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30 Aug 2024 18:51:23
SaintGGsy has written an article entitled, Southampton Players Overview
17 Aug 2024 09:20:49
SaintGGsy has written an article entitled, Good Transfer Window For Southampton FC
28 Apr 2024 21:45:13
I'd like to think I've not quite lost my mind with our manager to the extent that most of you have, but my birthday was ruined by our Leicester drubbing.
The best we've played this season was the first half vs Preston. Essentially the policy was make runs, create space, line breaking passes, shoot on sight. And we were awesome.
There was no pressure then. We'd been written off again, then the second hope is back on the table we lose three in a row. I can't think of the last time we were a side massively under pressure AND delivered.
I think it was our win at Swansea under Hughes to stay up, and that was six years ago. It looks like we'll have Norwich in the play-offs and we will go down 2-3 on agg I reckon.
But this isn't just an issue with our manager - yes he's stubborn beyond belief and an arrogant sod, but our squad doesn't have the mettle to handle pressure and imagine this lot in the PL next season.
I also don't see how the board sack him. He will say 'most years 84 points gets you promoted (I think the average before this year was 79?) and the play-offs is a lottery' and our board are renowned for being lenient - Pellegrino, Hughes and Jones all outstayed their welcomes. I hope it happens, but also who do we bring in? Potter? Cooper? I doubt it. Go cheap and hope it comes off has been the policy for a decade plus and that'll probably be the continued thinking.
I almost hope we don't go up because we will never ever stay up next year and at least this year we've won games.
And on the discussion around players listening to their manager - a bit different but I'm a cricket captain, and the main philosophy is 'have fun, go for it, back yourself'. If I told everyone to play one way we would never win, there needs to be flexibility and that is something we absolutely do not have.
Even when losing in the last minute we pass it round the back, and the players need to have some bravery and belief in themselves to do what they think. It isn't all on one man and in August I'd have taken the play-offs. But I fear stagnation and a Bristol City type season (boring mid table) next campaign.
1.) 30 Apr 2024 21:36:07
Preston was an interesting one. We were quite simply superb… as you say, we changed things. I honestly thought that was the start of changes.
I remember when we started to play balls over the top, H-B particularly good and clever at it . I worked … but we stopped it.
it is almost like RM had sleepless nights worrying that he had gone against his possession obsession.
Possession obsession to the extreme.
11 Feb 2024 20:56:16
It's been a long time since I've expected Saints to win. It's been even longer since I've been excited to watch them play good football. It's been even longer since I've ENJOYED IT!
Even at half time yesterday. And all that positivity from five months' effort was gone. But even then I thought we could still get something.
But 8 goal involvements from substitutes is utterly obscene and shows our depth now. EIGHT! Rothwell 2G 1A, Brooks 2A, Mara 1G 1A, Edozie 1G. We won the second half 5-1!
Our two Bournemouth loanees were excellent and the fact they've come from the same club seemed to do wonders yesterday.
And just following it online from the second half, even at 2-3, I was still expectant rather than hoping, and I think Huddersfield were too.
Not only will that energise the fans, the fringe players, and galvanise the first XI regulars to pick up the standards, that must be massively deflating for both Leeds and Ipswich.
We were dropping to third albeit with a game in hand but have kept up the relentlessness and with Leeds playing Leicester in a few weeks, we could be a couple of wins clear before our dicey run-in.
I think it's just between us and Leeds now. Ipswich have nine points in nine games, but the three former Prem teams are all just winning and winning.
How epic could that game be at Elland Road to finish the season? And what's more, I can't wait for the game on Tuesday! We could pick any 6 of 11 MID/FWD players, and I'd still expect us to score four. 0-0 incoming no doubt.
26 Sep 2023 07:59:51
SaintGGsy has written an article entitled, Are Southampton Now Stuck In The Lower Leagues?
1.) 26 Sep 2023 15:16:34
Great article and agree with all your sentiments.
2.) 26 Sep 2023 19:16:13
Spot on
3.) 26 Sep 2023 22:50:03
Brilliant piece SaintGGsy. You should send it the Board undersigned by all of us!
