Russell Martin

[DT]

You know you’re in trouble when you watch Forest v Palace and they both look light years away from us. Perhaps we need a good January transfer window …

[S-Clarke]

15 minutes ago, NewYorkSaint said:

Incredible reading some of these comments. Has everyone forgotten how amazing last season's unbeaten run felt? sure that was championship... but it also felt like we had something no other team had.   I agree Russball can be scary. But it's also exhilarating when it works. So long as he has the support of the playing room, I think we should stick.  You have to remember we've been seriously unlucky so far on this run, including the horrific refereeing of the last game.   When things turn, the exact same playing style is going to feel  v v different.   

Saturday second half was agony.   But our day will come, and maybe sooner than the gloomy gang here imagines.

I think that unbeaten run created a false illusion about how good we actually were. We did stagger over the line on quite a few occasions.

[OneMrsWallace]

3 hours ago, derry said:

Agreed. It's all a bloody big con. We need a proper football manager not a one trick pony obsessive.

Every manager, maybe bar the Ipswich game, has out thought and out manoeuvred RM and he shows no sign of caring. 

[SWLondon Saint]

The crazy thing is we actually still have a chance to catch the pack at the moment as we're only 7/8 points adrift. Palace and Wolves aren't going to keep losing this badly. But in 3 games time, that could easily be 11/12 points and it's probably gone.

I honestly don't know what people who think our squad is hopeless are looking at - there is enough quality to at least put up more of a fight than we're doing. Watch a bit of the Championship and you'll see there's a huge gap in quality even to us - go down and Fernandes, Dibling, Ramsdale and probably Archer are all gone at least. Watch the highlights and see how much pressure gets put on crosses into our box. This happened last year too so obviously the defensive setup or coaching is massively flawed somewhere.

[verlaine1979]

1 hour ago, NewYorkSaint said:

Incredible reading some of these comments. Has everyone forgotten how amazing last season's unbeaten run felt? sure that was championship... but it also felt like we had something no other team had.   I agree Russball can be scary. But it's also exhilarating when it works. So long as he has the support of the playing room, I think we should stick.  You have to remember we've been seriously unlucky so far on this run, including the horrific refereeing of the last game.   When things turn, the exact same playing style is going to feel  v v different.   

Saturday second half was agony.   But our day will come, and maybe sooner than the gloomy gang here imagines.

This again. We've played vastly more intricate, beautiful one-touch pass and move football under Poch, Koeman and Ralph than anything we played under Martin. His style is nothing special - it's the football equivalent of driving round the Nürburgring at 10mph. 

[Oldandtired]

1 hour ago, NewYorkSaint said:

 You have to remember we've been seriously unlucky so far on this run, 

…inasmuch as the world and his wife now know how one dimensional we are and how easy we are to play against,especially when we run out of ideas and the manager makes his usual crop of totally inane and unnecessary substitutions.

Yep, that’s unlucky alright.

Edited October 21 by Oldandtired

[Whitey Grandad]

45 minutes ago, Oldandtired said:

…inasmuch as the world and his wife now know how one dimensional we are and how easy we are to play against,especially when we run out of ideas and the manager makes his usual crop of totally inane and unnecessary substitutions.

Yep, that’s unlucky alright.

Unlucky to have Martin as a manager.

[pimpin4rizeal]

1 hour ago, SWLondon Saint said:

The crazy thing is we actually still have a chance to catch the pack at the moment as we're only 7/8 points adrift. Palace and Wolves aren't going to keep losing this badly. But in 3 games time, that could easily be 11/12 points and it's probably gone.

I honestly don't know what people who think our squad is hopeless are looking at - there is enough quality to at least put up more of a fight than we're doing. Watch a bit of the Championship and you'll see there's a huge gap in quality even to us - go down and Fernandes, Dibling, Ramsdale and probably Archer are all gone at least. Watch the highlights and see how much pressure gets put on crosses into our box. This happened last year too so obviously the defensive setup or coaching is massively flawed somewhere.

