New manager

[gio1saints]

One two or three teams are going to win the league, the cups and all the medals.
The rest are playing  to be 4th loser or beaten finalist or not relegated or got £3m extra cos we gained a place on final day. 
 

Thats the most likely reality this EPL season.
 

And It was always very likely Saints were playing for “ not getting relegated” or at best “ got a few million extra by gaining a place on some other EPL “make up the numbers “ team.

There’s about 14 make up the numbers teams in EPL and they just rotate each year for the most part. Unless an Arab sovereign wealth fund buys you or a major hedge fund ( and even then FFP is a bitch) it’s now almost impossible to breakthrough. 
 

So- all those pragmatists out there - I admire your stoic acceptance of this status quo, but forgive my naive idealism in hoping and believing what RM has got going  - which everyone seems to criticise - is our only shot at making Saints a superpower. 
 

Whenever I see and hear so many fans and football pundits indignant at what RM is doing it just reassures me that the powers that be don’t like it and dont want us to succeed. Change play like the rest of the losers  and maybe we too can make up the numbers or get to be a “ beaten finalist” once every decade.
 

I’m glad we are currently firmly set on not doing that. We are going for the big prize- or die trying. But at least it’s a honourable death not a lickspittle existence hanging around the lower reaches of the EPL for crumbs from the big boys. 
 

So I say, Carry On PBF Russell and ignore the critics. Even Pep has intimated and said as much. I Hope it’s a wonderful match today and sry I can’t be there with our loyal, and passionate, away fans. 😇

 

 

Edited October 26 by gio1saints

[Lee On Solent Saint]

13 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

One two or three teams are going to win the league, the cups and all the medals.
The rest are playing  to be 4th loser or beaten finalist or not relegated or got £3m extra cos we gained a place on final day. 
 

Thats the most likely reality this EPL season.
 

And It was always very likely Saints were playing for “ not getting relegated” or at best “ got a few million extra by gaining a place on some other EPL “make up the numbers “ team.

There’s about 14 make up the numbers teams in EPL and they just rotate each year for the most part. Unless an Arab sovereign wealth fund buys you or a major hedge fund ( and even then FFP is a bitch) it’s now almost impossible to breakthrough. 
 

So- all those pragmatists out there - I admire your stoic acceptance of this status quo, but forgive my naive idealism in hoping and believing what RM has got going  - which everyone seems to criticise - is our only shot at making Saints a superpower. 
 

Whenever I see and hear so many fans and football pundits indignant at what RM is doing it just reassures me that the powers that be don’t like it and dont want us to succeed. Change play like the rest of the losers  and maybe we too can make up the numbers or get to be a “ beaten finalist” once every decade.
 

I’m glad we are currently firmly set on not doing that. We are going for the big prize- or die trying. But at least it’s a honourable death not a lickspittle existence hanging around the lower reaches of the EPL for crumbs from the big boys. 
 

So I say, Carry On PBF Russell and ignore the critics. Even Pep has intimated and said as much. I Hope it’s a wonderful match today and sry I can’t be there with our loyal, and passionate, away fans. 😇

 

 

Honestly? How can you watch a football club you profess to love so much turn into a joke? I cannot get enthaustic for match days any longer. The enjoyment I have had over the past 40 odd years of watching my team is being slowly eroded away with each passing game that Martin presides over. He needs to go, not just to give us a tiny modicum of hope that we can at least try and stay up, but for the thousands of fans we are going to lose, be it fans now, or the next generation. Russell Martin is doing this forr one person, and one person only. Himself. 

[gio1saints]

7 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Honestly? How can you watch a football club you profess to love so much turn into a joke? I cannot get enthaustic for match days any longer. The enjoyment I have had over the past 40 odd years of watching my team is being slowly eroded away with each passing game that Martin presides over. He needs to go, not just to give us a tiny modicum of hope that we can at least try and stay up, but for the thousands of fans we are going to lose, be it fans now, or the next generation. Russell Martin is doing this forr one person, and one person only. Himself. 

I watch saints with pride every time they play with honour belief courage. Couple of matches this season that was not present otherwise yeah they are not a joke to me - quite the opposite.