Looking back, I was recalling the number of Saints fans who were heralding relegation claiming it would be the perfect opportunity to regroup and reset.
I argued with them at the time, because I never settle for second best but half thought they may have a point. As it transpires, it couldn’t have turned out worse. That’s not ‘I told you so’ - it just goes to show how utterly frustrated we all are.
We stick it on RM - rightly so - but the players should be ashamed of their lack of football intelligence and complete lack of courage. I wouldn’t want any of them in the trenches with me.
4.) 27 Sep 2023 00:37:28
The one thing that shouts from
Your article is FRUSTRATION with a capital F . how is it that a few devoted fans on a forum, can see through the problems with so much ease.
I have never known a team so predictable, so easy to beat .
and yes, where did it all come from. Out last great manager was RK. Ralph arrived with hints of success, but once it was obvious that Plan A was his only plan, we still stuck with him, hoping that plan B would arrive .
So our frustration is born from the fact that the inadequacies of Saints is obvious to us laypeople…
So we have to ask, are SR deliberately destroying our club? Because they are doing a very good job of destroying us!
We have in Martin, one of the worst managers I’ve ever known in any sport.
His belief in himself is surreal! He has simply turned Southampton football club into Swansea, in a matter of weeks, to satisfy his desire to prove to the world that he is right!
We have to ask ourselves, why would SR want to destroy our club?
We signed some great players last year, but just like this season, we are satisfied in keeping them on the bench… What is that about, it makes no sense
I am this post with a Phew . it’s a real and bizarre situation…
Please, someone save Southampton
5.) 27 Sep 2023 18:45:44
Thanks all, and thanks Ed’s for making that into a special article thingy, looks very cool!
What a sad spot we’re in. No hope for Saturday either, but at least it’ll be available to see live for the country to witness our embarrassment!
{Ed033's Note - Thanks, terrible period for Southampton supporters.
6.) 28 Sep 2023 11:40:20
Ed’s
I love to hear your take on all this. I think it’s accepted that Martin has a rather higher opinion of himself than previous and current results suggest.
I am all for giving an up and coming manager a chance, but all of us can see that he isn’t anything like that. He plays his way and absolutely will not divert from that path, even not picking some of our best players, for what seems that they don’t fit in with his way.
Teams playing us have found us out, so much so that they all seem to be loving every bit about playing us.
I can’t imagine the team talk lasts long .
‘Get at them, they will lose the ball in their half and we’ll be in’ …
The whole of Swansea was warning us that he took them from a play off team to a middle table team .
So what are we doing? Why have we taken him on?
He is awful, and he has an excuse for everything .
It’s never his tactics
{Ed001's Note - it was clearly a mistake to appoint him, he is one of those that talks about himself so well in interviews it will impress business people. But that is a totally different environment from football and what works there is almost certainly not going to work in football. For starters football is about teamwork, so someone who is so full of their own self-importance and talks themselves up is absolutely the wrong choice to manage. The manager needs to be all about the team and not I but we. In business that is not the same. That is where they are going wrong, as are so many clubs.
The problem is that they are recruiting via an interview method and so will likely repeat the mistake again and again until they bin it. The way to move forward is to identify the guy who has the attributes you want and headhunt him at the top end. Interviewing is only going to get you a limited choice and almost entirely is going to leave you with the dregs to pick from rather than the cream.}
7.) 28 Sep 2023 14:31:54
Thank you Ed for that insightful reply. It didn’t enter my head for one minute that any football club would use this interview process!
He certainly is an ‘I’ person. As you say, he must interview well, saying all the right things.
While I’m hugely grateful for the reply, it kind of makes things worse. Surely some research into his managerial history, statistics, media coverage, players opinions, would have meant he never even got an interview, let alone the job.
He can’t and won’t last, despite some ramblings today from the club saying they and the players fully support Martin …
Thank you again and thank you for putting up with our incessant moaning.
