Ings has ability but he wasn't available much last season. He also looked very rusty/disinterested in preseason.
Midfield need to chip in with more goals. Even if we do sign a forward, the midfield are going to have to move up a couple of yards and get involved. Shame about this. Real shame.
I get its a good deal for the club, injury prone, 1yr on contract etc etc and it's good that people on here are generally positive, but with a week and a bit to go before the season kicks off where are the goals coming from? Long, Adams, Tella and Obafemi combined do not provide the goals Ings did. Bloody hell, we struggled with him in the team, we're proper ****ed now. Realistically we're strong relegation candidates now.
Wow. Really didn’t see that coming. Really disappointing for a whole host of reasons. Ultimately money talks for Ings more than playing for his boyhood club because it’s clearly not about Champions league football or career progression, or one last chance to prove himself at a club fighting for trophies like he said it was. **** him tbh, and this may be petty or whatever but I hope it doesn’t work out for him there. We took the pragmatic decision that the money was too good to turn down, and I think it’s probably the right decision even though it seems a big risk to be going into the season without his quality up front. Meanwhile we now need to make some very shrewd signings. Blackburn will now be trying to get as much of that fee as possible for Armstrong, and imo we now need to be looking at either Armstrong and another striker or moving on from Armstrong and looking to sign a potentially higher calibre of striker.
Let's wait and see. I love the way we are "Strong relegation candidates" now. Thing is this time last year same was being said about Villa. Football's a funny old game.
As it stands we surely are relegation candidates? Don't think its mental in any way at all to suggest that really. 3 promoted sides plus us, Palace and Newcastle are the only ones I can see being involved really. #hopethatkillsyou
Every year we are potential relegation candidates. I think we'll have an ok season and finish mid table.
Bit perplexed and a bit disappointed in Ings I suppose. Must be the money. Oddly I don't think we will necessarily struggle as much some expect, but could be totally wrong of course. Think we will bring someone in soon. Shame, real shame.
Omg. Literally disagree with everything you say. Ralph had had enough of Ings. Players tested tonight will all be back for Saturdays final dress rehearsal friendly. We looked really bright tonight. Have a deeper squad and some players really starting to blossom. All the negativity is so draining
Well it was looking less and less likely he was going to sign. Im not that worried about losing him, more that we now have no goal scorers in the team. They surely wouldn’t have let him go at this stage without a replacement all lined up? So who will we get? Even if the whole £25m is invested you don’t get a proven goal scorer that cheap?
Danny Ings cost us less than that. You don't necessarily need to buy a proven goal scorer, but one with the potential to become one. At least for a club like us anyway.
I put this on another thread but probably more use here https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/55326/
Indeed and don’t forget Ings only scored 12 last year and he could well have got less this year and be sat on his backside with an injury
Danny, champions league? You're having a laugh, I hope you play for Villa like you played for us last Saturday in Swansea.
Well, well. Surprised? No. 2 years of refusing to sign a new contract, an injury prone player, ageing and in the last year of his contract. Saying ‘come and get me’ to clubs in the top tier. That didn’t work out. I think the club had as much as they could take and decided that new blood was needed. I think it was the right thing to do if we have no cash. After this saga it’s a case of don’t let the door hit you in the arse on your way out Danny. Gutted, but grateful for the last couple of seasons. Now we need to replace him well.