Reed has failed Claude Puel...twice

[Lord Duckhunter]

At first he looked uncomfortable and he said the fans would have expected a weak line up, but he eventually agreed. Thought Stelling was slightly OTT, he sounded really angry.

 

I thought Stelling was being a twt . Why didn't he rant at Phil Thomson over liverpools changes , I bet he said **** all about Eddie Howe' weak Boscombe side the previous round . Full refund is a joke anyway, people got a partial refund in the ticket price .

 

 

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[SKD]

I thought Stelling was being a twt . Why didn't he rant at Phil Thomson over liverpools changes , I bet he said **** all about Eddie Howe' weak Boscombe side the previous round . Full refund is a joke anyway, people got a partial refund in the ticket price .

 

 

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why does everyone think the media have an agenda against us.

 

Personally I think Stelling was right. It was a joke of a squad section that's cost us a place in the cup (FWIW he also had a dig at Arsenals team). It's very unlikely that we'll go down and we're not going to break into the top 6, so why not give it a go in the FA cup as well?

[Nordic Saint]

Reed chose Puel because he knew he would fade into the background and do as he was told. Few other managers would have done. Reed is already starting his PR campaign about how he personally has managed to get us to a Wembley final and so has redeemed himself after his failure at Charlton. If he'd spent less time yesterday doing all of his self- promoting videos and photo shoots, he might even have found time to sign a central defender. We'll be seeing even more of Reed as the final approaches. Reed all about it:

 

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/583235/Jeremy-Cross-Les-Reed-Andy-Murray-Usain-Bolt-Alfie-Barker

[simo]

I'm OK with playing the team we did it's not about protecting players from burn out its about protecting them from injuries, not having decent recovery times between games increases the risk of being injured !

[simo]

Reed chose Puel because he knew he would fade into the background and do as he was told. Few other managers would have done. Reed is already starting his PR campaign about how he personally has managed to get us to a Wembley final and so has redeemed himself after his failure at Charlton. If he'd spent less time yesterday doing all of his self- promoting videos and photo shoots, he might even have found time to sign a central defender. We'll be seeing even more of Reed as the final approaches. Reed all about it:

 

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/583235/Jeremy-Cross-Les-Reed-Andy-Murray-Usain-Bolt-Alfie-Barker

 

Is that another come and get me plea?

[AK]

I'm OK with playing the team we did it's not about protecting players from burn out its about protecting them from injuries, not having decent recovery times between games increases the risk of being injured !

 

 

Good job we are injury free then , all down to our non stop rotation, phew.

[Antrimsaint]

Was a saintsfc apologist as I've enjoyed the ride from league 1 but seems the progress has halted. Had to at some time. The capitulation in the FA cup and the lack of squad quality in comparison to the last few seasons tell me that the onward momentum has stalled and we are now treading water.

It is also very noticeable that the faux philosophising about the Southampton way has stopped and the silence from behind the scenes is deafening.

There is definitely something going on we are not party to and I am normally half full about these things.

 

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[Saint Fen]

I don't think too many people are "sharpening pitchforks".

 

On the whole, he has done excellently for us.

 

This time he has clearly not. That's what people are talking about. And he said Fonte wouldn't leave without a replacement. Anyone suggesting that the replacement was supposed to be Stephens or Gardos is a trenchant buffoon.

 

And, yes, he should have known that Redmond, Tadic and Long would miss lots of chances because that's what they have done all their careers. The same way that most people also knew Austin and Rodriguez would be unreliable and the same way that everyone knew we would score ****-all goals between our central midfielders as well.

 

On the whole, Les Reed, great job. This season, poor (other than signing Boufal who I think will turn out to be a brilliant signing).

 

Spot on. Reed has done a decent job until now. How could he keep Mane, Big Vic, Lallana, Morgan, Clyne, Chambers, Shaw, Lambert, Lovern, Toby, Koeman and Poch (I've probably missed some!). These people are not fans of the club and jump for bigger wages or because clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd are more likely to be challenging on a consistent basis for honours. Which one of these players or managers wanted to stay? People need to be realistic.

