Summer Transfer Window 2024

[Patches O Houlihan]

1 minute ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Just don't hire the ground floor, left hand side of any building to host it. 🙂

Right better than left, so Conservative club better than the Working Men's Club you'd think

[Holmes_and_Watson]

2 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

Right better than left, so Conservative club better than the Working Men's Club you'd think

I think...hang on there's a sign here... "Do not cross the threads!"

Not Ghostbusters, but a warning that the summer window combined with the Brexit thread spells doom for the forum. 🙂

[Patches O Houlihan]

41 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

I think...hang on there's a sign here... "Do not cross the threads!"

Not Ghostbusters, but a warning that the summer window combined with the Brexit thread spells doom for the forum. 🙂

I'm already imagining Gio dressed as Egon, Turkish as Ray, and Trousers as Venkman. 

 

 

Edited August 25 by Patches O Houlihan

[6ft8saint]

2 hours ago, Dusic said:

Now we are getting Bijlow rather than a domestic keeper we still have one PL loan we can use, albeit not from Chelsea.

Likely to be a few decent attacking players available this week, any suggestions? Here are a few potentials...

Reiss Nelson - 24 now, needs proper minutes. Good player who can score goals I think

Jadon Philogene - we have been keen before. Unlikely Villa would get him out but perhaps if they signed Sterling?

David Brooks - not getting a look in at Bmth. Perhaps not the most exciting but would improve the squad. Don't think they would loan to another bottom third club though

Julio Enciso - supposedly won't be loaned out but hard to see him getting too many starts with Rutter, O'Riley and Gruda joining of late.

Ben Doak - has been linked buly a few decent sources during the summer and not gone anywhere yet. Would only play League Cup at Liverpool but Championship loan would probs get him more minutes.

James McAtee - seems v unlikely as Pep on the record as wanting him to stay but has only played 1 min in first two games despite no Foden. Gundogan signing will also cost him mins. Would be ideal for our style and is PL hardened after last season  and we love an ex Blade...

Ryan Fraser - he will clearly leave NUFC and if he can't get them to pay up his deal maybe a subsidised loan could work? Really him like but not sure he overly improves us now?

Daniel Ings - feels like he will leave WH. Clearly class last timw but not done much since and has supposedly turned us down - plus big wages.

Evan Ferguson - unlikely but also how often will he start for Brighton once back from injury?

 

Not Brooks he was shit last season. He was like the Mara/edozie promised alot delivered less than nothing.

Ings said he didn't want to play for us. surely there is something better than what is listed????

 

 

[Roo1976]

6 hours ago, Dusic said:

Huge need for a ball carrier - if only Sulemana had something more than pace.

Clarke would have been ideal for us.

Not many other links as most others have gone elsewhere, but lots of our moves have been quite under reported until just before the player has signed so hopefully they have something lined up.

Ings probably................................................................................

[Harry_SFC]

1 hour ago, Appy said:

Nketiah move has broken down. Wonder where he ends up. 

Palace are favourites now.

[6ft8saint]

https://www.claretandhugh.info/ings-stand-off-could-hamper-striker-purchase/

[Dellyears]

1 hour ago, Harry_SFC said:

Forest have bid £30m for Santiago Gimenez from Feyenoord. A player I wanted us to go for but obviously way out of our price range. Shame. 

How come Forest have got that sort of money?

[Gingeletiss]

8 minutes ago, 6ft8saint said:

https://www.claretandhugh.info/ings-stand-off-could-hamper-striker-purchase/

17 days ago, we knew this already.

[Dellyears]

1 minute ago, Gingeletiss said:

17 days ago, we knew this already.

We sold Ings at the right time despite  what fans thought at the time. it would beyond crazy to buy him back now.

[Saint_clark]

1 minute ago, Dellyears said:

How come Forest have got that sort of money?

Makes you wonder doesn't it. They've spent more than they've brought in every summer since 2019 and yet still whatever financial fair play is in effect allows them to keep spending. 

