Sport Republic Signings

[washsaint]

If ever there was a damning indictment of our abominable transfer policy under SR, here it is.  I make that around 35 signings (loan + permanent) and being generous (at best) there may be 4 or 5 possible decent buys amongst them.

Our scouting team should all be fired - we'd have more success with MLG using CHampionship Manager!  Absolutely staggering: putting a blindfold on and throwin darts at a wall to pick players would have more success than SR!!!

And this is why we have several years of mediocrity ahead of us I think.  I don;t have any confidence in SR getting ANY decision right, let alone recruitment.

2022/23 season
Gavin Bazunu - could be decent in the future
Mateusz Lis - never played for Saints
Armel Bella-Kotchap - Tin Man from Wizard of Oz: no heart
Roméo Lavia - hit
Joe Aribo - very poor footballer with no pace
Sékou Mara - not sure how he can be classed as a footballer
Duje Ćaleta-Car - utter waste of money
Samuel Edozie - utter waste of money
Juan Larios - does he still exist?
Mislav Oršić - utter waste of money
Carlos Alcaraz - showed promise but dispatched by Martin as he was too much of a free spirit
James Bree - poor Championship player
Paul Onuachu - no comment!
Kamaldeen Sulemana - utter waste of money

2023/24 season
Flynn Downes - great Championship player but doubtful he is Prem quality
Ryan Fraser - OK for CHampionship as an impact sub but never in a million years a Prem player any longer
Mason Holgate - utter waste of space
Taylor Harwood-Bellis  - good Championship player but not yet Prem quality IMHO
Joe Rothwell - awful!
David Brooks - very poor
Shea Charles - mixed first year, could be a good player for us next season in the Championship
Ryan Manning - Championship player that barely played last season but looks one of our better players this season
Joe Lumley - backup and not good enough
Ross Stewart - why?

2024/25 season
Adam Lallana  - free transfer, low risk but always injured
Charlie Taylor - cannot get a game even under the new management
Ronnie Edwards - one for the future but seemingly miles away from being ready for the first team
Nathan Wood - reasonable signing for the money but not a Prem quality player
Yukinari Sugawara - a liability as a defender
Ben Brereton Díaz - truly awful sigining
Cameron Archer - signed after an underwhelming season with Sheff Utd and looking underwhelming again this season
Juan - on loan at Goztepre and not tearing up any trees
Mateus Fernandes - really good signing but likely here for 1 season
Aaron Ramsdale - don't really understand the love-in.  Good shot stopper but other factes of his game are not so good
Welington - forgot we signed him.  Hope he's not like Lyanco

 

[OttawaSaint]

Wow! A stunning indictment into our failures. We don't have much cash but we've pissed what we had up against a wall.

Look at the scouting of Brentford, BHA, Forest, Bournemouth, Wolves etc. 

It didn't have to be this way. Needs to change pronto.

[Dark Munster]

3 hours ago, washsaint said:

If ever there was a damning indictment of our abominable transfer policy under SR, here it is.  I make that around 35 signings (loan + permanent) and being generous (at best) there may be 4 or 5 possible decent buys amongst them.

Our scouting team should all be fired - we'd have more success with MLG using CHampionship Manager!  Absolutely staggering: putting a blindfold on and throwin darts at a wall to pick players would have more success than SR!!!

And this is why we have several years of mediocrity ahead of us I think.  I don;t have any confidence in SR getting ANY decision right, let alone recruitment.

2022/23 season
Gavin Bazunu - could be decent in the future
Mateusz Lis - never played for Saints
Armel Bella-Kotchap - Tin Man from Wizard of Oz: no heart
Roméo Lavia - hit
Joe Aribo - very poor footballer with no pace
Sékou Mara - not sure how he can be classed as a footballer
Duje Ćaleta-Car - utter waste of money
Samuel Edozie - utter waste of money
Juan Larios - does he still exist?
Mislav Oršić - utter waste of money
Carlos Alcaraz - showed promise but dispatched by Martin as he was too much of a free spirit
James Bree - poor Championship player
Paul Onuachu - no comment!
Kamaldeen Sulemana - utter waste of money

2023/24 season
Flynn Downes - great Championship player but doubtful he is Prem quality
Ryan Fraser - OK for CHampionship as an impact sub but never in a million years a Prem player any longer
Mason Holgate - utter waste of space
Taylor Harwood-Bellis  - good Championship player but not yet Prem quality IMHO
Joe Rothwell - awful!
David Brooks - very poor
Shea Charles - mixed first year, could be a good player for us next season in the Championship
Ryan Manning - Championship player that barely played last season but looks one of our better players this season
Joe Lumley - backup and not good enough
Ross Stewart - why?

