Krueger says Saints to emulate Green Bay Packers

[CB Fry]

Fried - please never leave this place.

 

Cleary its a contextualisation but it's a poor one because small teams face completely different odds of success without some degree of parity.

 

Meanwhile continue to blabber on about credible visions when all we've heard from Krueger are slightly more polished Adkinisms and management 101 shlock.

 

The only thing that's needed to complete your credulity is for Krueger to say how we could become the next Stoke...

 

Keep putting the mong in the mongboard.

 

You are getting awfully het up about something our new Chairman said we could be "A little bit like".

 

But really well done on the deep analysis that throwaway line really needed. It's like listening to an autistic teenager struggling to deconstruct a proverb. But funnier of course.

 

Ralph Krueger: member of the World Economic Forum.

 

Strawlock: utter dinlow on football fans forum.

[Turkish]

You are getting awfully het up about something our new Chairman said we could be "A little bit like".

 

But really well done on the deep analysis that throwaway line really needed. It's like listening to an autistic teenager struggling to deconstruct a proverb. But funnier of course.

 

Ralph Krueger: member of the World Economic Forum.

 

Strawlock: utter dinlow on football fans forum.

 

The 'hopelessly naive' Ralph Kruger hasn't got a clue what he is doing. I fully expect him to send the team to dribble the ball behind the goal and score that way. Everyone thinks that will be allowed and he must think it, as neither he, nor any of the other hopelessly naive posters on here has said otherwise.

 

Gotcha Fried.

[wadesmith]

He's going to have one hell of an uphill climb if he thinks he's going to sell Saints to the yanks. I've been living here for a year now and listen to SirusFC a digital radio station solely dedicated to football (soccer). The announcers/hosts of the show spend about 75% of their time talking EPL and of that it's pretty much Citeh, United, Chelsea, Arsenal and a pit of a **** take on Spurs. Teams like Saints are bunched in with the Norwich, Stoke, villa etc group and never get any air time. I just don't see what a Canadian ice hokey coach is going to do to raise Saints profile other than to make us out as a bit of a freak side show.

BTW, the US Siants Facebook group do a Stirling job and probably promote Saints better than anything the club might try.

 

You could apply that 75% to Talk Sport in this country. That's just the way it is.

[Window Cleaner]

I hate the Packers, dirtiest team in the NFL, wouldn't mind a similar success rate though. 2 superbowls in about 12 years,

2 PL league titles before 2025 would suit me fine.

[doggface]

Only way we can become marketable abroad IMO would be to splash the cash ala city or Chelsea. Not going to happen therefore a load of cobblers.

 

no one here in Toronto gives a **** about us. Arsenal Liverpool united rule

[Sour Mash]

Only way we can become marketable abroad IMO would be to splash the cash ala city or Chelsea. Not going to happen therefore a load of cobblers.

 

no one here in Toronto gives a **** about us. Arsenal Liverpool united rule

I don't know America well, so I'm speculating, but won't some fans pick their team to follow on more than just winning? Obviously got to be playing good football, at a decent level, but if the club is seen as the Premier League that plays young English players, up against the big Russian and Arab money? Football coverage and the Premier League is growing over there? Could we not get a decent slice of the market, albeit still a way behind Man U, Chelsea etc?

[Window Cleaner]

Only way we can become marketable abroad IMO would be to splash the cash ala city or Chelsea. Not going to happen therefore a load of cobblers.

 

no one here in Toronto gives a **** about us. Arsenal Liverpool united rule

 

because they are historically successful teams with big name players. If we want to conquer the US fan market we'll need big name players and they'll cost us a lot of money. Green Bay have always had big names even when it comes to everybody's favourite villains, Favre must have been one of the most hated QBs in history (outside Green Bay and Wisconsin in general that is)

[shurlock]

Only way we can become marketable abroad IMO would be to splash the cash ala city or Chelsea. Not going to happen therefore a load of cobblers.

 

no one here in Toronto gives a **** about us. Arsenal Liverpool united rule

 

The mongboard great and good have been pouring scorn for years on the idea (and MLG) that we could fill the ground or attract real support from anyone from outside a slither of Hampshire. The surrounding catchment area -dare I say it, Western England- was akin to going into outer space (without oxygen).

