FredVaFC59100

SR goals, like in any multi-properties business model in Football, is to get Southampton FC at the highest ranking possible in the EPL, and for the satellite clubs to produce revenues and players for it. Lets not kid ourselves , the only ambition VAFC can hope for, is to be the top of the Satellite club in the SR galaxy. i.e. remain in the shadow and be sloppy second at best

SR is the like of City Group or Red Bull Galaxy business models, but on the cheap side. SR lost money last year, and it looks like they'll keep on being in the red given their poor team management strategies.

Really ? who are the ultimate money makers in both SR and City Group? Which team would SR decide to withdraw if both Saints and VAFC were to participate in the same European competition? What will a very promising VAFC's young player career path be ? I don't want to be sloppy second, and if the shoe was on the other foot Saints fans would feel the same I believe.

LOL, you are right, I'll get drunk many times this year! If my prediction of a mid table standing is correct, then I'll have a stress free season, just like George Costanza , not over reaching, and not falling behind!

yep, multi-club ownership does suck when you only are a stepping stone to an EPL team at the top of the pyramid. From what I've read, one of the reason to their demise from the 1st division to the 3rd in only 2 years, was city group's farm team strategy preventing them from enrolling any players older than 21 years old. They got very lucky to get reinstated back up to 2nd division just last month, thanks to Bordeaux forced relegation down to 4th division.

oui oui ! 🤪

I don't get that; isn't SR self claimed expertise to analyze player data to get the best fit player for the job ? SR isn't just shoving money in, they have an entire squad (according to Ben Chorley's interview (in English) from last spring available on VA FC website) that studies, dissects player stats all day long. Looking at VA FC recruits since they took over, it feels like these data annalists are either shitty or sleeping at their desks... SR wants to follow in the footsteps of RedBird Capital Partners and Red Bull, but they don't have the same talents. But wait, Rasmus is going to fix this...

in 10 games it will be too late. The transfer window closes on August 31th. By the time heads roll down, you can make it back up to the top of the table regardless of the coach when most of the players are subpar. Another wasted season.

Looks to me that SR is all talk but no action regarding VA FC .How can you put trust in SR when their actions (keeping Chorley/Kantari for more than a year for example) clearly shows poor judgement. How does Chorley fare better than the previous owner ? We only have 4 mediocre "has been" recruits on free transfer, and now, they are talking about Free loan from LOSC and othe French teams. This is exactly Eddy Zdziech (previous owner)'s way of doing business in the last few years.. 3 teams and 3 relegations does raise legitimate concerns. Makes me wonder if the two promotions this year were more a strike of luck than anything else. Make me think that SR's strategy towards VA FC might be on purpose after all; They bought a good farm team training ground on the cheap, this is one way to toughen up young players in a good lower league to later send them out to flagship team (Southampton FC) if they do show some potential or dismiss them if they do not. France has a reputation of producing good players; Top teams in Spain, Italy and Belgium to name a few, regularly buy promising players from France's 2nd/3rd league. Oh well, I have been supporting VA for 40 years and will do until my last breath, I just can't wait for SR to get the hell out. I miss the 70s/80s, and more generally the pre Bosman regulation era, where everything was more simple w/o multi properties business model.

There has been a lot of talk from Ben Chorley & Co in March/April time-frame asserting we would go straight back up the following season; The day we got officially relegated, SR said they were deeply sadden and will do everything to minimize the stay in the 3rd division. i.e. they were already tuning down expectations... We are 2 weeks away from the first game and the squad is pretty weak. As expected, A lot of departures for only 4 arrivals on free transfers.. all mediocre players if you ask me. So, yeah, SR does not seem committed to go back up. Almost makes me regret the previous owner. The 3rd division is going to be very competitive this year, due to a lot of clubs used to first and second leagues being relegated in the past few years. I don't see us going back up (yet alone going ever back to the top league) anytime soon.

What I don't get is that SR always puts forward their "Scientific" approach to football with data based hiring, but yet, they keep on making bad decisions (for Valenciennes at least) whether it pertains to the management team or players on the pitch. The friendly games have so far, been underwhelming and the team shows no progress whatsoever. I predict mid-table standing at the end of the season.

I feel quite the opposite regarding Valenciennes' future. Ben Chorley is mediocre at best, He has made poor choices since day 1. This does not fare well for SR's top farm club structure.

I think the real problem with Valenciennes is twofold; First, we lost our identity under the new ownership; SR has turned the club into nothing more than a farm team for Southampton FC and Göztepe SK. Second, the sporting director, Ben Chorley is way over his head. He kept on making very poor choices (latest one was to keep Kantari as head coach); in a video (https://www.va-fc.com/videos/17301 at 14:16) he claims that Joachim Kayi Sanda is the best center back in the world. Maybe he is too humble, why not the best center back of the galaxy? I predict that we will stay in 3rd division for a looooonnnnnng time.