Russell Martin

[FarehamSaintJames]

3 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Souness hitting the nail on head. Said if Lego head rang up all the top managers and asked them how they wanted us to play against them, they’d want us to play RussBall. That trying to out pass and out play better sides is madness.
 

He then went on to add that he played for the best passing side in the country, yet they unnerved opposition sides by knocking it in behind for Ian Rush to chase early on. The opposition then played deeper, frightened of Rush’s pace, and this then gave space for their passing game to control the game. He said the way Lego sets us up,  sides are just going to press and press keeping a high line, safe in the knowledge we always try and play through them. We can do it in the championship because we’ve got better players than most sides, but it won’t work at this level….

Full on nail on the head.

I miss us turning and running at defenders. 😢

[Lymington Saint]

I was in the West Stand for the Port Vale cup game - which turned out to be Branfoot's last game.  My memory is of the directors box being surrounded at the end of the game by irate supporters giving the directors a hard time.  He was gone the following week.  Not sure that there is the same level of vitriol at RM.  He is simply out of his depth.

Problem at the moment is that the owner is distant and SR simply don't engage the supporters very well.  Plus SR making really poor management decisions is looking like a habit, and sacking yet another manager makes them look even more incompetent.

[Dark Munster]

26 minutes ago, Lymington Saint said:

I was in the West Stand for the Port Vale cup game - which turned out to be Branfoot's last game.  My memory is of the directors box being surrounded at the end of the game by irate supporters giving the directors a hard time.  He was gone the following week.  Not sure that there is the same level of vitriol at RM.  He is simply out of his depth.

Problem at the moment is that the owner is distant and SR simply don't engage the supporters very well.  Plus SR making really poor management decisions is looking like a habit, and sacking yet another manager makes them look even more incompetent.

If there was, it would be misdirected. The vitriol needs to be aimed at Rasmus W. Ankersen. I wish the fans would surround the directors box and give it to him with both barrels.

[Tommy Mulgrew]

Now that Ramsdale has put his finger up to Russ and got it unfortunately damaged (remedial op on Wednesday, apparently), we have the prospect of Macca in goal for a game or two or three.  The last time Macca played a few games last season, we cut out much of the fannying around in our penalty area and became more direct as a result and therefore got promoted.  Perhaps we might surprise one or two of the top clubs we play soon - clutches straw - and Russ stays longer than he otherwise would.  I’m not sure that I really want us to do well while Rambo is injured after all.  🤔

[Badger]

6 minutes ago, Dark Munster said:

If there was, it would be misdirected. The vitriol needs to be aimed at Rasmus W. Ankersen. I wish the fans would surround the directors box and give it to him with both barrels.

I don’t think our fans are up to this anymore, too many “nods”.

Might see an open letter to the Echo though at some point. 

[Badger]

What made the Branfoot protests quite remarkable was the ages involved. It wasn’t just those that the club or press could dismiss as ‘hot headed’ yobs, or similar, but a number of older fans, grey hair, some retired !!

(Port Vale especially). 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

23 minutes ago, Badger said:

I don’t think our fans are up to this anymore, too many “nods”.

Might see an open letter to the Echo though at some point. 

Trouble nowadays when you havs the threats of banning orders etc, you can get thrown out just for swearing at a game. 

[East Kent Saint]

Moyes ready to start again in the Prem , might as well come to Saints as he would only have to do it till the end of the season and no one would blame him if we go down 🙂

[david in sweden]

7 hours ago, Badger said:

What made the Branfoot protests quite remarkable was the ages involved.

It wasn’t just those that the club or press could dismiss as ‘hot headed’ yobs, or similar, but a number of older fans, grey hair, some retired !!

(Port Vale especially). 

Oh you mean..that generation who had stuck to the club through several decades and understood what " the bad times " really were.

I remember it well.... and I still despair of the " fair weather " fans who can even find time criticise a good result, let alone a bad one.

Edited November 12 by david in sweden

[Wade Garrett]

12 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Souness hitting the nail on head. Said if Lego head rang up all the top managers and asked them how they wanted us to play against them, they’d want us to play RussBall. That trying to out pass and out play better sides is madness.
 

