Saints January Transfer Window Thread - Part II

Yeah, I thought that our recruit department have in depth analysis on thousands of players across the world and know the ones that will fit into our structure. The idea being that it removes any last minute panic buys, so with that in mind we will have specific targets that we have gone for.

These targets may not want to move if they are playing regularly for their current clubs in a world cup year. That maybe Poch's point. The players that suit us are not available and he would rather play the younger players because they are already fit our system.

 

Indeed, and perhaps that preparation is to wait until the summer and buy a player who is currently unavailable rather than buy a weaker player just to fill a gap? I think if you think it's 'not that difficult' to replace a player of Osvaldo's calibre (i.e. a record signing £15m Italian international) in the middle of the season you greatly underestimate the work said recruitment department do.

 

Vucinic would have been ideal really. Gives us that extra striking option with good experience for the rest of the season, when we can reassess things. We seem to pick up a lot of injuries, so we need cover.

 

Rickie will hopefully be ok for Saturday, but if he or Jay picks up a knock, we are in trouble.

 

Who said anything about a like-for-like replacement for Osvaldo? The quote was "it's not easy to find players who fit the profile of player we want".

No need to buy a weaker player when you can loan one. Currently as far as strikers go we have a short-of-form Lambert, an almost entirely untested 18 year-old, and Rodriguez. In defence we have Yoshida or Hooiveld. If they can't find one player to improve on that situation then they're not working hard enough.

 

I think that's exactly what the quote means, we want top quality players such as Osvaldo, Lovren and Wanyama, and unless you want to pay double or triple the going rate the number of players at that level available in January number in the tens rather than thousands. Personally if we are unwilling to settle for second best I am quite happy with that approach.

 

Yeah, I heard that too!

 

We will be worryingly thin in squad depth up front tho. Lambert seems to be picking up more and more injuries.

 

Well I'm not. As good as some of them are, we can't be competitive with a team of 18 year-olds. We need to supplement that with good quality signings, but not all of them have to be world class. If you're given the option of loaning a decent striker, for example, who could provide competition until the summer, or have nobody on the basis of "not settling for second best", are you seriously saying you'd prefer nobody?

 

We'd be thin, I agree, but I don't think to the point where we just need to add another body to make up the numbers. Realistically we've got this far into the season with very minimal contribution from Osvaldo anyway, I mean really if you look at it he's probably only added one point to our total, if we are to be without him all that means is that Gallagher has to be able to gain us one point to fill the void left by Dani, surely?

Of course not, that's not my point at all, but if we can't find what we consider to be a good enough option then I have no qualms with us just making do with what we have. And I don't find the idea that we may have been unable to find anyone that we deem up to standards hard to believe.

 

I fear for our strikers. Rodriguez plays a lot better on the wing than in the middle, Lambert's passed his best and Gallagher, personally, was average against Arsenal - but what do you expect from an 18 year old against Arsenal? I'd welcome Dani back as he seems to regret his actions, but looks like he's off to Italy.

 

Gallagher was around the first team when Osvaldo was here tho.
So instead of:
Lambert, Osvaldo, Gallagher and Rodriguez when needed.
We will have :
Lambert(injured atm) Gallagher and Rodriguez when needed.

That's a hell of a lot of pressure to put on a 18yr old who has only played a handful of first team games.

 

All these players getting their permanent moves...after Nicola left. Huh.

 

Gianluca Di Marzio - update on Osvaldo: http://gianlucadimarzio.com/juventus/osvaldo-anche-inter-e-valencia-lui-preme-per-la-juve/


"Osvaldo Juventus in orbit, very hot hours. Juventus have completed the offer to Southampton for Pablo Daniel Osvaldo: free loan with right of redemption. The same proposal from Valencia and Inter (companies that have not yet contacted the player). The Italo-Argentine has already accepted the destination Juventus Turin piazza favorite. Juventus is working, intense hours. The permanence of Vucinic does not seem to be able to block the transaction Oswald, the Bianconeri are willing to turn independently from the sales. Count in fact want to run the risk of being no less than six strikers in the team just to get their hands on Osvaldo forward with big, new stimuli. Juventus and Oswald, the heat of battle."

 

Because it's the transfer window?

 

18 and average is a tremendous compliment or are we now using average to mean poor?

 

Google translation is amazing.

 

Free loan with option to buy? Juventus can get bent.

 

How would "average", by definition of middling quality, ever mean "good enough to play a key role in a premier league team"?

 

Puncheon announcement due soon.