{Ed001's Note - no worries mate and it is common practice to use an interview practice to hire the head coach/manager/director of football but it makes little sense to me. Any club as high up as the EFL or EPL has a wealth of lower league and non-league staff to cherry pick. Why not head hunt the best person for the job, rather than limit your options to who is available to interview for the role?}
SaintGGsy's banter posts with other poster's replies to SaintGGsy's banter posts
31 Aug 2024 07:39:16
{Ed's Note - SaintGGsy has posted a new article entitled, Southampton Players Overview
1.) 31 Aug 2024 20:21:52
Everything that has happened this season so far is utterly, depressingly predictable.just following the pattern from last year. We will be relegated with a record level of possession across the season. We will be 10 points adrift at christmas. We will be relegated with 4 games to go.why? because RM is not a premiership manager and never will be .he got lucky last year but it won't happen again. A decent coach (Rafa, Potter, Corberon, even Moyes) would give us a chance but not RM. let's hope the Toon tire of Eddie soon and he heads back to the south coast. Our best chance
2.) 31 Aug 2024 23:26:49
It would be great to have Eddie at the helm although I reckon he’s got a good chance at getting the England job.
Maybe RM should get the Scotland job!
And you’ve heard it here first - Lallana will one day be our manager!
28 Aug 2024 21:52:30
Would much rather we play like that than hold on for 0-1s every Saturday!
Based on that, we have competition and hunger to play and if Martin is true to his word the XI for Saturday should be;
Ramsdale
Sugarawa THB Bednarek KWP
Oguchukwu Downes
Brereton Fernandes Dibling
Archer
Play that two in midfield and there's no need for a back five, opens up space for another attacker down the middle and looks balanced, attacking and young.
Armstrong, SAA, Aribo off the bench, send Edozie off on loan and try and get some Sulemana madness going in the final 15 and we may be on to something ??
But expect we'll have the same side out as Saturday and roll over for Brentford despite having 68% of the ball.
1.) 28 Aug 2024 22:52:33
Agree 100% with your potential lineup for Saturday. I wouldn't mind see RM eventually having ABK at centre back. He's very strong and very fast and he wins the majority of his individual contests.
2.) 28 Aug 2024 23:27:24
Completely agree. Now is the time to go 4 2 3 1, field some youth with no mental hang ups from our last Prem season and give it a real go.
I had the same 11 in mind, plus Lallana off the bench and it looks a very credible side. I am over the moon to have Ramsdale in, plus 1 Prem loan card to use.
3.) 29 Aug 2024 11:29:05
Is there a couple of prem players that might be solid to try take on a loan?
I
21 Aug 2024 12:11:10
Now Fernandes is confirmed, I don't believe we are now strongly linked with any incomings at this moment in time. Assuming our chest is empty, and we need to sell to buy (as was said before we just spent £30m!), I'm expecting the following departures.
- Mara is gone for £10m - that'll cover Fernandes
- Bree I can't see playing for us, can we get £2m for him?
- Alcaraz I'd like to keep if we can't get £18m+ for him, but that could help fund a replacement (don't know who tho)
- Larios is off on loan or possibly permanently apparently
- Lis nearly out the door for £3m or so. Also Lumley? Martin clearly isn't going to play him except in an emergency.
- Edozie, does he have a future with us? If not, at a big loss granted, could we get £4-6m to get rid?
- Then there's Tall Paul. If we could get him sold for £8m or so, take it - hopefully a deal that comes through on or near deadline day.
- only other one is Sulemana. I like a bit of an X factor but he is so frustrating. World beater in our final game before relegation but nothing since. Who knows. I'd like to keep him.
Those departures would trim our squad to a sensible size of about 25 as we'd want, and we obviously need a goalie coming in.
The deadwood going could raise £20m or so, maybe nearer £35m if Charly goes.
A proper keeper will cost us £10m if we were to look overseas, or nearer £20m for someone in the PL. That then leaves one chunk for one quality player. And I think that depends on Alcaraz. If he goes, there may just be enough if they really do want O'Riley.
If not, I think and hope that just a keeper remains to be found, as it'll be deemed we have sufficient cover elsewhere.
Deep down, I fear that Martin is going to stick with McCarthy - his third choice in the championship last season - and that will make survival even tougher.
