Ralph Hasenhuttl

[Maggie May]

Out please. 

[kwsaint]

RH knows that his time is up.  He is a proud man and I would doubt that he would like to leave at the end of next season with us relegated.  My guess is that there will be conversations at the end of the season and a parting of the ways shortly after.  Those in control of the club are not daft.

It's a shame, as he is a decent man who has given it his best shot.  Just tactically very limited.  

[FarehamSaintJames]

Many questions, but we already know the answers.

Ralph is tactically stubborn. No changes in formation, no subs until the game is over, sticking with poor players constantly.

This is his team, there is little to no deadwood in this squad compared to previous seasons (your Lemina’s, Hoedt’s etc). But there are now countless liabilities.

Emphasis on youth, expecting to find a gem and actually they’re no better than the last “prospect”. No leadership, no real experience, no real drive.

Poor backroom staff, in jobs purely cos of who they are rather than quality.

If I was the owner, would you give RH a summer warchest to change things? Is he the man to lead your club, your investment forward?

[nta786]

https://strawpoll.com/polls/1MnwvdYp5y7
 

It would be useful to see how we all feel.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

18 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

No light at the end of Ralph's tunnel!

Wow! You really go to up close and personal lengths for those Football Manager stats. 🙂

[Teddeer]

11 minutes ago, kwsaint said:

RH knows that his time is up.  He is a proud man and I would doubt that he would like to leave at the end of next season with us relegated.  My guess is that there will be conversations at the end of the season and a parting of the ways shortly after.  Those in control of the club are not daft.

It's a shame, as he is a decent man who has given it his best shot.  Just tactically very limited.  

7 million a year to manage a football club when you are tactically limited - nice work if you can get it.

[SaintJackoInHurworth]

I'm sad to say that I have now probably moved into the camp of those who think it is best for a change of manager, though I'm not sure he can take all the blame and we have still got to be very careful what we wish for.

I see it like this:

• Ralph adopted a weak, demoralised squad with no direction after several disappointing managerial appointments.
• He made good changes to our tactics which began to turn us round and got us moving back in the right direction - not least the re-introduction of the high press which had been so successful under Poch.
• Changes in the back room made some improvements to our transfer strategy, but not enough.
• We continued with a compromised, half-baked, idealistic transfer strategy that was a shadow of what we had previously had under Poch and Koeman.
• Budgetary limitations further limited our ability to be effective in the transfer market.
• We were slow to realise flaws in our academy model and were left glorying in a past academy success that had long since evaporated.
• Some fans were impatient for change and put the blame for failings wholly upon Ralph's shoulders.
• Ralph was initially stubborn to change things - in some ways a good thing, but in other ways a failure to recognise the need for the ability to change strategy within a game.
• Injuries also compromised what Ralph was attempting to achieve and a lack of squad depth did not help with this.
• In order to improve squad flexibility and depth and beginning to see the need for a bigger range of tactical approaches, Ralph tried some changes - some succeeded but others backfired badly.
• As time has gone on Ralph has begun to tinker more and more with the squad.
• Potentially Ralph may also have been under pressure to utlise more of the squad including players that were failing like Diallo and Elyounoussi.
• We have been left with a compromised set of tactics and ambiguous team selections.

This all leaves me feeling that whether or not it is all Ralph's fault, we need a change. However, we must avoid a knee-jerk sacking without having a clear idea of who we might replace him with.

[Micky]

Is he still here?

[Ivan Katalinic's 'tache]

[BotleySaint]

I do think Ralph needs to go. We need a fresh vision. But he has been given progressively worse squads to work with year after year. More depth this year but lower star quality, the kind that wins games.

[The Kraken]

4 minutes ago, BotleySaint said:

I do think Ralph needs to go. We need a fresh vision. But he has been given progressively worse squads to work with year after year. More depth this year but lower star quality, the kind that wins games.

He hasn’t been given all of those squads though, they are his.

[Pamplemousse]

I'm still Ralph in. But picking the same failed centre backs (and goalkeeper, now our number 1 McCarthy is back fit) is just delusional.

