The quickfire double signing yesterday means that in terms of numbers the Saints squad is back up to speed, but it still needs a bit more quality into the squad before the season starts.

Most Saints supporters have woken up to what Saints are trying to do as a club and have realised that we need to compete on our own terms and on the levels that we can, rather than just try to throw money around like confetti.

That is of course the situation at the so called big six in the Premier league and a look at their income revenues shows why Saints have had to find an alternate way of doing things and succeed.

So far we have worked this system well and continued to improve, however that does not mean we should rest on our laurels, so far this summer we have seen four players leave for fee's between the £3 million or so we got for Juanmi and the £35 million for Sadio Mane, in the process raking in around £62 million, £67 million if you throw in the compensation we received from Everton for Ronald Koeman.

So far we have brought in four new signings, two of which can only be considered squad players, with our total spend being around £25 million, some £42 million less than we have brought in.

There are three realities in this situation , the first is that so far we haven't brought in as much quality as we have let go, the second is that even last season we were short in some areas and still are and the third is we still have the money in the pot to rectify the first two.

So that being the case Saints do need to spend a little bit more of the money received, even the Saints supporters who buy into our strategy can see that.

The past two seasons have seen us use the money well to improve the squad as a whole and that has reaped rewards, a couple of years ago we had a team that finished 8th, a lot of those players left, yet we are 6th, the reason for that is that it is a squad game, under Pochettino we did not have a big enough squad, now we have.

Those who say f we kept all our players we would have finished in the top four are wrong, back then it was a team not a squad and that was the reason it finished where it did.

But if the strategy is to work then we have to keep implementing it and that means spending the money we receive in from transfer sales.

As a squad we are still short in key areas, we need a new central defender, last season we got lucky, we had no long injuries or suspensions for Fonte or Van Dijk, which was lucky as we had no one of any class to replace them.

Jose Fonte will not go on forever, he will be 33 soon, we need someone in who can not only deputise for either central defender, but push them for a place, successful teams usually have competition for places.

Secondly we need another striker, on paper we have a decent strike force, but the reality is that Jay Rodrguez and Charlie Austin do not have great injury records over the past couple of seasons, we cannot rely on Shane Long alone, we need a contrasting style of striker in the squad.

I would also point out the need for a big strong midfielder, im not so concerned at this as i think we have decent players in this position and that Claude Puel seems likely to adopt a different holding formation, but it would be nice to have someone in who can use a bit of muscle sometimes.

So in my opinion we are not that far off having a squad that is better than last years, of those that left only Pelle had any real consistency for the team, Mane struggled for most of the season and Wanyama as magnificent as he was on his day, was too often either suspended or getting sent off due to his attitude.

Yes they helped us get to sixth in the final run in, but the truth is if they had played like that in the first 3/4 of the season consistently we might well have finished in the top three.

The key is to use the surplus transfer money wisely, 2 key signings being a central defender and forward is essential, do that and there is no reason why we cannot emultate the past few seasons.

Photo: Action Images

Dikki_Gutz added 10:20 - Aug 2 Are you quite happy then Nick that JWP and Davis are quality playmakers?
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SanMarco added 10:21 - Aug 2 Yes - good article that sums it up well apart from, in my view, one glaring error. The loss of Mane and VW will have a big impact - those players added quality and in Mane's case variety and the all important speed and flair. We need to replace them and the fact that we haven't, along with Pelle's unreplaced goals will be a big problem. Of course we may yet bring in good replacements - we haven't yet.

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montecristo added 10:26 - Aug 2 too much wish ful thinking in this article not to mention deference to the powers that be at Saints. We should ahve replaced Mané before selling him, we havent done so.Redmond is not in his class. this year s signings leave me some what deflated for the post part a bunch of cheap options replacing real quality. Just hope Fonte does not leave because others might follow.

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BUCK added 10:40 - Aug 2 Wow, the comments are a bit doom and gloom again.how the hell do you know how redmond will fair in a much stronger squad.mane went a long time without a goal and his attitude sucked half the time. How do you know pierre hodjberg isn't far superior than wanyama. How do you know austin won't go the whole season without getting injured. Have some positivity people for God's sake. I feel were there and will need a backup centre back at the most. Be ready to eat humble pie.

