Ralph Hasenhuttl

[Francis1947]

30 minutes ago, the saint in winchester said:

So, if Ralph had to leave because he was tired and he didn't have the resources at his disposal, whereas now he is refreshed and we will likely have up to £200M (sale proceeds), then is Ralph a candidate for manager 2023-24?

Saint

Well, we know this isnt going to happen but let our imaginations take flight and say why not.

Presuming Selles will not be appointed, what are the realistic altenatives. And I emphasise " realistic "

We either go for an experienced guy who might be available next season. That list MIGHT include Hodgson, Dyche, Moyes, Rogers.....and maybe Potter.

Would any of that list drop down into the Championship and do they have the skillset to be successful in a leagie very different to the Premirership.

Or....we look to an up and coming Mangerfrom the lower divisions. And look how that ended up last time !

Now, one of the reasons Ralph will not be re-appointed would be that Ankerson would have to admit that he not only got almost everything wrong but catastrophically wrong. And his enormous ego and self importance will not allow him to do that. 

Just as an aside. I read in one of the papers yesterday that in one of his books, he wrote....." It is aint broke....change it " !!!!! Sums the bloke and his philosophy up I think !  

So, I would have Ralph back. He had dignity and principles and was a good and honest man I believed and I was somewhat proud that he was the Manger of a football club that I have supported for almost 65 years. He's rested, he's refreshed and he's available .

Wouldnt out the cat amongst the pigeons in the football world to re-appoint him.

Fire away....I'm big enough and old enough 

 

 

 

[Smirking_Saint]

3 minutes ago, Francis1947 said:

Saint

Well, we know this isnt going to happen but let our imaginations take flight and say why not.

Presuming Selles will not be appointed, what are the realistic altenatives. And I emphasise " realistic "

We either go for an experienced guy who might be available next season. That list MIGHT include Hodgson, Dyche, Moyes, Rogers.....and maybe Potter.

Would any of that list drop down into the Championship and do they have the skillset to be successful in a leagie very different to the Premirership.

Or....we look to an up and coming Mangerfrom the lower divisions. And look how that ended up last time !

Now, one of the reasons Ralph will not be re-appointed would be that Ankerson would have to admit that he not only got almost everything wrong but catastrophically wrong. And his enormous ego and self importance will not allow him to do that. 

Just as an aside. I read in one of the papers yesterday that in one of his books, he wrote....." It is aint broke....change it " !!!!! Sums the bloke and his philosophy up I think !  

So, I would have Ralph back. He had dignity and principles and was a good and honest man I believed and I was somewhat proud that he was the Manger of a football club that I have supported for almost 65 years. He's rested, he's refreshed and he's available .

Wouldnt out the cat amongst the pigeons in the football world to re-appoint him.

Fire away....I'm big enough and old enough 

 

 

 

I don’t think we should go back, it ended badly at the end of his reign and if reports are to be believed the players had given up under him, so Im a firm believer of ‘don’t go back, unless you absolutely have too’ 

Im not sure he’d be the worst appointment, but its unnecessary 

We have the money, stature and ambition to get a decent manager should we want too, I don’t think the likes of Marsch, Vieira, Potter, Van Bronkhorst, Corberan (maybe), Nuno, Juric, Gallardo, Rowett are unreasonable or unrealistic hires if we flex ourselves correctly

Right now we’re in a decent position to take in a strong candidate, whether we’ll go for one of them or do something daft is another conversation 

[OldNick]

3 hours ago, Smirking_Saint said:

I don’t think we should go back, it ended badly at the end of his reign and if reports are to be believed the players had given up under him, so Im a firm believer of ‘don’t go back, unless you absolutely have too’ 

Im not sure he’d be the worst appointment, but its unnecessary 

We have the money, stature and ambition to get a decent manager should we want too, I don’t think the likes of Marsch, Vieira, Potter, Van Bronkhorst, Corberan (maybe), Nuno, Juric, Gallardo, Rowett are unreasonable or unrealistic hires if we flex ourselves correctly

Right now we’re in a decent position to take in a strong candidate, whether we’ll go for one of them or do something daft is another conversation 

Gary Rowett!! Really? Oh my giddy aunt

[Bad Wolf]

6 minutes ago, OldNick said:

Gary Rowett!! Really? Oh my giddy aunt

Why? I'm not saying he's my first choice, in fact he's probably not even in my top 7 but he's higher up my list than Nuno or Marsch

[Give it to Ron]

6 minutes ago, OldNick said:

Gary Rowett!! Really? Oh my giddy aunt

Did you say the same when WGS was appointed after his Coventry debacle? 

