Southampton Banter Archive August 07 2013

07 Aug 2013 22:34:28
I've read tonight that Saints may be looking at Flamini (ex AC Milan and Arsenal) whose currently a free agent. This makes me think that with a high number of Centre Backs and potentially another Midfielder, MoPo is planning to play 3 CB's with Clyne and Shaw as wingbacks/wingers and flooding the midfield giving the players free-reign to find their own space (a bit like Barcelona) - Does anyone else think this could be plan for next season?

Saint Ben

Boruc
Clyne fonte lovren yoshida shaw
Schneiderlin wanyama
Ramirez lambert lallana/rodriguez

Like this?

I highly doubt MoPo is planning to use 3CB's otherwise we would have seen the tactic feature in pre-season.

He does utilise wingbacks, but usually counteracts this by having a couple deep lying CDMs like Schneiderline/Wanyama to provide more defensive cover.

Flamini is off the cards I'd imagine as we're already set for CDMs with at least 4 quality ones already in the squad.

Any more signings will be attacking I feel (most probably striker, possibly AM).

I struggle to believe this is the plan. Not sure we have the striking potential in our team to play 5 at the back. We'd seriously risk our already low goal threat. At the end of last season we struggled to hit the back of the net that much.

You mean he likes to play with 3 central players behind striker to press off ball and to alow full back to bomb on and provide our width

Looks sid at the back but he plays with more emphasis further up upfield. More likely to go with the back four you've put and when full backs push on, one of our two defensive mids will provide cover if we get caught on break.
I'm quite happy with our squad but do think we're short up top. Norwich sign 2 clinical strikers who will score 25-30 between them. Only thing I'd change.

Just because you have read something it doesn't mean it has ANY connection to Saints! Ignore the media and listen to what the club says.

Saint Martin

My first team right now would be:

Boruc

Yoshida Lovren
Clyne Shaw

Wanyama

Schneiderlin

Puncheon Lallana
Ramirez

Lambert

I expect MP to opt for Jay Rod over Puncheon. Looking at pre-season, I expect Isgrove and Chambers would get a fair crack with rotation too.

How would you pick Puncheon or Lallana over Jay Rod, he was our best player towards the back end of the season!

07 Aug 2013 22:05:56
I think you lot are forgetting that we have plenty of goals running through our team. I think your panicking a bit too much. Yes another striker would be great but its not the end of the world. We might have gone through some games where we didn't score but we scored in most of the games last season. Our defence was dodge. As long as poch utilises our players properly we will score plenty. Wait and see. We have goals up front in midfield and defence. Our goals + (for) was not that bad last season.

Tweener Saint

At the end of last season we had so many chances and so few goals. We need someone who is not afraid to shoot and will be consistent about it. Lambert is a great striker but we can't rely on him to score every game.

07 Aug 2013 21:06:35
I think it's quite a coincidence that all the talk of £20 strikers was announced around the time of the new kit being released?
A good business decision but a bit ruthless on the hardworking fans?

£20 strikers? Generally don't tend to be too good. Maybe spend a bit more. I mean the shirts cost more than that!

£20 couldn't buy a pair of socks nowadays

07 Aug 2013 19:17:45
Allegedly, according to Sports Direct website. "the Saints chief cannot afford to spend a further £15m on Banega". so we're 'broke' lads!

. apparently we should be going for Flamini on a free instead - nice of them to be so thoughtful and find us our striker ;0)

So presumably our looking at all the other £20M players was so much tosh and show!

Means all you doom-merchants and nay-sayers can say "I told you so" now since according to you guys, this will mean we're relegated already!

Yeah, right - not!

As has been said elsewhere, our team is now stronger than last year, more better integrated than last year and certainly more fit than last year.

Just take time to look at what we actually have, rather than what you think we need, 'cos it ain't half bad!

Get real, 14th we can do again, 12th would be good, 10th would be great but 17th is all we need.

What? I have no idea what your point is but n short it seems you are saying sports direct know more than our board

Oh well. I'm convinced

We know this is balderdash. Pochettino has been chasing Damiao with over £20million to splash. If we don't get him we can easily afford the £15million for Banega. We have got the funds and can afford him according to sources but we just won't be fooled into paying over the odds.

