent player, but he needs the game time to develop and grow - hope it works for him and Saints long term. 

[revolution saint]

4 minutes ago, chiknsmack said:

 

 

 

Fernandes isn't a DM. He was an AM for Sporting's age group teams, he's now a CM. He's much more Alcaraz than Downes, and is taking his spot (YHGTI, hopefully displacing Aribo/Smallbone before selling for two or three times what we paid for him in a couple of years) rather than being Downes' backup's backup.

Neither is Downes a DM and that's my point.  Downes only really played that role because we didn't have any other options but when he played for Swansea it was Grimes as the more deep lying midfielder.  Downes is a great all round midfielder and this kid maybe too.  Let's be honest, none of us really know much besides what we've read and seen on the interweb but personally feel that we need someone more productive at the top end of midfield.  Someone who can take on his man and either score or assist.  Stuart Armstrong could do that but I'm not sure we really have that at the moment.  Aribo possibly, and he did well on Saturday, but I'm hoping we get someone else who naturally plays that role.

[Saint Fan CaM]

1 hour ago, Hopper said:

I think Flynn and Les are your double pivot with Mateus a backup/stand in for Les when we are playing a team we can be more progressive against.

AM still a role we need to cover as I’d imagine that to be Will or Charley as it stands.

I was thinking Les as the DM enforcer with Downes and Mateus ahead of him with the job of feeding the wing backs or unlocking defences through the middle. Certainly Mateus is not a DM as opposed to a box to box midfielder who is capable of winning the ball back throughout the pitch. He could be a big upgrade on Charley.

[Yorkshire Saint]

54 minutes ago, Turkish said:

we are one we are one unbeaten, we are one we are one i say

we are one we are one unbeaten, playing football the Southampton way

No, we are not. 

LLSS

[Dman]

West Ham want rid of JWP. Do we have space for him if we could squeeze a loan out of them?

Think he could do a job for us in one of the 8 roles, an upgrade on smallbone and would offer us goals from free-kicks. 

6. Downes / Lesely 

8. Smallbone / JWP 

8. Aribo / Fernandes

 

[Kenilworthy]

Fernandes feels a bit like when we brought Schneiderlin. Not quite what we needed at the time, but purchased for potential

[Patches O Houlihan]

1 minute ago, Dman said:

West Ham want rid of JWP. Do we have space for him if we could squeeze a loan out of them?

Think he could do a job for us in one of the 8 roles, an upgrade on smallbone and would offer us goals from free-kicks. 

6. Downes / Lesely 

8. Smallbone / JWP 

8. Aribo / Fernandes

 

Alcaraz, Lallana & Dibling all more than surplus to requirements?

Edited 20 August, 2024 by Patches O Houlihan

[Dman]

Just now, Patches O Houlihan said:

Alcaraz, Lallana & Dibbling all more than surplus to requirements?

Alcaraz is off, Lallana wont play more than 5 games, dibbling, for me, is a 10 and could play in the front 2. 

[Jack]

1 minute ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

Alcaraz, Lallana & Dibbling all more than surplus to requirements?

Isn’t Alcaraz likely to be sold? And Lallana likely to be injured. 
 

It’s hopefully Dibling’s breakthrough season but he didn’t do that in the Championship so very unproven 

[Turkish]

8 minutes ago, Yorkshire Saint said:

No, we are not. 

LLSS

who had more possession? 

[Patches O Houlihan]

3 minutes ago, Dman said:

Alcaraz is off, Lallana wont play more than 5 games, dibbling, for me, is a 10 and could play in the front 2. 

1 minute ago, Jack said:

Isn’t Alcaraz likely to be sold? And Lallana likely to be injured. 
 

It’s hopefully Dibling’s breakthrough season but he didn’t do that in the Championship so very unproven 

I take your points. Just wanted to highlight that we had 3 other midfielders. 

That said I would love to see JWP return just so that the PL free kick record is achieved when he is wearing a Saints shirt

[revolution saint]

Matt Targett on a season long loan - Graeme Bailey.  If true then KWP is probably off.

Sun reporting interest "hotting up" in Jack Clarke with us and West Ham interested.  Could see this happening.  Sunderland want 25M but have a reported 25% sell on to Spurs.  Fee would need to come way down but someone suggested yesterday offering Edozie on a loan which probably works for both parties.

[WALK DMC]

Last season one of our biggest weaknesses was the number of goals that we conceded too many goals (around 20 more than both Leicester and Leeds did). Just before the playoffs we moved to 3 at the back, and this appeared to reduce the number of chances/goals against us. We did the same again on Saturday and the defence did look very solid (before and after the sending off). 

However, I think that goal scoring may be an issue this season, so there will be times when we will switch back to last season's 4-3-3 which could help with our goal scoring but leave us exposed, as we were against average Championship teams last year. I think that the investment in two more defensive midfielders in big Les and short Fernandes means that we can play two strong DMs in front of the defence (with Downes plus 1) will allow us to go back to 4 at the back particularly for games against bottom half clubs. I still expect that for Man City away we'll play 3 at the back and probably all our best defensive midfielders 🙂   ). 

In summary, buying these type of DMs means they are addressing the defensive issues from last season so that we have tactical flexibility and don't have to completely rely on playing 3 at the back in every game this season. It will be interesting to see if the new additions give the back 4 the solidity that was missing last season. 

[Dman]

5 minutes ago, revolution saint said:

Matt Targett on a season long loan - Graeme Bailey.  If true then KWP is probably off.

Sun reporting interest "hotting up" in Jack Clarke with us and West Ham interested.  Could see this happening.  Sunderland want 25M but have a reported 25% sell on to Spurs.  Fee would need to come way down but someone suggested yesterday offering Edozie on a loan which probably works for both parties.

I genuinely couldn't think of a worse deal that this one, if it was to be true. 

Even if KWP leaves, we don't need a bang average LB. We have Taylor & Manning already, we shouldn't be eating up a loan slot on Matt Targett. 

[V.Johnathan.Wilson]

Apparently both Lesley and the Fernandes guy are good at putting through balls in behind the defence, I'd say  that our strategy involves avoiding any sort of congestion in the box based on the profile of forwards we've signed,  so a lot of goals like the one that Adam Armstrong got against Leeds in the playoff finals are to be expected when we do score. Basically we are hedging our bets on the possibility that opposing teams are not going to play a low block against a promoted side so we either get the jump on them or cause an overload on the edge of the box if the opponent's defensive line has to rush back. 

Edited 20 August, 2024 by V.Johnathan.Wilson