[Badger]

13 minutes ago, Pamplemousse said:

I'm still Ralph in. But picking the same failed centre backs (and goalkeeper, now our number 1 McCarthy is back fit) is just delusional.

Problem is, and not of Ralph's making, is that he can only replace them with equally poor CB's, or another mistake prone GK.

Edited 7 May, 2022 by Badger

[S-Clarke]

19 minutes ago, Pamplemousse said:

I'm still Ralph in. But picking the same failed centre backs (and goalkeeper, now our number 1 McCarthy is back fit) is just delusional.

What can he do though? Bednarek's backup is either Lyanco or Jack flaming Stephens. Salisu is the best of a very, very band bunch.

McCarthy is crap, Forster is no more than average. Diallo isn't good in a two, and without Romeu we have no other 'number 6' and can be played through like a knife through butter. The spine of this team (which has been the same for season upon season) is absolute garbage and I'd wager that's the actual problem, not the manager.

[AlexLaw76]

1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

What can he do though? Bednarek's backup is either Lyanco or Jack flaming Stephens. Salisu is the best of a very, very band bunch.

McCarthy is crap, Forster is no more than average. Diallo isn't good in a two, and without Romeu we have no other 'number 6' and can be played through like a knife through butter. The spine of this team (which has been the same for season upon season) is absolute garbage and I'd wager that's the actual problem, not the manager.

we have a better squad now though, right?

[S-Clarke]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

we have a better squad now though, right?

Deeper squad, yes. More options at full back for a start.

Quality is right down though and we haven't upgraded the spine at all in many years.

[Whitey Grandad]

6 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

What can he do though? Bednarek's backup is either Lyanco or Jack flaming Stephens. Salisu is the best of a very, very band bunch.

McCarthy is crap, Forster is no more than average. Diallo isn't good in a two, and without Romeu we have no other 'number 6' and can be played through like a knife through butter. The spine of this team (which has been the same for season upon season) is absolute garbage and I'd wager that's the actual problem, not the manager.

He’s been here three and a half years now. Surely that should be long enough to have got the squad into the shape that he wanted.

[danjosaint]

35 minutes ago, SaintJackoInHurworth said:

 

• Ralph adopted a weak, demoralised squad with no direction

But that is exactly what we are now, he's had 3yrs to change that. I'm amazed people still want him here, he's so tactical limited, from the outside looking in looks like a stubborn prick who quite easily isolates players, yes we have poor squad but it's better than Brentford, difference is they work within there limitations and are set up tactically correct by a better manager, the gaps we leave are huge and so easy to exploit even by mediocre teams, having our cbs attempting/diving in to win balls 45yrds from the opposing goal is tactically suicide even u10s are taught not to dive In, he may be a nice guy on camera but to me an egotistical knob to write his own playbook and expect us as a club to follow it despite it not working, Semmens needs to earn his money now and get rid soon as the season finishes along with the hangers on coaches/dogsbody 

[Lighthouse]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

He’s been here three and a half years now. Surely that should be long enough to have got the squad into the shape that he wanted.

If I gave you £500 and said you've got three and a half years to go and buy a second hand car, what would you buy?

[S-Clarke]

4 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

He’s been here three and a half years now. Surely that should be long enough to have got the squad into the shape that he wanted.

You'd hope so and think so, but he's had his hands tied behind his back most of the time. If you look at it he's still having to work with Armstrong, Bednarek, McCarthy/Forster, Romeu who have been the spine of the team ever since he's been here. Romeu and Armstrong, whilst decent, are not top quality and they will drop off as the season goes on. It's not a coincidence that our bad spells often happen when those players in the spine drop off the level or get injured.

Best players/captains leaving every year before he can ever start to think about improving areas of the team, let alone replacing the players who have left. So whilst he's brought in players, that's been at the expense of established and experienced (our better players) leaving in order to generate the funds. It's a recipe to stand still and I'm not really sure what any other manager would achieve to be honest.

Edited 7 May, 2022 by S-Clarke

[The Cat]

Heard some talk that the new owners want to overhaul the coaching staff but Ralph is resistant to it.

Don't think they were/are necessarily thinking of getting rid of him, but can see failings, or gaps in the set up around him. However he is/was happy with how it is currently.

