Yes KWP has quickly become integral to the way we play, we have real quality on both flanks from the FBs and the balance is so much better now. Valery looked ok when he first broke through but Ralph appears to lost a bit of faith in him justifiably because his form dropped sharply. This may have been down to personal issues and I believe that he still has the potential to step in and do a job when required.
Hey, am not going to super analyse this. We haven't gone crazy but by most accounts have good prospects. KWP was the key and is someone who could really get an international call up. Compared to a few clubs e.g. Burnley, west brom etc we have got a lot to feel good about and looking forward to this team developing together. We have got no right to be top 10 but feels achievable.
One factor in all of this is that, with empty stadia, any/all new players who would probably be scared to put a foot wrong will not have the crowd on their backs, groaning at every misplaced pass or wayward shot. As such, the new players will have an opportunity to impress Ralph, during a match, with no crowd to unnerve them. OK, they are professionals, so crowd response should not affect them, but we all like to think that we can put off the opposition players, and we know that players visibly wilt when they get booed, especially by their own fans.
On balance it feels like a decent window for us. Its always hard to know but i wanted 3 or 4 additions of good quality and in kwp salisu and diallo we have hopefully done that; only time will tell. And then we have the wildcard of walcott - who knows what ralph might achieve with him. There is no wow signing at least for me but some solid potential and ability. Salisu the pick of the bunch longer term. 7.5 out of 10
Here’s Dan Sheldon’s verdict from the Athletic: Southampton made clever signings like Walker-Peters… and then came Walcott please log in to view this image By Dan Sheldon Oct 5, 2020 please log in to view this image 31 please log in to view this image Southampton’s transfer window started with a bang, giving supporters a tremendous sense of optimism, and then slowed down before reaching an almighty crescendo in the final days. Theo Walcott arrived on deadline day from Everton, with the 31-year-old making an emotional return to the club he left 14 years ago. Clever signings like Mohammed Salisu, Kyle Walker-Peters and Ibrahima Diallo have made this, on paper, a promising window but also one where supporters may have to be patient before making their judgements. And Walcott’s return was the biggest surprise of the lot. How did Southampton end up signing Walcott, then? On the face of it, especially when you take into account Ralph Hasenhuttl’s desire to work with younger players, it looks like a strange deal for the club to complete. But Southampton have tried to bring their academy prodigy back before, only to be unable to match the offer Everton made to Arsenal in January 2018. More than two years on, Southampton have succeeded and believe the player, capped 47 times by England, will be able to provide cover for the likes of Nathan Redmond, Stuart Armstrong and Moussa Djenepo, filling the gap left by Sofiane Boufal. It’s unlikely that Walcott will be a regular starter but his versatility could also see him play alongside Danny Ings up front. The Athletic understands that Walcott gave up bonuses he was due at Everton to rejoin Southampton. What is it going to cost the club? Southampton feel signing Walcott on loan for the season is a win-win situation. Everton will be paying more than 50 per cent of the winger’s wages and Southampton didn’t have to pay a transfer fee. The 31-year-old isn’t going to break the bank over the coming months but will provide essential experience inside the dressing room. Did they get the other player they wanted? Yes and no. Hasenhuttl wanted Salisu and Walker-Peters to strengthen his defence following the January departures of Maya Yoshida and Cedric Soares. So, with the defence in mind, Southampton got what they wanted. But once Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg had been sold to Tottenham Hotspur, it became apparent that Southampton would need a new No 6. Hasenhuttl let his frustration be known that they missed out on their main target in that position, Ibrahim Sangare. Southampton thought they had a deal wrapped up to bring in Sangare from Toulouse. A transfer fee and personal terms had been agreed for the 22-year-old Ivory Coast international, only for his work permit to be rejected. Diallo was signed instead from Stade Brest for around £12.7 million on Sunday, with the Frenchman penning a four-year contract, and Sangare joined PSV. They also hoped to add Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams on loan. The Athletic can reveal that Williams informed United that he wanted to join Southampton to play more games but that move was blocked by Old Trafford manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Did Southampton get good value for money with their business this summer? In terms of Walker-Peters, yes. Southampton wanted to make his loan spell permanent and Tottenham were keen on signing Hojbjerg, who made it