11 Aug 2024 12:26:55
Stating the obvious but our problem seems to be we want to pay Primark prices for Gucci players.

Take Brentford - it seems they've got Cavalho for £27M or thereabouts whereas we baled at £15M.

The same will likely apply with O'Riley - we will not go beyond £20M whereas the club that finally secures his signature will probably go £25M - £30M.

Yet we will have invested that £5-10M shortfall in a couple of £5M players who will warm the bench in a couple of seasons time, maybe.

The truth is we are not going to upgrade the team with sub £10M players - at best we will add depth or in other words, more of the same.

So, unless something changes, the best we can hope for is to come out on top in the inevitable relegation dog fight.

Of course, I will retract all of the above if I wake up one morning before the end of August to see the beaming faces of Ramsdale and O'Riley in Southampton colours announced on our website!

1.) 11 Aug 2024
11 Aug 2024 17:59:11
If the money isn't there, what is the club supposed to do? They're not going to spend money they don't have.

2.) 11 Aug 2024
11 Aug 2024 21:42:57
My point is they waste money on players who don’t cut it - look at Onuachu - £15M plus last year and now we’re lucky to get half of that back.

And there’s many others as I say who add depth but not quality.

Less can be more - 2 or 3 decent players who will improve the quality will have greater impact than more players who are at best bench warmers.

3.) 16 Aug 2024
16 Aug 2024 19:49:31
Completely agree Millertime. We waste too much money on mediocrity when we should buy one or two exceptional players we need. Sorry but Nathan Wood doesn’t look capable. New guy from Peterborough Ronnie Edward’s looked really assured and could be a great CB. Charlie Taylor looked good and could play forward too.
We seriously need a decent striker who knows where the net is and a goalkeeper who understands his job and can keep. McCarthy looks completely useless and out of his depth.