[OldNick]

2 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

Did you say the same when WGS was appointed after his Coventry debacle? 

 

3 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

Did you say the same when WGS was appointed after his Coventry debacle? 

No I didn't. WGS always had something. So you think Rowett is good enough?/

If you were championing Mark Robins then I think you'd be on the right lines but watching Millwall play!!!, and the nonsense that Jones got, who is a more successful manager in that league imo

[OldNick]

6 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

Why? I'm not saying he's my first choice, in fact he's probably not even in my top 7 but he's higher up my list than Nuno or Marsch

Are we plumbing these depths, it is really sobering thinking about it

[S-Clarke]

8 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

Why? I'm not saying he's my first choice, in fact he's probably not even in my top 7 but he's higher up my list than Nuno or Marsch

Have a word with Stoke fans on Rowett, if you thought they hated Jones then Rowett is on another level for them.

We'd be creating one hell of a pantomime for Stoke if we followed up Jones with Rowett.

[CB Fry]

19 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

Why? I'm not saying he's my first choice, in fact he's probably not even in my top 7 but he's higher up my list than Nuno or Marsch

Bizarre - Nuno has delivered top 10 finishes in the Prem, Rowett has never finished higher than 6th in the Championship. Did well at Birmingham and Derby but absolutely stank the place out at (newly relegated) Stoke and Millwall fans don't even like him that much as his football is so dull.

He is a good manager for a small-ish Championship clubs to grind out results and punch above weight but absolutely not what we need right now.

Nuno feels unlikely but at least it is a Premier League standard manager with some genuine reputation, and delivered a promotion from the Championship.

Edited 15 May, 2023 by CB Fry

[Give it to Ron]

26 minutes ago, OldNick said:

 

No I didn't. WGS always had something. So you think Rowett is good enough?/

If you were championing Mark Robins then I think you'd be on the right lines but watching Millwall play!!!, and the nonsense that Jones got, who is a more successful manager in that league imo

Actually I don’t and TBH I am not sure on anyone as long as not Selles to bore the shit out of me next season.

Its my fault I couldn’t watch Puels home team anymore, great away abysmal watch at home.

[Whitey Grandad]

5 hours ago, OldNick said:

If we kept Puel we'd still be competing for Europe, I still believe that sacking was the start of where we are. We followed him with a couple of appalling appointments before Ralph came in. I used to go to games thinking we will win today, in the last 2-3 seasons when do we go to games with the confidence we will win??? It is a long gone feeling.

He’s the one that threw away a season in Europe. There’s no way that he would have got enough points for European qualification.

Edited 15 May, 2023 by Whitey Grandad

[trousers]

6 hours ago, southamptonfc said:

Nope. Sacking Ralph played a big part in getting us relegated along with not getting a striker in Summer.

Who exactly did you think would replace Ralph? Poch? Pep? Klopp? You're living in a grass is greener dream world my friend. Ralph was the best manager we've had in a long time and will be the best manager we've had for a long time to come.

Ralph would be awsome in the Championship.

 

I'm all for different points of view so fair play. We'll just have to agree to disagree. 

[Saint86]

 

On 15/05/2023 at 10:59, Smirking_Saint said:

Any of those three mentioned would have probably realised Armstrong was fucking useless tbf

And then turned around, looked at the bench and seen Moi and Aribo, and then summarily topped themselves...

[Saint86]

On 15/05/2023 at 11:02, Francis1947 said:

So, the argument is.....what if Ralph had stayed. Where would we be if he had had the additions of Alcarez and Lavia for more of his matches ?

My opinion now is ....probably yes. We needed maybe 7/ 8 more points. 2 wins and 2 draws eh. If only !

And this is just wimsy and it aint going to happen. But we are playing ...what if...here. What if they asked Ralph to return in the Championship. Would we welcome him back after an extended rest ? They say never go back but I'm not so sure. Woud his style and man management cope with Championship football and be a success ?

I must admit I would have him back. And I know that it isn' t goingto happen but in the depressed mood all us Saints fans are in now, it makes you think eh    

Not a chance in hell that he would come back to work under SR, they have largely spent this season dismantling 4 years of his life's work.