He then went on to add that he played for the best passing side in the country, yet they unnerved opposition sides by knocking it in behind for Ian Rush to chase early on. The opposition then played deeper, frightened of Rush’s pace, and this then gave space for their passing game to control the game. He said the way Lego sets us up,  sides are just going to press and press keeping a high line, safe in the knowledge we always try and play through them. We can do it in the championship because we’ve got better players than most sides, but it won’t work at this level….

Souness reportedly knows Dragan.  Shame he doesn’t pick up the phone to tell him this in person.

Mind you, Rasmus would probably counter that the former world class player, European Cup winner and manager of some of the biggest sides in the UK knows fuck all because he doesn’t wank over XG, doesn’t wear drainpipe jeans that are too short and doesn’t vape like a twat or drink cappafuckingcinos.

[Toussaint]

6 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Souness reportedly knows Dragan.  Shame he doesn’t pick up the phone to tell him this in person.

Mind you, Rasmus would probably counter that the former world class player, European Cup winner and manager of some of the biggest sides in the UK knows fuck all because he doesn’t wank over XG, doesn’t wear drainpipe jeans that are too short and doesn’t vape like a twat or drink cappafuckingcinos.

I enjoy a cappufuckincino every day, that by itself doesn’t make me a bad person. Now flavoured lattes, that’s unforgivable. 

[Wsaint]

44 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Souness reportedly knows Dragan.  Shame he doesn’t pick up the phone to tell him this in person.

Mind you, Rasmus would probably counter that the former world class player, European Cup winner and manager of some of the biggest sides in the UK knows fuck all because he doesn’t wank over XG, doesn’t wear drainpipe jeans that are too short and doesn’t vape like a twat or drink cappafuckingcinos.

Out of interest, can you vape not like a twat?

[Mr X]

God we havent really played any top teams yet (man city aside)

The next 5 games are going to be carnage we will definitely have conceded double figures after that run and I would be surprised if we managed a draw in any of those games 

[Osvaldorama]

Fuck it, let’s just keep him. 
 

It will be quite funny to watch the arrogance drain away after months of getting beaten. 


Surely he can’t call the team brave when we are still on 4 points at Christmas 

[Miltonaggro]

15 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Souness hitting the nail on head. Said if Lego head rang up all the top managers and asked them how they wanted us to play against them, they’d want us to play RussBall. That trying to out pass and out play better sides is madness.
 

He then went on to add that he played for the best passing side in the country, yet they unnerved opposition sides by knocking it in behind for Ian Rush to chase early on. The opposition then played deeper, frightened of Rush’s pace, and this then gave space for their passing game to control the game. He said the way Lego sets us up,  sides are just going to press and press keeping a high line, safe in the knowledge we always try and play through them. We can do it in the championship because we’ve got better players than most sides, but it won’t work at this level….

He’s absolutely right. Premier league coaches and supporters bestowing their ‘praise’ on the drowning Russell Martin is actually increasing whilst we flounder at the bottom of the table. People actively taking the piss out of our club on a weekly basis. If the Board and Solak in particular can’t see this then we fully deserve to go down with a whimper and record low points. That said, I sense the Saints fans will start letting the imbeciles know very soon with us season ticket holders getting to relive 2022/23, they’ll then spring into action and panic recruit in January accompanied by the usual lessons learned bullshit. All this avoidable or at least open to mitigation. Absolute shit show from the resident Clown Workshop. 

[coalman]

9 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

He’s absolutely right. Premier league coaches and supporters bestowing their ‘praise’ on the drowning Russell Martin is actually increasing whilst we flounder at the bottom of the table. People actively taking the piss out of our club on a weekly basis. If the Board and Solak in particular can’t see this then we fully deserve to go down with a whimper and record low points. That said, I sense the Saints fans will start letting the imbeciles know very soon with us season ticket holders getting to relive 2022/23, they’ll then spring into action and panic recruit in January accompanied by the usual lessons learned bullshit. All this avoidable or at least open to mitigation. Absolute shit show from the resident Clown Workshop. 

