Realistically the only players we will be able to get rid of would be VVD, Bertrand, Lemina and gabbiadini. I just can't see anyone lining up in any fashion to buy Long Austin Davis Redmond, tadic or Forster. Tadic maybe. So we can sell our best but then there are the rest and it's the rest we need to get shut of.
I think there would be interest in all of our players it is just whether that interest comes from a club that the player wants to join. I would keep Davis personally as I think he is a good squad player to have, just wouldn't be using him as a starter all that much. The others I agree with
Indeed. One permanent signing, and possibly one short-term loanee who rarely, if ever, actually plays for us. I suspect that will be the grand total of our January transfer window. I fear anyone looking for more will be very disappointed. You can also throw in the fact that it's a January transfer window. Prices are generally higher, activity is generally lower, and we have little history of making numerous January signings.
Be great if the owner throws money at us....we need a striker or a player with attacking intent...but I don't expect him/them to start throwing their weight about with regard to the board or the board's decisions. And I wouldn't want them to....these are not football people. They were probably hoping for a quiet period whilst they settle in. Our problem is money....we buy at a certain level and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.
I have little doubt that we could shift Long, Redmond, and Tadic. Might not get a fortune for each one, but they're the sort of players that tend to look like an upgrade to a lower-table team with attacking issues. Long wouldn't be an illogical target for a Huddersfield, as an example; a quick, hard-working forward could be useful, because they don't spend a lot of time on the ball and the outlet is useful. Redmond's young enough and has enough about him that some team could talk themselves into thinking that they can improve him dramatically, and Tadic is useful enough (on the left). As for what we'll actually do, I'm expecting almost nothing. Possibly a loan.
Don't know where the papers got the daft idea that we are shifting all those players in January. Unless we have replacements all lined up....that would be the action of a mad man. Mr Gao isn't mad...is he? Anyone?
I don't think the idea is we will shift all of them, just we are open to shift any one or two of them and bring in 1 or 2 more. Personally expecting one out and one, maybe two in.
He's also exactly what we don't need. Another striker without improving our attacking midfield is an exercise in futility. What we need is what we have always needed: someone to move us forward, and play our strikers through. Boufal can perhaps play that role to some extent, but he needs a running mate.
I don't think we need to sell, that can wait until the summer. Just try to find a few extras to improve us.
We shouldn't be looking to sell Tadic, we should be demanding the coaches get better from him. The man is a creative talent. He has lost his way, not his talent. lost his confidence maybe, not his talent. We have two highly talented and creative players in Tadic and Boufal. We need to find the best way to use them (whether together or not), the best players to suit them and the bet formation to get them at the best of 80% of their best. If we lose those type of players, then we become West Brom, Hull, Burnley or any other team that you could call "grey" and "dull." Currently we are there and we need players like this to move us away fro It but that may take good coaching, good man management and probably someone with answers that I can't provide.
Tadic loves creating assists almost more than scoring goals....to keep him happy, you have to provide him with players who can finish. Unless there is a big turnaround in our team, we may have to say that we have seen the best of Tadic. He is a moody player....he is not the type to raise the spirit of the side...he is a Mr Grump.
It really wouldn’t. As you say the level we are spending, some work out and some don’t - but that happens whatever your level of spend. I am actually fed up of gambling with £12m on a player and then seeing a talented youngster go out on loan. It’s simply not the Southampton way and I’m getting increasingly frustrated by it. Play and develop the youngsters even if it means a year or two in a lower league. This is not a team I relate to right now. We’re in danger of becoming just another anonymous premier league club obsessed with survival in the top flight to protect our finances. Enough is enough.
We’ve recently been relegated and have come back up. As fun as it was I don’t really want us to go down just because we’re crap right now.
While I agree that we should use the Academy more, I'm unconvinced that some of the players who have gone out on loan will ultimately be even good Championship players, just as some of the Cortese-era players (who did feature) ultimately failed to make the grade. Reed might be the one with the best chance, and I was somewhat puzzled that he didn't get more of an opportunity under Koeman or Puel.
Neither do I (and at this point I don’t think we will) - it is the identity of the club that I find more frustrating than the poor performances right now
I’m sure a lot will agree with you but if I could use Jack Stephens as an example, he spent a lot of time on loan and when he finally came back and had to fill in for VVD there was a sizeable section of the fan base that thought we were taking too much of a risk with someone who had found a level in the lower reaches of the Championship. He got through his first game and then got better and better to the point where some were scratching their heads as to why he didn’t keep his place
Is this still the case Beef? Are the press right that Mr Gao wants to get rid of Gabs - hope that it not true
Bertrand wants to go to a bigger club is still very much the case. Long is seen as a guy to move on. No idea about Gabbi