What rubbish

Absolute nonsense we are not broke! Get real ffs

Yes we're stronger! but the bit everyone seems to be over looking is so is everyone else? But hay! 17th is all we need? Nothing like being positive!

Broke? Lol yeah ok then, that's bigger bull than some of out transfer rumours.

'17th is all we need'.

Saints are an ambitious side, not content with being just another EPL side that does essentially nothing; fixture-fillers.

Also Sports Direct are about as reliable a source as the daily fail.

Ho-hum. Obviously satire/tongue-in-cheek comments are lost here.

07 Aug 2013 16:14:01
we require these signings asap MP/NC otherwise it could be a season of struggle. All these fans thinking were going to finish in top 8/10 need to have a rethink as with the squad we have were be lucky to finish where we did last season.

Get the cheque book out and sign a goalscoring striker and attaking midfielder then we could finish in top 10 this season. COYRs

I totally agree. We lack a high scoring attacker and outlets from midfield. I do not agree with some of my fellow fans that what we have is good enough and say Mayuka is going to come good. He scored a couple pre season but now consider that he will be playing against some of the best defences in the world. Rickie still has a season but he needs the ball to get to him. What we have at the moment doesn't do that. Lallana and puncheon aren't the answer. We are missed numerous chances to win games but didn't score. Why should that change when we have no new changes to that side of our team?
We do have Wanyama but one man doesn't win games all the time.
Our new defender had an awful season last year and I am yet to be convinced he is worth the money
Without two new players. minimum. I can see us struggling to get goals and think we could stay in the bottom half or even third for the season.
All I see is people blindly saying trust NC and it worries me. He has been trying to aim for players who we should perhaps be looking at in a year or two and have never played in the U. K. For a large amount of money, they represent a large gamble.
I am not remotely trying to be a worrier. I have supported Saints for over 40 years and will do forever.
But. We should be looking to build on last season and have nothing to do it with at the moment with little time left.

OP seems a bit rash stating "we'll be lucky to finish where we did last season" with our current squad.

We've only strengthened since last year and lost no key players. Last year we had a slow start but were sensational for the second half.

Minimal achievement this year will be finishing on a par to last season. Expect us to finish slightly higher, and if we sign a couple more players to finish top 10.

"I am not remotely trying to be a worrier".

" (NC) has been trying to aim for players who we should perhaps be looking at in a year or two. "

Well, you look very much like a worrier to me, who believes rumour and media comment that has ALWAYS been inaccurate about Saints. NC has NOT stated who he is aiming for, and because MP agreed to a question about certain players they were ASSUMED to be the clubs targets.

And now I suppose you believe that Sports Direct know all about our budget?

Surprised your blood pressure has managed 40 years of supporting Saints!

Saint Martin

Could not agree more with your comments!
We're are all these "what we've got it more than good enough rose tinted deluded people coming from?do they all work for Southampton FC trying to keep the supporters happy because they know there's nothing coming in transfer wise? Yes we've strengthened are squad but so has everyone else!
The fact is what we've got is not good enough except Rickie! Who is not getting any younger! Mayuka un proven needs a year on loan to see what he can achieve jay rod may! Come good I'd say 10 goals this season it's not rocket science we need more attacking options or we will stuggle plain and simple? But all means keep looking though your rose tinted glasses if it make you feel better! Me for one live in the real world!!

Wow a bit OTT here we've improved the squad and won't leak as many goals now but we'd be lucky to finish where we did last season hmm someone has been smoking too much crack

07 Aug 2013 13:29:20
If Leandro Damio wants to hold out for a big club then good luck to him! But all the clubs that have been linked to the striker have all gone for other options and he's running out of clubs that want him! Southampton are the only club that have made a real bid for him! But if he think he can wait untill the end of the tranfer window and if no one comes in for him he can just except Southampton's offer! Think on! NC will not take him it's not in his nature! He dose not take kindly to people saying no to him! And good for him no last chance saloon here mate!!

