Not Actually that Crucial a Summer as of August 2023...beginning to now think everything isnt fine!

I'm not talking about breaking the bank here. Someone like GG was a known quantity coming off a great season and cost buttons. I think as well we could all see Kyogo was going to be a success just from the tapes, certainly more so than the other Japanese boys. Ange was signing players with a good season or two under their belt and the stats to give us confidence they could make a contribution to the first team right away. I don't want to go back to buying players to come good for Southampton in a few years.

The man inspired the single best fan song ever composed, worth every penny.

 

I'm not the least bit worried right now...

If all it was about was getting numbers through the door, we'd be going toe to toe with huns right now and the amount of dross they are signing.

We don't need 6+ players where all of then are expected to be immediate first 11 starters.

Rodgers will evaluate the squad, Lawwell Jnr probably already has a list of talent for the club to look over as well.

Obviously the club might see it that Jota needs an immediate replacement so we sign someone for LW.

But otherwise, and I'm taking it for granted here, if we keep hold of our midfield... the only other position that could be seen as needing a new face in that is an immediate starter is at LB.

I personally want a new GK in myself but I don't think we will get one.

I reckon we will see maybe 4 more signings on top of what has already arrived and 2 of those will be marked at first 11 starters.

 

GG was as much a gamble as anyone, he had one good season behind him but couldn't buy a goal the rest of his career up til then, we took a massive punt that he was a late bloomer and not just a one season wonder having a purple patch.

 

Not sure I’d agree. To make a solid impact in Europe, I reckon we need a new 1st choice GK, RW, LW, CM, CH, LB.

 

I disagree, I think a season where you're the top scorer in a semi-decent league is a pretty good CV coming in. You take a gamble that it's not a purple patch but we've been in the habit (and still are to a certain extent) of focusing on players aged under 21.

But that's not really my point. I'd like to see us buy players who we can be reasonably confident can fit into the first team right away. I'd like to see us make a signing this summer where we go, "that's our new starting GK/LW/DM".

 

What exactly is a solid impact in Europe?

For the CL it will be all about the luck of the draw.

And I agree to the point that I personally would much rather see first 11 worthy signings for GK LB and LW...

I just don't think we will see it for the others and possibly, I'm not sure the club will see GK as a priority this season.

Even if we have the money to do it, we really need to be curbing the expectations that half the 11 need replacing when it really doesn't.

 

I’m a wee bit worried we bring in a short * keeper thats good with the ball at his feet but couldn’t catch the cold

 

This is fair. I do think a CM starter is a priority too. If we get those 4 positions right we will be in a good place.

The reality is we've only lost Mooy and Jota and could get 3 positions filled with Jota's money.

 

One thing that’s a concern is we’re starting to clog up the wings with a lot of players but nobody that really stands out.

Maeda, Abada, Haksabanovic, Forrest, Tilio, Johnston and now Jun.

I have high hopes for Jun but he’s still a young guy coming from the other side of the world.

Don’t think there’s a single player from that 7 I’d say is real quality that could make the difference in Europe in the way that Jota could. Realistically we could lost Haksa, Forrest and Johnston and those options wouldn’t really weaken.

 

Definitely need one more that's as close to a sure thing as possible.

Looks clogged just now but Forrest/Johnston probably off, Tilio potentially Abada's replacement, and debatable whether Haksa will be treated as a wide man.

 

I would class a solid impact as getting past the group stage or finishing 3rd & progressing to the latter stages of the Europa. That’s what we should be targeting and believe BR will be targeting as well with finishing 3rd & progressing within the Europa as being the most realistic of the two scenarios.

 

Abada is the stand-out right now. We better not sell him.

 

I’m surprised you’ve excluded RW tbh. Abada is clearly a talent & is likely to improve/develop further under BR but I’m not convinced (based on last seasons performances) that he’s good enough (yet) to be a starter for us in Europe. And that’s on the assumption he stays. By all accounts, he could well be another that moves on.

 

From that group, maybe. But he wasn't a regular starter for us last season. If we go into the season with him as our first choice, stand out winger then there's a massive problem.

 

In first season back, I really wouldn't be holding out hope that we achieve anything in Europe personally.

I mean, through nothing other than blind faith I reckon will get more points in the Group stage then we did with Ange.

 

I understand what you’re saying, I think Abada has the quality but lacks confidence at that level. He was an absolute shadow of himself in the CL and missed chances he would usually bury, but I feel that he will go up a level this year and BR can install that confidence in him.

I’m honestly more worried about LW. We have lots of options there, but not much quality. I like Maeda and think he was vital under Ange, but beyond that there’s not any quality depth.

A versatile, quality forward who can play on either wing would be the priority for me, with Abada, Tilio and Maeda sharing the rest of the minutes.

 

Based on where we are today, I'd be okay with the below for starting next year.

Goalkeepers

Keep: New GK, Hart, Bain

Sell: Siegrist, Hazard

Defenders

Keep: Johnston, Ralston, New DL, Taylor, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, New DC, Kobayashi

Sell: Welsh, Scales, Urhoghide
Loan: Bernabei, Montgomery

Midfielders

Keep: New CM, McGregor, Hatate, O'Reily, Holm, Iwata, Turnbull

Sell: McCarthy, Soro, Shaw, Ideguchi

Forwards

Keep: New AML, New AMR, Maeda, Haksabanovic, Tilio, Abada, Kyogo, Oh

Sell: Forrest, Johnston, Kenny, Ajeti

*late change of heart, Abada stays!

 

In

• Arnau Tenas (free)
• Tete (possibly free?)
• Josh Doig (Torino are reportedly after him for ''up to £5.5m'')
• Fabian Rieder (let's say £14-£15m)

Out (permanent)

• Siegrist
• Hazard
• Welsh
• Scales
• Shaw
  
• Soro
• McCarthy
• Turnbull
• Abada
  
• Ajeti

Out (loan or permanent)

• Yuki
• Bernabei

We'd end up with 17 non-homegrown players and 7 homegrown players for a grand total of 24 first-team players. Rocco Vata takes the 8th homegrown spot in our Champions League squad. Alternatively, we keep Welsh for further depth at CB, but I'd rather we gave a shot to Urhoghide. I reckon he's ready for the first team.

 

Get what you are saying, but you could have said the same about McGregor at one point when he hadn’t been a regular starter the season prior. Abada is now perhaps ready to play week in week out.

I think Abada could match Jota for goals and assists no bother if he was a regular starter like Jota was last season. I’d also be confident that Rodgers could improve his overall game.

I wouldn’t be too worried if Abada started next season as a first choice, but I’d then like to see another winger brought in to play on the other side.