Sam Wallace latest Saints Telegraph article

[CB Fry]

20 hours ago, Streaky said:

Exactly dont understand people saying ralph hasn't been backed in the transfer market. For a club of our size he has been backed well.

If you go back to the end of the summer transfer window, the general consensus was that it was a very good one and we were much stronger at the end of it.

Now because things haven't worked out like that, the story changes to how he hasn't had the backing.

[Sunglasses Ron]

29 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

I don't think anyone on this thread is saying we shouldn't have sacked Puel. It was a decision that made sense and if we'd replaced well that incoming manager had a reasonable platform to build on and some money.

But the comparison between Claude's season and this one is a very interesting one.

If we choke this cup QF and stutter away in the league then I'm sorry there will be little that distinguishes our Ralph with some of our most average managers.

Dave Jones 97-98 12th place anyone?

I guess the real unknown here is exactly what impact Covid has had on things. It's obviously been an issue for all clubs, but I guess some have been able to deal with it better than others.

[Forester]

Putting aside some of the more caustic comments this has actually been a good thread.  For what it is worth Whitey had strong views back in the day in Puel which I always felt was unfair, but he has been consistent.  For my part 8th and a cup final (achieved by beating Premier League opposition all the way, away from home, and not conceding a goal including Liverpool) was at the very least a good season.  To do so without Mane, Pelle, and for half the season Fonte and VVD was even more impressive, as was having to handle the highest number of fixtures (because of Europe and cup run) in our Premier League history.

What did for Puel is that, apart from COViD seasons, we had a record three home games in May at the end of a record long season and failed to score a goal.  It turned many fans who I think over reacted to what was, I fully agree, a turgid end of season (albeit one of those was a draw against Manure).

 

What we can all agree I am sure is that he was replaced by the most inept manager in our history, and yes I recall the Branfoot days!  So what does all this have to do with today?  It’s good to be reminded that you have to look at a whole season and weigh up the pros as well as the cons.  I think the COVID factors behind pre season and match schedule, combined with injuries as bad as we have known for years, have to be factored in.  Ralph thoroughly deserves patience and backing.  
 

And also, be careful what you wish for!

[Fan The Flames]

4 hours ago, miserableoldgit said:

To me what summed it up was the end of season walk round the pitch after the last home game. For the first in my life I didn't stay for it.....and I have been watching Saints regularly since the mid 50's. I just couldn't be asked. I have always stayed before even in relegation seasons. There was so little actual entertainment during that season.

The players didn't come out for ages, I stayed for a long time but my then 6 year old got bored, loads of people were drifting off. Summed up how everyone felt really.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, Forester said:

Putting aside some of the more caustic comments this has actually been a good thread.  For what it is worth Whitey had strong views back in the day in Puel which I always felt was unfair, but he has been consistent.  For my part 8th and a cup final (achieved by beating Premier League opposition all the way, away from home, and not conceding a goal including Liverpool) was at the very least a good season.  To do so without Mane, Pelle, and for half the season Fonte and VVD was even more impressive, as was having to handle the highest number of fixtures (because of Europe and cup run) in our Premier League history.

What did for Puel is that, apart from COViD seasons, we had a record three home games in May at the end of a record long season and failed to score a goal.  It turned many fans who I think over reacted to what was, I fully agree, a turgid end of season (albeit one of those was a draw against Manure).

 

What we can all agree I am sure is that he was replaced by the most inept manager in our history, and yes I recall the Branfoot days!  So what does all this have to do with today?  It’s good to be reminded that you have to look at a whole season and weigh up the pros as well as the cons.  I think the COVID factors behind pre season and match schedule, combined with injuries as bad as we have known for years, have to be factored in.  Ralph thoroughly deserves patience and backing.  
 

And also, be careful what you wish for!

A very fair and balanced summary.

I hoped I had forgotten that season under Puel but wasn’t that the one where we had a much better away record than home? I seem to remember a similar debate with diagonally opposite views at the time. Those who only went to away games would probably think he was fantastic but those of us who had to suffer at home took a different view.

