Russell Martin

[santolijador]

15 minutes ago, Dark Munster said:

Please, please, please let that person be Rasmus W. Ankersen!

I thought it might be a reference to Wilcox leaving and letting him down 

[suewhistle]

32 minutes ago, spyinthesky said:

The club seems to have gone for quantity over quality when the amount of players did not contribute anything last night ie
Tall Pall,
Taylor,
Bella Kochap
Bereton Diaz
Lallana
Fraser
Bree
Edwards
Ugochukwu  Loan  
Cornet             "
Stewart        Injured (permanently?)
Larios              "                "
Smallbone     Injured
plus Sulemana who got hauled off after 15 mins and has contributed very little since his £20m+ transfer

What an indictment of recruitment that list is! One or two would be perfectly fine as backups in a stronger squad, like Lallana has shown in some shorter cameos, and Wood has in the last couple of games, but why Cornet or BBD or Stewart or Larios.. Why let Adams go without a replacement, although at least we've got Fernandez this season after losing Alvarez?

[trousers]

1 hour ago, The Realist said:

The style of football was great last season

[Dman]

3 minutes ago, santolijador said:

I thought it might be a reference to Wilcox leaving and letting him down 

Possibly, but that happens in football. We've had long enough to replace him.

FWIW - I'm glad Wilcox has gone. He failed to attract his mate Marseca last season and he would have led us down a path of an unhealthy obsession with possession based football. 

[Teamsaint1]

1 minute ago, suewhistle said:

What an indictment of recruitment that list is! One or two would be perfectly fine as backups in a stronger squad, like Lallana has shown in some shorter cameos, and Wood has in the last couple of games, but why Cornet or BBD or Stewart or Larios.. Why let Adams go without a replacement, although at least we've got Fernandez this season after losing Alvarez?

Well it is easy to criticise, I do it, and they often deserve it. But Cornet came with decent  PL credentials, and BBD with enough to recommend him as at  least a useful  bench option. Archer was presumably the Adams replacement, and although our fans turned against Adams, players with even his modest PL scoring record are hard to find and stupidly expensive.

From that list, Fraser could hardly have done worse than Sully, and does at least make some useful contributions. Taylor has been given little chance ( for whatever reason,) despite being our most experienced  LB. Tall Paul fits in the same group, I guess.

So the recruitment people could argue that some, if not all of the issues are with the management of the players rather than recruitment itself, mediocre though that  recruitment has been.

 

(Stewart was a disaster waiting to happen of course...)

[Pamplemousse]

I asked AI to rewrite the club's statement for it to be a bit more honest about the situation...

We can confirm that Russell Martin has been dismissed from his position as Men’s First Team Manager with immediate effect. This decision comes as a direct result of his abject failure to deliver the results and performances expected of a club of Southampton's stature.

From the very beginning of the season, it was clear that Russell was out of his depth. His tactical approach has been naive, his team selections baffling, and his inability to adapt to the demands of the Premier League has been nothing short of disastrous. The consistent lack of cohesion, discipline, and fight from the team under his management has left the club in an embarrassing and unacceptable position.

Despite significant backing from the board, unwavering support from the fans, and a squad with undeniable potential, Russell has squandered every opportunity to turn things around. His leadership has been marked by excuses instead of accountability and confusion instead of clarity. It is no exaggeration to say that his tenure has set the club back significantly.

This club has a proud history and loyal supporters who deserve far better than the mediocrity and mismanagement we have witnessed under Russell’s stewardship. Our immediate focus is to restore professionalism and competence to the team, starting with Simon Rusk stepping in as interim manager while we urgently seek a permanent replacement capable of salvaging this season.

We will not tolerate such incompetence again and will do everything in our power to ensure Southampton Football Club never sinks to these levels of failure under any manager in the future.

 

[miserableoldgit]

My thoughts.....for what it is worth.....probably not much. 

