I hate this situation, where we have spent all season trying to get a settled line up of players who know the system and have achieved so much, just to break it up and start again with a different set of players. Players are praised for their efforts then shown the door. I know it’s how football works, but I don’t like it.
Martin said he told the team to enjoy this moment as it would be the last time they’d all be together. Fact of life, but a shame as stocktonsaint said. I remember Nigel’s wistful face on PL promotion day….think he had an inkling that Cortese’s axe would fall soon.
Contracts that due to expire soon. June 2024 Stuart Armstrong, Che Adams, Alex McCarthy. June 2025 Jan Bednarek, Adam Armstrong, Kyle Walker-Peters, Jack Stephens, Joe Lumley, Jayden Meghoma, Lyanco, Romain Perraud. June 2026 James Bree, Joe Aribo, Sekou Mara, Will Smallbone, Ross Stewart, Sam Amo-Ameyaw, Tyler Dibling, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Duje Caleta-Car, Paul Onuachu Didn't know Arma, Bednarek and Stephens expire the end of next year. Wonder of they will hold out to see how the season is going like Che before committing.
As someone else mentioned, of the players under contract the only ones who you confidently could predict would be up to PL standard are KWP and possibly Bednarek. Unlike most summers for Saints fans in the last 15 years or so KWP is the only player I would be worried about losing, and actually be bothered about if they did go. Be nice to keep Downes but I have no idea if we will. Not bothered about Fraser/Brooks/Rothwell staying. Brooks the only one I’d be OK with signing, the other 2 I definitely wouldn’t be signing on permanent deals. Of the players out on loan I’d like to keep Perraud and ABK but not fussed if either leave. Think both are good enough to be part of a lower PL squad. Onuachu I think would score goals in the right system but we won’t play that system. Lyanco is lolz but not good enough. Alcaraz I think will leave as we don’t play to his strengths and could probably get a decent fee for him. DCC has already left I thought as has an agreed fee with Lyon so he’s not coming back anyway Wouldn’t mind Adams/Armstrong/McCarthy getting new deals, but also not fussed if they all left. As had been said they’ve all been here for ages (in football terms) and probably best to thank them and let them leave and start afresh. None of them were really that good at PL level and if they were in your opinion it was a few years ago now Basically it’s a weird summer as for once I couldn’t care less who leaves (bar KWP, who I’ve resigned myself to losing anyway) so it’s all about the incomings. Also the worry about relegation isn’t there either as the Championship was enjoyable this year, so yeah just a big “wait and see and who cares” type attitude from me atm
We should buy him, just for the name, and the "Whatmuff diving" picture captions. Yes, I am a 65 year old schoolboy
The fact that no one is that bothered about losing players and we aren’t quaking in our boots about big clubs asset stripping us is a good indication that this team isn’t a patch on the team that got us promoted last time. Clearly indicating the need for a rebuild ….but somehow we must still hold onto the team spirit that got us here., Tough balancing act.
I think there is a reasonable chance that we lose our two best players. I still think KWP goes as the rumours were he would be off regardless of whether we went back up or not. And I think there is a good chance that we don't manage to get Downes back too. Hopefully that's not the case, but they would both be massive losses for us and make our already large shopping list even bigger.
To survive in the Prem, we would need: A new goalie A new left back KWP or a replacement right back A ball-winning DM Another strong box-to-box midfielder A good striker A dangerous winger. Going to have spend at least 90 million I would think.
What would be your solution? I can’t see the club spending on a number 1 with Bazunu here (albeit injured). Rightly or wrongly the noises are all massively positive about him so I can’t see them essentially replacing him with a new Gk coming in. Loaning someone in for the season seems the most sensible option, but no idea who off the top of my head
I’m wondering how the young, fringe players must be feeling right now. At the start of the season and in the cups they were getting opportunities to play and state a claim, but as the season progressed their opportunities became virtually non existent in the chase for promotion. I think many of us were thinking that they might get a chance next season, if we failed to get promoted and players left, but now we have been promoted what chances do they have next season? Not sure that any are ready to push for a place in the match day squad in the Premier, seeing how many dropped out of the squad this season. Maybe sending them out on loan to a championship club might be the right move.
Yeah it’s a long list and I’d argue we need a centre back as well. Maybe another CM too in the S Armstrong mould of being creative and attacking Whether or not ABK, Perraud, Onuachu, Lyanco and Alcaraz come back and can fill some of those needs remains to be seen. Last time we were promoted I think we signed 10 players, and we had a spine of a team already in place. We don’t have that spine (to the same quality anyway) so I’d expect a similar number of ins. Our squad is still big though so to accommodate quite a few will leave
Yeah, season-long loans for our brightest talents will be essential this season. SAA and Dibling need to be playing at a decent standard. The Netherlands or Germany might suit them both actually...
De Gea is right there, offer him a 1 year deal... puts him back in the spot light, if he performs well then he can choose where he goes, If he doesn't and we go down then we don't have to worry about keeping him the following season. Just a thought.
Did we have a spine last time with hindsight? Or did we know that Lambert, Lallana, Morgan etc would become top players?
Just off the top of my head our current squad of contracted players for next season is: GK Bazunu (out for majority of season injured) GK Lis (does he even have a work permit to play?) GK Lumley RB KWP RB Bree CB Bednarek CB THB CB Stephens CB ABK CB Lyanco LB Manning LB Perraud CM Smallbone CM Aribo CM Alcaraz AM Sulemana AM Edozie AM A Armstrong ST Stewart ST Mara ST Onuachu That looks like it needs a lot of work to me