”Played well but were unlucky to lose” applies as much to Ralph as anybody else. We’ve been unlucky lately. Stick with him.

[Streaky]

2 hours ago, Forester said:

Putting aside some of the more caustic comments this has actually been a good thread.  For what it is worth Whitey had strong views back in the day in Puel which I always felt was unfair, but he has been consistent.  For my part 8th and a cup final (achieved by beating Premier League opposition all the way, away from home, and not conceding a goal including Liverpool) was at the very least a good season.  To do so without Mane, Pelle, and for half the season Fonte and VVD was even more impressive, as was having to handle the highest number of fixtures (because of Europe and cup run) in our Premier League history.

What did for Puel is that, apart from COViD seasons, we had a record three home games in May at the end of a record long season and failed to score a goal.  It turned many fans who I think over reacted to what was, I fully agree, a turgid end of season (albeit one of those was a draw against Manure).

 

What we can all agree I am sure is that he was replaced by the most inept manager in our history, and yes I recall the Branfoot days!  So what does all this have to do with today?  It’s good to be reminded that you have to look at a whole season and weigh up the pros as well as the cons.  I think the COVID factors behind pre season and match schedule, combined with injuries as bad as we have known for years, have to be factored in.  Ralph thoroughly deserves patience and backing.  
 

And also, be careful what you wish for!

Covid has affected every club not just us. If the season was to finish now would you say it was a good season, I certainly wouldn't.

[Turkish]

2 hours ago, Forester said:

Putting aside some of the more caustic comments this has actually been a good thread.  For what it is worth Whitey had strong views back in the day in Puel which I always felt was unfair, but he has been consistent.  For my part 8th and a cup final (achieved by beating Premier League opposition all the way, away from home, and not conceding a goal including Liverpool) was at the very least a good season.  To do so without Mane, Pelle, and for half the season Fonte and VVD was even more impressive, as was having to handle the highest number of fixtures (because of Europe and cup run) in our Premier League history.

What did for Puel is that, apart from COViD seasons, we had a record three home games in May at the end of a record long season and failed to score a goal.  It turned many fans who I think over reacted to what was, I fully agree, a turgid end of season (albeit one of those was a draw against Manure).

 

What we can all agree I am sure is that he was replaced by the most inept manager in our history, and yes I recall the Branfoot days!  So what does all this have to do with today?  It’s good to be reminded that you have to look at a whole season and weigh up the pros as well as the cons.  I think the COVID factors behind pre season and match schedule, combined with injuries as bad as we have known for years, have to be factored in.  Ralph thoroughly deserves patience and backing.  
 

And also, be careful what you wish for!

Good summary. Pretty much how I remember it

[verlaine1979]

5 hours ago, CB Fry said:

If you go back to the end of the summer transfer window, the general consensus was that it was a very good one and we were much stronger at the end of it.

Now because things haven't worked out like that, the story changes to how he hasn't had the backing.

It was a good window in the context of previous hugely disappointing windows. Filling three obvious first team gaps in the squad (dubious CBs, no established RB, departed CM captain) isn't backing the manager, it's doing the bare minimum to stay competitive.

[Forester]

3 hours ago, Streaky said:

Covid has affected every club not just us. If the season was to finish now would you say it was a good season, I certainly wouldn't.

My flippant response would be “it hasn’t, wait until end of season”!  More seriously if we get to cup final and finish say twelfth upwards then yes.  If we win the cup I would say it would be one of our greatest ever.  My post earlier was all about looking at the WHOLE season, not a sub section of it, as well as the circumstances.  

[Fan The Flames]

5 hours ago, Forester said:

Putting aside some of the more caustic comments this has actually been a good thread.  For what it is worth Whitey had strong views back in the day in Puel which I always felt was unfair, but he has been consistent.  For my part 8th and a cup final (achieved by beating Premier League opposition all the way, away from home, and not conceding a goal including Liverpool) was at the very least a good season.  To do so without Mane, Pelle, and for half the season Fonte and VVD was even more impressive, as was having to handle the highest number of fixtures (because of Europe and cup run) in our Premier League history.