1.) 21 Aug 2024 12:25:36
And as I pressed send, it looks like Bijlow is on his way! Not the dream signing, but I’d say a very decent one given he’s in competition with Verburggen and Flekken for the Dutch #1 slot. That’ll do me
2.) 21 Aug 2024 13:01:22
As above post from me. Get in SaintGGsy
3.) 21 Aug 2024 16:18:45
Just don’t get this problem with Charly. Him with Fernandes is a fantastic opportunity. Adam would sort out English issues and if we are asking for 40m he is certainly woth keeping.
03 Jul 2024 14:02:02
Quite like our start to the window - THB, Lallana, Taylor, Wood and Edwards coming in, Downes hopefully coming in for wantaway KWP, and all for very good prices.
If the figure is a net £83m (ish, I know it's more complicated than that), that's £26m or so spent, provided no cash is involved in signing Downes. We'll see.
Sugarawa is being heavily rumoured and would be a good addition in my books, else I like Aarons, and I think that about sorts the back line - ABK, DCC and Lyanco will all be off, leaving 10 defensive players.
Goalie massively needed and I sincerely hope Martin doesn't stick with McCarthy but I can see it happening. Just look at some of the keepers at the Euros playing in lower leagues, we could have so much better.
In midfield, we look quite light - if Alcaraz and Aribo go, that leaves Smallbone, Charles, Downes and Lallana. We need at least one more to compete with Smallbone to be starting, and O'Riley at £25m+ seems to be the current thinking. I can't say I know much about him.
That would leave about £25m for the front line to go with Edozie, Ross, Arma, presumably Fraser and Mara, assuming Sulemana and Onuachu go. We again need two here. Obvious punts are those performing at the Euros, Schranz and Mikautadze, but they're gambles.
We need a starting winger and starting forward minimum, and even then may be able to get one or two more in for reasonable prices or if we sell for good deals.
Whittaker of Plymouth is an option but a risk, having worked with Martin before, and probably wouldn't be a starter.
Any realistic options? We know Arma won't be as prolific back in the PL and who knows what Stewart will turn out like.
1.) 03 Jul 2024 16:56:51
Hi SaintGGsy,
Can’t argue with your analysis of the squad and where we need bolstering.
That led me to think about what is the harder challenge - is it building a squad capable of staying up in the PL or is it assembling a squad capable of getting promoted to the PL?
Obviously, we achieved the latter but would it be harder to finish 4th bottom (or better) in PL, than 4th top in Championship.
From the incomings, as I see it, we are not getting much with successful PL experience. Taylor has, but in a team (Burnley) which got relegated. Lallana is very experienced but will spend most of the season either on the bench or in the medical room.
So we are hoping to strike it lucky with players coming from Peterborough, Swansea and Millwall. It’s great if it works, but if it doesn’t?
It’s too early to be cynical, but what odds on Martin seeing his contract out?
2.) 03 Jul 2024 19:52:00
I expect Cordova-Reid to sign once back from Copa America, Fraser will sign for free on a 3 year contract. KWP has said he wants to move and has been clear he will not sign a new/ extension to his existing contract. West Ham want him so I expect Downes/KWP swap, we will sign a first choice right back.
We might get Ings for a very low fee or possibly free but his current wages are a problem for us to pay. I think Stewart will be ok in premier league, he is a very good player and excellent finisher. We are looking for an attacking midfield player as Alcaraz does not fit in with our style of play.
Expect Alcaraz to leave, possibly another large loan fee. We will bring in an experienced older keeper on a years contract as cover for McCarthy. Lyanco is going to Atletico Minero, ABK is going to German club on loan, Caleta car is signing for Lyon. Don’t be surprised to see Lavia and Delap on loan.
3.) 04 Jul 2024 05:47:49
I was going to withhold my opinion until. after the ‘dealins done’but to date II believe Saint GGsy you’ just about nailed it.! .RM continue to tread. very carefully.with plenty of quality option still aavailable .With SFC previous transfer history it wiould’t surprise me if the cheaper midfield option of Calllum O’Hare in lieu of. O’Reilly was not pursued.Wood / Edwards twogood young defenders alongside TBH.With several signings still required RM many well defer 1. or 2 until Jan. to re-assess requirements if he believes he can avoid collateral damage until then.!
