Director of Football Operations Replacement Thread

[scousesaint84]

In he context of what could be happening right now this old article is worth reading again

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7516473/Footballs-Red-Bull-revolution-energy-drink-empire-shaking-game.html

 

The only thing we have in common with the other teams in that article is we play in red and white already. RB like to buy clubs from the lower leagues with little to no history - although they did 'aparantly' look at Leeds i think a Premier League team is too rich an investment upfront for RB. Would love the ambition they would bring, just feel we are to 'big' a club for them to buy

[scousesaint84]

In he context of what could be happening right now this old article is worth reading again

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7516473/Footballs-Red-Bull-revolution-energy-drink-empire-shaking-game.html

 

The only thing we have in common with the other teams in that article is we play in red and white already. RB like to buy clubs from the lower leagues with little to no history - although they did 'aparantly' look at Leeds i think a Premier League team is too rich an investment upfront for RB. Would love the ambition they would bring, just feel we are to 'big' a club for them to buy

[Gordon Mockles]

What about Željko Buvač are we still in for him as an assistant? That would be the icing on the cake.

 

Indeed it would with Walsh behind the recruitment side. That would show progression and a club finally addressing its missing infrastructure. A strong strong sign on intent. Better late than never but where does it leave us this season? Buvac is what we and Ralph are crying out for and that would really propel us forward. More so with a small handful of wisely selected additions in January but we do not want to get ahead of ourselves as this is only one delayed appointment & our crisis is immediate. It’s a step in the right direction.

 

I am really pleased with this appointment and it's the first step forward but please don't do the usual Saints habits. I have a mild concern or insecurity (judging by recent history) that they may appoint people after January and make excuses over appointment delays. This is only a reservation and I hope I'm completely wrong because this would be suicidal and this appointment is hopefully a sign that the club have possibly woken up to addressing the neglect that has sent us to the foot of the table.

 

Onwards and upwards. Just capitalise with the other support staff and use January wisely. That will make or break us. Choose wisely.

[Gordon Mockles]

What about Željko Buvač are we still in for him as an assistant? That would be the icing on the cake.

 

Indeed it would with Walsh behind the recruitment side. That would show progression and a club finally addressing its missing infrastructure. A strong strong sign on intent. Better late than never but where does it leave us this season? Buvac is what we and Ralph are crying out for and that would really propel us forward. More so with a small handful of wisely selected additions in January but we do not want to get ahead of ourselves as this is only one delayed appointment & our crisis is immediate. It’s a step in the right direction.

 

I am really pleased with this appointment and it's the first step forward but please don't do the usual Saints habits. I have a mild concern or insecurity (judging by recent history) that they may appoint people after January and make excuses over appointment delays. This is only a reservation and I hope I'm completely wrong because this would be suicidal and this appointment is hopefully a sign that the club have possibly woken up to addressing the neglect that has sent us to the foot of the table.

 

Onwards and upwards. Just capitalise with the other support staff and use January wisely. That will make or break us. Choose wisely.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Well it looks like some good news at last, but there’s more important work to get done...an assistant manager/coach of Rohl’s quality and three new quality players in the Jan window.

[Saint Fan CaM]

Well it looks like some good news at last, but there’s more important work to get done...an assistant manager/coach of Rohl’s quality and three new quality players in the Jan window.

[CB Fry]

. It’s a step in the right direction.

 

I am really pleased with this appointment and it's the first step forward

 

 

So it turns out the correct thing to do was to wait and see who we appointed, then?

 

Because it turns out we haven't appointed "a bargain basement, low ambition addition who will be totally out of their depth" after all.

 

Still, we couldn't attract that mega-star coach from Preston North End that we definitely wanted so how will we ever live down the humiliation.

 

 

Can’t even manage to attract a small time appointment from a championship club with no budget & fairly low stock, no offence to Preston. Our stock is probably lower now. What a joke. I would’ve liked to see someone of Ilk, like Wenger or some rated German talent. Fat chance. We will get some bargain basement, low ambition addition who will be totally out of their depth, which will perpetuate our lack of investment and maintain our huge slump in form and continue our demise in quality across every facet of the club. I’ve had enough. #GaoOut

 

 

There's plenty that Goa has got wrong,but his major staffing appointment - Ralph, and now this guy - have been sound and plenty ambitious enough. That isn't particularly the problem.

 

Where we agree is we have massive problems on the playing side which is kinda important.