2024/25 season
Adam Lallana  - free transfer, low risk but always injured
Charlie Taylor - cannot get a game even under the new management
Ronnie Edwards - one for the future but seemingly miles away from being ready for the first team
Nathan Wood - reasonable signing for the money but not a Prem quality player
Yukinari Sugawara - a liability as a defender
Ben Brereton Díaz - truly awful sigining
Cameron Archer - signed after an underwhelming season with Sheff Utd and looking underwhelming again this season
Juan - on loan at Goztepre and not tearing up any trees
Mateus Fernandes - really good signing but likely here for 1 season
Aaron Ramsdale - don't really understand the love-in.  Good shot stopper but other factes of his game are not so good
Welington - forgot we signed him.  Hope he's not like Lyanco

 

And don't forget they (Ankersen) also chose Jones, Selles and Martin.

[FredVaFC59100]

7 hours ago, washsaint said:

If e
2024/25 season
Adam Lallana  - free transfer, low risk but always injured
Charlie Taylor - cannot get a game even under the new management
Ronnie Edwards - one for the future but seemingly miles away from being ready for the first team
Nathan Wood - reasonable signing for the money but not a Prem quality player
Yukinari Sugawara - a liability as a defender
Ben Brereton Díaz - truly awful sigining
Cameron Archer - signed after an underwhelming season with Sheff Utd and looking underwhelming again this season
Juan - on loan at Goztepre and not tearing up any trees
Mateus Fernandes - really good signing but likely here for 1 season
Aaron Ramsdale - don't really understand the love-in.  Good shot stopper but other factes of his game are not so good
Welington - forgot we signed him.  Hope he's not like Lyanco

 

You might want to add Daouda Traoré to your 2024/2025 dream squad, currently on loan to Valenciennes FC. 

[Badger]

That’s incredibly damning of the set up. When it’s listed out like that it’s even worse than you think. 

[Gloucester Saint]

Someone from the national press or at worst local needs to reflect that horror list on social media and rub Rasmus’s nose in it. The managerial selections have also been appalling but the player recruitment has been far worse than Les Reed and Ross Wilson which I didn’t think was possible.

Regarding Ross Stewart and especially Larios, they ain’t going to play again so retire them whether they like it or not and claim the insurance. Sick of them sponging off the club. Bazanu won’t make a professional goalkeeper above League One as long as he has a hole in his arse, and judging by the horrific goals he lets in he’s got holes in plenty of other areas too. Offer 50% of his wages up front and terminate his contract. Give ABK some starts so people can see the heart issue was made up and help him out of the door. 

A decent start next season means a core squad who as a minimum are fit, capable of top two Champ finish and want to be at SFC. Anyone else can leave or be dispatched. 

Edited 30 December, 2024 by Gloucester Saint

[Turkish]

Dont forget some of the players we signed for our Turkish cousins are doing VERY well, they are 4th in the league.

 

[sfc4prem]

If ever a club needed a complete fucking reset, it's ours. Root and stem.

[Turkish]

7 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

If ever a club needed a complete fucking reset, it's ours. Root and stem.

wasnt relegation meant to be our reset? You know it's bad when our recent signings make Ross Wilson look like a genius.

I'm sure it's all part of some genius long term plan that us mortals are not understanding. I think Rasmus should whiteboard it live to the fanbase.

Edited 30 December, 2024 by Turkish

[benali-shorts]

I wonder how many of those triggered commission payments to Jonas Ankersen's Transfer Room.....

[saintant]

8 hours ago, washsaint said:

If ever there was a damning indictment of our abominable transfer policy under SR, here it is.  I make that around 35 signings (loan + permanent) and being generous (at best) there may be 4 or 5 possible decent buys amongst them.

Our scouting team should all be fired - we'd have more success with MLG using CHampionship Manager!  Absolutely staggering: putting a blindfold on and throwin darts at a wall to pick players would have more success than SR!!!

And this is why we have several years of mediocrity ahead of us I think.  I don;t have any confidence in SR getting ANY decision right, let alone recruitment.

2022/23 season
Gavin Bazunu - could be decent in the future
Mateusz Lis - never played for Saints
Armel Bella-Kotchap - Tin Man from Wizard of Oz: no heart
Roméo Lavia - hit
Joe Aribo - very poor footballer with no pace
Sékou Mara - not sure how he can be classed as a footballer
Duje Ćaleta-Car - utter waste of money
Samuel Edozie - utter waste of money
Juan Larios - does he still exist?
Mislav Oršić - utter waste of money
Carlos Alcaraz - showed promise but dispatched by Martin as he was too much of a free spirit
James Bree - poor Championship player
Paul Onuachu - no comment!
Kamaldeen Sulemana - utter waste of money

2023/24 season
Flynn Downes - great Championship player but doubtful he is Prem quality
Ryan Fraser - OK for CHampionship as an impact sub but never in a million years a Prem player any longer
Mason Holgate - utter waste of space
Taylor Harwood-Bellis  - good Championship player but not yet Prem quality IMHO
Joe Rothwell - awful!
David Brooks - very poor
Shea Charles - mixed first year, could be a good player for us next season in the Championship
Ryan Manning - Championship player that barely played last season but looks one of our better players this season
Joe Lumley - backup and not good enough
Ross Stewart - why?