 

We have replacement each one very well until the summer. Puel is the wrong choice. He only ticks the box on youth development. The football is ****e, we will drop down the league but won't go down. The club needs to take a long hard look at the recruitment the past year and realise it hasn't been good enough. We are being overtaken by the West Brom's etc.

 

Reed needs to put the manager right asap and this summer is massive for him. He needs to stop talking publicly about ambition and statements which he can't keep to. For example not selling Fonte till we find a replacement. Also we need to stop relying on young players to come through who ain't good enough. Reed, Stephens etc need to be out on loan playing games. Look at Lallana, Lambert, Fonte, Morgan etc they have all played 100+ league games before making an impact in the premiership. I am worried for the future. The league cup will mask everyone's view of the manager.

[Saint Fen]

why does everyone think the media have an agenda against us.

 

Personally I think Stelling was right. It was a joke of a squad section that's cost us a place in the cup (FWIW he also had a dig at Arsenals team). It's very unlikely that we'll go down and we're not going to break into the top 6, so why not give it a go in the FA cup as well?

 

Spot on the rotation paid off against Swansea didn't it. Puel has really messed up generally, we are dropping down the league, out of Europe at the first hurdle and out of the FA Cup embarrassingly. He's only preformed in the league cup on the latter rounds against Arsenal and Liverpool because our new be hard to break down and get a goal to win 1-0 is suited against these. Puel has to go. We are going backwards although as mentioned elsewhere the recruitment hasn't helped but we are still under achieving in every area apart from the league cup.

[Edmonton Saint]

I'm OK with playing the team we did it's not about protecting players from burn out its about protecting them from injuries, not having decent recovery times between games increases the risk of being injured !

 

But we have the most injuries in the premier league so as a policy, it's failed miserably ?

[Dalek2003]

Reed and the Board have been very complacent for the last 12 months. Hope they don't regret it at the end of the season.

[Dark Munster]

Spot on. Reed has done a decent job until now. How could he keep Mane, Big Vic, Lallana, Morgan, Clyne, Chambers, Shaw, Lambert, Lovern, Toby, Koeman and Poch (I've probably missed some!). These people are not fans of the club and jump for bigger wages or because clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd are more likely to be challenging on a consistent basis for honours. Which one of these players or managers wanted to stay? People need to be realistic.

 

We have replacement each one very well until the summer. Puel is the wrong choice. He only ticks the box on youth development. The football is ****e, we will drop down the league but won't go down. The club needs to take a long hard look at the recruitment the past year and realise it hasn't been good enough. We are being overtaken by the West Brom's etc.

 

Reed needs to put the manager right asap and this summer is massive for him. He needs to stop talking publicly about ambition and statements which he can't keep to. For example not selling Fonte till we find a replacement. Also we need to stop relying on young players to come through who ain't good enough. Reed, Stephens etc need to be out on loan playing games. Look at Lallana, Lambert, Fonte, Morgan etc they have all played 100+ league games before making an impact in the premiership. I am worried for the future. The league cup will mask everyone's view of the manager.

How can people say this (and I agree on this part) and yet say the manager has to go? He's been given a squad with huge holes (compared to last year) and has had a ridiculous number of matches to contend with. Not to mention our usual 9 or so players out injured at any given time. There have been a number of matches, when able to field a strong team, we've played excellent football. He's clearly no Branf**t/Wigley/Gray/Saggy, and has only been here half a season FFS.

 

I'll judge him after a season with a squad not lacking players in essential areas.

[Dark Munster]

And yes, I agree with the OP, Reed has failed Puel.

[Ultimatt]

The club want to pump up the academy again and play the kids as often as possible. You can't expect to win consistently with kids that just aren't at a top 8 premier league level. Occasionally we get stars coming through, but how many of our current lot will move to a big club?

 

You either build a team to win today, or you build a team for the future (sale). This season the clubs gone heavily for the latter. Everyone old, with the exception of Davis, has been shipped and we've bought young. It's our weakest squad since coming up and it shows in the results.