Yup blaming it on the squad is bullshit ,, Bournemouth have a much worse squad then arsenal didn’t stop them getting a result . Yet we can’t even hold a lead vs anyone. Last couple of games we’ have had the lead which usually should make it much harder to score for the other team but it’s not in our make up under russ to be able to defend a lead 

[pimpin4rizeal]

Regarding squad being that bad 

archers scoring goals

dibling and fernandes both look great and creative

Arribo having a good season holds the ball well and has decent ability in creating time for himself on the ball 

kwp and yuki both decent 

Ramsdale top class keeper 

that’s the majority of our side and we have had the likes of bednarek and stephens in the prem before and done nowhere near as bad 

is this really that bad ?

Edited October 21 by pimpin4rizeal

[HKsaint]

Any update? Why no announcement up to now?

[Holmes_and_Watson]

23 minutes ago, HKsaint said:

Any update? Why no announcement up to now?

Jesse Marsch just holding out for a contract longer than the end of the season, this time.

[Trader]

1 hour ago, pimpin4rizeal said:

Regarding squad being that bad 

archers scoring goals

dibling and fernandes both look great and creative

Arribo having a good season holds the ball well and has decent ability in creating time for himself on the ball 

kwp and yuki both decent 

Ramsdale top class keeper 

that’s the majority of our side and we have had the likes of bednarek and stephens in the prem before and done nowhere near as bad 

is this really that bad ?

OK - it's not the players then.

So who is the problem - answers on a postcard please.

[Dark Munster]

1 hour ago, Trader said:

OK - it's not the players then.

So who is the problem - answers on a postcard please.

Russell for being out of his depth <read the last umpteen pages of this thread>.

Rasmus and the rest of the SR motley crew for not sacking Russell.

Dragan for not getting rid of Rasmus and the rest of the SR motley crew.

[Saint in Paradise]

1 hour ago, Dark Munster said:

Russell for being out of his depth <read the last umpteen pages of this thread>.

Rasmus and the rest of the SR motley crew for not sacking Russell.

Dragan for not getting rid of Rasmus and the rest of the SR motley crew.

Only a sadly deluded fan could possibly argue against any of that above quote.

[ally_uk]

10 years with Martin ! 🤣🤣🤣

I'm off to support Eatleigh...... 

Are they for real ? 

What's the actual point ? Get relegated and repeat the process in a hope something will eventually click ?

Definition of insanity the man is out of depth Swansea knew it aswell..... 

[coalman]

9 hours ago, NewYorkSaint said:

You have to remember we've been seriously unlucky so far on this run, including the horrific refereeing of the last game.   When things turn, the exact same playing style is going to feel  v v different.   

How have we been unlucky? Every team we've played has looked like they could score several against us. We've given the ball away in dangerous positions more than any other team in the league. Even on a "good" performance like Saturday Leicester could have scored 4 or 5 given the chances they had. We're easy to defend against and easy to score against.

They say you make your own luck. We deserve to be bottom of the table and saying it's just bad luck is exactly the attitude our manager is showing which is why he isn't learning from this.

The same can be said for Rasmus and those behind the scenes who have demonstrated poor judgement time and time again.

Edited October 22 by coalman

[Football Special]

10 hours ago, DT said:

You know you’re in trouble when you watch Forest v Palace and they both look light years away from us. Perhaps we need a good January transfer window …

I can see Palace changing manager soon, bit of panic starting to kick in amongst their fan base 

[saintant]

8 hours ago, HKsaint said:

Any update? Why no announcement up to now?

Because as far as SR is concerned there is nothing to announce.

[Bad Wolf]

2 hours ago, ally_uk said:

10 years with Martin ! 🤣🤣🤣

I'm off to support Eatleigh...... 

Are they for real ? 

What's the actual point ? Get relegated and repeat the process in a hope something will eventually click ?

Definition of insanity the man is out of depth Swansea knew it aswell..... 

When we approached him, he was flying out to see their American owners because they wanted him to sign a new contract.