[obelisk]

33 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

We are going for the big prize

I have to admire the optimism. 🤨 When can we expect to grab the big prize do you think and what will it look like? Currently we can't even expect to win the Championship big prize given all the goals that Saints concede. More likely to be like those sunlit uplands promised by the brexit brigade.

[Weston Super Saint]

54 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

what RM has got going  - which everyone seems to criticise - is our only shot at making Saints a superpower. 
 

Jesus fucking wept.

You need sectioning.

[Weston Super Saint]

56 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

Whenever I see and hear so many fans and football pundits indignant at what RM is doing it just reassures me that the powers that be don’t like it and dont want us to succeed. Change play like the rest of the losers  and maybe we too can make up the numbers or get to be a “ beaten finalist” once every decade.

19 other teams absolutely love what we are doing and definitely don't want us to stop.

[Wade Garrett]

1 hour ago, gio1saints said:

One two or three teams are going to win the league, the cups and all the medals.
The rest are playing  to be 4th loser or beaten finalist or not relegated or got £3m extra cos we gained a place on final day. 
 

Thats the most likely reality this EPL season.
 

And It was always very likely Saints were playing for “ not getting relegated” or at best “ got a few million extra by gaining a place on some other EPL “make up the numbers “ team.

There’s about 14 make up the numbers teams in EPL and they just rotate each year for the most part. Unless an Arab sovereign wealth fund buys you or a major hedge fund ( and even then FFP is a bitch) it’s now almost impossible to breakthrough. 
 

So- all those pragmatists out there - I admire your stoic acceptance of this status quo, but forgive my naive idealism in hoping and believing what RM has got going  - which everyone seems to criticise - is our only shot at making Saints a superpower. 
 

Whenever I see and hear so many fans and football pundits indignant at what RM is doing it just reassures me that the powers that be don’t like it and dont want us to succeed. Change play like the rest of the losers  and maybe we too can make up the numbers or get to be a “ beaten finalist” once every decade.
 

I’m glad we are currently firmly set on not doing that. We are going for the big prize- or die trying. But at least it’s a honourable death not a lickspittle existence hanging around the lower reaches of the EPL for crumbs from the big boys. 
 

So I say, Carry On PBF Russell and ignore the critics. Even Pep has intimated and said as much. I Hope it’s a wonderful match today and sry I can’t be there with our loyal, and passionate, away fans. 😇

 

 

‘The rest of the losers’.  Love it.  We’ve got 1 point from 8 games, soon to be 9 then 10 and 11, but they’re the losers!

You're either deluded, a plant, or a magnificent wind-up merchant.

I’m going for wind-up merchant as nobody could really be that stupid.

[coalman]

1 hour ago, gio1saints said:

Whenever I see and hear so many fans and football pundits indignant at what RM is doing it just reassures me that the powers that be don’t like it and dont want us to succeed. Change play like the rest of the losers  and maybe we too can make up the numbers or get to be a “ beaten finalist” once every decade.

I’m glad we are currently firmly set on not doing that. We are going for the big prize- or die trying. But at least it’s a honourable death not a lickspittle existence hanging around the lower reaches of the EPL for crumbs from the big boys. 
 

So I say, Carry On PBF Russell and ignore the critics. Even Pep has intimated and said as much. I Hope it’s a wonderful match today and sry I can’t be there with our loyal, and passionate, away fans. 😇

You do realise that Pep is complimentary about every team he plays against? It's simple professionalism to talk up your opponents as it can breed complacency but at the very least doesn't make the manager team talk easy for his opposite number. Not to mention setting the example for your team of taking every game seriously. Contrast that with our manager whose press conference is "we just have to be brave and keep doing what we're doing". Every. Single. Week. 

I don't think that the pundits want us to fail. This isn't some noble fight against the system. It's a man rigidly following an ideology no matter what evidence he is presented with backed by another man who seeks to make a name for himself out of contrarian usage of statistics and a billionaire who must be starting to doubt his life choices.

 

 

[pimpin4rizeal]

1 hour ago, gio1saints said:

One two or three teams are going to win the league, the cups and all the medals.
The rest are playing  to be 4th loser or beaten finalist or not relegated or got £3m extra cos we gained a place on final day. 
 