2024/25 season
Adam Lallana  - free transfer, low risk but always injured
Charlie Taylor - cannot get a game even under the new management
Ronnie Edwards - one for the future but seemingly miles away from being ready for the first team
Nathan Wood - reasonable signing for the money but not a Prem quality player
Yukinari Sugawara - a liability as a defender
Ben Brereton Díaz - truly awful sigining
Cameron Archer - signed after an underwhelming season with Sheff Utd and looking underwhelming again this season
Juan - on loan at Goztepre and not tearing up any trees
Mateus Fernandes - really good signing but likely here for 1 season
Aaron Ramsdale - don't really understand the love-in.  Good shot stopper but other factes of his game are not so good
Welington - forgot we signed him.  Hope he's not like Lyanco

 

It beggars belief that the clowns presiding over this shit show are still being allowed to continue throwing good money after bad. I wonder what Dragan would make of this list and your comments which, in the main, few could argue with. Clearly we will never progress under the current regime because they are not going to suddenly have a lightbulb moment and start signing decent players who might actually improve us. The whole structure of the club needs ripping out and we need a complete overhaul and reset because currently we are on a steep nose dive into oblivion.

[Mr Saints]

Shambolic.  The previous regime weren't great but they look like geniuses compared to SR, on a much smaller budget too.

[Gloucester Saint]

23 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Dont forget some of the players we signed for our Turkish cousins are doing VERY well, they are 4th in the league.

 

I suspect this is what is riling many posters as the penny drops that this is how Rasmus is holding onto his position within SR, whilst doing it with players purchased via SFC. Unfortunately I don’t think your average supporter has cottoned on yet, because SR would have a very challenging match day experience, which they fully warrant suffering, if they did. 

[Daft Kerplunk]

That is really quite damning. Les and Ross just thought they were clever and better than others when they weren’t, but this lot are on another level of crap but obviously convinced they are excellent. Worryingly, the same department will be deciding which kids get into the academy and progress through it. Horrible period. 

[Wade Garrett]

Too many incompetents involved in decision-making.

Dragan needs to have a boardroom clear out.  

[Badger]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

wasnt relegation meant to be our reset? You know it's bad when our recent signings make Ross Wilson look like a genius.

I'm sure it's all part of some genius long term plan that us mortals are not understanding. I think Rasmus should whiteboard it live to the fanbase.

It could have been the catalyst for a reset, had we appointed a manager who could have grown into the role. Instead of which we continued with a bloke who by EPL standards would be better off employed as a fucking hairdresser. 

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Gloucester Saint said:

I suspect this is what is riling many posters as the penny drops that this is how Rasmus is holding onto his position within SR, whilst doing it with players purchased via SFC. Unfortunately I don’t think your average supporter has cottoned on yet, because SR would have a very challenging match day experience, which they fully warrant suffering, if they did. 

I think you're giving our modern match day fanbase too much credit here to be honest. 

Many of the 'nods' and mongs would only attend a car park protest (if you're thinking back to the Branfoot days) to take an 'I was there' selfie, and as a backdrop to their 'vlogs' or whatever they call them.

Edited 30 December, 2024 by Badger

[sfc4prem]

5 minutes ago, Badger said:

It could have been the catalyst for a reset, had we appointed a manager who could have grown into the role. Instead of which we continued with a bloke who by EPL standards would be better off employed as a fucking hairdresser. 

Changing the manager doesn't reset the culture or decision making of the boardroom and networks for scouting and directing they've set out.

[Badger]

1 minute ago, sfc4prem said:

Changing the manager doesn't reset the culture or decision making of the boardroom and networks for scouting and directing they've set out.

All fair points, but retaining RM for as long as we did was just suicidal. 

Agree though, change at the top is required.

[sfc4prem]

5 minutes ago, Badger said:

All fair points, but retaining RM for as long as we did was just suicidal. 

Agree though, change at the top is required.

Agreed, RM realistically should have parted ways in the summer.

[Daft Kerplunk]

23 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

Changing the manager doesn't reset the culture or decision making of the boardroom and networks for scouting and directing they've set out.

I would have thought that many of the backroom teams are the same as under Les. Far too focussed on numbers than whether someone can play football or not. A moneyball approach that so impressed people in baseball just isn’t as applicable or useful to success in football. Cricket, perhaps, but not a more complex sport like football where there are far more variables. 

