saint1977

Hope to God there is a new owner by June or so otherwise this club is going somewhere very unpleasant in a flimsily built handcart (a bit like each of the Saints playing squads at the moment). Seems unlikely but need something to hand onto! Club directionless from the top since summer 2017.

I agree with you although you may not agree with my suggestion for cutting the club’s cloth unless a takeover happens - Allardyce. I don’t think he will stay on at WBA but has finally got them set up properly how he wants. If he joined on 1 June he’d have a whole pre season to sort out all first team affairs at the club and get rid of the deadwood on the playing and coaching staff. He got the Sunderland side that I saw ship at SMS and they were worse than this SFC side, and CP were soft when he joined them as well. At WBA and other clubs he has shown he can find cute bargains that work in this league. Brexit doesn’t help but he has still found Okay who has been far more than OK, AMN would come and reinforce the midfield as well. He would work the loan system well. I’d love to think we’d get a takeover and be talking about Lampard etc but have to be realistic. Les Reed did more damage than Milan Mandaric could have done on purpose and the recruitment since hasn’t been much better. An old school manager who can organise a defence and has a big contacts book for signings is the order of the day. Leave Crocker to sort the academy from Reed and Hunter’s destruction of it, a boy shouldn’t be doing a man’s job with the first team. Even if he only did a year a manager I’d keep him on the recruitment side after that, club needs to go back to basics for a while. Compete, stronger physically and mentally, become difficult to beat again until Gao clears off. Thanks for all you’ve done Ralph and March to January which was great to watch but for everyone’s sake it’s time to move on unless there’s a new owner who can buy the strength and quality of player to make his coaching work again.

Out of the two posts surrounding it, I prefer your take on it but then I’m not one of the prospective parties Dan Shelton alludes to considering ponying up £200m+ to buy SFC. Depends what they would want the club for as well as their means. It’ll be expensive to fix Les Reed’s errors and rebuild plus the COVID loan so purchase price will therefore be less than Gao would like. Relegation means the club will be worth far less even taking into the fixed assets so this summer makes more sense for him to sell plus their domestic market has had the bottom fall out of it with the collapse of their expensive league.

The Indy reckons it knows where the Premier League driving force is and was beyond the failed Project Big Picture: For all his billions, John Henry is poorer than any of us imagined (msn.com) Man U fans had it right with the Green & Gold protests, they could probably see the Glazers' would be involved in something like this, partially driven by all of the debt they loaded onto the club. Real and Barca have been run appallingly for years, can see their catalyst. City IMO have actually got more to lose from an ESL, they have European football by the balls financially. Could dominate for years whereas Barca were looking in the bargain bins. If the players aren't onside and actively opposing, which certainly the domestic ones are, the whole project is a bit sunk.

Could depend on other factors e.g. Gao realises asking price too high with this development, needs cashflow by this summer and internal pressure from the Chinese authorities. If next season looks like certain relegation and SFC turns into a big liability with contracts that can't be fulfilled, he appears to have no way politically or financially of meeting that, so admin and dropping down the leagues would be the only way. Better to take £100-120m in hand and offload the liabilities now.

Really don’t care if top six clear off - still plenty of good days out and PL has been sterile for a while. Hope the genuine working fans from those clubs actually carry out their threat and go to watch FCUM/Oldham/Rochdale/Brentford/Tranmere instead, proper clubs with proper football. They might as well as their seats will double in price full of tourists and they will actually feel appreciated. As someone else has commented, Perez’s comments are hypocracy as City, Real and Barca and maybe Juve will alternate winning it, Arse and Spurs at the bottom. Key is whether Bayern, Dortmund and PSG can be persuaded in. Some of the CL games eg Spurs v Bayern have been total gulfs in class, a ESL won’t change that. With no relegation, a wealthy overseas owner’s dream, they will stink out for seasons playing meaningless games. Chelsea, Spurs and Man U all got relegated from D1 in the 1970s and in Spurs and Man U’s case it sorted them out, Chelsea’s debt took longer to get under control. One thing I’d love to see banned in a new structure is agents. Leave that for the ESL. Gao might be keener to sell now and drop his price hopefully. Get an owner that is actually interested in the sport and community.

Fulham aren’t going to overhaul them but all of the focus needs to be on the takeover thread now. Gao will come under more domestic pressure to sell, and even Wolves and Fosun where investment did happen seem to be moving to sell to buy with Traore. If there isn’t a takeover by the summer in terms for a massive first team overhaul, then its relegation next year. What’s a longer term concern is the weak state of all areas of the organisation, not least the academy, which has to come from the lack of vision from the boardroom and owner intentions. In some ways, the club is in a worse state than 2009 with the COVID loan. Trouble is, no exclusivity periods in place which you’d expect to see if something was imminent.

