Players from outside the premier league will always be interested in joining teams in this league.......more money for starters.
Is the right answer. Outside the top few players from smaller European leagues (where we do most our shopping) will sign for almost any PL team if the money is right, they just want a bigger stage to showcase talents on to try and get a bigger move. They don't care whether it's Stoke, Southampton or Crystal Palace etc. We've already got a good reputation for developing players too... so any player who would be interested in signing for us wouldn't suddenly change their mind if we were to finish 14th instead of 7th.
Okay then... 6th. Though I purposely left that out due to 9 times out of 10 that being enough for Europe. Anything to say on the general point?
Stolen from SaintsWeb, but sums up my thoughts pretty well: Not a good performance, but this was our 22nd game of the season, were 11th, on the brink of moving into the Europa round of 32 and League Cup semi finalists, so a little perspective is required
Buy two strikers in Jan and we will be fine. Austin has way too much pressure on him. Long and Jay don't contribute anything.
Bit harsh on Long. Ok he's not scoring goals, but man he is keeping some backlines occupied. I'm not saying he's great but just "not contributing anything" is wrong.
Yeah, I agree. I haven't read up the thread, although I assume it is part of SFC being inadequately equipped with certain key player positions. I think there were 3 or 4 of us bleating at the end of the transfer window that we were short of at least one proven quality striker. At least one player to replace Pelle or Mane or both. We haven't managed to. We tend not to do business in January [Austin was bought especially early to secure him] so this is probably how it it will be until Summer. It was an off-day, but Saints need to learn how to score reliably and regularly. Putting it another way, this squad is stronger than last season's, on the whole. Yet, last season, if the first team was losing a match by 2 goals at HT, I fancied their chances of getting something. This season, going 2 goals down means game over, at the moment. Something to work out in training. It won't always be like this.
And once we don't beat Liverpool over 2 legs and get knocked out in the last 32 of the EL our season is pretty much over.
Someone also compared Puel to Jan Poortvliet Seriously though, having 3 out of form forwards when we play 3 up top, across 3 different competitions is proving to be a problem, but it's only a month now until that magical window opens. Just need to dig in until then and hope the board have got the visa debit all prepped and ready to go for January. The thought of an F.A cup run already has me feeling exhausted though, so I'm hoping we can go all the way in the EFL and then maybe sacrifice that one.
He runs around a lot and tries, he hassles the defence which is more then Jay does. But you buy strikers for goals.
Fair enough mate, and it was more in response to the argument that the league is more important because if we finish lower down in the league that it will be harder to attract players. Though I don't think that is the case, for the reasons I and Richie stated above.
Long is Long. He has never been (and never will be) clinical but he still has something to offer... As it stands at the moment I'd be tempted to start him against Liverpool as if it's a repeat of the league game he will give us an out ball. Thought he did that well at the Emirates last week though still wasn't one of his best games.
Austin has two goals away from home this season in all competitions, and one of them was a penalty. And other than the gift which Stones presented Redmond with, only once in the league (against West Ham, when Austin got that one open play goal) and once in the cups (against Arsenal this week) have we scored from open play away from home this season. If I was Puel, I'd be tweaking the method of rotation. Rather than going with Austin in the league, and Long in the cups, I'd be going with Austin in home games and Long in away games (regardless of competition).
