Paper Talk #2

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Milan still looking to do a deal for £1m now and balance up to £7m over 2 years with add ons for success.

Hope Dalman knows how to tell them to f&%k off.
 
As much as we've discussed the merits of the CB choice already at the club, Ole/Dalman/Tan wont want to lose someone like Caulker without a viable alternative to replace him.

We certainly wont face the same class opposition front runners in the Championship this season as last, but leaking goals at the back wont get us out of this division again unless we chance it on taking a Newcastle/Keegan approach with the players Ole's already brought in.

Now that he's gone, my money is on using the the released Caulker wage packet as well as the cash we got for him to influence Fonte and his club to both take our final offer - whatever that will be.
 
Very strange if Saints 'choose' to lose both cb's in one weekend. They'll need to hope Koeman has a very successful summer of shopping or they'll be a lot nearer the wrong end of the PL next season.
 
It is odd that so many players have left or will leave Southampton, particularly after what was probably their best season following which they would be looking to kick on.

I know there were good reasons for Shaw, Lalana and Lambert to go - the first 2 for career advancement and Lambert for a golden egg before he retires - but either there is something fundamentally wrong behind the scenes there or the players thought last seasons achievements could not be repeated especially with their manager and the 3 players listed above leaving. Koeman looks a good replacement though.

Also a bit weird that Fonte is happy to drop down a division. If Lovren goes then Fonte would be no. 1 choice at cb.

If he comes I hope Fonte does so on the basis that he thinks we have a real prospect of returning to the Prem - and not just for the money and possibly a 3 year contract.
 
I'm hoping he feels a bit betrayed by Saints, if they're not offering him the terms he wants/thinks he's worth. In that case in the absence of any good PL offers due to his age and what we're willing to pay, we might have a chance.
 
I like Cala - seems to be a bit of a free spirit. I'd have thought Cala would be Ole's type of player - and that could be a worry for some. Turner can be excellent defensively - big lad, body on the line, and all that sort of stuff - but he offers very little going forward in open play.

Now Cala is almost the opposite. He can defend well and some of his last ditch stuff was great last season, but he can go walkabout and lose concentration. A big plus for him (and I'd have thought Ole as well) is his willingness to get foward and take people on. His goal to beat Southampton was a well timed class strike that no other of our CBs can match.

Cala has all the enthusiasm we need and I'd like to see more of him. It will depend upon Ole's strategies for each game as they come. If he needs to contain, then Cala would be less likely to figure. On the other hand, if we need to break opponents down, then Cala could be a surprise package without too much disruption at the back.
 
Arguably, we have sufficient centre backs. Turner and Hudson are more than OK at Championship level and what about Connoly who seems to be the forgotten man despite performing OK in our last Championship season. Remember he is a centre back and not a full back where he played for us previously. For me the jury is out on Cala but haven't been impressed so far.

Our full backs are the main problem in my view. I watched some of the game online midweek (sad I know) with a side which was thought to be the one to start against Blackburn. The same old problems occurred. Brayford and Fabio bombed up field, lost the ball, got caught out of position leaving space for the opposition to strike the ball across the area to concede a goal. The midfield were poor also leaving the strikers to feed off scraps but that is another story. On the evidence of that game OGS seems to have learned nothing from last season.
 
we can't be paying anywhere near £5m for a 30 year old centre back with the associated wage for a premier league player.

hudson, cala and turner are sufficient, but i'd keep looking, there is better value out there. now that aaron hughes has been signed by brighton i'd look at richard dunne of QPR, experienced and now that they've got rio and caulker, could be attracted by 1st team football here…….<ok>
 
Hudson was poor yesterday. He looked like a man who hadn't played a proper game for over a year.

And Turner could be out for 3/4 weeks depending on what the scan on his ankle shows today. He didn't look that steady either yesterday. Yeovil's 6 ft 5 ins centre forward gave both Hudson and Turner a hard time but Connolly came on and had him in his pocket. It's a funny old game.

Cala made a few errors as well when he appeared instead of Hudson.

I thinnk Fonte would be a good acquisition but with the world and his mate leaving the Saints they are desperate to retain some stability and according to some papers yesterday Koeman wants to make him captain. I think it will take at least £5m to get him and then Hudson will probably leave.
 
Daily Mail says we are keen on Leicester and ex-Forest centre back, Wes Morgan, aged 30.

He's a big, solid lump of a player - not the quickest though. Probably got a year left on his contract so not too expensive but would he want to go back to the Championship? And would we want him? I prefer Fonte.
 
A lot more realistic than Fonte. Was the best cb in the Championship 2 years ago. Didn't really see how/if he played last season.
 
For a big guy, Wes Morgan is surprisingly quick - not sure whether it's down to his legs or just his reading of situations. Whatever, he was always a rock for Forest when we played them and Leicester since, but I think that's his level - Championship.

Perhaps it's time we recognised that's just where we are right now, and go for proven players at the level we find ourselves - for this season at least.

Now in his last year of contract with Leicester, I'd have thought he'd want a 3 year contract to move at this point in time. He could do another "Hudson" - get us up and then find himself out on a limb if we get there.
 
True Sparks but that seems to be the type of player we are looking at other than Keane at Man U - but he would just be a loaner. May be more economical and not tie us up for the future but with one or two exceptions we have not had great experiences with loaners.
 
Agreed Bluey - said before I don't like loanees on principle unless you've got a real emergency.

Wes Morgan is the same age as Fonte at 30 and would be a lot cheaper. Don't get me wrong, I think Fonte after two good seasons in the Prem with Soton is probably worth £5M - but not for us at that price. IMO the £3.25M second offer is as far as we should go.

Keane as a loanee looks increasingly unlikely the way he's playing for Van Gaal right now. I think it's time we got real and brought in someone who's going to do the business at this level this season.
 
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