Southampton news: Opinion – Adam Blackmore on Sport Republic

Over the course of Thursday, BBC Radio Solent’s Adam Blackmore will deliver a handful of Saints blogs. Part one can be found further down the page, while more will follow these words, which focus on gambles taken in the transfer market.

Sport Republic have gambled with Southampton FC and lost. While I have no personal issue with co-owners Henrik Kraft and Rasmus Ankersen, I think I have enough evidence looking at the Premier League table to know that their part of the deal, the vision they no doubt sold to Dragan Solak, hasn’t been realised. I haven’t written books about performance, I haven’t made millions in the markets or made Oura rings or got a Uefa coaching badge. I haven’t even been chairman of a football club or been a director of football. But that is why I defer to ex-players for tactical knowledge, it’s why I say it’s my job to tell you what is happening on the pitch and theirs to tell you why, and I never act after all these years like a football expert. I’ve never talked about a low block in my life. My commentary wouldn’t be as informative without Jo or Dave alongside, because they’ve been at the coal face. They know football.

Too many of Southampton’s signings have been gambles that haven’t worked. Rasmus Ankersen has been deeply involved in transfers and he would think he has every right to be after being director of football at Brentford and having success there alongside Matthew Benham. But the on-the-surface evidence is that without the might of Benham’s statistical research and sports modelling machine that’s behind SmartOdds, Ankersen has had more misses than hits. Of the 14 players signed in Sport Republic’s first two transfer windows in charge, summer 2022 and January 2023, only five have been involved in the Premier League for Saints this season. And then I could cite the gamble on Ross Stewart.

It is also a huge gamble to swap experienced hardened pros for academy players who may turn out well. You say Romeo Lavia, I’ll give you Juan Larios, Sekou Mara, Sam Edozie and Kamaldeen Sulemana. All young talented players with very little combined senior football between them when signed, who were all expected to suddenly compete in the Premier League? And if they weren’t, then don’t sell the players that are good enough in the hope these young players will step up, and then leave Southampton short of quality, nous, resilience, and the ability to deliver under pressure week in, week out. To me, that is a gamble. It is the toughest league in the world, you toy with it at your peril.

Check back shortly for part three of Adam’s analysis