[Hatch]

Player called Adams scored for Torino tonight

could be worth a punt. 

[derry]

7 hours ago, 6ft8saint said:

Stephens is such a negative play player every possible attack seems to be stiffled by some backwards pass to defence or goal. Stop squeezing him in to the team!!!

He is also a compulsive ball watcher.

[verlaine1979]

"It's not the system, we just need to play with a quicker tempo."

Seen this said a few times since yesterday, but it ignores an important consideration. The likes of Bednarek, McCarthy, Aribo, Armstrong etc. pass the ball slowly because they aren't technically good enough to pass the ball both quickly and accurately. That has always been the flaw in Martin's ambition - we play a possession game that is too slow to reliably move opponents out of position. On the contrary, our slow build up helps the opposition defense establish and maintain their positions.

Hopefully Les, Mateus and a new AM are all able to receive the ball on the turn, as the "only play the way you're facing" schoolboy crap just isn't going to cut it at this level.

[LegalEagle]

32 minutes ago, Hatch said:

Player called Adams scored for Torino tonight

could be worth a punt. 

One goal and one assist

[6ft8saint]

That league must be shit if che adams scored

[derry]

There is no point judging the strikers. Firstly, separating them is stupidity as they can't even support each other and are easily dealt with. Secondly, we need at least two midfielders rapidly getting forward. Thirdly, the formation is ultra defensive and the ponderous possession obsession allows the opposition to snuff out our lightweight attacks. The three centre backs got us promoted but now against better teams we can't score which wasn't a problem in the Championship. 

I think the tactics have to change. Win the ball and pass it forward immediately and two of the midfield get up quickly and become attackers. 4-3-3 could give us Sugawara, THB Bednarek, KWP/Taylor, Ugochukwu, Downes, Fernandez, Armstrong BBD Archer.  We have to win some matches, Smallbone and Aribo are negative especially Smallbone's wall passing, mostly backwards. If we want to have slick passing do it in the opponents final third.

Dibling should be used as the first attacking change, certainly not Edozie. Keep Alcaraz but that ship may have sailed. It's a shame about Fraser as he is a good footballer that hits good crosses into dangerous areas.

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Dellyears said:

We sold Ings at the right time despite  what fans thought at the time. it would beyond crazy to buy him back now.

Ings, Stewart, Nivea and possibly Bijlow …. that’s major investment in extending the treatment room at Staplewood. 

[Saint86]

5 minutes ago, derry said:

There is no point judging the strikers. Firstly, separating them is stupidity as they can't even support each other and are easily dealt with. Secondly, we need at least two midfielders rapidly getting forward. Thirdly, the formation is ultra defensive and the ponderous possession obsession allows the opposition to snuff out our lightweight attacks. The three centre backs got us promoted but now against better teams we can't score which wasn't a problem in the Championship. 

I think the tactics have to change. Win the ball and pass it forward immediately and two of the midfield get up quickly and become attackers. 4-3-3 could give us Sugawara, THB Bednarek, KWP/Taylor, Ugochukwu, Downes, Fernandez, Armstrong BBD Archer.  We have to win some matches, Smallbone and Aribo are negative especially Smallbone's wall passing, mostly backwards. If we want to have slick passing do it in the opponents final third.

Dibling should be used as the first attacking change, certainly not Edozie. Keep Alcaraz but that ship may have sailed. It's a shame about Fraser as he is a good footballer that hits good crosses into dangerous areas.

Agree with this. I think Martin (rightly or wrongly) is guilty of deliberately opting for a more defensive approach whilst the side (and he) find their feet. I think the natural progression will be one of us opting to 4-3-3 and taking the game to sides.

Newcastle away the 5 at the back was understandable. Forest at home less so. I would anticipate us changing it up sooner rather than later and taking the game to sides more... It does have to happen and the sooner we realise it the better. He (martin) talks about being brave all the time, but so far we've been as cowardly as it's possible to be tactics wise. 

