Sport Republic

[Farmer Saint]

1 minute ago, Football Special said:

I log on to this forum far more than I should do, but don't once recall reading a post by you and thinking "this person knows what they're talking about " 

🤷‍♂️ Not a lot I can do about that

[ApprenticeBillionaire]

15 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

He doesn’t 

Funny how all these "ITK's" were NOWHERE near this until Jordon yesterday.

ITKs who had no fucking idea the club was up for sale.

Who was that wanker that came on here a week or so ago saying how invested in the club Solak was LOL (Also, Solak said it in an interview 2 months ago anyway so it wasn't exactly a fucking scoop).

 

Edited 6 hours ago by ApprenticeBillionaire

[tdmickey3]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

No, not really. As with the sacking of RM, that has got worse. It doesn't necessarily mean better, just different.

The result would have been the same if we had kept RM, we would still have accumulated a pathetic points haul.

SR were right to sack him off but to replace him with one just as bad but with a differently ridiculous style was stupid

[Smirking_Saint]

3 minutes ago, ApprenticeBillionaire said:

Funny how all these "ITK's" were NOWHERE near this until Jordon yesterday.

ITKs who had no fucking idea the club was up for sale.

Who was that wanker that came on here a week or so ago saying how invested in the club Solak was LOL (Also, Solak said it in an interview anyway so it wasn't exactly a fucking scoop).

 

Like I said it broke midweek last week, but then was pretty quiet until Jordan and Alfie picked it up yesterday 

Came out of financial circles in the city.. my first thought was, if it was true it will break quickly

But again… timing just feels really odd to me

[Farmer Saint]

5 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

The result would have been the same if we had kept RM, we would still have accumulated a pathetic points haul.

SR were right to sack him off but to replace him with one just as bad but with a differently ridiculous style was stupid

We lost Gao and gained SR - I wouldn't be positive about losing SR as at least they weren't scared to invest.

Edited 6 hours ago by Farmer Saint

[ApprenticeBillionaire]

Just now, Smirking_Saint said:

Like I said it broke midweek last week, but then was pretty quiet until Jordan and Alfie picked it up yesterday 

Came out of financial circles in the city.. my first thought was, if it was true it will break quickly

But again… timing just feels really odd to me

Yeah but my point is, I didn't see ONE of the alleged ITKs say a word.

 

[Farmer Saint]

7 minutes ago, ApprenticeBillionaire said:

Funny how all these "ITK's" were NOWHERE near this until Jordon yesterday.

ITKs who had no fucking idea the club was up for sale.

Who was that wanker that came on here a week or so ago saying how invested in the club Solak was LOL (Also, Solak said it in an interview 2 months ago anyway so it wasn't exactly a fucking scoop).

 

Yeah, I had to ring my mate to confirm what had been reported.

[Smirking_Saint]

Just now, ApprenticeBillionaire said:

Yeah but my point is, I didn't see ONE of the alleged ITKs say a word.

 

Thats fair

I barely post on here anymore and don’t get a ton of info these days anyway and some of its sketchy

For instance before we appointed Juric i was told Carsley was a front runner, so sometimes its just not worth posting everything that comes out from around the club

 

[ApprenticeBillionaire]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

Yeah, I had to ring my mate to confirm what had been reported.

LOL

Ok then.

This has been rumoured for over a week neither you or any other "ITK" said a fucking word.

One of them was on here talking about how Solak is buying land around the club and hiring staff LOL

[ApprenticeBillionaire]

1 minute ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Thats fair

I barely post on here anymore and don’t get a ton of info these days anyway and some of its sketchy

For instance before we appointed Juric i was told Carsley was a front runner, so sometimes its just not worth posting everything that comes out from around the club

 

At least you had the proof though.

Most just talk shite.

Ffs.

[tdmickey3]

6 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

We lost Gao and gained SR - I wouldn't be positive about losing SR as at least they weren't scared to invest.

Mate, they are just useless.

