We're a laughing stock

[saintant]

On 24/09/2023 at 08:01, Miltonaggro said:

As soon as we were relegated the club needed a complete reset, and this doesn’t appear to have happened. This is squarely on Ankersen and Kraft, as despite Solak’s vow to be more ‘hands on’ there is zero evidence of this. On the face of it Wilcox was a good appointment, but other than recoup a huge amount of money for Sport Republic little appears to have been done culturally. A lot of us who were paying attention twenty years ago knew a relegation model for failure (Lowe) and a working model for promotion (Leibherr) already existed and assumed SR would choose the latter not former. To do this we needed to bring in a unifying manager and buy (not loan), experienced, committed players of a high quality for this league and focus squarely on winning football matches and building belief, support and momentum. Not rocket science but you need full buy in. Instead we have Sport Republic doubling down, zero urgency or spirit, bullshitting the fans over summer and fiddling whilst our club burns. We are worse than a laughing stock, we are currently perhaps the best model of failure in English football - that’s Ankersen’s fucking CV entry for what it’s worth. 

One of Ankersen's maxims that he thinks is so hip and clever is to say 'if it aint broke, break it'. Well, we were broke last year so why has he decided to break us again?

[Miltonaggro]

15 minutes ago, saintant said:

One of Ankersen's maxims that he thinks is so hip and clever is to say 'if it aint broke, break it'. Well, we were broke last year so why has he decided to break us again?

He’s a well-paid narcissist in a position of some power within a relatively large organisation so he will keep attempting to be the loudest voice until he either fails completely or is removed. Shit or bust for Ankersen at SFC. After last season I genuinely thought Solak would combine with Kraft to remove him from the club board over the summer but this did not happen. I think his sales pitch of ‘innovation’ and magic ‘systems’ got Solak to form SR and invest heavily in the first place, so the big lie has to continue or be exposed for what it is. People mentioning that Giles was likely the brains at Brentford. All Giles did was to replicate Cortese in putting the best people you can afford / attract in key positions at your level and allowing them room to impart / impact their knowledge and develop the club. He didn’t impose a system on them other than being successful. Tried and tested business practice, not rocket science. 

Edited 26 September, 2023 by Miltonaggro

[Turkish]

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/the-great-escape-a-reunion-with-the-saviours-of-99
 

Jesus wept talk about celebrating mediocrity, this is on a whole new level. Let’s celebrate that time we stayed up when we were ever shitter than usual. This club 🤣🤣🤣🤦🤦🤦

[Lord Duckhunter]

I haven’t really got much of a problem with that. Looks like an interesting group of ex players, could be a decent night. “The great escape” bit is obviously pony, I tend to look at the season Bally arrived as that, but it’s just a bit of marketing. I’m the first with criticism when we cross the line into noddyness but I don’t think we have this time. I’m all for more of these ex players dos, shame Mattys probably persona non grata if any more are scheduled. The 70’s guys are probably a bit old, but I’d pay good money to attend one comprising of players from the 80’s. 

Edited 27 September, 2023 by Lord Duckhunter

[Norm]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/the-great-escape-a-reunion-with-the-saviours-of-99
 

Jesus wept talk about celebrating mediocrity, this is on a whole new level. Let’s celebrate that time we stayed up when we were ever shitter than usual. This club 🤣🤣🤣🤦🤦🤦

Premium £150 plus VAT and to take the pi&& £2.50 booking fee. You’re having a laugh🙄

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/the-great-escape-a-reunion-with-the-saviours-of-99
 

Jesus wept talk about celebrating mediocrity, this is on a whole new level. Let’s celebrate that time we stayed up when we were ever shitter than usual. This club 🤣🤣🤣🤦🤦🤦

Would be a good idea for it to be compulsory for some of  the gutless fuckers in our first team squad to attend and listen to some of those players 

[Galway saint]

It’d be nice in years to come to have a reunion with the team of 22/2023 being the last saints side to play in the premier league for several decades with the three managers on top table and rasmus comparing the evening 

[Sunglasses Ron]

9 hours ago, Galway saint said:

It’d be nice in years to come to have a reunion with the team of 22/2023 being the last saints side to play in the premier league for several decades with the three managers on top table and rasmus comparing the evening 

Rasmus - "Look at that dinner service, it's not broken.  I'll break it!".