Thats the most likely reality this EPL season.
 

And It was always very likely Saints were playing for “ not getting relegated” or at best “ got a few million extra by gaining a place on some other EPL “make up the numbers “ team.

There’s about 14 make up the numbers teams in EPL and they just rotate each year for the most part. Unless an Arab sovereign wealth fund buys you or a major hedge fund ( and even then FFP is a bitch) it’s now almost impossible to breakthrough. 
 

So- all those pragmatists out there - I admire your stoic acceptance of this status quo, but forgive my naive idealism in hoping and believing what RM has got going  - which everyone seems to criticise - is our only shot at making Saints a superpower. 
 

Whenever I see and hear so many fans and football pundits indignant at what RM is doing it just reassures me that the powers that be don’t like it and dont want us to succeed. Change play like the rest of the losers  and maybe we too can make up the numbers or get to be a “ beaten finalist” once every decade.
 

I’m glad we are currently firmly set on not doing that. We are going for the big prize- or die trying. But at least it’s a honourable death not a lickspittle existence hanging around the lower reaches of the EPL for crumbs from the big boys. 
 

So I say, Carry On PBF Russell and ignore the critics. Even Pep has intimated and said as much. I Hope it’s a wonderful match today and sry I can’t be there with our loyal, and passionate, away fans. 😇

 

 

You  talk of being a super power or going for the big prize . Let’s just say if russ did even get us to koeman levels (which he won’t ) big clubs would just pinch him anyway .so your dreams are pretty flawed 

[egg]

1 hour ago, Weston Super Saint said:

Jesus fucking wept.

You need sectioning.

The lad's on wind up mate. He's one of the dinlo's under a different name. 

 

[Weston Super Saint]

1 minute ago, egg said:

The lad's on wind up mate. He's one of the dinlo's under a different name. 

 

I disagree.

Anyone on a wind up wouldn't post 7 pages of utter bollocks every day.

I suspect he is most definitely a dinlo though!

[Colinjb]

2 hours ago, gio1saints said:

One two or three teams are going to win the league, the cups and all the medals.
The rest are playing  to be 4th loser or beaten finalist or not relegated or got £3m extra cos we gained a place on final day. 
 

Thats the most likely reality this EPL season.
 

And It was always very likely Saints were playing for “ not getting relegated” or at best “ got a few million extra by gaining a place on some other EPL “make up the numbers “ team.

There’s about 14 make up the numbers teams in EPL and they just rotate each year for the most part. Unless an Arab sovereign wealth fund buys you or a major hedge fund ( and even then FFP is a bitch) it’s now almost impossible to breakthrough. 
 

So- all those pragmatists out there - I admire your stoic acceptance of this status quo, but forgive my naive idealism in hoping and believing what RM has got going  - which everyone seems to criticise - is our only shot at making Saints a superpower. 
 

Whenever I see and hear so many fans and football pundits indignant at what RM is doing it just reassures me that the powers that be don’t like it and dont want us to succeed. Change play like the rest of the losers  and maybe we too can make up the numbers or get to be a “ beaten finalist” once every decade.
 

I’m glad we are currently firmly set on not doing that. We are going for the big prize- or die trying. But at least it’s a honourable death not a lickspittle existence hanging around the lower reaches of the EPL for crumbs from the big boys. 
 

So I say, Carry On PBF Russell and ignore the critics. Even Pep has intimated and said as much. I Hope it’s a wonderful match today and sry I can’t be there with our loyal, and passionate, away fans. 😇

 

 

I mean, football is a game of opinions.

No-one ever said they had to be grounded in any sense of sanity.

[Ted Bates Statue]

Not to comment on individual posters but this thread is about our next manager FFS

If you want to desperately tell everyone that he looks a bit like a lego man and you hate him, or conversely to claim he is going to lead us to footballing salvation then you need to find the correct thread.

[Weston Super Saint]

1 minute ago, Ted Bates Statue said:

Not to comment on individual posters but this thread is about our next manager FFS

If you want to desperately tell everyone that he looks a bit like a lego man and you hate him, or conversely to claim he is going to lead us to footballing salvation then you need to find the correct thread.