[CB Fry]

. It’s a step in the right direction.

 

I am really pleased with this appointment and it's the first step forward

 

 

So it turns out the correct thing to do was to wait and see who we appointed, then?

 

Because it turns out we haven't appointed "a bargain basement, low ambition addition who will be totally out of their depth" after all.

 

Still, we couldn't attract that mega-star coach from Preston North End that we definitely wanted so how will we ever live down the humiliation.

 

 

Can’t even manage to attract a small time appointment from a championship club with no budget & fairly low stock, no offence to Preston. Our stock is probably lower now. What a joke. I would’ve liked to see someone of Ilk, like Wenger or some rated German talent. Fat chance. We will get some bargain basement, low ambition addition who will be totally out of their depth, which will perpetuate our lack of investment and maintain our huge slump in form and continue our demise in quality across every facet of the club. I’ve had enough. #GaoOut

 

 

There's plenty that Goa has got wrong,but his major staffing appointment - Ralph, and now this guy - have been sound and plenty ambitious enough. That isn't particularly the problem.

 

Where we agree is we have massive problems on the playing side which is kinda important.

[Morse]

Smacks of an appointment with minimal research. Of all the potential DoFs in the world the best is someone already known by the club. What a surprise. So when we need new ideas because the last stratedgy failed, we're back to the Southampton Way. More recruiting any young player we think we can turn a profit on and little regard for building a team. Typically disappointing.

[Morse]

Smacks of an appointment with minimal research. Of all the potential DoFs in the world the best is someone already known by the club. What a surprise. So when we need new ideas because the last stratedgy failed, we're back to the Southampton Way. More recruiting any young player we think we can turn a profit on and little regard for building a team. Typically disappointing.

[brmbrm]

Smacks of an appointment with minimal research. Of all the potential DoFs in the world the best is someone already known by the club. What a surprise. So when we need new ideas because the last stratedgy failed, we're back to the Southampton Way. More recruiting any young player we think we can turn a profit on and little regard for building a team. Typically disappointing.

 

Ugh?

[brmbrm]

Smacks of an appointment with minimal research. Of all the potential DoFs in the world the best is someone already known by the club. What a surprise. So when we need new ideas because the last stratedgy failed, we're back to the Southampton Way. More recruiting any young player we think we can turn a profit on and little regard for building a team. Typically disappointing.

 

Ugh?

[thorpie the sinner]

Smacks of an appointment with minimal research. Of all the potential DoFs in the world the best is someone already known by the club. What a surprise. So when we need new ideas because the last stratedgy failed, we're back to the Southampton Way. More recruiting any young player we think we can turn a profit on and little regard for building a team. Typically disappointing.

 

More like a shift back to the days where our academy/scouting actually worked! Positive step for me

[thorpie the sinner]

Smacks of an appointment with minimal research. Of all the potential DoFs in the world the best is someone already known by the club. What a surprise. So when we need new ideas because the last stratedgy failed, we're back to the Southampton Way. More recruiting any young player we think we can turn a profit on and little regard for building a team. Typically disappointing.

 

More like a shift back to the days where our academy/scouting actually worked! Positive step for me

[Morse]

More like a shift back to the days where our academy/scouting actually worked! Positive step for me

 

I guess it depends on your definition of 'worked'. If you mean unearthed/developed exciting new players to he sold at profit to Liverpool you might be right. Maybe I'm alone in wanting a bit more. Leicester didn't win the premiership by being a feeder club.

[Morse]

More like a shift back to the days where our academy/scouting actually worked! Positive step for me

 

I guess it depends on your definition of 'worked'. If you mean unearthed/developed exciting new players to he sold at profit to Liverpool you might be right. Maybe I'm alone in wanting a bit more. Leicester didn't win the premiership by being a feeder club.

[Sheaf Saint]

Smacks of an appointment with minimal research. Of all the potential DoFs in the world the best is someone already known by the club. What a surprise. So when we need new ideas because the last stratedgy failed, we're back to the Southampton Way. More recruiting any young player we think we can turn a profit on and little regard for building a team. Typically disappointing.

 

Crocker was in charge of our Academy during its most successful spell in our history, and brought through players like Walcott, Bale, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana and Shaw.

[Sheaf Saint]

Smacks of an appointment with minimal research. Of all the potential DoFs in the world the best is someone already known by the club. What a surprise. So when we need new ideas because the last stratedgy failed, we're back to the Southampton Way. More recruiting any young player we think we can turn a profit on and little regard for building a team. Typically disappointing.

