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Saints In Talks To Move On Sulemana In The January Transfer Window
at 05:16:12

Scored two goals against Liverpool playing down the middle and RM never thought to try him in that role. Mind numbing.

Suddenly against Swansea we give him a free-er role across the front and we start getting mileage out of him....who would have thought!
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Southampton V Swansea City The Verdict
at 05:06:35

If we can get Downes fit and can play Les and Fernandez with him in midfield we are going to be more of a prem proposition and will see an uptick in results.

Glad he is playing Sulemana, as a fit and firing Sulemana is going to be a better option than anyone else up front and if this means we get him in the shop window and recoup our cash so be it.

Happy for Manning, deserves a run in the side.
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Do Southampton Cut Their Losses Now On This Season And Cash In On Kyle Walker Peters
at 10:42:48

To me if we can get some up and coming proven championship players in, we can test them in the prem to see if they can operate at this level, then if we go down, we know we have players who can operate in the championship, and we will also know which ones can't cut it in the prem for next time.

Also, if some are a success, we can no doubt offload to the promoted prem teams who will be looking to spend at a profit.

Also Juric probably has a handle on promising Serie B players.
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Southampton At Crystal Palace The Verdict
at 10:28:13

The only saving grace for this game is that we have been super poor when we have not played Downes (note I am not saying we are great with him but certainly not as bad as this game)....and if Juric has any sense he will realise we need Dones and Les in our midfield together....if these two are fit and not picked against Brentford I'm pulling my hair out...
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Southampton Without At Least 10 Players For Chelsea Clash
at 11:02:29

We should get pasted, but I just have this weird feeling we are going to pull a hat out the rabbit on this one...would like to see Sam Amo, Bree and Kamaldeen get some game time.
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Southampton V Liverpool The Verdict
at 12:17:58

We have the players to keep us up if we acted right now and got a skilled but pragmatic manager in. In my opinion we have as good if not better squads than 5 others.

RM is frustrating, because some of the football we have played under his guidance has been top draw, but his stubbornness and unwillingness to compromise along with some strange subs is what is costing us.

ABK, Sulemana and Tall Paul (basically our most expensive signings) are probably the recipe to keeping us up, but all seem to have issues with the manager or supposed attitude problems - that could just as easily be the Manager's inability to understand and manage marquee players.

In hindsight, not replacing Jason Wilcox was also an issue from the club as you don't have that footballing voice of reason with the authority to stop the nonsense.

He needs to go pragmatic now, while maintaining the essence of his style.... or he needs to leave. Nothing wrong with Flynn Downes letting the ball run and conceding a corner if he is under pressure, nothing wrong with our CBs hitting row Z if the %'s are against us playing out. Nothing wrong with hitting long balls into Tall Paul in the centre circle from the gk, it almost worked on the weekend.

Hugely frustrated.
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Southampton At Manchester City The Verdict
at 10:40:10

It's clear we have to start with the class of Lallana for all games that he is fit. It's also clear that Fernandes has the engine to last the game so leave him on. Aribo for Lallana should be the midfield sub after 60 barring injury in future in the PL...please!

Also despite Fatawu giving a masterclass against Manning, he (Manning) is definitely an option if we play a back 3 and if opposition don't have a Fatawu class wing, as he seems effective in a slightly more advanced role and where he is not an out and out defender. So in summary I would suggest we keep that back 5 for at least the start of the next PL game with Downes, Lallana and Fernandes in midfield.
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Southampton V Nottingham Forest The Verdict.
at 12:32:04

We went from an impressive midfield against Newcastle to one that looked dire on the weekend. Forest worked out our standard midfield passing lanes and did a great job of closing us down.

Our players should learn from this and improve.

However, to be critical there was little urgency and very few risks taken. A point could have been invaluable for momentum and only Dibling and to some extent Fernandes bought urgency towards the end.
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Southampton At Newcastle United The Verdict
at 12:19:39

Love the way we were playing against 11, but to take off Sugawara our best player along with KWP in the first half was misguided and Tall Paul would have been perfect for an ariel assault in the last 20.

Also Alacaraz looked more direct and added quality when he came in along with Amo.