I didn't dislike RM generally. As for his style of football, I have mixed feelings. Last season, when it worked, I loved watching the team play. Seeing the opposition running around, and getting frustrated because they couldn't get the ball off us was great to watch. The problem came when it wasn't working. When It didn't work it was absolutely dire to watch.......very frustrating. I am not going to denigrate him for last season. He came in to a basket-case of a team/club, and despite the squinnying and nit-picking of many on here, DID get us promoted at the first attempt. I will always be grateful for that. Sadly, since then, we have had a ridiculously bad, even wasteful, transfer window. We now have a squad that would struggle in the Champ, and we tried to play Champs League football with it. Things should have been addressed, one way or another much, much earlier in the season. We are throwing/giving our hard-earned Promotion away so easily. I don't think that anyone in a position of power at the Club comes away with any credit. Managers are easy to blame/sack, owners not so much. Unless they have a desire to sell, or someone very rich has a desire to buy, you are probably stuck with them. I didn't dislike RM, but, by God I found him incredibly frustrating this season! Oh well.......onwards and.....upwards??

[notnowcato]

1 hour ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

You've been a fan for 40 odd years and last season was one of your favourites? Fuck me, you are easily pleased. 

He's not on his own, last season was a welcome change.  

[chownie20]

2 hours ago, Chez said:

Still don't understand why we gave him a new contract in the summer. I dont have the stats, but I would imagine a sizeable percentage of managers of promoted clubs don't last the season. We ourselves had Adkins with a huge amount of credit under his belt get the tin tack. Why on earth didn't we sit tight for 6 months and see how the lann lied before giving him a new deal. What was he going to do, leave us for someone else? Who? Unless a contract extension had to be given on promotion, I really don't understand why we did it.

 

 

I reckon it was blatantly a clause where promotion triggered a contract review/extension.

[Hayling Saint]

1 minute ago, notnowcato said:

He's not on his own, last season was a welcome change.  

Totally agree.

[CanadaSaint]

I don’t want to overplay this, but opening the door and pushing Russ out actually creates a kind of transfer window by letting some fresh air in.

There are some decent players in our bloated squad (not great but decent) who haven’t had a sniff under Martin because they aren’t the conformists he demands. There are others who have been in and out of the side, or asked to play unfamiliar roles, due to his constant chopping and changing. And most of the squad have been cowed into submission and have seen their self-confidence, performance and reputation plummet. They know they’re being required to do things they’re not capable of doing at this level, and “playing scared” has triggered some negative body language that has been apparent for weeks. All those players can ‘improve’ with Russ’s departure.

Something else could make a big difference. I’ve long felt that Russ had a loyalist inside the dressing room who made sure that everyone toed his line. This suppressed the squad feedback that Russ desperately needed to hear. We’ve seen his reaction to anyone who dares to question his tactics, so I can understand why nobody “inside the room” would speak up.

We won’t automatically become a mid-table side with all those negative dynamics removed, but I think we’ll start seeing much more positive energy from both players and supporters.

It’ll hopefully be a good example of addition by subtraction.

[Toussaint]

1 hour ago, Hairlesshero said:

What is known about our interim manager? Any insights?

Who is Simon Rusk?

Simon Rusk is a 42 year old coach, now tasked with leading Southampton while the club's hierarchy search for a permanent successor to Martin.

As a player, he made 205 appearances - the bulk of those coming in the National League with Crawley, York City, Northwich Victoria and Rushden & Diamonds.

[Saint Matty 76]

Now that he’s gone I’m sure I’ll slowly fade back into remembering him pretty fondly. I always wanted to support him as I believe he’s a good bloke, and the task of picking the club off the floor last season was understated quite often amongst the fanbase. He seems to be a brilliant man-manager but he’s left a lot to be desired tactically. Maybe it’ll work with a better squad and maybe he’ll get the chance at somewhere like Brighton due to that.

West Brom at home and Wembley last year were as good of memories as I’ve had supporting the club. There’s no hiding from the nonsense of this season, but we were also a couple of shocking decisions away from him still being in the job. 

