Saint86

I personally have seen enough of Martin to completely change my opinion around - I want us to be keeping him even if we don't get promoted - and letting him properly build a side this summer. I think he's done a pretty good job all in all this year, and he's a young manager who needs to make mistakes and learn, and to have some of his edges worn off. Another year in the champ where he's allowed to better build a team over the summer wouldn't be the worst thing that happens to us. The bigger concern is that is the structure in place above/behind him to actually focus on good player recruitment this summer (as opposed the priority last summer being to flog as many assets as possible to meet ffp requirements). For example, i've moaned all year about lack of cover at FB, at CDM etc. (and those are valid), but actually recently what has been really obvious is that once creative players go off, we struggle - players like Stu/armstrong - ones who can carry the ball and make something happen from midfield, who can create with their vision and passing - and actually utilise the runners of our strikers and wide me. Without them, we lose so much composure and control from our game, our threat reduces, our possession reduces, and it allows the other teams to push up more, win the ball back, and start to hurt us. Rothwell just doesn't fit the bill for that role, and Smallbone doesn't either. So whilst we have all mostly moaned at him for subs, there aren't replacements for those type of players in the squad -and that ultimately is on the recruitment side and Wilcox, with an acknowledgement that the bottom line last summer was to balance the books sadly. If that can be addressed in the summer (as well as CDM, a good finisher (perhaps that is steward), and full back cover - i think we'll be well set to go again next year. I do also think he's getting a lot of unfair disrespect from some fans over what he's achieved - given how he's completely changed the club's mentality around (from relegation to chasing promotion), changed the tactical style, and still built a very competitive side despite the chaos of the summer - its impressive imo - and the reality is that we are a joy to watch in full flow. Yes, he was pissing me off with his "being brave, proud of the players", and that smug chin right in your face every interview... Yeah, i can't lie, that was all grating... but on reflection - what do we (as fans) want - journeyman managers that come in, impose their own style and players and then f'off at the first majority, or are fans prepared to embrace a project? Maybe this is naive of me as most saints fans seemed to want Ralph out, so maybe they do just want a conveyor of short term disloyal managers... but from where we are now, we need a plan for the prem, and with commitment to Martin and his style of play i can in all seriousness see a successful step up in the future - it needs us and him to improve, and for a good summer of recruitment - but we should be targeting all of those things as standard?!. And frankly, its a freak season with respect to just how good we'd had to have been to have been promoted - Any other year we'd have been comfortable (with corresponding reductions in pressure), and wouldn't have had the fixture pile up we've had for the run in due to the fire and Leicester postponement to boot. And also, I have moaned about him all year - But I equally can't blame him for things like that Cardiff loss (amongst many others) - Armstrong, Che, Brooks to name a few... Its pretty damn evident that decent finishing would have made a huge difference this year (sweepstake @anyone over how many SR windows we go before we sign one and can stop saying this?) - and there are games where i swear our strikers couldn't hit a barn door at 6 yards due to lack of composure. Team Martin for me at the present time.

Struggling to work out what part of installing rail seating in northam required the away fans to move to the kingsland chapel corner and the club pissing off a good part of SMS in the process.

I sadly think the net result of all the changes will be lower season ticket sales and lower "attendances".

I gave you a list of players that also aren't meeting your criteria for being allowed to play twice in a week without any injuries being the manager's fault. Add to that the fact that we have a medical team who's responsibility it is to control and restrict game minutes if their are fitness concerns, and yet you're still on here blaming the manager for a freak injury.

What... like Aribo, Smallbone, Downes, Brooks, Rothwell, Edozie, or Sulemana lately 🤣 Absolute straw man argument. And also, its the medical team that govern restrictions on game minutes

He was benched for Coventry, Blackburn, Watford. Starts either side of that... So this was his second start of this "run"... and he only played 70min vs Preston. To state he's been overplayed and fatigued and to then attack and blame the manager for that injury is laughable.

The only thing that is mind boggling is that none of us are surprised with how it ended.

What an absolutely laughable thing to blame the manager for. Get a grip ffs.

Yup, last game for saints as well. What a day.

Absolutely fucking pathetic today. Lost to an injury ravaged team with a bunch of academy players. All this in a must win game where our attackers messed about like it was a training game. Jokers.

Totally lost the plot here.

Lost the plot here. Incredibly poor today. Adams and Brooks in particular treated it like at training game and their profligacy and casualness has certainly helped cost us.

We are wasting so many chances here.

Embarrassing finishing today.

https://x.com/SouthamptonFC/status/1781390801810940396 Like it or not, he's a key part of our game. Pretty apt example truth be told - since playing it to baz led to a goal against today's opponents. We play the ball around the back to draw teams on and break - and Macca and Lumley are no where near as good at that as Baz was.