Unless RM will be our next manager

Wouldn't put it past our oh so clever board!

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 hour ago, gio1saints said:

I watch saints with pride every time they play with honour belief courage. Couple of matches this season that was not present otherwise yeah they are not a joke to me - quite the opposite.

Is courage knocking it back and forth two centre backs, then knocking it back and forth to two full backs? Honour? They are footballers not fuckin medieval knights jousting for a fair maiden. The only twats that have a belief in this system are Russell Martin and SR. I'm not sure who is pulling the strings behind the scenes anymore, or even if anybody is, but the quicker they realise that this shitshow is going to suck up any goodwill that SR garnered over the last year the better.

[Whitey Grandad]

3 hours ago, egg said:

Yep. It's either an ego trip, naivety, incompetence, or a combination of the above. 

I’m going with ego trip.

[gio1saints]

33 minutes ago, pimpin4rizeal said:

You  talk of being a super power or going for the big prize . Let’s just say if russ did even get us to koeman levels (which he won’t ) big clubs would just pinch him anyway .so your dreams are pretty flawed 

Yup my dreams are flawed. Guilty. Of being an optimist. I’d love Saints to win the World Club championships in my lifetime. Sry for wishing that,I know it will invite the usual posters to personally abuse me. But cannot account for ignorance and it’s there problem not mine. 

I still believe we can overcome the system that keeps clubs like Saints ( and many many others) in their place. But unlike the vocal critics on here I don’t think it will happen by essentially playing the game by their rules and their way. 

There are more than a few Managers out there who could “ do a job” of keeping us in the EPL. They know how to gameplay the Premier league to extract the maximum points that more limited budgets can handle - and can give you a chance of staying up. Moyes is a class act and could do it probably easy for instance. For one season or five or ten - but we surely all know by now that it needs a long term plan to get up there and stay there - because the likes of Man City Chelsea Liverpool Arsenal Man Utd don’t get relegated anymore. It’s going to be one of the others. Including Saints. Unless our structure and foundations are super deep. 

Getting to the dizzy heights of 7th is the best we can hope for given past history otherwise -  but since then the gap between the super clubs and us has only widened. So even that’s a “dream”. 

FWIW : We have a squad of mostly average and below average EPL standard players. Tyler and Aaron are not one of those but the rest - average at best, frankly, and that’s not being disrespectful- just objective. Our Manager knows almost zero about EPL management. 
 

Winning with these players and manager without being radical in your tactical approach -well the chances are slim to none because virtually every match home and away most of the opposition are favourites to win at the bookies. 
 

But - play radically get beaten - people getting angry to paraphrase The Specials. Play conventional and stay in your lane - and in your place -  and still get beaten- fans still angry. 
There’s no incentive is there. But at least the first option we are fighting not just to survive but to thrive. And that’s the difference. 

[Whitey Grandad]

2 hours ago, gio1saints said:

One two or three teams are going to win the league, the cups and all the medals.
The rest are playing  to be 4th loser or beaten finalist or not relegated or got £3m extra cos we gained a place on final day. 
 

Thats the most likely reality this EPL season.
 

And It was always very likely Saints were playing for “ not getting relegated” or at best “ got a few million extra by gaining a place on some other EPL “make up the numbers “ team.

There’s about 14 make up the numbers teams in EPL and they just rotate each year for the most part. Unless an Arab sovereign wealth fund buys you or a major hedge fund ( and even then FFP is a bitch) it’s now almost impossible to breakthrough. 
 

So- all those pragmatists out there - I admire your stoic acceptance of this status quo, but forgive my naive idealism in hoping and believing what RM has got going  - which everyone seems to criticise - is our only shot at making Saints a superpower. 
 

Whenever I see and hear so many fans and football pundits indignant at what RM is doing it just reassures me that the powers that be don’t like it and dont want us to succeed. Change play like the rest of the losers  and maybe we too can make up the numbers or get to be a “ beaten finalist” once every decade.
 

I’m glad we are currently firmly set on not doing that. We are going for the big prize- or die trying. But at least it’s a honourable death not a lickspittle existence hanging around the lower reaches of the EPL for crumbs from the big boys. 
 

