Russell Martin

[Miltonaggro]

I think at the very end of last season Martin kept his job because he was flexible and pragmatic in the play off semi and the final, both in system and selection. When it mattered. You would assume that as the pressure ramps up in this unforgiving league that despite his rhetoric he will have to adapt again, but who knows. I genuinely feel at this point SR would rather get relegated with him, than sack him, despite their commendable investment in this window. 

[Osvaldorama]

He can turn this around. Just needs to stop fucking about with silly formations and trusting the old players so much.
Play our best players in their best positions. 
 

I respect his loyalty to the players that got us up; but unfortunately he has to drop those players. Arma/Smallbone are going to have to do it from the subs bench now imo and earn their way back in. They have looked well off it at this level (which a lot of us suspected the would.) I still think smallbone can adapt to be a good player up here but right now we can’t rely on him as a starter. 
 

Downes/Lesley/Fernandes should be given a run of games. That looks like a proper premier league midfield to me. 

[Mr X]

15 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

I think at the very end of last season Martin kept his job because he was flexible and pragmatic in the play off semi and the final, both in system and selection. When it mattered. You would assume that as the pressure ramps up in this unforgiving league that despite his rhetoric he will have to adapt again, but who knows. I genuinely feel at this point SR would rather get relegated with him, than sack him, despite their commendable investment in this window. 

It feels like the owners knew we got lucky and went up too soon and are just preparing for the worst a 2025 season in the championship.  But will they stick with Martin there? as we would be forever up and down like a yo-yo 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

4 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

Downes/Lesley/Fernandes should be given a run of games. That looks like a proper premier league midfield to me. 

Agree. Haven't seen enough of Lesley but I'd be surprised if Fernandes doesn't start from now on.

We're saying RM needs to change but SR brought him in because they believe in possession football and needed a similar thinking manager. So they also need to change their ethos.

It was interesting how Ramsdale went for a couple of long punts half way through the first half. They came to nothing, so did he go back to passing out from the back because firing a ball to AA/BBD is pointless or because he was told to play the system?

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 minute ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

We're saying RM needs to change but SR brought him in because they believe in possession football and needed a similar thinking manager. So they also need to change their ethos.

Nearly every single friggin team in the league & most of the league below play possession football. Lego hasn’t reinvented the wheel, he’s just taken it to the extreme. 

[beatlesaint]

10 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Nearly every single friggin team in the league & most of the league below play possession football. Lego hasn’t reinvented the wheel, he’s just taken it to the extreme. 

Problem is I think he genuinely believes he’s here to show the Premier League something different……. He will, but not in the way he’s expecting !!

[Wade Garrett]

2 hours ago, Mr X said:

Martin has had nearly 100m in transfers and hasn't got in a proven striker just crazy!

He's made it clear he lives by the sword and dies by the sword and hasn't changed anything for 5 years! So there's no way we are going to see any different tactics any time soon!   We are stuck with a manger who's taking us straight back to the championship.... Do we stick with him in the championship? 

Except his die at the sword is getting his contract paid up.  It’s not like he’s going to be taking orders at the drive-thru.

[danjosaint]

55 minutes ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

 

We're saying RM needs to change but SR brought him in because they believe in possession football 

It was more Wilcox who pushed the Pb football not SR but then as we become wedded to it that's how it remains, Wilcox also done the same telling Ten Haag MU need to play Pb football, id imagine as ETH is much more experienced they probably come to a half way solution because watching utd they do seem a bit possession bit counter no real set pattern of play, even still Liverpool who are now trying to adopt a Pb style are still so quick on the break, quick on the half turn in midfield area and Alisons not afraid to go long, the same as Edison. We can make it work but but nor to the extreme RM wants, a simple 4231 for me, gives the defence some shield without going 5atb, personel wise is still not great as we really needed a Rw and a Cf you could play Cornet lw if he's fit, Archer through the middle although all our forwards seem to want to play wide and come in. I'd like to see Fernandes in the 10 but understand he's probably not ready yet, id also consider TP as a different option and try and play off him,  Ramsdale, KWP Bednarek, THB (ABK?) Sugawara, Downey, Les, Cornet, Fernandes, ???? and Archer, Rw is an issue be it BBD, AA, SAA none of which are ideal  

[saintant]

This is an international break that we certainly need. It allows RM the chance to reflect on our first three games and come up with a strategy and line-up to improve us. He then has a couple of weeks to work on that with the players who are not away on international break. I hope he uses the time wisely.

