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[Cockney Rebel]

Bring on the fucking Skates! (If they're still in business)

[Dan]

Just to remind you of what's to come...



Do you think we can sign Lewandowski, too?

[rva]

Lewandowski just signed a four year contract last year and then won the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund.  But hey, maybe Marek Sagnanowski can put in a good word for us.

Would love to see Saints sign Drew Surman.  He's got two years left on his contract, but his team is going up and may look to strengthen in midfield.

Francisco Guillermo Ochoa's contract runs out June 30 so I believe he is available on a free.  It could happen!

[Dan]

Here - you can dream.



Just makes you wish he was about 5 or 6 inches taller with 30 extra pounds of fast-twitch muscle.

[Ella Minnow Pea]

My body hurts watching that. I have no desire to jump into the air and then land on the front/back/side of my upper body.

[rva]

Yeah, I'm always amazed at goalkeeping technique.  At regular speed, it seems like it's all reaction time.  You just lunge at the ball and make your body/arm/leg as wide as possible and hope you have the reflexes and it hits some part of you.  But then when you see it in slow motion you can see how they are actually tracking the ball, and are diving to where the ball will go, not just lunging

I think Ochoa's going to Liverpool.  I was surprised they released Bouzanis.  I haven't been keeping up with him, but I think even last year he was still being touted as a future top 5 keeper.  Although I do have to say he never panned out in Football Manager 2009.

Speaking of Football Manager, this was the part of the game that always kind of sucked... having to tell some of the team's players that put so much into getting promoted that they aren't getting new contracts.

These are the guys who are out of contract: Radhi Jahdi, Dan Harding, Danny Butterfield, Oscar Gobern, Aaron Martin, David Connolly.

I love, love, love Connolly.  But he can't stay healthy.  He seems to be okay on a backup's appearance fee kind of contract so if he's willing to do that I'd keep him around.  If for no other reason than to mentor the squad.

Martin and Gobern should be signed and loaned out for part of the year and be used as backups when on the team. Martin is actually good enough to be in the squad rotation, though I would look to strengthen at DC.  I would re-sign Harding to a two year de or threeal if he is amenable to that.

And I would let Jadhi and Butterfield go, even though they both played well for Saints and could play n the Championship.  The problem is they aren't getting any younger, and if you have your sights set on the EPL then you have to take every opportunity to improve the squad, which means cycling out the 30 year olds for players with more upside. 

The priority for Saints has to be a striker.  Barnard might be in jail, Lambert is getting older and is out-of-contract after next season.  I have to think they will look at bringing in Mackail-Smith.  Don't know who else is out there.

[Dan]

I think Nigel likes Gobern too much to let him go. They'll re-sign him at some level and keep working with him. Obviously he's buried in the depth chart as it is (even before there's any new signings) but he keeps making the matchday roster that he must be doing something right.

As for the rest of them ... I agree it's hard to say goodbye, but if they realize they aren't in the future plans then they'll know what the reality of the situation is.

In my matchday program Jaidi is interviewed as saying he wants to play one more season. So if he's fine with a 1 year contract maybe they'll work that out. And if he's good enough to keep playing, then good for him.

[rva]

I think NA is right about Gobern.  He looks like a potentially good player, but I think the a half season of regular play at League One would serve him will.

If Jaidi is willing to settle for a 1 year, appearance-related deal knowing he will be backup I have no problem with offering him a contract.  It's only his pace that is gone; he's still a beast back there and strong in the air.  He could be useful in situation where Saints need to park the bus.

It would be awesome if Blackpool got relegated as I hate them.  It would be even more awesome if they had an option to buy Puncheon and they exercised it. It will be even even more awesome next year when Saints beat Blackpool with a pouting Puncheon watching from the bench having burned his bridges once again.

[Dan]

It sounds like Kaka is available.
Linky link

I know he'd never sign for a Championship side, but man what fun it is to dream!

[rva]

Jaidi and Connolly now both signed to one year deals.  I have no problem with this as long as they are still looking to bring in players and both Jaidi and Connolly know they may not be starters.

[Dan]

Interesting about Connolly due to that "I've been healthy since Christmas" statement that came out after his return to the pitch this spring. I figured there had to be some animosity between the two sides if NA was keeping him out of action when he was fit. Since he's signed you have to believe that he knows his role: he has the opportunity to earn a starting position but nothing is guaranteed.

As for Jaidi - the dude has GOT to know where he stands.

[rva]

It always kind of bothered me when Adkins didn't use Connolly.  I felt bad for him.  You could see in those last few games how he was way better than Barnard, and Lambert as well (though different type of player). 

But in the end, Adkins was right.  Barnard was on fire, and there was no point in breaking up the Lambert/Barnard partnership when it was working for a guy that can play 5-6 games, max.
If they'd used Connolly he probably would have gotten hurt. 

So it worked out perfect that when Barnard went down Connolly was 100% and ready to go and probably Saints' best player those last few matches.  If the season had gone on any longer, he probably would have gotten hurt again.

[Dan]

What is the deal with the desire to have English players? I've been reading a few messageboards and I notice sprinkled in the comments from the fans that they are often all about teams who have a lot of English players or when asked they would prefer it if SFC had a majority of English players. Why this emphasis? Is it something as simple as national pride? Is there a case of rampant yet repressed xenophobia all throughout England? Is it just a few people and I'm reading into this too much?

I was thinking about my favorite teams stateside and I rarely think about where a player is from. I just want my team to have the best players. I know there are a few rules in English football requiring homegrown talent or English talent or whatever, but if those minimums are met then why wouldn't you just try to find the best players regardless of their nationality?

[Butter]

Is there a case of rampant yet repressed xenophobia all throughout England? Is it just a few people and I'm reading into this too much?

Repressed?

[Cockney Rebel]

Homegrown talent is less likely to get itchy feet to 'go back home'. Signing 'the best' players doesn't necessarily equate into players happy to be playing a time zone or more away from their comfort zones, especially if those players have families and business commitments elsewhere. I don't think its a xenophobic attitude, moreso a certain understanding of the risk in signing foreign names.