But he is a young manager and it's his first time at this level. He deserves his chance, and he showed last year that he can learn and adapt, I think he'll demonstrate that again this year. Some of the bed wetting and the negativity from the fans has been laughable. This club nearly went to the wall 15 years ago, yet loads in the fanbase act like we're entitled to being an established mid table prem side, despite hounding out the last manager capable of that (in ralph - who genuinely loved the club as well), and now calling for the head of the man who got us back to the prem 😒

Edited August 25 by Saint86

[verlaine1979]

We need players in the middle who can receive the ball under pressure, turn and carry it forward before offloading it, even if only for a few yards to get the defense moving backwards. Gibbs-White did it several times yesterday, either with strength or by having the technique to beat his marker, enabling Elanga and Hudson-Odoi to make runs in anticipation of the pass. You can't advance the ball with any sort of tempo if you exclusively pass it short to players who rigidly stand with their backs to goal.

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Saint_clark said:

Makes you wonder doesn't it. They've spent more than they've brought in every summer since 2019 and yet still whatever financial fair play is in effect allows them to keep spending. 

You can only speculate as to whether their policy is “bollocks to the regulations, we’ll build a team to get more points than whatever deduction the EPL will hand out ..”

[Nordic Saint]

8 minutes ago, 6ft8saint said:

That league must be shit if che adams scored

The team he scored against beat Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League Final so they're a bit better than sh!t. Sh!t hot perhaps?

Serie A | Torino 2-1 Atalanta: Che Adams master class (football-italia.net)

[Osvaldorama]

1 hour ago, Hatch said:

Player called Adams scored for Torino tonight

could be worth a punt. 

I thought it was time for him to go and wished him well..

But fuck me i thought we actually bring a striker in to replace him. 

I didn’t think we’d go into a premier league season this understaffed in the attacking areas. 

We are weaker than the championship season. Really poor from the club tbh. 

[Badger]

9 minutes ago, derry said:

 

Dibling should be used as the first attacking change, certainly not Edozie. Keep Alcaraz but that ship may have sailed. It's a shame about Fraser as he is a good footballer that hits good crosses into dangerous areas.

Agree with all you say, but when you talk of “dangerous areas” it’s pointless as this area is largely a big void, we’ve no one there to receive or react to it. Same for much of last season.

Need a CF, not another shortarse there 

[suewhistle]

On 24/08/2024 at 19:00, Billy the Kidd said:

And AA looks lost playing I the EPL, don’t know if it is a mental thing, but totally different player. I get he is up against better players but he looks like he can’t do much at all right now.

I was thinking very similar. But when he comes in from the right he also seems isolated in our formation: that absence of an attacking focal point again. We need better support from midfield and nobody was doing it yesterday. It'll be interesting to see what our recently signed midfielders can do.

The only bright spark was Dibling and his ability to keep the ball. I'd like to see him playing another ten yards up the pitch and receiving the ball rather than constantly having to come back for it.

There was a Forest fan who went yesterday watching our game this afternoon and we both agree it was a shit game! Her gripe was about Hudson-Odoi, so all fans like a good moan whatever the result.

[derry]

2 minutes ago, Badger said:

Agree with all you say, but when you talk of “dangerous areas” it’s pointless as this area is largely a big void, we’ve no one there to receive or react to it. Same for much of last season.

Need a CF, not another shortarse there 

Agreed but it's up to the midfielders and forwards to get into that area. What it should be, not what it is. I'm a firm believer of forwards attacking the blindside on the 45, It's an area we rarely cover but incredibly difficult to anticipate and defend. We aren't very intelligent with our attacking. In addition set pieces are abysmal both the delivery and the positioning. The best headers shouldn't stand in the goal area being grappled they should spread out and start their run from outside the penalty area and arrive with the delivery giving them the best chance of outjumping defenders. BBD 6' 1". Ugochukwu 6' 3" plus THB and Bednarek.

[SouSaint]

1 hour ago, Hatch said:

Player called Adams scored for Torino tonight

could be worth a punt. 