I say this as what I heard before today, whether the terrible defeat changes anything I don't know.

[Give it to Ron]

1 win in 13 why wait for 2 more how will he change it we are totally reliant on other teams cocking up now shambolic.

I still am fuming at home to Watford we play one up front and Smallbone who has played how many minutes before and now after!

So today we start Diallo and Armstrong players deemed not good enough for 1 minute for weeks then expect them to perform not match fit or ready!

 

[SaintJackoInHurworth]

2 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Deeper squad, yes. More options at full back for a start.

Quality is right down though and we haven't upgraded the spine at all in many years.

Yes - we have kind of upgraded it by bringing in that greater depth - but I agree we haven't upgraded with sufficient quality. In addition, Ralph has failed to find the ways to help enough players to develop their abilities.

For example:

• Salisu, despite some fans adulation has been dreadful and Bednarek has suffered with trying to cover for his frequent lapses, with the result that he (Bednarek) has often looked like the one who has mucked up by gettimng out of position covering for Salisu. Bednarek always looks better when Salisu is not playing at centre back. The reality is that Salisu is probably more of a left back than a centre back.
• Adam Armstrong was on paper an ok appointment, but Ralph has failed to find the way to unlock his talent and has instead undermined his confidence.
• Diallo has some abilities but very little confidence. He is also not a holding player so should never be played as cover for Romeu. He is at best a back-up for Ward-Prowse if he is injured, but would probably be better utlised in the same way that Stuart Armstrong is best played - as a link player between midfield and attack.

[Bob76]

22 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

What can he do though? Bednarek's backup is either Lyanco or Jack flaming Stephens. Salisu is the best of a very, very band bunch.

McCarthy is crap, Forster is no more than average. Diallo isn't good in a two, and without Romeu we have no other 'number 6' and can be played through like a knife through butter. The spine of this team (which has been the same for season upon season) is absolute garbage and I'd wager that's the actual problem, not the manager.

Pick a formation to best suit the players we have maybe.

[Harry_SFC]

3 minutes ago, The Cat said:

Heard some talk that the new owners want to overhaul the coaching staff but Ralph is resistant to it.

Don't think they were/are necessarily thinking of getting rid of him, but can see failings, or gaps in the set up around him. However he is/was happy with how it is currently.

I say this as what I heard before today, whether the terrible defeat changes anything I don't know.

That is exactly what the club needs. An overhaul of the coaching staff. If Ralph is against it then he needs to be part of the overhaul as well. 

[CB Fry]

So the squad is a load of old shit again? Fair enough, could have sworn it was strong and balanced and deep enough earlier on in the season.

Of course that was when the "told you so, we're mid table, can eighth get Europe, can't believe people doubted Ralph, proved the doubters wrong" forum victory lap was well underway. I think that's finished now, right?

[Thereisonlyonemickychannon]

I said it before and I will say it again.

He cried when we beat Liverpool 1-0

Lost 9-0 twice

That's why he should go.

 

[Whitey Grandad]

28 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

If I gave you £500 and said you've got three and a half years to go and buy a second hand car, what would you buy?

One that was at least three and a half years old?

I’d probably stick with the one I already had but polish it, tweak it, tune it and let it know how much I loved it.

[Roo1976]

2 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

Sadly that's probably down to our finances again, we couldn't even bring in proper coaches and had to promote cheapo options from the under age teams. When you look at it from a financial point of view he really hasn't had the support. He's not been able to build his own backroom team, he's only been able to add to the team in bits and pieces over several windows whilst selling the better players from the previous seasons etc. It really is the recipe for  'standing still' and that's ultimately what we have done ever since he's been here.

My feeling is that if we ditch him now we put a lot of our summer plans in the bin, potentially miss out on targets and have to start all over again with a new manager and potentially go into a new season with the same absolute garbage attacking players, just without Broja this time.

But the new manager or management coaches might not like the clubs choices or players targeted for the first team surley?