[hypochondriac]

Looks like they are keeping him till mid November and doing a Ralph. I wonder if they will then do a Nathan Jones and bring in someone from the lower leagues with a substantially different method of playing and with players unsuitable for the style of play? 

[Viking Saint]

10 hours ago, pimpin4rizeal said:

Regarding squad being that bad 

archers scoring goals

dibling and fernandes both look great and creative

Arribo having a good season holds the ball well and has decent ability in creating time for himself on the ball 

kwp and yuki both decent 

Ramsdale top class keeper 

that’s the majority of our side and we have had the likes of bednarek and stephens in the prem before and done nowhere near as bad 

is this really that bad ?

It shouldn't be

[danjosaint]

My issue is look at say Luton last year, they went down, were favourites to go down, worse squad than ours but gave it a real go, we all know we are favourites to go down but under these clowns there's no fight or passion and trundling down to the championship with a whisper, then we've got fans that except this absolute bonkers 

[Farmer Saint]

SR's aim for the next 10 years is to make money. Last year's relegation rid us of a number of high earners, which now means wage wise we are far more sustainable (in either the PL or the Championship). Our highest earner, Ramsdale, has a relegation release clause that means he will be sold with little loss and his wages removed. 

Buying young, talented, foreign players on low wages will enable us to compete in the Championship, and put them in the shop window without ever having to break the bank. Yes, we will probably need to be promoted once every 3 years to reload the parachute payments, but that is very achievable.

As I said last Summer, the investment and management of the team points towards them wanting us to become a yo-yo club, and it makes sense - no huge investment and risk mitigating transfers by investing in youth.

[Miltonaggro]

59 minutes ago, danjosaint said:

My issue is look at say Luton last year, they went down, were favourites to go down, worse squad than ours but gave it a real go, we all know we are favourites to go down but under these clowns there's no fight or passion and trundling down to the championship with a whisper, then we've got fans that except this absolute bonkers 

Fans won't accept it and if Sport Republic persist with Martin the Nathan Jones' roadshow will likely look like a Sunday school picnic by comparison.  What I have sensed in the last few games is a growing sense of apathy and downbeat recognition of here we go again.  Shitshow loop is currently avoidable but collective anger will be apparent quite soon and translate to players and media quickly, and not sure any bonkers left-field business plan will survive that. 

[hypochondriac]

Is failing to replace Jason WIlcox something that we will look back on with hindsight as something that seriously wrecked our chances this year? IMO it was a madness not to do so. 

[Weston Super Saint]

2 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Is failing to replace Jason WIlcox something that we will look back on with hindsight as something that seriously wrecked our chances this year? IMO it was a madness not to do so. 

Under normal circumatances I'd agree.  However, having the best 'football' people at the club and bringing in the best players our budget can afford is not going to make the slightest difference if the manager insists on playing keep ball and refusing to address obvious defensive flaws.

[hypochondriac]

3 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

Under normal circumatances I'd agree.  However, having the best 'football' people at the club and bringing in the best players our budget can afford is not going to make the slightest difference if the manager insists on playing keep ball and refusing to address obvious defensive flaws.

Wilcox was director of football though. Presumably he would have had some influence on Martin continuing to do this. 

[FarehamSaintJames]

Graeme Bailey reporting that they’ll give Russell Martin until the November international break to turn things around.

Respectfully, that’s hardly news. I think most of us on here can predict that, and have predicted that. It’s just logical to wait until after Everton and Wolves now.

It’s a bit like the ten year plan story from Jim White. It’s just bullshit and paper talk with no substance.

 

[FarehamSaintJames]

15 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

You’re having a fucking laugh mush.

Which bit? 
I said yesterday I reckon he’ll get until the November international break and it’ll depend on results against Wolves and Everton, and if he doesn’t perform he’ll go.

In the press today, allegedly that’s the rumour.

What’s difficult to understand?

Also it isn’t factual this, it’s purely an opinion. There’s only so much time you can give someone. Are SR going to want to see another investment being pissed up the wall? I doubt it.