[Saint Fen]

How can people say this (and I agree on this part) and yet say the manager has to go? He's been given a squad with huge holes (compared to last year) and has had a ridiculous number of matches to contend with. Not to mention our usual 9 or so players out injured at any given time. There have been a number of matches, when able to field a strong team, we've played excellent football. He's clearly no Branf**t/Wigley/Gray/Saggy, and has only been here half a season FFS.

 

I'll judge him after a season with a squad not lacking players in essential areas.

 

Fair point. I just don't find the style of play attractive to watch. Do you think West Brom, Burnley and Stoke should finish above us. Of course I don't expect to finish top 6 but top 10 is realistic. To get through the Europa league group is realistic and not be stuffed 5-0 in the FA Cup. Yes he has done well against Arsenal and Liverpool in the league cup.

 

We have gone backwards of due to the players we lost and manager.

[adrian lord]

It is also very noticeable that the faux philosophising about the Southampton way has stopped and the silence from behind the scenes is deafening.

There is definitely something going on we are not party to

 

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Can only agree.

[doggface]

One of the things that the club promised when Cortese was sacked was full transparency. That has just not been the case.

 

Both Ralph & Les have been a PR disaster & deserve to cop the flak for this imo. Seems they are afraid to offer a fan's forum to Adam Blackmore, probably because he asks better questions than most journos.

 

TBF Les has done a great job in building the football club over recent years and deserves a lot of credit, expectation has increased as a result of success & there is nothing wrong with that. I don’t think the fans are stupid & expect champions league anytime soon but it’s is getting harder to be competitive & IMO we have made some bad choices over recent months.

 

Even in the good times there have been some royal **** up's & disruption along the way. Latest being no quality Fonte replacement- just suicidal.

 

Recruitment has been crucial and very good over the years but the last couple of years too many duffers or players not adequetley replaced, perhaps Ross Wilson is an issue?

 

We have a severe lack of quality in midfield 3 that rarely breaks forward, samey short blokes who can't shoot (Romeu excepted & Davis the pick)

 

Recruitment of managers has been very, very good but I have to say Puel has not been my cup of tea since day one. Did great in EFL cup & I love that he has given the kids a chance but other than that not much else to say in terms of positives.

 

Puel & Reed made a HUGE gamble and completely changed the way a SUCCESSFUL team was playing. 1^st it was the diamond with both strikers playing so far apart from each other and tracking back for every ball down the flanks. They looked lost especially poor Austin.

 

Koeman was super flexible and although we had bad games and runs, he would at least try different shapes and tactics to try and get results until we turned it around. Current 4-3-3 (usually 4-5-1) every week is so frustrating, predictable and dull.

 

He never refuses to play 2 strikers off each other and has not played a full game 4-2-3-1 which has probably been our most successful shape over the past 4 years.

 

I hope he can turn it around but the team is so negative and rigid with no runners getting forward. Our strikers look so isolated, frustrated and rarely get a run in the team.

 

Rant over.

[verlaine1979]

What I don't understand is why, when we allegedly have a scouting database worthy of being the centrepiece of at least half of the club's PR output (including claims about tracking multiple options for every single playing position across most of the world's top leagues) does it seem that one of our two main hopes for a new CB was a Liverpool reserve who hasn't played for around six months? It's hardly black box genius to look at the reserve list of top five PL clubs and see who isn't getting much game time...

[Verbal Kint]

What I don't understand is why, when we allegedly have a scouting database worthy of being the centrepiece of at least half of the club's PR output (including claims about tracking multiple options for every single playing position across most of the world's top leagues) does it seem that one of our two main hopes for a new CB was a Liverpool reserve who hasn't played for around six months? It's hardly black box genius to look at the reserve list of top five PL clubs and see who isn't getting much game time...

 

And another was Jordi Amat....

 

I can only assume our long term targets weren't available and that VVD's injury isn't serious

[Show me the mané]

You are so right. The last seven years have been a complete disaster.

 

Why do some of our fans insist that our success is down to reed? We have lost all ambition now and seem happy to tread water or go backwards. The guy really isn't a great businessman. Cortese's legacy has now all but faded and the players certainly don't seem as happy as they were in general.