So I say, Carry On PBF Russell and ignore the critics. Even Pep has intimated and said as much. I Hope it’s a wonderful match today and sry I can’t be there with our loyal, and passionate, away fans. 😇

 

 

This style is never going to work. It never has and it never will.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, pimpin4rizeal said:

You  talk of being a super power or going for the big prize . Let’s just say if russ did even get us to koeman levels (which he won’t ) big clubs would just pinch him anyway .so your dreams are pretty flawed 

It’s a very easy style to play against. If it were so bloody marvellous then every other club would be doing it. Football has been around for 150 years and yet suddenly some young upstart has stumbled upon something revolutionary which will conquer the known footballing world? Yeah, right.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

8 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

Yup my dreams are flawed. Guilty. Of being an optimist. I’d love Saints to win the World Club championships in my lifetime. Sry for wishing that,I know it will invite the usual posters to personally abuse me. But cannot account for ignorance and it’s there problem not mine. 

I still believe we can overcome the system that keeps clubs like Saints ( and many many others) in their place. But unlike the vocal critics on here I don’t think it will happen by essentially playing the game by their rules and their way. 

There are more than a few Managers out there who could “ do a job” of keeping us in the EPL. They know how to gameplay the Premier league to extract the maximum points that more limited budgets can handle - and can give you a chance of staying up. Moyes is a class act and could do it probably easy for instance. For one season or five or ten - but we surely all know by now that it needs a long term plan to get up there and stay there - because the likes of Man City Chelsea Liverpool Arsenal Man Utd don’t get relegated anymore. It’s going to be one of the others. Including Saints. Unless our structure and foundations are super deep. 

Getting to the dizzy heights of 7th is the best we can hope for given past history otherwise -  but since then the gap between the super clubs and us has only widened. So even that’s a “dream”. 

FWIW : We have a squad of mostly average and below average EPL standard players. Tyler and Aaron are not one of those but the rest - average at best, frankly, and that’s not being disrespectful- just objective. Our Manager knows almost zero about EPL management. 
 

Winning with these players and manager without being radical in your tactical approach -well the chances are slim to none because virtually every match home and away most of the opposition are favourites to win at the bookies. 
 

But - play radically get beaten - people getting angry to paraphrase The Specials. Play conventional and stay in your lane - and in your place -  and still get beaten- fans still angry. 
There’s no incentive is there. But at least the first option we are fighting not just to survive but to thrive. And that’s the difference. 

I've been reading the previous posts too. But for the one above, it's an interesting take.

On one hand giving that, short term, managers could keep us up, with the financial advantages that would bring.

But, on the other, to instead go with RM. That with the plan of maximising SR's approach. That might mean a longer curve of going down and up a couple of times.

The reward being, not only hanging in there, but thriving to the point of breaking into that top tier.

In the interests of thread balance, Cortese was pushing for us to get into the CL positions. He knew we had to keep our momentum. Partly for the finances, but also to keep the team together and build on it. That seemed lunacy, considering our position and where we'd come from at the time.

When RalphBall was clicking, we were looking a very good side, punching well above our weight, at the top end of the league. That was under resource restrictions too.

Martin's results are nowhere close to the likes of Ralph or Poch. That's both points and the feeling that we're improving, competing and seeing the fruits of the work. I guess one of your points is that this really will have to be a multi season project, if needed. I think others would rather stay in the league, and build on that to thrive.

Managerial tenures and the projects they come in with last a just over a couple of seasons. There are managers before Martin who go having "over achieved" to get into the PL as part of a plan.

Based on what happens not only elsewhere, but here with Ralph, Nathan and Ruben, I'd be surprised if SR stuck with Martin if results continue. Even if the data they use suggests he's close and he points to being 1 up against Arsenal, and conceded from winning positions against Ipswich and Leicester.

[6ft8saint]

3 hours ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Is courage knocking it back and forth two centre backs, then knocking it back and forth to two full backs? Honour? They are footballers not fuckin medieval knights jousting for a fair maiden. The only twats that have a belief in this system are Russell Martin and SR. I'm not sure who is pulling the strings behind the scenes anymore, or even if anybody is, but the quicker they realise that this shitshow is going to suck up any goodwill that SR garnered over the last year the better.