 

Now we have grand designs on the international market and the very same great and good are proclaiming Ralphy's vision as credible

 

Fear not the captain of our own 21st century Mayflower is a member of the WEF.

Edited 16 March, 2014 by shurlock

[Window Cleaner]

I don't know America well, so I'm speculating, but won't some fans pick their team to follow on more than just winning? Obviously got to be playing good football, at a decent level, but if the club is seen as the Premier League that plays young English players, up against the big Russian and Arab money? Football coverage and the Premier League is growing over there? Could we not get a decent slice of the market, albeit still a way behind Man U, Chelsea etc?

 

Good football means nothing to the average US citizen, success is what you need to impress them, well at least in their choice of their second favourite team anyway.

[shurlock]

Good football means nothing to the average US citizen, success is what you need to impress them, well at least in their choice of their second favourite team anyway.

 

And it's true to an extent with the NFL. Green Bay happen to play good football (if ballet and high-powered passing -as opposed to smash mouth football- are your kind of thing) and play on their Wisconsin folksiness; but above all, they have been highly successful in recent years. Success means everything; yet it costs more to achieve in the prem than perhaps any other professional sport (save perhaps baseball). Of course, wouldn't be surprised if UK fans of the NFL pick teams on a similar unless they have some sort of personal connection to a team or city.

Edited 16 March, 2014 by shurlock

[Lallana's Left Peg]

And it's true to an extent with the NFL, though Green Bay happen to play good football (if high-powered offenses are your kind of thing); but above all, they have been highly successful in recent years. Success means everything and costs more to achieve in the prem than perhaps any other sport. Of course, wouldn't be surprised if UK fans of the NFL pick teams on a similar unless they have some sort of personal connection to a team or city.

 

It's the dynasties in US sports that creates popularity. Winning a lot over a short period of time. When you look at the big NFL teams over there it is those who have won a lot in short periods. It is also reflected in the most popular NFL teams in the UK. The best example are the New England Patriots. No-one over here gave them two thoughts until they won a few SB's and now there are loads of Patriots fans.

 

Kruger's approach is quite pragmatic - if we can't attain popularity via winning things then we need to try and do it another way. Luckily we have an identity as a club / team and the principle thing behind that is our youth system (or rather, giving youth a chance) and right now it is having an English core as well. So we may as well use that to differentiate ourselves. We won't get much luck by just saying 'we're another Premier League club, look at us'. But by having something that we can use to promote ourselves it at least differentiates us from around 14+ other Premier League clubs as I am not sure what other clubs could use as a vehicle to differentiate themselves.

 

Last October NBC wrote a big long article previewing Southampton for their US audience. In a way NBC tried to differentiate each club from each other to establish an identity for them for the US audience. This is the link: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/18/premier-league-supporters-the-dramatic-rise-of-southampton-fc-and-their-fans/

 

The article is laden with a narrative of what Kruger was getting at in his interview. There are things about our club that perhaps we can promote in a commercial capacity which brings in revenue and could help us to sustain our position. It's worth a shot, no matter what anyone says.

 

I think it will be harder to do anything in Asia where they are a very fickle audience and just want success and big clubs and big players. But now with our links to North America perhaps there is a small piece of the pie out there for us, and a small piece in a market that size could be very lucrative indeed. Good luck to them I say.

[Sour Mash]

Good football means nothing to the average US citizen, success is what you need to impress them, well at least in their choice of their second favourite team anyway.

Yes, I'm sure it means nothing to the average US citizen, but the point is, we wouldn't be marketing to the average US citizen. I don't think anyone is suggesting that we compete with Man Utd or Chelsea, thats the whole point. I doubt we'll make great money, but you can see why it's an angle they'd look at. We do seem to get a fair few articles about us, young English players coming through etc on the American sports websites, definitely more than Norwich, Stoke etc.

[hypochondriac]

Ralph had a very well received (and quite cheesy) speech yesterday for the staff where he talked about the love katherina and her father has for the club. He also said he would be trying his very best to keep players here.