Edited 30 December, 2024 by Daft Kerplunk

[Wade Garrett]

36 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

Changing the manager doesn't reset the culture or decision making of the boardroom and networks for scouting and directing they've set out.

Very true.  The structure should be a manager who reports to the  Director of Football, who in turn reports to the CEO.

Director of Football oversees scouting and everything else football related.

Too many cooks at the moment, and none with the football knowledge needed.

[Badger]

4 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Very true.  The structure should be a manager who reports to the  Director of Football, who in turn reports to the CEO.

Director of Football oversees scouting and everything else football related.

Too many cooks at the moment, and none with the football knowledge needed.

Misread your last sentence as 'Too many cocks at the moment, and none with the football knowledge needed', which is equally appropriate.

[Badger]

7 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Very true.  The structure should be a manager who reports to the  Director of Football, who in turn reports to the CEO.

Director of Football oversees scouting and everything else football related.

Too many cooks at the moment, and none with the football knowledge needed.

If you were Dragan you'd be on the phone to someone like Dan Ashworth , and making sure Mr Football stays in Turkey and out of the way. 

If Ashworth is demanding too much, as he might be after his last couple of posts, then there must be someone with an ounce of football experience and knowledge who would improve things. Paul Tisdale for example who is widely recognised as being switched on (now at Celtic though).

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Wade Garrett said:

Too many incompetents involved in decision-making.

Dragan needs to have a boardroom clear out.  

Wonder if the pre-Christmas revelations of Dragan's colleagues from SR taking shares (Viktorya Boklag, and of course the unforgettable name of Dirk Gerken) will mean any change on the board and if they'll offer some common sense or new approach. 

No idea what they'll bring, as suggested earlier Dirk might just be a stage name', and Victoriya could be Kat's new shopping pal, now Nellie's off the scene. But even then they'd do well to be worse than Ted Talk, 'Dyson', and Bitcoin.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

2 minutes ago, Badger said:

Dragan's colleagues from SR taking shares (Viktorya Boklag, and of course the unforgettable name of Dirk Gerken) will mean any change on the board

Problem is that it sounds like more people who have no idea about football having a major say about the running of the club. 

Agreed, a lot of money has been pumped in to the club but I doubt that Dragan has put his hand in his own pocket. And as I see it, Dragan and Ankersen are a pair. If one goes, the other will sell up. What I suspect is the opposite will happen and that the boardroom will get more bloated than the squad. 

[spyinthesky]

13 hours ago, washsaint said:

If ever there was a damning indictment of our abominable transfer policy under SR, here it is.  I make that around 35 signings (loan + permanent) and being generous (at best) there may be 4 or 5 possible decent buys amongst them.

Our scouting team should all be fired - we'd have more success with MLG using CHampionship Manager!  Absolutely staggering: putting a blindfold on and throwin darts at a wall to pick players would have more success than SR!!!

And this is why we have several years of mediocrity ahead of us I think.  I don;t have any confidence in SR getting ANY decision right, let alone recruitment.

2022/23 season
Gavin Bazunu - could be decent in the future
Mateusz Lis - never played for Saints
Armel Bella-Kotchap - Tin Man from Wizard of Oz: no heart
Roméo Lavia - hit
Joe Aribo - very poor footballer with no pace
Sékou Mara - not sure how he can be classed as a footballer
Duje Ćaleta-Car - utter waste of money
Samuel Edozie - utter waste of money
Juan Larios - does he still exist?
Mislav Oršić - utter waste of money
Carlos Alcaraz - showed promise but dispatched by Martin as he was too much of a free spirit
James Bree - poor Championship player
Paul Onuachu - no comment!
Kamaldeen Sulemana - utter waste of money

2023/24 season
Flynn Downes - great Championship player but doubtful he is Prem quality
Ryan Fraser - OK for CHampionship as an impact sub but never in a million years a Prem player any longer
Mason Holgate - utter waste of space
Taylor Harwood-Bellis  - good Championship player but not yet Prem quality IMHO
Joe Rothwell - awful!
David Brooks - very poor
Shea Charles - mixed first year, could be a good player for us next season in the Championship
Ryan Manning - Championship player that barely played last season but looks one of our better players this season
Joe Lumley - backup and not good enough
Ross Stewart - why?