[saintant]

If we are getting new owners not sure why so many think it's bad news. We'd be very unlucky to be bought by someone as incompetent as SR who have been nothing short of a disaster for this football club.

[Smirking_Saint]

3 minutes ago, ApprenticeBillionaire said:

LOL

Ok then.

This has been rumoured for over a week neither you or any other "ITK" said a fucking word.

One of them was on here talking about how Solak is buying land around the club and hiring staff LOL

FWIW I don’t actually think the clubs up for sale but thats just me putting together the snippets I know and instinct around where the club is right now

I do think cracks are starting to appear though, Rasmus’ influence is being watered down I think (not sure he is as bad as is made out but he is hugely arrogant)

We’ll see I guess.. lets hope Spors gets a reasonable amount of autonomy on the sporting side, because SR need technical advice desperately. 
 

I do wonder of Martin would have done better if he had a sporting guy above him helping to direct some of his transfer targets and check some of his stubbornness towards his possession based optimism 

[lambtiss]

Bless

[Smirking_Saint]

1 minute ago, saintant said:

If we are getting new owners not sure why so many think it's bad news. We'd be very unlucky to be bought by someone as incompetent as SR who have been nothing short of a disaster for this football club.

Because if we were relegated under Gao or someone equally unable to fund a return we’d be fucked

Too many fail to understand that

As shit as SR have been they’ve been happy throwing money at the club and keeping us afloat

[Farmer Saint]

9 minutes ago, ApprenticeBillionaire said:

LOL

Ok then.

This has been rumoured for over a week neither you or any other "ITK" said a fucking word.

One of them was on here talking about how Solak is buying land around the club and hiring staff LOL

What's that got to do with me though? Peoples ITK credentials sit within different parts of the club. For instance mine has always been based on player and manager trading as I know someone who works in that area. They may hear other parts from within clubs, but it doesn't mean they know and report everything about everything. It also depends on their relationship with the source, and ultimately, how busy people are.

Sorry it doesn't work the way you want it to though.

[Turkish]

27 minutes ago, Football Special said:

I log on to this forum far more than I should do, but don't once recall reading a post by you and thinking "this person knows what they're talking about " 

theres hundreds of them on the CoT thread pal.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

59 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

I don't think people are aware of how pissed off Solak is.

The main issue was the "strategy" of tanking the season, buying youngsters and future Championship players was not fully signed off by Solak (or certainly not the route he originally wanted), but PSR limits pushed him towards accepting it. However, he wanted to make a proper fist of it, hence the purchase of Ramsdale.

Once it was shown that we wouldn't make a proper fist of it, he wanted to take back control to protect his asset and try to recoup whatever we could of the season. It failed.

He is now cutting his losses with Saints. However, the club is being sold WITH it's current debts, hence the low price (and assets worth far more than £150m).

He invested in a PL team that he would have been told was in need of support. Mr Football and Kraft sold him on ideas of lowering individual wages, while bringing in talent on the cusp of bigger things like Tino, and players and managers with things to prove.

We've sadly ended up with very much a Championship team. One, who will be on lower individual wages, partly through relegation clauses. But we have lots of them, with no clear strategy to date.

Solak got done by Rasmus, who may have believed his nonsense himself. Selling up was an option before he moved in to take greater control. But he relied on others in the football world who have not delivered.

As noted, the timing would have been better if he was selling anywhere from October, when the writing was already on the wall.

I guess we'll have to see what state we're left in to face next season.

[tdmickey3]

4 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Because if we were relegated under Gao or someone equally unable to fund a return we’d be fucked

Too many fail to understand that

As shit as SR have been they’ve been happy throwing money at the club and keeping us afloat

We could have been sold by Goa to someone who would spend money but not as disastrously, dress it up how you like but SR have been an utter clusterfuck, stupid decision after stupid decision...

[Holmes_and_Watson]

5 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Because if we were relegated under Gao or someone equally unable to fund a return we’d be fucked

Too many fail to understand that

As shit as SR have been they’ve been happy throwing money at the club and keeping us afloat

The leagues are littered with clubs who are badly run now, or who have gone through terrible owners in the past.