[Turkish]

Ralph had a very well received (and quite cheesy) speech yesterday for the staff where he talked about the love katherina and her father has for the club. He also said he would be trying his very best to keep players here.

 

He's going about it all the wrong way. He needs to come out and tell people we are going to be in the champions league, regardless of if he thinks it or not or had the means to do it. That way we'll all be able to laud his vision, ambition and drive. I mean he won a gold medal with the Canadian hockey team, so if he's already achieved success with them then it's incredibly likely he'll achieve what he says with us, that's how it works right?

[shurlock]

It's the dynasties in US sports that creates popularity. Winning a lot over a short period of time. When you look at the big NFL teams over there it is those who have won a lot in short periods. It is also reflected in the most popular NFL teams in the UK. The best example are the New England Patriots. No-one over here gave them two thoughts until they won a few SB's and now there are loads of Patriots fans.

 

Kruger's approach is quite pragmatic - if we can't attain popularity via winning things then we need to try and do it another way. Luckily we have an identity as a club / team and the principle thing behind that is our youth system (or rather, giving youth a chance) and right now it is having an English core as well. So we may as well use that to differentiate ourselves. We won't get much luck by just saying 'we're another Premier League club, look at us'. But by having something that we can use to promote ourselves it at least differentiates us from around 14+ other Premier League clubs as I am not sure what other clubs could use as a vehicle to differentiate themselves.

 

Last October NBC wrote a big long article previewing Southampton for their US audience. In a way NBC tried to differentiate each club from each other to establish an identity for them for the US audience. This is the link: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/18/premier-league-supporters-the-dramatic-rise-of-southampton-fc-and-their-fans/

 

The article is laden with a narrative of what Kruger was getting at in his interview. There are things about our club that perhaps we can promote in a commercial capacity which brings in revenue and could help us to sustain our position. It's worth a shot, no matter what anyone says.

 

I think it will be harder to do anything in Asia where they are a very fickle audience and just want success and big clubs and big players. But now with our links to North America perhaps there is a small piece of the pie out there for us, and a small piece in a market that size could be very lucrative indeed. Good luck to them I say.

 

Not sure I totally agree. I know lots of Americans and even with the NFL, it's not uncommon to swap allegiances if one team is doing badly and another is doing well. It isn't as in-the-blood as domestic football is to English fans.

 

If so, one can only imagine what their relationship is to the premiership and foreign sport. Certainly we have attractive points of differentiation -our emphasis on bringing through young English players (though I wouldn't push this too far as US fans are unlikely to care much about the state of the national game).

 

But even if this is a necessary condition, it's not a sufficient one without success and the investment it requires (there simply aren't the same financial checks-and-balances to level the playing field and allow a Green Bay Packers of the prem to emerge - the closest example is probably Forest but that was three decades ago).

 

You admit as much regards the reasons why NFL fans over here follow teams like the Patriots. And even if fans do stick with a team through thick and thin once chosen (there are many UK fans who like the Dolphins because they were good when C4 first started showing the NFL), an initial track record of success is necessary (mind you, Marino's Dolphins never won a SB).

 

Agree that Asian fans are far more fickle, though they also tend to follow players rather than teams. Which is to say its less costly to invest in marketable individual players (a la Yoshida) than creating winning teams.

Edited 16 March, 2014 by shurlock

[Badger]

He's going about it all the wrong way. He needs to come out and tell people we are going to be in the champions league, regardless of if he thinks it or not or had the means to do it. That way we'll all be able to laud his vision, ambition and drive. I mean he won a gold medal with the Canadian hockey team, so if he's already achieved success with them then it's incredibly likely he'll achieve what he says with us, that's how it works right?

 

Better have a good DVD with season ticket renewals or there will be more pictures of 'Kirk' and his Dad handing their tickets back in the Echo.

[Lallana's Left Peg]

Not sure I totally agree. I know lots of Americans and even with the NFL, it's not uncommon swap allegiances if one team is doing badly and another is doing well. It isn't as in-the-blood as domestic football is to English fans.