[GarrettIvo]

Fair point. I just don't find the style of play attractive to watch. Do you think West Brom, Burnley and Stoke should finish above us. Of course I don't expect to finish top 6 but top 10 is realistic. To get through the Europa league group is realistic and not be stuffed 5-0 in the FA Cup. Yes he has done well against Arsenal and Liverpool in the league cup.

 

We have gone backwards of due to the players we lost and manager.

 

As much as I want us to finish above West Brom or Stoke, or West Ham, or Everton, or hell even Chelsea and City, I dont think we have any particular right to do so. What makes us so special?

 

I do agree about the Europa League. That was frustrating.

[GarrettIvo]

Why do some of our fans insist that our success is down to reed? We have lost all ambition now and seem happy to tread water or go backwards. The guy really isn't a great businessman. Cortese's legacy has now all but faded and the players certainly don't seem as happy as they were in general.

 

Our ambition - now as ever - is to be a sustainable club. Preferably in the Premier League.

[um pahars]

I haven't got an overstated sense of entitlement and fully accept Saints have been pushing right at the top of their potential

level. It's been briliant ever since we hit rock bottom and I was always willing to accept a bit of

a recalibration once the top 6 got going and others started to catch up with us.

 

BUT that doesn't mean I can't express a couple of thoughts without being seen as needy and over demanding!

 

Firstly the last two transfer windows have been very poor and have left us much weaker. Previously we've matched the outgoing players or got pretty close to doing so. But this year we are much weakermroght through the crucial spine of the team. This is a real worry for me.

 

Secondly, (and I accept the above has a huge impact) I have not been impressed with Puel's style of play and tactics. Too often we've set up wrong and even allowing for having a weaker squad, he hasn't got the best out of the players he has.

 

Both on and off the pitch we've made too many poor decisions this year. We need to avoid being dragged in to a relegtion battle, regroup this summer and come back firing with a focussed and targeted transfer window.

[ally_uk]

I'm not being funny but surely on the black box a k.a football manager wouldn't they have a list of 10 players per position or more? I can't understand why we put all of our eggs in one basket, leave it to the last minute realise the player is injured and then have no other targets? Even a loan signing would of been a positive step.

 

Or are we hoping Stephens is going to step up and become the next one off to Liverpool....

[sadoldgit]

Why do some of our fans insist that our success is down to reed? We have lost all ambition now and seem happy to tread water or go backwards. The guy really isn't a great businessman. Cortese's legacy has now all but faded and the players certainly don't seem as happy as they were in general.

 

Why do some of our fans insist that our failures are down to Reed? Despite our rise over the last 7 seasons at some point some fans have complained about our lack of ambition. Every season. When we were getting promoted it was because we didn't go up as Champions. When we appointed a manager it was because it wasn't someone super special. There is no pleasing some people. Reed isn't superman, but he isn't the total **** that many like to make him out either. Oh, and Cortese seems to be given plenty of praise about our rise from the ashes, if he gets the praise for that why cant Reed bask in some of the glow too?

[lloydie]

The problem is with some people who always say that when people moan should we check our luck, remember where we came from etc? Yes that's all well and true, we are very fortunate and lucky and have punched above our weight maybe last season... however, we should still be able to moan when things are going backwards when it's clear sometimes that there are controllables that we aren't controlling, eg signing a CB... I don't buy into the fact it was impossible for us to get one signed. It was clearly very possible (palace and hull did it) but down to any number of B.S. reasons we didn't manage it, too tight on the purse strings perhaps?

 

Either way, when we see something that can be improved on, surely we should be pointing it out in the hope that someone at SFC listens and our voice is answered rather than let it slide and let nothing happen.

[Seaford Saint]

I haven't got an overstated sense of entitlement and fully accept Saints have been pushing right at the top of their potential

level. It's been briliant ever since we hit rock bottom and I was always willing to accept a bit of

a recalibration once the top 6 got going and others started to catch up with us.

 

BUT that doesn't mean I can't express a couple of thoughts without being seen as needy and over demanding!

 

Firstly the last two transfer windows have been very poor and have left us much weaker. Previously we've matched the outgoing players or got pretty close to doing so. But this year we are much weakermroght through the crucial spine of the team. This is a real worry for me.

