Well maybe I'm slightly different as I'm not looking at black and white or round pegs for round holes. I don't expect a player to come in. If the club do that, great. If they don't then I'm sure they have a plan or reason. Mane was excellent at times, not so good at times. Redmond may be the same in a different way. He may be the new Mane, even if we don't expect it. I am also intrigued to see what Saints can make of Redmond. They may make him quickly into someone who can replace that production. None of us know that, in the same way none of us knew how we'd cope with the missing production when the likes of Lallana left. We have a new manager and by the sounds of it a new approach. Different course. Different horses.
But now we're back at square one here. Yes, Mane was not always great. But he had quite an impact, in the aggregate. I too am intrigued by what we can make of Redmond. But as it stands, we are short of attacking quality this season; whether the player is a clone is immaterial, but we do need someone who can provide the goals, playmaking and general havoc that Mane did. We appear to be well aware of that, and we appear to have every intention of supplementing it, but that doesn't negate the fact that we will almost assuredly need to bring someone in to avoid a drop-off. Regarding Lallana, we undoubtedly replaced him...we brought in Tadic and Mane, both of whom have been among our most productive players since.
We're not back at square one. You seem to be wanting a guaranteed replacement of productivity and I'm saying life isn't like that. Redmond may give that. He may not. We may play differently. On Lallana's replacements, we didn't know that at the time they would do the job, we hoped the then new manager and players would come up trumps. That's my point. We could sign Mahrez and Vardy for 100m but it wouldn't mean we'd replaced Mane's "productivity." No-one knows.
Sure. There are no guarantees, no. But replacing, even improving upon, the productivity of departed players should be the goal. Indeed, that appears to be the goal. And given that you yourself have suggested that you do not believe that Redmond should be expected to provide that, the rational response would be to try to find a player or combination of players who can. And we are! "We still need to find a Mane replacement of some variety" isn't negativity...it is, by all indications, the tactical plan and primary focus of our football ops team.
Ok. I give up. too much twisting and turning now. Let's just say we haven't quite seen what the other is saying
Think that's sort of what's happened in regards to Luke Shaw/Ryan Bertrand Shaw has the ceiling value, but overall Bertrand has been a more consistent performer for us. Mane has the potential to be world class, in terms of the skill and inventiveness in his game, coupled with the pace at his disposal. His biggest weakness was his shooting. I don't recall him scoring from outside the area for example and the real top stars have that ability to conjure up an individual goal from nothing, but Sadio seemed to scuff so many shots. Redmond does offer that goal threat from what I've seen and has a better shooting technique. I've not watched him consistently enough to know if he is a player who shoots on sight (a la Townsend) and the overall success rate of those efforts is minimal, but he is a player ready and able to offer something to the team this season
Strange....I only seem to remember Mane's bits of genius....probably because a team needs that sometimes. I guess that is all Liverpool saw as well....especially after we beat them. Still want him back though
The short answer is that Mane was a game changer. A match winner. He could be quiet for much of the match, and then he'd pop-up to win the game. The chap on the left would know exactly what I'm saying because he was one as well. Now look through the present squad to find the game changers.
Just a start off the top of my head... then one could argue that goals change games, so that adds Austin, possibly Shane (based on last season) and maybe even Jay if he's recovered. I don't actually believe we have signed Redmond just as an experiment of our coaching ability either.
So yes, you could include Long. I would suggest that Pelle, Mane, and maybe even Wanyama, were all game changers for Southampton. For me remaining there's Tadic, Forster, and possibly Long.
And sticking to the current squad Van Dijk changes games through his defensive capability and calmness, Davis changes games through his sheer bloody hard work and basic skills at winning and keeping the ball, Romeu changes games by bringing aggression and mobility to the midfield. Without these players like Mane cannot thrive, with these players those around them can thrive and it is necessary to stop the opposition scoring so that when we do we win. Our attacking 'game changers' will appear again but Pelle and Mane were somewhat unknown quantities when they arrived and the same now goes for the returning Austen & JRod and the new Redmond and Hjolberg. And maybe this will be JWPs season now we have a new manager. Seems like this is the same as every season as the rich clubs steal our 'stars' and leave us with the 'dross' and we sign a few 'long-shots' Obviously it may go wrong at some point and that will be an opportunity for some people to say "Ah-hah, told you so!"
Totally agree. The club has earned our trust completely, yet people still complain! Been in a heated discussion on Twitter just now with someone who thinks the club is badly run. Apparently I'm a "****ing twat" and a "happy clapper" for telling him to trust the club! If anyone wants to back me up, go on the #saintsfc hashtag, I'm sure you'll see it