No bitterness from me towards him at all.

[Hayling Saint]

15 minutes ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

Now that he’s gone I’m sure I’ll slowly fade back into remembering him pretty fondly. I always wanted to support him as I believe he’s a good bloke, and the task of picking the club off the floor last season was understated quite often amongst the fanbase. He seems to be a brilliant man-manager but he’s left a lot to be desired tactically. Maybe it’ll work with a better squad and maybe he’ll get the chance at somewhere like Brighton due to that.

West Brom at home and Wembley last year were as good of memories as I’ve had supporting the club. There’s no hiding from the nonsense of this season, but we were also a couple of shocking decisions away from him still being in the job. 

No bitterness from me towards him at all.

Nor me.

[Doctoroncall]

9 minutes ago, Toussaint said:

Who is Simon Rusk?

Simon Rusk is a 42 year old coach, now tasked with leading Southampton while the club's hierarchy search for a permanent successor to Martin.

As a player, he made 205 appearances - the bulk of those coming in the National League with Crawley, York City, Northwich Victoria and Rushden & Diamonds.

Russell described him as one of the top developers in the country.

previously worked as set piece coach at Forest and has coached at Brighton, Stockport and Hibs. 
 

he likes huddles rather than cuddles. 

[pingpong]

45 minutes ago, Pamplemousse said:

I asked AI to rewrite the club's statement for it to be a bit more honest about the situation...

We can confirm that Russell Martin has been dismissed from his position as Men’s First Team Manager with immediate effect. This decision comes as a direct result of his abject failure to deliver the results and performances expected of a club of Southampton's stature.

From the very beginning of the season, it was clear that Russell was out of his depth. His tactical approach has been naive, his team selections baffling, and his inability to adapt to the demands of the Premier League has been nothing short of disastrous. The consistent lack of cohesion, discipline, and fight from the team under his management has left the club in an embarrassing and unacceptable position.

Despite significant backing from the board, unwavering support from the fans, and a squad with undeniable potential, Russell has squandered every opportunity to turn things around. His leadership has been marked by excuses instead of accountability and confusion instead of clarity. It is no exaggeration to say that his tenure has set the club back significantly.

This club has a proud history and loyal supporters who deserve far better than the mediocrity and mismanagement we have witnessed under Russell’s stewardship. Our immediate focus is to restore professionalism and competence to the team, starting with Simon Rusk stepping in as interim manager while we urgently seek a permanent replacement capable of salvaging this season.

We will not tolerate such incompetence again and will do everything in our power to ensure Southampton Football Club never sinks to these levels of failure under any manager in the future.

 

Don't know what you've done to hurt your ai, but I did the same and got this:

"We have decided to part ways with our Men’s First Team Manager, Russell Martin. This decision was not easy, but it reflects our current reality.

We were all aware of the uphill battle we faced as we returned to the Premier League, the most competitive league in the world. Despite our collective efforts and the board's support for Russell and his staff, the results have not met our expectations, and a change in leadership was necessary.

We are grateful to Russell and his staff for their dedication and hard work over the past 18 months. The memories of last season, especially the Play-Off Final win in May, will always be cherished by everyone at the club.

Simon Rusk, our Under-21s Manager, will step in as interim manager while we search for a permanent replacement.

In the background, we remain optimistic about the future, thanks to the promising talent emerging from our Academy. Our young players’ contributions are a source of pride and strength for the club.

We deeply appreciate the unwavering support and positivity from our fans. Your passion and understanding, especially in challenging times, fuel our long-term commitment to the club."

 

[Dman]

30 minutes ago, notnowcato said:

He's not on his own, last season was a welcome change.  

Winning games after being the whipping boys for a few years always is. It’ll be the same next season 👍🏻

maybe even better with a better manager. 

