Summer Transfer Thread and Gustavo Cisneros Type Rumours.

[robleflaneur]

Here's a write-up from Hampshire Love last year on the system I'm guessing Smith wants to implement:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hampshirelive.news/sport/football/football-news/strengths-weaknesses-hasenhuttl-system-southampton-4203343.amp

Aside from anything, what a reminder as to how shite our own local media coverage really is.

This deserves a bump.  Interesting article and the system suits some players, plus it allows us to select both Watkins and Ings.  I wonder how integral Holberg was to the system as that is arguably the player we do not have.

Great article.Last year it was clear that Romeu,when fit,and JWP worked in tandem.The closeness of players is something that is disregarded in the English game but was particularly noticeable in Mancini's Italy.
The two players who would struggle in this system would be AEG and Traore but would be ideal for Buendia,McGinn,Luiz ,Sanson ,Ramsey and the missing DCM.

[Monty]

Our great problem in implementing that would definitely be the closeness of those lines. We sprint away from each other whenever we get the ball, creating huge gaps which necessitates these endless irritating flighty chips into the channels. To really replicate the Southampton system (but with more success) we're going to have to be a fuck of a lot more compact and organised.

[sid1964]

I was reading on Sky, that William at Arsenal is on a staggering £240,000 per week and has 2 years left on his contract!! No wonder they are in so much trouble, if they are paying those kind of salaries.

[RamboandBruno]

It feels from Dean's interviews and generally seeming pleased with a draw at home to Brentford we are just aiming to stay in the League

We still haven't brought in a replacement for JT or ROK. and haven't even spent all of the Jack Grealish money

Very worrying

This is such a negative way of looking at it all. Watkins didn’t come on any earlier because he’s not completely fit. As much as I like Hourihane, what difference do you think a slow midfield player would have made to that game. You cannot analyse yesterday’s game without taking into account the huge impact the absences made. It’s great that Ollie got on and looked lively, but find a black hole of despair in every silver lining hey.

[OCD]

I would have to wait for The Athletic to write an article like that to see that sort of thing about us. Our rag just regurgitates the shit on NewsNow and litters it full of adverts that don't always close on my phone so I end up with a really small viewing area (and usually just give up).

[SoccerHQ]

I don't know why you'd employ a DoF and a recruitment director only to give the head coach a veto on signings.

We don't half sign loads of players who've played under DS previously though if he apparently has no say in the recruitment process. I mean under Suso we signed Jota and Konsa who he'd worked with at Brentford and one of first signings under Lange was Ollie Watkins. This summer we needed a backup CB who could develop further and considering there's loads of those types in europe seems pretty odd we just got Axel back if the manager has no say in who comes in.

It's mix and match really. Likes of Gulibert and Sanson probably weren't DS signings and can see it with seemingly lack of faith in them, was going to say Engels aswell but can remember DS saying he scouted him at Brentford.

I'd be amazed if we don't pick up some DM in next 48 hours even if it's just a loan deal, plenty around who are experienced and not playing for their present club currently.

If we don't pick them up likes of Everton and Leeds probably will so that's the issue.

[Sexual Ealing]

I don't know why you'd employ a DoF and a recruitment director only to give the head coach a veto on signings.

We don't half sign loads of players who've played under DS previously though if he apparently has no say in the recruitment process. I mean under Suso we signed Jota and Konsa who he'd worked with at Brentford and one of first signings under Lange was Ollie Watkins. This summer we needed a backup CB who could develop further and considering there's loads of those types in europe seems pretty odd we just got Axel back if the manager has no say in who comes in.

It's mix and match really. Likes of Gulibert and Sanson probably weren't DS signings and can see it with seemingly lack of faith in them, was going to say Engels aswell but can remember DS saying he scouted him at Brentford.

I'd be amazed if we don't pick up some DM in next 48 hours even if it's just a loan deal, plenty around who are experienced and not playing for their present club currently.

If we don't pick them up likes of Everton and Leeds probably will so that's the issue.

Nobody suggested that he has no say. It's just not his ultimate responsibility.

[SoccerHQ]

I think Dean has final say on any player we sign. He gives the briefing, Lange will report back with options, Dean has to give any signing the green light.

