Might have to bookmark this as he is 50/50 for me. If he puts his heart into it we are going to have some player!
Solid. I'm happy. Maybe we could have pushed the boat out for another winger, given all the money that we collected in - but maybe that's for January (a bit like when we signed Billy last time we were down here). Most definitely a squad good enough for top six, and really should be right in the mix for top two. To very roughly compare our squad now to what is was last season: Lumley - Willy Stephens - ABK THB - Salisu Holgate - Lyanco Manning - Perraud Downes - JWP Charles - Lavia Smallbone - Diallo Fraser - Ely Stewart - Theo Plus Tino, AMN, Orsic, and DCC all gone too. (And Tella, but he wasn't here last season.) As others have said, it's difficult to believe that we managed to retain KWP. I guess our best side maybe looks roughly like: Bazunu, KWP, Stephens, THB, Manning, Charles, Downes, Sulemana, Alcarez, Edozie, Adams; McCarthy, Larios, Bednarek, Smallbone, Armstrong, SAA, Fraser, Armstrong, Stewart. That is very decent at this level. Keeping (or adequately replacing) Tella would have just topped it off.
Incredible window. Keeping KWP, Che, Charly, and Sulemana just blows my mind. The ins look brilliant too, particularly Downes, Charles, and THB. We've made a sh*t load of money, and only spent, what, £20m? With so many Brits/Irish now, the team spirit should improve. Get to keep my username.
Gave it a 5. Losing JWP and Lavia was inevitable, Tino disappointing but keeping KWP more than makes up for it. Keeping Che AND signing Stewart is exactly what SR needed to do. They learned from the lack of strikers last year.
5 without a doubt from me, because we have somehow kept KWP, Che, Charly, and Sulemana. The players that have come in look good. I am really looking forward to this season now! COYR
Sorry, clearly wrong board never mind wrong thread. I have stumbled on a board where there are optimistic fans. Can someone direct me to the 'sack the manager' aka Southampton FC board, please? Seriously buzzing about the side. I'm realistic. Most of the goals we've scored would have been stifled at birth by a decent PL team, but what the hell? I've always said that watching Saints win is what I want to see as a fan. I loved that purple patch of double promotion and then Poch and Koeman. That may not be repeated, but the long term future can wait. Exciting football that ends in lots of Saints wins. I'll take that.
Lots of highlights which I don’t need to repeat as they’ve all been said already Russ is going to have a hell of a job picking the team this season especially when Smallbone, Sulemana and Stewart are available I think Stewart and Che (and possibly Adarma?) are going to love having Fraser on the wing. He’s so quick and direct and gets quality crosses in early, which we’ve missed for a long time
Brilliant window, provided there are no more key player sales before various windows close, this is a 5/5 window! Got rid of lots of dross, got great money for the good players and signed some real quality for very little outlay. As others have said this squad is probably better than last season's and would have stayed up! Special mention to JW, awesome appointment, hope he stays with us a very long time! Looking forward to seeing what RM can do now!
I gave 4, but almost a 5. Very excited, as this is a proper team we've got now. Not only that, they're hungry and it's a nice blend of youth and experience for this level. KWP .............just amazing. Well done the club I say, and we can't underestimate the Russ factor in this. I know they are a bit choreographed, but you can tell in interview that these players want to play for him, and because the football is ****ing good.
Agree with the above. I normally get accused of being negative on here, but I don’t think I am. I just try and be realistic. And realistically this is an absolutely sensational window for a relegated club. Gets us out of the financial hole and gives us a real platform to build on. I still have concerns about keeper and I’m gutted to lose tella. But the club has done fantastically this window.
Really chuffed with what we have left this window. Sulemana is still really young and hasn’t really played consistently anywhere. I don’t think they’ll be attitude problems from him. RM has said he wants to make football fun for his players and if we can get Sulemana, Alcaraz & Edozie playing with fun and freedom then we have three players who have the chance to be top PL players
I'm glad you get to keep your user name. It confuses the hell out of me keeping up with who's who when people change their user name.
Which windows are still open that have a chance of taking key players? Turkey and Saudi? Turkish clubs are usually not rich so at most there might be loans from one of the ones in the UCL. Can’t see how anything else will be tempting Sulemana might be an option for Saudi but so far they have been mostly going for more established players - not least because they only have 8 foreign player slots
Can’t really be anything other than a 4 or a 5. I’d probably give it a 4 just because the striker signing doesn’t excite me and not being able to get rid of a couple of players we would’ve liked to (yet anyway). Disappointed to lose Lavia but that was inevitable, Livramento as well but none of the other players who left bother me in the slightest. ABK looks to be only a loan so if we do go up there is a chance he can come back in next year. Very surprised and happy we kept KWP and Sulemana, and we now should have a squad that sees us in top 6. Doubt we get autos as Leicester and Leeds are better but should be a fun season regardless
I think we finish the window with the best defence in the league, Leicester have the best midfield and Leeds have the best attack. Going to be a fun season for sure and confident we go up with this team.
Dewsbury-Hall, Casadei, Ndidi, Winks, Praet and Choudhury is pretty special for the Championship. All 3 relegated sides have squads that look much better than anyone else and I'd be amazed if any place outside the top 6.
