With £75 million in the kitty on January 1st Saints supporters were hoping for a lot more movement in the January transfer window, can Les Reed pull out a last day surprise !

There are many who accuse liverpool of trying to turn themselves into Saints with their constant raiding of St Mary's in the January transfer window, but it seems that we are now trying to turn ourselves into Liverpool or more accurately Jurgen Klopp as we seem to be only persuing attacking players and ignoring that our real problem is in the centre of defence.

Whilst everyone appreciates that the January window is a difficult one to make signings and that very few are done till the last few days, the fact that we have money in the bank and that we have had months to identify our targets should have meant we have got more than one over the line so far.

In truth I'm not that bothered about Quincy Promes, I don't think that scoring goals would be a problem if the manager played to the squads strengths, instead of trying to force players out of position in order to play a formation he favours.

The real problem is conceding goals, teams that keep it tight and don't concede find it easier to score goals in that the opposition has to push on to them and leave themselves open at the back, for us this season the reverse has often been the case.

That is why I constantly harp on that we need a central defender, whilst I would love to see us sign Promes, if we only bring one more in during this window I would rather it be a central defender than anything else.

I think that even under this manager we have the squad to get out of the relegation zone, it will just be in spite of him not because of him, sadly though whoever we sign I think he showed on Saturday with yet more bizarre substitutions that he is still very much part of the problem, not part of the solution.

But Saints fans need a bit of feel good factor befoe the window shuts, they have seen a manager who is tactically inept, they have seen a club that no matter how hard it tries lurches from one PR disaster to another, it is time for the talking to stop and the action to start.

That means at least one more new signing ideally two and it means results on the field, this is a big big week and something has to change, it is either two more players into the squad, or it is the manager, by the end of Wednesday evening we will have a big clue, by the end of Saturday night we will know for sure.

So Les Reed needs to not only take pressure off his own job, no matter what people say, his record over the past four years stands up to scrutiny both in terms of players bought and League position, but in football you are only as good as your last game and for Les Reed that is very much this week.

Photo: Action Images

patred added 11:29 - Jan 30 or in his case..your only as good as your last 3 windows, your last two managers... He has been from day one been a disaster waiting to happen.. at first Cortese kept a muzzle on him, then Kat to a degree, now a new owner has given him his head, by neglecting the day to day running of the club.
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underweststand added 11:29 - Jan 30 Just for the record Nick...the whole £75 million isn't really ours - is it? Didn't Celtic have as sell-on clause for 10% or 15% of an eventual sell on ?'' Anyway .... As for the 30th day disappointment you've written about, we may never hear about the other deals that didn't come to fruition, but this is typical of the "belt-and-braces" manner in which Saints do business. Everything signed and sealed with the "i" 's dotted and the "t" s crossed and registered with the FA ...before it crosses the line, then comes the photographer at the signing, and player(s) with his / their new shirt numbers. It wouldn't surprise me to see another couple of signings, but the Promes deal will be a record-breaker in a number of different ways - IF it comes off. Whatever happens we have about 36 hours left to make it happen, and the will come all the shouting and screamimg. Even if we don't make that " big signing " ..getting three points tomorrow evening will have a greater value to the club at the moment.

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SaintBrock added 11:59 - Jan 30 Isn't it what we expected from that the bloated fat cats upstairs? Let's check our list of excuses and see if they match what we will hear from Reed and his crony Clown Prince after the Brighton game. It was supposed to get ugly at the Spurs match, it didn't... opportunity lost! Lets hope fans can at least register a protest after this transfer window fiasco especially if we lose.

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SanMarco added 12:13 - Jan 30 I agree on the need for a CB. If we don't do that we must at least strengthen up front because our current personnel at the back will concede a few goals under the extreme pressure of the next few games.
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A_Saint_in_Stoke added 12:30 - Jan 30 HITTING THE NAIL DIRECTLY ON THE HEAD WHEN YOU STATE - I don't think that scoring goals would be a problem if the manager played to the squads' strengths, instead of trying to force players out of position in order to play a formation he favours. SO WE CAN SAVE MONEY ... Les hint! hint! AND I think that even under this manager we have the squad to get out of the relegation zone, it will just be in spite of him not because of him, sadly though whoever we sign I think he showed on Saturday with yet more bizarre substitutions that he is still very much part of the problem, not part of the solution. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE. I was willing to give MP the benefit against Fulham - playing Pierre Hojbjerg in a more advanced attacking role - and seeing him on the touchline gesturing us to move further up the pinch - forming a higher back line ............ then onto Watford !!!!!!! AND THE same old - same old - never ever learns NEGATIVITY - NEGATIVITY - NEGATIVITY then the bazar substitutions and their timings - AGAIN showed - The guy is incapable of learning from his mistakes that have COST US VALUABLE POINTS in previous games this season ....... and is a total waste of space - as he has not got a clue !!!! AND HAS TO GO! No wonder we are having difficulty signing anyone useful players that would strengthen our team? Would anyone want to work for this, so-called manager?