[Saint86]

On 15/05/2023 at 11:24, FarehamSaintJames said:

A striker and a winger were two things we desperately needed. He got neither.

I’m not counting Edozie, he obviously wasn’t planned to be thrust into the starting team as early as he was.

The board let him down.

It wasn't just that. Selling Romeu, and then injuries to Lavia, ABK, and ABK (plus Tino being out) effectively kneecapped us defensively for the entire start of the season. Paired with Bazunu in goal (young and developing bot not fully there yet) it just left us too weak at the back... And then yes, the "attack"... barely even justifies being called that.

Some fans were flat out just expecting miracles i'm afraid - this really is an awful awful squad once you factor in a injuries to a handful of our better players.

[MAY-Z]

14 hours ago, Saint86 said:

It wasn't just that. Selling Romeu, and then injuries to Lavia, ABK, and ABK (plus Tino being out) effectively kneecapped us defensively for the entire start of the season. Paired with Bazunu in goal (young and developing bot not fully there yet) it just left us too weak at the back... And then yes, the "attack"... barely even justifies being called that.

Some fans were flat out just expecting miracles i'm afraid - this really is an awful awful squad once you factor in an injuries to a handful of our better players.

So I will ask again, as none of the Ralphists can ever provide the answer, why was the squad performing so well up until the Aston Villa match last season, and then overnight become a truly horrible team? 

This happened under Ralph’s watch

it didn’t need miracles, these players are just horribly managed and as people can tell there are problems behind the scenes.

[Convict Colony]

2 hours ago, MAY-Z said:

So I will ask again, as none of the Ralphists can ever provide the answer, why was the squad performing so well up until the Aston Villa match last season, and then overnight become a truly horrible team? 

This happened under Ralph’s watch

it didn’t need miracles, these players are just horribly managed and as people can tell there are problems behind the scenes.

11th in the league after villa defeat

On 35pts 

Players self preservation ahead of the summer

[MAY-Z]

2 hours ago, Convict Colony said:

11th in the league after villa defeat

On 35pts 

Players self preservation ahead of the summer

No other team around that position did the same? Why didn’t their players all hit self preservation mode? Because that’s probably not the real answer

 

And if it is true it says a lot about Ralph’s lack of connection to the players at the end if he can’t get a single performance out of them 

[Lighthouse]

5 hours ago, MAY-Z said:

So I will ask again, as none of the Ralphists can ever provide the answer, why was the squad performing so well up until the Aston Villa match last season, and then overnight become a truly horrible team? 

This happened under Ralph’s watch

it didn’t need miracles, these players are just horribly managed and as people can tell there are problems behind the scenes.

Because they were a thoroughly substandard bunch of players, overperforming and it's impossible to keep it up forever. You see it all the time with promoted teams; they go up, have a way of playing with confidence and style which catches people out and they're top 6 in November. Then they have a couple of bad results and the form drops right off because they just don't have to quality of PL players to keep it going long term.

Our squad was that bad. There's only so long you can keep churning results out of Valery, McCarthy, AA, Moi, Bednarek and co. If these players were so horribly managed, remind me again what they've gone on to achieve at other clubs, without Ralph holding them back.

[CB Fry]

27 minutes ago, MAY-Z said:

No other team around that position did the same? Why didn’t their players all hit self preservation mode? Because that’s probably not the real answer

 

And if it is true it says a lot about Ralph’s lack of connection to the players at the end if he can’t get a single performance out of them 

Well, we got to 40 points under no risk of relegation so obviously he did get more than a "single performance" out of them.

At the end of last season, Burnley shat the bed and went down, Everton and Leeds hardly had stellar ends to the season, Villa were ropey after Gerrards very early new-manager-bounce and stuttered to the end which they carried over into this season.

So no idea what point you are trying to make.

 

 

[OldNick]

On 15/05/2023 at 17:40, Whitey Grandad said:

He’s the one that threw away a season in Europe. There’s no way that he would have got enough points for European qualification.

Personally I feel that VVD and others missed absolute sitters in games that we should have won as much as Puels fault. God we missed some glorious chances 

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, OldNick said:

Personally I feel that VVD and others missed absolute sitters in games that we should have won as much as Puels fault. God we missed some glorious chances 

Fonte?