[Charlie Wayman]

7 hours ago, Saint Billy said:

Simple, stop trying to emulate Man City as we are not on the same planet, play your best players and not those who are underperforming but are being selected because they earned credit last season. Play a style that your players are capable of playing. If the manager can't do this then search world wide for a manager that can .

If only it was that simple. I imagine team selection is a group decision of the coaches not just Martin's whims and fancies. 

[Tom & Gerry]

I don't mind us conceding a few daft goals if we score enough of the brilliant goals we did last season. What is enough? Well one in three games obviously isn't.  Enough to win us the 12 games or so to keep us up is, for this season. RM  needs to concentrate on getting the attacking side right and to some extent the defence will take care of it's self.

[Charlie Wayman]

4 hours ago, Mr X said:

Martin has had nearly 100m in transfers and hasn't got in a proven striker just crazy!

He's made it clear he lives by the sword and dies by the sword and hasn't changed anything for 5 years! So there's no way we are going to see any different tactics any time soon!   We are stuck with a manger who's taking us straight back to the championship.... Do we stick with him in the championship? 

Amazing  insight after 3 games 😅

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, Charlie Wayman said:

If only it was that simple. I imagine team selection is a group decision of the coaches not just Martin's whims and fancies. 

Team selection is 100% the managers. 

[Dark Munster]

10 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

In which case..none of them will be frustrated as to why they are asked to play this way then? 

Yeah sorry I’m using the final result of the only season we have been managed by Martin to judge how well he’s done so far and not 3 games of this one. Silly me.

He made exactly the same mistakes yesterday as he did in the clusterf*ck at home to a very mediocre Forest team. If he does it again in our next match then as they say in America, three strikes and you're out. Palace binned de Boer after just 4 matches when it was clear he was out of his depth. They knew that they had to move quickly, and they ended up in 11th. SR need to do the same.

[Badger]

6 hours ago, Mr X said:

Martin has had nearly 100m in transfers and hasn't got in a proven striker just crazy!

He's made it clear he lives by the sword and dies by the sword and hasn't changed anything for 5 years! So there's no way we are going to see any different tactics any time soon!   We are stuck with a manger who's taking us straight back to the championship.... Do we stick with him in the championship? 

Identifying players and signing them is not the sole responsibility of the manager.

I’m not impressed by  the team selections and forward line ups, but he can only pick what’s available to him. Same with Ralph.

Agree. Recruitment has been poor in that area (for several seasons now) but that’s not something the manager takes the rap for (in my book anyway).

 

 

[Charlie Wayman]

38 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Team selection is 100% the managers. 

Nah!

[Dark Munster]

9 hours ago, egg said:

Agree with all of that. From what I heard last season, RM was lucky to go into this season as manager despite us going up. He doesn't have long imo. 

Archer has got something about him. Good touch, movement and finishing. He'll be good for us and is a very sound investment. 

As much as I wish that was true, I find it hard to believe for two reasons: SR stupidly gave him a contract extension this summer, and last year SR and Rasmus were reluctant to sack the Welsh lunatic, even forking out millions for TP for him near the end of his reign; they only binned him under massive fan pressure (every fan and their dog could see he was out of his depth, but not Rasmus and SR). 

[Wade Garrett]

2 hours ago, Charlie Wayman said:

If only it was that simple. I imagine team selection is a group decision of the coaches not just Martin's whims and fancies. 

Absolute rubbish.

[egg]

2 minutes ago, Dark Munster said:

As much as I wish that was true, I find it hard to believe for two reasons: SR stupidly gave him a contract extension this summer, and last year SR and Rasmus were reluctant to sack the Welsh lunatic, even forking out millions for TP for him near the end of his reign; they only binned him under massive fan pressure (every fan and their dog could see he was out of his depth, but not Rasmus and SR). 

What I heard was during the season. Since then we've had promotion, and the new contract. I take from it was they had doubts and were willing to be fire the bullet. Why they gave him a new contract is anyone's guess, but if they had doubts last season, they surely have them now. 

[Dark Munster]

5 hours ago, Miltonaggro said:

I think at the very end of last season Martin kept his job because he was flexible and pragmatic in the play off semi and the final, both in system and selection. When it mattered. You would assume that as the pressure ramps up in this unforgiving league that despite his rhetoric he will have to adapt again, but who knows. I genuinely feel at this point SR would rather get relegated with him, than sack him, despite their commendable investment in this window. 