[saintant]

1 hour ago, saintant said:

Ah, so it's 2 tier Lighthouse then - one rule for some and another rule for others 🙂

Any comment Lighthouse? Or can some actually throw the 'hate' word around and you don't comment whereas others like me just offer critic and get accused of hating. It's double standards and you know it. 🙂

[Lord Duckhunter]

24 minutes ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

Maybe it’ll work with a better squad and maybe he’ll get the chance at somewhere like Brighton due to that.

Fucking hell, and I might get a go on Lucy Pinder in future. 
 

No chance he gets a job with a “better squad”. He’s shite the bed, like Jones the only way he’s getting a premier league gig is to take a team up. He’s won 1 top flight game, he’s one of the worst managers that’s ever managed in the top flight,  nobody else is falling for his pony, he’s been found out…

[LGTL]

I’d bet good money that he’ll never manage a PL game again. The chances of a Brighton going after him are less than 0%. 

[Wsaint]

1 hour ago, saintant said:

Any comment Lighthouse? Or can some actually throw the 'hate' word around and you don't comment whereas others like me just offer critic and get accused of hating. It's double standards and you know it. 🙂

Oh my god nobody cares 😂 it's an internet forum, don't take it so seriously fella.

[HarvSFC]

It's a shame the way it ended, as ultimately he did get us promoted and give us the great experience of West Brom and Leeds in the play-offs. However, there were also plenty of red flags during the last year, which were only magnified more in the Premier League this season, which are also quite disappointing.

However, SR are also massively at fault. The thing that worries me about SR are the contracts. We're spending big money on transfer fees for a lot of players, but we aren't paying Premier League money in terms of wages. Since taking over we've seen Adams and Armstrong turn down new deals and walk away on frees. The same is currently happening with KWP and Dibling. Our successful youth team has also been decimated as we aren't matching other clubs. Doyle, Morgan, Miles, Gomes Rodriguez and even Dibling have all left the club, albeit we were lucky that Dibling couldn't settle at Chelsea and he came back. But, we couldn't even match Lyon in wages for Gomes Rodriguez.

Then you have the summer. It has been well reported that Liam Delap was once again our main striker target, but Ipswich offered him more money than we were willing to. Matt O'Riley was also Martin's top transfer target, but we weren't willing to pay for him, instead choosing to spend the £25m it would have taken on Wood, Brereton-Diaz and Archer.

I was impressed that the club managed to secure Downes quite early, although his fall off this season has been another issue. I was also very excited when we signed Ramsdale, albeit that was a bit of a panic signing when it was realised that McCarthy wasn't good enough to be the Premier League, another thing the fans knew months before the club realised. And, although it wasn't exciting at the time, Fernandes has proven to be a bit of a gem. Whoever discovered him needs to be made our chief recruiter. But, that's three signings from 13 that proved to be good, not including THB as he was an obligation. According to the BBC we spent £103m in the summer. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c74lgnwepvvo We could've signed Ramsdale, O'Riley, Delap, Downes and a £20m+ plus centre-back who I don't know and I think our team would have been serviceable, with KWP, one of THB/Bednarek, Manning, Aribo, Dibling and possibly Edozie/Sulemana playing around them. Left wing was the hardest position to fill there, but we could have used a loan spot to cover that. The others can at least play in the Premier League. So, I think Martin can use the excuse that those at the top let him down a bit over the summer.

However, with that said, I also think there's a Premier League team in there with Ramsdale, KWP, Fernandes and Dibling the four key players and play to the strengths of A. Armstrong, Archer or Onuachu up top. Armstrong and Archer thrive off time and space. Armstrong's runs are crap and more often than not he's offside, but he does need to be released early, like Archer and both are useless up top with their backs to goals, which Martin's tactics were forcing them to do. While we all also know Onuachu's strengths and how Martinball doesn't get the best out of those. So, he does also deserve a lot of criticism for not being more pragmatic with the team at his disposal, like he did in the play-offs.

And with all that said and done, I really hope whichever team Martin goes to next can afford both Jack Stephens and Will Smallbone. May they never be guaranteed starters for Southampton Football Club ever again.