Tyler Dibling was adequate but against 10 men he should have taken and chance had a go with his trade mark runs - if not in this game then when? I understand it was his debut and he is a great prospect but I just wanted him to run at them and take a potshot.

Also so many chances are made in the Prem when players have a go and a poor clearance or deflection causes an opportunity, I would have liked to see some speculative shots and if they got on the counter that opened it up more for us anyway. We always try to score the perfect goal and we don't need to.
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Southampton In Talks With Spurs About Loan Deal
at 07:32:09

Looks like our approach for the season will be taking multiple cheaper bets and hope one comes off.
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Southampton At Millwall The Verdict
at 08:28:04

Edozie was lively but missed a real sitter. If only he could find end product he would be gold. Dibling hugely promising.
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Southampton V Oxford United The Verdict
at 15:28:19

Was depressed after this, but in hindsight the 1st half was our second team and they are still largely learning the system (especially at the back) and the second half was better.

We looked a different side against Montpellier. Well played to the Oxford coach who went in with high paced pressing which we were not used to. After seeing that Oxford will do OK this season.

I think losing Kamaldeen made us worse, I'm here for his redemption arc, hopefully a year into the Russ reign he can come right - for sure we need him to.
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Stuart Armstrong On Trial At Premier League Club
at 08:36:56

This hurts.
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West Brom Striker On Southampton Radar
at 08:34:57

Looked good last year in a very defensive team with limited creativity. He is also at the age where he will be hitting his peak. He could do a lot better in a more forward-thinking system and Russ thinks he can fit in. Squad player though only please, would be happy with Benneton Diaz in addition to. Unfortunately, we are probably not a club who can buy Ferrari's but Benneton Diaz could be an Audi and Assante could be a VW.
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Turkish Super Lig Giants Bidding For Joe Aribo
at 08:31:56

Doesn't make sense for us with a player who has come right and knows the system.
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James Ward Prowse Future At West Ham Said To Be Uncertain
at 07:46:03

We need to get Downes as priority, but JWP would definitely help us survive if the money is right.

Also, JWP did show us loyalty by staying for years when he was not even a regular and there was interest from among others Fulham if memory serves us correctly.

I would even be looking at Target as an option for LB.

Much better getting know quantities than taking gambles with serious cash like with Kamaldeen, Carillo, Big Paul etc. that hardly work out.
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Southampton Linked With La Liga Striker
at 07:37:41

Like him and he did score goals last year in the prem.
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These Are The Six Positions That Southampton Need To Fill For Premier League Survival
at 07:35:47

Like the call for Nketiah, not going to set the world alight, but would likely do enough to help keep us up with a good run of games and in our budget.
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Saints Can Now Start Planning Their Transfer Strategy For The Premier League
at 12:55:00

To me before we do anything we need to sort out the DM. We got relegated because we could not call on Lavia (injury) / Romeu (sold), we looked totally different this last season when we had quality in DM with Flynniesta.

She Charles is OK and could come good this year but probably needs to be third choice for the position with hopefully with Downes and one other hopefully older grizzled no nonsense tough guy to call on.
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Southampton V West Bromwich Albion The Play Off Preview
at 11:24:36

Hoping Che is ready to go...The question is if RM is not confident in getting 60 mins out of Che and the remainder including possibly Extra Time from Ross Stewart what do we do?

I would say then it is between Sulemana or Mara down the middle for those extra minutes. I think playing AA down the middle just does not work but he is a revelation off the right so let's leave him there.

Pros and Cons

Mara is bigger which helps defending set pieces, hold up play and work rate average to poor but he can finish.

Sulemana is probably more suited playing on the break as opposed to the deep block which we are likely to get, but might just get us a pen or some pull backs followed by cards and you never know when we might get that Liverpool form he showed fleetingly.

Will be a tough choice, if we setup with Jack at LB then I would feel we have enough to defend set pieces with effectively 3 CBs on the pitch then I would put Sulemana in'as we probably dont need Mara's presence. If Jack is not on the pitch I would play Mara simply because we don't want to get stung from set pieces and he can do a basic job at 9. (Remember this last para is only given neither Che or Ross ready to start).
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