clear he wouldn’t sign an extension to his contract, which had less than 12 months to run. In the end, Hojbjerg left for £15 million and Walker-Peters cost £12 million. Given he could have left on a free transfer in 2021, swapping Hojbjerg for Walker-Peters while turning a £3 million represents smart business. Salisu and Diallo cost a combined £23 million but are yet to play, so it’s too early to say whether they have been good value for money. And Southampton were very pleased to take Walcott on loan while Everton continue to pay half of his wages. Why did they decide to buy the players they did? Salisu and Walker-Peters were signed to bolster a defence that had lost two experienced players. Salisu, however, is viewed as one for the future and hasn’t yet been involved in any match-day squads. The 21-year-old has been getting up to speed with Hasenhuttl’s methods at Staplewood, with the manager saying he will give him as long as it takes to get ready. Diallo is expected to start challenging Oriol Romeu for the midfield spot alongside James Ward-Prowse. To play in this position for Hasenhuttl, the 21-year-old will need to be energetic, physical and good on the ball. Despite only playing 47 first-team matches, he attracted interest from Arsenal, Leicester and Monaco. Walcott was signed to replace Boufal and can play up front if needs be. His experience means both Nathan Tella and Moussa Djenepo will also be able to learn from him. Who was the outstanding signing? At this point, probably Walker-Peters. When he arrived on loan in January he wasn’t fit and it took him longer than many thought to gel with Hasenhuttl. This led to him not featuring heavily at the start but he was then given a run of games during Project Restart to show his worth. Since making the switch permanent, the right-back has been improving week after week. The 23-year-old’s impact going forward has already been noted, although Southampton’s boss would like him to be slightly more disciplined at the back. Should they have sold more players? To answer “yes” would be unfair, and perhaps not representative of the issues Southampton faced. Boufal, Guido Carrillo, Mario Lemina and Wesley Hoedt were all bought for big money and given salaries that matched their transfer fees. But there lies the issue. Finding clubs to sign these players — and we could include Fraser Forster in that category as well — was never going to be easy. Lemina and Hoedt both have two years remaining on their contracts and have been loaned out to Fulham and Lazio. Carrillo has gone to Elche on a two-year deal, with Southampton receiving a nominal compensation fee that doesn’t even cover the cost of terminating his contract. Boufal has joined French club Angers, where he started his career. As these two had less than 12 months to go on their St Mary’s deals, it was mainly a case of getting them off the wage bill. Harrison Reed was sold to Fulham for £6 million, which isn’t bad business when taking into account the fact that he came through the club’s academy and was not part of Hasenhuttl’s plans. Chief executive Martin Semmens was always going to be up against it when trying to sell the club’s outcasts but the money Southampton will now save each week should work wonders for their balance, giving them more scope to enter next summer’s transfer window. Are there still gaps in the squad? There’s an argument that they are short in the full-back department, hence their interest in Manchester United’s Williams. Jake Vokins isn’t ready to challenge Ryan Bertrand and Yan Valery hasn’t done enough to convince Hasenhuttl he can play ahead of Walker-Peters. What do the moves tell us about how they want to play? Hasenhuttl won’t be changing how he sets his team up, so the players he signed needed to be able to become important cogs in the energetic machine. Diallo will be running tirelessly in the engine room, Southampton’s midfield, closing down the opposition and not allowing them the time to look up and play a pass over the top. But he will also have to show composure on the ball, like Ward-Prowse, to help with the transition from defence to attack. Walker-Peters is already used to the demands Hasenhuttl places on the full-backs, who should be a threat in attack but remain disciplined at the back. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that all of this summer’s permanent signings are aged 23 or under. Hasenhuttl prefers working with younger players as he believes they will be more receptive to his methods. The other reason for targeting this market is because, if the transfer turns out to be successful, the club will be able to demand a sizeable fee when the bigger clubs come calling.
I think Diallo might turn out to be the 'wow' signing. I'm cautiously optimistic about him, Ralph seems very pleased with him, and although videos are dangerous to judge, he seems to have that ability to take it past people that Morgan had in his prime.
As DLTW said Theo could be AM or ST or perhaps used as both whatever is required in the moment which is a handy thing to have in your locker. I did have a look on an Arsenal forum and one Arsenal fan said Ings and Walcott could be a lethal combination.