It's not medieval knights it's the yellow brick road. Bednarek is the tin man, Harwood belis the scare crow, flynn downs the lion and stephens is Dorothy. And the Martin is the wizard of Oz and just like in reality turns out to be a massive con.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

3 hours ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Martin's results are nowhere close to the likes of Ralph or Poch.

Because these managers got the team fit, and though the team weren't great players, they did ok.

With 9 games gone and one point on the board, ordinarily you'd be dead and buried. But this year, there are four team really struggling and we have a 'Get out of jail free' card given to us on a plate. What really concerns/annoys me is the RM is holding the card and he doesn't know what to do with it.

Everton home/Wolves away. Seasoning defining matches.

[Saint Fan CaM]

4 hours ago, gio1saints said:

Yup my dreams are flawed. Guilty. Of being an optimist. I’d love Saints to win the World Club championships in my lifetime. Sry for wishing that,I know it will invite the usual posters to personally abuse me. But cannot account for ignorance and it’s there problem not mine. 

I still believe we can overcome the system that keeps clubs like Saints ( and many many others) in their place. But unlike the vocal critics on here I don’t think it will happen by essentially playing the game by their rules and their way. 

There are more than a few Managers out there who could “ do a job” of keeping us in the EPL. They know how to gameplay the Premier league to extract the maximum points that more limited budgets can handle - and can give you a chance of staying up. Moyes is a class act and could do it probably easy for instance. For one season or five or ten - but we surely all know by now that it needs a long term plan to get up there and stay there - because the likes of Man City Chelsea Liverpool Arsenal Man Utd don’t get relegated anymore. It’s going to be one of the others. Including Saints. Unless our structure and foundations are super deep. 

Getting to the dizzy heights of 7th is the best we can hope for given past history otherwise -  but since then the gap between the super clubs and us has only widened. So even that’s a “dream”. 

FWIW : We have a squad of mostly average and below average EPL standard players. Tyler and Aaron are not one of those but the rest - average at best, frankly, and that’s not being disrespectful- just objective. Our Manager knows almost zero about EPL management. 
 

Winning with these players and manager without being radical in your tactical approach -well the chances are slim to none because virtually every match home and away most of the opposition are favourites to win at the bookies. 
 

But - play radically get beaten - people getting angry to paraphrase The Specials. Play conventional and stay in your lane - and in your place -  and still get beaten- fans still angry. 
There’s no incentive is there. But at least the first option we are fighting not just to survive but to thrive. And that’s the difference. 

I don’t know about you, but ever since I was a nipper kicking a ball around, football was all about winning the game. You did that by scoring more goals than the opposition. It’s really that fucking simple and may go some way to help you understand why an increasing number of Saints supporters are extremely unhappy with the tactics, performances AND the results this season.

Playing in the EPL is not some kind of rehearsal - some kind of breeding ground for yuppie managers. It would be lovely if Russ was able to unlock the talent in the squad, but all the evidence (including his time at Swansea) suggests he can’t and won’t.

[Tom57]

10 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

It’s a very easy style to play against. If it were so bloody marvellous then every other club would be doing it. Football has been around for 150 years and yet suddenly some young upstart has stumbled upon something revolutionary which will conquer the known footballing world? Yeah, right.

To be fair to him it isn't a totally new game plan. He's trying to emulate something similar to the 2010-12 sort of era Spain and Barcelona teams. Unfortunately for him and every other manager in the last ten or so years who've tried to play like that, it's impossible to get results playing that extreme possession game unless you have a group of some of the most technically gifted players to have ever played the game like Spain and Barcelona did then. Even Guardiola has stopped trying to play like that with his other teams since because even his Premier League and Bundesliga winning teams aren't technically good enough to play that way.

[Whitey Grandad]

13 minutes ago, Tom57 said:

To be fair to him it isn't a totally new game plan. He's trying to emulate something similar to the 2010-12 sort of era Spain and Barcelona teams. Unfortunately for him and every other manager in the last ten or so years who've tried to play like that, it's impossible to get results playing that extreme possession game unless you have a group of some of the most technically gifted players to have ever played the game like Spain and Barcelona did then. Even Guardiola has stopped trying to play like that with his other teams since because even his Premier League and Bundesliga winning teams aren't technically good enough to play that way.