[Roo1976]

47 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

If I gave you £500 and said you've got three and a half years to go and buy a second hand car, what would you buy?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203083327320?price-from=500&sort=year-desc&radius=1500&include-delivery-option=on&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&postcode=po49dr&year-to=2022&price-to=500&advertising-location=at_cars&page=1😇

[The Kraken]

2 minutes ago, Roo1976 said:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203083327320?price-from=500&sort=year-desc&radius=1500&include-delivery-option=on&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&postcode=po49dr&year-to=2022&price-to=500&advertising-location=at_cars&page=1😇

Blown a gasket and a non-runner. Sounds like it would fit in perfectly.

[Saint86]

1 hour ago, Pamplemousse said:

I'm still Ralph in. But picking the same failed centre backs (and goalkeeper, now our number 1 McCarthy is back fit) is just delusional.

Um, which other centre backs do you want him to pick? Valery and lyanco? 😱😅. Our squad simply isn't good enough. Not only is the centre defence weak, but we have barely one good decent attacking mid (stu), and a bunch of championship strikers. Someone posted above, the income/expenditure figures for all current teams since 2012 and only Norwich and brentford (moneyball model in the champ) are worse than us. That fundamentally isn't the managers fault. He can only work with what he has and he's done bloody miracles tbh, most of our team doesn't get into Burnley's... 

We saw in 2020 what he can achieve with a decent attack before the injuries wrecked us. The question is, is he going to have the funds to buy some quality? Because if not, its going to just be more of the same. Stubborn Ralph playing the way he wants come high of hell water. 

He deserves the summer with the new owners to see what he can build imo. And I'm as frustrated as everyone else. But I do think that people wanting him out now are just ignoring the fact that the squad has been built on a comparative shoe string and simply isn't good enough in my opinion. Yes we've been shite, but we're still in the league and have had glimpses of some very good footy under him despite the squad limitations. He is however guilty of not comprising on his style of play when the players frankly aren't up to it... But we were tipped for relegation by everyone after losing ings last summer, and we've not really been involved in that scrap - touch wood it stays that way. 

 

 

Edited 7 May, 2022 by Saint86

[Saints foreva]

2 hours ago, SaintJackoInHurworth said:

I'm sad to say that I have now probably moved into the camp of those who think it is best for a change of manager, though I'm not sure he can take all the blame and we have still got to be very careful what we wish for.

I see it like this:

• Ralph adopted a weak, demoralised squad with no direction after several disappointing managerial appointments.
• He made good changes to our tactics which began to turn us round and got us moving back in the right direction - not least the re-introduction of the high press which had been so successful under Poch.
• Changes in the back room made some improvements to our transfer strategy, but not enough.
• We continued with a compromised, half-baked, idealistic transfer strategy that was a shadow of what we had previously had under Poch and Koeman.
• Budgetary limitations further limited our ability to be effective in the transfer market.
• We were slow to realise flaws in our academy model and were left glorying in a past academy success that had long since evaporated.
• Some fans were impatient for change and put the blame for failings wholly upon Ralph's shoulders.
• Ralph was initially stubborn to change things - in some ways a good thing, but in other ways a failure to recognise the need for the ability to change strategy within a game.
• Injuries also compromised what Ralph was attempting to achieve and a lack of squad depth did not help with this.
• In order to improve squad flexibility and depth and beginning to see the need for a bigger range of tactical approaches, Ralph tried some changes - some succeeded but others backfired badly.
• As time has gone on Ralph has begun to tinker more and more with the squad.
• Potentially Ralph may also have been under pressure to utlise more of the squad including players that were failing like Diallo and Elyounoussi.
• We have been left with a compromised set of tactics and ambiguous team selections.

This all leaves me feeling that whether or not it is all Ralph's fault, we need a change. However, we must avoid a knee-jerk sacking without having a clear idea of who we might replace him with.

You forgot to mention not one but two 9-0 defeats as well as overseeing our record run of consecutive defeats. Terrible manager who has done the bare basics and acted passionate to get on the fans side. Puel was hounded out here for far less than what Hassenhuttl has given us and if Ralph had Puel's personality, many more people would want him gone. 

[Saint86]

17 minutes ago, Saints foreva said:

You forgot to mention not one but two 9-0 defeats as well as overseeing our record run of consecutive defeats. Terrible manager who has done the bare basics and acted passionate to get on the fans side. Puel was hounded out here for far less than what Hassenhuttl has given us and if Ralph had Puel's personality, many more people would want him gone. 