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bstokesaint added 12:30 - Jan 30 I think it's fair to say we need to strengthen at the back and score more goals. Is it not possible to have both? We concede silly goals and lack (consistent) creativity up top. We can all (well most of us at least) see that why is this such as issue for people whose day job it is to sort these things? Relegation is still a very realistic prospect. I can understand not gambling on a CL spot, but not gambling on PL security is unforgivable.

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Number_58 added 12:41 - Jan 30 Nick, our amount of goals conceded is comparable to most other teams outside the top six, and less than quite a few above us. The reason we are in such dire straights is because we've looked completely impotent without Austin on the pitch. We had ample opportunity to sort of the lack of goals in the summer and it wasn't done. I just don't get why you are so obsessed with the defensive issues. Even the biggest clubs in the world with all their resources still concede goals - it's football, it happens.

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saintpp added 13:14 - Jan 30 Sorry Nick I dont agree as number58 says the real problem is lack of goals. We are not conceding hatfulls and most of games we have come away empty handed is due to the fact we didnt score or only scored one. Defenders make mistakes at all levels sometimes they get punished sometimes not,some of the games we have only let the opposition have one shot on target and they scored. Had we got an extra goal in many games we wouldnt be discussing cbs. Jack and Hoedt maybe arent in the top 6 team defenders so to to expect them to be error free for 90 minutes is big ask. If Long scored some of the many chances created or Mp played him alongside Gabbi or Austin im sure we wouldnt be relying on keeping clean sheets to get a point. Mp is part of the problem if not all of it with his chicken hearted tactics right now our attacking players are the strength but they are not being used correctly or at all. Leaving our most expensive signings on the bench and going for safety first is the problem. Mp refused to play Austin for like the first ten games how many goals would he have scored and extra points would we have if hed been playing. What has Mp done to Lemina Gabbi Redmond Tadic to make them so ineffective. We need to win tmrw at least a draw at west brom and cup victory against them or he should be sacked.

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LordDZLucan added 13:26 - Jan 30 Spot on Number 58. We get a lead and then once the opposition pushes on to us and leaves themselves very open at the back all we seem to be able to do is defend for our lives. Contrary to Nick's theory we don't find it easier to score goals. Why? Because we have very little pace in the side. Promes sounds like a player that could provide that so let's hope we get him over the line.

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ItchenNorth added 13:29 - Jan 30 Yes, lets blow some money on a player; just so we all feel good, and then when that player doesn't deliver, we can all have a goo moan and blame Les Reed ! Errr no. Lets buy players that will add value to the squad and strengthen the starting eleven. Players that want to be here. If they aren't out there due to any number of reasons (the player not wanting to come, wage demands being unrealistic, clubs not wanting to sell in January), so be it, but don't panic buy to placate fans. Every manager /owner in football will tell you that the transfer market (especially in January) is volatile and unpredictable. Stupid things happen. Big deals go through for average players. I don't think this should be our approach. Identify your targets, but if these don't come off: do not buy just to raise feel good factor.

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saintpaz added 14:10 - Jan 30 I disagree, I think we have been conceding because we sit back for long periods in a game when we are ahead because we have no confidence in us scoring another. Definitely buy a few more attacking players so we can actually score more than the other team. Moreover, we should become a more exciting team to watch too.
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BoondockSaint added 15:22 - Jan 30 Number 58 is absolutely right!......and our goals against would be even better if we had made the goalkeeping switch earlier in the season. Not to mention that as soon as we get a goal, MP pulls off the attackers, makes the team sit back and turn our end into a shooting gallery. The reason teams like Brighton, Huddersfield, Bournemouth, ( you know, Ralphie, ...the "big clubs"?) are above us on the table is because they have a positive attitude, they try to win games and score goals.

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DorsetIan added 16:19 - Jan 30 Saints £25m bid for QP rejected... I would imagine that Spartak Moscow are no mugs when it comes to negotiation. Got to assume that QP is actually keen to join us but he won't want to do a VVD, so he'll be keeping quiet. It'll probably depend on whether SM really want to sell. The £ will be tempting and they'll know that they might have a disappointed player on their hands if it doesn't happen. I predict an increased offer from Saints tomorrow which will be accepted very close to the wire. ...and a win against Brighton!

