Russell Martin

[Dman]

1 minute ago, Graffito said:

Why’s he talking about his mum and about being tired when we’ve got promotion to play for?

Getting his excuses in there early. The schedule, the fans basically anything other than his tactics when we get knocked out in the semi final. 

[Wiggles31]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

For such a remarkable season, of our maximum possible points total (87), we would have been promoted automatically 5 times out of the last 20 years.

Of those 5, 3 of which would have seen promotion with the points total if we fail to win at leeds.....which is likely.

Tbh Leeds are just as bad. 

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

 

 

[Wiggles31]

We’ll a chance in the play offs. If it fails miserably we’ll have a new manager. If we go up I think within 10 games in the PL Martin will get found out and we get a new manager in. Brutal but what I think would genuinely happen. I like Martin, he’s been by far our best manager for a few years and we have an identity (of which we’ve lacked for ages) but I think his Achilles heel is defensively and coming up with a plan B, that’s why I think his days might be numbered. Don’t know he deserves as much stick as some give though. It’s been a mental season. 

[Wade Garrett]

19 minutes ago, Graffito said:

Why’s he talking about his mum and about being tired when we’ve got promotion to play for?

I’m fucking tired of watching his shit.

[Whitey Grandad]

Just now, Wade Garrett said:

I’m fucking tired of watching his shit.

Initially I was prepared to give him a chance but now, like you, I’ve had more than enough.

[SOTONSEASTSIDE]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

what record does Martin have?

Definitely no Plan B records!!

[Kermitzasaint]

On 27/04/2024 at 04:03, gio1saints said:

Not if we learned from this season and rectified the issues. Is that so unreasonable an idea ? 

Sacking RM and his team for not finishing top two is a bit like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Not every match this season was terrible. Not every match this season was rubbish. Not every player was bad, not every performance embarrassing. Not every substitution or tram line up a joke. Some, many, performances were excellent.
 

Maybe finishing fourth was about right. But some seem to be blind to that. What’s wrong with building on this season but ironing out the mistakes instead of chucking the whole concept in the bin and starting from scratch? Maybe I’m old fashioned but all this hiring and firing I don’t see as the best overall solution. Didn’t we have enough of that last season? What good did it do?

 

Please point out where RM has changed and improved during his career? You seem to think he will suddenly develop now when he has never changed before? RM does the same thing over and over. We all know this

[Mr X]

11 hours ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

The big question is who comes in to replace him when we don’t get past Norwich in the play-offs?

Noone, they will definitely stick with him 

[CB Fry]

It might not feel like it right now but we are perfectly capable of going to Carrow Road or The Hawthorns and winning 2-1. 

At that point the whole season flips again and we all get to believe.

Look, this is me being optimistic.

[Weston Super Saint]

10 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

It might not feel like it right now but we are perfectly capable of going to Carrow Road or The Hawthorns and winning 2-1. 

At that point the whole season flips again and we all get to believe.

Look, this is me being optimistic.

Optimism and realism rarely share the same bed.

[saintstowin]

The last few seasons in the PL were so awful that this season has had an interesting mix of real happiness (fresh start, more wins, really good football at times) but in contrast being pretty quick to anger at anything bad (slow football, questionable tactics, under achieving).

I know in general football (and forums) will have extremes of emotions. But for me there is something about what we've all had in recent seasons that makes us feel like we deserve more, see this season as the ultimate chance, and therefore get upset at not having that.

I'm not saying it's wrong to feel that, I do too, but it has had an impact on my responses.

I agree there are many things RM could have done/do better.

[david in sweden]

On 26/04/2024 at 16:10, Tommy Mulgrew said:

I don’t know who we rejected in favour of RM but, of our recent managers and coaches, Ralph, Ruben,  Nathan and Danny (Rohl) are all doing great jobs at their respective relegation-threatened clubs.  As is Nigel, btw, at Tranmere and Kelvin at Eastleigh.  Not to say they would be any good at getting promoted, Nigel excepted; we’ll see how RM will fare at that in a few weeks time.