 

If so, one can only imagine what their relationship is to the premiership and foreign sport. Certainly we have attractive points of differentiation -our emphasis on bringing through young English players (though I wouldn't push this too far as US fans are unlikely to care much about the state of the national game).

 

But even if this is a necessary condition, it's not a sufficient one without success and the investment it requires (there simply aren't the same financial checks-and-balances to level the playing field and allow a Green Bay Packers of the prem to emerge - the closest example is probably Forest but that was three decades ago).

 

You admit as much regards the reasons why NFL fans over here follow teams like the Patriots. And even if fans do stick with a team through thick and thin once chosen (there are many UK fans who like the Dolphins because they were good when C4 first started showing the NFL), an initial track record of success is necessary (mind you, Marino's Dolphins never won a SB).

 

Agree that Asian fans are far more fickle, though they also tend to follow players rather than teams. Which is to say its less costly to invest in marketable individual players (a la Yoshida) than creating winning teams.

 

Yeah I agree the NFL fanbase isn't as tribal - in fact I think US sports fans are more passionate and tribal when it comes to College Sports. Either the College they went to or their nearest 'big' College that represents the area / State they grew up in.

 

But I still definitely think it is worth a shot for us - if we feel we have something that differentiates us then why not give it a go. Given how closely commercial revenue now impacts how much you can grow the wage bill then I think it is vital for us. Even if it were to only maintain the status quo. I wouldn't mind betting we've got several players under contract right now that if they were to join us tomorrow they would be asking for far more money. So the window is closing on how quickly we need to improve revenue to keep what we've got.

[melmacian_saint]

I'm ok with his ideas but please, please, do NOT change our name to Southampton Saints or Saints FC.

[Batman]

he may well change our name.

to tap into the american market

 

southampton sea siders, soccer team

[Window Cleaner]

Getting a better known sponsor will help us with global recognition I think. Can't be much worse than the tinpot outfit who no doubt give us a pittance now anyway.

[CB Fry]

The mongboard great and good have been pouring scorn for years on the idea (and MLG) that we could fill the ground or attract real support from anyone from outside a slither of Hampshire. The surrounding catchment area -dare I say it, Western England- was akin to going into outer space (without oxygen).

 

Now we have grand designs on the international market and the very same great and good are proclaiming Ralphy's vision as credible

 

Fear not the captain of our own 21st century Mayflower is a member of the WEF.

 

An eye - watering amount of strawman nonsense crammed in to one forum post.

Brilliant stuff.

[Turkish]

he may well change our name.

to tap into the american market

 

southampton sea siders, soccer team

 

It's great to see us taking soccerball so seriously.

[Badger]

I'm ok with his ideas but please, please, do NOT change our name to Southampton Saints or Saints FC.

 

Totally agree in principle, but would you get up in arms over Southampton St Mary's ?

 

Not sure I would be so bothered about that, but any Red Bull type of b0ll0cks would have me in a rage.

[melmacian_saint]

Totally agree in principle, but would you get up in arms over Southampton St Mary's ?

 

 

I see your point but I still would. Just like with Southampton City or Southampton Hampshire

[ericb]

"This league is going worldwide. One of the areas I hope to be able to help the club in is growing outside of Southampton,"

 

Ah crap that's the one thing i really don't want. I like the fact that Saints represent my city and the people from it. The last thing i want is a hangers on with no link to my city being sold the club as a brand.

[melmacian_saint]

Ah crap that's the one thing i really don't want. I like the fact that Saints represent my city and the people from it. The last thing i want is a hangers on with no link to my city being sold the club as a brand.

 

That's the way it's going though. Until some TV deal collapses anyway, which given the brainless talk that comes out of the PL corridors should be coming soon me thinks.

[DuncanRG]

No one's going to try to change our name.

[Sour Mash]

Ah crap that's the one thing i really don't want. I like the fact that Saints represent my city and the people from it. The last thing i want is a hangers on with no link to my city being sold the club as a brand.

Saints will still represent the city and people from it, I don't think anyone is suggesting that will change.

[northam soul]

Winning things to breed popularity, next you will be saying we should take the cups seriously.

[Dr Who?]

Getting a better known sponsor will help us with global recognition I think. Can't be much worse than the tinpot outfit who no doubt give us a pittance now anyway.

