Ralph Hasenhuttl

[Saint Garrett]

Where we are in the league is not really a surprise is it...you could say Ralph has done a brilliant job to even keep us in the league...
https://www.football-observatory.com/IMG/sites/b5wp/2021/wp367/en/

 

[captainchris]

1 hour ago, Saint Garrett said:

Where we are in the league is not really a surprise is it...you could say Ralph has done a brilliant job to even keep us in the league...
https://www.football-observatory.com/IMG/sites/b5wp/2021/wp367/en/

 

Honestly if ambition is purely based on money spent then most successful businesses would have folded years ago.

We also must take into account our facilities, ground, staff, experience and    time spent being established in the Premier League which should have enabled an accumulation of better players over the period.

Whilst money is definitely a significant factor lack of success with our team must be weighed together with odd team selections and also mostly about 4 or 5 up front with no midfield. These factors are more significant than lack of money. Can we actually trust a coach who leaves two defenders totally exposed at the back most games with any money we have, particularly after three years of building his team and coaching his methods?

Also Ralph said very clearly during our annual purple patch this year that having a larger better quality squad this year was enabling better results….

Well Ralph what’s changed?

It is interesting to reflect on the turnaround in fortunes for Burnley as to how a different coach can secure better results with the same players. 
It’s more complicated than just money spent. If you were the new owner you would have to be having a serious review before giving Ralph precious spare money to spend surely …… 

 

 

 

[OldNick]

14 minutes ago, captainchris said:

 

Well Ralph what’s changed?

 

 

 

 

Is it only me that wonders that since the world was informed of our 60minute energy break, that has now stopped a massive drop in our pressing and results????

[Chez]

13 hours ago, Chris cooper said:

You can’t defend Ralph wen he came out and said he’s walking away in 18 months .. bang in the middle of a season he has derailed everything at saints including himself.

He doesn’t understand the English mentality and you can see this in his stupidly timed honesty in interviews. Hangs players out to dry and won’t admit to shit tactics and clueless substitutions ..stubbornly stupid and overly emotional coach.

your own post seems quite emotional, which is fine. Passion about football is what its all about. I would say that he said he would "consider" retiring at the end of his contract. Not really a big deal IMO and I don't see why that has any affect on performances here and now. I'm English and my mentality would be to continue to train well, play hard and win games. I don't think our results are due to that statement.

I didn't know honesty in interviews was an issue? I much prefer it to being bullshitted. I agree that he hung McCarthy out to dry. Not terribly smart, but perhaps done i the heat of the moment. I thought he apologised for it though?

He admitted to his tactics at Anfield were shit. He doesn't tend to take the plaudits when he gets his tactics spot on, so I am not sure I expect him to do himself down when they are wrong.

I thought that his substitutions have been OK this season. I certainly don't agree with all of them, but most make sense and he has acted a bit quicker in previous years.

You might be right about hi being stubborn, but he seems to have been far more flexible this season than previous in terms of starting formations and changing formations during games.

 

 

[Chez]

14 hours ago, captainchris said:

Sorry but Ralph has lost both the players and most supporters

Certainly on here there are many that want him gone, but not sure thats the case at the game. As for saying he has lost the players, that's a bold statement. What makes you think that?

[Chez]

25 minutes ago, OldNick said:

Is it only me that wonders that since the world was informed of our 60minute energy break, that has now stopped a massive drop in our pressing and results????

Maybe just you. I've been wondering why players need an energy break 15 minutes after having a 15 minute energy break.

[captainchris]

4 minutes ago, Chez said:

Certainly on here there are many that want him gone, but not sure thats the case at the game. As for saying he has lost the players, that's a bold statement. What makes you think that?

Well lack of effort and player attitude is a reasonable guide… j

[OldNick]

3 minutes ago, Chez said:

Maybe just you. I've been wondering why players need an energy break 15 minutes after having a 15 minute energy break.

It seemed to work, look at the results up to that and then after. Seems a big drop

[Charlie Wayman]

A somewhat chastened and cautious Ralph at today's PC. Not his usual confident and ebullient self at all. One wonders if he has been read the riot act by the Owners this week.

Why did Adam Blackmore pass up the chance to nail Ralph on his team's recent atrocious performances? Talk about sycophantic twaddle, loads of supportive questions including even offering Ralph off-ramps to avoid embarrassment at times. You can do better than this Adam, hang him out to dry otherwise what are you there for? No excuses even if you count Ralph as a personal friend.

 

[Charlie Wayman]

1 hour ago, Chez said:

Certainly on here there are many that want him gone, but not sure thats the case at the game. As for saying he has lost the players, that's a bold statement. What makes you think that?