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SaintBrock added 18:33 - Jan 30 One thing we must accept is that The Clown is not suddenly going to rip up his prep book and start a whole new approach of all out attacking football and the devil take the hindmost; like Conte or Guardiola or Klopp who preach goals, goals, goals... if you score 2 we'll score 3, if you score 4 we'll score 5. No prizes for guessing who plays the most attractive football. Nope, The Clown was a defender and defence is all he knows or understands and clean sheets all he can measure or cares about. This is going to be yet another disappointing, drab and dire affair and I really don't know how to react if we draw 0-0 or lose 0-1.

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DPeps added 18:34 - Jan 30 I think that the problem is that the club believes that the CB pairing of Stephens and Hoedt is the future, and so is unwilling to get in an expensive CB for the short term. As with our other problems (e.g. lack of attacking threat), this issue has been caused by poor planning over the last couple of years
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AmericanSaint added 18:43 - Jan 30 Sorry Nick, but LordZ and Num58 are right. We need to score goals. Central Defense should not be a priority right now. We need to be able to score two goals a game to ensure our survival. We have already proven that when we get up 1-0, we have issues. We need to get that second goal to control a game and another CB is not going to help. 24 hrs to go. We need a win tomorrow night more than anything.

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Scoot added 19:01 - Jan 30 We need to strengthen in the technical area for a start!
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sidsaint added 19:10 - Jan 30 No surprise that we've come up short in our offer for Promes and no surprise no mention of any other signings. It would be great to walk into SMS tomorrow knowing that the board are ambitious and want to do all they can to keep us out of what looks like its going to be the mother and father of all relegation battles. Moscow's not round the corner to get a medical done and a player signed. Let's hope we have some good news to give us a boost so that we can raise the roof when the teams come out. COYS's.

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kristianJ added 20:11 - Jan 30 I think our biggest problem is a lack of goals. The defence, whilst not as strong as it used to be, will be fine if he plays a settled back 4. We could definitely do with more pace going forward and signing Promes would be a real shot in the arm. However, I fear the player doesn’t want to come. He was rated as the best player in Russia last year and is already at a big club that offers him European football, is he really likely to want to come to a club in the relegation zone? Would love to be wrong, but I don’t think it’ll happen. I still think we will stay up, but it’s going to be tight and I worry that our new target man may be found to be a bit too lightweight for the EPL.

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ExiledSupporter added 21:51 - Jan 30 However poor the Manager is (and he certainly is) I can't fathom the logic of buying a player in Carrillo whois clearly favoured by MP, at a record fee, if you are seriously considering firing the manager within 10 days of new player arriving Why didn't the key decision makers sack MP before the transfer window and allow the new incoming manager some say in who is bought (and sold...surely not Gabbiadini to exacerbate the looming crisis that may be about to break over us all). Now we have put all our faith in Reed and that may be the last nail in our coffin. Nick I think they are going to keep Pellegrino until it is far too late, suicidally sell Gabbiadini, keep Lemina on the bench, fail to get Promes and, as I have said before, demonstrate they have no intention of adding a sixth centre back to our existing collection. I hope I'm wrong, we will very soon know...

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1970 added 22:58 - Jan 30 Whoever we buy in whatever position the fact is our centre backs are not good enough,the strikers may not be firing but they are good enough and ultimately the manager takes responsibility for that and that's why he needs to go because he is not taking us forward, but stephens,yosh,gardos and bednarek would not get into any other team in the prem and if you all disagree with that then there is no way they would get 12 + games each in any team in the prem at the start of the season Swansea at home and the swans proved they were woeful but still managed to create 4 shots on target and we only beat west ham because they had ten men but they still ripped us apart, Watford at home and stoke this is how we have go on all season every team has created a hatful of chances to score against our feeble back four, if we survive by buying attacking players then the summers priority is to get a cb coyr

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VancouverSaint added 06:54 - Jan 31 Sweeten the pot ffs. He sounds like a natural born scorer. We have a decent enlightened mid field line and the back line is not too shabby. Ok , we let in goals this year but if we can out score the opposition we will
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LoisDeem added 09:23 - Jan 31 Play to our strengths then, our midfield has some depth and obviously don't want to be playing deep, surely? This is where we have obviously got some strength and many feel the formula to unlock more goals is only currently being utilised by accident. Lemina is our best 'box to box' player and along with Gabbiadini is underused, Romeu, Davis, Hojberg, James Ward Prowse and Tadic are all performing quite well of late. Boufal and Redmond must rank alongside Carrillo as our wild card ATTACKING options. I only hope the barn door and the banjo have been getting a right larruping at Staplewood! If enough players are playing the football in the other team's half then the chances will improve, we must not be shot shy! Backs to the wall, or parking the battered bus is stupid and lazy and should not be an option, whatever our position. Other teams can see weaknesses anyway, and our rivals are starting to stir at the bottom. To repeat, we have to carry the fight to the opposition, and even in spite of team selection.

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