Russell Martin

[Alanh]

2 hours ago, Golac's Cunning Stunts said:

But surely a good manager is absolutely crucial to turning round a losing mentality and installing a winning one? So, for example, a manager comes in, sees that morale is low, and initially sets up the team to be hard to beat? stop leaking goals, do the fundamentals correctly etc? Not implement some apparently genius system that only the liikes of Man City can actuallyimplement?

Absolutely right and one of the things RM said in the interview after the game was that his biggest fear was not being able to help the players improve.  He knows that he has to instill a different mindset in this group so that they lose the scars from a couple of years of losing most weeks.  He knows he has to instill a bravery in them to create a side which is more attacking and prepared to take a chance.

His problem is the lack of character in the squad.  In our most successful seasons since the first relegation from the Prem we have had players with the determination and character to compete, coupled with a fairly reliable goalscorer.  The seaons that we have struggled we have lacked one or both of those things and IMO no tactics / formations can compensate for those losses in the long term.

We may have addressed the goal scorer element by bringing in Stewart, but the biggest mistake in the last three transfer windows was not bringing in players with the sort of character and determination that we saw from the likes of Jaidi, Fonte, Hammond, Lambert, Davis, Romeu, Ward-Prowse.  RM said in an early interview that the group were quiet and the lack of these types of charaacters is resulting in the team having no resiliance to a setback, and it's killing us every game.

Edited 20 September, 2023 by Alanh

[Long Shot]

3 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Yes I did. Because it’s quite clear to me that the manager isn’t our main issue and it’s also not as simple as choosing the right system. But hey, we’re 4 managers down with 4 systems and if you guys think a 5th is needed and will solve everything then good for you 😂

Your post just goes to prove how far up shit creek we have travelled. We need a back to basics approach. Martin is not a back to basics sort of manager. So we have a huge problem. More of the same in the hope things change? Is our season now going be dependent on hope? I agree the whole scenario is ridiculous, but when you make a big mistake in life the sooner that mistake is addressed the sooner a corner can be turned. If Martin had come to us with some sort of decent track record then I agree waiting for him to get his act together could  be the right option but I for one do not have faith in his ability to do that. 

[Toussaint]

1 hour ago, Fabrice29 said:

Our patterns of play and intent in the games are completely different. If you don’t or choose not to see them that’s up to you. How successful they are/will be is up for debate sure but there’s a clear difference in this season to the previous ones. That’s obvious to anyone. 

True enough, we are now in the championship and look very poor at that level.

[hypochondriac]

26 minutes ago, Alanh said:

Absolutely right and one of the things RM said in the interview after the game was that his biggest fear was not being able to help the players improve.  He knows that he has to instill a different mindset in this group so that they lose the scars from a couple of years of losing most weeks.  He knows he has to instill a bravery in them to create a side which is more attacking and prepared to take a chance.

His problem is the lack of character in the squad.  In our most successful seasons since the first relegation from the Prem we have had players with the determination and character to compete, coupled with a fairly reliable goalscorer.  The seaons that we have struggled we have lacked one or both of those things and IMO no tactics / formations can compensate for those losses in the long term.

We may have addressed the goal scorer element by bringing in Stewart, but the biggest mistake in the last three transfer windows was not bringing in players with the sort of character and determination that we saw from the likes of Jaidi, Fonte, Hammond, Lambert, Davis, Romeu, Ward-Prowse.  RM said in an early interview that the group were quiet and the lack of these types of charaacters is resulting in the team having no resiliance to a setback, and it's killing us every game.

Wasnt that one of the stated reasons for bringing in Fraser and Downes?

[Chewy]

6 hours ago, Alanh said:

Absolutely right and one of the things RM said in the interview after the game was that his biggest fear was not being able to help the players improve.  He knows that he has to instill a different mindset in this group so that they lose the scars from a couple of years of losing most weeks.  He knows he has to instill a bravery in them to create a side which is more attacking and prepared to take a chance.