That's what I fear. But I wouldn't call the investment commendable, it's not their money they are pissing down the toilet, it's Dragan's.

And he seems to still trust Rasmus and SR with it. 🙁

[Dark Munster]

2 minutes ago, egg said:

What I heard was during the season. Since then we've had promotion, and the new contract. I take from it was they had doubts and were willing to be fire the bullet. Why they gave him a new contract is anyone's guess, but if they had doubts last season, they surely have them now. 

One can only hope that Dragan won't let Rasmus and co. make the same mistake again, and if RM continues losing matches because of his insane suicidal passing around the back, Dragan will let SR know that they need to pull the trigger. And get someone in who knows how to properly manage in the PL, not another SR vanity project manager.

[notnowcato]

Very very predictable reaction. 
 

Many on here could do with growing a pair and showing some respect. 
 

Like many of the players, the manager is also learning a lot very quickly at this level.  This team needs a bit of time to gel, I think it will look quite different come the next international break. 

[verlaine1979]

The "narrative" line is pretty annoying. Literally every established PL team these days, with the possible exception of Everton, plays a progressive mixture of pressing and possession. Dyche is the only dinosaur left. There was nothing unsophisticated or agricultural about the way that Forest and Brentford took us apart, and I've no doubt that we'll see the same when we play the likes of Bournemouth, Fulham and Wolves. In contrast our passing looks aimless most of the time, lacking movement and a coherent idea of how to break pressure and create space.

[Forester]

24 minutes ago, notnowcato said:

Very very predictable reaction. 
 

Many on here could do with growing a pair and showing some respect. 
 

Like many of the players, the manager is also learning a lot very quickly at this level.  This team needs a bit of time to gel, I think it will look quite different come the next international break. 

This is a good post.  I was a bit worried last year RM was a one trick pony, but he showed good adaptation at the end of the season and got us over the line.

What you remind us all is that, just as young players make mistakes, so do young managers, but the good ones learn from them.  He has earned the right to work on things in these next batch of fixtures.  Let us see how he responds.  If he doesn’t learn, we keep losing in same fashion against Ipswich and Bournemouth, then we will have to make a change.  But I hope and believe he will have reflected and that he can build from this.

[Gloucester Saint]

6 hours ago, Osvaldorama said:

 

 

Downes/Lesley/Fernandes should be given a run of games. That looks like a proper premier league midfield to me. 

Exactly this, it’s clearly the best three we have now and barring suspensions/injuries they should be the regular starters. Aribo is a handy squad option, Will could be if he hits the gym weights and protein shakes to compete better and be harder to get off the ball. He could feature alongside Lesley as the further forward option but needs to learn to drive forward with the ball, we know he has a good through ball in his locker and a good first touch.

AA will make way for Cornet for the time being. I think it’s psychological with him. If he missed one last season, no bother as further opportunities would come. Now he’s not sure they will, and the cool finish at Wembley has been replaced with snatching at his chances again. Got to change the style of play to help him and all of the forwards. We have a forward line who need delivery into their feet and ahead sometimes on the shoulder of defenders to spin them. Slow, stop, check back, hesitate, then deliver is useless for them. 

If that’s what Russell wants, build around Paul Onachu who will still beat people in the air and attack the second ball. 

[AlexLaw76]

9 hours ago, egg said:

What I heard was during the season. Since then we've had promotion, and the new contract. I take from it was they had doubts and were willing to be fire the bullet. Why they gave him a new contract is anyone's guess, but if they had doubts last season, they surely have them now. 

Maybe the new deal was part of (and triggered by Russell) the original contract signed by Martin? 
 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

13 hours ago, saintant said:

This is an international break that we certainly need. It allows RM the chance to reflect on our first three games and come up with a strategy and line-up to improve us. He then has a couple of weeks to work on that with the players who are not away on international break. I hope he uses the time wisely.

Normally I get annoyed by these international breaks and one just three games in to the season is frustrating - but on this occasion it couldn't come at a better time for RM to analyse what's gone right and wrong so far and make the necessary changes.

The next game, Man U, can be moved out of the free hit category. They're not playing well and there's a real chance of a massive confidence boost if we can topple them.