[Roo1976]

11 hours ago, Turkish said:

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/the-great-escape-a-reunion-with-the-saviours-of-99
 

Jesus wept talk about celebrating mediocrity, this is on a whole new level. Let’s celebrate that time we stayed up when we were ever shitter than usual. This club 🤣🤣🤣🤦🤦🤦

I wonder in years to come then if this is happening for that what about getting the team that lost 9-0 at home and away the following season as landmark get together ?

[gio1saints]

lady gaga shallow lyrics https://g.co/kgs/uvnDWm

[once_bitterne]

14 hours ago, Turkish said:

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/the-great-escape-a-reunion-with-the-saviours-of-99
 

Jesus wept talk about celebrating mediocrity, this is on a whole new level. Let’s celebrate that time we stayed up when we were ever shitter than usual. This club 🤣🤣🤣🤦🤦🤦

Interesting that nutcase MLT isn't included.

[Saint Fan CaM]

13 hours ago, Badger said:

Would be a good idea for it to be compulsory for some of  the gutless fuckers in our first team squad to attend and listen to some of those players 

Exactly my thoughts. Have the club employed these guys to tell anyone stupid enough to fork out £150 that it’s the fault of the current crop of fans that we’re headed for League 1 and in the good old days it was the ‘12th man’ who pulled us through? One more slap in the face for supporters. Fuck ‘em.

[Miltonaggro]

15 hours ago, Turkish said:

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/the-great-escape-a-reunion-with-the-saviours-of-99
 

Jesus wept talk about celebrating mediocrity, this is on a whole new level. Let’s celebrate that time we stayed up when we were ever shitter than usual. This club 🤣🤣🤣🤦🤦🤦

Hopefully it's a clever marketing ploy to announce Pahars as manager, and the rest as his coaching staff

[Fan The Flames]

18 hours ago, Turkish said:

https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/the-great-escape-a-reunion-with-the-saviours-of-99
 

Jesus wept talk about celebrating mediocrity, this is on a whole new level. Let’s celebrate that time we stayed up when we were ever shitter than usual. This club 🤣🤣🤣🤦🤦🤦

Following the well known tradition of celebrating an event on the 24th year anniversary. They couldn't wait a couple of months to try and make it slightly more relevant.

[Turkish]

10 hours ago, Roo1976 said:

I wonder in years to come then if this is happening for that what about getting the team that lost 9-0 at home and away the following season as landmark get together ?

I can see it now 9 zeros night 

A dinner evening meeting saints premier league record breaking team. A never to be repeated evening with a team that made premier league history  

[Miltonaggro]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

I can see it now 9 zeros night 

A dinner evening meeting saints premier league record breaking team. A never to be repeated evening with a team that made premier league history  

Ten zeros if Semmens is running the raffle. 

[Turkish]

8 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Ten zeros if Semmens is running the raffle. 

Semmens opens the proceedings with a speech about how lucky everyone is to be here. 

[The Cat]

Presumably we've plummeted down the laughing stock league table now.

[Sunglasses Ron]

They did good today.

I think all we ask is half decent tactics / team selections and a suitable level of effort from all the players (something that has generally been lacking a lot in recent times).

Let’s hope things continue to improve.

[Sunglasses Ron]

Thought I'd dredge up this thread as I have to give credit where it's due.

14 games unbeaten (and counting) is a hell of an effort and we should all be feeling pretty good about things after the dross we've had to suffer in recent years.  I think today's result is the one we've all been waiting for to believe that we've really turned a corner.

We may not go up automatically, but we're definitely no longer an embarrassment and that's all I wanted.

Well done Saints! 😇

[AlexLaw76]

3 minutes ago, Sunglasses Ron said:

Thought I'd dredge up this thread as I have to give credit where it's due.

14 games unbeaten (and counting) is a hell of an effort and we should all be feeling pretty good about things after the dross we've had to suffer in recent years.  I think today's result is the one we've all been waiting for to believe that we've really turned a corner.

We may not go up automatically, but we're definitely no longer an embarrassment and that's all I wanted.

Well done Saints! 😇

We are about par where our squad and finances should be in this league. 

[Sunglasses Ron]

25 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

We are about par where our squad and finances should be in this league. 

Indeed, and I can live with that.

[hypochondriac]

38 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

We are about par where our squad and finances should be in this league. 

I'd say points wise we are slightly above my expectations at the start of the season. Particularly when we didn't sign a fit striker of note. 