4.) 04 Jul 2024 11:23:22
I agree with your potential signings SaintGGsy. I think Mikakuatde (butchered spelling my bad) will be a good striker for us pacy and can finish which is what we need right now as we aren't finishing goals enough and we concede hence why we finished 4th in the Championship. So Mika would be a good Striker for us Personally for the wings I would say Philogene he plays at hull and is attracting interest from Ipswich and Crystal Palace. I think swooping him for our wings would be a good idea.
I would try keep ABK as he is still young and he can improve unless a club offers big money for him so maybe a loan and alcaraz the same.
I agree Matt o' riley would be good for midfield and alledgly we are trying to get McTominay too so hopefully if we can get these players our team can look strong.
Obv the keeper is a must change IMO, Ik Mccarthy can have good days but we need a good keeper and there are so many keepers that play in UEFA competions that are in relatively less known leagues and grabbing one keeper of one of those teams can significantly boost us from relegation to possible midfield- low top 10. I remember with a strong team we can make it to like the semi finals of the FA up so hopefully we can do that again maybe even make the final and win but hey I'm probably delusional
5.) 05 Jul 2024 08:50:09
Great thread and comments.
GK - Pivotal to survival. I hope we invest but would McCarthy have signed if he thought he would be number 2?
CB - Great to get in young talent at good deals. If we drop down and THB and Bednarek go, we have a ready made partnership. If ABK and CC leave as 2408 suggests, I think we need another CB, especially if we go 3 5 2. Otherwise, if we we are struggling in Dec, I agree Millertime, I can feel a lot of us thinking it was madness to pressure 3 young CBs with no PL experience.
Wing Backs - Please keep KWP or get similar quality. Then we we need RB cover at least. Not convinced by Manning, Larios or Bree in the Prem, maybe loan as useful in the Champ.
CM - Downes is essential and I think we need another DM for cover or if we go 4 2 3 1. We struggled a lot without him and Charles is young. Loan in seems sensible and Lavia could be great. AM, O'Riley if Alcaraz sadly goes.
Wingers - if go 3 5 2 with 2 wingbackd then this position is not as key. So, good debate on whether to go for a Cordova Reid and invest more in a ST or spend on a Clarke, Philogene, Whittaker instead. Probably loan/sell 1 of Sulemana, Ameyaw and Edozie at LW. Sulemana did do okay in the Prem before.
Strikers - Mara probably a loan or sell then 2 more. We need a proven player and then hopefully 1 of AA, Stewart or Ings will do well too
Should get us to 80m net spend.
6.) 05 Jul 2024 18:27:11
Spot on SaintThatAKickInTheHead, We've signed THB with a clause in the loan if we got promoted so he should be on our team. So he should be on your team I believe. But everything you said I hope it happens. Boosting our wingers maybe selling Kalameeden Getting Philogene and maybe Clarke would be nice for the wings and Alcaraz could play as a Striker and we get O'Riley or we could find a good striker like Mikauztude but he could be like James Rodriguez hopefully if we do sign him (unlikely) he can be good and not flop after a good international performance.
7.) 05 Jul 2024 18:46:32
Good post SaintThat etc ….
And the previous posts.
I think it’s going to be very interesting window between now and 30 Aug.
8.) 06 Jul 2024 05:24:36
Cordova -Read now going to Leicester? Strange decision as I think he would get more football at Saints. Now we’re linked with Wellington a left back, does that mean Manning Larios or both are leaving?
9.) 06 Jul 2024 08:48:16
I thought Cordova Reid was pretty nailed on. Very disappointed indeed as clearly gone for better wages esp with Lei facing big points deduction. Hope to get Jerimimo and Ingsy in. Also Wellington and O’Riley
10.) 06 Jul 2024 09:57:02
I could see Manning leaving @2408, Larios and Meghoma being loaned to championship sides to eventually take over from Taylor and getting cover in.
@JoshGarge Sorry I explained that badly. I know THB is with us. I meant Wood and Edwards are good value signings. Hopefully they can perform at this level but if we do get relegated next season and THB and Bednaerek need to be sold, we have have 2 solid championship players ready to go. Still hope for another experienced CB too.
Agree Millertime. This will be an interesting window. Then again, I was excited during our first SR window, so should hold the horses!