We did well to get past Gao no longer being able to invest. Even then, it was allowed to run itself. Therecate lots of worse places to be than that.

Solak can't be criticised for making the funds available, and to try and fix it when it went wrong.

[Farmer Saint]

There was a lot of talk earlier this season that Fulthorpe was interested but couldn't agree a sale before the Summer.

[Smirking_Saint]

3 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

We could have been sold by Goa to someone who would spend money but not as disastrously, dress it up how you like but SR have been an utter clusterfuck, stupid decision after stupid decision...

Perhaps yeah

But thats the thing with what ifs…

We could of also been sold to someone desperate to asset strip

[lambtiss]

1 minute ago, Farmer Saint said:

There was a lot of talk earlier this season that Fulthorpe was interested but couldn't agree a sale before the Summer.

Who or what is Fulthorpe, please?

[tdmickey3]

2 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

There was a lot of talk earlier this season that Fulthorpe was interested but couldn't agree a sale before the Summer.

Where was all this talk and why did you not post it them?

[Miltonaggro]

It’s very Saintsy that the one owner we have in recent history prepared to spend money has employed a string of absolute no-marks to tell him how and where to spend it. No ill-feeling towards Solak, the money man. Genuinely think if the incoming Sport Republic sans Anderson had given Hassenhutl six months to retrieve his mojo in that WC break and a say in those two windows (and perhaps his replacement) club would be in a very different place. But hindsight is a fine thing in football. 

[ApprenticeBillionaire]

Reading between the lines this came from deep financial circles. Rumors like this don't tend to leak in those circles unless someone somewhere blabs off.

[Turkish]

9 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Perhaps yeah

But thats the thing with what ifs…

We could of also been sold to someone desperate to asset strip

its ironic that for the first time since the early 80s we've had the opportunity to spend relatively big and it's led to the worst two seasons in our history.

[Turkish]

23 minutes ago, lambtiss said:

Bless

think about how we operate for a minute and then all will be revealed. 

[sockeye]

I can't help but feel we would be more likely to get a bad owner or one that can't invest rather than a good owner.

All you had to do was stop listening to Rasmus about two years ago, Dragan

[Farmer Saint]

15 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

Where was all this talk and why did you not post it them?

Because I was asked not to post it.

I also think @OldNick was aware of this one.

Edited 6 hours ago by Farmer Saint

[ApprenticeBillionaire]

5 minutes ago, Turkish said:

think about how we operate for a minute and then all will be revealed. 

Why not just say it?

That could apply to almost EVERY situation ffs

[Willo of Whiteley]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

The same way I've been feeding information for the past 18 months.

I wasn’t aware tbh. 😅

[Turkish]

2 minutes ago, ApprenticeBillionaire said:

Why not just say it?

That could apply to almost EVERY situation ffs

[ApprenticeBillionaire]

1 minute ago, Turkish said:

Right ok. 

Fucking great.
 

[sadoldgit]

The truth of the situation is that the CoT are going to buy the club and the “hundreds of them” are collectively looking down the back of their sofas as we speak. 😎

[tdmickey3]

Just now, ApprenticeBillionaire said:

Right ok. 

Fucking great.
 

Don't get sucked in mate, he`s playing with you 😉

[Turkish]

Just now, sadoldgit said:

The truth of the situation is that the CoT are going to buy the club and the “hundreds of them” are collectively looking down the back of their sofas as we speak. 😎

there aren't hundreds of us you fool. We've also had to lose a few but for the greater good

 

[Turkish]

2 minutes ago, ApprenticeBillionaire said:

Right ok. 

Fucking great.
 

You really expect to see confidential financial information splashed all over a public football forum full of morons?
I

Consider the above comment help in your apprenticeship. 

