I have an admission to make

[Francis1947]

I have to make an admission of guilt here on this website. I truly felt something last night that has never ever happened to me beforecer 

May I first put it into some context. I am 76 years of age and rarely post here but I am an avid reader and follower of posts.  I have been a Saints fan since 1959. I am Pompey born but my Father left the Royal Navy in 1959 after 22 years service, coming out as a CPO. I by the way, followed him into the Navy.

He obtained a job as a Pipefitter with Foster Wheelers at Fawley Refinery which was being built at the time and so the entire family moved from Portsmouth to the Waterside. I was 10 years old at the time and my Father and I were both avid Pompey fans. However we were both devotees of football and so rather reluctantly decided to go the Dell and Watch Southampton FC.

And so over the years until his death in 1980 from asbestosis, we becaome committed Saints fans. Going to the FA Cup Final in 1966 , the preceding semi-final against Malcolm Allisons Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge and a particuarly disappointing semi-final v Everton at Highbury after his death.

My admission is that for the very first time in my life as a Saints supporter, I wanted this side to lose badly after the display in the first half. I openly wanted and desired that Bournemouth would score another 2/ 3/4 against us in the second half and seal this mans departure from the Club as the Manager. Is that unforgiveable ?

I have read the many posts since the match detailing the tactics the strategy and the selection of the side so there really isnt any need to add to any of that. Many were written in a much more eloquent way than I could ever manage.

However, I honestly believe that if we had gone down last night to a 5 / 6 nil defeat by Bournemouth .....and you have to repeat and re-read that don't you !!!!!..... Bournemouth for Chrissakes !!!!!!!! even these owners could surely not have allowed for this to continue coud they ?

But he's still here. Spouting his nonsense in the post match press conference. And on we go to Arsenal on Saturday.  It has to end soon. 

[Badger]

Thanks for sharing that insight (and personal history of how you joined the righteous side of Hampshire football).

In truth I expect many have harboured similar feelings of not being fussed about the result if it would bring a close to a manager’s time with us (Jones that’s certainly the case with many - just look on here -wanting him out,  and Branfoot years ago I should think). 

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Badger said:

Thanks for sharing that insight (and personal history of how you joined the righteous side of Hampshire football).

In truth I expect many have harboured similar feelings of not being fussed about the result if it would bring a close to a manager’s time with us (Jones that’s certainly the case with many - just look on here -wanting him out,  and Branfoot years ago I should think). 

Yep, several times under Branfoot as a teenager I wanted the heavy defeats to end his time as manager. The defeats came alright but Guy Mr Burns Askham gave him a 3 year contract instead of the sack. Pellegrino was the other one - dreadful and even worse than Branfoot. 

Didn't quite reach that stage with Nathan Jones or Martin yet and to be honest until SR get a UK-experienced and high quality Head of Football, CEO and First Team Manager who can keep the door closed and locked on Rasmus Ankerson, I can’t see the replacement being any better.

Still no excuse for Martin to be in post though.

Edited October 1 by Gloucester Saint

[Esher Saint]

smashing post - thanks for this.

felt the same....although when the cameras panned in on RM at 3-0 down he looked so hopelessly dejected I did feel a bit sorry for him.

bottom line is, its all down to the owners to act quickly. 

right now they are more at fault than anyone for not taking the necessary action. 

 

 

[Francis1947]

3 hours ago, Esher Saint said:

 

felt the same....although when the cameras panned in on RM at 3-0 down he looked so hopelessly dejected I did feel a bit sorry for him.

 

 

 

Good morning Esher Saint

Yep, I do know what you mean there. I hope I'm not a hard hearted man and I like you had a tinge of sympathy when you saw those pics of him. He looked utterly lost didnt he.

However to put it into perspective , he earns more than I could have ever dreamed of in my two careers. If he does go, he will depart with a lucrative redundancy / departure ( call it what you will ) package and as always the way with Football, he will undoubtedly find a club in months , probably in the Championship, who is willing to take him and his type of play and strategy on and pay him handsomely again.

In comparison I have alot more sympathy for the steel workers at the Port Talbot Steelworks who learnt this week, that the Site is to be permanently closed and they will lose their jobs. I'm pretty certain that those blokes will be unable to ever find similar skilled hard nosed jobs again.