His problem is the lack of character in the squad.  In our most successful seasons since the first relegation from the Prem we have had players with the determination and character to compete, coupled with a fairly reliable goalscorer.  The seaons that we have struggled we have lacked one or both of those things and IMO no tactics / formations can compensate for those losses in the long term.

We may have addressed the goal scorer element by bringing in Stewart, but the biggest mistake in the last three transfer windows was not bringing in players with the sort of character and determination that we saw from the likes of Jaidi, Fonte, Hammond, Lambert, Davis, Romeu, Ward-Prowse.  RM said in an early interview that the group were quiet and the lack of these types of charaacters is resulting in the team having no resiliance to a setback, and it's killing us every game.

I’m largely with you in this assessment. There were (imho) 4 key reasons for our relegation last season, three of which were (you can debate which was most critical):

lack of a goal scorer 

lack of leadership

Inexperienced (some would say incapable) gk 

We might have improved the goal scorer but have no idea yet; we’ve potentially gone backwards in terms of leadership, and have the same gk (decent last couple of games tbf)

In other words we’ve spectacularly failed to address the core deficiencies in the squad. Again. This part is not on Russell Martin.

Where I do differ, however, is that I also cite the respective managers and their tactics as the 4th reason for last years shit show, and what we’re being served up now.

If you lack leaders, at least pick those you have (Jan), rather than rely on kids. If you have a fragile mentality don’t play high risk football. If you can’t score goals, make us hard to beat so we don’t need to score 5 to have a chance of winning a game. 
The mentality will come only from improved results, which won’t happen if we set up to play kamikaze football from the back. We don’t have the quality, experience, temperament, character or ability to do it and are damaging ourselves whilst making life easy for our opponents. They don’t even have to try.

Russells got a tough gig in some respects, especially regarding the lack goals and leaders. But he’s not cutting his cloth to suit the situation on either count and is making things worse. I feel for him to an extent - changing a 6 year losing mindset isn’t easy. 
But fundamentally his job is to try and win football matches and in very simple terms what he’s currently trying to do tactically is not going to win us football matches.
A midfield 3 like last night will not win you a game in this league.
A cb, cb, dm gk set with an average age of (I guess 20?) won’t win you a game in this league.
Playing all your football in tight spaces 5 yards from your own goal won’t win you football matches in this league

Relying on ArmA and Aribo for creativity won’t win you football matches in this league.

Irrespective of the leadership and goal scorer issues, all of the above are decisions Russell and his coaches are making. Not the players, not the board, not the inept recruitment team and certainly not the fans (I didn’t boo last night, never will, but understand why some are frustrated enough to). 
The players available is now a fixed set (injuries etc aside) until January so the only variable available is what Russell and team do from here. It’s on them and I have vain hope but zero confidence that he’s going to get it right from here. He strikes me as far too arrogant - a trait the club reeks of from Ankerson down.

Edited 20 September, 2023 by Chewy
Typo

[S-Clarke]

I've been totally with the squad opinions in recent years, as being the consistent theme of our issues - but let's be honest, since 2021 this is almost an entirely new 11. None of the old daemons should really apply in that sense.

Character was supposedly added in the summer through Downes, THB, Manning, Fraser - not unproven kids, but experienced players.

My concern is how Martin keeps saying that they went through this spell at MK Dons and Swansea, but they came good in the end - as if that should mean we don't have to worry. But both teams finished mid-table, so what is coming good about that exactly? Expectations are way higher here, we cannot afford and will not be allowed a building season - he has to sink or swim today, not tomorrow.

Edited 20 September, 2023 by S-Clarke

[Alanh]

46 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Wasnt that one of the stated reasons for bringing in Fraser and Downes?

You mean to add character and resiliance?  Not sure, but if so then I haven't seen much evidence of it in the last three defeats (when those players have been on the pitch).

Last post of the day.

