We have a few candidates already at the club for the Hojbjerg role but none of them are experienced in the PL apart from Jack Stephens albeit in a different position. I think that somebody will be signed but it's not as crucial as the defence was/is.
If we were to sign just 1 more player, id prefer it be CM. We have already added Salisu whereas we are a CM down on last year. We all know Romeu isn't good enough to start if we want to get top half & push for europa league. He had a good end to the season but shoulsn't be a starter. Also, assuming we sell Reed, we have basically no back up. Smallbone is not a replacement for the Hojbjerg/romeu role - so that would leave Jankewitz as our back up which would be crazy.
Add Slattery, Alfie Jones, Stephens, O'Connor to that but they all lack experience but I am impressed by Jack's calmness and passing and think he could do a job there. Having said that I think we will buy a CM but I would prefer Hint if it was a choice as I feel he would be a game changer for us.
I can't honestly see Saints being in the market for a CB until the bare minimum we have sold Hoedt and Vestergaard, and should we sign Hinteregger, he'll be first choice....which would push down Salisu to 4th for the time being anyway. CM is the priority now, We are likely to sell Reed and loan out Lemina!! We need Dynamic box to box defensive Midfielder to basically replace Romeu and allow Romeu to be the back up. I see Smallbone a more like for like for JWP as he has that bit more creativity.
Probably the best ever “shock” signing for anyone. I still have some paper articles from that announcement
I just don’t get why fans think this. It isn’t a board game or championship manager (old school here ). I read this sort of comment often and it just is far too black and white or simplistic. Real life isn’t like that, even in football. We currently have two CBs who held down the places since lockdown. We have signed another one for the first team and we have Vesty who it would appear isn’t top of the list for Ralph. I agree we probably need to sell him or at least loan him out before signing another CB, but if we do this and end up with Stephens, Bednarek, Sally-Sue and Hint, then it means we have 4 fighting for a likely two spots. It certainly doesn’t mean that Sally-Sue (or any of them) become no. 4 choice. The season is over. Pre-season will soon start and the CBs at the club will have the chance be to impress the boss and be in the team. Even after this he may rest one or two, he may leave them out for tactical reasons, or anything. Signing a player doesn’t automatically place someone in a certain pecking order. We may look at it and draw our own preferences, but we can’t just say, “That moves player X to number 4 choice”
Ralph will more than likely have an idea of his starting pair - certainly by the first game. But look at Vestergaard last season - he started the season playing as a starter every game, he certainly didn't end it that way. Even if in Ralph's mind Salisu started the season as "3rd or 4th choice" chances are he will get his chance to prove he should be starting.
I don’t think he would have paid that money for Salisu unless he was convinced he would strengthen the team. He now has better options for playing different formations depending on the opposition with Vesty to come in when he needs that extra height.
So much of this season is going to be about strength of squad options. The season will start a month later, there’s no winter break and all cup competitions are scheduled for a full run. It’s going to get rough and no doubt there will be a lot of injuries. More than usual. It doesn’t really matter who is first choice so much because everyone is going to get time over this year. Anyone over 18 at the club need to get their boots laced up and stay ready. Teams in Europe are going to be in big trouble. If you’re in the Europa then early in the season you could potentially have two midweek cup games in different countries. At the moment, I think after Winter there’s only three or four weeks without midweek games planned.
Sean Longstaff anyone? Tenuous rumour for midfield replacement. Don't know much about him but think he is more attacking minded than a holding midfielder and we have plenty of those. If he's a box to box midfielder however... ...and he's a free agent.