I wasn't his biggest fan but it feels like that Archer and BBD are downgrades as things stand. 

I hope they both prove me wrong but cheap options come to mind. 

[skintsaint]

51 minutes ago, 6ft8saint said:

That league must be shit if che adams scored

TBF anyone on here could have scored it..

 

[suewhistle]

3 minutes ago, skintsaint said:

TBF anyone on here could have scored it..

We've all seen Adams miss them too!

[Harry_SFC]

15 minutes ago, skintsaint said:

TBF anyone on here could have scored it..

 

That is a nice goal though - you'll never see a goal like that at St Mary's. The ball was played forward far too quickly. 

[Oldandtired]

Late again so deleted

Edited August 25 by Oldandtired
A bit late with it..

[Saint Matty 76]

1 hour ago, verlaine1979 said:

We need players in the middle who can receive the ball under pressure, turn and carry it forward before offloading it, even if only for a few yards to get the defense moving backwards. Gibbs-White did it several times yesterday, either with strength or by having the technique to beat his marker, enabling Elanga and Hudson-Odoi to make runs in anticipation of the pass. You can't advance the ball with any sort of tempo if you exclusively pass it short to players who rigidly stand with their backs to goal.

Yep. He was clearly at his end physically but Stu Armstrong was the only one capable of doing that for us last year, and I felt like we really missed that whenever he wasn't playing.

The only capable players in this current squad are either A) 18 with about 40 professional minutes or B) about to be sold.

It's why playing Smallbone & Aribo together is utterly pointless, as neither of them excel defensively or offensively. They're both just alright at shielding a ball and playing short passes. It has to be one of them and somebody more attacking, or maybe even neither. 

[ally_uk]

Dear Sports Republic...

Buy a striker for fuck sakes you tight bastards..... 

 

[EBS1980]

https://twitter.com/theathleticfc/status/1827807913177403705?s=46&t=OQrvtqxdga34G9SV_nKtNQ

 

maybe we are one of the clubs, top of our price range and young.

[Turkish]

2 hours ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

I'm already imagining Gio dressed as Egon, Turkish as Ray, and Trousers as Venkman. 

 

 

That’s @Crab Lungs at the bottom 

[saintant]

1 hour ago, verlaine1979 said:

"It's not the system, we just need to play with a quicker tempo."

Seen this said a few times since yesterday, but it ignores an important consideration. The likes of Bednarek, McCarthy, Aribo, Armstrong etc. pass the ball slowly because they aren't technically good enough to pass the ball both quickly and accurately. That has always been the flaw in Martin's ambition - we play a possession game that is too slow to reliably move opponents out of position. On the contrary, our slow build up helps the opposition defense establish and maintain their positions.

Hopefully Les, Mateus and a new AM are all able to receive the ball on the turn, as the "only play the way you're facing" schoolboy crap just isn't going to cut it at this level.

This is spot on - if you want to play RM's possession game you need players who are good enough to do it quickly and adept enough to make clever passes (they are too expensive for us)or it serves no purpose. RM likes to believe we play some kind of brave game but we don't - we just play sideways and backward passes until we lose the ball. Also, he continually broadcasts that we won't change so teams like Forest know they can set up to press us high and we aren't good enough to play through them nor will we hit long balls to bypass their press so basically we're stuffed.

[Badger]

32 minutes ago, EBS1980 said:

https://twitter.com/theathleticfc/status/1827807913177403705?s=46&t=OQrvtqxdga34G9SV_nKtNQ

 

maybe we are one of the clubs, top of our price range and young.

Yes, age 19. That’s the sort of player we’d sign, pitch straight in, and pin our hopes of survival on. 

[VectisSaint]

50 minutes ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

Yep. He was clearly at his end physically but Stu Armstrong was the only one capable of doing that for us last year, and I felt like we really missed that whenever he wasn't playing.

The only capable players in this current squad are either A) 18 with about 40 professional minutes or B) about to be sold.