[Lighthouse]

2 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I'd say points wise we are slightly above my expectations at the start of the season. Particularly when we didn't sign a fit striker of note. 

I agree, I think our hangover from last year’s dreadful second half was much shorter and less severe than I expected. We’re still hampered by a lack of creativity and a proper number nine but dealing with it relatively well and getting results.

As for the thread title, I think a lot of fans (not just at saints) hugely overestimate how much the other 91 sets of supporters care about their club. There are probably fans in League 1 convinced they’re a laughing stock for scoring two points in five games, when really nobody else in the country gives two sh*ts.

[Suhari]

Well. I do find myself giggling these days.

[Wiggles31]

My son was born on 29th September and is yet to know a Saints defeat. 

[bpsaint]

On 23/09/2023 at 17:29, saint lard said:

My skate mates are having a fucking field day. 
And it’s been going on for fucking years. 🤦🏻

Bet they’re not laughing much at the moment….

[gio1saints]

We lose a couple of matches the football geniuses above will be back in force saying I told you so. Guaranteed.
 

It’s the fair weather support cynicism rule. Only as good as your last result approach. Patience and faith is for losers. 
 

Ronnie O’Sullivan is acknowledged as the Snooker GOAT. On the recent Amazon documentary there’s was a telling conversation in which he said he would rather lose playing winning snooker than win playing any other way. Because he was only interested in winning the right way. 
 

It’s been a long time since we not only had a Manager who wants us to win and win in the right way, but moreover actually physically delivers that right way winning with his team 

 

So nowadays I’m glad people are realising that, yes, fundamental change from being a shambles of a club to something we could all be proud of, and a part of, does take time - and that it’s not linear. And that, yes, it does requires bravery and yes it’s a process. And no those words are not trendy hipster bullshit.  It’s just RM saying it as it is. Truthfully. 
 

SR fucked up no question getting us relegated - but boy have they reacted to that adversity well and pulled off a Masterstroke in recruiting RM - and keeping him - despite the pressure put on them to yet again fxck around and appoint yet another manager like so many of you were undoubtedly hoping would happen. 
 

 

[trousers]

Quick... Someone go check the stock levels in the Saintsweb Forum medal cupboard... (It's the one next to the 'patting oneself on the back' certificate cabinet)...  #toldyouso

 

Edited January 13 by trousers

[washsaint]

Now, now @trousers.  Take the flak with good grace.....the naysayers have been proven totally wrong and the flak those supporting the process during the earlier difficulties were hammered.

One thing we can all hopefully agree on - it's a bloody brilliant time to be supporting Saints right now.  We are a joy to watch and our home record is unbelievable after many years of mediocrity.

[trousers]

21 minutes ago, washsaint said:

Now, now @trousers.  Take the flak with good grace.....the naysayers have been proven totally wrong and the flak those supporting the process during the earlier difficulties were hammered.

 

I've been on the 'wrong' side of predicting Saints' future prospects more times than I care to remember, however, 95% of the time it's been when being on the positive benefit-of-the-doubt side of the fence. So being "wrong" whilst dabbling in a negative outlook is new territory to me; so apologies if I've 'played' it all wrong... To coin a well worn phrase... "These things take time and I'm learning from my mistakes all the time...."

What I don't get though is this "told you so" craving to label a particular point of view at a given moment in time as "right" or "wrong". That's 'ungraceful' to my mind...

I maintain that anyone who had strong doubts about Russell's pedigree back in the autumn was expressing just a valid view as the optimists saying "be patient, everything will work out fine". No-one knew which point of view would be "proven to be right" in due course. We can argue until the cows come home as to which outcome was more likely, but that's not the point. An opinion is just that... It's a view of what *might* happen, not what *will* happen.

P.s. totally agree with your second paragraph of course! (It's that very mediocrity you highlight that can turn someone who was hitherto one of the most positive/ optimistic posters into someone who might starting thinking: "f**k it, what's the point of being ultra-positive all the bleedin' time....?!  )

Anyway, I'm back to my usual positive-outlook self now so onwards and upwards! 

P.p.s. you'll note that I never contributed to this "laughing stock" thread before today. At least I know where to draw a line when dipping one's toe into the dark side... )

Edited January 13 by trousers

[Dark Munster]

57 minutes ago, washsaint said:

Now, now @trousers.  Take the flak with good grace.....the naysayers have been proven totally wrong and the flak those supporting the process during the earlier difficulties were hammered.