 

Crocker was in charge of our Academy during its most successful spell in our history, and brought through players like Walcott, Bale, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana and Shaw.

[Morse]

My point exactly. Everyone of them sold at huge profit before Southampton FC could benefit from their brilliance. That's the Southampton way, as opposed to The Leicester way which is unearth top players and invest in them and win something.

[Morse]

My point exactly. Everyone of them sold at huge profit before Southampton FC could benefit from their brilliance. That's the Southampton way, as opposed to The Leicester way which is unearth top players and invest in them and win something.

[Sheaf Saint]

My point exactly. Everyone of them sold at huge profit before Southampton FC could benefit from their brilliance. That's the Southampton way, as opposed to The Leicester way which is unearth top players and invest in them and win something.

 

The decision to sell those players was not his. I don't see how you can use that as a stick to beat him with.

[Sheaf Saint]

My point exactly. Everyone of them sold at huge profit before Southampton FC could benefit from their brilliance. That's the Southampton way, as opposed to The Leicester way which is unearth top players and invest in them and win something.

 

The decision to sell those players was not his. I don't see how you can use that as a stick to beat him with.

[Charlie Wayman]

So it turns out the correct thing to do was to wait and see who we appointed, then?

 

Because it turns out we haven't appointed "a bargain basement, low ambition addition who will be totally out of their depth" after all.

 

Still, we couldn't attract that mega-star coach from Preston North End that we definitely wanted so how will we ever live down the humiliation.

 

 

 

 

 

There's plenty that Goa has got wrong,but his major staffing appointment - Ralph, and now this guy - have been sound and plenty ambitious enough. That isn't particularly the problem.

 

Where we agree is we have massive problems on the playing side which is kinda important.

 

Not sure our new super goal-keeping coach from RB Leipzig is doing any better than Dave Watson 'though, so not all appointments are working as well as you imply.

 

Hey, hey LBJ - how many goals went in today? (or something like that 70's chant)

[Charlie Wayman]

So it turns out the correct thing to do was to wait and see who we appointed, then?

 

Because it turns out we haven't appointed "a bargain basement, low ambition addition who will be totally out of their depth" after all.

 

Still, we couldn't attract that mega-star coach from Preston North End that we definitely wanted so how will we ever live down the humiliation.

 

 

 

 

 

There's plenty that Goa has got wrong,but his major staffing appointment - Ralph, and now this guy - have been sound and plenty ambitious enough. That isn't particularly the problem.

 

Where we agree is we have massive problems on the playing side which is kinda important.

 

Not sure our new super goal-keeping coach from RB Leipzig is doing any better than Dave Watson 'though, so not all appointments are working as well as you imply.

 

Hey, hey LBJ - how many goals went in today? (or something like that 70's chant)

[ALWAYS_SFC]

So it turns out the correct thing to do was to wait and see who we appointed, then?

 

Because it turns out we haven't appointed "a bargain basement, low ambition addition who will be totally out of their depth" after all.

 

Still, we couldn't attract that mega-star coach from Preston North End that we definitely wanted so how will we ever live down the humiliation.

 

 

 

 

 

There's plenty that Goa has got wrong,but his major staffing appointment - Ralph, and now this guy - have been sound and plenty ambitious enough. That isn't particularly the problem.

 

Where we agree is we have massive problems on the playing side which is kinda important.

 

That is asking far far too much for this place

[ALWAYS_SFC]

So it turns out the correct thing to do was to wait and see who we appointed, then?

 

Because it turns out we haven't appointed "a bargain basement, low ambition addition who will be totally out of their depth" after all.

 

Still, we couldn't attract that mega-star coach from Preston North End that we definitely wanted so how will we ever live down the humiliation.

 

 

 

 

 

There's plenty that Goa has got wrong,but his major staffing appointment - Ralph, and now this guy - have been sound and plenty ambitious enough. That isn't particularly the problem.

 

Where we agree is we have massive problems on the playing side which is kinda important.

 

That is asking far far too much for this place

[thorpie the sinner]

I guess it depends on your definition of 'worked'. If you mean unearthed/developed exciting new players to he sold at profit to Liverpool you might be right. Maybe I'm alone in wanting a bit more. Leicester didn't win the premiership by being a feeder club.