What did for Puel is that, apart from COViD seasons, we had a record three home games in May at the end of a record long season and failed to score a goal.  It turned many fans who I think over reacted to what was, I fully agree, a turgid end of season (albeit one of those was a draw against Manure).

 

What we can all agree I am sure is that he was replaced by the most inept manager in our history, and yes I recall the Branfoot days!  So what does all this have to do with today?  It’s good to be reminded that you have to look at a whole season and weigh up the pros as well as the cons.  I think the COVID factors behind pre season and match schedule, combined with injuries as bad as we have known for years, have to be factored in.  Ralph thoroughly deserves patience and backing.  
 

And also, be careful what you wish for!

Totally, this isn't a real season, I've written it off like I've written off the other shit that is 2020/21. It's still disappointing that the good start has melted away and we'll have another ordinary season. But I still think Ralph has a Poch/Koeman/Puel season in him.

[AlexLaw76]

7 hours ago, Fan The Flames said:

Totally, this isn't a real season, I've written it off like I've written off the other shit that is 2020/21. It's still disappointing that the good start has melted away and we'll have another ordinary season. But I still think Ralph has a Poch/Koeman/Puel season in him.

if it isn't a real season, does that mean we can't be relegated, or get to Wembley, or even win the cup?

[Roger]

Haven’t posted for a while but I just want to say, thank god for s-Clarke. Completely agree with you. Puel had a much better squad and was backed and played rubbish football, and pelligrino/Hughes had this squad and slightly better. The later we v nearly got relegated. The football and plan under Ralph is evident and ultimately the lack of squad and investment has hurt Ralph. I think the board now are decent and doing the right thing in giving Ralph so much power. I think almost any other manager would be relegated and the longer we have this owner it’s more inevitable we will get relegated at least one league. Rather than moaning about Ralph we need to focus our attentions on getting a new owner as if gao stays we are in big trouble. At this stage we are 13th and in quarter finals of cup. Last season we were 11th despite being bottom of the net spend over last transfer windows. It’s a miracle we are still in prem tbh. Stick with Ralph he’s our best chance of avoiding relegation. Some of you are talking like we are about 8th in the net spend league when we are bottom! Katerina deserves a lot of stick for changing the project and bringing gao in. If we stay up Ralph has done an amazing job tbh. Staying up under this owner now is like winning the league for us. Think people got carried away with our start but that hid the squad deficiencies. 

[Kingsland Red]

Welcome back Roger. A very balanced post and I totally agree with the comments you make.

What worries me most about Saints is that the status quo will not remain in place. Ralph will become disillusioned; and the best players start to be sold to raise funds - Ings, Bertrand, maybe JWP etc etc.

We need an owner who understands the constant improvements required to compete in the EPL. Otherwise we drift back down a division or two, which is crazy for a club like Saints, if only based on the size of the city and support across the south.

[Lord Duckhunter]

5 hours ago, Roger said:

Some of you are talking like we are about 8th in the net spend league when we are bottom! 

This is not true.

Burnley,West Ham, Wolves, Crystal Palace  & Brighton all had a lower net spend. 
 

 

 

[Roger]

Sorry mate you are wrong! 

[Matthew Le God]

@Roger Depends on the time frame you use.

Edited 27 February, 2021 by Matthew Le God

[Turkish]

Last 5 years tells a very similar story 

 

https://www.transferleague.co.uk/premier-league-last-five-seasons/transfer-league-tables/premier-league-table-last-five-seasons

[Turkish]

As does last 18 years 

https://www.transferleague.co.uk/premier-league-2003-to-date/transfer-league-tables/premier-league-table-2003-to-date

 

[Turkish]

...

Edited 27 February, 2021 by Turkish

[Lord Duckhunter]

30 minutes ago, Roger said:

Sorry mate you are wrong! 

I think we’ve jumped the shark now......

 

[Matthew Le God]

'Winning the net spend' trophy is not a bad thing automatically.

Making a profit is a good thing to be applauded... if the team also does well. 