I think that Russell and Rasmus (aka Russmus Mankertin) demonstrated over the summer that they shouldn't be allowed to spend any more money. 

Every team we play must feel like Russmus has come early.

[Wade Garrett]

2 hours ago, Toussaint said:

I enjoy a cappufuckincino every day, that by itself doesn’t make me a bad person. Now flavoured lattes, that’s unforgivable. 

Bet you’ve got a fucking great big beard.

[Toussaint]

5 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Bet you’ve got a fucking great big beard.

😂 I think you’d find it difficult to find less of a hipster than me!

[beatlesaint]

1 hour ago, Osvaldorama said:

Fuck it, let’s just keep him. 
 

It will be quite funny to watch the arrogance drain away after months of getting beaten. 


Surely he can’t call the team brave when we are still on 4 points at Christmas 

I dont think arrogance draining away is in his make up tbh. He will die on that cross that he is right, might end up blaming the players for not being good enough eventually but no more than that

[Oldandtired]

Hopes dashed. A deafening silence from the boardroom. Almost as if they are waiting the short length of time until relegation is a mathematical certainty. A massive two fingers up to gullible fools like me who shelled out decent money on the premise that we could at least try to adapt to give us a fighting chance to keep my club in the PL, money which I needed to spend elsewhere.

SR and RM, I will despise you as long as I keep waking up.

 

Edited November 12 by Oldandtired

[coalman]

6 minutes ago, Oldandtired said:

Hopes dashed. A deafening silence from the boardroom. Almost as if they are waiting the short length of time until relegation is a mathematical certainty. A massive two fingers up to gullible fools like me who shelled out decent money on the premise that we could at least try to adapt to give us a fighting chance to keep my club in the PL, money which I needed to spend elsewhere.

You don't understand the genius of it. There's a run of games that no one expects us to win (admittedly one might reasonably state that any run of games these days are games no one expects us to win) so no pressure and time for Russball to finally flourish and everything magically fits into place. Failing that we can string together a series of "heroic" defeats and Martin gets his dream job at Barcelona or something.

[Whitey Grandad]

2 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

Bet you’ve got a fucking great big beard.

And it stinks of coffee. 😉

[coalman]

David Ornstein now giving his opinion on Martin. 

"No doubt it's precarious there, but I don't know of him being in imminent danger of being removed from his position, and that's because he's highly thought of.

He bought Southampton into the Premier League. Their ambition was to stay there, and they very well could do so this season.

The view of him is high, not only inside Southampton among the ownserhip, but outside as well.

There's a feeling that perhaps the players have not been good enough, and they're going to need to do something in the January transfer window."

So that's it. The players, who aren't good enough and are going to be replaced think highly of Martin. As do the ownership who are high on something and the solution is to let him buy even more players in January to turn things around. I'm guessing these same players, who aren't good enough, are feeling really bad that they're the thing holding Martin back from achieving his vision. It's unclear who the people outside Southampton (also clearly high) that like Martin. At least that's what I got out of this.

In fact, this situation might be more easily explicable (and even forgivable) if it turned out that everyone at or involved with the club was totally bollocksed out of their fucking minds on a truly incredible cocktail of substances.

Meanwhile Russmus comes late to Southampton as Martin and Ankersen are set for another shopping spree in Jnauary to fill our squad with more randomly scouted players that we don't need and will in no way form the financial millstone that causes us to financially implode again (a la Redknapp).

[Mr X]

3 hours ago, Osvaldorama said:

Fuck it, let’s just keep him. 
 

It will be quite funny to watch the arrogance drain away after months of getting beaten. 


Surely he can’t call the team brave when we are still on 4 points at Christmas 

I don't think it will he will stick to his go to bullshit that we are brave and improving every game and it's just a few games from clicking! And that our pass rates are off the scale! 😂

[Whitey Grandad]

13 minutes ago, coalman said:

David Ornstein now giving his opinion on Martin. 

