Summer Window 2026 - Rumours and Discussion

IIRC clubs aren’t “supposed to” talk to/sign domestic out of contract players until 30 days before the end of their contract, which would be the end of this month. The transfer window hasn’t opened either. Whether discussions have happened otherwise we just don’t know. 

Rothko said:

Dazzler21 said:

Gisappointed said:

Crispywood said:

RedJohn said:

When are the boys back at Sparrows Lane for Pre Season?

Last season preseason started 8 days (4th July) before our opening game against Dartford so you would assume similar time to that 

We were involved in the play-offs until late May and at least four were subsequently involved in international matches. We will be better rested and prepared this year.

Off-season allows players to stay fit by doing long runs (aerobic) as opposed to intense sprints of football training (anaerobic).

Fitness through the season is more reliant on the former than the latter, allowing oxygen to be better absorbed into the bloodstream. 

You don't stop doing anaerobic work just because it's the off season. Otherwise you're reducing your ability to operate when deprived of oxygen.

Footballers need to train throughout the year both in season and off season, with aerobic, anaerobic, and resistance work. This keeps their cardiovascular system, bones, ligaments, tendons and of course muscles strong.

Failing to maintain any of these will see a higher chance of injury as well as a lack of effectiveness - something no player wants to risk introducing to their game. 

This has to be explained every summer, the players have targets and programmes, they are sent home with a smart watch and other connect kit to monitor their workload, weight, heart rates, etc, and there is no surprises on the first day back, the medical team will know what players states are when they return 

I have no insight into training regimes of the club apart from photos on the OS but I suspect that once the season is underway, the aerobic aspect of fitness is under-valued, if not ignored totally. Many ITK on this site have access to the training ground and I'd expect a few leaks on who is fastest on a long run. I suspect that the lack indicates that there aren't any. 

In my sport, once the season started, several sessions were just long, low intensity sessions, perhaps with a bit of balls-out at the end.

RonnieMoore said:

Bree and Southampton cannot agree a new contract so he will become a free agent in a few weeks …from site called Lions Central 

If that is true (we dont know if it is) then I have no doubt NJ will be straight on the blower. He was injured for the last half of his loan, but when he was fit at Saints, you saw time and again his delivery was top class.

fenaddick said:

Gisappointed said:

Rothko said:

Dazzler21 said:

Gisappointed said:

Crispywood said:

RedJohn said:

When are the boys back at Sparrows Lane for Pre Season?

Last season preseason started 8 days (4th July) before our opening game against Dartford so you would assume similar time to that 

We were involved in the play-offs until late May and at least four were subsequently involved in international matches. We will be better rested and prepared this year.

Off-season allows players to stay fit by doing long runs (aerobic) as opposed to intense sprints of football training (anaerobic).

Fitness through the season is more reliant on the former than the latter, allowing oxygen to be better absorbed into the bloodstream. 

You don't stop doing anaerobic work just because it's the off season. Otherwise you're reducing your ability to operate when deprived of oxygen.

Footballers need to train throughout the year both in season and off season, with aerobic, anaerobic, and resistance work. This keeps their cardiovascular system, bones, ligaments, tendons and of course muscles strong.

Failing to maintain any of these will see a higher chance of injury as well as a lack of effectiveness - something no player wants to risk introducing to their game. 

This has to be explained every summer, the players have targets and programmes, they are sent home with a smart watch and other connect kit to monitor their workload, weight, heart rates, etc, and there is no surprises on the first day back, the medical team will know what players states are when they return 

I have no insight into training regimes of the club apart from photos on the OS but I suspect that once the season is underway, the aerobic aspect of fitness is under-valued, if not ignored totally. Many ITK on this site have access to the training ground and I'd expect a few leaks on who is fastest on a long run. I suspect that the lack indicates that there aren't any. 

In my sport, once the season started, several sessions were just long, low intensity sessions, perhaps with a bit of balls-out at the end.

Given NJ has expressly praised the (aerobic) fitness of players like TC and we know that Kelman and Kanu have hired professionals to oversee their training regime I think it's highly unlike anyone undervalues any element of fitness work. In pre season videos we often see clips of long runs and just last week the women's team were talking about their intense runs having been great preparation for their play off in the heat. You don't see videos or pictures of long runs in the season 1) because they're boring and 2) because they're running 5kish in matches often twice a week. Quite why you think you know more than the professional strength and conditioning team because there are no leaks about who is quickest is baffling.