The issue isn't the amount of money spent... it is how well you spend it.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Fuck me, that Woodgate is doing a tremendous job at Boscombe considering their net spend the past 55 years. 

[S-Clarke]

4 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

'Winning the net spend' trophy is not a bad thing automatically.

Making a profit is a good thing to be applauded... if the team also does well. 

The issue isn't the amount of money spent... it is how well you spend it.

That is a fair point and unfortunately it's something we've not done too well over the last 4 seasons, which has contributed to the extreme pressure on our squad.

Edited 27 February, 2021 by S-Clarke

[Matthew Le God]

2 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

That is a fair point and unfortunately it's something we've not done too well over the last 4 seasons, which has contributed to the extreme pressure on our squad.

Recent arrivals have been more promising on the recruitment front. Matt Crocker's influence perhaps...

Walker-Peters 

Diallo

Salisu

[Lord Duckhunter]

16 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

That is a fair point and unfortunately it's something we've not done too well over 5 seasons, which has contributed to the extreme pressure on our squad.

More excuses. 
 

This bloke could get us relegated and some of you will lick his fucking feet.

This side is not much different to the one Puel had once VvD got injured. 

Keepers are similar.

Both had Bertrand.

KWP or Cedric, not much in it.

Centre halves-Yoshida & Stephens or Vesty & Bednarek. I think we know which pairing you’d choose. 
 

JWP & OR, in both sides. Armstrong or Davies, pretty equal.

Redmond, both.

Ings or Gabbi, I’d say Ings, but pretty similar.

Tadic or Walcot/Djeneppo. Tadic every day of the week. 
 

Who from Puels side would get into the present side, Tadic & VvD defo, and he was missing VvD from Jan onwards. Are the others very much different? Of course they’re not. 
 

If you forget about Puel, were  Mark Hughes’ or Pelligrinos sides any better than this one? Not really. This pony that Ralph has somehow been dealt a horrendous hand, is just that, pony. He’s got pretty much the same hand as the past 3 managers were dealt and at the moment he’s playing it worse that Puel, slightly better than Hughes and a lot better than Pelligrino. In the grand scheme of things, he’s been pretty fucking average. But he cries when we beat Liverpool, so thats ok. 

Edited 28 February, 2021 by Lord Duckhunter

[Matthew Le God]

3 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

More excuses. 
 

This bloke could get us relegated and some of you will lick his fucking feet.

This side is not much different to the one Puel had once VvD got injured. 

Keepers are similar.

Both had Bertrand.

KWP or Cedric, not much in it.

Centre halves-Yoshida & Stephens or Vesty & Bednarek. I think we know which pairing you’d choose. 
 

JWP & OR, in both sides. Armstrong or Davies, pretty equal.

Redmond, both.

Ings or Gabbi, I’d say Ings, but pretty similar.

Tadic or Walcot/Djeneppo. Tadic every day of the week. 
 

Who from Puels side would get into the present side, Tadic & VvD defo, and he was missing VvD from Jan onwards. Are the others very much different? Of course they’re not. 
 

If you forget about Puel, were  Mark Hughes’ or Pelligrinos sides any better than this one? Not really. This pony that Ralph has somehow been dealt a horrendous hand, is just that, pony. He’s got pretty much the same hand as the past 3 managers were dealt and at the moment he’s playing it worse that Puel, slightly better than Hughes and a lot better than Pelligrino. In the grand scheme of things, he’s been pretty fucking average. 

We are going through a very bad patch at the moment... but Hasenhuttl's performance throughout 2020 far exceeds Puel's team. The last couple of months has seen people seemingly forget just how good the performances of the previous year were.

[Lighthouse]

My main gripe about Puel was that we were just awful to watch at home. We had three decent League performances, the rest was dross. In the other 16 we scored 8 goals, only 4 from open play and one of them was a goalkeeping howler.

I don’t hate him by any stretch but after failing to score in (I think) 6 of our final 7 home games and playing for a 0-0 against teams like Bournemouth, Be’er Sheva and Hull, I think we were right to bid him au revoir.