"No doubt it's precarious there, but I don't know of him being in imminent danger of being removed from his position, and that's because he's highly thought of.

He bought Southampton into the Premier League. Their ambition was to stay there, and they very well could do so this season.

The view of him is high, not only inside Southampton among the ownserhip, but outside as well.

There's a feeling that perhaps the players have not been good enough, and they're going to need to do something in the January transfer window."

So that's it. The players, who aren't good enough and are going to be replaced think highly of Martin. As do the ownership who are high on something and the solution is to let him buy even more players in January to turn things around. I'm guessing these same players, who aren't good enough, are feeling really bad that they're the thing holding Martin back from achieving his vision. It's unclear who the people outside Southampton (also clearly high) that like Martin. At least that's what I got out of this.

In fact, this situation might be more easily explicable (and even forgivable) if it turned out that everyone at or involved with the club was totally bollocksed out of their fucking minds on a truly incredible cocktail of substances.

Meanwhile Russmus comes late to Southampton as Martin and Ankersen are set for another shopping spree in Jnauary to fill our squad with more randomly scouted players that we don't need and will in no way form the financial millstone that causes us to financially implode again (a la Redknapp).

The quality of the players is irrelevant.

No matter how good they were he would turn them into walking zombies with no attacking intentions.

[Osvaldorama]

17 minutes ago, coalman said:

David Ornstein now giving his opinion on Martin. 

"No doubt it's precarious there, but I don't know of him being in imminent danger of being removed from his position, and that's because he's highly thought of.

He bought Southampton into the Premier League. Their ambition was to stay there, and they very well could do so this season.

The view of him is high, not only inside Southampton among the ownserhip, but outside as well.

There's a feeling that perhaps the players have not been good enough, and they're going to need to do something in the January transfer window."

So that's it. The players, who aren't good enough and are going to be replaced think highly of Martin. As do the ownership who are high on something and the solution is to let him buy even more players in January to turn things around. I'm guessing these same players, who aren't good enough, are feeling really bad that they're the thing holding Martin back from achieving his vision. It's unclear who the people outside Southampton (also clearly high) that like Martin. At least that's what I got out of this.

In fact, this situation might be more easily explicable (and even forgivable) if it turned out that everyone at or involved with the club was totally bollocksed out of their fucking minds on a truly incredible cocktail of substances.

Meanwhile Russmus comes late to Southampton as Martin and Ankersen are set for another shopping spree in Jnauary to fill our squad with more randomly scouted players that we don't need and will in no way form the financial millstone that causes us to financially implode again (a la Redknapp).

Jesus Christ. We are royally fucked. 
 

Can’t wait for a couple of signings of the calibre of BBD and Sulemana. That will save us!

 

Whats Orsic up to?

Edited November 12 by Osvaldorama

[SWLondon Saint]

42 minutes ago, coalman said:

David Ornstein now giving his opinion on Martin. 

"No doubt it's precarious there, but I don't know of him being in imminent danger of being removed from his position, and that's because he's highly thought of.

He bought Southampton into the Premier League. Their ambition was to stay there, and they very well could do so this season.

The view of him is high, not only inside Southampton among the ownserhip, but outside as well.

There's a feeling that perhaps the players have not been good enough, and they're going to need to do something in the January transfer window."

Well, at least we know where Rasmus has been spending the booze and prossies cash, I mean, entertainment budget then....

[Lord Duckhunter]

40 minutes ago, coalman said:

The view of him is high, not only inside Southampton among the ownserhip, but outside as well.

I’m not so sure myself, for a pretty insignificant club (in the grand scheme of things) he does get a lot of focus on his “style” of play & not much of it is positive. In the long run that maybe a good career move as they’ll always be a mug taken in by his pony, but it’s not in the best interests of the club. 

[coalman]

9 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

I’m not so sure myself, for a pretty insignificant club (in the grand scheme of things) he does get a lot of focus on his “style” of play & not much of it is positive. In the long run that maybe a good career move as they’ll always be a mug taken in by his pony, but it’s not in the best interests of the club. 

