13 Dec 2017 06:41:13
If Coutinho is sold in January, Who will we bring in? I don't see us splashing money on Lemar ( though he is the closest to phil ) . Brandt and Meyer are pro in comparison! There are not too many players that can slot in quickly out there!


1.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 06:53:42
Lallana?


2.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 06:58:41
Can’t see us entertaining it in January myself. We have too much to play for this season first. The summer is a different story though.


3.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 06:59:19
I don't think he will be sold in Jan. There might be a deal struck in Jan for the summer but it makes absolutely no sense to sell in Jan. We are in the last 16 in the champions league against a team we should beat which takes us further into the competition. We still have top 4 or better and fa cup too so need all our players sorry world class players to stay. Lemar for me out of the 3 you mentioned. I don't know why people keeping saying max Meyer. For me he isn't good enough and would be a bench warmer and taking up a seat on that bench who I'd prefer to give to woodburn. Brandt I'll admit I haven't seen much of but he wants reassurances about a starting spot (who does he think he is ronaldo) . Getting lemar in Jan would be excellent as we could rest coutinho mane salah in premier league games before or after the champions league without impacting the quality on the pitch.


4.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 08:20:59
He's made no secret that he wants to leave. I think we should ship him out in January for 100mil+ and get Lallana back in. If we can do a deal in January for a quality player then so be it. But right now we need to put the club first and have a strong winter, without any of these transfer distractions from Phil, and push for top 4.


5.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 08:35:51
I'd much prefer us getting a CB over a replacement for Coutinho, sure get somebody in the summer but I don't think it's a massive priority in Jan, a CB is.


6.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 08:43:17
I can't see any circumstance where we sell Coutinho in January without knowing 100% that we will be able to spend that money and get his replacement in. Whoever we intend to buy to replace Coutinho will come in the same window Coutinho is sold.


7.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 09:26:10
PC will move in summer 2018.


8.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 09:46:03
So you people think Lallana can replace Coutinho.


9.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 09:50:09
For me Lemar, Carrasco, Draxler, Asensio or Kovacic.


10.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 11:32:08
Familiar hunting ground i know, but I'm suprised we've not shown any interest in (or at least been speculatively linked with) Sofiane Boufal. He is way too good for Southampton and their bus parking tactics.


11.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 12:00:25
Boufal plays well once in a blue moon. You can have it all, but how much do you want it?


12.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 12:20:26
Boufal is a class player Jezza. It's hard to play well when your manager keeps picking Tadic and Redmond because they offer more defensively. I think Boufal has only played like 600 minutes of football this season. Considering he plays in a terrible Southampton team who play negative tactics he hasn't been bad at all. He's totally wasted in that team. Let's not forget that Coutinho was an inconsistent, under-utilised player before we signed him! Look how that turned out?

He'd be a great signing in my opinion. Plus he seems like the sort who just gets on with things and won't sulk about rotation. My only issue with him is the club we'd have to deal with. Southampton will play hard ball because of our previous indiscretions.

Anyway, we've shown no interest so it's all hypothetical regardless. I'm just surprised he's never mentioned by any fans or media outlets when discussing good attacking players. Just goes to show how many people judge players based on statistics, rather than watching them play. When Boufal plays, everything goes through him and Southampton look dangerous. When he doesn't, they scrape through games.


13.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 12:50:22
If Coutinho leaves I’m fairly sure it’ll be in the summer and by then Keita will be coming in, we will have Lallana, Gini and Ox also able to play in midfield, let alone Milner, Hendo and Can (if he stays) who can play further forward. Also let’s not forget Woodburn who is a similar styled player IMO even if few years behind in development.

I do think Coutinho will be missed and I really don’t mind if we get in Lemar who looks useful, but with the frontline that we have, we will be fine with Lallana, Keita, Ox and Gini behind them.

The bigger problem IMO is if Can leaves. He brings something to the base of midfield (youth, physicality and increasingly discipline and control) and I’d really like to spend a good amount or even all of Coutinhos transfer fee (if he leaves) on a top deep midfielder of the likes of Alonso if such a thing exists! It would be the trigger to transform our side I feel, and Hendo will be more effective in the box to box role.

{Ed002's Note - And you have forgotten Grujic - although I suspect he might move on permanently at some point.}


14.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 13:02:28
He’s not a class player he’s a classy player. In glimpses he’s got it all as I said originally, everything apart from the desire, workrate and mentality to do it consistently and then become a class player. He can light up a game, he can score great goals etc. But he’s lazy so he’s not. Form is temporary class is permanent Boufal’s form fluctuates in a game let along 5/ 6 games, half a season, a season to be described as class. He’s saints shaquiri, zaha, Townsend, bolase, Gaston Ramirez and alike.


15.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 13:47:08
I'll agree to disagree Jezza. Every time I've seen him he has always tried to get on the ball and make things happen. He's an excellent advanced playmaker, but in Southampton they don't need that kind of player because they play direct football and don't get much possession. For me, he has shown he has the ability to play in a much better side. On the odd occasion Southampton play well, Boufal is at the centre of everything. He reminds me a bit of a David Silva type player (miles off Silva's level right now though) . What i mean is that he isn't always the one to play the killer pass or score the goal, but he is the brain behind every good attack. Southampton have played well once this season and it was in one of only a handful of games Boufal has started in.

I'm not suggesting he's the best option for us, but I certainly wouldn't lose any sleep if we replaced Coutinho with him! He is anything but lazy. Just because he doesn't constantly get involved defensively doesn't make him lazy. It takes an incredible amount of work rate to constantly stay in space. Peter Crouch used to average over 10km a game, and most of it was just side stepping from left to right across the pitch, trying to lose his marker. Boufal isn't in the team to defend or get stuck in. He is the link man and it's crucial for him to make himself available to retain possession when it is won. He can't do that if he is touch tight to a player he was just man marking.

I appreciate and respect your opinion though. He is unproven in a top team to be fair. For me though, your comments have just re-affirmed my opinion that he needs to leave Southampton for a team who play football so he can finally show his quality alongside players on his wavelength (who also want to play the game the beautiful way) . Southampton are stifling his career. He's only just turned 24 so if he leaves now he can still get back on track.


16.) 13 Dec 2017
13 Dec 2017 18:20:04
What if Barcelona spend budget on Griezmann?