 

I agree with wanting more, unfortunately we have always been the feeder club. I would say at the time, I enjoyed watching Bale, Shaw et al for the time we had them and resigned myself to the fact that they would move on, Bale especially. The mistake we made wasn't spending the money we made wisely

[thorpie the sinner]

I guess it depends on your definition of 'worked'. If you mean unearthed/developed exciting new players to he sold at profit to Liverpool you might be right. Maybe I'm alone in wanting a bit more. Leicester didn't win the premiership by being a feeder club.

 

I agree with wanting more, unfortunately we have always been the feeder club. I would say at the time, I enjoyed watching Bale, Shaw et al for the time we had them and resigned myself to the fact that they would move on, Bale especially. The mistake we made wasn't spending the money we made wisely

[tajjuk]

In he context of what could be happening right now this old article is worth reading again

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7516473/Footballs-Red-Bull-revolution-energy-drink-empire-shaking-game.html

 

 

Whilst I don't think Red Bull are going to take us over, there are a lot of links between us and Red Bull, considering Ralph, Sparkes, Mitchell, Mane.

 

--------------------------

 

Seems a good appointment, but we need the head scout or whatever, and more help for Ralph in fresh coaching blood, hopefully this appointment is just the start and we'll see more changes in the backroom staff, coaches, etc.

[tajjuk]

In he context of what could be happening right now this old article is worth reading again

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7516473/Footballs-Red-Bull-revolution-energy-drink-empire-shaking-game.html

 

 

Whilst I don't think Red Bull are going to take us over, there are a lot of links between us and Red Bull, considering Ralph, Sparkes, Mitchell, Mane.

 

--------------------------

 

Seems a good appointment, but we need the head scout or whatever, and more help for Ralph in fresh coaching blood, hopefully this appointment is just the start and we'll see more changes in the backroom staff, coaches, etc.

[Charlie Wayman]

Whilst I don't think Red Bull are going to take us over, there are a lot of links between us and Red Bull, considering Ralph, Sparkes, Mitchell, Mane.

 

--------------------------

 

Seems a good appointment, but we need the head scout or whatever, and more help for Ralph in fresh coaching blood, hopefully this appointment is just the start and we'll see more changes in the backroom staff, coaches, etc.

 

Well, you know what they say taj two may be a co-incidence but three or more is a pattern. Of course there can be more than one pattern. If Gao suddenly gets the China Franchise for Red Bull then we'll close the circle.

[Charlie Wayman]

Whilst I don't think Red Bull are going to take us over, there are a lot of links between us and Red Bull, considering Ralph, Sparkes, Mitchell, Mane.

 

--------------------------

 

Seems a good appointment, but we need the head scout or whatever, and more help for Ralph in fresh coaching blood, hopefully this appointment is just the start and we'll see more changes in the backroom staff, coaches, etc.

 

Well, you know what they say taj two may be a co-incidence but three or more is a pattern. Of course there can be more than one pattern. If Gao suddenly gets the China Franchise for Red Bull then we'll close the circle.

[Morse]

The decision to sell those players was not his. I don't see how you can use that as a stick to beat him with.

 

I'm not really having a pop at him, my beef is really with the owners/ board who seem reluctant to change course. More buying young prospects with the idea of selling on at a profit; which is what got us into this mess on the first place.

[Sheaf Saint]

I'm not really having a pop at him, my beef is really with the owners/ board who seem reluctant to change course. More buying young prospects with the idea of selling on at a profit; which is what got us into this mess on the first place.

 

It worked OK for a while, but a string of signings who failed to make the necessary grade to make them saleable is what really got us into this mess.

 

I take your point, but this guy has good pedigree and I think it's a positive appointment. The main architect of that buy and sell policy (Reed) is no longer here, and since VVD left we haven't had anyone else even remotely good enough to sell on for a large profit, so it's hard to say for sure if the current board still want to pursue that policy.

 

With better people in place to oversee player development (like Crocker), maybe we might get back to that point again, and only then will we be able to see if Gao wants to carry on where Kat and Reed left off by flogging them off at the first sign of interest from Liverpool. But if we suddenly have a number of players who are wanted by bigger clubs, that can only be an improvement on our current situation where nobody wants them because they're not good enough.

Edited 27 November, 2019 by Sheaf Saint

[Charlie Wayman]

It worked OK for a while, but a string of signings who failed to make the necessary grade to make them saleable is what really got us into this mess.