 

.You wrote ....." at their respective relegation-threatened clubs " . Whilst many on here seem to think that RM has done a poor job because he has failed 

to get us automatic promotion at the first attempt.  I don't think we would look to hire a manager who has " successfully helped his club avoid relegation "

It will be interesting to see how many of them still have their jobs by New Year ,  if their clubs haven't improve in form by then, and it can be noted that

most of the clubs they manage are also playing in lower- level divisions, and even then struggling to survive. 

 

Given the quality, (or lack of it) we have compared with previous seasons.  We sold our most consistent and talented players, and most-promising newcomers

to help keep us solvent, and brought in half a dozen loan players (who clearly weren't good enough for their own Prem. squads) and have thankfully been

almost totally reliant on the goals of two strikers who have found their true level in this league, after failing to DAJFU  at the higher level. 

 

No  sorry, I don't see any of those named above were better choices than RM.    All things considered,  I am pleased and surprised that we have done this well. 

[Farmer Saint]

Considering I just wanted to watch entertaining football, and didn't want to get promoted back to the Premier League, it's been pretty much the perfect season for me. I've watched some incredible football, seen a lot of goals and we don't have to play next season in that cesspit of a Premier League. 

[Kermitzasaint]

50 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

Considering I just wanted to watch entertaining football, and didn't want to get promoted back to the Premier League, it's been pretty much the perfect season for me. I've watched some incredible football, seen a lot of goals and we don't have to play next season in that cesspit of a Premier League. 

Your use of the word 'incredible' is amusing. Even when we had our run we looked very shaky in lots of areas. 

[beatlesaint]

6 minutes ago, Kermitzasaint said:

Your use of the word 'incredible' is amusing. Even when we had our run we looked very shaky in lots of areas. 

No more amusing than RM describing Jack Stephens as an incredible footballer!

[Lord Duckhunter]

And to think some Nods were moaning about Puel following a home defeat to Stoke at the end of a long season. A season that saw us beat inter Milan, get to a cup final & end up the 8th best team in the country. Still yesterdays 0-1 was more exciting & if Baz wasn’t injured we’d have seen even more goals…..

[Farmer Saint]

35 minutes ago, Kermitzasaint said:

Your use of the word 'incredible' is amusing. Even when we had our run we looked very shaky in lots of areas. 

You can play incredible football and also look shaky in areas? It's been far more fun than the last few years in the PL. 

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

Considering I just wanted to watch entertaining football, and didn't want to get promoted back to the Premier League, it's been pretty much the perfect season for me. I've watched some incredible football, seen a lot of goals and we don't have to play next season in that cesspit of a Premier League. 

Incredible? I couldn’t believe it either. I spent a lot of it covering my eyes in fear. The most exciting bits were when we were messing about in our own goal area inviting disaster.

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

Considering I just wanted to watch entertaining football, and didn't want to get promoted back to the Premier League,

We’re not the Harlem fucking Globetrotters. 
 

What a ridiculous statement, I hope the camera doesn’t capture your miserable face when it pans over the Saints fans celebrating a  Wembley win. 

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

50 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

No more amusing than RM describing Jack Stephens as an incredible footballer!

To be fair, we don’t lose games 0-5 with Jack in the team 😜

[Lord Duckhunter]

3 minutes ago, Golac's Cunning Stunts said:

To be fair, we don’t lose games 0-5 with Jack in the team 😜

We may of had Baz been in nets. 

[pimpin4rizeal]

To put it in a fair way if we came into the playoffs off the back of the unbeaten streak we would probably all be happy enough .. during that unbeaten run I think most of us thought russ has cracked it, that it took time to get the team playing his way and now it was paying dividends ..

problem is that run of form seems a million miles away now ,, we would be lucky to go 2 matches unbeaten at the minute even against poor sides .. we have not been good in the big games at all either .. the whole thing looks completely inevitable now and for me I’d absolutely try to make the change now rather then wasting this play off opportunity 

[Farmer Saint]

3 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

We’re not the Harlem fucking Globetrotters. 
 

