Ralph Kreuger Interview

[Yorkshire Saint]

I have always valued your contribution to this website. You, K.Billy and AR-10 are probably the only reason I come on here to read snippets of ITK information. Your recent posts with regards twitter and this message today disappoint me as they seem bitter ... can I ask why the tone of your messages seem to have changed so much as I say, I have always valued the contribution you have made.

 

@ Guan 2.0

[CB Fry]

I couldn't listen to all of it, was just platitudes, waffle and most disappointing of all was blaming all our woes on VVD which I think is fu cking outrageous, letting the manager and all the players off the hook for a pi ss-poor half of a season.

 

I think we are stuck with this manager for a while yet. Gawd help us.

[Saint Billy]

Does Boris Johnson infringe any party rules for writing our Chairman's statements?.

[badgerx16]

He's as clueless as Reed & Pellegrino.

[aintforever]

It smacks of the last time we went down when the person in charge just seems detached from reality.

[Avenue_Saint]

**** off out of my club you clueless waffling *****KK

[ally_uk]

Agreed spouts aload of bollards........... Time to leave

[Pamplemousse]

I want him out more than Les Reed.

 

What are his responsibilities at the club exactly?

[OldNick]

Now we are a small club in his eyes, what about the build our fanbase in Asia and America lol

[shurlock]

Now we are a small club in his eyes, what about the build our fanbase in Asia and America lol

 

Does that still make us the Green Bay Packers of the soccerworld?

[Pamplemousse]

I reckon Krueger might be getting a few more letters in the coming week

[sotonjoe]

We would be struggling if it weren’t for Krueger. He is a class act in his field.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mr Saints]

It looked embarrassing when I read it this afternoon, it just looks pathetic now. Kruger is a massive part of the problem if he actually believes what he said.

[adrian lord]

precis of interview:

 

It is all VVD's fault.

 

 

 

Now, VVD was a **** but to scapegoat him for the collapse of the academy star-machine, failure to improve/develop any signings since Koeman, and now the parlous state of the first team is preposterous.

[hypochondriac]

"Mauricio, you just lost your first game since selling Vvd. What do you think was the problem?"

 

"The VVD situation."

[Badger]

It looked embarrassing when I read it this afternoon, it just looks pathetic now. Kruger is a massive part of the problem if he actually believes what he said.

 

Don't worry he'll talk (waffle) his way out of this when he weighs it up against tonights result. I'm hoping this is Ralph's version - with all the padding - of a 'Chairman's vote of confidence'.

[Roger]

After listening to the interview it’s clear why poch and Koeman and the various quality players have left us the last few years since Cortese left. Absolute rubbish calling us small club etc. Wish the board and manager would go.

[Miltonaggro]

On the back of the draw against united Krueger opportunistically puts his head above the parapet to provide some idiotic platitudes, he must have been waiting weeks for a 'positive' opportunity, tonight's result offers perspective. Gao needs to get a tad Dr. No. with the tossers at the top of his asset - get the tipping chairs and shark tank in place. Alternatively he could employ Cortese as a consultant to do the pruning - he'd probably offer a discount. If Pelligrino is still at his desk at midday tomorrow we are in deep trouble, as is Mr Gao...

[S-Clarke]

Given how the opposite of what he says usually plays out, we can probably expect a sacking soon.

[James]

Given how the opposite of what he says usually plays out, we can probably expect a sacking soon.

 

This will be the one time he's proven correct just to ultimately con the fans.

[Guan 2.0]

I have always valued your contribution to this website. You, K.Billy and AR-10 are probably the only reason I come on here to read snippets of ITK information. Your recent posts with regards twitter and this message today disappoint me as they seem bitter ... can I ask why the tone of your messages seem to have changed so much as I say, I have always valued the contribution you have made.