[saintant]

4 minutes ago, Wsaint said:

Oh my god nobody cares 😂 it's an internet forum, don't take it so seriously fella.

Just having some banter, nothing serious 🙂

[BARCELONASAINT]

I've have been mainly numb this season. The heavy defeats in past seasons ruined my weekends and i was so angry with the players (rarely the manager). I watched the first half last night and was mainly laughing, yes laughing at how bad we were against a makeshift Spurs. I just felt nothing towards my team i have supported for well over 50 years. I said to my wife at 0-3 down RM would be gone at full time, i just knew the way he walked down the tunnel before the whistle had even gone that he knew he was already sacked.

I hold no bad feelings towards RM because last season was mainly very enjoyable with a brilliant finale. This season he has been found out to be a one trick pony that most teams had worked out how to play against when we were in the Championship.

I do hold bad feelings towards our inept board who allowed such awful transfers and owners that allowed a board that clearly have no idea to stay in charge for so long.

The players need to take a long hard look at themselves. Some i would be happy to never see kick a ball professionally again.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 hour ago, notnowcato said:

He's not on his own, last season was a welcome change.  

But one of the favourites in 40 years of supporting? That's a bit of a stretch if you ask me. 

[Oldandtired]

1 hour ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

Now that he’s gone I’m sure I’ll slowly fade back into remembering him pretty fondly. I always wanted to support him as I believe he’s a good bloke, 

Not me. I'll remember him as an arrogant narcissist who treated the club as his own personal vanity project, just a stepping stone towards his imagined greatness.... and wrecked it on the way.

[Totton Saint]

2 hours ago, miserableoldgit said:

My thoughts.....for what it is worth.....probably not much. 

I didn't dislike RM generally. As for his style of football, I have mixed feelings. Last season, when it worked, I loved watching the team play. Seeing the opposition running around, and getting frustrated because they couldn't get the ball off us was great to watch. The problem came when it wasn't working. When It didn't work it was absolutely dire to watch.......very frustrating. I am not going to denigrate him for last season. He came in to a basket-case of a team/club, and despite the squinnying and nit-picking of many on here, DID get us promoted at the first attempt. I will always be grateful for that. Sadly, since then, we have had a ridiculously bad, even wasteful, transfer window. We now have a squad that would struggle in the Champ, and we tried to play Champs League football with it. Things should have been addressed, one way or another much, much earlier in the season. We are throwing/giving our hard-earned Promotion away so easily. I don't think that anyone in a position of power at the Club comes away with any credit. Managers are easy to blame/sack, owners not so much. Unless they have a desire to sell, or someone very rich has a desire to buy, you are probably stuck with them. I didn't dislike RM, but, by God I found him incredibly frustrating this season! Oh well.......onwards and.....upwards??

A very balanced and non - emotional summary. Until I meet RM I cannot say I likeor dislike him but wish him well.

[miserableoldgit]

3 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

But one of the favourites in 40 years of supporting? That's a bit of a stretch if you ask me. 

I have been supporting for 65 years and last year was one of my favourite years. Any year when we get promoted to the top division and have a winning trip to Wembley goes down as a "favourite year" with me........but maybe I am not so difficult to please,,,,,,,,

[Lee On Solent Saint]

7 minutes ago, miserableoldgit said:

I have been supporting for 65 years and last year was one of my favourite years. Any year when we get promoted to the top division and have a winning trip to Wembley goes down as a "favourite year" with me........but maybe I am not so difficult to please,,,,,,,,

Fair enough, if that's how you see last season. I prefer to think of favourite years as 89/90 under Chris Nichol, any year that Le Tiss was playing or the season we were runners up to Liverpool. 

[aintforever]

Last year’s play-off games were fantastic, definitely up there amongst my favourite games. Martin deserves credit for getting us back up at the first attempt, it’s just a shame his tactics are flawed and he either can’t or won’t change style. He seems like a nice guy, I hope he does well going forward.

