OFFICIAL: Southampton sign Ryan Bertrand on season-long loan
- Thread starter - Doing The Lambert Walk
- Start date
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I have no problem bumping Fonte out of the first team. I agree with Beefy that he deserves better but it's similar to Hooiveld (lovely guy, not good enough). Fonte is better than Hooiveld but if we upgrade then we upgrade, there's no room for sentiment.
Having said that, I hope we spend more money on attacking options than defenders. The squad looks a bit sparse up front to me.
Having said that, I hope we spend more money on attacking options than defenders. The squad looks a bit sparse up front to me.
Exxxxxxxxactly. Then can move across to CB when one of them inevitably gets injured or loses form.
If we were upgrading last season team, then Fonte's place may have been under threat, but we aren't upgrading everywhere this summer. We are recruiting and rebuilding...some will be better than last season, but others may be the same at the best. And remember, Fonte was good in an excellent side last season....why would he suddenly not be good enough this season.
Not familiar enough with Bertrand to have an opinion, but a big welcome from me anyway
Read his wiki page. All in all a very solid career, with a lot of praise afforded him from many different places. The only blip seems to be his stint at Villa, where he only actually played ten games (in a crap team). All players have a dodgy patch. Let's wait an see...
Both. I love Jose, but he objectively had a very good season anyway. Also he's a mainstay in the spine of the team and should be captain.
In this scenario, what happens to Targett? It's a bit hard on the lad who, on the verge of getting some playing time in the PL, suddenly drops to third choice LB. Personally, I hope Rojo plays at CB, so we have, say, Van Dijk, Rojo, Vlaar, and Fonte to fight it out for the two spots. Hooiveld and Yoshida are then redundant, because, like it or not, they aren't good enough. The big question is, would we buy 3 CB's? If not, Stephens moves up to become one of the 4 contenders.
But then Targett is basically not needed. Even tho we have hyped him up to have a chance this season.
He can still have a chance though Beef. It's a long season. Not signing someone of the quality of Rojo when we have the opportunity and the money to do so seems a bit crazy, no?
I'm not saying don't sign Rojo or Dijk I am saying if we do Bertrand is a really weird signing.
Pretty much. Targett is getting all the pre-season action and I expect him to start the season.
Yes, granted. But if a loan signing doesn't get much game time, I won't lose any sleep over that.
Targett hasn't had any competition in preseason to be fair. Don't get me wrong....I would love Targett to be the next Luke Shaw (apart from the pissing off at the first opportunity bit) but I'm not sure where all this confidence in him has appeared from. Luke was unusual in having a man's body at an early age (a bit too much body for United apparently)...Targett may just need a bit longer whilst gaining some experience without carrying the burden alone. Koeman has looked at him for a few weeks and decided that he isn't quite ready...going to have to trust him to bring the lad through at the right pace for him.
Maybe they don't want Targett to play as they expect him to be the next Shaw who will want out after one or two seasons in the Prem 
In all seriousness, if it is sign Rojo and VVD and have Fonte and say, Yoshida, on the bench, I'd rather that then have Fonte and whoever with Hooiveld and Yoshida as back up. Anyway I think that VVD is young and may not adapt to the Prem straight away. Same goes for Rojo, so what's to say those two can't be rotated with Fonte as a mainstay and captain.
In all seriousness, if it is sign Rojo and VVD and have Fonte and say, Yoshida, on the bench, I'd rather that then have Fonte and whoever with Hooiveld and Yoshida as back up. Anyway I think that VVD is young and may not adapt to the Prem straight away. Same goes for Rojo, so what's to say those two can't be rotated with Fonte as a mainstay and captain.
Yes, absolutely that could be the case too Fran, and would constitute very sensible long-term planning.
That's long term, and planning, in a message about SFC.
Progress!
That's long term, and planning, in a message about SFC.
Progress!
I think Bertrand will suffer from expectation blues arising from Kreugers state of the union and some bold promises basically. To follow them with the announcement of a perennial loanee signing in place of a 30m pound player sends out contradictory signals. But being realistic he comes with a good pedigree and hopefully a willingness to play for the team and so good luck to him and us, look forwards to seeing him on the pitch.