 

Secondly, (and I accept the above has a huge impact) I have not been impressed with Puel's style of play and tactics. Too often we've set up wrong and even allowing for having a weaker squad, he hasn't got the best out of the players he has.

 

Both on and off the pitch we've made too many poor decisions this year. We need to avoid being dragged in to a relegtion battle, regroup this summer and come back firing with a focussed and targeted transfer window.

 

Sums up my thoughts too.....

[Saint Fan CaM]

I haven't got an overstated sense of entitlement and fully accept Saints have been pushing right at the top of their potential

level. It's been briliant ever since we hit rock bottom and I was always willing to accept a bit of

a recalibration once the top 6 got going and others started to catch up with us.

 

BUT that doesn't mean I can't express a couple of thoughts without being seen as needy and over demanding!

 

Firstly the last two transfer windows have been very poor and have left us much weaker. Previously we've matched the outgoing players or got pretty close to doing so. But this year we are much weakermroght through the crucial spine of the team. This is a real worry for me.

 

Secondly, (and I accept the above has a huge impact) I have not been impressed with Puel's style of play and tactics. Too often we've set up wrong and even allowing for having a weaker squad, he hasn't got the best out of the players he has.

 

Both on and off the pitch we've made too many poor decisions this year. We need to avoid being dragged in to a relegtion battle, regroup this summer and come back firing with a focussed and targeted transfer window.

 

Top post...sums things up nicely.

[Saint Fan CaM]

As much as I want us to finish above West Brom or Stoke, or West Ham, or Everton, or hell even Chelsea and City, I dont think we have any particular right to do so. What makes us so special?

 

I do agree about the Europa League. That was frustrating.

 

What a pathetic thing for anyone vaguely interested in competitive sport to say. We have as much right to expect our team to compete at the highest level as any other football supporter. Does a track athlete start his/her training thinking "you know what, I don't have a right to win this race, but I'll try anyway"?!? Throughout you HAVE to believe you have the right to be with the best or whats the point competing at all? It has nothing to do with what resources may or may not be at your disposal.

 

Why are we so special? Easy - we are Southampton. And if you don't believe THAT then you should perhaps question what kind of supporter you are.

[Heisenberg]

What a pathetic thing for anyone vaguely interested in competitive sport to say. We have as much right to expect our team to compete at the highest level as any other football supporter. Does a track athlete start his/her training thinking "you know what, I don't have a right to win this race, but I'll try anyway"?!? Throughout you HAVE to believe you have the right to be with the best or whats the point competing at all? It has nothing to do with what resources may or may not be at your disposal.

 

Why are we so special? Easy - we are Southampton. And if you don't believe THAT then you should perhaps question what kind of supporter you are.

 

Some people obsess about history and strongly believe the past dictates the future. The club (Reed) also speaks about this... Its always the Top 6 and we can be best of the rest chat from him. It's holding us back

 

Thats why i liked Nicola Cortese so much, he didnt respect the football hierarchy and was not going to accept making up the numbers.

 

You dont need a bright past to have a very bright furture - look at RB Leipzig for example.

 

We have as much right as anyone and the content crew need to get on board the bus of potential.

[DuncanRG]

Why do some of our fans insist that our success is down to reed?

 

No one thinks it's solely down to him but he is, er, the director of football, and the football's gone really well. That's why.

[Cabrone]

This is the first season since 2010 when I've felt we've not been moving forward, strange really as we've managed to get to a cup final but it does feel that the club is stagnating.

 

Overall Reed has done a good job but has been lacking this season. He's earnt some time from the fans but he needs to get things back on track, we are wobbling at the moment.

 

Puel should also get some flak, his rotation policy is OTT and the capitulation in the cup was defeatist and put an instant cloud over what was a great 1-0 at Pool. His gut instinct is cautious which sends out negative vibes and leads to heads dropping.

 

In this league if you aren't moving forward you'll get run over. Dump the negativity and put out teams that want to attack, go into your shell and you lose.

