Saints transfer rumour thread

Think this has to be right. You just have to look at our bench to realsie we have a strong team but not a strong enough squad. We don't want to hinder youngsters coming through but I feel we need more cover in a couple of positions.

 

If the youngsters are good enough then they will get there chance. There is no way with all the work that goes into the Academy at a reported 2.3 million a year that Cortese will allow them to be over looked.

 

The top 4 have the advantage that they play in the Champion's League. With more games per season, you can rotate the team a little more, thus there is less ill sentiment that a player is being left out.

 

Jon Dean on Twitter: "Southampton need a keeper, Rob Green will be available for cheap could be a great signing." No he wouldn't!!

 

Rob Green is a lot worse than Boruc.

 

I was thinking about the lack of depth last night, especially when Rickie started to tire. The only player we could have brought on in the Rickie mould was... well Rickie. Jay Rod just isn't in the same league as Rickie yet, and there just isn't anyone else. The trouble is, the way we are using Rodriguez, he isn't ever going to catch up with Rickie. Maybe he needs to be sent out on loan?

 

Rickie and Rodriguez are different types of players, I rate Rodriguez and he is still young. Given time he will be a good play, I think instead of looking at Rodriguez the rest of the bench should show how light we are. When you have players such as De Ridder, Chaplow on the bench that is what worries me, Rodriguez is the last thing we need to worry about.

 

Agreed I have a lot of time for Chaplow but sadly don't think he is PL quality.

 

There's still time for him to improve but I have to say I'm not convinced by Rodriguez at all. 2 goals in 20 league appearances just isn't good enough. Another striker would be great (I would be worried if Lambert got a long-term injury) but I think we need at least one winger more than we need a striker.

 

A lot of those are brief sub apperances though tbf. I think he will prove to have been a shrewd buy!

 

A compatriot of the Saints’ new Argentinean boss, Biglia is understood to be in South America awaiting offers from Premier League clubs, with Southampton, Arsenal and Liverpool not the only interested parties - West Ham United are said to be monitoring Biglia’s situation as well. But Pochettino could have the advantage of the rest after attempting to sign Biglia while he was in charge at Espanyol.Biglia could be joined by another South American, this time striker Sebastian Fernandez, who has fallen out of favour at Malaga. A loan deal for the 27-year-old has been mooted, with a view to a permanent transfer at the end of the season if all sides are happy with the arrangement.

 

Did the math, and he's played the equivalent of ~12.5 full games. 2 goals over that span really isn't particularly good.

Still think that he can be a useful player, but only if he can find ways to find space...and we can find ways to get him the ball. Even when he's being played as a lone striker, he frequently ends up on the flanks, which -- given that he's a rather poor passer, to say the least -- isn't ideal.

 

He seems very light weight to me and is easily moved off the ball. Though in fairness he has been played out of position in a lot of those games. I would be interested to see him given a run of games with Ramirez in behind him threading the balls through.

 

He's played 958 mins so just over 10 games, 2 goals in 10 isn't as bad as a lot of strikers in the Prem. Specially when most of them he has been on the wing like others have said.

 

Especially with a lot of that on the wing.

 

Maybe so, but even if you just say 2 goals from 11 starts that isn't good enough. He's not awful or anything but there's no doubt he needs to score more goals.

 

Yeah just edited to say that

 

That's my mistake; included the two cup games in which he featured.

On playing him wide, that's part of the conundrum...if he cannot be fairly successful seeing time in that role, it's going to be difficult for him to prove his value. While having him come on late once Rickie has run himself into the ground makes sense, it only really works if we're going to be pretty aggressive with our subs, as he ends up by his lonesome otherwise.

 

Yep the playing out wide hasn't worked at all, but with Poch playing 4-2-3-1 hopefully he will be used as a sub for Rickie and we will see him grow. If you add his two cup games it's 4 in 12 makes his stats look better .

 

Agreed that Rodriguez isn't awful and that there's enough about him for him to develop into a good player BUT I would still be very nervous if Lambert got an injury/if we are brining on Rodriguez to try and win us a game.

I'd be delighted if we could get a quality striker and/or winger in before the end of the window, even if it's on loan. Ideally someone with pace.