So, back to the football. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think we now have Arsenal and Leicester away in our next two games. You would like to think that the Leicester game is key in whether Martin survives.

And being a true Saints fan, I believe, even after those 2 games, there's still time to survive in this Prem league if we have the resolve to change Manager and with it , tactics, selection and strategy.    

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, Francis1947 said:

Good morning Esher Saint

Yep, I do know what you mean there. I hope I'm not a hard hearted man and I like you had a tinge of sympathy when you saw those pics of him. He looked utterly lost didnt he.

However to put it into perspective , he earns more than I could have ever dreamed of in my two careers. If he does go, he will depart with a lucrative redundancy / departure ( call it what you will ) package and as always the way with Football, he will undoubtedly find a club in months , probably in the Championship, who is willing to take him and his type of play and strategy on and pay him handsomely again.

In comparison I have alot more sympathy for the steel workers at the Port Talbot Steelworks who learnt this week, that the Site is to be permanently closed and they will lose their jobs. I'm pretty certain that those blokes will be unable to ever find similar skilled hard nosed jobs again.

So, back to the football. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think we now have Arsenal and Leicester away in our next two games. You would like to think that the Leicester game is key in whether Martin survives.

And being a true Saints fan, I believe, even after those 2 games, there's still time to survive in this Prem league if we have the resolve to change Manager and with it , tactics, selection and strategy.    

We are at home to Leicester 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Interesting post @Francis1947

Within the internet years, I've definitely been on the other side of that.

I've argued that I would never want to see my side lose. Whatever the reason.

But that's me missing the point really. None of us do.

It's the wider picture of forcing an action compared to deeper damage from smaller, continuing defeats everyone can see coming.

I want Martin to succeed. We're not adrift.

But again, we all want him to succeed, and we'll be adrift soon enough if it doesn't click.

In the end, I'm hoping that SR make the right decision for the club. Not just in the action, but in looking at how they've brought in successors.

[Saint86]

The issue is Sports Republic. They're woefully out of their depth and have spent hundreds of millions to gut every level of the club to a level below even that of the penny less Gao / Semmens / Ralph years... In fact, i think our only saving grace last year was that they had Lavia and Tino on the books to flog for big money and tidy profits... one final gift from SR's predecessors? Martin looks like he is far from up to the required level, but i feel sorry for him... and when he does eventually get sacked, SR will find someone else who isn't up to it to replace him with no doubt.... All of which makes it a bit pointless hating on Russel Martin and hoping the team lose... Are you in a rush to have the next Selles or Nathan Jones at the club?! 😂

[westmidlandsaint]

Great post @Francis1947. I totally get where you are coming from too. I have never gone into that start of a game wanting a defeat but there have been times during games (especially under Nathan Jones) where the game has gone and I've thought maybe if we conceded another 3 or 4 the manager surely wouldn't survive this!!

I was close to that point Monday. I do believe the 2nd half masked the damage to a certain degree. 

Martin baffles me, I want to like him and obviously want him to do well and i'll always thank him for giving me Wembley experience with my son and seeing the pure joy on his face at full-time. However, Mondays team was a step too far. Starting with no strikers, you're not Pep and we're not City/Barcelona and don't have the quality of players who can interchange positions like that for it to be able to work. 5 strikers on the bench because "he wanted to be aggressive and attacking with his subs" pointless when you're 3-0 down. I manage my sons U15's if I turned up on a Sunday morning and said "we're playing without strikers today lads" I would get all sorts of flack from parents and players.

He seems to have a good relationship with the players, thats certainly the narrative of the clubs media department but at the same time they dont seem to be playing for him at the moment, more like rolling over and dying on monday. 