What it needs to be rid of most of all is Gao. RH has run his course but SFC has a set up that needs revitalising and some better, more professional players gracing it at all levels with the right coaching and passion to succeed. Les Reed is the worst thing that ever happened to SFC - look at the state of each of the age sides and knocked out of the youth cup by being hammered by Burton Albion. But to repair the damage since Koeman left, requires significant investment. No wonder there’s no direction or spirit on the pitch when no one has a clue why Gao bought the club and what the future holds.

Middx 79 all out. Will Vince enforce the follow on? 240 lead. Amazing bowling from Abbas, Wheal cleaning up the tail. A potent blend of pace and accuracy from the trio, with Crane’s leg spin and Dawson able to hold up an end when needed. Great 58 from Kyle, and anything over 300 on a green surface a very handy score.

Out of that lot, can see Fulham home as a win, unlike say WBA they are struggling to score and at least one shocking mistake a game. By the time the Palace game is re-arranged, they will be between eras with Zaha still wanting a move so see that one as a win. Leeds home I reckon will be a draw. As for Leicester h and the always, they are competing for CL so heavy defeats in those. 7 points total. 43 points about par with that squad. Lot more points than 21/22 will yield.....

Vialli met Souness I was told at Los Marinos (remember there folks?) but to go to Torino as Souness was already set on leaving Saints. He’d tried to quit after the Stockport cup defeat but was talked out of it. Word also was that he had people interested in buying the club but then Lowe and Secure Retirement turned up with the strange ‘Reverse takeover’. We all know he didn’t get on with Rupert - only WGS did really and even that wore thin. Jansen rumour was in Dave Jones’s first season IIRC? Went to Palace instead for a £1m, did well and sold to Blackburn for x4 that. Don’t know if Saints would have got him and Beattie but would have been a better signing than Ripley or Hughes.

I don’t disagree but unless Gao is gone over the next couple of months lock stock and barrel, which is pretty unlikely, then I can’t see how the club could bring in the quality needed for survival to supplement the better prospects you list. Also, look at his hard it’s been to shift Les’s Thursday pension day special signings - Lemina has had a decent season for a shit Fulham side, so we might get a few takers now who will pay the sort of fee Fulham would have in his last year. Les was Branfoot, Pellegrino and Lowe rolled into one in his last two seasons. Hoedt - Championship beckons on 50% wages at best so will be a net cost. Gunn loaned again. Forster might go to Celtic finally if he isn’t a dickhead about his last year’s wages but low fee to offset. Long - almost as bad an extension as Forster, sackable offence whoever sanctioned that, surely that decision wasn’t made sober? Reading might take him on 25% wages, skates if they go up. Berty free with honour and thanks, Jack and Nathan most likely to attract fees, £10-12m. N’Lundulu to Basingstoke or Bashley.

I’ve backed Ralph through the two 9-0s, and some tough times, and we were good March 2020-Nov 2020. But you can’t stand still, and SFC has a historic complacency gene that wouldn’t be tolerated in other parts of the country. We saw 2003 when WGS got fed up with the total dogma and inflexibility - instead of Malbranque we got Nilsson and Kenton. The last 5 years at SFC has largely been a shot show since Ronald left, brief flickers under Puel but largely shite football and decline, Pellegrino - worse than Branfoot and a £20m striker playing 10 games and given away, Hughes kept us up but mess the next season, fire went out of him, Ralph after having a better time has now gone the same way as Hughes, looks tired and disinterested. New owners needed ASAP, new manager and coaches, Crocker can sort out the rotten academy Les and his cronies have left behind. Allardyce showed tonight he has a contacts book all of the hopeless morons who pretend to be scouts with laptops will never have. Okay was excellent, he wouldn’t have cost £20m, look at AMN, the CB at Fulham Andresen as well. Ownership is a void, manager lost enthusiasm, coaching non league, academy teams getting thrashed despite all of the investment in facilities, players looking directionless and devoid of any work rate the week before an FA Cup Semi final. Stadium is about the only positive about the club right now. We’ve seen loads of excuses on here blaming the fans for getting on players backs but they haven’t been in the stadium bar a tiny cameo at Xmas for a year. If someone doesn’t buy the club soon and clear decks, the skates’ fate would be SFC’s next.

That’s a horrible miss, not even like he hit the post. Stu brings a save from range. Periera absolute quality, can see one of the top six bringing him in. Neither side defending well, Ings nearly scoring off his face. Furlong misses another good chance, and they missed another header where they didn’t even work Forster from free. Penalty WBA - idiot Forster.

