Plus we’ve been briefed, players need to be sold before we can buy. Ralph made that clear time and again even with the VVD money.
The issue is NOT about selling Tadic, it is whether we replace him with a better more consistent footballer
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Whilst I accept we tried and failed to get Maddison in before this materialised, you have got to question the logic in the timing. Surely now we will appear more depserate or in need of a player to fill that hole, as apposed to appearing to be simply strengthening the squad. Surely this makes prices rise and negotiations all the harder.
Whilst it is far from bed wetting time at this stage, it would be nice to get at least a coulple of key signings over the line sooner rather than later. Ready for all the pre-season tours and friendlies.
We have a reasonably kind fixture list to start with so it would be frustrating to go in to them with an ill prepared side with new signings rushed in before being given a chance to find their bearings.
To my mind, the poor start to last season with very winnable games bypassing us, was a main contributor to our shitty season.
Tadic was the main player saying stick with Hughes.
hughes will realise its an imposssible task to deliver the Boards tagets of being both a ‘small club’ meaning low budget with the bullshit ‘European’ expectations. The Lieber gold is back under lock and key in switzerland along with the rest of the swagger.
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The club/Ralphy Boy always says “Judge us at the end of the window” and ultimately we will have to be patient and do so. We always sign late in the window (once players have dragged it out as long as they can to assess their options, before agreeing to come to little old Southampton. Sorry but that is true.) and sold before we buy so there is little reason to suggest we will be changing that ‘policy’ any time soon.
But it is still almost comical that after the last two seasons we have struggled to create and score goals… the first thing the club does this summer is ship out the joint top goalscorer of last season and the player with the most assists in each of the last four seasons. When focus should be on supplementing that player with somebody else to take a share of the responsbility and ultimately improve the situation.
Let’s not get away from the fact that Tadic has been infuriatingly inconsistent over the last two years, and I for one was calling for him to be dropped on occasions. BUT, he was still more productive than each of the other players who have occupied the attacking midfield positions - Boufal, Redmond, Davis, JWP etc.
It is just poor timing from a PR point of view. Obviously fans are gunna be miffed by the timing as much as the player departing. At the end of the day, all this talk of the release clause suggests that Saints may not have much of a choice if he wants to go.
Put it this way, I don’t think we’d be seeing anywhere near the fan backlash if it were Redmond being sold.
Is it worth pointing out that Tadic hasn’t actually gone anywhere yet? And what fan backlash are we seeing?
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One thing that’s bugging me, if we have to sell before we buy, how did we have a bid of £20m + add ons accepted for Maddison?
Tadic wants to go and they want him, so just swap him for Hakim Ziyech(might have to chuck in that £20m as well).
My guess is shaqueri for tadic.I dont know Ziyech so well apart from this world cup but we already have a couple similar so called dribblers in redmond and boufal . surely we can buy before selling with VVD money. it should be only be a carillio down
In this instance - no! It is a question of when he leaves rather than if. All the usual ‘reliable’ club sources have stated as such.
There are a lot of fans and forums moaning about the sale.
I cannot see us going for Shaquiri. I reckon that is lazy journalism because of Hughes. If he is available for £12m as reported, then I can see him going to Liverpool/Spurs to warm the bench for much more money than we will be offering.
It may well be a question of when and not if, but then it wouldn’t be the first time that such a thing has been said, only for a player not to leave. And if a few knobheads on Saintsweb or wherever are complaining, so what? I’d give you good odds that those same fans have spent most, if not all, of the past four seasons moaning about Tadic and saying we should get rid of him. In other words, I wouldn’t let it bother you.
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Yep group what’s app here says so. We’re linked last summer ifrc
Assuming Sparky thinks he can turn Carrillo into an EPL Striker then Tadic McQueen Gallgher out plus maybe another nipper or 2 and Armstrong, Gibson and a right wing back nipper in is not a bad window
It’s going to be an interesting one. Previously our Celtic signings have been young defensively minded foreigners (Forster excluded).
We have yet to try an attacking player so I’ll be interested to see if he has the quality to score goals in the Premier League.
Not that bothered by ins and outs… just want who we have to play as if they at least want to be here and with a bit of cohesion and panache… to paraphrase the quote ‘’ we are much more forgiving of the beautiful play (people)". I want to see these fuckers look like they fucking enjoy being paid 50K a week.
Another one from our Scottish feeder club 
Seems like he had a fantastic season prior to the last one. 17 goals from midfield. Last season he fell out of favour. I don’t know why? I don’t follow Scottish football. Positive spin … It’s 7m and a possible bargain. and let’s see what he can do
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IIRC
We tried to sign Armstrong last summer. Celtic wanted to play him in their UCL Qualifier so would not let him come. In fact they kept him.
Armstrong then had a mediocre season “falling out of favour” after 17 goals the year before.
Which translates as his head was in Southampton most of last year.
Hopefully we have (agreed to) / signed the 16/17 version not the 17/18 one.
Definitely Davis cover which is something we missed last year but still leaves questions about right back & centre back cover (unless Bertrand gets used as one of the back 3 and JWP is cover for Cedric…
Hmm
Apparently he wasn’t played because of his contract situation - he’s only got a year left and Brenda decided that if he was going to leave he might as well play Rogic instead
It really is unrel watching the twitter feeds and how many fans are melting down because we are signing Armstrong.
Those same fans were the ones who always ranted about Steve Davis and what he brought to the team.
When he was on song Davis was our metronome, dictating the pace of passing, doing the important unglamourous stuff and bringing players into the match. Without him for much of last season we were poor, equally, last season (after the Euros) he didn’t seem to have the same energy and fitness levels.
For me, an on song Davis was one of the key reasons we were so pedantic last year.
He was a key cog in our system, he was not at his best and his legs are not up to a full season. Signing a replacement is VERY wise.
And we still have the best part of 6 weeks of the window to go to get other key squad gaps filled.
Don’t forget (although unlikely) the Russian window doesn’t open until 1st July so who knows whether we actually did a deal for Promes…
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