Edited 20 September, 2023 by Alanh

[SW11_Saint]

From what I have read/heard from him (not including recent baffling post-match comments) I like RM as a human being, he seems a decent guy. I really want him to do well, but do worry about his ability to turn this around.
 

The atmosphere in the ground is quickly moving from apathy to toxicity. This was supposed to be a season we could all enjoy, watch fast-moving passing football and see some home wins. It’s not panning out and his pleas for patience is falling on deaf ears, and here’s why... He talks about ‘scar tissue’ with the players. Well you know what, we fans have it too - we’ve suffered three years now of the most frustrating football I can recall in recent memory. Mismanaged by a series of managers, each with different but equally entrenched and rigid ideologies, who over-think things and who all found (or are finding) it impossible to get a song out of what on paper should be a decent enough squad. It’s no wonder our patience has snapped… 

I’d really like to know what Wilcox is making of all this. 

Edited 20 September, 2023 by SW11_Saint

[S-Clarke]

1 minute ago, SW11_Saint said:

The atmosphere in the ground is quickly moving from apathy to toxicity. This was supposed to be a season we could all enjoy, watch fast-moving passing football and see some home wins. It’s not panning out and his pleas for patience is falling on deaf ears, and here’s why... He talks about ‘scar tissue’ with the players. Well you know what, we fans have it too - we’ve suffered three years now of the most frustrating football I can recall in recent memory.

To be honest it feels longer than that, more like 6 years - since the Puel days it has been pure misery at St Mary's. Bar a little purple patch during/after lockdown, it has been all the same. Some of that was down to a lack of investment, but once we had investment we got it all wrong and exasperated our issues. The club feels broken at the moment and apart from wanting to become Man City-lite and a shop for anyone who wants a player, I'm not sure what our plan is. As fans I think we've been great - packing out St Mary's this year, in the league below, after what we've had to endure. 

I don't know how some guys have coped going every week these past few years, I had a break last year and I somewhat wish I carried that on this year too!

[Holmes_and_Watson]

5 minutes ago, SW11_Saint said:

From what have read/heard from him (not including recent baffling post-match comments) I like RM as a human being, he seems a decent guy. I really want him to do well, but do worry about his ability to turn this around.
 

The atmosphere in the ground is quickly moving from apathy to toxicity. This was supposed to be a season we could all enjoy, watch fast-moving passing football and see some home wins. It’s not panning out and his pleas for patience is falling on deaf ears, and here’s why... He talks about ‘scar tissue’ with the players. Well you know what, we fans have it too - we’ve suffered three years now of the most frustrating football I can recall in recent memory. Mismanaged by a series of managers, each with different but equally entrenched and rigid ideologies, who over-think things and who all found (or are finding) it impossible to get a song out of what on paper should be a decent enough squad. It’s no wonder our patience has snapped… 

I’d really like to know what Wilcox is making of all this. 

This is what I was thinking. There seems to be a little surprise at our lack of patience that his super tactic isn't working yet. Because we've watched previous managers with super tactics fail to get results. It's new to him, but not to us. He has to realise that we wanted all of those previous managers to do well too. But he's not as different from them as he might like to think.

[captainchris]

1 hour ago, Alanh said:

Absolutely right and one of the things RM said in the interview after the game was that his biggest fear was not being able to help the players improve.  He knows that he has to instill a different mindset in this group so that they lose the scars from a couple of years of losing most weeks.  He knows he has to instill a bravery in them to create a side which is more attacking and prepared to take a chance.

His problem is the lack of character in the squad.  In our most successful seasons since the first relegation from the Prem we have had players with the determination and character to compete, coupled with a fairly reliable goalscorer.  The seaons that we have struggled we have lacked one or both of those things and IMO no tactics / formations can compensate for those losses in the long term.

