Transfer Rumours The Summer Transfer Rumour Thread 2016

Absolutely. The way we buy and sell players is not only smart but pretty exciting. Not exciting in a Man City or Chelsea way but then we have different aspirations/expectations.
I also like the fact the we don't sign players based on their name or past hype.

 

I'm not sure I'd call the constant selling 'exciting' personally. More frustrating for me.

 

Right, what's done is done. We still have a team that is capable of a top 6 finish/winning a cup competition. That hasn't changed. The frustrating things are; i) having to adapt to another new manager and system, ii) the board hasn't strengthened the squad. But, providing we get lucky with Puel/injuries, we could be in for another exciting season. And there are positives; i) Jay Rod and Austin look like they actually could play a part this season, which would be massive, ii) there should be a few youngsters breaking through this year.

And the best thing about it all; the ****ing transfer window has finished.

 

Yeah maybe I was focusing on the buying part more than the selling. Still think that over the past 4-5 years we've got a very good record of replacing outgoing players with good/better players.

 

I disagree about being capable of a top 6 finish this year but agree on most the other parts.

Top 10 and decent run in the EL would be a great season imo.

For me this season is all about Europe. I will be mightily pissed off if we play weakened teams in any of the EL games. The groups going to be hard enough to get out of anyway.

 

I'd grade the window around a C. I like all of the signings we made, but I can't see a single position on the pitch where we have improved, and I suspect that extends to the technical area.

And we definitely had significantly more money to spend this season than we ultimately spent. In a month we'll find out where we stood financially after '15/'16, which may provide some insight into our choices. In a year, I suspect we'll get a real sense of what the longer-term might hold.

 

Good post. I'd forgotten about the financial results due. Will be interesting reading for sure.

 

Oh we're definitely capable, on paper, were we to have a Leicester-style injury free season. I think Koeman and Poch would be able to achieve that with this squad, so we just have to hope Puel is as good as those two.

A lot of ifs, buts, and maybes at the moment, but we have this in our arsenal;

Charlie Austin
Jay Rodriguez
Shane Long
Sofiane Boufal
Dusan Tadic
Nathan Redmond

That's six players who could realistically score 10+ goals this season.

Unfortunately, I also think there is a very real possibility of getting sucked into a dogfight, if we lose two or three key players (especially in defence). And considering the Europa effect, yes, the squad will likely be too stretched.

My head says 11th-12th if I'm being honest. That gives you an idea of my expectations.

 

For all the reasons you list above and in previous posts we must be one of the hardest teams to predict a finish for really. Should be an interesting season though.

 

It's pretty clear that money would be made available to the new manager, that we have signed on 4 ( not going to include a 3rd choice keeper), it would indicate that either the manager is happy with the squad and the youngsters or the black box could not find a player that was either good value or a player that was that much better than the players we have. I would have let cucu leave, 2.5 mil for a player that most regard as not being good enough is good business, pretty sure that there is little difference between him and Yann

 

For someone who claims that no one knows how much we have to spend, you seem awfully confident that any more spending would be beyond our means.

I'm making my best guess based on the numbers available. You?

 

Where have I said that? Quite the opposite in fact.

My point in the post you've quoted is that when some fans (myself included) have said they'd like to see more money spent. A response from others has been 'we don't wanna do a Leeds or a Pompey' - yes, I'm paraphrasing there.

My point is that the fans asking for more money to spent (again, myself included), they're not saying that we should spend beyond our means. Rather that there is more than likely a lot of room left before we get near that mark. A lot of people don't seem to consider this.

You seem to have either missed the point completely, or misquoted me completely.

Edit - re reading i can see how it could be read that way, apologies - i'll edit.

Still I've never said that we're close to our limit, let alone that that I'm 'awfully confident' of it. If I'm awfully confident of anything, it's the opposite.

 

I've done the edit but still not sure if it reads right. Too tired for this really

Hopefully my above post makes it clear what I mean/meant.

 

Any response to my first paragraph of that post? As unless I'm mistaken you were implying that Kat had used up nearly all their credit.

I don't know how any Saints fan could think that tbh.

 

TLL and Black - pretty much agree with the sentiments being expressed - I am with TLL that a top 6 looks pretty much unachievable because we have been punching above our weight the last couple of seasons and we really needed to see some strengthening in key areas but its not happened. With Black that I am so glad the transfer window is shut - we can now concentrate on looking ahead.

