Saints got their transfer business completed quietly and efficiently well before the end of the transfer window, meaning that they did not take part in the usual last day rush for overpriced transactions.

Reading social media you would think that Saints were in the dark days of 2008/09 season when they hurtled towards administration with no money to invest in the team and ultimately relegation to the third tier of English football, rather than a club that has just achieved its highest top flight finish in over 30 years and that in itself equaling our best ever run of league placings.

Saints supporters ranted about the lack of investment in the squad and the fact that we had not joined the scramble for overpriced "Bargains" that is the closing hours of any transfer window.

I would contend that Saints failure to join in and over spend was more a case of forward planning than any of the other reasons ranted about by some.

Saints lost three key players in the summer, Wanyama, Mane & Pelle, but they have already replaced them with Hojbjerg, Redmond & Boufal and the fact is that when Charlie Austin was brought in back in January that was looking towards the summer with the expectation that Pelle was going to move on, we expected to Italy for £4 million so it was a bonus that we got £13 million when he ended up in China.

Of course any squad can do with an extra player or two and we are no different, but the reality is that as a club we will feel that we have adequately replaced those that have left.

Pelle and Mane have suddenly taken on God like status's after their departure, people forget that mane was missing for most of last season and before his annual burst at the end only rarely showed what he was capable of, Pelle is slightly different, but he is replacable.

In Nathan Redmond and Sofiane Boufal we have two players more than capable of replacing Mane and Charlie Austin's goal scoring record is far superiour to Pelle's.

In midfield on his day Wanyama was immense, but like Mane his day was not that often, he missed 8 Premier League games through injury, suspension or sulking and in 3 of the other 30 he was sent off. I would contend that in Pierre Emile Hojbjerg we have a more than adequate replacement and that in the central midfield department we have a good and strong variety of options.

So those wanting another striker on deadline day seemed to be doing so after being blinded by the fact that we still have money in the kitty so it must be spent, that is not the right way to do things, over the past two seasons we have managed to add Quantity to our squad as well as quality, but there is only so far you can go in terms of numbers, our transfer strategy is about getting the right players in and if we get them in at the right price for us, the club should not be chastised for doing things on the cheap, but finding the talent and not paying over the odds for it.

Most Premier League squads outside of the top six big clubs would kill for a strike force of Long, Austin & Rodriguez with back up from Redmond & Boufal, yes there are some injury issues, but we still have enough back up to cover that, the issue at the moment is players adapting to the new system that will be the same issue should we bring a new striker in.

So Saints are being chastised for being organised with their forward planning, we still have the basis of the squad that got us into sixth place last season and did so for large swathes of the season without the three departed players either being in the team or actually when in it playing well.

Saints fans should give more credit for the players that are remaining and their contribution last season, rather that inferring that it was all down to the contributions of the departed trio.

They should also give more credit to the Saints team working behind the scenes to identify the replacements and ow successful they have been in the past, it is no accident, it is by careful planning, yes of course there will be failures but in the main it has been successful.

If there is one area I think we did not perform well in this transfer window it is our failure to sign a quality central defender, we got lucky with injury and suspensions with Jose Fonte and Virgil Van Dijk last term, we do not have anyone at the club good enough to step in should one of them be missing, I do think this is the one area we fell down in and should have addressed.

So all in all a good transfer window for Saints, despite the fact that we didn't sign anyone for an inflated price who has no proven track record in the Premier League, what we did though is sign players that we need and add to that a couple of academy players who are a year older and a little more ready to step up to the plate I think overall our squad is strong.

The start we have made is no worse than any of the last four seasons since we have been back in the Premier League and is in fact a little better than last season's in terms of goal difference, the issue is not the quality of the squad, but the implementation of a new system, a couple of more signings would not have changed that.

So now supporters need to get behind the squad and the manager, supporters can make or break a season, they can create an atmosphere of success or they can create one of failure, the past two seasons have seen the season started with moaning about players being sold and that has not helped us off to a good start, as the season has progressed and the team has won a few games it has got the supporters off the teams back and results have improved.

The transfer window has closed, we cannot do anything else till January, we can get behind the team and enjoy one of the most successful periods in the clubs history, including a Europa League adventure or we can mope about and spend the next four months moaning everytime we waste a corner kick.

I know what I am going to be doing !

Photo: Action Images

Ali_Diarea added 21:37 - Sep 1 Nick - weren't you calling for more signings only a few days ago? And it sounded like the manager was expecting a few more so I don't agree that we quietly and efficiently went about our business. This window has been a massive disappointment and a huge step backwards compared to our team last season and our rivals this season, And how can Austin be considered adequate replacement for Pelle? He's only scored once!!!

1

zonehead added 05:53 - Sep 2 Re the diamond syste m I thought that was set in stone throughout the club down to the youth teams we have sacrificed two holding players for an extra attacker but we lack a cutting edge as reports have been saying? If I was Les I'd have a word with CP
0

steve73 added 12:37 - Sep 2 Neither Mane or Pelle were 'Godlike' but I'm fairly sure one or the other of them would have secured the points against Watford.
1

Archersclose added 12:41 - Sep 2 Pintsizedsaint......and if we stay injury free and do well you won't say to us....'I told you so' then?
0

SaintBrock added 13:54 - Sep 2 How much do they pay you Nick to write such sycophantic claptrap. Tell us what you really think for once 'cos you seem to be a minority of one who believes such tosh.
0

Blogs 31 bloggers

Charlton Athletic Polls