Holmes_and_Watson

On my wishlist for Christmas.

After the 3rd, the radio commentators started to downgrade the opposition. But this was a good win. A minute after the final whistle and "i suppose the only ctiticism is that they should have scored more". As if they had to look for criticisms right away, and that's all they had tonight.

I just liked the prestige of having a European based scout. I thought they just put a flat cap and a raincoat on the black box and sent it up to Stoke. But that data analytics book I read, tells me it's all done on steroid enhanced versions of football manager these days.

Looked to the sky on reading Adam Hammill, in case one of his shoot on sight efforts was finally coming out of orbit. Glovesman could easily be an international goalie/spy franchise.

The parallel universe of MLT, where his talent got proper international recognition... ... and where burgers are a health superfood.

I read that, thinking "Jack Stephens" was going to be next. 🙂

I get a bit gloomy on our chances when I see experienced players replaced with less experienced players. But at least the club has a strategy of buying youth talent on the verge of regular first team appearances. Which is better than just random youth talent, or squad fillers. We're clearly not shopping in the same places as other teams at the moment, so I can only hope it's enough. I remind myself I'm gloomy nearly every season, and we've stayed up this far. 🙂 Still want someone to win the ball in midfield though...

Desperately lacking a Long so they can play their traditional 4-3-3. C'Mon Barca, there's 90mins left!

If only Small had decided to go for that first day of training, and he'd have been told he was in their plans. Lucky us. He's still more likely to play regularly for us though, if he's any good.

Checking Over Land and Sea's spiffy contracts thread... and he was in his last season. Having been offered to Blackburn, and being dropped regulraly enough, I guess he wasn't going to sign. So a deadline day deal for whatever we could get. Can only hope for a sell on %. A Buy back is what Chelsea do for their feeder clubs, like....oh.... 🙂 Real were only minutes away from offering that £180m they had buring a hole in their pocket as well...

Both probably true.

You're training by yourself and will have to apologise for mouthing off. = clearing the air.

I was hoping for some competition for Romeu. Were the club not rummaging around in the French market for late/last day deals?

SaintsWeb news understands that Jim White will be on talksport for the last hour of the transfer window. Crook also offering opinions as well as twitter rumours there too, throughput the day. So it should be safe elsewhere.

Took the proof being in the pudding a bit too literally?

... Wilshere

Kitman Mark Forbes seems most likely to organise a clean sheet.

Had we transfer pennies to spend, I doubt he'd be given the title. But someone out of the experience that's left gets the spin. Did well last week and hope it continues.

Despite the results, at least we know Lawrie Mac would never get us relegated, after what seemed a decent start to the season. Oh...🙂

Armstrong and Occam in swap deal shocker! 🙂

I was going to say I'd like to go to that shop, but maybe a different aisle. But I'd have ended up coming out with those players too. Even knowing how it turned out, I'd go into that shop and probably still come out with them. 🙂

Tripped across something on Reed and Wilson today:- Towards the end of the book Football Hackers, the author is summing up. He talks about the crises that often formed part of data revolutions in clubs, resulting in the rise of your Klopps, and, in fincanially stricken clubs, opening the doors for the likes of Matthew Benham. There's a bit on Southampton under the opening sentence "But it is easy to be led astray from successful paths..." On Saints, some of the big data analysts "are impressed by their managerial strategy." The analysts told the author that "When we visted them, Sporting Director Les Reed had a folder on his desk which read 'Champions League Ready' - it was their strategy for the year 2020. That was in 2015. They were planning 5 years ahead." The author continues "But things didn't go according to plan in Southampton, Their coaching appointments stopped working out, some of their transfers backfired and when Les Reed was sacked in November 2018, the Champions League was a mere afterthought for a Saints team battling relegation." When I read it, I was reminded of all the other offices that had appeared as backdrops in the book, as the author visted various coaches. Some had big TVs on the wall, lots had a laptop, with one combining it with binders of notes. One had his personality profile on the wall as all the players had theirs done, and one had a nice view of their stadium. But all of it was day to day stuff of what they were working on, rather than a shiny binder selling a future. But perhaps it was wasn't a boast that Reed just liked to have on his desk when he knew visitors would be arriving. Perhaps he shared some of what was in it with the analysts, and my first thought was a harsh one. I've not checked to see if analysts careers have nose dived, as a result of flicking through it. (cheap shot, but couldn't resist, and to be fair the binder was there in Koeman's tenure.) On Wilson, the radio had someone from Rangers commercial side on, following their Euro progression. He mentioned "Ross" and "football transformation" in the same sentence. They seem really pleased with the work being done by him.

Or taking a flying lunge at the manager's door.

I'd imagine a fair bit of the glossy spin on this approach will be to sell it to parents of kids. Even as we groan at the new names for old terms. Seeing that there will be a defined development path with performance indicators, will remove some of that randomness of hoping their kid's talent rises above the others in a wider group. Of course, clubs worth their salt will be guiding individuals anyway. Lots of this should be old hat. But this systemises it, removes gaps where/ if the academy wasn't performing this way. One pitfall is that this new approach isn't flexible to change, and becomes outdated, with the regime unwilling to change, resulting in many of the same issues as before. But the people there should know that.

Hate to necro a thread since I'm not long here, but.... David Connonlly is doing co-commentary tonight. Before the game, the Harry Kane stroy came up, along with gentleman's agreements. Connolly said he had such an agreement with Saints. That a new contract was on the table for him, as he dealt with his dying mother and he needn't worry about it. Then he had an (other) knee injury and that agreement vanished. Instead he was released.