[OldNick]

1 hour ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Fonte?

I think VVD missed an easy header, I believe it was the Israeli team game away

[The Cat]

15 minutes ago, OldNick said:

I think VVD missed an easy header, I believe it was the Israeli team game away

That was in the first few minutes of the game. Yoshida also missed a pretty easy chance in the last minute of the home game that I think would have put us through if it had gone in.

[Turkish]

2 hours ago, The Cat said:

That was in the first few minutes of the game. Yoshida also missed a pretty easy chance in the last minute of the home game that I think would have put us through if it had gone in.

How many chances did we miss in Milan? Could and probably should have won that 3 or 4 nil

[The Cat]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

How many chances did we miss in Milan? Could and probably should have won that 3 or 4 nil

I only really remember Rodriguez missing a good one but a lot of the game went by in an alcohol induced blur. At one point I had to close one eye to focus on the game because otherwise there were 44 players on the pitch!

[stknowle]

1 hour ago, The Cat said:

I only really remember Rodriguez missing a good one but a lot of the game went by in an alcohol induced blur. At one point I had to close one eye to focus on the game because otherwise there were 44 players on the 

Edited 20 May, 2023 by stknowle
Fucked up

[SotonianWill]

8 hours ago, OldNick said:

Personally I feel that VVD and others missed absolute sitters in games that we should have won as much as Puels fault. God we missed some glorious chances 

I cant forgive puel for setting up for a 0-0 in the last game. of course they score first 1-0 and we finally need to attack. turns out we were quite a lot better than them and when we finally attack we are all over them, we score but it’s too late. I seem to remember they were so bad VVD was playing striker role (?) or just running through their team. foggy memory though. 

[Whitey Grandad]

8 hours ago, OldNick said:

I think VVD missed an easy header, I believe it was the Israeli team game away

I brought up the name of Fonte because he could have made a difference in any or all of our European games. 

[trousers]

Would anyone welcome Ralph back now? No great secret that I was a big fan in his first couple of seasons here, but I ended up falling out of love with him in the end... His time was done... But, given the last few managerial appointments maybe, just maybe, we can start to appreciate how decent he was relative to what's followed? After his rest from the game, would a rejuvenated Ralph be an option now...? #devilsadvocate

Edited 19 September, 2023 by trousers

[sfc4prem]

He wouldn't come back to this clusterfuck of a club. What has happened to us. Seriously depressing.

[Winnersaint]

Wouldn’t have got rid in the first place. He was t SRs man so had to go.

[Ted Bates Statue]

Only as a last resort in case the San Marino manager says no.

[Nemi]

He was worn out by the club, rather than the other way round.

Personally, I think we destroyed him and he’s come out the other end a worse manager

[S-Clarke]

The grass was never greener as was warned. I'd have always stuck with Ralph, the last manager I felt the fan base had a real connection to and someone we could get behind.

He was just stitched up with the striker situation.

[AlexLaw76]

He's on the payroll, so why not

[sotonjoe]

52 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

He's on the payroll, so why not

In that case, let's go for a Ralph, Mad Nate, Reuben and Russ DREAM TEAM. If they all work together and we take the best.bits from each, we will walk this league. 

[Saint86]

Should never have got rid of him, we're reaping what the boo boys asked for ultimatley. Everyone remembers when they assured anyone that would listen that we couldn't get a worse mananger? Only just over a year ago, with his last fully fit squad, he was besting Chelsea and outplaying united... Look at the absolute shit show sports republic have presided over since. All for Nathan clucking Jones as well 😑

[Saintsfanuk]

Always felt Ralph leaving was just a bit of a weird situation. He was let down by not having a striker, when we had Ings and that period where Broja was scoring it was great.

Clearly being let down and having to battle the lowering quality of the squad just wore him and us down. 

It's got no better since because the squad has got worse and worse and obviously the cluster fuck of mad Nate and stupid Selles experiment.

Loved him as manager but he wouldn't fix this mess now the squad is nowhere near what he would need for his system. 

 

Edited 19 September, 2023 by Saintsfanuk

[Lighthouse]

Never should have been sacked, he kept a squad which was barely an improvement on the one we've got now in the Premier League season after season. Everyone wanted him gone because apparently 15th in the Premier League was an underachievement for this sack of sh*te, which is now getting spanked by Sunderland and Ipswich.