 

I take your point, but this guy has good pedigree and I think it's a positive appointment. The main architect of that buy and sell policy (Reed) is no longer here, and since VVD left we haven't had anyone else even remotely good enough to sell on for a large profit, so it's hard to say for sure if the current board still want to pursue that policy.

 

With better people in place to oversee player development (like Crocker), maybe we might get back to that point again, and only then will we be able to see if Gao wants to carry on where Kat and Reed left off by flogging them off at the first sign of interest from Liverpool. But if we suddenly have a number of players who are wanted by bigger clubs, that can only be an improvement on our current situation where nobody wants them because they're not good enough.

 

None of this is going to happen very quickly, the new people will need time and space to work their magic and it may be far too late to save our PL status and valuation.

 

Hopefully there are some realists on the board who are looking more to our long term recovery in the lower leagues rather than short term fixes for the current mess.

[tajjuk]

People also need to remember that if Liverpool come along and go we are going to pay you £150k a week and give you Champions league football, then its the player is going to go whatever.

 

The same happens to Ajax, happens to even Dortmund, happens to most clubs, people talking about Leicester seems to forget they lost Kante pretty much straight away after they won the league, Mahrez only stayed so long because there were not many suitors, they also lost Maguire this summer and I am sure if the likes of Utd, City, Liverpool go for someone like Maddison he'll go as well.

 

Our problem was not re-investing the money well, we did it a few times (with players like Tadic, Mane and VVD) but couldn't repeat the trick.

 

None of which can be really attributed to Crocker, but if he can find more talents, bring them through better, and improve the standards of coaching/bring in better coaching staff more in line with his ideas, at all levels, then it will be a big positive.

 

I am not sure his appointment will have much immediate effect bar maybe who comes in for the scouting role and maybe we might see some new coaches, the impact on the academy etc. will take longer to implement and even longer to show.

[shurlock]

Very good appointment but it’s going to be a while before we see the payoffs, especially on the player and coach development side - time I fear we don’t have.

[DT]

People also need to remember that if Liverpool come along and go we are going to pay you £150k a week and give you Champions league football, then its the player is going to go whatever.

 

The same happens to Ajax, happens to even Dortmund, happens to most clubs, people talking about Leicester seems to forget they lost Kante pretty much straight away after they won the league, Mahrez only stayed so long because there were not many suitors, they also lost Maguire this summer and I am sure if the likes of Utd, City, Liverpool go for someone like Maddison he'll go as well.

 

Our problem was not re-investing the money well, we did it a few times (with players like Tadic, Mane and VVD) but couldn't repeat the trick.

 

None of which can be really attributed to Crocker, but if he can find more talents, bring them through better, and improve the standards of coaching/bring in better coaching staff more in line with his ideas, at all levels, then it will be a big positive.

 

I am not sure his appointment will have much immediate effect bar maybe who comes in for the scouting role and maybe we might see some new coaches, the impact on the academy etc. will take longer to implement and even longer to show.

 

excellent post

[charliemiller]

England use 4 3 3 throughout the age groups which saints did before the five at the back stuff started , so maybe it will get back to that under Crocker ....also only one holding MD

[VectisSaint]

Very good appointment but it’s going to be a while before we see the payoffs, especially on the player and coach development side - time I fear we don’t have.

 

True, especially given he doesn't start till early 2020. In my view 'early 2020' probably doesn't even mean January. Thinking he is probably working 3 months notice, so maybe mid/late Feb at least.

[Give it to Ron]

True, especially given he doesn't start till early 2020. In my view 'early 2020' probably doesn't even mean January. Thinking he is probably working 3 months notice, so maybe mid/late Feb at least.

 

Doesn’t mean he can’t do things in background

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gordon Mockles]

So it turns out the correct thing to do was to wait and see who we appointed, then?

 

Because it turns out we haven't appointed "a bargain basement, low ambition addition who will be totally out of their depth" after all.

 

Still, we couldn't attract that mega-star coach from Preston North End that we definitely wanted so how will we ever live down the humiliation.

 

 

 

 

 

There's plenty that Goa has got wrong,but his major staffing appointment - Ralph, and now this guy - have been sound and plenty ambitious enough. That isn't particularly the problem.

 

Where we agree is we have massive problems on the playing side which is kinda important.

 

We had been waiting over a year.

 

No, now it is just the coaches that seem to be in that dept. I don't understand the point you are trying to make or where your obligatory sarcasm is aimed.