It's not so much that people want him gone, unquestionably he is a decent bloke, very engaging and open in conversation and very clearly an honest nice person. The fact remains his teams performances over the past three years have been depressingly below average and many have come around to the realisation that Ralph is no longer the new broom on the street nor the new Special One that the early hype had us believing. 

It is time to realise at last that if he keeps doing what he's doing then the outcomes will always be the same. Time for a change of direction is needed for our club if we are ever to be lifted out of the doldrums.

Edited 5 May, 2022 by Charlie Wayman

[captainchris]

2 hours ago, Charlie Wayman said:

A somewhat chastened and cautious Ralph at today's PC. Not his usual confident and ebullient self at all. One wonders if he has been read the riot act by the Owners this week.

Why did Adam Blackmore pass up the chance to nail Ralph on his team's recent atrocious performances? Talk about sycophantic twaddle, loads of supportive questions including even offering Ralph off-ramps to avoid embarrassment at times. You can do better than this Adam, hang him out to dry otherwise what are you there for? No excuses even if you count Ralph as a personal friend.

 

So true….. 

Adam Blackmore continues to qualify every question with an easy answer on a plate. It is rather pointless…

certainly agree that Ralph was nervous and more introverted than normal also hands gripping each other as well..

I said he’s under pressure…. 
 

[Saint_clark]

7 hours ago, Saint Garrett said:

Where we are in the league is not really a surprise is it...you could say Ralph has done a brilliant job to even keep us in the league...
https://www.football-observatory.com/IMG/sites/b5wp/2021/wp367/en/

 

Do you have one for wage budget? Soccernomics found years back that wage budget is a much more accurate indicator of where teams finish than transfer outgoings.

[Teddeer]

I doubt Ralph particularly believes himself that he's very good at his job. If he had undivided self confidence in his own ability I doubt he'd be talking about retiring imminently. Could be wrong but I get the feeling, deep down, he knows he's lost his mojo.

[Convict Colony]

To be honest i like ralph he seems a good manager who knows how we can win games.

I dont like our team quality, we've been on a shoestring budget for years.  I think of hughes and then how happy the players and we were when he came in and we had a manager who had a clear plan, coaching etc. 

I think ralph can deliver but without picking on specific players when our goalkeepers and CBs make mistakes regularly and our no. 10s dont create many opportunities for the strikers we will always be crap - we all know redmond hasnt been fit for purpose since he won player of the year i think under puel.

I like our wing backs, centre midfield and our strikers are just passable (they each have different strengths) but could be improved

[Whitey Grandad]

2 hours ago, Saint_clark said:

Do you have one for wage budget? Soccernomics found years back that wage budget is a much more accurate indicator of where teams finish than transfer outgoings.

Many, many years ago the manager of Bognor came to talk to us at a referees’ meeting. He said then at if we showed him the wage bill he could tell us where the team would finish.

[Suhari]

12 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

To be honest i like ralph he seems a good manager who knows how we can win games.

I dont like our team quality, we've been on a shoestring budget for years.  I think of hughes and then how happy the players and we were when he came in and we had a manager who had a clear plan, coaching etc. 

I think ralph can deliver but without picking on specific players when our goalkeepers and CBs make mistakes regularly and our no. 10s dont create many opportunities for the strikers we will always be crap - we all know redmond hasnt been fit for purpose since he won player of the year i think under puel.

I like our wing backs, centre midfield and our strikers are just passable (they each have different strengths) but could be improved

This.

Really hoping to see some new blood come in this summer.

[Alan Sugarfree]

2 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Many, many years ago the manager of Bognor came to talk to us at a referees’ meeting. He said then at if we showed him the wage bill he could tell us where the team would finish.

The seasons we got stuck with Lemina, Hoedt and Carillo would have skewed that then..

[SaintZamboni]

https://www.spotrac.com/epl/payroll/
This is an estimated wage table for the season. If that’s a better indicator than transfer spend we should about 13th in the league. We have the same points as the team in 13th but worse gd. So perhaps Ralph is doing about as well as can be expected given transfer spend and wages.

 

[skintsaint]

Yep the wages are always the best thing to look at, especially as players can be bought out of contract etc but given high wages. Always the one to derail the Liverpool fans who say they don't spend money. Easier to attract/unsettle/grab players on a free when offering about 3 or 4 times as much wages.

[Christophenburg]

18 hours ago, Charlie Wayman said:

A somewhat chastened and cautious Ralph at today's PC. Not his usual confident and ebullient self at all. One wonders if he has been read the riot act by the Owners this week.