@ Guan 2.0

 

If you see a club going from an organisation with clear responsibilities, to one with blurred lines of communication and passing the buck, from one where excellence is sought to one where inadequate replacements are installed, and any criticism is muted, because it might damage the public image of the clubs 'Philosophy'. One where the execs travel abroad during the season to promote 'Excellence' at management conferences, while the running of Southampton FC is treated as an optional dilettantery pursuit one need not attend but but twice a year, you may also grow a little weary.

 

And i have seen the knowledge that the fans will 'take it' grow and grow. I said before the Everton match (in the twitter post you mention) that a win would paper over the cracks, and that by the new year we would be in relegation form, in or just above the relegation zone. And here we are, 2nd January 2018, bottom of the form table and only out of the relegation zone on goal difference. It's not rocket science.

 

This managed decline of saints fc is taking place and in Kreuger and a few others eyes, as long as the saints fans turn up, sing to cheer on the team and only tweet bad things after a loss, we are still very much on brand with our message.

 

Now i'm not saying saints fans should run onto the pitch and attack the players, as happened tonight, that's as pointless as it is wrong. But instead of trying to cheer the team onto a win/draw that will only buy Kreuger and Pellegrino more time to wreck the club with equally vapid sheep, turn your voice on the management on and off the field. call for their jobs in the first half, tweet everyday (and yes, the words associated with our hashtags do mean that much to them). Kreuger felt comfortable making that cowardly statement after jetting in, because he knew there would be no audible or visible backlash.

 

If i sound bitter, it's because i'm a Fan of a club which is being run by people who view it as a secondary distraction, on which they can experiment which various blue sky situational concepts.

 

But if you want to turn up to Fulham with a song on your lips as Saints struggle to a 2-1 win that will secure MP's job until after the January window (inevitable OS article - Pellegrino: We've turned a corner), feel free. After all, #WeMarchOn (down the table).

[SKD]

If you see a club going from an organisation with clear responsibilities, to one with blurred lines of communication and passing the buck, from one where excellence is sought to one where inadequate replacements are installed, and any criticism is muted, because it might damage the public image of the clubs 'Philosophy'. One where the execs travel abroad during the season to promote 'Excellence' at management conferences, while the running of Southampton FC is treated as an optional dilettantery pursuit one need not attend but but twice a year, you may also grow a little weary.

 

And i have seen the knowledge that the fans will 'take it' grow and grow. I said before the Everton match (in the twitter post you mention) that a win would paper over the cracks, and that by the new year we would be in relegation form, in or just above the relegation zone. And here we are, 2nd January 2018, bottom of the form table and only out of the relegation zone on goal difference. It's not rocket science.

 

This managed decline of saints fc is taking place and in Kreuger and a few others eyes, as long as the saints fans turn up, sing to cheer on the team and only tweet bad things after a loss, we are still very much on brand with our message.

 

Now i'm not saying saints fans should run onto the pitch and attack the players, as happened tonight, that's as pointless as it is wrong. But instead of trying to cheer the team onto a win/draw that will only buy Kreuger and Pellegrino more time to wreck the club with equally vapid sheep, turn your voice on the management on and off the field. call for their jobs in the first half, tweet everyday (and yes, the words associated with our hashtags do mean that much to them). Kreuger felt comfortable making that cowardly statement after jetting in, because he knew there would be no audible or visible backlash.

 

If i sound bitter, it's because i'm a Fan of a club which is being run by people who view it as a secondary distraction, on which they can experiment which various blue sky situational concepts.

 

But if you want to turn up to Fulham with a song on your lips as Saints struggle to a 2-1 win that will secure MP's job until after the January window (inevitable OS article - Pellegrino: We've turned a corner), feel free. After all, #WeMarchOn (down the table).

 

I have no idea what role you have within the club, and appreciate your honesty and get you frustration as a fan. If this is true, then fans need to boycott imo.

 

Running on the pitch, singing songs, tweeting etc won’t make any difference with these stubborn ****s at the top of our club.

[S-Clarke]

When people like Guan are posting stuff like that, you know we're in a prediciment.