Totally agree. This quote sounds like it came from a man shortly after being kicked in the head by a horse.

[Lighthouse]

48 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

The quality of the players is irrelevant.

No matter how good they were he would turn them into walking zombies with no attacking intentions.

The quality of the players is absolutely relevant and our attacking players are terrible. When he was in the Championship, with decent Championship players, he clearly did have attacking intentions as we were the third top scorers with 87.

[Kermitzasaint]

7 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

The quality of the players is absolutely relevant and our attacking players are terrible. When he was in the Championship, with decent Championship players, he clearly did have attacking intentions as we were the third top scorers with 87.

Easy to have attacking intent when your squad is vastly superior and we still couldn't defend

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 hour ago, coalman said:

David Ornstein now giving his opinion on Martin. 

"No doubt it's precarious there, but I don't know of him being in imminent danger of being removed from his position, and that's because he's highly thought of.

He bought Southampton into the Premier League. Their ambition was to stay there, and they very well could do so this season.

The view of him is high, not only inside Southampton among the ownserhip, but outside as well.

There's a feeling that perhaps the players have not been good enough, and they're going to need to do something in the January transfer window."

So that's it. The players, who aren't good enough and are going to be replaced think highly of Martin. As do the ownership who are high on something and the solution is to let him buy even more players in January to turn things around. I'm guessing these same players, who aren't good enough, are feeling really bad that they're the thing holding Martin back from achieving his vision. It's unclear who the people outside Southampton (also clearly high) that like Martin. At least that's what I got out of this.

In fact, this situation might be more easily explicable (and even forgivable) if it turned out that everyone at or involved with the club was totally bollocksed out of their fucking minds on a truly incredible cocktail of substances.

Meanwhile Russmus comes late to Southampton as Martin and Ankersen are set for another shopping spree in Jnauary to fill our squad with more randomly scouted players that we don't need and will in no way form the financial millstone that causes us to financially implode again (a la Redknapp).

The players aren't good enough, but he'll still find a position for Stephens on the pitch.

[coalman]

9 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

The players aren't good enough, but he'll still find a position for Stephens on the pitch.

He made Stephens captain when he started and in true Russell Martin style doesn't feel any need to change his approach. Luckily he can play Stephens at left back so that he can get Manning as a budget winger up the left. That way he ensures we aren't going to attack at pace up our left wing and aren't going to be able to defend attacks down it as well. 

On the other side it's a bit harder because even if KWP is injured then Sugawara has a natural tendency to want to stretch play and get early balls into the box. However that's something that can be coached out of him.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

7 minutes ago, coalman said:

He made Stephens captain when he started and in true Russell Martin style doesn't feel any need to change his approach. Luckily he can play Stephens at left back so that he can get Manning as a budget winger up the left. That way he ensures we aren't going to attack at pace up our left wing and aren't going to be able to defend attacks down it as well. 

On the other side it's a bit harder because even if KWP is injured then Sugawara has a natural tendency to want to stretch play and get early balls into the box. However that's something that can be coached out of him.

Least we forget he also claimed Bazunu to be the best goalkeeper in the Championship 

[Mr X]

So martin is staying as no announcement yesterday and all silent from sports republic... How long before the vote of confidence? 😂 the club is completely inept from top to bottom 

[The Hoff]

The Opta supercomputer gives us a 3.1% chance of staying up. 

[Challenger]

6 hours ago, Osvaldorama said:

Fuck it, let’s just keep him. 
 

It will be quite funny to watch the arrogance drain away after months of getting beaten. 


Surely he can’t call the team brave when we are still on 4 points at Christmas 

Actually that's a good idea. Obvious nothing is going to get done about this farce so we might as well sit back and just laugh at it all. Along with everyone else.

[Farmer Saint]

11 minutes ago, The Hoff said:

The Opta supercomputer gives us a 3.1% chance of staying up. 

That high?

[Toussaint]

If it is, as it seems, that rather than fronting up to the fans, they used a journalist contact to state their intentions they are beneath contempt. Cowards! 