Puel got 6 more points than Ralph has so far this season - with a team that had previously qualified for Europe, that had VVD and Tadic (two of the best players in Europe on their day), and in a far worse league quality wise. He was a f'ing terrible manager - absolutely no excuses and people need to stop trotting this out. Not having it. He absolutely had to go regardless of what followed. Irrespective of the Ralph debate or any other manager debate. 

The fact that it was impossible to listen to one of his interviews (due to either falling asleep 😴😴 or day dreaming) has nothing do with it. He was shit. The end. 🤮🤮

Edited 7 May, 2022 by Saint86

[vectraman]

1 hour ago, Lighthouse said:

If I gave you £500 and said you've got three and a half years to go and buy a second hand car, what would you buy?

I’d go and buy a Toyota Corolla, dull, functional, reliable with a little care.

Ralph can’t - it’s got no future sell on value we are told. He’d buy a boy racer Fiesta, go faster spoilers and big bore exhaust. It’d break down regularly, and of no use as a car. It’d be called a Djenepo or similar. Eventually the MOT will run out and we will scrap it for nothing, having spent thousands trying to get it running reliably…..

[Whitey Grandad]

1 minute ago, vectraman said:

I’d go and buy a Toyota Corolla, dull, functional, reliable with a little care.

Ralph can’t - it’s got no future sell on value we are told. He’d buy a boy racer Fiesta, go faster spoilers and big bore exhaust. It’d break down regularly, and of no use as a car. It’d be called a Djenepo or similar. Eventually the MOT will run out and we will scrap it for nothing, having spent thousands trying to get it running reliably…..

The new Datsun Djenepo!

I like it 🤩

[nta786]

3 hours ago, nta786 said:

https://strawpoll.com/polls/1MnwvdYp5y7
 

It would be useful to see how we all feel.

https://strawpoll.com/polls/1MnwvdYp5y7

Results are very interesting! I expected it to be around the 60/40 in Ralph out camp.

Edited 7 May, 2022 by nta786

[madge]

8 minutes ago, nta786 said:

https://strawpoll.com/polls/1MnwvdYp5y7
 

 

 

Results are very interesting! I expected it to be around the 60/40 in Ralph out camp.

I do love a good pie chart!!

[nta786]

and similarly on Instagram… top rated/most liked comments on the defeat are all basically “Ralph out”.

[Saint86]

34 minutes ago, nta786 said:

https://strawpoll.com/polls/1MnwvdYp5y7

Results are very interesting! I expected it to be around the 60/40 in Ralph out camp.

Posted on a "sack ralph" thread after a bad loss 😅

[Forester]

 

• Members

reposted from match thread…

Truly awful performance with a clear lack of motivation, ability to defend and resilience once we went behind.  The contrast of our efforts in the last third of the season versus others in that midfield “nothing to play for”pack is stark.  Look at Brentford, Palace and Brighton in recent weeks.  
 

I have never called for Ralph to go, even after both 9-0 defeats, but he has had a near fully fit squad to choose from, which we were told is bigger than ever to cope with injuries, and yet we are looking at the second consecutive season of dive bombing and will almost certainly go backwards again in terms of points and position.  This now after three and a half years is his squad, his players, and he is responsible.

i didn’t join in the abuse he got today, as I want him to go with dignity at the end of the season, but I did boo the players off at the end of the game for the first time in years as they were utterly embarrassing today.  God knows what the last two games are going to be like.

[Nemi]

3 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

What can he do though? Bednarek's backup is either Lyanco or Jack flaming Stephens. Salisu is the best of a very, very band bunch.

McCarthy is crap, Forster is no more than average. Diallo isn't good in a two, and without Romeu we have no other 'number 6' and can be played through like a knife through butter. The spine of this team (which has been the same for season upon season) is absolute garbage and I'd wager that's the actual problem, not the manager.

This is a good point though. We can’t just change the manager and just expect things to improve. Three squad is dross and a complete reset is needed. Unfortunately, though for me, this includes the manager too. 
 