[tdmickey3]

Nothing on Sky Sports yet and they love a rumour

[ApprenticeBillionaire]

2 minutes ago, Turkish said:

You really expect to see confidential financial information splashed all over a public football forum full of morons?
I

Consider the above comment help in your apprenticeship. 

No but a rumour as big as this i would expect to see at the very fucking least at some point in the last week

"I've heard a rumour the club is for sale, I need to confirm" etc..

But there was litterally NOTHING.

Posting fucking memes you find on the internet that could apply to almost ANY situation that occurs doesn't quite cut it.

[Turkish]

Just now, ApprenticeBillionaire said:

No but a rumour as big as this i would expect to see at the very fucking least at some point in the last week

"I've heard a rumour the club is for sale, I need to confirm" etc..

But there was litterally NOTHING.

Posting fucking memes you find on the internet that could apply to almost ANY situation that occurs doesn't quite cut it.

"as big as this' you mean Simon Jordan made one comment on a radio station that does stuff to get a reaction you mean? 

[ApprenticeBillionaire]

1 minute ago, Turkish said:

"as big as this' you mean Simon Jordan made one comment on a radio station that does stuff to get a reaction you mean? 

So it's true or not then?

What were you posting about then?

[Saint86]

3 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Not to mention a manager and new DoF too. Shits on the fans after such an appalling season. I hope for Dragan’s sakes a sale happens quickly or start the season well because if neither happens there won’t be a repeat of the mindless happy clapping at Spurs.

Agreed. What the club needs this summer is some positivity and getting some momentum going. Exciting/solid signings (with some strategy behind it), clearing out deadwood from the squad, a good manager appointment etc. Rather than focusing on what should be a strong season in the champ, this has introduced a large wedge of uncertainty into the fanbase and club. And the state of the club and its ambitions / ownership commitment will certainly factor on the minds of players considering potential contract renewals or players signing.

Edited 5 hours ago by Saint86

[AlexLaw76]

Sports Republic have been appalling owners, and amazing with the little amount of heat they get

[Miltonaggro]

58 minutes ago, ApprenticeBillionaire said:

Reading between the lines this came from deep financial circles. Rumors like this don't tend to leak in those circles unless someone somewhere blabs off.

I work in CoL and not a squeak last few months.  If Solak has had enough, he's had enough very recently.  I reckon this is about flashing the knickers for investment or a fishing expedition to see how club is perceived in the wider market.

[manji]

On 06/04/2025 at 21:13, Nolan said:

 

All comes down to the business structure

Dragon Solak placed himself as the chaiman of Saints, that neuters Ankersson completely with regards to Southampton. 

Rasmus' decisions at Göztepe have worked currently so he remains there.

 

What I’ve been saying but without the post being unreadable 😇🙏🏻

[SaintsLoyal]

Ask le tissier on twitter about Solak wanting out as he played golf with him a month or so back.

[franniesTache]

47 minutes ago, Turkish said:

"as big as this' you mean Simon Jordan made one comment on a radio station that does stuff to get a reaction you mean? 

COT has even hinted about the future too, those that know will know.

19 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

I work in CoL and not a squeak last few months.  If Solak has had enough, he's had enough very recently.  I reckon this is about flashing the knickers for investment or a fishing expedition to see how club is perceived in the wider market.

These rumours have only really been around a week or so - in public - but there was some sort of "change" to them at the weekend and they went from chatter around the club to "this actually sounds like something is happening", which is probably why Simon Jordan openly spoke about it on the radio.

[Miltonaggro]

2 minutes ago, franniesTache said:

COT has even hinted about the future too, those that know will know.

These rumours have only really been around a week or so - in public - but there was some sort of "change" to them at the weekend and they went from chatter around the club to "this actually sounds like something is happening", which is probably why Simon Jordan openly spoke about it on the radio.

Reckon so. To be honest, seeing the capitulation in the flesh on Saturday might have been enough - all that money on a bunch of overpaid melts!

[OldNick]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

Because I was asked not to post it.

I also think @OldNick was aware of this one.

I can confirm, but nothing came of it of course