Ted Bates Statue

I'm hoping it gets to general sale personally, but I don't think it's much of a stretch to guess that the biggest home match all season is highly likely to be a sell-out (or very close to it), regardless of your thoughts on the manager.

Not sure what relevance this has to the discussion here. In this thread we're talking about a match between sides who have both previously employed the greatest manager in Europe.

If this is the result of finishing 4th in the Championship, Russell Martin needs to be careful or he could end up as our next director of football

It's a dead rubber between two sides that have each conceded 11 in their last 6 matches so I doubt habits will be broken for the final game. I expect there will be goals at both ends like last season's final game. 3-3 is my guess.

I was surprised to see this viewpoint as I blindly assumed they would be set at a mandatory 1.1m height. Disappointing if not the case but I guess that's what happens if the club wants to save a few quid. Still think it's a step in the right direction but there are flaws that may need ironing out over time. Given the number of people who seem hell-bent on remaining seated though, I expect I'll still have to select seats at the very back to avoid upsetting them. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/oct/18/safe-standing-barriers-are-anything-but-says-former-wembley-stadium-manager

It's probably not too much of a stretch to say most football managers have to answer to the owners in some shape or form, and it's been that way for generations. I'm sure Brian Clough had plenty to say about boardroom interference in his day. Nowadays there's a bit of extra separation from the suits. Ratcliffe has decided he wants to put his own stamp on things so he's brought Wilcox to be his puppet and we've got some pocket money out of it, no doubt to be spent on whoever's next in line from Man City's academy conveyor belt in the summer. Katharina had Les Reed and didn't we do well with him. Maybe see if we can prise him away from Wrexham and get him back here. I want to see exciting, attacking football, taking the game to our opponents by playing a high-intensity game. And he certainly knows how to achieve it. Let's bring him home. Dragan and Rasmus need to get it done, and preferably before the playoffs so we can get our new manager bounce at just the right moment.

They've already taken our director of football, very concerning news if Russell Martin is in the frame to replace Ten Hag. Why can't they leave us alone?

I think we might still get away with this style in the division we're in currently, but it certainly won't get us anywhere in the PL. I reckon Sport Republic are banking on Russell Martin getting us promoted and preparing for a swift change when we get a baptism of fire. Someone like Steve Cooper, who I believe was sounded out as a potential Hasenhuttl replacement when Semmens was still in charge.

At least it can't be 9, can it

Need to make sure that this makes an appearance in this thread. It's only been a few weeks since it was last posted.

Would be peak Saints to drop points in this fixture

Guessing the 😐 face is down to you getting paid to work at a certain club down the road 🤣 I'll probably make a beeline for safe standing as my back hurts if I sit down in stadium seats but I'm also curious if it will be priced competitively or are they going to charge more for the privilege of leaning against a bit of aluminium.

Funny how nobody thinks to scrap the endless pre-season friendly matches held in far-flung continents. It would never happen, but my preferred rule-change is if the higher-ranked club can't beat a lower division side over 90 minutes or AET, then they should forfeit the match in favour of the lower-ranked side progressing.

What you're saying makes sense although someone on here said that we were looking for a winger and a midfielder back in December before the transfer window opened, so it looks like it was a deliberate strategy