Transfer Rumours The Summer Transfer Rumour Thread 2016

My tongue was firmly in my pedantic cheek, hence the smiley.

For the record I'd like another striker, however and playing devils advocate here, you could argue that we went into last season with just Pelle as our only out and out striker. Long was used as a wide player before that and so was Jay rod. There would be an argument that could say we are going into this season with Austin and Long and Gallagher as strikers.

A number 10 would be nice too, although our current, undervalued one just signed a new deal.

 

Hello.!

 

I like Yoshida. I bet his number of errors per game is probably less than Fonte.

 

Class player.

 

Capable CB.

 

Yeah I know that's why I returned the smiley!

As for 2nd paragraph, I thought last year we gambled on Jrod to an extent as well and it didn't pay off. I've been calling for an extra striker since January in Rons first season. As it is we've just swapped Pelle for Austin who don't get me wrong is a better goal scorer but hasn't yet proved his fitness for us.

As much as I love Shane and what he does for us he's not a prolific scorer. The thought of relying on him for the bulk of the goals terrifies me somewhat.

 

One of our most underated players, along with Davis.

 

Playing as a CB in a back four, definitely.

 

Never really understood this argument, as soon as we approach a club for a player they know we're looking at them and will set their price for them, I fail to see how coming out and saying we're looking for a striker will somehow increase the price, unless you spark a bidding war or piss off the selling club.

Not that I want us to go down the West Ham route, but the argument is just one of the BS football cliches.

 

I'm going to miss the days of Yoshida playing RB.

 

One thing that will certainly raise the price is if it's the last week of the window and we've so far struggled for goals along with either Jay or Charlie picking up an injury

All hypothetical of course

 

The frustrating thing for me is that the transfer deadline ends two weeks into the new season. It should finish the day before the first game kicks off.

Last season we had to make do without Van Dijk for the first four games, just to save a measly hundred grand or so.

Of those four games, we drew against Newcastle and Watford, and got thrashed at home by Everton.

Who knows, but had we already signed our player of the season before the first game, we might have earned the extra three points that would have got us into the top four come May.

No one ever seems to put a 'value' on getting new players in before pre-season to allow them to settle. But surely it would be better to pay an extra 500k each time to do so.

I just hope I am not moaning about the same thing at the end of this season.

PS - I appreciate that it's more complicated this summer because we have a new manager.

 

Agreed. All clubs know exactly what's going on with other teams regarding what players they are after and how much money they've got.

Does anyone really think even a remote club in eastern Europe doesn't know how much Saints have in the bank. The price is the price. I bet there is very little negotiation over the actual fee of players anymore, its more to do with whether it's money up front or phased payments with add-ons.

 

I understand the sentiment, yet my feeling is despite all the demands and clamouring for players us fans give each season, the people that matter seem to do alright!

I believe we are going into this season with two central strikers as opposed to last seasons one. The thing we currently will miss would be Pelle's aerial precense defensively and for occupying CBs when we opt to play a long ball forward.

 

Don't worry. His fill-in role this season will be as our no.10. Or no.9.

 

Also, I'll be very nervous this season if Bertrand gets injured.

In defence of the board though, people really have to try to understand how difficult it must be to sign players. This isn't a computer game.

Any striker who knows we currently have Long, Austin and Jay Rod, will understandably be concerned as to whether they will be a first teamer etc.

 

Occasionally it might help if you extracted the tongue from your cheek.

 

I think when we see our bench options at the Watford game, that it might hit home the squad isn't all it should be.

 

While Fonte is a better CB than Yoshida, he does still make a lot of big, juicy cock-ups. Almost every game he has a special moment. He just seems to have a knack of getting away with it.

 

Is Caulker not available?