Saint86

I don't disagree on the "maybes and what ifs", but it doesn't change the fact that he wouldn't adapt when we absolutely had to - he was determined to put his reputation and style above the club's survival, and that is what fundamentally did it for me. He also tried to be best mates with the players which isn't going to cut it at this level. He was a nice enough guy who did what he had to do last year (and gave us a great day out and fond memories), but his time was up in the prem in the end. Its a shame he wouldn't adapt and try to keep it tight at times - would have kept the fanbase on board and then maybe we would have seen him next season in the champ.

Unless you want the worst points total in premier league history, i should think the answer is obvious surely?

This is a must win game - easiest remaining match on paper at least.

So to surmise, he dared to say something that threatened farage... And he gets summarily kicked out of the party and reported to the police? Not looking good for reform as a serious party is it? 😂🤣

We're getting relegated from the premier league. Yes, we need to balance the books!

This video from 37:00 onwards talks about Johannes Spors (albeit from a Newcastle standpoint). Breaks down his career history and transfer record etc at the various clubs. Being the architect at the centre of 777's football operations does concern me - Leave a trail of rather badly performing clubs in his recent wake though...

Under SR i absolutely agree with you. But I think you do a slight disservice to Semmens/Ralph's partnership with this (once they'd got their act together) - they had very limited resources and were always shopping in the bargain basement. Despite that they managed to dig out some good deals with the likes of KWP, Tino, Stu, and Lavia in particularly coming to mind. The Ings and Broja loans were also good use of the loan market. Before them we had the period of spaffing the club's future up the wall... (i'm not going to check back on staffing at the time, but i think these fall well within the Les Reed, Kruger, Wilson period). The likes of Carillo, Hoedt, Lemina, Boufal, Vestergard to name a few very notable fuck ups (taking us back to the 16/17 and 17/18 seasons - sadly within the 8-9 year period your discussing and hamstringing the club right when we had a chance of really establishing ourselves as a top 10 side. Edit - Urgh, i've just reminded of the dire football under the likes of Puel and Hughes. How we went from knocking on the door of the champions league under koeman to that level of shitness, all whilst spending previously unheard of fortunes, is just criminal. Potentially as bad as anything SR have delivered performance wise, and thats saying something!! Smashing villa and sunderland, heck even the 4 goals vs arsenal, comfortably beating chelsea at the bridge, the united game, pelle, mane, tadic etc... Someone please take me back 😰😭

I think the biggest error they've physically made remains sacking ralph. Jones was a dire appointment after the fact, and selles had no chance (and I don't have any ill will towards him). You can add to that the undermining of the coaching set up over the preceeding summer, and ripping up the scouting (and to a lesser extent the academy) setup as well. The January window, when paired with the carnage of the on field and behind the scenes setups, was just the icing on the cake. I always felt like they came in like these footballing hipsters thinking they were the dogs bollocks and could reinvent football. Clearly they couldn't and knew a lot less than they thought they knew. Since then though rasmus has had his wings clipped and kraft is gone. And as has been said above, they have consistently put money into the club and worked and communicated with the fans. I think there are signs that they (perhaps just soak) are learning on the football front as well. All in all, I think that this season will prove to be the Low point of their ownership. Or at least I bloody hope so. Saying that, that optimism puts a a lot of relatively blind faith in spors being good. I don't think there is much point getting toxic towards them - not whilst they are investing and whilst trying to implement positive change at least.

Eh? I wanted Charles recalled previously because at the time relegation wasn't assured, Lesley had also been rubbish up to that point, and I thought Charles could do a job for us. I was disappointed he was briefly in line to be sold in january as well (given we could certainly do a job for us in the champ). Equally I don't have an issue with him staying there, playing regularly, and avoiding this car crash. Curious as to which part of that you disagree with. If I recall, I think you were a huge ralph out advocate at one point - but either way, how do you feel about his #2 potentially coming back in? The situation with downes and Martin is entirely different as well... He absolutely was one of Martin's golden boys, wanted out once Martin went, and had a sulk and refused to play. Would be a weird take to not be pissed off with his attitude 🤔

With the news that Rohl seems to be incoming, i wonder what it will mean for the team in the championship next year. I haven't really been following them in detail this season - i.e. typical formation and key players? Does anyone have much insight on them? I know Ralph played the 4-2-2-2 high press, are Wednesday in a similar muold? Do we think its likely we'll see Charles and Downes (if he sticks around) as our 2 CMs/CDMs?

The most damning thing about this chelsea result is that i watched every minute of both 9-0 losses... I turned the chelsea game off when the 2nd went in.

Now that was absolutely unforgiveable by Flynn Downes. Just shocking.

Mate, put the agenda aside. Smallbone can't be goalside of him without playing him onside. Its on Suga for being yards off it positionally and not pushing up straight away.

Not really, thats all on the defender that didn't step up and played them all onside... Unless you think we should be trying to play an offside line by being goalside of the otherwise offside attacker... 🫠

Nah, no where near those levels. Love and light 😂

That sounds like a great way to damage your gears... Normally you go across (left or right) and then down (or up) to get into reverse 😬. Love and light 😘

No, he has a reputation for ruffling the feathers / upsetting mentally soft players fair enough, but this is all about a Flynn Downes attitude problem. He was reluctant to joint Saints as part of the JWP deal in the first place, he dragged his feet about joining after the play off win and over the summer, he's been a sicknote multiple times since he's been here, and now he's having a sulk... most likely because his best mate russ is gone and we turned down a move to Ipswich... And trying to dress that last point up as being on the manager is pretty silly as well - Players don't typically down tools and refuse to play because of a short term personality clash - it would damage their reputation in the game horrendously and be incredibly unprofessional to both the club as a whole as well as his team mates. And if indeed there is a serious personality clash and Juric doesn't like Downes, he'd have been out the door in January given the interest. "Jurić is a very “say it how it is” character within the changing room which has led to fallouts in the past with players who don’t respond well to this message, but it’s also the same characteristics that have developed players and really got the best out of them". The simple reality is a Downes is an uncommitted soft player who needs his ol mate Russ giving him a foot massage and whispering sweet nothings in his ear to feel like playing. If he can't sort this attitude out then we need to get rid ASAP this summer. And as above, i would imagine his standing in the dressing room is in a pretty terminal state right now regardless.

This post is wasted on the Skate thread. Gloucester Saints for DoF i say!

Wait a minute, we're operating from the viewpoint that we have 11 premier league standard players? Let alone in midfield, and let alone when Downes is sulking? 😄😅

Looks to have just scored the winner for Everton vs palace. But not good enough for saints 😂😂😂

More like the team that should have started now. But wasted 50min etc.

Any working streams?

Ramsdale KWP THB Bednarek Wellington Lesley Fernandes Dibling Gronbaek Sulemana Onuachu Slight tweak by pushing Fernandes into central midfield with Les still acting as the anchor. But that is personally what i would go with.

A couple of heavy metal football / metallica references in today's presser. At least he's likeable / makes a few jokes rather than spending mot of the time getting angry at the fan base, and/or being overly smug condensing.

I'd have him back in a heartbeat - waltzes into our side. Let alone in the champ. If he isn't getting game time at Spam under the new manager he will surely leave, and surely we'd be in the conversation in that case - would all come down to cost. But if there is a chance he's available this summer and interested in a return, and we then ignore it, then we really are run by donkeys imo.