x

Should Saints Go For Gary Cahill

With the news that Fulham's attempts to take Gary Cahill to Craven Cottage from Chelsea have fallen through, should Saints make their own bid for the defender.

Perhaps Gary Cahill doesn't exactly fit the stereotypical Saints signing but there can be no doubt that we need a leader at the heart of our defence, one who has the experience in the Premier League to guide us through troubled times.

From that perspective Cahill could be a pivotal signing, up to last season he was a regular member of Chelsea's Premier League side but this season has found himself out of the picture completely in League games at least.

A little over a week ago we might well have been a little more desperate to sign Cahill, but after two straight League wins the League table suddenly looks a lot brighter and we can take our hand off the panic button at least temporarily.

If we signed Cahill the plus points would be his experience and leadership, something we desperately need in the centre of our defence , but on the downside he is 33 and whatever fee we paid possibly as high as £9 million, we would not get back.

There is also the little matter of his not insubstantial wages and the fact that he wants a decent length contract, something that Fulham were loathe to give him given their precarious position.

This might all add up to Saints deciding that the central defence problem is not as critical as it was a fortnight ago, that we would be far better spending the money on a signing who will have the potential for several years service rather than a short term fix.

Saints obviously have some targets in mind but might prefer to land them in the summer at a realistic price rather than in an over inflated transfer window.

The wins over Leicester and Everton, two games that we weren't expected to get much out of but yileded six points ave given us a springboard, Ralph Hasenhuttl is not a man to panic, he is confident in what he is doing, under him it looks like Saints are back on track both on and off the pitch and hopefully that means that we stick to the masterplan going forward.

What to read next:

Burnley Awaydaze
Once again we visit beautiful Burnley, this time with a 8pm kick off on Monday evening, thanks once again to our very good friends at Sky Sports. You’ll find Turf Moor about a mile to the east of Burnley town centre.
Leeds edge past Norwich: A lacklustre game or a tactical masterclass?
It was something of a routine victory over Norwich City last night, with Leeds doing little more than was absolutely necessary, but the three points took us back to the top of the table.
Late Goals Seal the Deal: Leeds Triumph 3-0 Over Sheffield Wednesday
Leeds Kick Off Transfer Window with Loan Moves for Gelhardt and Crew
The current transfer window has been open for two weeks already, but it’s not till today that we’ve heard first pieces of news affecting Leeds United. Joe Gelhardt and Charlie Crew are going on loan to Hull City and Doncaster Rovers respectively, for the rest of the season.
Leeds United Edge Past Harrogate Town with Ramazani goal
We laboured to break down some stubborn resistance from League Two Harrogate Town, but in the end a 59th minute goal from Largie Ramazani was enough to take Leeds through to the fourth round.
Late Drama at Hull: Leeds Held to a Draw After Meslier's Costly Error
Leeds seemed to be cruising to victory after turning the game around in the second half, but this match will be remembered for the error from Meslier that allowed Hull City back into the game, and ultimately cost us another two points on the road.
Hull Awaydaze
This season’s trip to Hull City is on Saturday, with a rare kick off at 3pm. You’ll find the stadium now known as the MKM a mile or so to the west of Hull city centre.
Fatigue or Fortune? Leeds Held to Draw by Resilient Blackburn
It was a disappointing end to the holiday season as Leeds took most of the game to break down a stubborn Blackburn Rovers side, and then allowed our opponents to grab a late equaliser. It won’t be a game that will live long in the memory.
Top of the Table: Leeds finish 2024 at the summit after Stunning Team Goal!
Once again we dominated the possession in an away game, but struggled to make it count. That was before a superb team goal in the 79th minute finally broke through the Derby County defence, and that proved to be enough to ensure that we finish 2024 on top of the Championship table.
Farke Seeks Improvement Despite Comfortable Win in the Fog
Even though we went back to the top of the table Daniel Farke thought we should have won more comfortably, but we were more than good enough to beat a woeful Stoke City. For the third time in 2024 a Leeds win cost an opposing manager his job, after Narcis Pelach was called in to collect his P45 yesterday morning.