 

Conversely, I fear we will not recruit in January now and this will be a huge mistake. I just hope Crocker is not the only backroom staff we appoint. We have massive problems throughout, that much is obvious. Academy managers, Assistant Manager to Ralph is desperately needed and first team coaches are dreadfully lacking and we have seen how the results and pressure is affecting Ralph. The poor guy is crumbling. As assistant should be our next priority if we now aren't spending in Jan as seems likely. If only to ease some of that pressure so Ralph doesn't go full Michael Douglas in Falling Down. Buvac would be superb but perhaps that is 3rd party paper talk to pander to the fans. I hope Steve Walsh is still a goer but what I do not want is this inherent reluctance to sign the big money commitments, the players. Running a PL club sadly requires this and you can't employ top coaches and succeed with p*ss poor, lack lustre players as his been proven in successive seasons. Otherwise we would be in the top 5 having written off the world record transfer sell on clause for our p*ss poor Spurs rejects who are now world beaters having been coached from obscurity into the football elite. Tommy "the Cat" Forecast in the sticks with Tomas "the machine Gun" Pekhart banging in hatricks every other game. Sadly, it doesn't work like that as that "power broker" doofus from the Cotswold discovered after sending us bankrupt. You have to recruit wisely and invest. Leicester being the best example. Everton the worst currently (but I thought they actually recruited well. What do I know!!)

[Saint Fan CaM]

I think Crocker will be a positive, but it’s only a small part in the jigsaw. The key is to keep hold of excellent coaching staff (to nurture the raw talent) and keep hold of the Manager to ensure the entire strategy stays the course. We’ve done neither over the last five years...a slow dismantling presumably because we can’t afford to meet the wage demands of those doing a great job?

[pimpin4rizeal]

I guess it depends on your definition of 'worked'. If you mean unearthed/developed exciting new players to he sold at profit to Liverpool you might be right. Maybe I'm alone in wanting a bit more. Leicester didn't win the premiership by being a feeder club.

 

I’m with you on this, I find all this promoting the Southampton way the Os is talking about with this appointment is basically just spinning it as our ambition is just to be cheap develop academy and young signings we make and it’s a triumph if those players move on for big money .. yippee how exciting !!!

[Dusic]

I’m with you on this, I find all this promoting the Southampton way the Os is talking about with this appointment is basically just spinning it as our ambition is just to be cheap develop academy and young signings we make and it’s a triumph if those players move on for big money .. yippee how exciting !!!

Newsflash: that is the stated approach...and it got us to 6th in the PL so can work well if executed correctly, which includes having the right expertise at the club.

[Saint IQ]

England use 4 3 3 throughout the age groups which saints did before the five at the back stuff started , so maybe it will get back to that under Crocker ....also only one holding MD

 

Not so sure the formation stuff matters all too much really, what you really need is to find and produce some gems that can make it at premier league level. Might have mattered more long ago or if you're in a lower division but nowadays its producing talent that can play premier league football by the time they're 17-21 years of age

[Gordon Mockles]

My point exactly. Every one of them sold at huge profit before Southampton FC could benefit from their brilliance. That's the Southampton way, as opposed to The Leicester way which is unearth top players and invest in them and win something.

 

You are not alone at all & it’s refreshing to read comments from a person with standards. The only leaders in the club’s recent history that seemed to get the picture was Markus & Cortese and that was tragically short lived. It seems our standards as a club are now so low, so many of our fans have forgotten what ambition is and berate anyone for wanting or expecting more, such is our forlorn mindset. We are all p*ssed off and we are all a little hurt but we don’t need to constantly bicker about it.

 

Compete with the best (the top 5/6 clubs) & also compete with your closer level of competitor like Leicester, as you mention. Even our local rivals seem to have ever surpassed us. If you do fall short, at least you are trying and improving your standards.

 

We - as a club - have consistently & systemically deteriorated. We have been deconstructed. Swapping quality for crap. Our club is akin to rebuilding a quality piece of well engineered (possibly Liebherr) industrial machinery and replacing the majority of the components with inferior and poorly built Chinese, counterfeit parts. Eventually, something will go pop because it’s not built for purpose and your multi million pound machinery will be destroyed through narrow minded & ill advised cost cutting. It’s a false and stupid economy. You get what you pay for in life.