[GarrettIvo]

What a pathetic thing for anyone vaguely interested in competitive sport to say. We have as much right to expect our team to compete at the highest level as any other football supporter. Does a track athlete start his/her training thinking "you know what, I don't have a right to win this race, but I'll try anyway"?!? Throughout you HAVE to believe you have the right to be with the best or whats the point competing at all? It has nothing to do with what resources may or may not be at your disposal.

 

Why are we so special? Easy - we are Southampton. And if you don't believe THAT then you should perhaps question what kind of supporter you are.

 

Perhaps you should get off your high horse and read my post again. Of course I expect and want us to compete at the highest level.

What I was implying, apparently a little too obtusely for you, was that the oft-repeated lament round these parts that we aren't currently above a West Brom or a Stoke is getting a little thin. Of course I want to be above them. **** me drunk I want to win things. But you don't get it just cause you want it.

We aren't entitled to be above them for any reason. You finish we're you deserve.

If we want to be better than those clubs we have to prove we're better than them. Again and again and again.

Until we do, we aren't.

 

You can keep your lecture about the type of fan I am. Man and boy, 25 years, from the other side of the world. I don't have to justify to you what this club means to me.

[Chez]

 

I can only assume our long term targets weren't available...

that would be Erik Sviatchenk from Celtic, who refused to allow him to leave in this window.

[Nordic Saint]

Why do some of our fans insist that our failures are down to Reed? Despite our rise over the last 7 seasons at some point some fans have complained about our lack of ambition. Every season. When we were getting promoted it was because we didn't go up as Champions. When we appointed a manager it was because it wasn't someone super special. There is no pleasing some people. Reed isn't superman, but he isn't the total **** that many like to make him out either. Oh, and Cortese seems to be given plenty of praise about our rise from the ashes, if he gets the praise for that why cant Reed bask in some of the glow too?

 

I don't think I've seen anyone at the club 'basking in the glow' more than Reed does with all of his PR videos, interviews and photos. No one else gets a look-in. Surely, you can't have missed all of them?

 

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/southampton/news/reed-southampton-have-best-midfield-in-pl_276561.html

 

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/southampton/news/reed-champions-league-realistic-for-saints_235957.html

 

http://www.isportconnect.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35027:leicester-have-copied-the-southampton-model-les-reed&catid=36:football--soccer&Itemid=42

[sir_fred]

I thinkit is also a case of Kat failing Reed... She is looking to sale(either part or the entire club) and her focus doesn't seem to be to build the club at the moment. The uncertainty affect all staff at the club we are quickies loosing our strategy. We need to get the owner position sorted quickly if we are not to following steps with Villa where Sterner lost interest in the club.

[Heisenberg]

I don't think I've seen anyone at the club 'basking in the glow' more than Reed does with all of his PR videos, interviews and photos. No one else gets a look-in. Surely, you can't have missed all of them?

 

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/southampton/news/reed-southampton-have-best-midfield-in-pl_276561.html

 

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/southampton/news/reed-champions-league-realistic-for-saints_235957.html

 

http://www.isportconnect.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35027:leicester-have-copied-the-southampton-model-les-reed&catid=36:football--soccer&Itemid=42

 

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/583235/Jeremy-Cross-Les-Reed-Andy-Murray-Usain-Bolt-Alfie-Barker

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/11366206/Gary-Neville-The-era-of-the-gaffer-is-over.html

 

I guess when youve been a laughing stock for so long this is Les's two fingers up to all those that laughed at him for so long. Probably can't blame him.

 

Modesty is overrated

[Batman]

are we getting worse the more reed has control?

[verlaine1979]

that would be Erik Sviatchenk from Celtic, who refused to allow him to leave in this window.

 

Which in turn might give a cynic reason to think that rather than a database containing multiple options for every position, we actually have a small folder labelled 'Players doing okay at Celtic'.

[Heisenberg]

are we getting worse the more reed has control?

 

I think the writing has been on the wall a while - sure we've had a couple of decent last seasons, but how much of that was due to momentum? You take control of a club that's been promoted from league 1 > won a trophy > promoted from the championship > finished 14th > finished 8th - this club has been on the up and up and up since 2009-2014 and during that time Les was behind the scenes as head of football development.

