Whatever happens we will have a better team than we had last season. Hopefully we are playing this as a "free hit" at the premier league and the majority of our signings are likely to either stay on or be easy to sell on if relegated.
I can't help but feel like we are getting ripped off if we pay £12m for Rak-Sakyi and they get Sarr for about the same
That seems like too many midfielders. You’d have to imagine starting midfielders would be Downes, Smallbone and O’Riley. With Camara strongly knocking on the door. Expect O’Riley and Camara can cover for Downes but not in quite the same way. But better than Smallbone and probably Charles But then Alcaraz, Charles, Lallana, Aribo. That’s 8 for 3 spots. Unless Alcaraz is played as false 9 again - which would probably be ineffective. I’d guess Alcaraz leaves if both O’Riley and Camara come in.
It wouldn't shock me to see Charles leave on loan. A full season in the championship would probably do him good, like it did for Smallbone at Stoke.
Also more likely than Charly leaving if we did sign O'Reilly and Camara. Charly is a completely different player to any of those midfielders.
Camara would be a really good back up to Downes, But he would primarily be more a Box to box midfielder anyway.
I'm in agreement. We'd be flooded there a bit. Alcaraz has played a little off the left in the two friendlies so far but I doubt that's a realistic prospect for the whole season.
Bordeaux have folded as a club apparently. No coincidence that is just after we played them. Southampton FC - crushing teams and managers since 1885
Charly is different to the extent that I’m not sure he’s a fit for the system Martin wants to play. He seems more of a number 10 and we don’t seem likely to employ one in either a back 4 or back 5 system. But time will tell
Not sure how reliable this is but I am truly baffled by this if it’s true. What does the club see in Bazunu? How bad does he have to be before they realise it’s a crisis position for us?
If it isn’t a new No 1 keeper we will be in big trouble especially when Baz gets fit early next year as he is useless as shown by his stats last season when he was the worst keeper in the Championship
When McCarthy re-signed this has always looked the likely outcome. Saying if Lis wants first team football suggests: 1. McCarthy is going to be number 1 until Bazunu is back 2. If we do loan a keeper it will be to replace Lis as backup, not a new number 1 to replace McCarthy
I'm not sure I see it all as black and white as has been laid out. 1) Baz is clearly a talented young goalkeeper. He just makes too many mistakes, particularly with his deciaion making. But it wouldn't shock me if he turned into a PL level GK in the medium term. I realise I may be alone in this and that it may be painful getting there! 2)I think we'll bring someone in of a certain quality. I understand the logic that McCarthy signed as a number 1 but that would only ever have been for as long as Baz was out given what RM and the club think about him. I don't think we'll go Ramsdale level bit could see a Dubravka/Sergio Rico type come in to compete.