We may have addressed the goal scorer element by bringing in Stewart, but the biggest mistake in the last three transfer windows was not bringing in players with the sort of character and determination that we saw from the likes of Jaidi, Fonte, Hammond, Lambert, Davis, Romeu, Ward-Prowse.  RM said in an early interview that the group were quiet and the lack of these types of charaacters is resulting in the team having no resiliance to a setback, and it's killing us every game.

Sorry but this is all an RM smoke screen…. Look at Leicester, what about their lack of a ‘hangover’ ……

[SambaMaverick]

30 minutes ago, captainchris said:

Sorry but this is all an RM smoke screen…. Look at Leicester, what about their lack of a ‘hangover’ ……

It's just buzzword bullshit and it's so transparent.

[SambaMaverick]

It can't be rocket science to play nice passing football if Gateshead are managing it

[Elmore Saint]

41 minutes ago, captainchris said:

Sorry but this is all an RM smoke screen…. Look at Leicester, what about their lack of a ‘hangover’ ……

and their title winning team - coming off the back of a "Great Escape" - no scar tissue in sight with the right man at the helm....

[Dr Who?]

Even though I am starting to think that RM might need to be shown the exit, I do believe it is about time the board and the owners started getting stick off the crowd. After all it is them that sacked Ralph, and have since replaced him with 3 managers who were completely inept! 

They have also tried to buy the Man City youth team and now let RM buy players from Swansea, who sit near the bottom of the table and hardly set the championship alight last season, another club in decline. 

We have also sold some of our highly rated assets, that I believe if we had kept we would have been setting this league on fire on the showing against Wednesday. 

On top of this they have been very slow in reacting to obvious problems with the management set up, costing us time when trying to stay up last season and I can see us drifting in mid table and then changes being made when we are already cut adrift. They need to be more ruthless and decisive and make a change, because everyone else can see, or are starting to see that this manager is not right. When do they make the changes? We are already 9 points behind the leaders and that will soon be 20 if we carry on like we are. 

Why are the fans not protesting against the owners. They have screwed us over as a club and are draining the finances for replacements to get us back in the top flight, or at least make this season more fun and enjoyable. 

The time is now! Bloody do something and be proper owners and stop destroying our club! 

[Toussaint]

1 hour ago, SW11_Saint said:

From what have read/heard from him (not including recent baffling post-match comments) I like RM as a human being, he seems a decent guy. I really want him to do well, but do worry about his ability to turn this around.
 

The atmosphere in the ground is quickly moving from apathy to toxicity. This was supposed to be a season we could all enjoy, watch fast-moving passing football and see some home wins. It’s not panning out and his pleas for patience is falling on deaf ears, and here’s why... He talks about ‘scar tissue’ with the players. Well you know what, we fans have it too - we’ve suffered three years now of the most frustrating football I can recall in recent memory. Mismanaged by a series of managers, each with different but equally entrenched and rigid ideologies, who over-think things and who all found (or are finding) it impossible to get a song out of what on paper should be a decent enough squad. It’s no wonder our patience has snapped… 

I’d really like to know what Wilcox is making of all this. 

Quite a lot of money I would imagine, for someone not who's not in the firing line. 

[Wade Garrett]

1 hour ago, S-Clarke said:

To be honest it feels longer than that, more like 6 years - since the Puel days it has been pure misery at St Mary's. Bar a little purple patch during/after lockdown, it has been all the same. Some of that was down to a lack of investment, but once we had investment we got it all wrong and exasperated our issues. The club feels broken at the moment and apart from wanting to become Man City-lite and a shop for anyone who wants a player, I'm not sure what our plan is. As fans I think we've been great - packing out St Mary's this year, in the league below, after what we've had to endure. 

I don't know how some guys have coped going every week these past few years, I had a break last year and I somewhat wish I carried that on this year too!

‘A shop for anyone wants a player’.  Great phrase which perfectly sums up SR’s priorities in my opinion.