Edited 16 December, 2024 by aintforever

[Lighthouse]

I wouldn't say last season was one of my favourites ever but it was enjoyable and ultimately we achieved our objective. We were only a point behind what Adkins achieved and we started at the complete opposite end of the spectrum in terms of confidence and cohesion. After that difficult August and September we looked consistently decent and basically matched the three teams above us in terms of results.

[Football Special]

Lol who made this video, it's a work of love but I did have a tear roll down my face watching it 

https://x.com/25buttsfc1/status/1868484279363158512?t=TSSr9SyDIYpOgmdqPU_CQg&s=19

[Oldandtired]

2 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Lol who made this video, it's a work of love but I did have a tear roll down my face watching it 

https://x.com/25buttsfc1/status/1868484279363158512?t=TSSr9SyDIYpOgmdqPU_CQg&s=19

I've had a tear rolling down my face watching it this season.. 

Edited 16 December, 2024 by Oldandtired

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Lol who made this video, it's a work of love but I did have a tear roll down my face watching it 

https://x.com/25buttsfc1/status/1868484279363158512?t=TSSr9SyDIYpOgmdqPU_CQg&s=19

Dear god. Tears 😂😂
 

He’s been an unmitigated disaster this season. His refusal to adapt and his arrogance in refusing to change from his vanity project cost us our premier league place before it had really started. He’s one of the worst manager in top flight history, the only tears we should be crying are tears of joy that the fraud has gone. 

[miserableoldgit]

44 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Fair enough, if that's how you see last season. I prefer to think of favourite years as 89/90 under Chris Nichol, any year that Le Tiss was playing or the season we were runners up to Liverpool. 

I didn't realise that there was a numerical limit for "favourite years". Fair enough......I will have to be a bit more picky.

Edited 16 December, 2024 by miserableoldgit

[stknowle]

4 hours ago, Hairlesshero said:

What is known about our interim manager? Any insights?

All I know about Rusk is he’s Farley inexperienced.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 minute ago, miserableoldgit said:

I didn't realise that there was a numerical limit for "favourite seasons". Fair enough......I will have to be a bit more picky.

Christ, if ever there was an apt name for a poster.

[miserableoldgit]

2 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Christ, if ever there was an apt name for a poster.

I don't think that you come across as a "bundle of joy"........at least I have an excuse......being a miserable old git.

[PortugalSaint1]

I see it’s possible that Mourinho may be free.  Also, the Switzerland manager has never had chance to manage in the Prem, Murat Yakim.  Yakim seems to be a mover and shaker.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

12 minutes ago, miserableoldgit said:

I don't think that you come across as a "bundle of joy"........at least I have an excuse......being a miserable old git.

My wife will tell you that I actually missed my true vocation as a stand up comedian! Although, she thinks Michaal McIntyre is funny.

[miserableoldgit]

3 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

My wife will tell you that I actually missed my true vocation as a stand up comedian! Although, she thinks Michaal McIntyre is funny.

😂😂

[derry]

At last we can move on. We have been exposed to one of the most extreme form of possession by an obsessed manager. Vincent Kompany's similar style was completely exposed last year and Burnley were relegated. The fact that Martin insisted on ultra possession in his defensive area irrespective of the pressure or ability of the opposition was the main reason for our downfall. All the top sides recognise that clearances under pressure rather than tippy tappy are preferable. 

His insistence that we adopted his straitjacket also inhibited our forward movement and ability to score goals. Our set up at defensive set piece and attacking free kicks and corners was crass. There is so much that given a proper professional manager that can be improved. 

Personally I think with a manager that places a priority on disciplined defending, high tempo and penetrative fast breaking we can enjoy a better second half to the season. One of our big problems has been kamikaze full backs who don't defend and leave acres of space behind them on our flanks to be eagerly exploited by the opposition.

I don't feel sorry for Russell Martina as his contracts have made him a rich man. His intransigence has ruined this season.

