x

January Transfer Window Mixed Bag For Southampton

Saints fans will be divided on the January transfer window which saw two depart and two arrive in the first team squad, but what is the overall verdict, read on for the TUI viewpoint.

The good news is that the window slammed shut without any truly major departures, Che Adams & Kyle Walker Peters were still Southampton players when all was done and dusted and more to the point, there didn't appear to be any serious interest shown.

This indicates that any club interested and there were certainly a few were rebuffed at an early stage by either the players agent or Southampton FC themselves, usually serious rumours only emerge when one part of the selling process, ie agent or club shows encouragement to the potential buyer.

So January has seen Mason Holgate and Charly Alcaraz depart the latter on loan and coming in the other directions two loan signings from Bournemouth, Joe Rothwell & David Brooks.

Thus Saints haven't had spent any transfer money and have kept their transfer kitty intact for the summer.

On the face of it the squad hasn't changed much we have exchanged one attacking player in Alacaraz for another David Brooks and then brought let a defender go in Holgate for a midfielder in Rothwell.

For me we have upset the balance of the squad a little and this could be a worry.

The signing of Rothwell essentially a central midfield player could be justified on one hand by the fact that he is an experienced Championship player and will bring that to the squad, but on the other we have a plethora of experienced players in this position, Flynn Downes, Will Smallbone, Stuart Armstrong, Joe Aribo, plus the potential of Shea Charles means that Rothwell is the 6th candidate for 3 positions, yes we have strengthened, but probably only in the fact that we have more options.

The departure of Mason Holgate for me could be a potential problem, there are some who will disagree and point at Holgate as a failure, but I have looked at it with a bit of perspective.

In his first two games, Sunderland & Middlesbrough he did not shine, no one can argue with that, in his third an 89th minute substitute at Stoke, he played a part in a long period of injury time to ensure we didn't throw away a 1-0 lead.

His 3rd start at Preston perhaps wasn't pushing him forward to permanently replace the missing Taylor Harwood-Bellis, but again it was about being in a team performance that saw a 2-2 draw against a Preston side who were then in the play off spots.

His fifth and final Championship appearance saw him given the man of the match accolade as he helped Saints to a win over West Brom, again another difficult game.

His only two appearances after that came in the FA Cup, one an easy win over Walsall saw him do little wrong, at Watford he was poor at times, but overall no worse than those around him in what was essentially a reserve side.

But my point here is that in this transfer window we have strengthened two areas, but we have weakened another the defence.

Holgate was a good squad player, I am not sure why he was ignored so much by Russell Martin, who didn't seem to feel the need to give Holgate minutes on the pitch to keep him sharp, but showed no such hesitation for a fit again Jack Stephens, who was almost shoe horned into the side at moments where it was not needed.

Now we have just 3 experienced central defenders, Jan Bednarek, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and the aforementioned Stephens, after that it is fill ins Shea Charles and James Bree.

With Bree having been out injured since mid December and not yet back in training we now have just 5 fit specialist defenders for 4 positions and more to the point no experienced specialist full backs fit as back up to KWP & Ryan Manning, that leaves either youngster Jayden Meghoma or Jack Stephens as back ups in this position and in the centre just Stephens and Shea Charles in the centre of defence.

Letting Mason Holgate go was a mistake in my opinion, it is easy to criticise him but hard to defend him due to the fact he was strangely so overlooked by the manager.

Holgate could play as a central defender and full back, he was versatile and more to the point he was experienced and I think our now wafer thin lack of both quality cover and quantity of that could come back to haunt us, whereas in the midfield and up front we have two players in every position.

The problem with letting Holgate go was that we were never going to be able to replace him with a player of the same quality, with partnership of Harwood-Bellis and Bednarek so strong and the managers admiration of Jack Stephens well known, we could get neither experience, no out of favour Premier League central defender would come just to sit on our bench nor would a promising youngster whose club wanted game time.

We mismanaged Holgate and now we are wafer thin at the back.

So although I don't think it was a bad window for me it has been unbalanced.

Hopefully neither THB or Jan Bednarek will suffer any injury or suspension, but the chances of that are slim, but if they do we do not have adequate cover.

Anyway it is what it is now, going forward i think we have one of if not THE most potent attack in the Championship, we have a lot of midfield options and as long as they all stay fit the strongest defence, but later in the season we might well have to outscore a few sides on the road, rather as we do now and manage a slender wins away from home.


What to read next:

It’s a delight to watch the Euros, Jack Butty style !
The Butty is back, the bad anchor of waters that are deeper than your bath, and places where Captain Nemo doesn’t dare to go. The man who wrote 20,000 leagues under the sea before the pyramid system was even thought of fears this man. Nobody dares venture near this salt ridden, shell encrusted fool.
How did Aimar Govea get spotted in amongst all the UK talent available ?
Aside the reports on Juventus and their interest in Swansea City’s Aimar Govea over the last few days, and there is clearly - we thought we would apply the Who, Why, What, Where, When, How questions to this latest interest.
Swansea City : There will be Chelsea links all summer, keeper run down
Journalists, Twitter nomads of X and anyone interested in the progress of Swansea City this summer will be trying to link Chelsea’s upcoming players to the Swans. There have been some successes over the years, but the link now is a far more relevant one.
Swansea City new signing, and yes there are more to come
Gautier Ott seems only days away from signing a three year deal with Swansea City after some intense work by Sporting Director, Paul Watson and Head Of Recruitment Martin Hodge. The twenty two year old has provisionally agreed terms on his contract with Swansea having to negotiate the rest of the finer print with his club, Académico de Viseu. They will then bring the young French player to west Wales.
The link that has seen the Swans close in on Gautier Ott
Twenty two year old Gautier Ott is hardly a name on the tip of everyone’s lips this summer, but we now know a deal has been provisionally agreed between Swansea City and his club, Académico de Viseu. They play in the Poruegese second tier. (Liga Sabseg)
In Profile : Oli McBurnie, Swansea or Rangers ? His choices examined
In another of our player profile series we take a look at a familiar face to the Swansea City support. That figure is Oli McBurnie, currently contracted to Sheffield United for the next ten days. This series each transfer window has seen a tremendous growth in viewing figures which in turn assists our charity alliance with the Brain Tumour Charity. So, thanks for your continued support.
No Swansea bids for Cameron Humphreys or Connor Barron this summer
Swansea City have been linked with a move for twenty five year old Cameron Humphreys who saw his club, Rotherham United, relegated to League One at the end of last season.
Swansea City have received a number of player inquiries
Swansea City have been talking to clubs over the past weeks who have expressed an interest in several players, one we are told is Nathan Wood with Southampton rumoured to be interested. Wood is now on the last year of his contract having had it extended prior to the end of last season.
Summer transfer window opens for the Swans : Pato news.
On the day the European Championships start in Germany with the hosts taking on Scotland tonight Swansea City enter into their biggest window for years. But why ?
Nathan Wood dilemma : Nothing to do with improvement it’s all about profit and sustainability
Nathan Wood is one player the Swans are keen to sort out this month, especially when it could assist the club with its yearly profit & sustainability (P&S) declarations. it’s nothing to do with improvement or moving players into or out of the squad, it’s about money. Plain and simple.