[Badger]

Interesting comment from Guan above.

 

But the problem as I see it is that no one at the club appears to be called to account, or answerable to anyone above. Krueger should be breathing down Reeds neck asking "why have you recruited this bloke he isn't up to the job", but from the outside that doesn't appear to be the case. Similarly Kruegar should be looking to justify the shambles to Gao, but is Gao taking a keen enough interest ? Time will tell.

 

I was never completely sold on Cortese but if we had a CEO of his nature involved then you could at least expect the Football Director to have to be answerable and kept on his toes.

Edited 2 January, 2018 by Badger

[shurlock]

If you see a club going from an organisation with clear responsibilities, to one with blurred lines of communication and passing the buck, from one where excellence is sought to one where inadequate replacements are installed, and any criticism is muted, because it might damage the public image of the clubs 'Philosophy'. One where the execs travel abroad during the season to promote 'Excellence' at management conferences, while the running of Southampton FC is treated as an optional dilettantery pursuit one need not attend but but twice a year, you may also grow a little weary.

 

And i have seen the knowledge that the fans will 'take it' grow and grow. I said before the Everton match (in the twitter post you mention) that a win would paper over the cracks, and that by the new year we would be in relegation form, in or just above the relegation zone. And here we are, 2nd January 2018, bottom of the form table and only out of the relegation zone on goal difference. It's not rocket science.

 

This managed decline of saints fc is taking place and in Kreuger and a few others eyes, as long as the saints fans turn up, sing to cheer on the team and only tweet bad things after a loss, we are still very much on brand with our message.

 

Now i'm not saying saints fans should run onto the pitch and attack the players, as happened tonight, that's as pointless as it is wrong. But instead of trying to cheer the team onto a win/draw that will only buy Kreuger and Pellegrino more time to wreck the club with equally vapid sheep, turn your voice on the management on and off the field. call for their jobs in the first half, tweet everyday (and yes, the words associated with our hashtags do mean that much to them). Kreuger felt comfortable making that cowardly statement after jetting in, because he knew there would be no audible or visible backlash.

 

If i sound bitter, it's because i'm a Fan of a club which is being run by people who view it as a secondary distraction, on which they can experiment which various blue sky situational concepts.

 

But if you want to turn up to Fulham with a song on your lips as Saints struggle to a 2-1 win that will secure MP's job until after the January window (inevitable OS article - Pellegrino: We've turned a corner), feel free. After all, #WeMarchOn (down the table).

 

You seem to be suggesting the problem is Krueger. But he plays an entirely ceremonial role, so living the life of riley, swanning off to management conferences is unlikely to feed through to the pitch.

[hypochondriac]

Can I ask what qualifies krueger to judge that pellegrino is a really good coach? Because he routinely gives the impression that he really knows very little about the actual sport that is soccer ball.

[Chewy]

So #pellegrino out, #reed out or #kreuger out. Or all three. Or would #gaoout force the issue? Quite frankly I'd be up for giving it a try as something desperately needs to change, immediately.

[S-Clarke]

Can I ask what qualifies krueger to judge that pellegrino is a really good coach? Because he routinely gives the impression that he really knows very little about the actual sport that is soccer ball.

 

Remember, he will get us to single digits.

 

Maybe he meant points.

[Saint86]

Needs to go. Sadly i think we are rotten from the top and that probably includes Gao.

[shurlock]

Can I ask what qualifies krueger to judge that pellegrino is a really good coach? Because he routinely gives the impression that he really knows very little about the actual sport that is soccer ball.

 

What else is he supposed to say other than rally behind the club and Reed’s original decision to appoint him?

[angelman]

Well, put it this way, I only turn up because I have paid for a season ticket. I don't really have the same passion for football that I used to, so if we get relegated I will not be renewing. If we stay up, I might renew for one more season. If not, I will save myself £1500. There, if anyone at the club bothers to read this, that's 2 tickets less, and I suspect there will be a few thousands more like me, maybe 10s of thousands. So if you provide us with ****, then we won't be turning up. Simple really.