Why did Adam Blackmore pass up the chance to nail Ralph on his team's recent atrocious performances? Talk about sycophantic twaddle, loads of supportive questions including even offering Ralph off-ramps to avoid embarrassment at times. You can do better than this Adam, hang him out to dry otherwise what are you there for? No excuses even if you count Ralph as a personal friend.

 

Yeah, Adam Blackmore is quite close to Ralph and by his own admission (on Twitter) he likes him. The downside, I think, of what can happen when journalists and managers become too close to each other.

13 hours ago, Convict Colony said:

To be honest i like ralph he seems a good manager who knows how we can win games.

I dont like our team quality, we've been on a shoestring budget for years.  I think of hughes and then how happy the players and we were when he came in and we had a manager who had a clear plan, coaching etc. 

I think ralph can deliver but without picking on specific players when our goalkeepers and CBs make mistakes regularly and our no. 10s dont create many opportunities for the strikers we will always be crap - we all know redmond hasnt been fit for purpose since he won player of the year i think under puel.

I like our wing backs, centre midfield and our strikers are just passable (they each have different strengths) but could be improved

Ralph certainly knows how to win games, but he knows how to lose them to, and most significantly other managers know how to beat him - something Ralph doesn't adapt to. He's his own worst enemy. I won't be disappointed if he's here next year, in general I like our style of play (if the execution isn't great) but he needs a good kick up the bum. But after 3-ish years and the majority of the deadwood he inherited now moved on we should seem much less precarious then we do

[Chez]

18 hours ago, Charlie Wayman said:

It's not so much that people want him gone, unquestionably he is a decent bloke, very engaging and open in conversation and very clearly an honest nice person. The fact remains his teams performances over the past three years have been depressingly below average and many have come around to the realisation that Ralph is no longer the new broom on the street nor the new Special One that the early hype had us believing. 

It is time to realise at last that if he keeps doing what he's doing then the outcomes will always be the same. Time for a change of direction is needed for our club if we are ever to be lifted out of the doldrums.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a Ralph apologist, but from an owners point of view, Premiership survival is not `in the doldrums'. It is likely `the target' and that target keeps being achieved. Obviously, like any other fan, I'd like to see us challenging for Europe and going toe to toe with the big sides, rather than hanging on for grim life, but as has been said by others, those seasons under Poch and Koeman are perhaps not the norm. I am not fearful of seeing if the grass is greener with a new manager. Managerial change is inevitable at some point, but I do wonder, if, like under Puel, the tactics are helping masquerade a lack of quality (especially in the final third) or are simply holding us back.

[Chez]

20 hours ago, captainchris said:

Well lack of effort and player attitude is a reasonable guide… j

Is it a lack of effort? Are players not trying? Do you see poor attitudes?

When we lose a few, people immediately point to a lack of effort, poor fitness (less so these days), poor attitudes and the `dressing room has been lost'. I don't see those things personally. I see an average quality side, that needs to be firing on all cylinders for us to win any games in this league. Lose a player or two to injury, one or two low on confidence meaning they don't shoot on side or take that man on, the balance not right (between attack and defence), partnerships not working due to different selections, a side not quite functioning right, a few results going the wrong way leading to a side-wide dip in confidence and before you know it you are not creating chances, stopping goals and winning games.  The manager can affect many of these things. So I am not saying Ralph isn't to blame, but I don't think its as simple as players have had enough of Ralph, so have down tools. 

 

[Chez]

1 hour ago, Christophenburg said:

But after 3-ish years and the majority of the deadwood he inherited now moved on we should seem much less precarious then we do

I agree. We are not in desperate shit, as we were under Pellegrino and Hughes, but we aren't a million miles from it.

It is his side, although I'm sure he'd want to have signed better players - they are his choices I assume. How much scouting he does I don't know. His failure to bring any gems with him (as Koeman did with Tadic and Pelle) was certainly disappointing and makes me wonder what he does on that side.  Did he make good selections when he was at previous clubs? Again, its always hard to know how big an input the manager has these days with signings. If it was me, and buy and large you live and die by you signings, I'd want a massive say and would be going to watch players live. 

[John Boy Saint]

21 hours ago, Charlie Wayman said:

A somewhat chastened and cautious Ralph at today's PC. Not his usual confident and ebullient self at all. One wonders if he has been read the riot act by the Owners this week.

Why did Adam Blackmore pass up the chance to nail Ralph on his team's recent atrocious performances? Talk about sycophantic twaddle, loads of supportive questions including even offering Ralph off-ramps to avoid embarrassment at times. You can do better than this Adam, hang him out to dry otherwise what are you there for? No excuses even if you count Ralph as a personal friend.