I certainly don’t think the squad are as bad as people suggest, we’ve more than shown we can compete - but it’s a results game, and if you don’t secure the result you get punished. Fine margins.

[Dellyears]

6 minutes ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Which bit? 
I said yesterday I reckon he’ll get until the November international break and it’ll depend on results against Wolves and Everton, and if he doesn’t perform he’ll go.

In the press today, allegedly that’s the rumour.

What’s difficult to understand?

Also it isn’t factual this, it’s purely an opinion. There’s only so much time you can give someone. Are SR going to want to see another investment being pissed up the wall? I doubt it.

I certainly don’t think the squad are as bad as people suggest, we’ve more than shown we can compete - but it’s a results game, and if you don’t secure the result you get punished. Fine margins.

There's not much wrong with the squad that a Premier quality coach would not put right, but we chose one from a lower league, and it shows. 

[Jack]

14 minutes ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Which bit? 
I said yesterday I reckon he’ll get until the November international break and it’ll depend on results against Wolves and Everton, and if he doesn’t perform he’ll go.

In the press today, allegedly that’s the rumour.

What’s difficult to understand?

Also it isn’t factual this, it’s purely an opinion. There’s only so much time you can give someone. Are SR going to want to see another investment being pissed up the wall? I doubt it.

I certainly don’t think the squad are as bad as people suggest, we’ve more than shown we can compete - but it’s a results game, and if you don’t secure the result you get punished. Fine margins.

I’d hazard a guess that it’s where you said “not many fans want to see him gone”.

I don’t know many that want him to stay.

[Weston Super Saint]

36 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Wilcox was director of football though. Presumably he would have had some influence on Martin continuing to do this. 

By all accounts (on here at least), he was 'instrumental' in Martin's appointment and was 'pulling the strings' behind the scenes whilst on gardening leave.  Not sure his influence would have been anything other than re-inforcing Martin's already high opinion of himslef and his 'system'.

[Saint_lambden]

We have a 100% chance of going down with Martin in charge for the foreseeable future. He won't last the season but like with Nathan Jones, if they leave it too late and past the point of our more winnable run of fixtures (post Wolves basically) then it'll be too late, with the chances of any manager worth their salt coming in very slim indeed. 

With a semi-competent manager installed now/very soon that survival likelihood reduces to maybe 70% but the board's delusion and lack of ambition forever astounds me. All we want is for the club to give itself the best possible chance of survival. If we fall short in May after giving it a real good go then so be it but at this rate we'll be effectively dead and buried in a month's time like Sheffield United and Burnley were for so much of last season. 

Perhaps SR are comfortable in the knowledge that we should be fine financially if we go back down as we're sitting on a likely £40m asset in Dibling that we'll be able to sell to a top club and sustain a promotion push again, along with one or two others (Fernandes, Ramsdale etc.) that would attract good fees. 

[Wade Garrett]

34 minutes ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Which bit? 
I said yesterday I reckon he’ll get until the November international break and it’ll depend on results against Wolves and Everton, and if he doesn’t perform he’ll go.

In the press today, allegedly that’s the rumour.

What’s difficult to understand?

Also it isn’t factual this, it’s purely an opinion. There’s only so much time you can give someone. Are SR going to want to see another investment being pissed up the wall? I doubt it.

I certainly don’t think the squad are as bad as people suggest, we’ve more than shown we can compete - but it’s a results game, and if you don’t secure the result you get punished. Fine margins.

It was the bit about not many Saints fans wanting Martin out.  

[Wade Garrett]

4 minutes ago, Saint_lambden said:

We have a 100% chance of going down with Martin in charge for the foreseeable future. He won't last the season but like with Nathan Jones, if they leave it too late and past the point of our more winnable run of fixtures (post Wolves basically) then it'll be too late, with the chances of any manager worth their salt coming in very slim indeed. 