[hypochondriac]

You seem to be suggesting the problem is Krueger. But he plays an entirely ceremonial role, so living the life of riley, swanning off to management conferences is unlikely to feed through to the pitch.

To be fair it sounds symptomatic of a wider problem - the club have started forgetting what's actually important which is the first team abd the product we put out on the pitch.

[Badger]

What else is he supposed to say other than rally behind the club and Reed’s original decision to appoint him?

 

Hoping it's the 'vote of confidence'.

[hypochondriac]

What else is he supposed to say other than rally behind the club and Reed’s original decision to appoint him?

Maybe avoid saying something which now makes it virtually impossible to sack him in the immediate future regardless of performance? Or just get someone less infuriating to a British football fan to do the interview?

[Ultimatt]

To be fair it sounds symptomatic of a wider problem - the club have started forgetting what's actually important which is the first team abd the product we put out on the pitch.

 

Agreed. They've become far too corporate, giving themselves pats on the back and bonuses for our improving financial position; record sponsorships, positive transfer net spend, record player assets; meanwhile our U23's got relegated last season and our 1st team might be next.

[shurlock]

Maybe avoid saying something which now makes it virtually impossible to sack him in the immediate future regardless of performance? Or just get someone less infuriating to a British football fan to do the interview?

 

Fair enough, though doubt today’s interview will in any way influence or restrict their ability to sack him, should they decide to pull the trigger. My bigger concern is that there is paralysis at the top.

[hypochondriac]

Agreed. They've become far too corporate, giving themselves pats on the back and bonuses for our improving financial position; record sponsorships, positive transfer net spend, record player assets; meanwhile our U23's got relegated last season and our 1st team might be next.

It can't help that clearly Ralph is utterly divorced from the situation on the ground. It's why we have pats on the head like this vapid interview and why we now have vacuous advertising slogans plastered around the city utterly devoid of any sort of substance and solely created to make the fans believe they are part of something more special than they were a few seasons ago. The reality of course is that there was a far better connection and love for the club during the adkins years due to the team spirit and success and we didn't need some soulless branding statements or airy fairy mission statements about how wonderfully unique we are as a club.

[S-Clarke]

Fair enough, though doubt today’s interview will in any way influence or restrict their ability to sack him, should they decide to pull the trigger. My bigger concern is that there is paralysis at the top.

 

The structure of the club is too secretive at the moment. We've apparently been taken over, but I couldn't tell you in the slightest as to why we were or what they're doing for us. I've never in my life seen a takeover of a club completed and the new owners not having any media exposure or wanting to put forward their ideas.

 

I honestly didn't see KL selling us up the river, I didn't see that as a possibility as it's her father’s legacy, but the longer it goes on with this utterly bizarre takeover offering nothing other than money to bank account, then you do have to question it. She’s a business woman after all.

 

The big alarm bells for me was when these Chinese bods had to get loans to secure the funds to buy the club in the first place. Major red alert right there. I can't help but wondering what the **** we've done.

[Katalinic]

It can't help that clearly Ralph is utterly divorced from the situation on the ground. It's why we have pats on the head like this vapid interview and why we now have vacuous advertising slogans plastered around the city utterly devoid of any sort of substance and solely created to make the fans believe they are part of something more special than they were a few seasons ago. The reality of course is that there was a far better connection and love for the club during the adkins years due to the team spirit and success and we didn't need some soulless branding statements or airy fairy mission statements about how wonderfully unique we are as a club.

 

Nutshell.

[CB Fry]

You seem to be suggesting the problem is Krueger. But he plays an entirely ceremonial role, so living the life of riley, swanning off to management conferences is unlikely to feed through to the pitch.

I'd like to think that in Ralph's masterplan we are currently at minute 9 of the TED talk Ralph is planning to give on "triumph in adversity".

 

Minute 17 and 18 will be dedicated to us winning the Europa League 2019 after our shock FA Cup win this season.