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the_saint added 10:44 - Aug 2 Juanmi,mane,pelle,wanyama,Davis ,skep and gazza make 7 not 4 even though 3 are keepers
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SaintNick added 10:49 - Aug 2 Steven Davis is not a playmaker, JWP has the talent to be, but has not had the chance to step up to that role yet, perhaps the change in our formation will allow him to do so and lets see if he takes it
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law101 added 11:00 - Aug 2 I think we need another wide forward to contribute to add goals. A goal scoring midfielder looks essential to me also. I look at our squad and wonder how we can replace the goals of Mane and Pelle... and it's not going to come from midfield. I like the look of Redmond but is he going to break double figures this year?
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perazi added 11:26 - Aug 2 I think we need two attacking players - both of them in a sense to replace Mane, since he provided at different times the skills of a striker, wide man and attacking mid-fielder; I truly cannot believe the revisionist comments about Mane "struggling" or not contributing. As for JWP becoming a playmaker!!!!! I haven't seen anything in his game over 100 plus appearances that suggests he could assume that role. In any event, I think we need two attackers in, one of them a creative "playmaker" type

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SanMarco added 11:55 - Aug 2 Buck - "how do we know" you say: Of course we don't know but would you put your life savings on Austin and JRod staying fit and scoring as many as Pelle and Mane did? - I wouldn't, it's not doom and gloom it's a rational assessment based on the facts. Of course if we don't sign adequate replacements I will be desperate to eat humble pie because the alternative will be a very difficult season.

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bstokesaint added 12:40 - Aug 2 I think realistically this is just a tick box exercise for cover that ultimately we did need. That now means we've tied a number of senior players into long term extensions, got cover at right back and in goal, replaced Vic with Pierre and Pelle (forward-thinking) with Austin. That's all good stuff. Now I think we need to find quality cover/competition in the middle of defence, find a replacement for Mane and perhaps add an attacking midfielder/winger with some goals on his CV. Come on Saints let's at least spend what we've amassed from sales.

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bstokesaint added 12:44 - Aug 2 I forgot to mention a positive tick for Redmond. I think he is a great signing and will add some attacking flare, but he's not a like for like Mane replacement.
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BoondockSaint added 13:26 - Aug 2 This is one Saints supporter that is still trying to "wake up" from the nightmare that running the club on "their own terms" means being a development squad for other teams and aiming for lower end of the table survival. "in terms of numbers"? Do you mean the 29 goals that were allowed to walk out the door with Pelle and Mane? Next article: "Saints will have larger squad than last year in order to compete in Europe-they have just signed 4 more tea ladies. Saints supporters are just waking up to the fact that the players can't wake up if they don't get a good cuppa in the morning."

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sidsaint added 13:35 - Aug 2 I think we need to strengthen. We also need to make sure we hang on to Cedric, Tadic and Fonte as activity in the transfer market hots up. We have offered new deals to these 3 players because they have been linked to possible moves away.
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BathSaint added 14:25 - Aug 2 I know it's picky, but its 8 out, 4 in. 4 in 4 out is just not true and smells of spinning news as the club would like. 8 Out: Pelle, Mane, Wanyama, Juanmi, Gazza, Stekelenburg, K Davies, G Ramirez (he did play albeit briefly last year) 4 In: Redmond, Hojberg, Pied, Macarthy. I agree with the point of the article though, we absolutely need a couple of quality proven signings who can slot immediately in to the team, not more gambles on future potential. A CB and a Striker are a must, and considering our central midfield has gone from overflowing with quality (Schneiderlin, cork, wanyama) to no real proven holding players I would be much more comfortable with an enforcer too to compete with Romeu. I'm also aware that countries feel it vital to take 3 keepers to a 1 month world cup/euros, but right now we are planning to play a 1 year campaign with only 2 which is a little risky if either get injured!

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Sanguin added 14:33 - Aug 2 I’m happy with the squad following these two signings. I don’t think we NEED another striker, midfielder or defender, but any additional signings we do make would be a bonus. There’s been a lot of talk about a focus on youth under Puel, especially compared to Koeman. I think we’ll see youngsters coming through, hopefully we have a young and hungry central defender already on our books who can step up.

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paulinWales added 20:44 - Aug 2 We need 2 more quality signings - we have done the business the last 2 seasons but here are the facts Nathan Redmond has effectively been signed from a championship club Our Danish signing (Best Buy so far) but was not a first team player for Bayern and spent a season on loan McCarthy a reserve keeper Pied a squad player These signings to me are not setting the world alight AT THE MOMENT... I would be pleased if we brought back Chambers & Ox which would benefit them and the club & in my opion would add back up to Fonte or Van Dijk, Ox would be a good Mane replacement. But I do believe we should start the likes of the following who have been with us long enough now... I'm talking Stephens, Turnbull, Hesketh, Isgrove, McQueen, Gallagher, etc who as I say have been with us a while now and let's hope they develop further, as this is make or break season whether we keep these players

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