Edited 16 December, 2024 by derry

[sfc4prem]

6 hours ago, Chez said:

Still don't understand why we gave him a new contract in the summer. I dont have the stats, but I would imagine a sizeable percentage of managers of promoted clubs don't last the season. We ourselves had Adkins with a huge amount of credit under his belt get the tin tack. Why on earth didn't we sit tight for 6 months and see how the lann lied before giving him a new deal. What was he going to do, leave us for someone else? Who? Unless a contract extension had to be given on promotion, I really don't understand why we did it.

 

 

I think therein lies the problem. SR's decision making is fucking incoherent and inept.

[bubblyone]

6 hours ago, Chez said:

Still don't understand why we gave him a new contract in the summer. I dont have the stats, but I would imagine a sizeable percentage of managers of promoted clubs don't last the season. We ourselves had Adkins with a huge amount of credit under his belt get the tin tack. Why on earth didn't we sit tight for 6 months and see how the lann lied before giving him a new deal. What was he going to do, leave us for someone else? Who? Unless a contract extension had to be given on promotion, I really don't understand why we did it.

 

 

I suspect it was as you say, part of promotion in contract 

[danjosaint]

You would've thought along with the probable contract due to promotion there would've been clauses as well, guess we'll never know 

[bubblyone]

2 hours ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Fair enough, if that's how you see last season. I prefer to think of favourite years as 89/90 under Chris Nichol, any year that Le Tiss was playing or the season we were runners up to Liverpool. 

 

2 hours ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Fair enough, if that's how you see last season. I prefer to think of favourite years as 89/90 under Chris Nichol, any year that Le Tiss was playing or the season we were runners up to Liverpool. 

I think the way Premier League has gone in the last few years and the general widening of finances between clubs clouds this view.

I've followed Saints for nearly 50 years and last season was my favourite since that 89 season with "4 up front".

So very few seasons between, were we ever really going to challenge for much?                                                         How many times did we get to the cups and it's all "We have to prioritise the league" 

Last season we were chasing promotion and went up on the final day at Wembley!!!

For those of us who just want to see our team be in contention for things, whatever division, it was a great year 🙂

[Thereisonlyonemickychannon]

3 hours ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Fair enough, if that's how you see last season. I prefer to think of favourite years as 89/90 under Chris Nichol, any year that Le Tiss was playing or the season we were runners up to Liverpool. 

1976....can't be beat!

[Winnersaint]

38 minutes ago, Thereisonlyonemickychannon said:

1976....can't be beat!

I did my A levels during those weeks. Seems such a long time ago. Not many under 60 will remember it.

[Saints4Prem]

6 hours ago, Toussaint said:

Who is Simon Rusk?

Simon Rusk is a 42 year old coach, now tasked with leading Southampton while the club's hierarchy search for a permanent successor to Martin.

As a player, he made 205 appearances - the bulk of those coming in the National League with Crawley, York City, Northwich Victoria and Rushden & Diamonds.

This is what the Echo said about Rusk - "Quick attacking would be a change if he can pull it off

Rusk's under-21s like to get to retain possession but aim to get the ball forward quickly. They often attempt balls in behind for their pacy forwards or ask them to drive with the ball.

Speaking to the Daily Echo earlier this season, Rusk explained: “Quick attacking on the turnover is a big part of the modern game.

"We want to dominate possession but we also want to dominate on transitions.”

[CSA96]

4 hours ago, bubblyone said:

I suspect it was as you say, part of promotion in contract 

Yep, almost guaranteed it was negotiated at the start. Shows he has a decent agent, more than anything.

'The target is promotion and we'll give you a three-year contract'
'What's the reward?'
'We'll change your Championship salary to a PL salary and replace the elapsed year' - (and presumably he got a tidy bonus sum too)

Doesn't really seem unreasonable. Always find it odd that people have much of an issue with him getting a one-year extension after promotion. Even though he got sacked, it's preferable to him being a success and us being sat here now with the manager only having one full season left on his contract (we've been burnt by that before)

Edited 17 December, 2024 by CSA96