[notnowcato]

6 hours ago, Miltonaggro said:

You only had to look at McKenna last night I find a manager template for saints early summer. KM has a solid, steady coaching pedigree at some top clubs, plays to strengths and sets teams up to win points. His current club could only dream of our club’s finances. Ipswich are a limited, workmanlike side but were physical, niggly, competitive and were playing for each other and the shirt. They were also short passing across the back and in midfield much more effectively than saints, so he’s better at that aspect than Russell Martin too.  Why Sport Republic cannot recognise confidence and competence in terms of recruitment, with the resources the club currently has it is truly baffling. How do you recruit Jones from an open field, perservere with Selles with survival still possible, and then come to an executive decision that Martin is answer and saviour. More clowns than Billy Smart’s circus. 

McKenna wasn’t an instant success, it took an incredible run of 13 wins from the last 15 to gain promotion last season. 

[Farmer Saint]

1 hour ago, S-Clarke said:

To be honest it feels longer than that, more like 6 years - since the Puel days it has been pure misery at St Mary's. Bar a little purple patch during/after lockdown, it has been all the same. Some of that was down to a lack of investment, but once we had investment we got it all wrong and exasperated our issues. The club feels broken at the moment and apart from wanting to become Man City-lite and a shop for anyone who wants a player, I'm not sure what our plan is. As fans I think we've been great - packing out St Mary's this year, in the league below, after what we've had to endure. 

I don't know how some guys have coped going every week these past few years, I had a break last year and I somewhat wish I carried that on this year too!

Yeah, very good post. I've taken quite a few years off as its just been so depressing, and I was really hoping this would be a season to enjoy. Turns out I'm wrong. 

And to add insult to injury, I just received the below through the post after paying for a membership in July. I don't want it now. 

 

[Miltonaggro]

8 minutes ago, notnowcato said:

McKenna wasn’t an instant success, it took an incredible run of 13 wins from the last 15 to gain promotion last season. 

You sure? According to my Ipswich supporting mate who I had a painful post match beer with last night he was the epitome of an instant success, Tractor Boys love him, hence their travelling numbers and good voice. Won seven of his first ten games in charge, with seven clean sheets, and new year club record for a series of games not conceding a goal - better than Bobby Robson. Also, something approaching 60% win percentage which was rubbed in. Not bad for his first managerial post. I think I’d prefer that kind of impact currently but it takes all sorts. 

 

 

 

[Fitzhugh Fella]

1 hour ago, Dr Who? said:

Even though I am starting to think that RM might need to be shown the exit, I do believe it is about time the board and the owners started getting stick off the crowd. After all it is them that sacked Ralph, and have since replaced him with 3 managers who were completely inept! 

They have also tried to buy the Man City youth team and now let RM buy players from Swansea, who sit near the bottom of the table and hardly set the championship alight last season, another club in decline. 

We have also sold some of our highly rated assets, that I believe if we had kept we would have been setting this league on fire on the showing against Wednesday. 

On top of this they have been very slow in reacting to obvious problems with the management set up, costing us time when trying to stay up last season and I can see us drifting in mid table and then changes being made when we are already cut adrift. They need to be more ruthless and decisive and make a change, because everyone else can see, or are starting to see that this manager is not right. When do they make the changes? We are already 9 points behind the leaders and that will soon be 20 if we carry on like we are. 

Why are the fans not protesting against the owners. They have screwed us over as a club and are draining the finances for replacements to get us back in the top flight, or at least make this season more fun and enjoyable. 

The time is now! Bloody do something and be proper owners and stop destroying our club! 

You are not wrong but at the end of the day they can run the football club how they want it as they own it lock stock and barrel. Even Rupert had to answer to the shareholders.

[OldNick]

8 hours ago, adrian lord said:

He's been in management for only 4 years, and now 3 clubs, and very mediocre results.