It's why playing Smallbone & Aribo together is utterly pointless, as neither of them excel defensively or offensively. They're both just alright at shielding a ball and playing short passes. It has to be one of them and somebody more attacking, or maybe even neither. 

Don't think Stuey has a club yet

[Charlie Wayman]

2 hours ago, LegalEagle said:

One goal and one assist

That's his quota sorted for the season then.

[CanadaSaint]

2 hours ago, derry said:

It's a shame about Fraser as he is a good footballer that hits good crosses into dangerous areas.

I haven't given up on us getting Fraser back but I think it might be dependent on what happens late-window with KWP. I'm amazed that KWP is still with us because he's easily PL standard and not that expensive, and the collapse of the ABK deal magnified our need to sell others. We're currently using him on his "wrong" side, not ideal for him or us, which suggests that we were setting up for life without him.

I really like Fraser's pace, directness (if we give him the ball when he's pointing the right way), and early, dangerous crossing. He's also a good "out ball" target - something we'll definitely need this year. The other part of Fraser's game that both surprised and impressed me last year was his effectiveness and reliability when he needed to drop back into more of a defensive wingback's role. If KWP goes (sad day), bringing Fraser back might be a good, cost-effective move.

[Andy Hill]

Get used to it - nil for us will be the norm with the line-up RM selects 

[V.Johnathan.Wilson]

10 hours ago, Dellyears said:

How come Forest have got that sort of money?

They've sold a whole heap of players for quite a hefty sum I think. They're currently in the green in terms of spending by around 5 mil I think.

[V.Johnathan.Wilson]

8 hours ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

Yep. He was clearly at his end physically but Stu Armstrong was the only one capable of doing that for us last year, and I felt like we really missed that whenever he wasn't playing.

The only capable players in this current squad are either A) 18 with about 40 professional minutes or B) about to be sold.

It's why playing Smallbone & Aribo together is utterly pointless, as neither of them excel defensively or offensively. They're both just alright at shielding a ball and playing short passes. It has to be one of them and somebody more attacking, or maybe even neither. 

There were moments in the 2nd half where I saw Smallbone try it to some success but then had limited options outside of going wide because of how wide the attackers initial positions were so perhaps there is some hope for him that he can do it more often if he can get a little more confident with more games under the belt at this level, I don't recall Aribo pulling it off once though so I hope that one of Fernandes or Ugochukwu can take his place soon.

Edited August 26 by V.Johnathan.Wilson

[gio1saints]

13 hours ago, verlaine1979 said:

"It's not the system, we just need to play with a quicker tempo."

Seen this said a few times since yesterday, but it ignores an important consideration. The likes of Bednarek, McCarthy, Aribo, Armstrong etc. pass the ball slowly because they aren't technically good enough to pass the ball both quickly and accurately. That has always been the flaw in Martin's ambition - we play a possession game that is too slow to reliably move opponents out of position. On the contrary, our slow build up helps the opposition defense establish and maintain their positions.

Hopefully Les, Mateus and a new AM are all able to receive the ball on the turn, as the "only play the way you're facing" schoolboy crap just isn't going to cut it at this level.

Think your first point is very true.

Perhaps, and there’s some evidence from two matches already, this season we will see that some players have reached the upper levels of there technical ability- and more importantly there ability to improve. 
 

Having said that, Saints players have been used to playing championship level for a year and upgrading to EPL ( MUCH higher) levels of power, speed and movement, it’s reasonable to expect there to be some acclimatisation time. It’s unrealistic to expect that from match day one or two. Or to go batty because it’s not happened. 
 

We’ve all seen that Tyler does NOT subscribe to “only play the way you’re facing “  for example and he’s been the breakout star of the team so far. Hopefully an inspiration to both the new incoming and the existing squad members. 

Some WON’T make the grade and we can all point at who we think - but at this point I’m sanguine that our recruitment sees those possible issues and the right calls will be made. 
 