What a ridiculous statement, I hope the camera doesn’t capture your miserable face when it pans over the Saints fans celebrating a  Wembley win. 

So if you don't watch football for entertainment, why do you watch it/follow it? 

[Dark Munster]

31 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

So if you don't watch football for entertainment, why do you watch it/follow it? 

Did you enjoy yesterday’s performance? Because that’ll what you’ll be seeing week in week out if we stay in this league for any length of time. 

[Saint Gifford]

Sorry from day 1 he has been nowhere near the level.

I am all for giving the next generation of managers a go and trying to find the next Potts or whoever. 
 

But we have just completely F!’@d up since Ralph.
 

We seem to have absolutely no idea , no direction and some mentality from a director that has come in and gone the minute the money and so say kudos waves in his face. 
 

It needs SR to have some nads stop being fed crap by pretend football people and put a proper strategy in place. 

Don’t blame Dragan at all, but for all his money, needs to go back to basics employee a manager that has been around the block knows how to play basic proper football at this level.

We absolutely had a squad to be top 2 all season, but just tried to be clever by asking for another card holding 20 at the blackjack table. 
 

This is going to be a journey, even RM couldn’t put up an argument after the Leicester game. Looked and spoke like a broken man. 
 

F~}k me get Warnock in for the play offs, he has pedigree. Pay him whatever and let him retire in the summer after another promotion. 

Then work on a proper list of managers, we are a big club.
 

Nothing wrong with going for the big guns. We have done it before, so why not now. 
 

Rant over,soapbox put away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Whitey Grandad]

23 minutes ago, Dark Munster said:

Did you enjoy yesterday’s performance? Because that’ll what you’ll be seeing week in week out if we stay in this league for any length of time. 

I don’t see why?

[Whitey Grandad]

16 minutes ago, Saint Gifford said:

Sorry from day 1 he has been nowhere near the level.

I am all for giving the next generation of managers a go and trying to find the next Potts or whoever. 
 

But we have just completely F!’@d up since Ralph.
 

We seem to have absolutely no idea , no direction and some mentality from a director that has come in and gone the minute the money and so say kudos waves in his face. 
 

It needs SR to have some nads stop being fed crap by pretend football people and put a proper strategy in place. 

Don’t blame Dragan at all, but for all his money, needs to go back to basics employee a manager that has been around the block knows how to play basic proper football at this level.

We absolutely had a squad to be top 2 all season, but just tried to be clever by asking for another card holding 20 at the blackjack table. 
 

This is going to be a journey, even RM couldn’t put up an argument after the Leicester game. Looked and spoke like a broken man. 
 

F~}k me get Warnock in for the play offs, he has pedigree. Pay him whatever and let him retire in the summer after another promotion. 

Then work on a proper list of managers, we are a big club.
 

Nothing wrong with going for the big guns. We have done it before, so why not now. 
 

Rant over,soapbox put away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If we were in the Premier League and about to get relegated would anybody be against the idea of getting in a new manager?

[Dark Munster]

20 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

I don’t see why?

We’ll lose our best players and run out of money. 

[notnowcato]

39 minutes ago, Saint Gifford said:

Sorry from day 1 he has been nowhere near the level.

I am all for giving the next generation of managers a go and trying to find the next Potts or whoever. 
 

But we have just completely F!’@d up since Ralph.
 

We seem to have absolutely no idea , no direction and some mentality from a director that has come in and gone the minute the money and so say kudos waves in his face. 
 

It needs SR to have some nads stop being fed crap by pretend football people and put a proper strategy in place. 

Don’t blame Dragan at all, but for all his money, needs to go back to basics employee a manager that has been around the block knows how to play basic proper football at this level.

We absolutely had a squad to be top 2 all season, but just tried to be clever by asking for another card holding 20 at the blackjack table. 
 

This is going to be a journey, even RM couldn’t put up an argument after the Leicester game. Looked and spoke like a broken man. 
 

F~}k me get Warnock in for the play offs, he has pedigree. Pay him whatever and let him retire in the summer after another promotion. 