[Whitey Grandad]

Just now, Lighthouse said:

My main gripe about Puel was that we were just awful to watch at home. We had three decent League performances, the rest was dross. In the other 16 we scored 8 goals, only 4 from open play and one of them was a goalkeeping howler.

I don’t hate him by any stretch but after failing to score in (I think) 6 of our final 7 home games and playing for a 0-0 against teams like Bournemouth, Be’er Sheva and Hull, I think we were right to bid him au revoir.

That is my view too.

I had hoped to write Puel out of my memories but I think I can understand where the diametrically opposite view come from. For those who only watched our results on ‘Teletext’ from afar or who went predominantly to away games it probably looked like a decent season.

Those of us who had season tickets and had to sit through the most unspeakable boredom were pleased to see the back of him. I would be interested if the Puelophiles on here could let us know which of these two categories they fell into.

[Whitey Grandad]

I would like to add that our terrible run over the last two months owes a lot to the constant changes to the team, enforced by COVID and injuries and an unbalanced transfer window.

[Turkish]

16 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

That is my view too.

I had hoped to write Puel out of my memories but I think I can understand where the diametrically opposite view come from. For those who only watched our results on ‘Teletext’ from afar or who went predominantly to away games it probably looked like a decent season.

Those of us who had season tickets and had to sit through the most unspeakable boredom were pleased to see the back of him. I would be interested if the Puelophiles on here could let us know which of these two categories they fell into.

It’s not a diametrically opposed view, it’s a different view to the “Puel was shit and boring” bandwagon, jumped on by people who only chose to remember the last 7 or 8 games of the season and the Ber Sheeva game. 

[Turkish]

19 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

I would like to add that our terrible run over the last two months owes a lot to the constant changes to the team, enforced by COVID and injuries and an unbalanced transfer window.

Yet when Puel was forced to play an entire season without 3 of the previous campaigns best players and halF of it without 5 of them, plus the largest Fixture list we’ve ever had to undertake plus travel Time to Italy, Israel and Czech Republic you offer no such justification, instead just repeat he was Boring. Such doubles standards 

Edited 28 February, 2021 by Turkish

[Convict Colony]

Puel's style was boring and we spent a season passing side ways and backwards and he is also 15th in the french league currently with St Etienne

At least with Ralph I know what he is trying to do, we are trying to be quick in transition but we are currently lacking the players to do it due to injuries and lack of backing.

[AlexLaw76]

15 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

Puel's style was boring and we spent a season passing side ways and backwards and he is also 15th in the french league currently with St Etienne

At least with Ralph I know what he is trying to do, we are trying to be quick in transition but we are currently lacking the players to do it due to injuries and lack of backing.

All well and good trying to play a certain way, but to constantly do so without the players is NOT the sign of such a good manager.

I fully expect us to line up, with 2 strikers, massive gaps in the middle of the park, total lack of urgency to get in behind everton and get soundly beaten.  That would not display the signs of a good manager.  

 

Edited 28 February, 2021 by AlexLaw76

[qwertyell]

9 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

At least with Ralph I know what he is trying to do, we are trying to be quick in transition but we are currently lacking the players to do it due to injuries and lack of backing.

And yet he's still trying to do it anyway, in spite of knowing his approach is doomed to fail. He's got the tactical depth of a puddle.

Any idiot can claim their way would've succeeded if only they had better players and more of them.

The trouble with a "philosophy" manager is, where do they go when their plan goes to shit? Once they're rumbled, by the opposition or circumstance, their success or failure depends on how they adapt to evolving challenges.

Thus far, Hasenhuttl's response to any deviation from things going precisely to plan has been to do nothing different. How can any manager have lost 9-0 TWICE and still have fans lauding him as sliced bread incarnate? 

[Archers Road Stand]

1 hour ago, Convict Colony said:

Puel's style was boring and we spent a season passing side ways and backwards

That's pretty much how we've been playing since late November with Ralph when we have the ball. 