 

Ralph, I believe through no fault of his own, has been forced to keep the same defence (aside from the lanky totem pole that can’t jump) the club have endured for a third successive relegation battle. I can’t think of any Premier League clubs that has done that, not adding to the defence for 3 successive relegation battles but I am too lazy to check (does Danso count if he never plays & when he does, it’s out of position?!). It is stupid to continue to compete with clearly inadequate defenders plus the midfield has been neglected and gone to seed. You don’t keep running into a wall and hoping the bricks fall down.

 

To have had such poor results for 3 consecutive seasons & having recorded the league record defeat followed by the worst GD in the league while sat at the foot of the table is depressing enough. To then constantly lie to your fans with hollow promises THEN intimate you will likely not strengthen the squad amidst traumatically pitiful displays of football is the epitome of disrespect and a massive middle finger to the fans. Our boardroom do not give a flying f**k about the fans in any way, shape or form. The donation of scarfs is almost the ultimate p**s take and shows how outrageously out of touch the board really are. They are absolutely clueless about this business, social grace and entirely devoid of intellect relating to English football.

 

If we do not reinforce in January, we are gone. We may well be relegated anyway, even with decent additions to the squad. That’s the cold truth. Yes, it really is that bad. If I'm brutally honest, we do not deserve to stay up. The way our club has been run is humiliating. It’s quite a feat to undo a PL football club as badly as our board have done over the past 2-3 years. Decimated. Clubs need constant attention. Gao should hang his head in shame as he is an absolute joke and he is completely aware of what is going on. He just doesn’t give a f**k. God knows why he bought the club and why the state got involved but it was certainly not in the interests of the club and if they had good intentions, they would have said. Kat ruined her dad’s legacy and she should hang her head in shame for the speed in which she unravelled and destroyed so much success built carefully and lovingly over 3 or was it 4 years?! I will remember those happy times with Wembley and the huge smile on Markus’ face while he fumbled with his digital camera. Happier times. #GaoOut #SOS #BringAmbitionBack

[Dazza82]

Kat ruined her dad’s legacy and she should hang her head in shame for the speed in which she unravelled and destroyed so much success built carefully and lovingly over 3 or was it 4 years?! I will remember those happy times with Wembley and the huge smile on Markus’ face while he fumbled with his digital camera. Happier times. #GaoOut #SOS #BringAmbitionBack

 

 

Kat was a big part of the building of those 3/4 years you talk about, she thought she was doing best by selling the club to Gao, who is completely uninterested in the club.

 

Kat has invested more money this month to help the club which is more than Gao has ever done or intends to do. The impression I get is that she would like to buy the club back but when the seller is demanding near to 80m more than he paid for it she is quite reluctant.

 

Here is hoping something happens before the end of next month or I would expect a very quiet Window

 

 

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[verlaine1979]

Kat was a big part of the building of those 3/4 years you talk about, she thought she was doing best by selling the club to Gao, who is completely uninterested in the club.

 

Kat has invested more money this month to help the club which is more than Gao has ever done or intends to do. The impression I get is that she would like to buy the club back but when the seller is demanding near to 80m more than he paid for it she is quite reluctant.

 

Here is hoping something happens before the end of next month or I would expect a very quiet Window

 

 

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

Not a chance. You think she fought that hard to liquidate the largest part of her inheritance, only to lock up the vast majority of her capital in the same place a couple of years later? She supported Gao's legal appeal against the league's initial finding that he wasn't a fit and proper owner, despite her due diligence (undertaken by UBS) surely revealing that the person she was selling to was having to borrow the money to buy the club.

 

Those are not the actions of someone who thought she was securing the club's legacy - they're the actions of someone who really wanted to get her hands on the best part of £300m. And I don't blame her really - if I inherited a baseball club that I didn't care about and that didn't make me any money, I'd be desperate to get rid of it too.

 

But please enough with the amateur hour PR briefings - not a single one of them passes the most basic sniff test. Gao is potless, KL just wants to enforce the purchase of her remaining 20%, and we are in the sh*t with very few options.

[Gordon Mockles]

Kat was a big part of the building of those 3/4 years you talk about, she thought she was doing best by selling the club to Gao, who is completely uninterested in the club.

 

Kat has invested more money this month to help the club which is more than Gao has ever done or intends to do. The impression I get is that she would like to buy the club back but when the seller is demanding near to 80m more than he paid for it she is quite reluctant.