 

He'll be made for life on the motivational speakers circuit.

 

#gopackers

[shurlock]

The structure of the club is too secretive at the moment. We've apparently been taken over, but I couldn't tell you in the slightest as to why we were or what they're doing for us. I've never in my life seen a takeover of a club completed and the new owners not having any media exposure or wanting to put forward their ideas.

 

I honestly didn't see KL selling us up the river, I didn't see that as a possibility as it's her father’s legacy, but the longer it goes on with this utterly bizarre takeover offering nothing other than money to bank account, then you do have to question it. She’s a business woman after all.

 

The big alarm bells for me was when these Chinese bods had to get loans to secure the funds to buy the club in the first place. Major red alert right there. I can't help but wondering what the **** we've done.

 

Agree, though I’m not sure what talking to the media or being more visible would accomplish. The reality is that plenty of people were quite happy that they were taking a backseat role and letting business continue as usual which in hindsight may have been part of the problem.

 

As for the owners and what value they add to the club, they’ve been a questionable fit from day one, though it has been always clear that the sale had more to do with Kat’s need to exit her investment.

 

Krueger mentioned the harmful uncertainty caused by the VVD situation, though arguably the uncertainty from the protracted takeover has cast a longer, darker shadow over the club over the past 18 months. Something had felt off at the club well before Puel’s insipid finish to the 16/17 campaign. Needless to say Krueger would never admit as such.

[shurlock]

I'd like to think that in Ralph's masterplan we are currently at minute 9 of the TED talk Ralph is planning to give on "triumph in adversity".

 

Minute 17 and 18 will be dedicated to us winning the Europa League 2019 after our shock FA Cup win this season.

 

He'll be made for life on the motivational speakers circuit.

 

#gopackers

 

Don’t forget Uncle Les formula for wisdom. As he told freshly minted graduates at Anglia Ruskin University, wisdom equals experience divided by understanding.

[Saint Albert]

After today’s second half performance, Kureger’s comments concerning Pellegrino seem desperately unfortunate. I hope that this is simply the dreaded vote of confidence that people tend to laugh about, and that Reed does not hold off firing Pellegrino on the grounds he does not want to make his boss look like an idiot. That being said, Pellegrino has already managed several terrible performances, and survived.

[Ivan Katalinic's 'tache]

Today we saw the difference between a side who acted quickly when they appointed a manager who wasn't working out for them and a side who have persisted with another who isn't a good fit, in the hope he can somehow turn it around. Roy Hodgson, for all his faults, easily out manoevered Pellegrino this evening, IMO.

 

Krueger's ill timed comments have backed us into a corner and mean we're probably stuck with Pellegrino for a few duff results more.

Edited 3 January, 2018 by Ivan Katalinic's 'tache

[Micky]

The structure of the club is too secretive at the moment. We've apparently been taken over, but I couldn't tell you in the slightest as to why we were or what they're doing for us. I've never in my life seen a takeover of a club completed and the new owners not having any media exposure or wanting to put forward their ideas.

 

I honestly didn't see KL selling us up the river, I didn't see that as a possibility as it's her father’s legacy, but the longer it goes on with this utterly bizarre takeover offering nothing other than money to bank account, then you do have to question it. She’s a business woman after all.

 

The big alarm bells for me was when these Chinese bods had to get loans to secure the funds to buy the club in the first place. Major red alert right there. I can't help but wondering what the **** we've done.

I'm just very glad that Markus is not here to witness this whole sorry debacle. This is definitely not 'his dream'.

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

[STEVEADAMS]

what an interesting read!

 

in short- we are a small club, our aim is top 10 of the PL, and of course where possible we strive for Europe.

 

But we are not a small club and I get sick of hearing this. This has been proven over and over.

[saint1977]

I'm just very glad that Markus is not here to witness this whole sorry debacle. This is definitely not 'his dream'.