 

Like Barcelona?

[Dr Who?]

Ok they have a sponsor now, but for years they were 'shirt' sponsor less, or did I dream that?

 

I am not comparing us to Barca!

[Batman]

Ok they have a sponsor now, but for years they were 'shirt' sponsor less, or did I dream that?

 

I am not comparing us to Barca!

 

yeah, but they are barcelona

[aussiesaint20]

Not sure big spending is the way. Then we're just another club desperately trying to buy improvement, but with far less chance of it working.

 

We may be one of the 'other' teams in the minds of foreign fans, but we do have something different to others. We're the team with the top academy, producing all the talent, boosting the england squad. It's only just begun but that feels like a far more unique selling point and identity to me. Sure supplement it with a couple of good signings every now and then, but the emphasis should be on keeping players, investing more to make sure the academy is the best and more come through. Having produced Bale already helps that identity. Nothing to stop us being an Ajax or even Barcelona Light. Well, besides being in Southampton, but there's not much we can do about that unless they want to invest enough to make the city a lot nicer. Has a decent enough location too, be infinitely worse being a midlands club or just another London club.

 

I think the above is what we need to focus on promoting. There's some pretty scary figures out there for a current mid-range team to look at. Manchester United, for example, have more Facebook fans in Bangladesh than we have in the entire world. Competing with Liverpool, Man United, Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea on a global scale isn't realistic for at least a decade and to a lesser extent even Tottenham and Everton as well. In the short to medium term we need to aim at being the next best as far as global reach and support is concerned. Pushing our key selling points, as quoted above, is important to differentiate us from the rest of the pack. In short - a team that plays watchable football and promotes their own talent. Our proximity to London will also help with people making that step from overseas follower to supporter.

 

I took over our Aussie Saints page early last year and set about connecting as many Southampton fans in Australia as possible. We've gone from 250 to 2,000 in that time period and often have heavily attended events around Oz, despite the 2am kick-offs. The flow on effect from this is that our fans are now converting their friends to the 'Southampton Way'. Either through bringing them to our events or repeatedly sharing our online content.

 

Have managed to do similar, always in partnership with a Southampton supporting local/s, for our groups in other countries. The more we can get the Southampton word out there, the more likely we can reach that 'best of the rest' position. Out of sight, out of mind is very true when it comes to support of the Premier League overseas. The PL is incredibly popular, as you all know. Every Saints fans I speak to from all around the world mentions just that. Unfortunately in the same breath, they mention that almost everyone supports the 'Big 4'

 

Anyway, for those that might be interested, perhaps even Mr. Krueger, here are some of our international groups already in place:

 

THAILAND 4,800

KENYA 8,000

AUSTRALIA 2,000

ARGENTINA 1,300

POLAND 1,800

INDONESIA 1,800

BRASIL 1,100

AND for the North American flavour

CANADA

USA

Have also recently opened a page that displays our best fan content from around the world

GlobalSaintsFC which includes a list of Southampton friendly venues over the world.

 

Trying to fight back against the big boys, little by little. COYR

Edited 17 March, 2014 by aussiesaint20

[hypochondriac]

Everyone in Kenya knows saints now because of wanyana. They have no money to spend though

[Pancake]

Everyone in Kenya knows saints now because of wanyana. They have no money to spend though

 

****ing hell... Are you really that idiotic, or are you on a windup?

[Hamilton Saint]

"The number one growing sport in America and Canada is football... not American football," Krueger told local BBC news.

 

"Soccer is booming and there is an opportunity there for us because the Premier League is by far the most respected league in the world.

 

"We have opportunity for growth so let's find opportunities to expand."

 

Southampton, ninth in the 20-team Premier League, host 15th-placed Norwich City on Saturday at their 32,000-capacity St Mary's stadium.

 

One things for sure...Growth in the North American market aint gunna happen dressed as red and white deck chairs.....Thankfully

 

That first statement is somewhat ambiguous for a Canadian audience. In Canada there is soccer, Canadian football and American football. Canadian football is similar to American football, but it has several important differences in its rules, and it is surrounded by a very different culture.