Then work on a proper list of managers, we are a big club.
 

Nothing wrong with going for the big guns. We have done it before, so why not now. 
 

Rant over,soapbox put away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wouldn’t worry about the soapbox, I’d check the source of your mushrooms… fucking Warnock in??? Fuck me. You’re fucking tripping mate. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

So if you don't watch football for entertainment, why do you watch it/follow it? 

It’s a sporting competition, not a fucking show. 
 

How on Earth can someone say they want to be entertained, but not promoted. I presume if we draw 5-5 at Wembley, but lose on Pens it’ll be the perfect end to the season for you.Weird…

Edited April 28 by Lord Duckhunter

[Toadhall Saint]

4 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Incredible? I couldn’t believe it either. I spent a lot of it covering my eyes in fear. The most exciting bits were when we were messing about in our own goal area inviting disaster.

Out of interest how many goals he we conceded by messing about in our own goal area?

[notnowcato]

Just now, Toadhall Saint said:

Out of interest how many goals he we conceded by messing about in our own goal area?

Whitey doesn’t do stats

[Toadhall Saint]

53 minutes ago, notnowcato said:

Whitey doesn’t do stats

Anyone?

[RedArmy]

5 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

And to think some Nods were moaning about Puel following a home defeat to Stoke at the end of a long season. A season that saw us beat inter Milan, get to a cup final & end up the 8th best team in the country. Still yesterdays 0-1 was more exciting & if Baz wasn’t injured we’d have seen even more goals…..

Not this ‘Puel was great’ myth again. 
 

Yes the “8th best team” that was closer on points to 18th than 7th and only scored 41 goals. 
 

Beat Inter Milan but didn’t score a single goal away from home. 
 

Puel’s football was fucking turgid. I’d rather watch this season a million times than another season of Puel. 

[Lighthouse]

6 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

And to think some Nods were moaning about Puel following a home defeat to Stoke at the end of a long season. A season that saw us beat inter Milan, get to a cup final & end up the 8th best team in the country. Still yesterdays 0-1 was more exciting & if Baz wasn’t injured we’d have seen even more goals…..

 

5 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

We may of had Baz been in nets. 

I don't know why you keep banging these drums. It's a completely different team with Bazunu in it, he probably wouldn't have needed to have made those saves (most of which were straight at McC, at a comfortable height). Puel - give it up already. We were on a completely negative trajectory at the end of that season, the Stoke game was just the final chapter of Saints 0-? The oponent at St Mary's. Yesterday was the first home game we've failed to score in (all comps) since September and only the second one all season.

[FarehamSaintJames]

2 hours ago, Saint Gifford said:

Sorry from day 1 he has been nowhere near the level.

I am all for giving the next generation of managers a go and trying to find the next Potts or whoever. 
 

But we have just completely F!’@d up since Ralph.
 

We seem to have absolutely no idea , no direction and some mentality from a director that has come in and gone the minute the money and so say kudos waves in his face. 
 

It needs SR to have some nads stop being fed crap by pretend football people and put a proper strategy in place. 

Don’t blame Dragan at all, but for all his money, needs to go back to basics employee a manager that has been around the block knows how to play basic proper football at this level.

We absolutely had a squad to be top 2 all season, but just tried to be clever by asking for another card holding 20 at the blackjack table. 
 

This is going to be a journey, even RM couldn’t put up an argument after the Leicester game. Looked and spoke like a broken man. 
 

F~}k me get Warnock in for the play offs, he has pedigree. Pay him whatever and let him retire in the summer after another promotion. 

Then work on a proper list of managers, we are a big club.
 

Nothing wrong with going for the big guns. We have done it before, so why not now. 
 

Rant over,soapbox put away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You had me at the start, then completely turned any form of agreement when you suggest Neil Warnock. 😂

Bloke was brilliant ten/twenty years ago. Let’s be honest he isn’t belting players like he used to. 

Comedic to even suggest him now. 🤣

[FarehamSaintJames]

Some on here are so reactionary.

