Badger

Good thread and raises some interesting questions. Most of us would agree that our failings stem largely from poor recruitment and appointments but apportioning blame for that might be more difficult. In truth the fans don’t really know the selection process, only the snippets clubs feed into the media. Is it poor identifying of players, poor selection after, or failings on negotiation. Possibly a mix. Seems a bit unfair to pin it on the scouts as we just don’t know the process. If Mowbray comes back witn ‘ look chaps, this is the next Beckenbauer’ , but Lego dismisses it as he wants Nathan Wood from his former club, then the failing isn’t in the scouting. Needs to be sorted though.

I’d always assumed the DoF, and in years gone by collectively by The Board. Begs the question who appoints the DoF, and in what criteria. Read an article some weeks back where it referred to Newcastle’s appointment of Dan Ashworth being through a London based Recruitment Consultancy, ( not Les Read’s! )

Top man !!

Wasn’t Kenya a staging post for him as well at one point ?

Last thing I read on the Martin-Swansea relationship was that the club were suing him personally, presumably for breach of contract. Nothing read on that for some time, not that it needs to be in the public gaze. It would certainly take a major climb down from somewhere for him to be back at Swansea

Not sure how much imapct is down to Mowbray. He found some decent players for Aberdeen who were effective for them, and he might take some credit for Fernades for example. Might need to give it time to see how the Japanese players turn out as well. Several comments on the thread that much of last season's signings were down to Lego.

I'd rather he got on with the job. Too many have been too quick to talk about it in the past, then delivered fuck all.

Some good, interesting points in there, Manji. Spors does bring an air of optimism to the otherwise bleak outlook, although not fully sure as to why. Perhaps it's just blind faith. In terms of Spors team I highlighted the name Marcel Klos last week so assume he's one of them. Good news if Rasmus has been shunted out of the way. I can't see Juric remaining in charge for next season. I've always felt his appointment was a temporary role , a kind of 'nightwatchman' until next season. Solak's interview hasn't convinced me otherwise, and with results as they are a change is inevitable, possibly dressed up as Spors wanting to do his own thing. Rohl would be the obvious candidate, but as others have said Saints don't go for the outstanding and obvious candidate, so it'll probably be some random Portuguese chap ... Added to which Rohl will probably have other offers, not least of all at home in Germany. Agree that despite the SR failures to date, we have to give Dragan a chance to reset it all over again. No point rallying against him now, he's the club's best bet for a revival unless we've got a major benefactor to step in and shell out.

Reminds me of: Swing Lowe …

Thought about this the other day whilst reading the ‘Uncomfortably Numb’ thread. There was reference to some tribute acts on there. SFC doing their best for a tribute act:Ivan Juric & The Blockheads. Blockheads? Not sure if that’s the players or Board.

Possibly true. Is it different elsewhere, and why ? Saints had a large support from Winchester and Salisbury in the 70’s as well though.

Wonder if they’ll come back in the summer

One or two.... that's a start then. Out of interest who was sat in the Directors Box to take this ?

From more recent times: We don’t do failure - we breed it, it’s in our DNA and from an online Latin translator: Muppetrium abundat or Nostrum muppetrium limites non novit. translated as: Muppetry abounds or Our muppetry knows no limits await a Latin scholar to correct this, just taken from the internet.

I thought our opening gambit a few years ago … something to the effect of : Founded on faith was a good line harking back to our origins.

No VAR next season

Bad results,freak results, shit results even, happen. Sometimes twice. I can live with that, especially when one is Mike Dean inspired. What I find more difficult to accept and find an ‘embarrassment’ (of sorts) at the club is the continued downward spiral, poor recruitment and appointments, dickheads in charge, all fiddling whilst Rome burns … all you expect congratulating themselves on how clever they’ve been with a fucking spreadsheet Then there’s the acceptance of it by the fan base.

Turning this around, from what you’ve read and heard, are you optimistic re his appointment, and why ? He comes with a decent reputation, agreed, but is that due to previous links with jobs at Spurs/Newcastle, or something more substantive? Not looking to point score, genuinely interested.

I want to agree with MLG here, that Dragan has weeded out the problems at the top and things will improve. For me, I’m hoping this is a new throw of the dice and it will go in the right direction. At last. My reservation though is that I recall a similar comment from Solak after our last relegation that he should have taken closer personal interest. And that hasn’t worked well long term.

Is that the Serbian regime that Dragan is also at loggerheads with ? Not sure he’d be holding them up as an example of how things might be done

I know several have mocked ‘ Dell sized mentality’. I’d be delighted to see some ‘Dell sized spirit’ among both players and supporters.

Support is far too passive and unimaginative. Singing “ there’s only one south coast derby …”, seems to elevate the skates status beyond their worth. As protests, you wonder when and what it would take to spark it. I’m looking to the younger generations who have the energy for it. What’s their problem, too much time on PlayStations ?

Yes, planting the ball in the net from eight yards. That’s not going to impress anyone is it ? But it is a stark contrast to most of our fuckers yesterday who in the same position would look to take a touch and pass it sideways to someone else in a poorer position to take responsibility of taking a shot.

Loanee making complimentary noises about his temporary club. Hardly a first. Didn’t the Echo go overboard about Downes ‘wanting’ (or willing) to stay last season? Not reading too much into that

I’m not a great fan of Smallbone, even last season I found him lacking (but he was outstanding in the play-offs). Clearly out of depth in this league, but one thing I’d give him credit for yesterday, is that despite the jeers he was always making himself available to take a pass. A lot of players might be inclined to ‘disappear’ at that stage even.