I think NJ holds the team to quite a high standard of fitness on the basis he likes us to press and be competitive.  The flip side to that though is that the majority of the team were blowing out their backsides come March last season, and it showed in how we tailed off.

The best way to prevent that is to bring in players who are good on the ball so we see more of it.  If we just had one or two players who could make the ball do the work last season, I think we would’ve been well beyond the relegation places with 5/6 games to go

it worked last season as we had the promotion bounce, and for the first 10 or so games, we had the legs and the energy to deal with playing the likes of Ipswich and affording them the majority of the ball.   I don’t think we need to abandon that approach, but we do need players who can help us retain possession and put the pressure on our mini league of clubs next season when we play them.  

Gisappointed said:

But pre-season or in season?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktCvTfFahHE

ShootersHillGuru said:

RonnieMoore said:

Bree and Southampton cannot agree a new contract so he will become a free agent in a few weeks …from site called Lions Central 

If Bree can’t get what he’s after out of Southampton, then I’m pretty doubtful we’ll be able to match his demands. Would love it if we could but to me at least it seems unlikely. 

Maybe what he wants out of Southampton is to play for Nathan Jones and they have said no to that...
Here's hoping anyway!

Carter said:

I have a vested interest in Joe Walsh as in I am friends with both his parents 

His mum, to my knowledge gives not a shit about football beyond how well Joe is doing. She does like prosecco though and is a very nice woman 

His dad is very much NOT a charlton fan but his step mum is very much a charlton fan. 

I think he has a decent future in the game and am glad QPR put and kept faith in him. The game he had against us was the best I've seen him play however 

sounds like dad definitely upgraded then 😉

Sword65pf said:

ShootersHillGuru said:

RonnieMoore said:

Bree and Southampton cannot agree a new contract so he will become a free agent in a few weeks …from site called Lions Central 

If Bree can’t get what he’s after out of Southampton, then I’m pretty doubtful we’ll be able to match his demands. Would love it if we could but to me at least it seems unlikely. 

Not having a dig but with respect, and a lot of people say we can’t afford, but does anyone actually know this for certain, I find it a bit of a throw away comment, we were able to afford a shitload on a bang average goalkeeper wasn’t we? My point how does anyone truly know our level of affordability for certain?.

Not really, Kaminski is/was expensive relative to the rest of our squad maybe but compared to most established Championship sides he's probably about average or even a bit below in terms of wages for a first choice keeper (which is what he was bought in as.)

Rothko said:

Dazzler21 said:

Gisappointed said:

Crispywood said:

RedJohn said:

When are the boys back at Sparrows Lane for Pre Season?

Last season preseason started 8 days (4th July) before our opening game against Dartford so you would assume similar time to that 

We were involved in the play-offs until late May and at least four were subsequently involved in international matches. We will be better rested and prepared this year.

Off-season allows players to stay fit by doing long runs (aerobic) as opposed to intense sprints of football training (anaerobic).

Fitness through the season is more reliant on the former than the latter, allowing oxygen to be better absorbed into the bloodstream. 

You don't stop doing anaerobic work just because it's the off season. Otherwise you're reducing your ability to operate when deprived of oxygen.

Footballers need to train throughout the year both in season and off season, with aerobic, anaerobic, and resistance work. This keeps their cardiovascular system, bones, ligaments, tendons and of course muscles strong.

Failing to maintain any of these will see a higher chance of injury as well as a lack of effectiveness - something no player wants to risk introducing to their game. 

This has to be explained every summer, the players have targets and programmes, they are sent home with a smart watch and other connect kit to monitor their workload, weight, heart rates, etc, and there is no surprises on the first day back, the medical team will know what players states are when they return 

If only Peter Garland had that support he'd have been a world beater

Southampton are also now going to be in there 2nd and final year of parachute payments and also starting with a points deduction. Maybe they're being a bit more cautious about spending high and perhaps looking to cut there cloth a bit and with players contracts expiring it might be easier to just let go some previous high earners like Bree who would have joined on a Premier League contract.