11.) 06 Jul 2024 10:26:15
As someone famously said, “you win nothing with kids” - I suppose it’s where you set your sights. Some may say 4th bottom or better is ‘winning’ from a Saints perspective.
As others have said, it is the GK situation which is most concerning. If we are to have a younger defensive unit, we need an experience figure of authority between the posts - that isn’t Baz (yet) and McCarthy would seem to be a step backwards.
It’s looking less likely that we will be holding onto KWP but his valuation (£20M) seems far too low.
Let’s get busy…
12.) 06 Jul 2024 16:58:26
Agree Millertime. These lads will need some experience around them in a relegation fight.
Just read that THB and Wood play together in the England U21s, so good already a partnership there.
We will wait and see.
29 May 2024 00:00:05
I still can't believe we've done it. 5-0 at Sunderland. 5-0 at Leicester. 16th in September. 25 games unbeaten. Falling at the last. Settling for the play-offs where I was certain we as a team lacked a spine and calmness to handle it all. Bar a last-second header from a corner, we never looked like conceding in 3 games of football where everything was on the line.
I hadn't cried at a sporting result since England won the cricket World Cup. Look at where we were a year ago, the names we've lost. And we've f*****g done it.
To boot, Leicester are likely to start next season with a points deduction, who knows what will be happening to half the sides in the league, but if we are smart, sensible and adaptable - look how we set up for this game, sacrificing possession for solidity and more counter attacking and marauding through midfield - more nous like that will be needed in 24/25, then I believe we can be better than three other teams.
But I don't care about who to recruit, what may happen, what has happened, until at least fixture release day. WE'RE BACK IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE
11 Nov 2023 21:52:55
Came here to say a very similar thing. Our next ‘tough’ game is the reverse of this fixture in February. Till then I don’t think we play a team in the top half. In this league we will slip up somewhere along the line but what a month or so.
Reflecting now on our losing run, in perspective they don’t look so shocking. Boro hadn’t won a game but are now mid table, Leicester and Ipswich are first and second, and the only real shocker is the Sunderland game which I still can’t fathom, and maybe that took a few games to come back from.
Maybe we all overreacted a little. Some more clean sheets would be nice, but ultimately losing on two long away trips and at home to the top two aren’t anything to be too ashamed of, and we now seem to have a settled and organised lineup. Also excellent to see Stewart on the pitch. Way things are going we might be able to offload Adams to a struggling PL club in January for too much money and invest wisely.
I’d like to think we can now go on a 20+ game unbeaten run but the championship doesn’t work that way, though shoring up a top 6 spot whilst keeping the top 2 within arms reach would be a nice place to be come the new year.
Go the saints! I’m actually enjoying supporting this team for the first time in about 7 years ?
27 Sep 2023 18:45:44
Thanks all, and thanks Ed’s for making that into a special article thingy, looks very cool!
What a sad spot we’re in. No hope for Saturday either, but at least it’ll be available to see live for the country to witness our embarrassment!
{Ed033's Note - Thanks, terrible period for Southampton supporters.
25 Sep 2023 21:20:03
There is definitely something amiss with our club. It seems so rigid - we must play this way or else - why can’t we bomb down the wings, cross it, big Paul with headers or knockdowns. There are reasons Sulemana and Alcaraz aren’t playing, why our best players aren’t performing.
I don’t know what it is, and I don’t think it’s just down to Martin, but problems feel deeper than we are seeing on the field right now, and it’s worrying.
{Ed033's Note - Thanks for the long post, i'll put it up tomorrow morning as an article
28 Jan 2023 22:20:34
Another winger with pace and little end product. GIVE US GOALS FOR GOD’S SAKE.
Doesn’t need to be anything magical. A half season loan deal to keep us up, and we’ll be in a much more inviting position if we stay up. Look what Gabbi did - none of us had heard of him and he had a spurt for two months which kept us up. Don’t sign a striker, we won’t know.
Che Adams and Adam Armstrong will not keep this side up. Mara has potential but isn’t going to bag 10-12 goals in the last 19 games. Maybe Orsic at striker is an option, but relying on JWP and Perraud for goals is a death sentence.