[bangkoksaint]

We had the World Cup break when mad Nath joined us………that went well!!

[Saint_clark]

10 hours ago, notnowcato said:

Very very predictable reaction. 
 

Many on here could do with growing a pair and showing some respect. 
 

Like many of the players, the manager is also learning a lot very quickly at this level.  This team needs a bit of time to gel, I think it will look quite different come the next international break. 

I actually agree. Martins comments post match, whilst they were throwing the players under the bus, show that he will be changing things next time out and he has two weeks to work on doing that now. 

[notnowcato]

11 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

I actually agree. Martins comments post match, whilst they were throwing the players under the bus, show that he will be changing things next time out and he has two weeks to work on doing that now. 

I’ve not heard any post match interviews. What did RM say that was throwing the players under a bus?

[Whitey Grandad]

10 hours ago, Forester said:

This is a good post.  I was a bit worried last year RM was a one trick pony, but he showed good adaptation at the end of the season and got us over the line.

What you remind us all is that, just as young players make mistakes, so do young managers, but the good ones learn from them.  He has earned the right to work on things in these next batch of fixtures.  Let us see how he responds.  If he doesn’t learn, we keep losing in same fashion against Ipswich and Bournemouth, then we will have to make a change.  But I hope and believe he will have reflected and that he can build from this.

No he hasn’t. He was employed to get us promoted, which he did. Last season is done and gone.

[Bad Wolf]

29 minutes ago, notnowcato said:

I’ve not heard any post match interviews. What did RM say that was throwing the players under a bus?

He probably said "we lost the game".

Since "its my fault" has been interpretated as refusing to take responsibility and blaming everyone else. 

[Bad Wolf]

Just now, Whitey Grandad said:

No he hasn’t. He was employed to get us promoted, which he did. Last season is done and gone.

This logic makes wanting him gone based on 3 games even more nonsensical if its a fresh start. 

Or are we still allowed to use his failures, just not his successes.

[Jack]

10 hours ago, Forester said:

This is a good post.  I was a bit worried last year RM was a one trick pony, but he showed good adaptation at the end of the season and got us over the line.

What you remind us all is that, just as young players make mistakes, so do young managers, but the good ones learn from them.  He has earned the right to work on things in these next batch of fixtures.  Let us see how he responds.  If he doesn’t learn, we keep losing in same fashion against Ipswich and Bournemouth, then we will have to make a change.  But I hope and believe he will have reflected and that he can build from this.

I’m not so sure. It’s obvious to most that the tactic that regularly got us in trouble and shipping shitloads of goals against Championship opposition, is getting us in even more trouble in the Premier League. Not sure how these are mistakes that shouldn’t have previously been learned from?
 

He adjusted things for the playoffs which worked, reverting back to this aimless pissing about with it is just bizarre. But yeah hopefully he’ll see the light during the break

[Whitey Grandad]

1 minute ago, Bad Wolf said:

This logic makes wanting him gone based on 3 games even more nonsensical if its a fresh start. 

Or are we still allowed to use his failures, just not his successes.

Why is it nonsensical if it’s obvious he’s out of his depth? This season it’s all failures and no successes. And I’m not reducing it to just a matter of three results. It’s clear to everyone that his strategy and tactics are not working and he won’t change them. 
 

I wouldn’t sack him today but I would want a full discussion with him about how he’s going to fundamentally change the way that we play because we cannot go on like this through the whole season. It’s one big ego trip for him and it’s suicidal.

No sack today then but I’d be surreptitiously looking at alternatives.

[Whitey Grandad]

2 minutes ago, Jack said:

I’m not so sure. It’s obvious to most that the tactic that regularly got us in trouble and shipping shitloads of goals against Championship opposition, is getting us in even more trouble in the Premier League. Not sure how these are mistakes that shouldn’t have previously been learned from?
 

He adjusted things for the playoffs which worked, reverting back to this aimless pissing about with it is just bizarre. But yeah hopefully he’ll see the light during the break

See the light? Strap him to a chair, shine a floodlight in his eyes and pour cold water over him until he admits that he’s wrong.

[egg]

10 hours ago, Forester said:

This is a good post.  I was a bit worried last year RM was a one trick pony, but he showed good adaptation at the end of the season and got us over the line.