 

We watched some of the player awards stream the other night - Ralph went up on stage for the Fans player of the year award. He didn't look too comfortable stood up there mic in hand, especially as the night was shared with the Ladies and their seasons Silverware haul, so far, was on parade on the stage. Dragan had been up to present an earlier award and obviously made a positive reference to the Ladies. Ralph arrived on the stage and almost instantly referenced the Silverware on the Ladies "side" of the stage and nothing on the Mens side - it certainly was a tad strange to swing the spotlight on to that vacant space and look uncharacteristically rather un-easy "in the moment" .

So you could be right.    

[Toussaint]

2 hours ago, John Boy Saint said:

We watched some of the player awards stream the other night - Ralph went up on stage for the Fans player of the year award. He didn't look too comfortable stood up there mic in hand, especially as the night was shared with the Ladies and their seasons Silverware haul, so far, was on parade on the stage. Dragan had been up to present an earlier award and obviously made a positive reference to the Ladies. Ralph arrived on the stage and almost instantly referenced the Silverware on the Ladies "side" of the stage and nothing on the Mens side - it certainly was a tad strange to swing the spotlight on to that vacant space and look uncharacteristically rather un-easy "in the moment" .

So you could be right.    

I was there and didn't get that vibe. I agree he didn't look comfortable, but no manager in any business would look comfortable facing the stakeholders after sustained poor results. What I got, just my interpretation, was that there is recognition from the owner and the chairman that the league is improving and we are not, therefore we are falling behind, which is always the result of standing still.  I think Ralph's "not good enough" quote bears this out.

I also picked up a whiff of a big clear out, which is why I concluded that Ralph is staying but a number of the players are not. I could be 100% wrong of course.

I don't think its  fair to compare with the ladies, as I understand things they are very well funded in the sphere they operate in. 

[Turkish]

7 hours ago, Chez said:

I agree. We are not in desperate shit, as we were under Pellegrino and Hughes, but we aren't a million miles from it.

It is his side, although I'm sure he'd want to have signed better players - they are his choices I assume. How much scouting he does I don't know. His failure to bring any gems with him (as Koeman did with Tadic and Pelle) was certainly disappointing and makes me wonder what he does on that side.  Did he make good selections when he was at previous clubs? Again, its always hard to know how big an input the manager has these days with signings. If it was me, and buy and large you live and die by you signings, I'd want a massive say and would be going to watch players live. 

Broja wasn’t down to him as he went on record very early on when he hit form saying he could now see why the recruitment team wanted to sign him

Liveramento and Armstrong were both meant to be his top two summer signings though. So guess it’s like it always has been with us, been the manager and recruiters we have a list and get what’s available without our budget

[Chez]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

Broja wasn’t down to him as he went on record very early on when he hit form saying he could now see why the recruitment team wanted to sign him

Liveramento and Armstrong were both meant to be his top two summer signings though. So guess it’s like it always has been with us, been the manager and recruiters we have a list and get what’s available without our budget

I wonder if he goes to any games or just watches videos. I wonder what  manager does these days. They go on about working extremely long hours, but doing what? If they are not travelling to watch other teams and players, what fills the time. 

Edited 6 May, 2022 by Chez

[Holmes_and_Watson]

11 minutes ago, Chez said:

I wonder if he goes to any games or just watches videos. I wonder what  manager does these days. They go on about working extremely long hours, but doing what? If they are not travelling to watch other teams and players, what fills the time. 

Adjusting the playbook from the data analytics updates. Maximise that xG! 🙂

[Christophenburg]

18 minutes ago, Chez said:

I wonder if he goes to any games or just watches videos. I wonder what  manager does these days. They go on about working extremely long hours, but doing what? If they are not travelling to watch other teams and players, what fills the time. 

Ralph attends quite a few of the youth team games I gather

[John Boy Saint]

8 hours ago, Toussaint said:

I was there and didn't get that vibe. I agree he didn't look comfortable, but no manager in any business would look comfortable facing the stakeholders after sustained poor results. What I got, just my interpretation, was that there is recognition from the owner and the chairman that the league is improving and we are not, therefore we are falling behind, which is always the result of standing still.  I think Ralph's "not good enough" quote bears this out.

I also picked up a whiff of a big clear out, which is why I concluded that Ralph is staying but a number of the players are not. I could be 100% wrong of course.

I don't think its  fair to compare with the ladies, as I understand things they are very well funded in the sphere they operate in. 

Being in the room obviously adds more substantial meat on the bone 

With the Ladies - the Wolves manager ( who won’t be overseeing the play off as he is on RAF deployment) was quick to mention the level of investment us and Ipswich have enjoyed compared to  them.