With a semi-competent manager installed now/very soon that survival likelihood reduces to maybe 70% but the board's delusion and lack of ambition forever astounds me. All we want is for the club to give itself the best possible chance of survival. If we fall short in May after giving it a real good go then so be it but at this rate we'll be effectively dead and buried in a month's time like Sheffield United and Burnley were for so much of last season. 

Perhaps SR are comfortable in the knowledge that we should be fine financially if we go back down as we're sitting on a likely £40m asset in Dibling that we'll be able to sell to a top club and sustain a promotion push again, along with one or two others (Fernandes, Ramsdale etc.) that would attract good fees. 

‘We have 100% chance of going down with Martin in charge’.

Nutshell.  The board are delaying the inevitable.  Some of their heads should roll as well.

[danjosaint]

What's the benefit waiting till November, the Bournemouth Leicester games should've been it, why waste a potential albeit slim chance of picking up 6pts from wolves/Everton from perhaps a new manager with the so called 'bounce' what are we doing,give him next month oh then the next month and so on until we are really screwed

[hypochondriac]

11 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

By all accounts (on here at least), he was 'instrumental' in Martin's appointment and was 'pulling the strings' behind the scenes whilst on gardening leave.  Not sure his influence would have been anything other than re-inforcing Martin's already high opinion of himslef and his 'system'.

I don't think we have any proof of that at all. I don't think there was ever an indication what Wilcox would have blindly allowed this to continue in the manner that it has done even if he was responsible for picking him in the first place. 

[CSA96]

 

[Jack]

The club haven’t got a clue. 
 

We need a bounce from somewhere, and realistically 6+ points from those next 5 league games to have any chance of turning things around. 
 

All we’re going to get is the same failed philosophy, tactical ineptness, and random gambles that we’re going to stumble across the solution from RM.

At least Captain Bravery is back for City, I’m sure that’s all we’ve been missing. 

[Farmer Saint]

22 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

 

And this is what happens when you enquire about available Managers and get turned down...

 

[franniesTache]

You've got to admire Sport Republic for the arrogance of a ten year plan, even Uncle Joe only had five year plans. Perhaps the end goal is the collectivisation of St Mary's?

I mean we've already got the re-education rooms where Martin teaches people why they're wrong about football, plus the club added extra gulags to kick people out too if they failed re-education.

Plus we have banners celebrating The Red Army, and are told "We March On", and the pattern is becoming clear to see.

All we need are THE FIVE PLEDGES to finally be published and we will transcend our status as a provincial football club and become philosophy that takes over half of europe and kills off all descent along the way.

[saintant]

2 hours ago, Farmer Saint said:

SR's aim for the next 10 years is to make money. Last year's relegation rid us of a number of high earners, which now means wage wise we are far more sustainable (in either the PL or the Championship). Our highest earner, Ramsdale, has a relegation release clause that means he will be sold with little loss and his wages removed. 

Buying young, talented, foreign players on low wages will enable us to compete in the Championship, and put them in the shop window without ever having to break the bank. Yes, we will probably need to be promoted once every 3 years to reload the parachute payments, but that is very achievable.

As I said last Summer, the investment and management of the team points towards them wanting us to become a yo-yo club, and it makes sense - no huge investment and risk mitigating transfers by investing in youth.

If that is what is happening I would ask,  is what we are seeing on the pitch fair on the fans and particularly those who pay good money for their season tickets, match day tickets and costs to go to away games? It's all very well having some weird and wonderful yo-yo plan but the paying customers deserve more or the cost of their tickets should reflect this crazy plan - if indeed it exists. 

[SWLondon Saint]

11 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

And this is what happens when you enquire about available Managers and get turned down...

 

I'm just praying there's a plan to bin him after the inevitable humping by City.

Oh, if anyone's wondering about the genius of RM's subs, you can look at Shoehorn Smallboner's stats from the other day: 23 minutes, tackles 0, blocks 0, passes 3, completed 2. Ali Dia level sub appearance.

https://fbref.com/en/players/5e105217/matchlogs/2024-2025/William-Smallbone-Match-Logs

[Mr X]

2 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

I'm just praying there's a plan to bin him after the inevitable humping by City.