I suspect the whole club has decided this season will be one of development rather than a full out and out assault on the top 4.  So the priority is to keep the pathway open for the youngsters to develop and not block it with emergency expensive stop gaps.  It might be disappointing for us now but in the long run it will be better as we can’t keep spending £150m every year

Where has this top 4 thing come from out of interest?

When players come out and say we want to qualify for europe they do realise they probably mean more fighting for 7th (which looks out of reach presently but we weren't far off it last season) or winning a league cup (although again more difficult with the draw we got).

I'm seeing a few posters typing it like it's the main season aim and like G***lish is still actually here, we are miles off that standard.

[SoccerHQ]

Would a defensive midfielder have made any difference yesterday
We didn’t create enough even Dean Smith said that

We bought one of the premiership’s best strikers and gave him nothing
Bailey and Watkins will obviously make a difference
But they are attacking options not defensive midfielders

I’m certainly not against buying that type of player but I think our problems go deeper

We need to control tempo of games much better. Can do it v likes of Newcastle and Burnley but those type of teams never really press in central midfield.

Luiz can do it when he's on form but it's not a skillset of someone like McGinn and certainly not Nakamba and the young lads need to be given time.

When we had Barry and Petrov for example neither were ridiculously tough tackling but both could stick a foot in when needed and both were excellent short and long range passers. We looked very strong in midfield when we had another like Reo Coker alongside so that's the template we need to take on e.g. sign a DM and then with Luiz and McGinn infront that looks fine to me.

The issue then is how DS juggles the forward line when all the options are fit. I really really hope he dosen't want to sign a new DM because he's worried about benching one of the attackers for spells of the season and would rather just start them all the time, won't reach the top as a manager with that mentality imo.

It's a good question though, who misses out if all of Ings, Watkins, Buendia and Bailey are all fit at the same time but formation means we can only start three of them.

[robleflaneur]

Would a defensive midfielder have made any difference yesterday
We didn’t create enough even Dean Smith said that

We bought one of the premiership’s best strikers and gave him nothing
Bailey and Watkins will obviously make a difference
But they are attacking options not defensive midfielders

I’m certainly not against buying that type of player but I think our problems go deeper

We need to control tempo of games much better. Can do it v likes of Newcastle and Burnley but those type of teams never really press in central midfield.

Luiz can do it when he's on form but it's not a skillset of someone like McGinn and certainly not Nakamba and the young lads need to be given time.

When we had Barry and Petrov for example neither were ridiculously tough tackling but both could stick a foot in when needed and both were excellent short and long range passers. We looked very strong in midfield when we had another like Reo Coker alongside so that's the template we need to take on e.g. sign a DM and then with Luiz and McGinn infront that looks fine to me.

The issue then is how DS juggles the forward line when all the options are fit. I really really hope he dosen't want to sign a new DM because he's worried about benching one of the attackers for spells of the season and would rather just start them all the time, won't reach the top as a manager with that mentality imo.

It's a good question though, who misses out if all of Ings, Watkins, Buendia and Bailey are all fit at the same time but formation means we can only start three of them.

Sometimes bringing on a defensive midfielder can bring attacking rewards .The classic example being Liverpool bringing on Hamann in CL final v Milan to gain control of the midfield.That's what we lacked v Brentford who at times overran us .Young and Chuk lacking the physicality to deal with it.If we could have won the ball more in midfield areas,we could have got at the defence far more often and higher up the pitch and not allowing their defence to settle .
Buendia can be considered one of the central midfield,for such a creative ,attack minded player,he also has the ability to put in a tackle.

[ozzjim]

Imagine sticking 25 year old Barry and Milner into our midfield with McGinn now. We'd be awesome.

[CT]

Imagine sticking 25 year old Barry and Milner into our midfield with McGinn now. We'd be awesome.

Milner’s last game for us against West Ham was a midfield masterclass. He was fantastic.

[OCD]

And then City played him out wide.

[ozzjim]

And then City played him out wide.

One of the guys I manage at work is a old school man City fan. I give him a lot of stick for how much they ruined the best central midfielder in the country after he joined them.

[OCD]

Only fair