I can see why were frustrated but all he has to do is keep fit hit the next world cup do well and a big club will buy him

Don't believe what agents say! This type of statement is made to try and draw out other interested parties. Common practice but NC will not be fooled-remember the same type of situation developed around the signing of Wanyama.

Saint Martin

It seems to me that this deal could still be on, if the rumours are true that we have pursued Damio for as long as we have and put up some serious money, over 20 mill, I can't believe NC would have gone this far if he didn't think he could convince the player to come to Southampton, why waste his time if the player said "I will not go to SFC because they are not ambitious enough or too small etc. ", if NC is as cunning as you all think, then he would not have been strung along by this kid and his agent. I do think Damio was hoping a CL team would come for him, but it has not happened yet. Question is do we wait until the final day, or do we get a 5-10mil striker asap, or if we miss out on "all-in" Damio on the last day and have to wait until the Jan transfer window. Only NC will know!

No way, DB doesn't have the drive to chase and harass the opponents, every player in our squad has to be willing to work their socks of attacking and DEFENDING, our high pressure game is extremely hard on the midfield and even strikers, as they are expected to pressure from the front.

Why on earth would he want to come to us? I'm not trying to belittle us. But. We are not a household name. As someone said earlier, he wants to hold on until the World Cup and could potentially double his worth and wages.

Why should we think he is waiting for other names and will then think. oh well. I'm that desperate for a move, I'll go to saints. This is so different to the VW move. He wanted a move and tried holding out for bigger names.

My worry is that we are going to wait until the end and be left with nothing worth getting.
Leaving us with a team that has little attacking options and will score few goals.

07 Aug 2013 11:30:31
I'm worried about CB because if Lovren gets injured we'll be back to the same pairing as last year, also we need a winger, we actually have enough strikers but we do need a big signing there soon, it's gone quiet which isn't good I hope we sign a player out of the blue soon!

Great everything's ok then 20 goals from both are main forwards we've got nothing to worrie about then?don't know about you guys but I feel much better now!!!

Centre Back is fine for now. Yoshida and Fonte was a good pair for their games last season so it's not terrible back up to Lovren. We'll need further improvements for any future European push but for now we're ok.

Winger it seems like Isgrove is making the step up to add another option and honestly we have got several attacking midfielders/wingers available with Lallana, Ramirez, Puncheon, Guly (despite what people say), Isgrove and technically Rodriguez and Mayuka can fill that role. Also S Davis and Ward-Prowse have shown they can fill the roles too.

As for a striker. I think this is where we need to improve. We need another goalscorer for if Rickie gets another dry spell or perhaps to make Rickie's selection less set in stone. He needs competition.

06 Aug 2013 23:30:16
Is it just me, or is anyone else excited to see what Mayuka is capable of? Everyone is talking about our desperate need of a striker, but he's been looking good this preseason hasn't he? I think that we should go for him instead of buying someone new for huge money. For god sake he became the African nations cup top scorer two years ago! He must have some sort of sense for scoring, so I think we should give him a real chance (we did not give him one last year) and see what he is capable of. We know he has pace and can take some good runs for us. Anyone else who agrees?

Cheers, Swedish Saint

Not massively excited.

He's got potential, but not seen anything so far that really sets him apart.

I'd describe my feelings as more 'interested' than 'excited'.

Mayuka certainly could have a good opportunity this coming season and it is up to him to take the chance. However, that should not divert attention that Saints need another striker, as very few top EPL teams can manage a successful season with two main strikers plus one "possible". Apart from Mayuka there is only really Guly to step in if needed and this is not the squad depth that is necessary. So, MP is certainly after another striker and I believe it will happen, but we all know the club will take their time to find the right player.

Saint Martin

I think Mayuka will surprise us this season he's looked good when he's come on last season, given a run of games like J-Rod was he could turn out to be a good player IMO

How are the teams we have been playing against compared against some of the defences of the premiership? Especially when he is unproven.
I do think he is one for the future.
He needs a season on loan to show if he really can do it for us.
To say he must have a killer instinct is not enough in this division. We want people who we know can do the job. We need goals. A lot of them. I cannot see them coming from what we have. Midfield or striker.

Oh. Last African nations cup he scored nothing. Nada. Zip. Bupkuss.