[Mr X]

Come back all is forgiven 🙏 😭 🤫

[Pamplemousse]

I would have him back 100%, but let's be honest, why would any half-decent manager want to tarnish their reputation here?

[sydney_saint]

I very passionately never wanted him out, and felt that a number of fans wanted him out since that Liverpool incident regardless of results.

A very small group kept us up over a number of seasons which was Ralph, JWP, Romeu, Ings and KWP. It's no coincidence that they all burnt out here, with the exception of Ings who knew when to bail. I always felt that if there was no clear improvement on Ralph, then we should have given him the World Cup to see if he can find his spark again. The Summer before he left saw a bunch of expensive kids arrive, no striker, and a shortened summer to get things clicking in preseason. A world cup break may have given him what he needed to recharge. If he didn't, then sure, time to say bye.

[Lighthouse]

35 minutes ago, Mr X said:

Come back all is forgiven 🙏 😭 🤫

What exactly do you think we need to forgive?

[Saint86]

1 hour ago, Lighthouse said:

What exactly do you think we need to forgive?

Its not ralph that needs forgiveness.

[Barsiem]

1 hour ago, sydney_saint said:

I very passionately never wanted him out, and felt that a number of fans wanted him out since that Liverpool incident regardless of results.

A very small group kept us up over a number of seasons which was Ralph, JWP, Romeu, Ings and KWP. It's no coincidence that they all burnt out here, with the exception of Ings who knew when to bail. I always felt that if there was no clear improvement on Ralph, then we should have given him the World Cup to see if he can find his spark again. The Summer before he left saw a bunch of expensive kids arrive, no striker, and a shortened summer to get things clicking in preseason. A world cup break may have given him what he needed to recharge. If he didn't, then sure, time to say bye.

If he couldn't recharge over the summer break I don't see how the WC break would have helped him? 

It was the right decision to get rid of Ralph as he was completely out of ideas and spark, and ideally we should have parted in the summer.  The error was his replacements

[sydney_saint]

1 hour ago, Barsiem said:

If he couldn't recharge over the summer break I don't see how the WC break would have helped him? 

It was the right decision to get rid of Ralph as he was completely out of ideas and spark, and ideally we should have parted in the summer.  The error was his replacements

As I mentioned, it was a shortened summer due to the WC, with lots of arrivals and departures. I highly doubt Ralph got any sort of break. A couple of weeks to sit down and watch some football during the World Cup might have helped. Not saying it was guaranteed but for me it was worth a shot. Because even though you say the error was his replacements, they are reasonably linked ideas. Have a look through the 'New Manager' thread. It is so damn uninspiring. There are even regular suggestions of 'Get Big Sam in'. I mean really? There weren't many good available names out there. There was always a very high risk of downgrading, which we have, multiple times over. 

I said at the time so I am not using hindsight. If there is a clear upgrade available, then yes replace him. Funnily enough I suggested Ange as that person and got shut down for it. But in the absence of a clear upgrade, our best bet was giving Ralph some time off during the WC to find his mojo. As we sit here in the bottom half of the Championship by 10pm tonight, I still think that would have been the best approach.

[RedArmy]

14 hours ago, trousers said:

Would anyone welcome Ralph back now? No great secret that I was a big fan in his first couple of seasons here, but I ended up falling out of love with him in the end... His time was done... But, given the last few managerial appointments maybe, just maybe, we can start to appreciate how decent he was relative to what's followed? After his rest from the game, would a rejuvenated Ralph be an option now...? #devilsadvocate

No. Another fraud whose tactics are far too easy for other teams to figure out and exploit, plays players out of position and picks bizarre starting lineups. 
 

There’s a reason he’s still out of a job. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

13 hours ago, sotonjoe said:

In that case, let's go for a Ralph, Mad Nate, Reuben and Russ DREAM TEAM. If they all work together and we take the best.bits from each, we will walk this league. 

Our high posession, high press, high passing, front footed, aggressive, patient, disciplinarian, pally, waistcoat, pullover, stbbled, rapidly changing formation would certainly be different. Lovely.

[Lighthouse]

9 minutes ago, RedArmy said:

No. Another fraud whose tactics are far too easy for other teams to figure out and exploit, plays players out of position and picks bizarre starting lineups. 
 

There’s a reason he’s still out of a job. 

Because he basically said he was going to retire after the Saints job?