Also, generally speaking, it’s worrying that our 1.5th team (not quite a full second string side) barely beat a team in the championship relegation zone. Doesn’t exactly bode well.
26 Jan 2023 20:47:33
Saints fans: sign a striker
Saints board: signs a winger
Saints fans: close! Now get a striker to score some goals!
Saints board: signs a midfielder
Saints fans: ok, good player, now we need goals!
Saints board: James Bree
{Ed014's Note - ??
15 Sep 2024 19:55:05
That requires our manager being innovative - haven’t had one of those since Koeman!
14 Sep 2024 22:19:24
Next three home games are Everton, Ipswich and Leicester. Quite simply they’re the three most likely to drop aside us. We have to win all three. So by that logic, lose and we look like being toast.
Get ABK and Cornet in for Stephens and Brereton and it’s basically the perfect side. Dibling was our best player and it says a lot that our right back is our biggest goal threat ? positives, but positives don’t bring results and we have scored one goal in four games, including 60 minutes against ten men, and that one goal was a last minute consolation.
It isn’t too difficult a game as Martin may make it out to be. Play fluid attacking football, leave 2 CBs and a CDM on the halfway line, and express yourselves.
Turned off after we missed the penalty. Knew where it was going, and not a great deal of faith in getting anything next weekend.
21 Aug 2024 12:25:36
And as I pressed send, it looks like Bijlow is on his way! Not the dream signing, but I’d say a very decent one given he’s in competition with Verburggen and Flekken for the Dutch #1 slot. That’ll do me
26 Jul 2024 21:26:36
I personally enjoy a back three, however that means having very very good wing backs who make or break the formation. We don’t have one on the left and it also encourages the thought that you need three CBs as two isn’t solid enough.
If we did go back 3, it’d have to be a 3-4-1-2 with KWP on the left, Charly at 10 and a very very solid pair of CMs. I don’t think we’re brave enough to do that.
Back four, Taylor/KWP - THB - Bednarek - Sugarawa
3 in midfield, probbaly two sat back - Downes and Smallbone, Alcaraz in front, with Arma and Diaz either side of Stewart up top I think gives us some dynamism.
Obviously relying on Stewart is a risk and Arma could go into ST with JRS, Sulemana or SAA on the left, but none of that fills me with much confidence.
GK, CM, ST and AM needed for me - Ramsdale loan, O’Riley, Rak-Sakyi if he is as good as we’re making him out, and Diaz seem to be the route currently, totalling £60m or so. Sell the deadwood of Mara (£3m), Onuachu (£6m), Manning (£3m), Lis (didn’t inspire me with confidence, £1.5m) and ABK if he doesn’t want to stay - hopefully £12m+, recoups £25m or so and hopefully keeps us within budget.
That to me is sensible and realistic. But I’d like us to end up nicking a bit of a marquee signing to really galvanise the support for what will be a tough season, especially if none of these points deductions seem to be happening any time soon.
02 Apr 2024 19:53:46
We aren’t cutthroat enough a club at any level, and I just cannot see that the board will replace Martin if we finish fourth and don’t go up. They’ll say ‘we got XX points (87ish), that would get you promoted automatically most seasons’.
Ipswich have done an amazing job and I want them to go up. We need to cherry pick from this league and League One and get Martin to see the error of his ways to this point. I backed the side when we went unbeaten, but the amount of times we’ve failed to kill off games has now caught up with us.
I’d like to think we can keep S Armstrong, A Armstrong, Fraser, Aribo, Smallbone, Charles and Bednarek, have Larios and Stewart fit, and sign a CDM - we won’t keep Downes - a goalie and another striker as a minimum. If we get money from KWP and Sulemana totalling £30m+, we can go and pick up several good prospects and build, because as people rightly say we wouldn’t stay in the PL with this squad.
I also don’t think the club is built on a ruthlessness to sack off Bazunu. I loved his signing but one could argue that with a hint of anticipation he saves all three goals last night.
I’d like us to go and look at the impressive players from this season. Whittaker, Szmodics, Simms, one of them would suit us. I think szmodics would be an amazing player for us personally. But I imagine we will dip back into the Chelsea and City youth pool again.