2024/25 season
Adam Lallana  - free transfer, low risk but always injured
Charlie Taylor - cannot get a game even under the new management
Ronnie Edwards - one for the future but seemingly miles away from being ready for the first team
Nathan Wood - reasonable signing for the money but not a Prem quality player
Yukinari Sugawara - a liability as a defender
Ben Brereton Díaz - truly awful sigining
Cameron Archer - signed after an underwhelming season with Sheff Utd and looking underwhelming again this season
Juan - on loan at Goztepre and not tearing up any trees
Mateus Fernandes - really good signing but likely here for 1 season
Aaron Ramsdale - don't really understand the love-in.  Good shot stopper but other factes of his game are not so good
Welington - forgot we signed him.  Hope he's not like Lyanco

Should the two loans be added to the list as well ie Cornet (another absolute waste of a loan fee) and Ugochukwu (who may turn out to be worth the loan cost but, as yet, not an overwhelming success)

[saintant]

2 hours ago, Badger said:

Misread your last sentence as 'Too many cocks at the moment, and none with the football knowledge needed', which is equally appropriate.

A nice Freudian slip 🙂

[saintant]

1 hour ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

Problem is that it sounds like more people who have no idea about football having a major say about the running of the club. 

Agreed, a lot of money has been pumped in to the club but I doubt that Dragan has put his hand in his own pocket. And as I see it, Dragan and Ankersen are a pair. If one goes, the other will sell up. What I suspect is the opposite will happen and that the boardroom will get more bloated than the squad. 

Would Dragan continue to employ people in key positions at his telecom company if they showed the same levels of incompetence we've seen from those at SR? The answer is quite obviously he wouldn't so I don't understand why he isn't insisting a competent Director of Football is appointed and, if I was him, I'd be taking a hands on approach plus advice from someone outside of SR to get the right person.

[Badger]

52 minutes ago, saintant said:

Would Dragan continue to employ people in key positions at his telecom company if they showed the same levels of incompetence we've seen from those at SR? The answer is quite obviously he wouldn't so I don't understand why he isn't insisting a competent Director of Football is appointed and, if I was him, I'd be taking a hands on approach plus advice from someone outside of SR to get the right person.

Read somewhere, might have been on  here so may not be correct, that Dragan knows Souness personally, you'd have thought had that been the case he'd have canvassed an opinion. 

When Markus bought us, he and Cortese initailly came armed with Andy Oldknow , who'd had some experience with Saints and the football world. They then ditched him but Cortese did at least have the sense to find Les Read, who despite his later shortcomings knew his way round the game.

Staggering that Dragan now relies on Rasmus.

Edited 30 December, 2024 by Badger

[Holmes_and_Watson]

16 hours ago, washsaint said:

If ever there was a damning indictment of our abominable transfer policy under SR, here it is.  I make that around 35 signings (loan + permanent) and being generous (at best) there may be 4 or 5 possible decent buys amongst them.

Our scouting team should all be fired - we'd have more success with MLG using CHampionship Manager!  Absolutely staggering: putting a blindfold on and throwin darts at a wall to pick players would have more success than SR!!!

And this is why we have several years of mediocrity ahead of us I think.  I don;t have any confidence in SR getting ANY decision right, let alone recruitment.

2022/23 season
Gavin Bazunu - could be decent in the future
Mateusz Lis - never played for Saints
Armel Bella-Kotchap - Tin Man from Wizard of Oz: no heart
Roméo Lavia - hit
Joe Aribo - very poor footballer with no pace
Sékou Mara - not sure how he can be classed as a footballer
Duje Ćaleta-Car - utter waste of money
Samuel Edozie - utter waste of money
Juan Larios - does he still exist?
Mislav Oršić - utter waste of money
Carlos Alcaraz - showed promise but dispatched by Martin as he was too much of a free spirit
James Bree - poor Championship player
Paul Onuachu - no comment!
Kamaldeen Sulemana - utter waste of money

2023/24 season
Flynn Downes - great Championship player but doubtful he is Prem quality
Ryan Fraser - OK for CHampionship as an impact sub but never in a million years a Prem player any longer
Mason Holgate - utter waste of space
Taylor Harwood-Bellis  - good Championship player but not yet Prem quality IMHO
Joe Rothwell - awful!
David Brooks - very poor
Shea Charles - mixed first year, could be a good player for us next season in the Championship
Ryan Manning - Championship player that barely played last season but looks one of our better players this season
Joe Lumley - backup and not good enough
Ross Stewart - why?

2024/25 season
Adam Lallana  - free transfer, low risk but always injured
Charlie Taylor - cannot get a game even under the new management
Ronnie Edwards - one for the future but seemingly miles away from being ready for the first team
Nathan Wood - reasonable signing for the money but not a Prem quality player
Yukinari Sugawara - a liability as a defender
Ben Brereton Díaz - truly awful sigining
Cameron Archer - signed after an underwhelming season with Sheff Utd and looking underwhelming again this season
Juan - on loan at Goztepre and not tearing up any trees
Mateus Fernandes - really good signing but likely here for 1 season
Aaron Ramsdale - don't really understand the love-in.  Good shot stopper but other factes of his game are not so good
Welington - forgot we signed him.  Hope he's not like Lyanco

 

SR want to pay the lowest wages they can individually. They will buy multiple players, but as long as they are in that range. All clubs have a wage structure. SR looked at ours, and decided that they wanted to lower it significantly on an individual basis and look to get some return on everyone brought in, as well as regular big hits. If any PL team wants one of our players, we're likely to lose out (O'Riley). If it's a bigger club, then we've little to no chance(Gakpo).

