Saints transfer rumour thread

Not sure I agree with you there. I don't think watching someone on TV or YouTube is that different from watching them in the flesh. Sure, I can see your point that you're only seeing the best bits, but it's the best bits that show you just how good they were. For instance, I wasn't around to see Pele, but I've still seen him do things that I know 99.9% of footballers aren't capable of. I wasn't around to see Lev Yashin, but I've seen him makes saves that I don't think any keeper today would have made. Sure, these players probably had tons of mediocre games that I haven't seen, but I've seen the bits that made them stand out.

 

Fair comment Joe....but I think the real point I was trying to get across is player comparison. To say one player is better than another infers that both players have played at a standard for a similar period of time. It also infers over a players playing career one was better than another.
Most of Lamberts career has been at a lower level, only now is beginning to hit the better teams and football standard. All the others mentioned have played at the highest level sustained over many a year. Surely a judgement comparison would in any case be too soon?

 

Well there certainly is the question of consistency, which is one thing I can't really compare, but you have to question why exactly Lambert hasn't played at the top level until now. He was released by Blackpool, and was pretty average for Macclesfield and Stockport. Considering Channon had established himself as Saints' first choice striker by the time he was 20, it's probably safe to say that he was always too good to be plying his trade in the 4th division, unlike Lambert. Even though I wasn't around to witness it first hand, I think it's a fairly safe assumption. You can also just look at stats: Steve Moran scored 25 goals in one top flight season. We're yet to see Lambert match that. I know that's not enough to make a definitive decision, but it certainly says something. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that we've had better strikers than Lambert, even if we can never know for certain. Opinions are just that though - uncertain.

 

de Ridder looks a world beater on YouTube

 

What do people think about the Cardiff CB Ben Nugent? He's only 19 but has looked very assured. Would fit our profile of bringing in top young talent!

 

I think we need to bring in players that can play at the top immediately.

Think it's been shown tht we need some strength and depth, we won't stay up by signing 19 year olds 'for the future'.


I'm not ever saying give up on youth development but we need to be realistic about our ambitions.

You may be able to have a team of 10 year olds on FM or FIFA but this is real life and I think we need some experience brought in and then build a team around that.

 

If this Carroll story is true there is going to be at least one more club desperate to sign a foorward in the window!

 

You need more than talent to succeed, in any walk of life. You also need a lot of luck, and you need others to believe in you. Maybe Ricky just didn't get the breaks til now, just as Matt LeTiss never got the breaks for England.

 

I think Rickie himself has admitted that he simply wasn't trying hard enough until he realised that he might still have a chance at making it to the Prem. We all love him now, but it sounds like he had a pretty ****ty work ethic until we signed him.

 

I wouldn't describe his work ethic as exactly '****ty', he did score a lot of goals for Rochdale and Bristol Rovers. He was obviously on an upward trajectory before we bought him.

 

Rochdale were in League 2. He'd actually dropped down a division to join them. If he'd been capable of playing in the Premier League all along, then his work ethic must have been pretty bad, if not ****ty, to end up dropping to League 2. He definitely did step it up at Rovers, because he saw the opportunity to make bigger clubs like ours take notice. He's admitted that himself.

 

He joined Rochdale from Stockport County, who were relegated in that season so he probably thought Rochdale were a better prospect. Would you say Fonte had a ****ty work ethic for dropping down to league one when he did?

 

I swear Rickie has admitted that his work ethic was lacking? That's why his fitness improved so dramatically with us.

 

No, he joined a club that had better prospects (and more money to pay him). But unlike Rickie, he wasn't playing three divisions below his potential.

 

I never denied that, all I said was he was clearly improving as a player before he joined us, so calling his work ethic '****ty' is a tad harsh.

Just two divisions? There's no difference, Lambert thought Rochdale was a good move for him, and it was, he scored a lot of goals there and moved on to Rovers.

 

He's said that on numerous occasions and I'm fairly sure laid the credit at NA's door!

 

He was pretty chubby too! I have to wonder how many League 1/2 footballers have had the potential to play in the Premier League, but not the motivation.

 

I remember seeing an interview with Lambert about him losing a fair bit of weight after he joined us. He said something along the lines of he didn't understand nutrition before he joined us and used to eat takeaways every night. He was really fat when he played for Rovers especially when you consider the amount of exercise he must be doing being a professional sportsman. His diet beforehand must've been terrible

 

To be fair folks you have to look at the clubs Lambert had played for, the managers most probably did not see him as a defender as well as a striker.
Their style of play was not up to the level that Saints were used to despite what was then our recent demise.
When Lambert came to us he was at least 20lbs to heavy. Not to mention a fitness level that would have been hardly better than any conference side.
When he joined us every one new of his love for the pie shop etc. He was probably considered about right weight wise for the hustle bustle of the second/lower echelons of the first divisions.
Coming to Saints would have been a real eye opener as far as his diet is concerned although I would be surprised if he would not have been told about nutrition at clubs like Blackpool.
Mind you at 16 I not sure it would have sunk in....
There is no doubt that his fitness level now is almost at its peak, if not at his peak. He is a good allround player........

 

Quite right, he might have lost all that weight simply due to the extra miles he is covering for us! Teams can afford to carry a player like him in terms of work rate in league one, not in the premier league (at least, we can't!)