Gloucester Saint

Yep, several times under Branfoot as a teenager I wanted the heavy defeats to end his time as manager. The defeats came alright but Guy Mr Burns Askham gave him a 3 year contract instead of the sack. Pellegrino was the other one - dreadful and even worse than Branfoot. Didn't quite reach that stage with Nathan Jones or Martin yet and to be honest until SR get a UK-experienced and high quality Head of Football, CEO and First Team Manager who can keep the door closed and locked on Rasmus Ankerson, I can’t see the replacement being any better. Still no excuse for Martin to be in post though.

Get him starting songs in the Northam Wall He’d love ‘My Old Man said be a Pompey Fan’, especially the lyrics in the last two lines.

Corrupt Bob causing more blue on blue action https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp39q1ppk41o

As manager in the short-term, it’s not so inviting, granted. But if he was replacing Wilcox’s role for two years after that, either mentoring Lallana or his own selection as head coach, that could be more inviting than a mere managerial gig. And great from our perspective if it finally kicks Rasmus out of any involvement with SFC. Moyes or someone like him is what’s needed to inject that UK football industry know how SR have sorely lacked.

More of Iran’s focus switching to defending against Israel doesn’t help Putin in the slightest because 🇮🇷 has been arming Russia’s campaign in Ukraine of late. Added to the fact China won’t openly arm them and are fed up with the Ukraine war, Vladimir looks fucked. And a lessening chance of his puppet Donald returning to bail him out and weaken NATO. I hate what Israel did in Gaza but on this occasion it might benefit Ukraine and NATO alliance by bringing about a much-needed clear out at the top in Russia and Iran, although much harder to see the Iranian people being able to topple the IRG. Unless the Saudis arm the opposition to finish them off.

I do in some ways but SR are the root issue. They need to hand the keys over to a Moyes or someone like him who understands the football industry and won’t accept trying to do Lidl-level moneyball.

I agree in some ways but not in others. Did you think Everton were better than us at Goodison? Were Ipswich miles better last week if we’d have cut out some of the slow passing shit? We were actually better second half. We didn’t give ourselves a chance at Brentford to assess if we could compete with them given the General Custer tactics. It was unlikely we were going to stay up but we’ve thrown away a point v Newcastle, Forest, penalty debacle v Man U, Ipswich late goal by not protecting the D, and tonight’s disaster tactics. 5/6 points and tonight gets put down to an off night. You can’t disrespect any industry by playing at or hiding behind philosophies. 100% organisation, focus, planning for every game.

I’m not cross, just frustrated that it doesn’t need to be this awful. Competitive for me is Luton last season, Blackpool when they came up. Stay in most of the games, a few wins for hope, give 100%, fit, well organised, play at a decent tempo. That’s the minimum with our resources and history, and shouldn’t be beyond his replacement even if we aren’t good enough as we suspected over 38 games. Martin is miles below that and not acceptable in his position and on his salary.

The lack of organisation is unforgivable but it shouldn’t surprise us when we conceded 70 last year with KWP, Bednarek and THB in the back 4. OK, 🤡 behind them until he got injured but those three are as good as it gets at Champ level. And not knowing who your first choice penalty taker is…. The tactics tonight were up there with anything late Ralph/Nathan Jones/Pellegrino/Branfoot. It’s ruining a younger squad and SR need to deal with it and also bring some football experience in to running the club and overseeing transfers. The Aldi approach to shopping isn’t working.

Absolutely this. Martin can’t survive that and to ask him to face Arsenal would be cruel and neglectful even by SR standards. Lallana caretaker for that and let’s see who is up for a massive task. I’d like to see Moyes on a long contract - manager this season, get us competing ala Luton/Blackpool, enjoy the games again, and Adam Head Coach with Moyes running all football aspects at SFC next summer. Direct report to Dragan and give David the SMS keys basically. When he has had that at Everton and W Ham he was very successful with fit, organised, highly competitive teams. The academies got a chance too, not loads of spreadsheet second rate tat from Rasmus’s spreadsheets clogging up the payroll.

And this is it in a nutshell (where’s Trousers with a suitable gif?) Someone like David Moyes needs to be appointing the managers.

Arsenal next and Arteta is not a manager to ease off at 5-0 on 65 minutes.

Keeping us up this year would be beyond re-incarnated peak Clough. But getting some self-respect and a sense SR want to be serious owners and not a Danish child’s play thing with other people’s money would be a huge step forward. It would ruin Lallana to be thrown in this season but clean slate next season, Moyes in charge of transfers having set the basics down at Staplewood - it’s an option at least. And David Moyes Head of Football, Rasmus ain’t arguing with him 😂

If he’s like this used where he was effective for the Blades under the new manager I’ll be in agreement.

Looked alright in a dire Blades team last year though. Funny that when you a sign a player and play to their strengths….

Have we done any since February 2022?

Don’t think he is fully fit or not training properly. Seen him play for Blackburn and Sheff Utd. Granted, he isn’t Mane but has a change of pace and strong. Only mid-20s but Mark Hughes in his late 30s was quicker this season. Another sign of serious issues at the club.

Not Ross’s fault. Bought him injured and barely trained with the squad in totality of his time here. Sunderland were laughing but got to get the best we can out of him and the dysfunction in the club and coaching set up isn’t helpful.

Moyes for this season and as Head of Football next season working with Lallana as head coach. Won’t take any shit from Rasmus and this is the core issue. In charge of all transfer activity as SR are terrible at this aspect. Will also fill the lack of football experience at the heart of SR and SFC.

Oh come on FS, you could’ve said the same about Rob Edwards and Luton last season. They weren’t good enough over 38 games but they got respect, some memorable wins, did the basics well and were well in the vast majority of games. And this squad is better and more expensive than they had. I don’t think anyone will keep us up but after this latest disaster just some self-respect, organisation and beating the 22/23 low points total would be success.

He’s in the rear view mirror. Lallana needs to think about how to approach the Arsenal game as caretaker.

Probably right but he looks so far behind McKenna and Cooper tactically it’s frightening. Just not cut out for this level as Jones wasn’t either, Dragan needs to act. I like him as a personality but his confidence is gone, you can tell. Aim has to be to compete better, beat the 22/23 points total and come back with a bit more momentum.

I think it wasn’t an affordability issue like it was with Tella, and he’d have gone to Bayer anyway given the choice (and why wouldn’t you - 2 lovely medals the result).

With the right manager I agree. Ipswich don’t have a miles better squad but look at their performance yesterday, playing to the strengths of the players they have. Funnily enough competing well even if they ultimately go down. We will struggle next season as well with Martin in charge.

It’s poor from the officials but also inexcusable in the top 2 divisions to be switched off like that. I don’t think the squad is anywhere near fit enough mentally or physically which is part of the issue. Time for Poch style double training sessions.