Saints fans are becoming increasingly more frustrated with the lack of incoming signings in the January transfer window, especially in the centre of defence.

Saints supporters understand as much as the next man that the January window is a very difficult one to do business in, the selling clubs prefer to hang on to the last moment to try and create more interest in a player and therefore an increase in price.

But that is not always the case and when it was announced before the year had ended and the window opened that Virgil Van Dijk would move to Liverpool on January 1st Saints supporters rather hoped that signalled that the club already had Van Dijk's replacement all lined up and ready to go.

Certainly Van Dijk had been dropped long before Xmas due to his attitude and he wasnot earning the wages that Saints were paying him, but the problem was that we lacked quality and it has cost us dearly.

Saints sit outside the bottom three only on goal difference, but it could easily have been different, if am Vokes had been marked properly, if Giroud had been marked properly and Depoitre of Huddersfield likewise we would now be 5 points better off and sat in 10th place.

That is how little room there is in this years Premier League, we can all moan about how this is the worst Saints side ever etc etc, but the reality is if we had marked those three men and not left them unmarked close in on goal then things would look a lot better, indeed if we hadn't done the same for Palace's first goal then we would be withing sight of 8th.

But we have blundered on this season trying to lacate Van Dijk and rotate players and the reality is that at the moment our defence is not good enough, with everyone fit we are touching it, but we need Van Dijk replacing and a new man forming a partnership with Weslry Hoedt, this is not anything against Yoshida and Stephens, they are just not good enough as has been shown by the soft goals conceded in the past couple of months, I can barely remember a decent goal scored against us, I would say 80% of them would not have been conceded two seasons ago and that is the difference between where we sit now and were we really should be.

Our League position is false because it is based on giving people chances that they should not get, it's been happening all season, I have just highlighted four instances in the recent past.

So why have we not tied up a new central defensive signing, if it wasn't lined up then we should not have sold Van Dijk, the fact we have £75 million in our bank only pushes up the price, it would have been better to let him rot at Staplewood than sell him because of this.

So we have some important games coming up, get in a new central defender and a striker an we are more than capable of winning them, whether or not Pellegrino is in charcge, lose them because the same players are making the same old mistakes and we are in big trouble.

Photo: Action Images

sambat added 19:27 - Jan 9 My old car for sale. Bought 12 years ago, used to go well but obviously a bit slower now,running costs have also tripled. Should be good for a couple more years. Originally bought for £30,000, now a bargain at £60,000. I really, really really hope that Saints do not squander the VVD cash on Walcott, he is well over his prime. Let’s find a big CF that can hold the ball while the attack builds, sort of Pellé ish. Tadic linked with Liverpool, great, let’s get some more cash from the scousers on Tadic’s reputation. I would like to see the lad on loan at Yeovil back and given a few games, he certainly cannot be worse than what’s on the pitch now.

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wibbersda added 20:52 - Jan 9 Just seen Carillo on you tube He has great awareness and anticipation it would be great to get him in. Put him with Gabbi in a 4-4-2 and I reckon it would save us.
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IWOZTHERE added 00:56 - Jan 10 I'm with Saintkey above. In an ideal world, we could do with another CB. In an ideal world we could do with Lionel Messi, Ronaldo etc. It's about priorities. First priority a midfield provider...BIG BUCKS. Next, a big target man, even someone like Peter Crouch for the rest of the season. Well affordable, but he could transform Gabbi back into the striker we bought.
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perazi added 10:10 - Jan 10 This really is a loopy article. Nick bangs on about Yoshida and Stephens as if they are the reason we are at the abyss. Yet for weeks; months, the dross of Redmond, Ward-Prowse Long and lately Tadic have been tolerated - there was a time when Nick would insist that Sadio Mane, Vic Wanyama and co were no better than what we have now!!!!!! But still the broken record of Yoshida and Stephens gets played out. Yes, we could do with a defensive replacement of class, dating back to Fonte leaving - but the seeds of our decline were sown when we replaced the likes of Mane, Pelle, Wanyama, Morgan with Long, Redmond, Ward-Prowse and Tadic. Add in Puel and the present day Management failure with the weak executive of Reed and Kreuger, completely with accountability, and it's little wonder SFC is teetering at the trap door of relegation.

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underweststand added 16:53 - Jan 10 My original post seems to have got the thumbs down from quite a few people, but I was responding to the headline which suggests we need to sign another CB. That part I agree with, but (as I have written on other links)... I've been expecting us to sign new striker(s) since Pelle and Mane left !. After JayRod's departure I fail to see why we have been so depend on those we have left. A recovering Austin, an out-of touch Gabbiadini (after that great start) and Boufal who scores wonder goal - twice a season. I'll not include Redmond in this group as he has been a vast disappointment this season. YES -at least 2 strikers please Les/ Ross & Co. ...but to return to the headline...we do need another CB. YES - Stephens has come good, but Yoshida is the only long-servbing CB we have. Hoedt and Bednarek are very new, and Gardos is OOC in the summer and will surely not be staying - as he doesn't even get regular run outs with the U23's. NEW STRIKERS - a priority, but I'm sure we'll see a new name for CB in the near future. Maybe not another VvD...but a replacement is definitely required there, too.

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