Indeed. It requires exceptional players and and exceptional manager to lead them. Ours is technically inept and tactically unaware. His substitutions invariably make us worse.

[sadoldgit]

Erik is now available.

[Doctoroncall]

Just now, sadoldgit said:

Erik is now available.

Not sure he’ll want to be under Russell. Or are you thinking DoF?

[Matthew Le God]

3 hours ago, Doctoroncall said:

Not sure he’ll want to be under Russell. Or are you thinking DoF?

Saints already have a DoF

[Master Bates]

8 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Saints already have a DoF

Who?

[Give it to Ron]

1 minute ago, Master Bates said:

Who?

Sammy Saint going by results

[Lee On Solent Saint]

10 minutes ago, Master Bates said:

Who?

Guess he means the guy who used to sell hoovers, or what ever he did.

[coalman]

31 minutes ago, Master Bates said:

Who?

Nobody listed on the meet the leadership team page on southamptonfc.com. So I asked ChatGPT via Bing which told me Jason Wilcox then I asked Gemini via Google which said that Jason Wilcox was until he joined Manchester United. At this point I'm going to work on the assumption that the DoF exists purely as a trinary quantum wave state which cannot be observed.

[Weston Super Saint]

1 hour ago, coalman said:

Nobody listed on the meet the leadership team page on southamptonfc.com. So I asked ChatGPT via Bing which told me Jason Wilcox then I asked Gemini via Google which said that Jason Wilcox was until he joined Manchester United. At this point I'm going to work on the assumption that the DoF exists purely as a trinary quantum wave state which cannot be observed.

They just haven't been updated with "Rasmus" yet.

[coalman]

2 minutes ago, Weston Super Saint said:

They just haven't been updated with "Rasmus" yet.

I thought he was world renowned Ted Talker Director of Self Promotion?

[Weston Super Saint]

2 minutes ago, coalman said:

I thought he was world renowned Ted Talker Director of Self Promotion?

Many hats.

[coalman]

Just now, Weston Super Saint said:

Many hats.

It's like the old song

"Rasmus is a wanker, he wears a wanker's hat, he's got a lot of different ones, the stupid hipster twat"

[S-Clarke]

2 hours ago, Master Bates said:

Who?

Mark Bitcon took up the role of 'Director of Football Operations', working closely with Mowbray and Martin.

So technically, we don't have a proper DOF in any way shape of form no matter what MLG says!

[Holmes_and_Watson]

2 hours ago, coalman said:

Nobody listed on the meet the leadership team page on southamptonfc.com. So I asked ChatGPT via Bing which told me Jason Wilcox then I asked Gemini via Google which said that Jason Wilcox was until he joined Manchester United. At this point I'm going to work on the assumption that the DoF exists purely as a trinary quantum wave state which cannot be observed.

 

2 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Mark Bitcon took up the role of 'Director of Football Operations', working closely with Mowbray and Martin.

So technically, we don't have a proper DOF in any way shape of form no matter what MLG says!

If it appears on the delayed FM25, then the club are going to just have to update their org chart.

[Dark Munster]

4 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Mark Bitcon took up the role of 'Director of Football Operations', working closely with Mowbray and Martin.

So technically, we don't have a proper DOF in any way shape of form no matter what MLG says!

Yes as I said before, the lunatics are in charge of the asylum. 

[Wade Garrett]

Potter’s job opportunities are reducing.  Didn’t get the England job, seems he’s not getting Man Utd, West Ham and Palace unlikely to sack their managers.

I would be on the blower to him again.

[Roo1976]

On 26/10/2024 at 13:54, Holmes_and_Watson said:

I've been reading the previous posts too. But for the one above, it's an interesting take.

On one hand giving that, short term, managers could keep us up, with the financial advantages that would bring.

But, on the other, to instead go with RM. That with the plan of maximising SR's approach. That might mean a longer curve of going down and up a couple of times.

