More than likely. I just think having a little bit more experience in the defensive line would do us the world of good too.
The thing is Martina will more then likely be gone end of the season. Mugabi is seen as the next big thing in the rb postion.
Which is great, and which is why having a slightly older player to cover/start in that position would make sense. Allows Cedric to learn the game here a bit better too. I just don't get the logic behind buying Martina (cheers Erwin!) for the same price as you could get someone like Gillet.
I agree. I just see Saints now thinking either Cedric needs to be replaced or you wait it out. No way would they buy a 3rd rb so Mugabi doesn't even get a look in.
I wasn't 100% sure if you meant January window or end of season. I'd take Stekkers as back up, if we know by then that Forster is ok. If Forster plays 10-15 games then we'll know how he is. Right now, I wouldn't sign another keeper in January unless Fraser's recovery stalls between now and then. On Gardos, is it the season? For some reason I had it he's be back Feb time. Again, if he's not, then I agree we need a CB, not Caulker.
I still think even if Gardos is back buy a cb. I rate Yoshida as decentish back up but wouldn't mind getting a younger better player. We have to accept Fonte will start to decline now so we need more then just a ok back up ready.
Not sure Austin is what we need as a forward. I cannot see he would improve or replace anyone in the current reckoning. We just have to help the players that have lost form to get back on song. If we have the right coaches this shouldn't take too long.
It has been my experience that all young men need older men around them so that they can learn from their wisdom, experience and greater knowledge of the world. You will find some young men will be very foolish and not be amenable to learning and will say rude insulting things to men much older and wiser than they are.
"Sign another keeper on loan to compete with Stekelenburg and hopefully displace him as number 1 until the end of the season. Then sign that keeper permanently at the end of the season. We are going to need to sign a keeper at the end of the season, to be at the very least back-up to Forster. Who knows if Forster will ever get to his best after such a serious injury, so we need to bear in mind that whichever keeper we sign at the end of the season is potentially going to be our long term number one." Good job you're not the manager or Gazza may have already been demotivated and handed in that request to leave.
And then this: "We need to sign a keeper permanently at the end of the season. Unless you want Davis and Gazzaniga as back ups and competition to Forster when he returns from a long term injury! Stekelenburg isn't our keeper, he's on loan. If we bring in another keeper on loan then we have two options on who to sign at the end of the season who have already played for us (and the option of signing a keeper that hasn't played for us instead)." 6th December - 6 days before the Palace game.
I think it takes more than one good performance from Gazza before we can say for certain whether we need another keeper or not. Hope he's great today and makes lots of sensational saves, though I'd actually prefer that he never had to make any.
The only thing I know is that we won't be signing Austin. Ron came out and said as such, in no uncertain terms. So people need to let that fish fly.
The danger with the January transfer is the availability of players who are quality, and they come at a premium. The question is do the club sign a keeper who may be better than those currently fit, a striker, another CB and RB to cover the deficiencies in the squad? The outcome is a further cluttering of the squad with bog standard players.
I don't think we need another CB. In the markets we usually shop, i.e. Non champions league teams in Europe, the January window is less of an issue in my view. We should remember the players will already be on a list as we are always planning ahead according to Les Reed, so I wouldn't expect it to be too much of a premium for us buying in Jan. we may even have made enquiries in the summer about players and can pick up that trail again., if needed.
It's a minefield, sure. I don't think that signing players is necessarily the answer. We have a good team, an alright squad, we just need them to start playing close to their actual abilities again.
Absolutely we have a good team. I would like another option to Pelle as at the moment I'm not sure Juanmi gives that. I'd be tempted to give Long a run or Mane down the middle but if not another striker depending on Jayrod's health. This is with hindsight obviously as back in the summer, Pelle, Mane, Long, Jayrod, Juanmi and Tadic looked enough options for those three roles (striker/wide attacker). We look good when we turn defenders but we look easy to defend against when we lump it to Pelle. One of my gripes (well reported) is that when we need a ball held up and pressure relieved, it doesn't happen enough.
