Transfer Rumours The January '16 transfer rumour thread.

No I don't but I wasn't meaning that. I was merely saying that Long himself might think he can do things that maybe you or I don't think he can do. He might think that he is better than a back up player for us and like many many footballers before want to take that big gamble and try and stake his claim. I don't think it would be better for him at Liverpool however he might.

I agree r.e. giving him his chance. He should stay, Pelle is the one who should be moved on. Long given a run I think would be a better return than Pelle both in terms of tintin's 'end product' and overall team spirit, worth ethic. Add Austin next to him now I think it could be a deadly partnership and they will compliment each other nicely. 2 forwards that face the goal rather than have their back to it.

 

Revamping our forward line now. I can see both Pelle and Mane sold in the summer. We got Austin in early so he can settle which means less people to get use to our style of play in the summer.

 

I wouldn't sell Pelle or Long. Nor Mane if we could persuade him to stay, but I suppose that's a lost cause now. We need options, and we need competition for places.

 

Options come from buying players. If a decent offer for Pelle comes in the summer can you really see us turning it down? I can't.

 

Exactly. From buying not from selling. I don't know what the club will do if we get an offer for Pelle, but I know what i would do; I wouldn't sell.

And now it's up to the manager to keep all the forwards happy.

 

Selling then replacing does the same thing...

 

But wouldn't it be nice, just for once, to strengthen without having to sell?

 

Having to sell and wanting to sell is different. Mane would be sold if a big offer comes in. Pelle is because he is getting on and I can see why he would want to end his career in Italy.

 

I suspect we would be happy to keep Mane....I don't think we need to sell players, but most clubs have some turn over. We have a good side, but I don't think we have a whole team worth stealing (unlike when we arrived in the PL).

 

Ron: "that means Charlie in, nobody out."

 

Ron Lying ......

Ramirez is going.

"RON OUT"

 

It was noticeable today that the signing of Austin has made our strikers eager to do their very best. Long was everywhere and played an excellent holding game. When he was clattered most players would have been happy to get off and let Pellè have the last few minutes, but not Shane. And Pellè looked bitterly disappointed not to get on the pitch. It bodes well for the second half of the season to have such great competition up front, especially if Jay Rod comes back raring to go as well.

We've never been so well off for strikers since we got back to the Premier League.

 

Depth of the squad: Pick an A team and a B team (my only doubt would be at centre back)

Southampton Squad
Goalkeepers

1. 1 Davis
2. 22 Stekelenburg B
   
3. 25 Gazzaniga
4. 44 Forster A

Defenders

1. 2 Soares A
   
2. 3 Yoshida B
   
3. 5 Gardos B
   
4. 6 Fonte A
   
5. 15 Martina B
   
6. 17 van Dijk A
   
7. 21 Bertrand A
   
8. 24 Stephens
   
9. 33 Targett B

Midfielders

1. 4 Clasie B
   
2. 8 Davis A
   
3. 10 Mané A
   
4. 11 Tadic A
   
5. 12 Wanyama A
   
6. 14 Romeu B
   
7. 16 Ward-Prowse B
   
8. 18 Reed B
   
9. 23 Ramírez
10. 38 McQueen

Forwards

1. 7 Long A
   
2. 9 Rodriguez B
   
3. 19 Pellè A
   
4. 20 Juanmi
5. 45 Seager
6. Austin B

 

Never been so well off for strikers - shame Guly left.

 

Bargain hunting? I didn't think we're allowed to like that. We're supposed to be clammering for big money signings

 

Did anyone else see Jordan Sibley [apparently] posted on TUI saying follow me or www.saintsfc.co.uk because next week is going to be very busy [I paraphrase].

I wonder what that is about? if it is genuine of course - and I am a mug for cryptic nonsense on forums.

 

Ramirez.

 

"If Shane Long could finish he'd be worth 50m" I may have para phrased but I remember a Hull fan saying this when we signed him. There is a reason he's been in the premier league for so long with a less than average scoring record.

 

That's what I thought but it seems a bit over-the-top to post that on TUI of all forums just to say a player, who has hardly played and isn't universally popular with the fanbase is leaving, which has sort of already been known.

I wonder if there is one last twist?....Oh well I'm very happy with 'Saints-Life' at the moment so I'm not dedicating too many of my limited brain-cells to it anyway.

 

He's going to spend the week making fun of:

Alex Crook ‏@alex_crook 4m4 minutes ago
Been asked by a couple of people about Charlie Austin to #saintsfc rumours. Do not believe they are in for him.