The reward being, not only hanging in there, but thriving to the point of breaking into that top tier.

In the interests of thread balance, Cortese was pushing for us to get into the CL positions. He knew we had to keep our momentum. Partly for the finances, but also to keep the team together and build on it. That seemed lunacy, considering our position and where we'd come from at the time.

When RalphBall was clicking, we were looking a very good side, punching well above our weight, at the top end of the league. That was under resource restrictions too.

Martin's results are nowhere close to the likes of Ralph or Poch. That's both points and the feeling that we're improving, competing and seeing the fruits of the work. I guess one of your points is that this really will have to be a multi season project, if needed. I think others would rather stay in the league, and build on that to thrive.

Managerial tenures and the projects they come in with last a just over a couple of seasons. There are managers before Martin who go having "over achieved" to get into the PL as part of a plan.

Based on what happens not only elsewhere, but here with Ralph, Nathan and Ruben, I'd be surprised if SR stuck with Martin if results continue. Even if the data they use suggests he's close and he points to being 1 up against Arsenal, and conceded from winning positions against Ipswich and Leicester.

But what happens if we dont get promoted what then?..................................................

[Holmes_and_Watson]

32 minutes ago, Roo1976 said:

But what happens if we dont get promoted what then?..................................................

Then we really will need to have a manager able to transform a team on a budget of buttons.

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

25 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Then we really will need to have a manager able to transform a team on a budget of buttons.

"...oi Ras, what did we do with Nathan's number...?"

[6ft8saint]

4 hours ago, Give it to Ron said:

Sammy Saint going by results

I thought Sammy Saint was jack stephens for the leicester city match. He looked much taller than usual

[Holmes_and_Watson]

41 minutes ago, TheAlehouseBrawlers said:

"...oi Ras, what did we do with Nathan's number...?"

Thinking of ex Luton managers, the radio indicated that Rob Edwards was starting to be under pressure.

It can go south for all sorts of reasons. So, I can understand why Martin wants to get to as high a their as possible. Because that's the group of clubs he might still be able to get work from when the inevitable parting of the ways occurs.

 

[gammon cheeks]

Moyes would be my first choice ....but would not surprise me if Lallana is in the frame .

[Roo1976]

Well Potters been rumored about Rangers job,according to Paul Robinson........................looks like were in for the long term with Russ............!

[Saint Fan CaM]

OK, a little summary…

1. We can’t afford to offload Russ.

2. Russball has been adopted across the club…it’s a long term project therefore that the club have invested in.

3. No one of any pedigree will come to us because the season is effectively over, bar a massive up turn in squad quality and performances, which would be a big ask of even the best managers. Consequently Russ is de facto the best option to keep things stable during the transition to the Championship.

4. When we go down, Russ will be seen as the best value option to get us back up, even though we’ll likely lose our better players…(Dibling, Ramsdale, KWP and ???).

As much as I hate admitting it, everything points to Russ being here for the long haul. The club don’t give a fig that we’ll be winning all the wrong records by sticking with him - their strategy is that it’ll all come good in the end.

Edited October 29 by Saint Fan CaM

[Farmer Saint]

32 minutes ago, Roo1976 said:

Well Potters been rumored about Rangers job,according to Paul Robinson........................looks like were in for the long term with Russ............!

Potter was never interested though - him going elsewhere is pretty much irrelevant to where Russ will be in a month's time.

Edited October 29 by Farmer Saint

[Farmer Saint]

11 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

OK, a little summary…

1. We can’t afford to offload Russ.

2. Russball has been adopted across the club…it’s a long term project therefore that the club have invested in.

3. No one of any pedigree will come to us because the season is effectively over, bar a massive up turn in squad quality and performances, which would be a big ask of even the best managers. Consequently Russ is de facto the best option to keep things stable during the transition to the Championship.

4. When we go down, Russ will be seen as the best value option to get us back up, even though we’ll likely lose our better players…(Dibling, Ramsdale, KWP and ???).

As much as I hate admitting it, everything points to Russ being here for the long haul. The club don’t give a fig that we’ll be winning all the wrong records by sticking with him - it’ll all come good in the end.

Yup