 

[gio1saints]

10 hours ago, CanadaSaint said:

I really like Fraser's pace, directness (if we give him the ball when he's pointing the right way), and early, dangerous crossing. He's also a good "out ball" target - something we'll definitely need this year. The other part of Fraser's game that both surprised and impressed me last year was his effectiveness and reliability when he needed to drop back into more of a defensive wingback's role. If KWP goes (sad day), bringing Fraser back might be a good, cost-effective move.

Absolutely - unlike any other winger we have on the books, he actually crosses the ball and he accelerates the game in the crucial areas - unfortunately, and not statistically very successfully to warrant it being our go-to tactic every time, Sam Edozie seems to have been told to hold the ball and slow it down then try beat your man into the penalty area - which even if he has managed to do so the opposition have had that extra bit of time to regroup and his final pass or shot ineffective. 
One split second Saturday Sam had a clear shooting chance- and declined it. So frustrating. 

NB : also relevant that our most dangerous moment Saturday came from a new player( Charlie Taylor who presumably does not know yet that we don’t usually do crosses)  doing the unthinkable- crossing the ball across the six yard box - but there was no one there! 

Edited August 26 by gio1saints
Charlie Taylor doing the right thing

[Badger]

12 hours ago, Saint86 said:

 

But he is a young manager and it's his first time at this level. He deserves his chance, and he showed last year that he can learn and adapt, I think he'll demonstrate that again this year. Some of the bed wetting and the negativity from the fans has been laughable. This club nearly went to the wall 15 years ago, yet loads in the fanbase act like we're entitled to being an established mid table prem side, despite hounding out the last manager capable of that (in ralph - who genuinely loved the club as well), and now calling for the head of the man who got us back to the prem 😒

I don’t think Ralph was ‘hounded out’ , although frustrations built from the 4-0 defeat at Villa onwards. In truth I think most fans felt sorry for him, let down by Semmens & Co, and that he’d simply ‘run out of road’.

Martin was not a completely  popular choice, and although many accept he’s earn this chance at this level if he refuses to adapt and change from his tippy tappy style then support will inevitably turn on him if results don’t improve. 

[saintant]

Wouldn't mind us trying to get Jens Petter Hauge who is a very good left sided Norwegian striker. Would probably be complicated though as he is registered with Eintracht Frankfurt and currently on loan to K Bodo/Glimt who have an option to buy. He's 24 and has bags of skill and scores goals and makes assists. If we played him on the left of a three up front BBD could move to centre forward. 

[Badger]

12 hours ago, SouSaint said:

I wasn't his biggest fan but it feels like that Archer and BBD are downgrades as things stand. 

I hope they both prove me wrong but cheap options come to mind. 

I think BBD might match Adams goal contribution over a season, but perhaps offers less in hold up play.

Archer wasn’t a cheap option though. Wasn’t it £15m ? That’s a Jack Clarke there (without add ons of course).

By comparison Miovski  was £4.5m (rising to £6m). 
 

Or look at it another way, BBD and Archer were a significant proportion of O’Riley, if we really wanted him. 

[Dellyears]

2 minutes ago, Badger said:

I don’t think Ralph was ‘hounded out’ , although frustrations built from the 4-0 defeat at Villa onwards. In truth I think most fans felt sorry for him, let down by Semmens & Co, and that he’d simply ‘run out of road’.

Martin was not a completely  popular choice, and although many accept he’s earn this chance at this level if he refuses to adapt and change from his tippy tappy style then support will inevitably turn on him if results don’t improve. 

Ralph was not only let down by Semmens &Co but by owners who showed no interest and never offered him a penny of investment. Martin has plenty of support and, given time, he may become a Premier manager but at present he seems frightened to let his players  run or even move forward. Frustrating to watch, he must brighten up or the fans will fall asleep. Southgate's England come to mind, talent wasted.

[Osvaldorama]

I just don’t see that Archer is what we need at all tbh. Seems like a weird signing.  
 

We don’t play with a style that plays through balls through to a fast poacher. We never have.
 

We need a target man that can hold it up and bring others into play. Very evident that we have no focal point currently.