Fraser is a lucky boy. Terrible flap/push up in the air. Deserved to have one VAR offside go for Saints but harsh to rule it out. If they are that marginal they should all stand. VAR meant to be there for the blooper.

It was the same - on the radio stations as the Chase didn’t exist then - when the Queen Mother passed on early 2000s. I was at a neutral game in Norwich with some Anglia exiles and driving back to Hampshire the music was all like that on all channels. Was a good weekend that one, Norwich has some fine establishments to sup ale in. I was looking forward to the Masterchef Final last night but it’ll be re-scheduled.

Bye bye Fulham. Quality from Traore who hasn’t had the best of seasons, keeper might have done a bit better. Fulham were lucky on the offside earlier but haven’t shown the drive and desire to have a go at Wolves, will be down well before they play Newcastle last day. Should have been balls out, as limited as the Saints side were in the mid and late 90s bar MLT, they won those crunch games.

I can definitely empathise with that view and would have loved to have been there but will have to rely on my parents memories of being there that day. FA Cup was a very different competition then, only one club in the European Cup, UEFA Cup more highly regarded and ECWC of course which was more random but clubs wanted to win it. It would still be great if the unlikely happened and we did win it, but recognising it wouldn’t be the event it was in 1976. Man U started the rot in 99/00 and CL expansion did the rest. Having said that, you think of the players Lawrie had - Osgood, Channon, McCalliog - top players, Rodrigues had loads of big game experience. Peach would be a valuable LB now. Man U were talented but Saints could draw on a lot of experience that day that they don’t have with the current squad bar Bertrand say.

Great start, Leics battled back a bit at the close but Hants well placed to win in the two remaining days. Vince and Dawson battered that attack, Alsop solid ton when there was a little movement for their mediums. Easy to line the bowlers up for clattering around the park when the ball got older but wonderfully punishing ensuring Hants rather more threatening attack has plenty of time to knock them over twice. Sad for Leicestershire as they’ve historically produced Agnew, Taylor, Broad and Mullally, but there has to be better for them available in the Midlands, Lancs and York’s leagues bowling wise. Get the win and ready for tougher opponents ahead. Wonder if the pitches are better as can’t remember this many 100s around the country on opening round? Will help players develop if so, earn your wickets through pace/movement and skill/turn and flight. Wickets still being taken but few scores under 200 whereas under 100 is not unknown at all last few springs/autumns.

Potential replacement being suggested if he does leave this summer: Southampton interested in on-loan Swansea man (msn.com)

Best deal that the club could get whilst it still has an owner that by reports at the time scraped through FAPP and allegedly led to the rules being tightened. Hopefully the club will be taken over and then the club can start picking and choosing more again based on values. Whilst Gao is still owner (hopefully not for much longer) every penny helps even if it's sports betting. I'd argue the club is very lucky to be getting this deal.

Pereira is very good and really stands out for them, let’s be honest he’d be a major upgrade for us. Otherwise I broadly agree, although the Turkish midfielder Allardyce got on loan has looked quite handy and can press, so if we are in the market for a 4th CM if AJ is sold I could see that. Johnstone has performed well but could be another David Marshall/Ramsdale, GK not where very limited funds should be spent.

Not watched it for about 30 years but Neighbours is apparently https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/actress-shareena-clanton-alleges-she-endured-multiple-racist-traumas-on-the-set-of-neighbours/news-story/7654845fd795a4ea031a2bc727169cb1

Unless there’s a takeover, and it sounds very unlikely based on that, although the club would have to plan for there not being one even a buyer were in exclusivity, it is likely to be a relegation battle (deep joy) unless the club hit gold with the younger Ings replacement. Walcott - done reasonably well but 2/3 year deal, really? It won’t take Crocker long to decide whether any academy products being blocked, most of the current crop are Woking/Eastleigh bound. Berty off which is probably the correct decision for all parties. Agree on needing a midfielder but will depend if RH thinks AY ready/signs a new contract. Moi will get 1/2 friendlies and then out on loan again, won’t fit RH’s system, two footed but too sluggish. Going around in circles until Gao sells/relegation.

I did. They were pretty awful at SMS as well until a shocker from Graham Scott let them back in and they woke up. A lot of speculation in that part of the world that Nuno will walk at season end whilst his stock is high. With the Chinese government pushing hard to cut back investment top level football, be interesting to see if Fosun maintain their prior high levels of investment. Still a very good squad but they have missed Jota and Jimenez. Mind you, at least they have Chinese owners who actually appeared to have the ability and scope to invest in the first place.