Historically, you generally get what you pay for wages wise. We're trying to go against that and get them on cheaper wages as they have been relegated (Archer, BBD), injured (Stewart), out of favour (Fraser) or young, but would have got into other sides (THB). But we're pitching at championship level players, anticipating they will then step up. So, for that level...

2022/23 season

Hits - Lavia, Aribo (got what we paid for in a squad player, even if wages are apparently high for SR), Bree (got what we paid for. Dependable player at least)
Unproven - Bazunu (limited shot stopper, but important to Martin's possession game), Edozie (could still work out well), Alcaraz (was on his way to being a hit, but didn't  fit with Martin system), Onuachu (might be about to see this change hopefully for the better)
Worth a punt, but a miss - ABK (Talented, but not wanted by club/managers), Ćaleta-Car
Miss - Lis, Mara, Larios (not for the injury, but because we were stacked with LBs at the time), Oršić (no idea what happened there), Sulemana (panic buy that has not worked in any party's favour), Maitland Niles

2023/24 season

Hits - Downes (key in promotion and developing in PL), THB (England international already, and mainstay in PL team), Manning (Got what we paid for here)
Unproven - Charles (doing better away from Martin and developing), Lumley (Hard to say miss considering what he was brought in for)
Worth a punt, but a miss - Fraser (dipped since initial impact, sadly), Brooks (a bit hit and miss.)
Miss - Holgate, Rothwell (what was his best position? Nice goals though), Stewart (What you get thinking you'll be the club where a player becomes injury free)

 

2024/25 season
Hits - Wood (Getting what we paid for here), Fernandes(Becoming more influential as season progresses), Ramsdale(An all round 'keeper upgrade)
Unproven - Taylor (Vanished?), Sugawara (First season with ups and downs), Archer (With 2 struggling PL clubs. Hopefully better to come), Welington (just here), Les (starting to get minutes again under new manager, so hopefully a very strong second half of the season)
Worth a punt, but a miss - Lallana (Was always going to be a bit part player, so we really got what we paid for, rather than it being a miss), Edwards (no sign of any progress to first team squad), Juan (?),
Miss -Brereton Díaz (There is a reason why he was a regular scorer and no PL club would buy him), Cornet

Each season we've brought in someone who will go onto much better things (Lavia, THB in all likelihood, Fernandes, and Dibling is now in team too).

We've then got a number of players who've shown they can get promoted from the Championship, but have yet to push on in the PL.

They could all have done with SR managing to bring in a Hit for a striker and a replacement for Romeu. The biggest misses are the gaps in the squad.

[saintant]

4 hours ago, Badger said:

Read somewhere, might have been on  here so may not be correct, that Dragan knows Souness personally, you'd have thought had that been the case he'd have canvassed an opinion. 

When Markus bought us, he and Cortese initailly came armed with Andy Oldknow , who'd had some experience with Saints and the football world. They then ditched him but Cortese did at least have the sense to find Les Read, who despite his later shortcomings knew his way round the game.

Staggering that Dragan now relies on Rasmus.

The penny seems to be taking an awfully long time to drop. You'd think such a successful businessman would have wised up by now but Rasmus continues to pull the wool over Dragan's eyes.

[Badger]

20 minutes ago, saintant said:

The penny seems to be taking an awfully long time to drop. You'd think such a successful businessman would have wised up by now but Rasmus continues to pull the wool over Dragan's eyes.

Exactly, and I posted something similar to your earlier comment yesterday about Dragan and the chancers around him.

How can he not see this ? 

If he had a Mr Internet, or  a Mr Telecommunications , in his main business on a par with ‘Mr Football’ within SR, then I suspect the fucker would have been out the door long ago without his or her feet touching the ground. 

 

[Badger]

7 hours ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

Problem is that it sounds like more people who have no idea about football having a major say about the running of the club. 

Agreed, a lot of money has been pumped in to the club but I doubt that Dragan has put his hand in his own pocket. And as I see it, Dragan and Ankersen are a pair. If one goes, the other will sell up. What I suspect is the opposite will happen and that the boardroom will get more bloated than the squad. 

You’re probably right, but you can only hope that this Victoryia , and Dirk Gerken, can spot a bullshitter and a chancer like Rasmus.

They do not have to be football experts to spot a bullshitter at work, especially one with his track record. 

An injection of common sense wouldn’t go amiss. 

