ok just out of me being bored at work and my interest in how much peoples opinions have changed over the year, I want to know what saints fans would think would be acceptable to spend if we were to bring in 4 players in this transfer window. I have always said we need to spend big to compete, i said this in july last year and got slated for it and i still think i'm right. Ok we got lee in no ones sure how much lets say 750k as a fair ball park figure. That leaves 3 more signings, before people start on saying we don't need 4 players i'm not saying we do just interested in what people think is acceptable money wise for 4 transfers in jan of the quality we need. ok my other 3 transfers would be. Right midfielder. £3-4 mill Centre Back. £1-3 mill (would mainly be as cover for jos and fonte i just don't think martin or seabourne are good enough. Striker. £4-5 mill (or maybe someone like Roberts or Fuller on loan must be till end of season though) Before this turns into a debate on it doesn't matter how much we spend as long as we get the right players this is not about that. we need players who can perform instantly with no settling in period so that will cost. I agree Lee will prob be great but how long will it take him to adapt to the glorious hampshire weather.
The glorious Hampshire weather is not a lot differnet to that of much of Asia at the moment. In Japan they probably get much harsher winters than the south of England only the summers are warmer in that part of Asia. So many are stating how long he will take to apapt, the majority of Asians I have met in this part of the world are very hard working and seem to adapt to whatever conditions they find themselves in quite easily. Also English is widely taught there so maybe he knows enough of the lingo to communicate during the game at least.
Good point well made, you know more than me, still would be a completly different lifestyle and type of football to what he's used to would it not. Anyway i'm not saying he won't adapt i'm just saying that if our next transfer was another unearthed gem from outer *****lia then i would be slightly concerned that these players are gonna need time of which we don't have much. So i think we gotta buy established premier/championship or top end league 1 players which would mean spending more than buying from abroad.
There is no acceptable figure for me; Nigel brings in who he thinks will do the right job. That might be a £50k Chaplow bargain, or a £5m Premier league player. I trust his judgement and will support whomever he brings in.
Difficult one this. We certainly shouldn't spend more than £4-5m on a player unless we know they're seriously awesome. I don't mind spending big on players that improve our squad and provide something we need for the rest of the season. I'd be cautious about signing players now with next season in mind more so than the immediate term. For example another, goalkeeper, right back or central midfielder, that we don't need now but probably would if we got promoted. Lee we know is costing £700k. FWIW £3-5m on a striker and £1-3m on a winger, although if we can knock it down or use Puncheon as a makeweight, we should definately do so.
I agree with this! Although i welcome Lee and will support him i do hope we go for experienced Championship/Premier league players to give us the best of chances to get promoted this time round.I know people will say if he's good enough that's all that matters which is true but given the choice what would people want - A virtually unknown player from abroad who may take time to adapt or a player who has already been playing in this league for a few years? i know what i'd take!
To spend big and then fail to promote would be seen as a bit of a failure. I wouldn't be surprised if Cortese plays it safe and saves the big spending until we reach the Prem.
I'd rather we went for bargains. Spending big just adds presure on the players and the manager. The only difference between us now and when we were in admin is a few extra thousand on the attendance and people willing to fund us. If we run up huge debts and they leave we'll be in exactly the same situation as before. The simple law of buissiness is you can't continue to spend more than comes in so if we follow that we shouldn't be looking at spending more than around 1million tops on a single player, of course I dont know the figures so it may be more or less. I would rather have a football club which doesnt get promotion than not one at all.
Also one of our best players this season has been Chaplow who cost 50K!!! You don't have to spend millions for success, only bad managers need to do that.
I hear people saying we do not need three or four players. If you discount the fact that Hoover's loan period should have ended and I guess we have signed him. There's 1, they say we have signed Lee subject to permit there's 2, We all know we need at least one other mid field (right) there's 3. Any more is likely to be a bonus. So I guess it's how you look at it as regards the need to sign a number of players. The recent injury list, loss of form and suspensions, have highlighted our weakness in depth. Something that in my opinion was almost bound to raise it's ugly head at some point.
What about de ridder, chaplow, guly plays well there lallana could also play there with holmes as cover on the left, fox could also play left mid. IMO we dont need another midfielder at all.
Do we need to splash out this month to get automatic promption? Yes, absoloutely. Do I want us to splah out this month to get automatic promption? I wouldn't mind us doing it. Would I be bothered if we didn't splash out and ultimately failed to get promoted? No. Promotion was never my target this year, and even after our great first third of the season, I will see be content with playing Championship next season.
I agree with this to a degree no saints fan expected it this year I just feel that if we don't splash out its a great opportunity missed. We can attract a higher calibre of player at the moment because of our league position if next season we are still in the championship then we are just one of 12 teams that will be looking for promotion.
Its hard to say really. It all depend on who and what is out there. If there is a bargain buy i'm sure we will spend over are budget if we think he will be worth it.
I don't think we should lower our sights just because we are in a better position than we expected. If we get promoted it is because we earned the right, it won't be given to us!! However that in my opinion is when there will be a need to build the next stage team as the Don wants more than just survival. Will be a most interesting time.
We want the right players, but if they are cheap so much the better. The important thing is that they fit into the team. Don't know what we have to spend, but doubt that Cortese will hold back on the off chance we get to the Premier League. He knows as well as us that this could be our moment.
Why on earth would you buy a right back? Richardson has been QUALITY this season, one of our best players! And even if he were to get injured, we still have Butterfield (good shift last season) and if not him, Jack Cork is more than capable of filling in for a short time period!