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

 

Kat spoiled his memory by selling to someone who failed FAPP - although maybe all he ever wanted was a profit fir her?

 

You can’t trust anything or anyone at SFC at present so who knows

[Donatello]

If you see a club going from an organisation with clear responsibilities, to one with blurred lines of communication and passing the buck, from one where excellence is sought to one where inadequate replacements are installed, and any criticism is muted, because it might damage the public image of the clubs 'Philosophy'. One where the execs travel abroad during the season to promote 'Excellence' at management conferences, while the running of Southampton FC is treated as an optional dilettantery pursuit one need not attend but but twice a year, you may also grow a little weary.

 

And i have seen the knowledge that the fans will 'take it' grow and grow. I said before the Everton match (in the twitter post you mention) that a win would paper over the cracks, and that by the new year we would be in relegation form, in or just above the relegation zone. And here we are, 2nd January 2018, bottom of the form table and only out of the relegation zone on goal difference. It's not rocket science.

 

This managed decline of saints fc is taking place and in Kreuger and a few others eyes, as long as the saints fans turn up, sing to cheer on the team and only tweet bad things after a loss, we are still very much on brand with our message.

 

Now i'm not saying saints fans should run onto the pitch and attack the players, as happened tonight, that's as pointless as it is wrong. But instead of trying to cheer the team onto a win/draw that will only buy Kreuger and Pellegrino more time to wreck the club with equally vapid sheep, turn your voice on the management on and off the field. call for their jobs in the first half, tweet everyday (and yes, the words associated with our hashtags do mean that much to them). Kreuger felt comfortable making that cowardly statement after jetting in, because he knew there would be no audible or visible backlash.

 

If i sound bitter, it's because i'm a Fan of a club which is being run by people who view it as a secondary distraction, on which they can experiment which various blue sky situational concepts.

 

But if you want to turn up to Fulham with a song on your lips as Saints struggle to a 2-1 win that will secure MP's job until after the January window (inevitable OS article - Pellegrino: We've turned a corner), feel free. After all, #WeMarchOn (down the table).

 

I was completely bewildered by your posts a few weeks ago concerning what was in effect a social media revolt, in as much that I couldn't countenance why someone who I've always thought of as level-headed would think that a trending Twitter hashtag would have a profound affect on anything, but perhaps I did you a disservice, perhaps some of the leading figures at the club really are that superficial. You would be the person to know after all...it just sounded so ridiculous on first hearing...but after hearing Krueger's interview earlier, and his apparent obsession with "positivity"/certain attitudes at the club, the general tone of his approval of MP being personality based, and your remark about criticism being muted, it does start to paint a picture of an almost cult-like atmosphere "The leader is good! The leader is great! We surrender our will as of this date!" I'm all for positivity, mind, but not at the cost of an absence of constructive criticism.

 

Anyway, I should never have doubted you

Edited 3 January, 2018 by Donatello
Spellz

[Fitzhugh Fella]

Guan’s words should be taken to heart by all Saints fans especially those who still have an element of faith that the club is well run. I hate to say it but the writing has been on the wall since Ms Liebherr decided to sell up.

[alpine_saint]

The structure of the club is too secretive at the moment. We've apparently been taken over, but I couldn't tell you in the slightest as to why we were or what they're doing for us. I've never in my life seen a takeover of a club completed and the new owners not having any media exposure or wanting to put forward their ideas.

 

I honestly didn't see KL selling us up the river, I didn't see that as a possibility as it's her father’s legacy, but the longer it goes on with this utterly bizarre takeover offering nothing other than money to bank account, then you do have to question it. She’s a business woman after all.

 

The big alarm bells for me was when these Chinese bods had to get loans to secure the funds to buy the club in the first place. Major red alert right there. I can't help but wondering what the **** we've done.

 

Very good post.

 

This doesnt feel like my club anymore. Its just a Chinese company with a site in my home town. The owner has left Krueger and Reed in charge as his proxies and made no attempt to connect with us.