I cannot for the life of me understand why SR took such a gamble. We are tumbling down this league, and who know where we will bottom-out at this rate?

would you trust those buffoons with a footballing decision, inept?? If they got rid of RM they'd probably go for some other hipster who talks in riddles and doesn't take on board that the Championship is a hard league, where you need some grit in midfield and also some of Nathans kick and run. Before that you have to actually have players that are cut out for grafting and getting stuck in, we haven't 

[OldNick]

If by some miracle we do go up, how much would it cost to get a half decent team that will compete? The 150m we've just taken will pale into significance 

[St Louis]

3 minutes ago, OldNick said:

If by some miracle we do go up, how much would it cost to get a half decent team that will compete? The 150m we've just taken will pale into significance 

I think you needn't worry about that 😂

[OldNick]

Just now, St Louis said:

I think you needn't worry about that 😂

I agree, in fact it would be devastating if we did go up playing this type of football. Even Kamikazi pilots would turn down the chance of playing for us!!

[Osvaldorama]

10 minutes ago, OldNick said:

If by some miracle we do go up, how much would it cost to get a half decent team that will compete? The 150m we've just taken will pale into significance 

On current form I’m more worried about exiting the league the bottom end than the top end. 

[saintoaks]

I'm not buying this scar tissue bullshit, there is no hangover for Leciester and Leeds who are turning it round, They have both bought players in with a mix of experience and nowhow of how to get themselves in a position to get out of this league. Martins tatics absolutely stink at the back, i thought last season was bad but the errors i'm watching this season is not even schoolboy level, 3 shots, 3 fuckin shots on goal last night but we won the most amount of passes trophy again. i am absolutely fuming that we don't have any bollocks to fight and at least have a go and the manager blames last season when only six players who started last night from last season with three of those  Aribo/Edozie/A Armstrong hardly ever playing, so sadly we are just going to drift away and be a mid table championship side just like Martins previous sides. I'm still fuming from Leciester let alone last night but i will continue to go home and away hoping we can turn this shit show around.  

[Lord Duckhunter]

The scar tissue stuff is just pony & reflects badly on him (as does implying the supporters carry some blame).

Firstly, we’re getting worse. Our best 3 performances were the first 3, what’s he trying to say, Che Adams & AA who were banging them in for fun suddenly thought “shit last season was horrendous”. Had they forgotten until recently? The more Martin coaches them, the worse performances are getting. Only Baz seems to be getting  better, the rest are getting worse. And Baz, due to him having a specialist coach is the probably the player coached least by Martin.

Secondly, some of the shite has been served up by players who weren’t here last season. Are scar tissue injuries contagious?

Thirdly, STFU. Even if it was true, the time to bring it up is when you’re winning games, not when you’ve lost 3 in a row.

 

I don’t think I’ve lost confidence in a Manager so quickly. I’m normally pretty patient, but not with this bloke. It’s not the defeats, even if the points total is lower than it should be, but the nature of the defeats. My mate sent me an article where an Ipswich player said it was easy and they knew exactly how we’d play. That’s fucking damning, particularly when we played exactly the same and got dicked in the two previous games. I can’t think of another manager we’ve had whose reaction to a 5-1 then a 4-1 was to play exactly the same fucking way. 
 

Even if we win Sat I’ll still be concerned if we do so playing like this. Any will be down to Middlesbrough’s inadequacy, rather than our managers tactics. There’s  absolutely zero chance we’ll finish in the top 2 unless he changes his off the ball philosophy. 

 

Edited 20 September, 2023 by Lord Duckhunter

[Harry_SFC]

Just watching Leicester Vs Norwich. Leicester seem much more comfortable passing it around than we do.

The player on the ball always seems to have someone available to pass to and there isn't a huge gape between their defence and midfield.

It's as if Martin is just doing things to try and be different, when in reality it's just an over-complicated mess.

Edited 20 September, 2023 by Harry_SFC

[CB Fry]

Russell Martin desperately trying to build a narrative of "oh, actually, come to think of it, finishing 9th would be like really good after the last few seasons".