[The Cat]

13 hours ago, Chez said:

I wonder if he goes to any games or just watches videos. I wonder what  manager does these days. They go on about working extremely long hours, but doing what? If they are not travelling to watch other teams and players, what fills the time. 

Pretty sure they way it works is that Ralph says "we need a player in X position with X attributes."

The scouting team have a list of players they have looked at which match the description. They present him with the list, he narrows it down to a few possibilities and the club go off and see which are achievable signings.

Once that's done, and everyone is in agreement, we start negotiations.

Of course it's plausible that he may know a specific player he wants, however we all know it isn't that easy to sign the number 1 choice every time.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

13 hours ago, Chez said:

I wonder if he goes to any games or just watches videos. I wonder what  manager does these days. They go on about working extremely long hours, but doing what? If they are not travelling to watch other teams and players, what fills the time. 

Training? One to one meetings with players, staff etc?

[Chez]

17 minutes ago, Ex Lion Tamer said:

Training? One to one meetings with players, staff etc?

Sure, but they train for about two hours a day and not every day either. Often the coaches take the sessions. There is media work too and lots of other stuff no doubt, but some of these managers like Pep are reported to work 10 or 12 hours a day, six of seven days a week. I mean that's not 24/7, but if you are not involved in scouting, player contracts, logistics, admin, operations, finances....

[Chez]

14 hours ago, Christophenburg said:

Ralph attends quite a few of the youth team games I gather

if a manager doesn't he should be sacked.

[Chez]

58 minutes ago, The Cat said:

Pretty sure they way it works is that Ralph says "we need a player in X position with X attributes."

The scouting team have a list of players they have looked at which match the description. They present him with the list, he narrows it down to a few possibilities and the club go off and see which are achievable signings.

Once that's done, and everyone is in agreement, we start negotiations.

Of course it's plausible that he may know a specific player he wants, however we all know it isn't that easy to sign the number 1 choice every time.

Yep. I'd guess that is exactly what happens, but the fact we didn't sign anyone from Germany really surprises me. Perhaps he had a few in mind, but we just couldn't get those.

[The Cat]

1 minute ago, Chez said:

Yep. I'd guess that is exactly what happens, but the fact we didn't sign anyone from Germany really surprises me. Perhaps he had a few in mind, but we just couldn't get those.

Yes, I'm surprised by that too. I expected similar to when Koeman went back to the Dutch league for a few signings.

The high press is quite a popular tactic in Germany so many players would have been able to slot into our system and be effective in it straight away.

[beatlesaint]

7 minutes ago, The Cat said:

Yes, I'm surprised by that too. I expected similar to when Koeman went back to the Dutch league for a few signings.

The high press is quite a popular tactic in Germany so many players would have been able to slot into our system and be effective in it straight away.

Its funny you say that. When he came in I fully expected us to sign at least one, probably two great big no nonsense German Centre Halfs to sort that problem area out.  

[Chez]

2 hours ago, beatlesaint said:

Its funny you say that. When he came in I fully expected us to sign at least one, probably two great big no nonsense German Centre Halfs to sort that problem area out.  

He came in December and we'd just signed Vestagaard from Germany in the summer. It's very much a one in one out policy at Saints these days from what I can see.

[Charlie Wayman]

This must be the last straw.  
Logically he must be sacked in the morning. 

[Ed Rooney]

Has to go 

[SNSUN]

 

19 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

This must be the last straw.  
Logically he must be sacked in the morning. 

New manager bounce against Liverpool? I’d rather against Leicester! (A game we could actually get something from)

[Saints foreva]

Still not his fault.... fraud. 

[Wiggles31]

Get rid. Defensively woeful manager. 

[Matthew Le God]

I'm now struggling to think of any positives for him to stay for next season

[ecurnew02]

I was a Ralph believer for a long time but I’ve had enough. Time to make a change 

[AlexLaw76]

What are the excuses for him this week?

[Lighthouse]

I still think, over the course of a season, he’s got as much as I’d reasonably expect out of our sorry collection of bargain basement players. As dreadful as the last three months have been, when you’re going to Burnley wishing you had NINE of their starting XI, that’s not good.

[Matthew Le God]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

What are the excuses for him this week?

I can't think of any...

[Saint Matty 76]

Disappointed if this is the end as I think he's had a horrible deal of it during his tenure here. I think it'd be a shame to part ways just as things are looking more positive from a financial aspect. 

Unfortunately though it's just been dire for months now, hard to fight his corner much further. 

[Saints foreva]

Sack him now.