[FarehamSaintJames]

On 30/12/2024 at 00:40, washsaint said:

If ever there was a damning indictment of our abominable transfer policy under SR, here it is.  I make that around 35 signings (loan + permanent) and being generous (at best) there may be 4 or 5 possible decent buys amongst them.

Our scouting team should all be fired - we'd have more success with MLG using CHampionship Manager!  Absolutely staggering: putting a blindfold on and throwin darts at a wall to pick players would have more success than SR!!!

And this is why we have several years of mediocrity ahead of us I think.  I don;t have any confidence in SR getting ANY decision right, let alone recruitment.

2022/23 season
Gavin Bazunu - could be decent in the future
Mateusz Lis - never played for Saints
Armel Bella-Kotchap - Tin Man from Wizard of Oz: no heart
Roméo Lavia - hit
Joe Aribo - very poor footballer with no pace
Sékou Mara - not sure how he can be classed as a footballer
Duje Ćaleta-Car - utter waste of money
Samuel Edozie - utter waste of money
Juan Larios - does he still exist?
Mislav Oršić - utter waste of money
Carlos Alcaraz - showed promise but dispatched by Martin as he was too much of a free spirit
James Bree - poor Championship player
Paul Onuachu - no comment!
Kamaldeen Sulemana - utter waste of money

2023/24 season
Flynn Downes - great Championship player but doubtful he is Prem quality
Ryan Fraser - OK for CHampionship as an impact sub but never in a million years a Prem player any longer
Mason Holgate - utter waste of space
Taylor Harwood-Bellis  - good Championship player but not yet Prem quality IMHO
Joe Rothwell - awful!
David Brooks - very poor
Shea Charles - mixed first year, could be a good player for us next season in the Championship
Ryan Manning - Championship player that barely played last season but looks one of our better players this season
Joe Lumley - backup and not good enough
Ross Stewart - why?

2024/25 season
Adam Lallana  - free transfer, low risk but always injured
Charlie Taylor - cannot get a game even under the new management
Ronnie Edwards - one for the future but seemingly miles away from being ready for the first team
Nathan Wood - reasonable signing for the money but not a Prem quality player
Yukinari Sugawara - a liability as a defender
Ben Brereton Díaz - truly awful sigining
Cameron Archer - signed after an underwhelming season with Sheff Utd and looking underwhelming again this season
Juan - on loan at Goztepre and not tearing up any trees
Mateus Fernandes - really good signing but likely here for 1 season
Aaron Ramsdale - don't really understand the love-in.  Good shot stopper but other factes of his game are not so good
Welington - forgot we signed him.  Hope he's not like Lyanco

 

Can someone send this to Dragon and get him to ask Rasmus what he’s done with all his money? 👀🤣

[Dark Munster]

On 30/12/2024 at 03:39, sfc4prem said:

Changing the manager doesn't reset the culture or decision making of the boardroom and networks for scouting and directing they've set out.

Normally that would be true. But ....

 

 

[Noodles34]

Jeez, some of the fan base slamming the signing of Ramsdale now. 
He’s not the be all and end all of keepers but fuck me, he’s so much better than what we have. 

[bugenhagen]

2022/23 season
Gavin Bazunu - 💩
Mateusz Lis - 💩
Armel Bella-Kotchap - 💩
Roméo Lavia - OK - injured a lot, but decent profit
Joe Aribo - 💩
Sékou Mara - 💩
Duje Ćaleta-Car - 💩
Samuel Edozie - 💩
Juan Larios - 💩
Mislav Oršić - 💩
Carlos Alcaraz - 💩
James Bree - 💩
Paul Onuachu - 💩
Kamaldeen Sulemana - 💩

2023/24 season
Flynn Downes - OK for Championship, 💩 for Prem
Ryan Fraser -  OK for Championship, 💩 for Prem
Mason Holgate - 💩
Taylor Harwood-Bellis  - OK
Joe Rothwell - 💩
David Brooks - OK for Championship
Shea Charles - 💩
Ryan Manning - 💩
Joe Lumley - 💩
Ross Stewart - 💩

2024/25 season
Adam Lallana  - 💩
Charlie Taylor - 💩
Ronnie Edwards - 💩
Nathan Wood - 💩
Yukinari Sugawara - 💩
Ben Brereton Díaz - 💩
Cameron Archer - Potentially 💩
Juan - 💩
Mateus Fernandes - OK
Aaron Ramsdale - OK
Welington - 💩

Edited January 1 by bugenhagen

[FarehamSaintJames]

10 hours ago, bugenhagen said:

2022/23 season
Gavin Bazunu - 💩
Mateusz Lis - 💩
Armel Bella-Kotchap - 💩
Roméo Lavia - OK - injured a lot, but decent profit
Joe Aribo - 💩
Sékou Mara - 💩
Duje Ćaleta-Car - 💩
Samuel Edozie - 💩
Juan Larios - 💩
Mislav Oršić - 💩
Carlos Alcaraz - 💩
James Bree - 💩
Paul Onuachu - 💩
Kamaldeen Sulemana - 💩