Difficult to see how we will be able to manage a strong performance in both the EPL and EL frankly - but on a positive I think it will give some more exposure to our academy players.

I am not sure what this transfer window means in terms of the intent of the club pushing on as I really thought we could have done more - before I get 'jumped on' - I have never advocated splashing the cash - but we really don't feel we have shown a lot of ambition in this transfer window - we certainly had the Sky money and residual of the transfers.

PS - hats off to Bournemouth for signing Wilshere on loan. That is showing ambition; if he gets injured the loan deal is cancelled and he goes back. If he stays fit - he will get you points and "points means prizes"...

 

If we couldn't find a senior player that'd help, or wanted to build for the future, I do wish we had targeted some young not-quite-ready kids, as was suggested. If i) our current crop of 18-21 year olds aren't spectacular, and ii) we want to be a team that develops and brings through talent, that would have seemed a cost-effective and natural direction.

 

I think Tadic was talking about what he had achieved in the LAST two years being the basis for his excitement at seeing what could be achieved in the NEXT two years. I don't think he was referring to some sort of two year plan per se.

 

Well what a disappointing and worrying thing to wake up to, no additional signings.

That is a mistake. A big one.

The squad is weaker than last season, less motivated and with a manager who has not had a good start.

We've basically spent as much as Bournemouth in the transfer window, but they didn't sell almost £50m worth of players.

Not good.

 

Being a football fan and particularly one of Saints is so frustrating sometimes.

I read someone's comments further up the thread about what might have been with a lack of injuries ie emulating what Leicester have done. I've been saying this for a while but more than focussing on the injuries looking at what we might have achieved if we weren't always willing to sell our best players if the price is right.

How we have progressed in terms of league position is absolutely extraordinary.

Football has gone completely mad in terms of prices that's for sure so to pay what we have to get the ones we have seems probably quite shrewd in today's market.
In my eyes halving the price of players to get a realistic value is no longer the calculation its more like dividing by 3 (and a bit). Some would probably say much more than that and o guess it depends on the generation you are from and how long you've seen th markets pricing change. For me this is now completely mad and it does pain me the prices that need to be paid to aquire someone of quality.

We do seem to have a very good setup of finding little gems cheaper than market rate and developing them, but to simply be willing to sell them the first time someone comes knocking with an inflated price is infuriating.

We don't want to see players wearing he shirt who don't want to be here and foodball and its players have got fickle and money oroentated for sure.

I think something that our club does seem to lack though is the strength to say "NO, you have a contract and until we can find a replacement that improves us you will honour your contract."
We also lack a bit of decision making at the higher end of the transfer scale ie when we push our structure to get someone who's potentially going to move us to the next level we've made bad choices: Gaston and Osvaldo are prime examples of that.

This summer is I think potentially the worst. Whilst none of Vic, Graz or Mane played every week they were all very important parts of our team who if named in the starting lineup you thought could deliver against the best.
Normally we sell big, recruit smaller but add in numbers. This summer is different; we've sold big, recruited smaller and neither improved the quality or quantity really (Pied and McCarthy aren't likely to get much game time).

We've lost about 25-30 goals in the three we've sold and Boufal may bring 10+ (even 15 if all goes well, but Redmond will bring no more than 6 IMO.

I have major concerns over Jay Rod and Charlie's ability to play enough games to make a difference. Even Shane who is excellent is not prolific and last season is probably the best of his career even though he hardly played up until Xmas.

Merse from SSN rates us as joint second worst dealings in this window along with Sunderland with only Swansea worse and whilst his oppinions aren't necessarily something to follow he's not an absolute mug (just a skate).

The other fact that worries me is we are THE ONLY club in PL to make a profit during the window. This in a year when we additionally receive mega bucks from TV.

Indepted to Liebherr we will always be but bankrolling us hasnt happened for years, I think this model is very profitable it pains me to say.

 

There is a spreadsheet floating about that basically shows our transfer spend to be break-even since our return to the premier league.
So the losses on Gaston & Osvaldo have been cleared by the profit made this season and two seasons ago.

I don't think money was the reason for our lack of activity at the close of the window.

Anyway, whether it was intended or not. In my mind, the profit we've made this window could be enough to clear any long term debts still out with Ms Liebherr