[Whitey Grandad]

8 hours ago, Turkish said:

Yet when Puel was forced to play an entire season without 3 of the previous campaigns best players and halF of it without 5 of them, plus the largest Fixture list we’ve ever had to undertake plus travel Time to Italy, Israel and Czech Republic you offer no such justification, instead just repeat he was Boring. Such doubles standards 

I don’t have to justify that he was boring. You have just attempted to do that. 
 

Describing it as boring doesn’t begin to describe the absolute torture of that home season.

[Whitey Grandad]

8 hours ago, Turkish said:

It’s not a diametrically opposed view, it’s a different view to the “Puel was shit and boring” bandwagon, jumped on by people who only chose to remember the last 7 or 8 games of the season and the Ber Sheeva game. 

Isn’t that what diametrically opposite means?

[Turkish]

3 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Isn’t that what diametrically opposite means?

No, If I was I’d be claiming Puel played brilliant, exciting football all the time and was a resounding success. I’m saying that it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as some make out, there were also mitigating factors to take into account which some don’t want to do.

[Turkish]

11 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

I don’t have to justify that he was boring. You have just attempted to do that. 
 

Describing it as boring doesn’t begin to describe the absolute torture of that home season.

Yet 4 home wins in front of fans in a season that’ll also included a 9-0 home defeat is the stuff of dreams, right?

[egg]

20 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

I don’t have to justify that he was boring. You have just attempted to do that. 
 

Describing it as boring doesn’t begin to describe the absolute torture of that home season.

Personally I prefer the boredom of 1 nil wins to the excitement of 9 nil defeats. 

[Whitey Grandad]

13 minutes ago, Turkish said:

No, If I was I’d be claiming Puel played brilliant, exciting football all the time and was a resounding success. I’m saying that it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as some make out, there were also mitigating factors to take into account which some don’t want to do.

Ok, so not ‘diametrically’ different but halfway to it.

 

4 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Yet 4 home wins in front of fans in a season that’ll also included a 9-0 home defeat is the stuff of dreams, right?

So are you implying that Ralph is as bad as Puel?

That 9-0 was a joke and if you had been there you would have shared it with the rest of us. As to the other games, they were good to watch.  Winning isn’t everything and certainly not why I pay for my season ticket. Otherwise I wouldn’t be supporting Saints.

[Whitey Grandad]

2 minutes ago, egg said:

Personally I prefer the boredom of 1 nil wins to the excitement of 9 nil defeats. 

You’re just weird

[Turkish]

2 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Ok, so not ‘diametrically’ different but halfway to it.

 

So are you implying that Ralph is as bad as Puel?

That 9-0 was a joke and if you had been there you would have shared it with the rest of us. As to the other games, they were good to watch.  Winning isn’t everything and certainly not why I pay for my season ticket. Otherwise I wouldn’t be supporting Saints.

No, I’m saying Puel isn’t as bad as you and others make out. We were shit at home last season, it was only When fans weren’t allowed in we started to pick up a bit. the Everton game after the 9-0 was horrendous, we got hammered by Chelsea as well and shown up by Bournemouth. Even our wins against Watford, who were dreadful was a bit fortunate and Norwich were not much better, both for them got relegated. Laughable that you think this is such a dramatic improvement. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 hours ago, Convict Colony said:

 

At least with Ralph I know what he is trying to do, we are trying to be quick in transition but we are currently lacking the players to do it due to injuries and lack of backing. 

More excuses.

Firstly, this Ralph knows what he is trying to do, whereas Puel didn’t is just pony. Just because you didn’t like what Puel was trying to do, doesn’t mean he didn’t have a plan and a style he wanted us to play. Tactically he was miles ahead of what we’ve seen so far this year, particularly defensively as that really has been a shitshow lately. 
 

Secondly, if we lack the players to play a certain style, why on earth  are we playing it. Poch wanted us to press in his first few games, but when we started to look dodgy he changed slightly. He only went back into after he signed Victor the following summer. Being inflexible is not a strength in football management.
 

Thirdly, he’s had pretty much the same backing as the previous 3 managers, basically not a lot. However, there’s no slack cut to them.