2023/24 season
Flynn Downes - OK for Championship, 💩 for Prem
Ryan Fraser -  OK for Championship, 💩 for Prem
Mason Holgate - 💩
Taylor Harwood-Bellis  - OK
Joe Rothwell - 💩
David Brooks - OK for Championship
Shea Charles - 💩
Ryan Manning - 💩
Joe Lumley - 💩
Ross Stewart - 💩

2024/25 season
Adam Lallana  - 💩
Charlie Taylor - 💩
Ronnie Edwards - 💩
Nathan Wood - 💩
Yukinari Sugawara - 💩
Ben Brereton Díaz - 💩
Cameron Archer - Potentially 💩
Juan - 💩
Mateus Fernandes - OK
Aaron Ramsdale - OK
Welington - 💩

I agree for the most part. I don’t think you can say Shea Charles and Ryan Manning have been shit signings when both had an impact on our promotion last season.

Cameron Archer has done ok but seems to be hooked needlessly for Adam Armstrong.

Anyone forward this list to Dragan?

[SaintStinger]

Agree with the couple ranking lists above. Maybe I would put Edozie as a slightly less smelly turd as he was certainly more useful than Orsic for eg. Can't argue with the rest though.

There are a few missing from what I can see but apologies if they have been mentioned. Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Maxwell Cornet, Lesley Ugochukwu and Kuryu Matsuki. Only Les has approached anything I would call useful but I know nothing of Matsuki or how his loan at Goztepe is going.

 

[FredVaFC59100]

I can't believe you guys got into Maxwell Cornet, They couldn't wait to get rid of him at Lyon; if he was not good enough for Ligue 1 how the hell would a recruiter think he would make it big in the EPL.

[washsaint]

On 29/12/2024 at 19:40, washsaint said:

If ever there was a damning indictment of our abominable transfer policy under SR, here it is.  I make that around 35 signings (loan + permanent) and being generous (at best) there may be 4 or 5 possible decent buys amongst them.

Our scouting team should all be fired - we'd have more success with MLG using CHampionship Manager!  Absolutely staggering: putting a blindfold on and throwin darts at a wall to pick players would have more success than SR!!!

And this is why we have several years of mediocrity ahead of us I think.  I don;t have any confidence in SR getting ANY decision right, let alone recruitment.

2022/23 season
Gavin Bazunu - could be decent in the future
Mateusz Lis - never played for Saints
Armel Bella-Kotchap - Tin Man from Wizard of Oz: no heart
Roméo Lavia - hit
Joe Aribo - very poor footballer with no pace
Sékou Mara - not sure how he can be classed as a footballer
Duje Ćaleta-Car - utter waste of money
Samuel Edozie - utter waste of money
Juan Larios - does he still exist?
Mislav Oršić - utter waste of money
Carlos Alcaraz - showed promise but dispatched by Martin as he was too much of a free spirit
James Bree - poor Championship player
Paul Onuachu - no comment!
Kamaldeen Sulemana - utter waste of money

2023/24 season
Flynn Downes - great Championship player but doubtful he is Prem quality
Ryan Fraser - OK for CHampionship as an impact sub but never in a million years a Prem player any longer
Mason Holgate - utter waste of space
Taylor Harwood-Bellis  - good Championship player but not yet Prem quality IMHO
Joe Rothwell - awful!
David Brooks - very poor
Shea Charles - mixed first year, could be a good player for us next season in the Championship
Ryan Manning - Championship player that barely played last season but looks one of our better players this season
Joe Lumley - backup and not good enough
Ross Stewart - why?

2024/25 season
Adam Lallana  - free transfer, low risk but always injured
Charlie Taylor - cannot get a game even under the new management
Ronnie Edwards - one for the future but seemingly miles away from being ready for the first team
Nathan Wood - reasonable signing for the money but not a Prem quality player
Yukinari Sugawara - a liability as a defender
Ben Brereton Díaz - truly awful sigining
Cameron Archer - signed after an underwhelming season with Sheff Utd and looking underwhelming again this season
Juan - on loan at Goztepre and not tearing up any trees
Mateus Fernandes - really good signing but likely here for 1 season
Aaron Ramsdale - don't really understand the love-in.  Good shot stopper but other factes of his game are not so good
Welington - forgot we signed him.  Hope he's not like Lyanco

 

Blimey, how could I have forgot the 2 loan signings this season that are even worse then Brooks and Rothwell......

Cornet
Big Lesley 

How is it even possible to get so many signings wrong.......putting on a blindfold and throwing darts at the wall would have a higher success rate!