What you remind us all is that, just as young players make mistakes, so do young managers, but the good ones learn from them.  He has earned the right to work on things in these next batch of fixtures.  Let us see how he responds.  If he doesn’t learn, we keep losing in same fashion against Ipswich and Bournemouth, then we will have to make a change.  But I hope and believe he will have reflected and that he can build from this.

You're essentially saying that it's ok for us to be managed this season by a trainee PL manager. This is the richest and best football league in the world with many of the best players and managers. It's no place for a manager to be learning his trade, and (hopefully) eventually seeing what everyone else could see ages ago. 

[gio1saints]

Glad to see most Saints fans accept that we have “L plates” on in this league, as does our Manager.

Learning how to win - and much more relevant given our early woes - learning how NOT to lose is Russell’s and Saints big task this season. 
 

Clearly, giving teams a goal head start by penalty area fannying around comes under “ how to avoid losing”  as does “ playing a U formation so badly that Saints can play until XMAS and never score”. 
 

Are there any more lessons in store? For sure. We’ve not even played anyone all that good, yet. So if you are angry now God help us!

I expect multiple baptisms of fire before we approach even anything like “competitive ” let alone winning in this league. I hope we can chart an upward trajectory on that and come good second half of the season - like RM and team did after that poor start last year - but a bad start and a SMS full of boos encouraged by the faint hearts on here are the most certain guarantee of not only relegation but entering a downward death spiral for the club. 
All goes to plan we stay up. But if we go down it must be the right way such that we are we able to return not a fucked up no heart shell of a club like last time. 
 

 

[saintant]

1 hour ago, bangkoksaint said:

We had the World Cup break when mad Nath joined us………that went well!!

Well it's up to RM and his coaches to make sure this break is used to put some things right and work on other formations - not convinced he'll work to change much as we know he is welded to his own idea of how the game should be played. I'd like him to work on a double pivot in a 4231 formation as adopted by many of the better sides but I don't think he will.

[notnowcato]

15 minutes ago, egg said:

You're essentially saying that it's ok for us to be managed this season by a trainee PL manager. This is the richest and best football league in the world with many of the best players and managers. It's no place for a manager to be learning his trade, and (hopefully) eventually seeing what everyone else could see ages ago. 

Many good managers have come into the Premier league on the back of “failures” or limited top flight experience and gone on to be what could be considered as successful; we’ve had our share and it’s the market we are in. 

[Turkish]

Remember last time we came up there was this mythical 10 game period we needed to adapt to the premier league 🤣 Once we get past this 10 game period everything will be alright. Ipswich seem to be adapting quicker despite not being in the premier league for 20 odd years and despite having Liverpool and Man City in their first two games.

[Kermitzasaint]

22 hours ago, Hopper said:

I agree with a great deal of this. I’m not some unrelenting Martin apologist. I think we do need to be more pragmatic, I do also think his stubbornness can be a detriment.

At our best last season we did break the lines well, played with tempo and I think that is how he probably wants than to play. I think the performance against Swansea in the first 60 minutes is the ‘perfect’ Martin performance. If we played like that each week I think we would all be chuffed.

As I mentioned in my first reply I hope that the penny has dropped for a few things based on that last match and we see an improved setup when we are back from the international break.

I just get frustrated at those throwing their hand up and wanting him out after 3 games. I hope we adapt as we did when needed last season and build some momentum.

So a 60 minute performance against a lower league side is the reason that RM will be a hero for us? Seriously? 

[Dman]

I was very vocal last season in that if we went up, it was in spite of Martin, not because of him. 

We had a significantly better squad than all but 2 other teams (and still finished 4th). By virtue of having a squad that much better they dragged us out of the mud a few times and shadowed his limited tactics.  

If we don't change things up and stop passing it about for the sake of passing it about, it'll border on negligance. Especially as we saw that its not transferable from Burnely last season. 

Honestly, I'm stuggling to see where we'll pick up a point, let alone a win. Why did we give him a contract before seeing if he could cut his teeth at this level (which to be honest, was obvious he wouldn't). 

If things haven't changed by the end of september (i.e style), lets bite the bullet and bring in Moyes. 

[a1ex2001]

11 hours ago, notnowcato said:

Very very predictable reaction. 
 

Many on here could do with growing a pair and showing some respect. 
 

Like many of the players, the manager is also learning a lot very quickly at this level.  This team needs a bit of time to gel, I think it will look quite different come the next international break. 