Oh, if anyone's wondering about the genius of RM's subs, you can look at Shoehorn Smallboner's stats from the other day: 23 minutes, tackles 0, blocks 0, passes 3, completed 2. Ali Dia level sub appearance.

https://fbref.com/en/players/5e105217/matchlogs/2024-2025/William-Smallbone-Match-Logs

At least he has a two and a three in his stats our manager only has a one! 😂

[Farmer Saint]

8 minutes ago, saintant said:

If that is what is happening I would ask,  is what we are seeing on the pitch fair on the fans and particularly those who pay good money for their season tickets, match day tickets and costs to go to away games? It's all very well having some weird and wonderful yo-yo plan but the paying customers deserve more or the cost of their tickets should reflect this crazy plan - if indeed it exists. 

This is a theory as to what is happening - but no of course it isn't fair - and I would expect the Board would like entertaining football (TBF I think they lazily said "this is a Manager who's ethos is similar to Pep's, so if we bring him in we'll play like Man City" which of course isn't true).

Therefore if we are losing in an entertaining way at least that would keep the fans engaged, so that could result in Russ getting sacked.

The theory behind it is that it doesn't really matter which League you are in - one of the best teams in the Championship or one of the worst teams in the Prem - the up and down will keep the club making money and there will be constant drama, keeping the fans engaged.

[Farmer Saint]

5 minutes ago, SWLondon Saint said:

I'm just praying there's a plan to bin him after the inevitable humping by City.

Oh, if anyone's wondering about the genius of RM's subs, you can look at Shoehorn Smallboner's stats from the other day: 23 minutes, tackles 0, blocks 0, passes 3, completed 2. Ali Dia level sub appearance.

https://fbref.com/en/players/5e105217/matchlogs/2024-2025/William-Smallbone-Match-Logs

What they are not going to do is sack him without someone in place to take over - that is where we are struggling at the moment. We are also very wary of going for a Manager in a role after what happened with Martin when we took him on.

[Lymington Saint]

20 minutes ago, Farmer Saint said:

What they are not going to do is sack him without someone in place to take over - that is where we are struggling at the moment. We are also very wary of going for a Manager in a role after what happened with Martin when we took him on.

This.  They are either not looking and going to stick with RM for the time being.  Or else they are looking at options and struggling to find someone any good who wants to take us on.  Suspect that it is more likely to be the latter.  Especially as SR know that get it wrong again and they are going to get binned.

[tdmickey3]

1 hour ago, CSA96 said:

 

Dear god, just how stupidly clueless are this lot.......  absolute clowns, actually clowns are funny but this incompetence is far from funny.

Edited October 22 by tdmickey3

[saintant]

1 hour ago, Farmer Saint said:

This is a theory as to what is happening - but no of course it isn't fair - and I would expect the Board would like entertaining football (TBF I think they lazily said "this is a Manager who's ethos is similar to Pep's, so if we bring him in we'll play like Man City" which of course isn't true).

Therefore if we are losing in an entertaining way at least that would keep the fans engaged, so that could result in Russ getting sacked.

The theory behind it is that it doesn't really matter which League you are in - one of the best teams in the Championship or one of the worst teams in the Prem - the up and down will keep the club making money and there will be constant drama, keeping the fans engaged.

My point about team performances wasn't so much aimed at the entertainment side of things more about fans having to pay to watch a team that is part of a project to suit the owners efforts to make money and which is becoming an embarrassment. Hopefully there is no actual truth behind the theory you put forward.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

3 hours ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Graeme Bailey reporting that they’ll give Russell Martin until the November international break to turn things around.

Respectfully, that’s hardly news. I think most of us on here can predict that, and have predicted that. It’s just logical to wait until after Everton and Wolves now.

It’s a bit like the ten year plan story from Jim White. It’s just bullshit and paper talk with no substance.

 

Why is it logical to wait? You have two games we should be looking at to pick up points, like Leicester. A change needs to be made.