Saint Albert

Hughes seems to be dividing opinions. This from Simon Peach on Twitter... “Perhaps Mark Hughes will prove the right fit for #SaintsFC, but can’t help feeling underwhelmed. He’s done well at some clubs but I covered the entirety of his reign at QPR - that wasn’t so good” https://mobile.twitter.com/SimonPeach/status/973490227577851905

Sky Sports reckon that Hughes is the front runner, according to their sources. They could just be reading the Telegraph... http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11700/11288031/mark-hughes-emerges-as-frontrunner-to-become-southampton-manager

Perhaps referring to “Apples Jade”, a horse competing in a race that he was following / betting on. https://mobile.twitter.com/chazaustin10/status/973594325195030533 https://mobile.twitter.com/chazaustin10/status/973276249631154176

Tuchel is what got us in this mess in the first place.

Interesting perspective on the Stoke forum, which I would describe as, firstly, dismay at the news of Pellegrino’s dismissal, followed by secondly disbelief and relief that the “oxygen thief” Mark “**** up you club” (their words) Hughes is the favourite to replace him... http://oatcakefanzine.proboards.com/thread/277656/pelegr-sacked

A typically dignified farewell.

A couple of tabloids are on the Mark Hughes bandwagon. The Mail is indicating that he’s bringing his coaching staff with him... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5494633/Mark-Hughes-brink-Southamptons-new-manager.html https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/southampton-set-confirm-mark-hughes-12178649

I’m still basking in the afterglow of the club’s decision to do the obvious and sack Pellegrino. I woke up with a smile on my face, which remained when I realized that for exactly the first night in a row my family cat opted not to smear cat **** all over the main floor of my house while we were sleeping. I wish they sacked him earlier, after the Leicester game. If we go down, it will be a huge regret. With a better manager already bedded in, we may have enjoyed a better January transfer window than the one that saw Les have his pants pulled down by Monaco for Carrillo. I assume the club will as always go for someone who is presently unemployed. Hughes is not my first choice but he’s significantly better than Pellegrino and we’d stand a chance with him. It was odd that he was not even under consideration for W.Brom according to the news reports, as Pardew’s struggles continue. I’m not sure how a squad that according to some fell out with Puel, will respond to Hughes’ laconic, dour personality. I think Silva gives us the best shot at survival - if he starts off strong and burns out like he did at Hull or Watford, we may well be already safe and that is my only priority, but I will have no difficulty getting behind Hughes, because he’s better than Pellegrino and he gives us a chance.

I’m not sure where the Scottish Sun’s credibility lies in comparison to their mothership, but they reckon Les wants Rodgers... https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/2353206/celtic-southampton-brendan-rodgers-les-reed-big-admirer-vacant-post/

He was dignified while confronting his own abject failure as a football manager, and as others noted, he has gone. He’s done far too much damage to warrant much in the way of niceties.

Premier League managerial experience...that would be a first for a Saints replacement manager in the second Premer League era...Poch no PL experience, Koeman, no PL experience, Puel no PL experience, Pellegrino no PL experience (and completely useless of course) Hughes underwhelms but as stated before he’d be better than his predecessor and we’d have a chance, certainly better than if Pellegrino stayed. I don’t really like him as a long-term replacement but he may be an alright Championship manager I suppose.

If we appoint Silva, and we stay up, and he then leaves for the dugout pioneers in the off-season, I can live with that. For me job 1 is to avoid relegation. Manage the manageables and all that. If Silva then does the dirty on us (a very possible scenario) then bring Jokanovic in from Fulham in the summer if they don’t get promoted. He looks like just the ticket to me. I’d rather have him than Silva, but he’ll never leave Fulham at this juncture.

Uncle Buck is a good movie.

He would be my choice but he isn’t going to leave Fulham at this point in the season.

Took long enough.

Our only hope is that Les is doing this properly, i.e. recruiting a suitable replacement, then firing the incumbent, then announcing. I probably sound desperate.

The media team was probably just surprised to see a Saints team attacking the opposition’s net, and scoring.

Well said Adam, but I fear that the board are far too clever and good at football matters to listen to the advice of others.

I don’t want them to lose. A semi-final would be a treat for supporters with not a lot else to be happy about, and also a good national stage to lash out at Pellegrino if we draw a good side like Brighton and things go pear-shaped, as they did against Newcastle’s world beaters. After Saturday’s drubbing, the first team needs the confidence boost of beating a L1 side narrowly after playing Pellegrino’s typically rambunctious side-to-side and forward-to-back, possession-based game.

It must be almost time for another one of those Jeremy Wilson puff pieces in the Telegraph explaining why one of the worst managers in the history of the club if not the Premier League, remains employed with Saints. It might be useful to have a bingo card ready so we can look out for the usual phrases like “the first team is training well”, “the Virgil van Dijk situation made it difficult for the manager”, “lack of replacement options”, “performed better than the results indicate”, “the performances are improving”, “the players like and are behind the manager” and “the club are concerned by results and league position”. If the club come out and say that it is too late to make a change at this point in the season, I may spontaneously combust.

A game against L1 opposition feels like an opportunity to try out a new, less cautious system, if Pellegrino’s inclined to try something different.

That was also very poor. We are spoilt for choice.

Great post again. FWIW my award for sack of **** of the season goes to the Newcastle game, but Leicester comes a close second. It still amazes me that Pellegrino’s still employed with the club.

I’m starting to feel like I’m stuck in an episode of the Twilight Zone. It is bat**** crazy that this manager is still running the first team.