As i said on another thread if he's not willing to change his philosophies he's got to go, because there's only one way we'll be heading,. Do I trust the board to make the right replacement decision......i dont think i do  

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Saint86 said:

The issue is Sports Republic. They're woefully out of their depth and have spent hundreds of millions to gut every level of the club to a level below even that of the penny less Gao / Semmens / Ralph years... In fact, i think our only saving grace last year was that they had Lavia and Tino on the books to flog for big money and tidy profits... one final gift from SR's predecessors? Martin looks like he is far from up to the required level, but i feel sorry for him... and when he does eventually get sacked, SR will find someone else who isn't up to it to replace him with no doubt.... All of which makes it a bit pointless hating on Russel Martin and hoping the team lose... Are you in a rush to have the next Selles or Nathan Jones at the club?! 😂

Very much agree, and as poor as Martin has been this season there’s just no top level football experience to rein him in a bit and get the detail focus the squad needs. SR needs an experienced top level DoF and first team manager at SFC just as much as SFC needs them.

Edited October 3 by Gloucester Saint

[sydney_saint]

I find this post utterly bizarre. I too want Martin gone. But in all of your time supporting, there have been far far worse managers. Fuck, we've had worse managers in the last couple of years with Jones and Selles. Then you add in Burley (who like Martin had an over resourced team but actually failed to get us up), Wigley, Wotte/Poortvielt combo, Branfoot etc. 

If that was the first time ever you have wanted to see the opposition score to get a manager out, it says more about you mate. 

[Whitey Grandad]

6 minutes ago, sydney_saint said:

I find this post utterly bizarre. I too want Martin gone. But in all of your time supporting, there have been far far worse managers. Fuck, we've had worse managers in the last couple of years with Jones and Selles. Then you add in Burley (who like Martin had an over resourced team but actually failed to get us up), Wigley, Wotte/Poortvielt combo, Branfoot etc. 

If that was the first time ever you have wanted to see the opposition score to get a manager out, it says more about you mate. 

What is the relevance of previous managers? All that matters is who we have now.

Burley got us to the playoffs but we went out on penalties. Not a lot in it.

[Gloucester Saint]

3 hours ago, sydney_saint said:

I find this post utterly bizarre. I too want Martin gone. But in all of your time supporting, there have been far far worse managers. Fuck, we've had worse managers in the last couple of years with Jones and Selles. Then you add in Burley (who like Martin had an over resourced team but actually failed to get us up), Wigley, Wotte/Poortvielt combo, Branfoot etc. 

If that was the first time ever you have wanted to see the opposition score to get a manager out, it says more about you mate. 

Worst of the lot for me taking into account the resources and standard of football was Pellegrino. Fell asleep at the Watford home game in the sunshine after Fraser let the second daisy cutter in from range, and the nadir was 10 men behind the ball v Huddersfield at 1-0, league’s lowest scorers there for the taking after Austin’s early goal. Les must have been highly pickled that season not to have sacked him before March, or an ego the size of Rasmus,

[sydney_saint]

On 04/10/2024 at 18:26, Gloucester Saint said:

Worst of the lot for me taking into account the resources and standard of football was Pellegrino. Fell asleep at the Watford home game in the sunshine after Fraser let the second daisy cutter in from range, and the nadir was 10 men behind the ball v Huddersfield at 1-0, league’s lowest scorers there for the taking after Austin’s early goal. Les must have been highly pickled that season not to have sacked him before March, or an ego the size of Rasmus,

Jesus, I had blocked him out. Stick him front of the list I agree. 

[LiberalCommunist]

The cost for me, of all these defeats not stinging, is the wins don’t feel as good either. This going back around four\five seasons now. When we do pickup our first win this term, I already know the buzz will be gone by morning. Used to dine out all week on a win. The games gone. I guess that’s why there’s a few of us with unwavering adulation for MLT, no matter what he says. 

[Gloucester Saint]

2 minutes ago, LiberalCommunist said:

The cost for me, of all these defeats not stinging, is the wins don’t feel as good either. This going back around four\five seasons now. When we do pickup our first win this term, I already know the buzz will be gone by morning. Used to dine out all week on a win. The games gone. I guess that’s why there’s a few of us with unwavering adulation for MLT, no matter what he says. 

Similar for me. I’d go back to Pellegrino, briefly flickered again under Ralph and enjoyed the Project Restart little phase. Enjoyed last season a bit more and Wembley was great, but seen far too many poor decisions and a reek of complacency and lack of energy from the people running the club. We could be a regular PL club again but not unless the owners bring in some football leadership with top flight experience.