Yet the manager has shown no hint of learning anything, as soon as I saw the lineup yesterday I said to the wife we loose and loose we did for exactly the reasons I thought we would.  I’m not a football manager and I can see it why can’t/won’t he?

[Dman]

30 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

Glad to see most Saints fans accept that we have “L plates” on in this league, as does our Manager.

Learning how to win - and much more relevant given our early woes - learning how NOT to lose is Russell’s and Saints big task this season. 
 

Clearly, giving teams a goal head start by penalty area fannying around comes under “ how to avoid losing”  as does “ playing a U formation so badly that Saints can play until XMAS and never score”. 
 

Are there any more lessons in store? For sure. We’ve not even played anyone all that good, yet. So if you are angry now God help us!

I expect multiple baptisms of fire before we approach even anything like “competitive ” let alone winning in this league. I hope we can chart an upward trajectory on that and come good second half of the season - like RM and team did after that poor start last year - but a bad start and a SMS full of boos encouraged by the faint hearts on here are the most certain guarantee of not only relegation but entering a downward death spiral for the club. 
All goes to plan we stay up. But if we go down it must be the right way such that we are we able to return not a fucked up no heart shell of a club like last time. 
 

 

He's not learning anything. We've lost at least 2 games now because of the way in which he is enouraging and enforcing the way he wants us to play.. which at this level, were not good enough to do. 

 All he had to do was look at Burnley (who imo had a better squad than we do) last season to see that his style is not transferable for a newly promoted side. 

If we had either of Frank or Nuno in our dugout this season, we'd be on way more than 0 points this season. 

[Highfield Saint]

11 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Exactly this, it’s clearly the best three we have now and barring suspensions/injuries they should be the regular starters. Aribo is a handy squad option, Will could be if he hits the gym weights and protein shakes to compete better and be harder to get off the ball. He could feature alongside Lesley as the further forward option but needs to learn to drive forward with the ball, we know he has a good through ball in his locker and a good first touch.

AA will make way for Cornet for the time being. I think it’s psychological with him. If he missed one last season, no bother as further opportunities would come. Now he’s not sure they will, and the cool finish at Wembley has been replaced with snatching at his chances again. Got to change the style of play to help him and all of the forwards. We have a forward line who need delivery into their feet and ahead sometimes on the shoulder of defenders to spin them. Slow, stop, check back, hesitate, then deliver is useless for them. 

If that’s what Russell wants, build around Paul Onachu who will still beat people in the air and attack the second ball. 

In my view in both games that Lallana has come on he has made a key difference by playing incisive passes through the lines and his movement and intent. I’d start him and see if he can give us a good 60 minutes or more 

[macca155]

If Saints keep losing then RM is toast. No owner, no matter how indulgent, will tolerate that level of humiliation. He either adapts or back to the Championship he goes .... quicker than us.

At the moment he's ok, 4 points split 11 teams. Plenty of time and opportunity to sort things out. He's earnt some credit and has a big squad to choose from.

He certainly made his thoughts clear after the game.

Everton (cup), Ipswich, Bournemouth and Leicester and Everton again, coming up. Need something out of those games. I guess that will be judgement day for him. Feels very similar to Adkins.

[egg]

32 minutes ago, notnowcato said:

Many good managers have come into the Premier league on the back of “failures” or limited top flight experience and gone on to be what could be considered as successful; we’ve had our share and it’s the market we are in. 

I couldn't give a monkeys about other managers and other clubs. Our manager is out of his depth, is tactically naive, and our club is destined for relegation of something doesn't change sharpish. 

[macca155]

6 minutes ago, Dman said:

If we had either of Frank or Nuno in our dugout this season, we'd be on way more than 0 points this season. 

Nuno totally owned Martin at St Marys. Different level of manager from an in play strategy point of view.

Russell has many attributes, I like him and really want him to do well.

I'm sure he doesn't coach the players to give away goals. Probably as seething as we are at our start. Guess we'll see a response of some sort.

[Saint_clark]

1 hour ago, notnowcato said:

I’ve not heard any post match interviews. What did RM say that was throwing the players under a bus?

 

1 hour ago, Bad Wolf said:

He probably said "we lost the game".

Since "its my fault" has been interpretated as refusing to take responsibility and blaming everyone else. 

Speaking about the goals we've stupidly conceded this season, he said he didn't know why the players were passing it backwards in those situations. Basically acting as if he HASN'T been drilling this play style into them since summer 2023.