 

Here is hoping something happens before the end of next month or I would expect a very quiet Window

 

 

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

I was defending her until recently (on here or elsewhere, I forget) but I decided by researching a little & chatting with some people I know and trust, she sold off an awful lot of inheritance extremely quickly. No crime in itself but it may reveal a little about her behaviour and what are her real motivations? I still believe that the good work she has overseen was part of a plan and will of her father. I’d be reticent to discount credit to her readily. Whilst I’m not irrationally spiteful towards her as is common place with some of the morons in this city, she’s overseen a record breaking demise and sold us to a dead duck who was flagged up by the Premier League fit and proper persons and she overturned that ruling by appeal. A huge mistake and for that, I

hold her solely responsible. She was the custodian and she sold us out. No-one else did. I also remember the warning and words of NC prior to him leaving and if you look at the actions since, Les seizing power, the club selling all our top players, twice consecutively, it’s hard not to be resentful. The best card the club pulled was hiding behind the great wall of silence so we didn’t really know to whom to aim our frustrations. Who authorised selling all our best assets, twice. Everyone automatically assumed it was Les. Some assumed Kat.

 

All that remains our the facts. We went from three top eight finishes to losing our arguably best ever manager. We recruited well and got in Koeman. Les then (allegedly) forced out RoKo for refusing to sign a longer contract abd compromise wasn’t one of autocratic Les’ strong points. Then it spiralled downhill. Les (or Ross) appointed rubbish. Poorer and poorer managers. A monumental waste of millions in paying off a series of inadequate managers and many more millions wasted in long player contracts and recruiting p*ss poor players.

 

I think the crux of this situation was the football management were not managed or monitored well enough by Kat. She was inexperienced and never asked to own the club. All pointless conjecture but I suspect Les and many others may have taken advantage of the situation. I know Les had his son as an agent for many of the academy players. I’m unsure how a multi -millionaire heiress runs a football club but our management weren’t shy with splashing the cash, foolishly.

 

Ultimately, Les was left at the helm and assumed too much power and was (I’m guessing) largely unmanaged & I assume left to run things. He seemed to p**s off a lot of players as we lost a whole load more and then Les may have gone crazy with someone else’s money and absolutely decimated the stability and finances and well being of our club. Don’t ever get me started on Kruger.

 

All I know is, Kat took the reigns and someone in charge turned us into a feeder club. We lost all our best players over 2 1/2 years and we replaced them with lack lustre, sub-standard cr*p.

 

Liverpool hoovered up many of our A-team.

 

Liverpool have now won the Champions League and look set to win the Premier League this season.

 

Saints were asset stripped and we sold all of our quality.

 

Saints now sit Second from bottom in the Premier League with the joint worst goal difference, having recently recorded the league’s highest ever defeat to a club away from home. The club were universally condemned for one of the worst performances in PL history. Third time lucky for Saints in the relegation game and we look prime candidates to be relegated this season having back tracked on our club’s previous transfer reassurance back in late October. Saints rode their luck and barely survived under an out of his depth Pellegrino and a lack lustre & fairly useless Mark Hughes combined with a decreasing quality coaching set-up and an abjectly failing transfer policy. Buy lots of semi expensive cr*p rather than more expensive, more selective quality. Then overly rely on a non-producing academy purely out of desperation. Talk about not learning from your previous mistakes.

 

Irrespective of blame. We may never know the world-class pitch Gao orchestrated. He may have just made a disinterested offer and Kat leapt at it. All we know is that sale made her one fat cat. Much to our detriment.

 

The more time passes and the more I notice the club’s very different social media tactics, the more I dislike our owner and the dishonest & manipulative behaviour he brings. I will not buy any suggestions he is unaware of what is going on at our club. Then I look at his track record and corruption case and what he did to his business partners to save his own skin, I have grown a severe dislike to the man consorting this but galvanised by his inherent and total neglect to our club over the past 2 years. I want him gone.

 

How do you know Kat has helped us this month? What are you alluding to? I’m interested to know more but would like some background. If she has, fair play to her. Guilty conscience perhaps?! Even so, remorse can be a wonderful thing. The best she can do is help fund a couple of decent defenders and a midfielder, whether permanent or loans. Otherwise, they look set to lose a lot of money. I’d love to believe the greater good but if she does put money in, I can’t help but feel this is protecting her investment but really, it’s incidental the reason. We desperately need funds and it’s a darn sight more than that f***in’ lying waster major shareholder has done.