So he can then pivot next season to "well we can't possibly compete with these Premier League clubs that have just come down".

 

He's achieved nothing as a manager and he will achieve nothing with us.

 

His fall from grace post transfer window is absolutely spectacular.

[Tanlee]

Play your best players in there best positions and play to they're strengths! That part is surely the easy part, if nothing else you might get lucky when your tactics are as shit as his and it will bail you out now and again. RM team selections have been fucking baffling like he's lost the plot already and run out of ideas which in my opinion is more of a worry than the novice errors at the back. 

When your making your way to St Mary's last night and see that  Midfield 3 on your phone , it makes you realise how far we are away from being a side challenging in this league., maybe with the right man at the top though... still a long season ahead with nearly 40 games and alot of points to play for. UTS

[stknowle]

We are an expensively (relatively for the division) assembled football team. We are also a complete and utter mess of a football team, chucking in goals you'd expect a sunday pub team to concede, not a supposedly professional one playing at the second highest level of football in this country. Sorry but that is all on him and his wanker 'philosophy' and he can fuck off.

[Crab Lungs]

4 hours ago, saintoaks said:

I'm not buying this scar tissue bullshit, there is no hangover for Leciester and Leeds who are turning it round, They have both bought players in with a mix of experience and nowhow of how to get themselves in a position to get out of this league. Martins tatics absolutely stink at the back, i thought last season was bad but the errors i'm watching this season is not even schoolboy level, 3 shots, 3 fuckin shots on goal last night but we won the most amount of passes trophy again. i am absolutely fuming that we don't have any bollocks to fight and at least have a go and the manager blames last season when only six players who started last night from last season with three of those  Aribo/Edozie/A Armstrong hardly ever playing, so sadly we are just going to drift away and be a mid table championship side just like Martins previous sides. I'm still fuming from Leciester let alone last night but i will continue to go home and away hoping we can turn this shit show around.  

100%

The weird Twitter posse defending him and asking everyone to trust the process have literally no idea about football.

what is going on, with the players at our disposal is completely unacceptable.

we do not have time to wait around to see if this ridiculous vanity project might come off.

[Saint_clark]

1 hour ago, CB Fry said:

Russell Martin desperately trying to build a narrative of "oh, actually, come to think of it, finishing 9th would be like really good after the last few seasons".

So he can then pivot next season to "well we can't possibly compete with these Premier League clubs that have just come down".

 

He's achieved nothing as a manager and he will achieve nothing with us.

 

His fall from grace post transfer window is absolutely spectacular.

Has he actually said something hinting at this? I avoid his press conferences as they only wind me up.

[Hodgey]

I thought the whole point of messing around with it at the back was to tempt players out of position, would lead to quick incisive attacks of the space, with the risk a few goals when we get it wrong. Also opposing teams would tire and we’d score late goals. That’s kind of how it started first 4 games.

I’m now seeing a lot of the latter, but little of the former which doesn’t make sense. Teams are still pressing us knowing we’ll make a mistake (and are), but when we do play through we seem toothless.

I can’t work it out - my hope is it’s just the players aren’t quite right. I think if we try Charles, Downes, Edozie, Alcarez and Stu in midfield we may suddenly look a lot more potent.

Martin and Wilcox have made such a big deal that they will not change this style - they will just double down on it.

[Patrick Bateman]

7 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Has he actually said something hinting at this? I avoid his press conferences as they only wind me up.

This.  He came over as decent to start with, but he's clearly all emperor's new clothes ... 

Needs replacing before it's too late. This club and this team of players don't go up this year, the dregs that are left following the next two transfer windows will be wallowing around this league ineptly for a long time. 

[CB Fry]

10 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Has he actually said something hinting at this? I avoid his press conferences as they only wind me up.

Not yet. He's building up to it. Him going on about "scar tissue" from a relegation that happened four months and a pre-season and a transfer window ago is laying the groundwork.