The same people that were bouncing through November to March bigging up Russell Martin now spouting the old “I never felt he was good enough”. 

Jesus. 🤣

[harvey]

3 hours ago, Farmer Saint said:

So if you don't watch football for entertainment, why do you watch it/follow it? 

To win.

[Badger]

On 27/04/2024 at 09:56, Lord Duckhunter said:

I strongly hope he fucks off to Brighton. 

That could be a 'happy ever after' ending for all parties, although unlikely to happen.

Having left us in no doubt that you don't think 'Lego' is the manager of your choice, who would you  realistically want to see come in ?

[Galway saint]

6 minutes ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Some on here are so reactionary.

The same people that were bouncing through November to March bigging up Russell Martin now spouting the old “I never felt he was good enough”. 

Jesus. 🤣

I think what’s changed is that we’ve lost momentum since February and the 4-3-3 possession game has been shown to have serious deficiencies defensively. The Leicester game was horrific and I think people would like to RM change his approach to address those deficiencies , rather than just change the personnel with no clear plan.

He clearly is a good enough manager to get this team into the playofffs but we seem to have ran out of steam at the wrong time.

[pimpin4rizeal]

2 hours ago, notnowcato said:

I wouldn’t worry about the soapbox, I’d check the source of your mushrooms… fucking Warnock in??? Fuck me. You’re fucking tripping mate. 

What’s wrong with warnock ?

He  has 8 promotions under his belt don’t you think that would potentially have given us s much better shot at promotion then a dude with 80 percent possession stats and a couple of mid table finishes .,

 

[notnowcato]

31 minutes ago, pimpin4rizeal said:

What’s wrong with warnock ?

He  has 8 promotions under his belt don’t you think that would potentially have given us s much better shot at promotion then a dude with 80 percent possession stats and a couple of mid table finishes .,

 

No. Next question. 

[Farmer Saint]

4 hours ago, Dark Munster said:

Did you enjoy yesterday’s performance? Because that’ll what you’ll be seeing week in week out if we stay in this league for any length of time. 

If we got promoted yesterday's performance would be the pinaccle. Our best player this season was shit in the PL, we would need a whole new team (apart from KWP). 

[Farmer Saint]

3 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

It’s a sporting competition, not a fucking show. 
 

How on Earth can someone say they want to be entertained, but not promoted. I presume if we draw 5-5 at Wembley, but lose on Pens it’ll be the perfect end to the season for you.Weird…

And that's the difference - I see it as entertainment - mainly due to the fact that if we see it as competition, we've all made a pretty shitty decision to support Saints...

[Farmer Saint]

2 hours ago, RedArmy said:

Not this ‘Puel was great’ myth again. 
 

Yes the “8th best team” that was closer on points to 18th than 7th and only scored 41 goals. 
 

Beat Inter Milan but didn’t score a single goal away from home. 
 

Puel’s football was fucking turgid. I’d rather watch this season a million times than another season of Puel. 

100% agreed - this has been the most fun season we've had since Koeman left imo. 

[Whitey Grandad]

3 hours ago, Dark Munster said:

We’ll lose our best players and run out of money. 

That doesn’t have to be the case. Many years ago I saw plenty of exciting games in the old fourth division.

[Whitey Grandad]

3 hours ago, Toadhall Saint said:

Out of interest how many goals he we conceded by messing about in our own goal area?

 

3 hours ago, notnowcato said:

Whitey doesn’t do stats

Indeed, you’re asking the wrong person but I venture we’ve conceded far more than we’ve scored.

[AlexLaw76]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

And that's the difference - I see it as entertainment - mainly due to the fact that if we see it as competition, we've all made a pretty shitty decision to support Saints...

Were you entertained last season?

[Osvaldorama]

2 hours ago, notnowcato said:

No. Next question. 

Warnock would have this squad in the autos this season. 

[Lighthouse]

3 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

Warnock would have this squad in the autos this season. 

That's a complete guess, he's 75 and been promoted once in the last 13 years.