One thing we can all hopefully agree on - it's a bloody brilliant time to be supporting Saints right now.  We are a joy to watch and our home record is unbelievable after many years of mediocrity.

Oh really? The "naysayers" were saying that we wouldn't make the top two, and probably not go up, if we continued to play crab, sideways, possession football. They said the squad was one of the best in the division and should be taking the game to the opposition. In short, exactly how we played today.

The yaysayers were saying our squad wasn't that good, had scar tissue, and needed more time to perfect the sideways, possession football. 

Naysayers 4  Yaysayers 0

[Andrew Watson]

Delighted to be proved wrong, re the slow paced play.If we can put the away games to bed with a 2nd or 3rd goal,we really do have a chance with automatic promotion.

[Stud mark of doom]

We now have 55 points - 5 points more than at the same point in 2012, when we were in the top 2 all season. We might need 100 points for top 2 this season! 

[Turkish]

39 minutes ago, Stud mark of doom said:

We now have 55 points - 5 points more than at the same point in 2012, when we were in the top 2 all season. We might need 100 points for top 2 this season! 

Comparisons to how many points we had in 2012 are completely irrelevant 

[sfc4prem]

6 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Comparisons to how many points we had in 2012 are completely irrelevant 

Bit of fun though, in't it?

[AlexLaw76]

Saints only had 26 points on this day in the 2008/2009 season, when we finished 2nd bottom!

[notnowcato]

18 hours ago, trousers said:

I've been on the 'wrong' side of predicting Saints' future prospects more times than I care to remember, however, 95% of the time it's been when being on the positive benefit-of-the-doubt side of the fence. So being "wrong" whilst dabbling in a negative outlook is new territory to me; so apologies if I've 'played' it all wrong... To coin a well worn phrase... "These things take time and I'm learning from my mistakes all the time...."

What I don't get though is this "told you so" craving to label a particular point of view at a given moment in time as "right" or "wrong". That's 'ungraceful' to my mind...

I maintain that anyone who had strong doubts about Russell's pedigree back in the autumn was expressing just a valid view as the optimists saying "be patient, everything will work out fine". No-one knew which point of view would be "proven to be right" in due course. We can argue until the cows come home as to which outcome was more likely, but that's not the point. An opinion is just that... It's a view of what *might* happen, not what *will* happen.

P.s. totally agree with your second paragraph of course! (It's that very mediocrity you highlight that can turn someone who was hitherto one of the most positive/ optimistic posters into someone who might starting thinking: "f**k it, what's the point of being ultra-positive all the bleedin' time....?!  )

Anyway, I'm back to my usual positive-outlook self now so onwards and upwards! 

P.p.s. you'll note that I never contributed to this "laughing stock" thread before today. At least I know where to draw a line when dipping one's toe into the dark side... )

Haha get over it Trousers, it’s the only way to move on

[notnowcato]

17 hours ago, Dark Munster said:

Oh really? The "naysayers" were saying that we wouldn't make the top two, and probably not go up, if we continued to play crab, sideways, possession football. They said the squad was one of the best in the division and should be taking the game to the opposition. In short, exactly how we played today.

The yaysayers were saying our squad wasn't that good, had scar tissue, and needed more time to perfect the sideways, possession football. 

Naysayers 4  Yaysayers 0

No hope for you Dark

[trousers]

1 hour ago, notnowcato said:

Haha get over it Trousers, it’s the only way to move on

I "got over it" a long time ago... Just responding to those who seemingly can't...

[revolution saint]

Have I missed something? Has the season ended early?

I’m loving the results and performances right now and it’s brilliant to watch but I’d hold fire on the self congratulatory smug posts until we’ve secured promotion. That’s what a squad like this should be delivering. Also worth noting that Martin blamed himself for the four defeats (in his last press conference) so even he is echoing a lot of the criticism levelled at him at the  time.

Anyway, thoroughly enjoying watching saints play and I hope it continues.

[Fan The Flames]

This Gio geezer is a bit of a willy waver, likes getting it out in public.

[SaintTex]

As I went back to reading the first page,  i was desperately hoping that i forgotten that i had posted on page 1:  "hey, maybe we go on 20 match unbeaten streak."

 

but alas. 😊