 

Momentum is basic physics.

 

Under Cortese we were proactive not reactive - sacked Pardew, sacked Nigel. Under Les we lose Mopo to Spurs lose Koeman to Everton we appoint Puel and Eric f'ing Black!?

 

Under Cortese we lost AOC and errrr Puncheon? Under Reed we've lost Shaw, Lallana, Lovren, Chambers, Lambert, Morgan, Clyne, Mane, Pelle, Big Vic and Fonte (VVD will likely leave this summer) in his time he's sold players and lost managers bringing in £230 MILLION!

 

See the below momentum curve - we have fallen head first into the complacency trap. We have quickly lost momentum built up from 2009 and are heading only one way now under Les Reed.

 

 

Les was assistant manager on a voluntary basis at Bishop's Stortford FC in the Conference South before we appointed him to watch over development. He was a laughing stock in football, a joke - yet Kat decided he was the man for the BIG job!? The man to take care of "everything to do with football at the club"

[sadoldgit]

are we getting worse the more reed has control?

 

I don't know. How much control did he have last season compared to this?

[shurlock]

I don't know. How much control did he have last season compared to this?

 

Koeman was likely a stronger presence, so was more of a check and balance on Reed.

[Dalek2003]

Complacency, yep warned about it a while ago. Complacency always the enemy of great things.

[Saint Fen]

As much as I want us to finish above West Brom or Stoke, or West Ham, or Everton, or hell even Chelsea and City, I dont think we have any particular right to do so. What makes us so special?

 

I do agree about the Europa League. That was frustrating.

 

Totally agree about not having a right to finish above West Brom or Stoke but I was trying to show how far we have dropped the last 9 months.

[ally_uk]

bunch of wet tarts on here!!!! Look at the positives.

 

We are in a Cup Final

We are still in the Premier League...

Josh Sims, Mcqueen, Stephens, Hesketh,

All are making good progression. We have a manager that is willing to give youth a chance.

Some are crying we have no ambition?

Then why the hell have we just laid out the dollars for that Italian mush?

 

The future is bright it's red n white we March on!

[SOTONS EAST SIDE]

Lots of vitriol against Les Reed on the clubs FB posts. Especially over the "I wont let a player go, unless I have a suitable replacement" remark! :0 Even has a new nickname from some Les the baloon Reed.

Edited 3 February, 2017 by SOTONS EAST SIDE

[Whitey Grandad]

bunch of wet tarts on here!!!! Look at the positives.

 

We are in a Cup Final

We are still in the Premier League...

Josh Sims, Mcqueen, Stephens, Hesketh,

All are making good progression. We have a manager that is willing to give youth a chance.

Some are crying we have no ambition?

Then why the hell have we just laid out the dollars for that Italian mush?

 

The future is bright it's red n white we March on!

 

We are a work in progress and we have been unlucky with injuries.

[Saint86]

Puel is a yes man. Whatever happens, the board/management deserve and we better pray for a good outcome.

 

Cortese was ousted by Reed. And Reed has now removed all of the cortese era players. Aside from Yoshi, there is no first team players still at the club that Cortese signed... yet in the 3 years since he left we've sold Pelle and Mane that Cortese didn't sign. Given our turnover of players, that is a remarkable bias.

[GarrettIvo]

Puel is a yes man. Whatever happens, the board/management deserve and we better pray for a good outcome.

 

Cortese was ousted by Reed. And Reed has now removed all of the cortese era players. Aside from Yoshi, there is no first team players still at the club that Cortese signed... yet in the 3 years since he left we've sold Pelle and Mane that Cortese didn't sign. Given our turnover of players, that is a remarkable bias.

 

That's one way of looking at it I guess.

[Professor]

Seems there are a few people on here who don't understand what it is to be a football club supporter. It means you SUPPORT your club. Sniping and criticising isn't supporting, especially when its by people with no experience of running a professional football club or managing a top level team. Constructive criticism is another matter but anyone doing that needs some experience to base it on. In any case, it's unlikely the club management read this forum to get tips on how to do their jobs. The best thing fans can do is get behind the people running the club and behind the team by making their support clear.