 

For the avoidance of any doubt, nobody wants Claude Puel as manager instead of Ralph, some of us just want them judged fairly. Puel shit, Ralph good is just lazy pony, based on nothing but liking the personality of one, and not liking the other. Based on cold hard facts Puel did a better job, let’s hope this time next year the reverse is true. 

[egg]

1 minute ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

More excuses.

Firstly, this Ralph knows what he is trying to do, whereas Puel didn’t is just pony. Just because you didn’t like what Puel was trying to do, doesn’t mean he didn’t have a plan and a style he wanted us to play. Tactically he was miles ahead of what we’ve seen so far this year, particularly defensively as that really has been a shitshow lately. 
 

Secondly, if we lack the players to play a certain style, why on earth  are we playing it. Poch wanted us to press in his first few games, but when we started to look dodgy he changed slightly. He only went back into after he signed Victor the following summer. Being inflexible is not a strength in football management.
 

Thirdly, he’s had pretty much the same backing as the previous 3 managers, basically not a lot. However, there’s no slack cut to them.

 

For the avoidance of any doubt, nobody wants Claude Puel as manager instead of Ralph, some of us just want them judged fairly. Puel shit, Ralph good is just lazy pony, based on nothing but liking the personality of one, and not liking the other. Based on cold hard facts Puel did a better job, let’s hope this time next year the reverse is true. 

Nail. Head.

[saint lard]

13 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

More excuses.

Firstly, this Ralph knows what he is trying to do, whereas Puel didn’t is just pony. Just because you didn’t like what Puel was trying to do, doesn’t mean he didn’t have a plan and a style he wanted us to play. Tactically he was miles ahead of what we’ve seen so far this year, particularly defensively as that really has been a shitshow lately. 
 

Secondly, if we lack the players to play a certain style, why on earth  are we playing it. Poch wanted us to press in his first few games, but when we started to look dodgy he changed slightly. He only went back into after he signed Victor the following summer. Being inflexible is not a strength in football management.
 

Thirdly, he’s had pretty much the same backing as the previous 3 managers, basically not a lot. However, there’s no slack cut to them.

 

For the avoidance of any doubt, nobody wants Claude Puel as manager instead of Ralph, some of us just want them judged fairly. Puel shit, Ralph good is just lazy pony, based on nothing but liking the personality of one, and not liking the other. Based on cold hard facts Puel did a better job, let’s hope this time next year the reverse is true. 

This. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

9 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

That is my view too.

I had hoped to write Puel out of my memories but I think I can understand where the diametrically opposite view come from. For those who only watched our results on ‘Teletext’ from afar or who went predominantly to away games it probably looked like a decent season.

Those of us who had season tickets and had to sit through the most unspeakable boredom were pleased to see the back of him. I would be interested if the Puelophiles on here could let us know which of these two categories they fell into.

I went to a dozen away games and every single home one. As Turkish has pointed out,  home games aren’t particularly  any better than Puels. 
 

9-0, Bournemouth, 2-0 up against Wolves, Chelsea, Newcastle, Burnley all woeful.
 

This season at home hasn’t exactly been laugh a minute. Spurs, 2-0 up against Utd, West Ham, Wolves, Arsenal. Still he did cry against Liverpool, who were in such form they drew with West Brom & lost to Burnley & Brighton around the same time. 

 

 

[alehouseboys]

not sure how old or if already posted but saw it linked on the UI

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/feb/22/sign-of-the-times-how-english-clubs-are-turning-to-high-interest-us-loans

[OldNick]

Puel team at times played some attractive football. I was fully behind him and sorry he left. I think Im right in saying that he lost the majority of the goals from the previous season as Mane and Pelle  left. 

It seems in just 6 weeks or so Ralph who had very little criticism all of a sudden has now a torrent. Perhaps the power of social media and people stuuck at home being bored is starting to set in.

Not sure where we go from here

[CB Fry]

51 minutes ago, OldNick said:

It seems in just 6 weeks or so Ralph who had very little criticism all of a sudden has now a torrent. Perhaps the power of social media and people stuuck at home being bored is starting to set in.

One draw and seven defeats in eight matches ought to explain it.