 

[AlexLaw76]

3 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

Not yet. He's building up to it. Him going on about "scar tissue" from a relegation that happened four months and a pre-season and a transfer window ago is laying the groundwork.

 

Thing is, we wont be short of dinlo fans who will back that up.

Onto the next game, we will probably win, purely due to having much better players, and old Rusty will be full of self-congratulatory shite

Edited 20 September, 2023 by AlexLaw76

[Pamplemousse]

I'd just like to win a game by more than 2 goals. Is that too much to ask?

[Pamplemousse]

I'd love to know how bad the situation would have to get for us to get like this

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66867291

 

We did have the 'Swing Lowe' song in the very dark days and some coins chucked at him but don't think he received any death threats.

[Crab Lungs]

And… you know what one of the worst things about him? His overriding insistence on playing with this ridiculous philosophy, thus alienating and failing to utilise who could be one of the best players in the Championship … Carlos Alcaraz. 
 

AA, Aribo and Smallbone in CM please. Fantastic. Nice one, Russ.

[antialias]

Too much negativity here. There are still 117 points to play for.

[Wade Garrett]

6 minutes ago, antialias said:

Too much negativity here. There are still 117 points to play for.

Who would have thought there would be negativity after 3 defeats and absolutely horrendous performances.  Crazy.

[qwertyell]

8 minutes ago, antialias said:

Too much negativity here. There are still 117 points to play for.

And another 109 goals to concede at the current rate.

[HarvSFC]

I'm just getting bored of all these managers playing "nicey nicey" with the players. Jones with his stupid nicknames and "Romeo done" banter, Selles saying we were fighting to stay up every week, when we were just limping to the finish line and waiting to be put out of our misery. Now, we have Martin saying he's proud of the players after a 4-1 defeat and they just need to be "braver" after a third straight defeat. What does being "braver" even mean, give us something with substance.

Our players have had an easy ride from their bosses ever since they beat Norwich near two years ago. I keep referring to Koeman recently, but he was ready to drop players like Wanyama and Mane who were two of our best at the time when they were unprofessional and turned up late. Standards weren't allowed to drop. However, this Saints squad's standards have been rock bottom for over a year now, making it worse when they actually turned up against the big six last season, showing they were actually capable and it was a mental choice not to turn up for the other fixtures.

I think part of the reason the managers keep blaming the fans for the atmosphere is because they players have been putting in unacceptable performances for so long now, but the only place they're hearing it from is from us. If they were playing well, but losing we all know they'd be clapped off the pitch as has been the case at St. Mary's many a  time before. However, we're getting routinely beat every week and watching the same old players put in lacklustre performances every week, again, for over a year now.

Give me a manager who says the players weren't good enough today and their performances are unacceptable, while dropping those players the following week and putting someone else in their place. Rather than starting Adam Armstrong, Will Smallbone and Ryan Manning every week no matter how they played the week before. It was the same with Elyounoussi last season, did nothing with the ball, which is important in football, but started every week.

 

[egg]

48 minutes ago, antialias said:

Too much negativity here. There are still 117 points to play for.

All that means on current form is that the gap between us and promotion will get wider. 

[saintant]

It speaks volumes how little support there is for RM on here. 

[egg]

1 minute ago, saintant said:

It speaks volumes how little support there is for RM on here. 

Yep, but I'm not sure this place is representative of the fanbase. Everyone I speak to in the real world are patient. 

[Lighthouse]

41 minutes ago, egg said:

Yep, but I'm not sure this place is representative of the fanbase. Everyone I speak to in the real world are patient. 

I’d say I was patient, personally, but there have got to be some serious signs of improvement in the next few games. Inconsistency I can live with but there has to be evidence that we’re going in the right direction. 

[Patrick Bateman]

2 hours ago, antialias said:

Too much negativity here. There are still 117 points to play for.

Yes Russ. Better get them all then.