[Whitey Grandad]

23 minutes ago, The Hoff said:

The Opta supercomputer gives us a 3.1% chance of staying up. 

Is that with or without Martin?

[coalman]

5 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Is that with or without Martin?

I'm assuming that's taking into account Pep leaving City for Southampton and getting a 500M war chest in January.

[beatlesaint]

42 minutes ago, The Hoff said:

The Opta supercomputer gives us a 3.1% chance of staying up. 

That’s a whole 3% more than I do if this egomaniac stays much longer

[disconnect]

The fact that this thread has reached 254 pages (maybe a record?!) in less than 18 months probably tells us that most people are continually baffled with whatever he's doing. I doubt we'd get thousands of posts if he was regularly just choosing logical teams, not shoehorning in random lower ability players, or setting us up in a regular way which seems best placed to win us matches.

[franniesTache]

Look you lot stop being so negative, Sport Republic clearly know that the FA, Premier League, FIFA, UEFA and new world order are all going to look at our predicament and realise that it is in fact the rest of football that is wrong and change the rules of the games so points are given based on passes completed and not giving the ball away.

Goals will be a secondary factor and too many will mark your points down as you're giving the ball away too much.

We will rise meteorically through the leagues and Europe before we are given the only ever golden ticket to take part in the World Cup which we will win.

Martin will be hailed as the messiah, football itself will be renamed Russball and Augstin Delgado will come back to Southampton to party in the streets with the fans like he promised when he left.

It might sound far fetched, but is it really more far fetched than us staying up with Russball and things as they are now?

DREAM BIG PEOPLE, DREAM BIG

[coalman]

32 minutes ago, franniesTache said:

Look you lot stop being so negative, Sport Republic clearly know that the FA, Premier League, FIFA, UEFA and new world order are all going to look at our predicament and realise that it is in fact the rest of football that is wrong and change the rules of the games so points are given based on passes completed and not giving the ball away.

Goals will be a secondary factor and too many will mark your points down as you're giving the ball away too much.

We will rise meteorically through the leagues and Europe before we are given the only ever golden ticket to take part in the World Cup which we will win.

Martin will be hailed as the messiah, football itself will be renamed Russball and Augstin Delgado will come back to Southampton to party in the streets with the fans like he promised when he left.

It might sound far fetched, but is it really more far fetched than us staying up with Russball and things as they are now?

DREAM BIG PEOPLE, DREAM BIG

At it's heart, Russball is about possession. And, when we hit that magic 100% possession, combined with our deliberate and patient attacking play, we'll be on course for 38 nil nil draws a season and 38 points has a great chance of keeping us up. Thus ensuring perpetual Premier League survival and for Rasmus and Henrik to flip lots of promising youngsters for big profit. Hell, we may even score the odd goal and get even more points. Trust the process.

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

8 minutes ago, coalman said:

Trust the process.

This process is hurting my fucking eyes

[coalman]

1 hour ago, TheAlehouseBrawlers said:

This process is hurting my fucking eyes

Why the fuck are you watching Saints with your eyes open?

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, coalman said:

At it's heart, Russball is about possession. And, when we hit that magic 100% possession, combined with our deliberate and patient attacking play, we'll be on course for 38 nil nil draws a season and 38 points has a great chance of keeping us up. Thus ensuring perpetual Premier League survival and for Rasmus and Henrik to flip lots of promising youngsters for big profit. Hell, we may even score the odd goal and get even more points. Trust the process.

Pedant alert!

One team has to kick off one of the halves. Other than that I don’t see a problem.

[coalman]

Just now, Whitey Grandad said:

Pedant alert!

One team has to kick off one of the halves. Other than that I don’t see a problem.

So you're saying Russball can't work?

[Saint in Paradise]

2 hours ago, franniesTache said:

Look you lot stop being so negative, Sport Republic clearly know that the FA, Premier League, FIFA, UEFA and new world order are all going to look at our predicament and realise that it is in fact the rest of football that is wrong and change the rules of the games so points are given based on passes completed and not giving the ball away.

 

This is very similar to my post last Sunday, pleased to see someone agrees with me for once 😁