It’s time for a clean break with the Southampton of the last 4/5 years.

[woodsaint1]

How can we be so jekyll and hyde? Some of the performances earlier in the season against City x2, West Ham (A), Spurs (A), United (A), Brentford (H) were probably the best I've seen under Ralph. But we have a prolonged, catastrophic run of form in us every single season. Thankfully it hasnt been mortal to our PL status, but it will eventually. Mentally weak players, no direction, too many mistakes. While the players should take alot of blame, it is managers responsibility to prevent this . Yes we're Southampton and we'll lose more than we win in a season, but runs of 1 win in 10,11,12,13 or whatever games is shambolic.

We need to go in a new direction and hopefully the owners can see that too.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

2 minutes ago, woodsaint1 said:

How can we be so jekyll and hyde? Some of the performances earlier in the season against City x2, West Ham (A), Spurs (A), United (A), Brentford (H) were probably the best I've seen under Ralph. But we have a prolonged, catastrophic run of form in us every single season. Thankfully it hasnt been mortal to our PL status, but it will eventually. Mentally weak players, no direction, too many mistakes. While the players should take alot of blame, it is managers responsibility to prevent this . Yes we're Southampton and we'll lose more than we win in a season, but runs of 1 win in 10,11,12,13 or whatever games is shambolic.

We need to go in a new direction and hopefully the owners can see that too.

The way I see it, Ralph's system requires 110% effort to work. When the pressure is on and there is mental and physical energy in the squad, it allows the team to play well above its ability. But when those factors aren't there it all collapses

[Saint Billy]

Its not just the manager though is it, its the whole chabang. Owners, board, training staff, management and players, the whole bloody lot.  It might seem harsh including the owners in this as they are so new, but they are no more transparent than our last owner with little to suggest that they will do anything differently.

What use is it if they cant offer an injection of funds because without it things will not change. You can trot out the same line of wanting to produce young and exciting players but lets be realistic, we do not have these in abundance and when we do they hardly get a look in. Unfortunately we are in a bad place and the only thing that will start to improve it is a total restructure which can only be achieved by investment.

[Turkish]

10 minutes ago, Saint Billy said:

Its not just the manager though is it, its the whole chabang. Owners, board, training staff, management and players, the whole bloody lot.  It might seem harsh including the owners in this as they are so new, but they are no more transparent than our last owner with little to suggest that they will do anything differently.

What use is it if they cant offer an injection of funds because without it things will not change. You can trot out the same line of wanting to produce young and exciting players but lets be realistic, we do not have these in abundance and when we do they hardly get a look in. Unfortunately we are in a bad place and the only thing that will start to improve it is a total restructure which can only be achieved by investment.

Leave the new owner alone. He likes stats, wears a nice shirt with the sleeves rolled up and has done a ted talk. He’s the perfect modern owner 

[Lord Duckhunter]

Fucking bloke gives it all large when we win, but skulked off the tunnel today. Should have been a man and acknowledged those of us that traveled today. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

35 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Leave the new owner alone. He likes stats, wears a nice shirt with the sleeves rolled up and has done a ted talk. He’s the perfect modern owner 

Whew! That's a relief. For a minute Inwascworried were were going to delude ourselves into a relegation either this or next season. 🙂

[Turkish]

4 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Whew! That's a relief. For a minute Inwascworried were were going to delude ourselves into a relegation either this or next season. 🙂

We don’t need to worry about relegation when we’ve got a geezer who’s forgotten more than anyone else will ever know about XG

[captainchris]

5 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

What can he do though? Bednarek's backup is either Lyanco or Jack flaming Stephens. Salisu is the best of a very, very band bunch.

McCarthy is crap, Forster is no more than average. Diallo isn't good in a two, and without Romeu we have no other 'number 6' and can be played through like a knife through butter. The spine of this team (which has been the same for season upon season) is absolute garbage and I'd wager that's the actual problem, not the manager.

The tactics are woeful though. We are playing with two midfielders and two defenders and there just isn’t any cover. Ralph has to take responsibility for this Groundhog tactical mentality. 

Edited 7 May, 2022 by captainchris