saint michael

We seem to have got to the point where the unconventional approach and business model to running a football club is greater than common sense. I believe we have done a lot of good things over the last few years but have also got a lot of things wrong and as a result missed our opportunities when they have arisen. To move from a smaller club to bigger club as was desired takes risk and when we had the opportunity to do so and make a statement to players and good management, we decided not to and from that point our business model changed to becoming a development club with potential upgrading on the back of it, this probably happened without realising the consequences that no activity would deliver this change. This change fails when either players are not as good as were thought to be when bought, or management fails to deliver, which is what has happened with a combination of both. Now we are in a pickle because to get out of this we need to have a drastic short term fix of “conventional”, buying mature proven players to fix a short term problem. This is where I’m not sure and don’t know if Reed is big enough to change to do this and in doing so admit mistakes ....or simply continue to go down the same pattern we are in and then Lady Luck will play her part...

I feel sorry for the guy. He always seemed to be a 100% guy but as has been said earlier you get found out in this league pretty quickly if you are short of the required skill

I think that Klassen at Everton is finding out how different this league is too

I sit in the itchen at st mary's and arrive a bit later so haven't seen the warm up for sometime. To start with I thought they were taking the pi**. This should be the final piece of weekly practice but some of them could hardly kick the ball with any conviction. Shocking....

Did anybody watch the shooting practice yesterday before the game? It was like the keystone cops... Observations rather than opinion:- . Played against a side willing to press who tired in the second half giving us a little more space . We have ability still to control ball in tight situations and make space . We look for certainty rather than risk . Final ball gets us into wing positions with nobody in centre . Playing more as individuals now than team players holding ball and waiting for movement rather than anticipating . Great running forward and we play him as a target man . Too light weight getting pushed easily . Body language shows team are clearly unhappy with something . Can't really see change happening from last year tactics . Defenders not attacking first ball and letting ball over head and retrieving . Forster not able to read game and cut things out remember the Niemi and how he stopped things building, also not brave in way he comes out Etc etc Something has to give for things to change....

I understand what you are saying but I'm not sure anybody ever makes a clear offer anymore. It seems to me that the rumours and behind the scenes chat always start the selling process. It still hasn't stopped his poor shoddy cheap behaviour. I think I would reverse this and go out and say he is for sale at X millions now put up or shut up and say to his agent. If your good go out and get it or get your player playing I'm not always behind Les but what more can he do than tie a player down on a long term contract and tell clubs he is not for sale

I really rate VVD but let's sell him and anybody else that think they want to go. Would we really want somebody who is striking to get away to only stay with saints because he can't force the move through? It is clear football isn't what it was when I started watching years ago and players arent ever going to be loyal like they once were. It frustrates the f out of me this type of me me me behaviour but we are not going to change it. The one thing I ask is that we really do look at bringing in some proven prem experience to blend into a developing squad. I see that the lack of prem experience as the biggest risk

I really do admire the optimistic views you put forward. People need time and chance to show what they can do so am not one for sacking quickly ...... however all the signs are there that the underlying performance of the team is not good. You can maintain things for a while before it really bites you and when you realise that it is then its too late. I believe we are on this journey and need to turn things quickly. He seems totally incapable of motivating and changing things.... therefore time to go Claude

I'm glad we are not in a relegation fight. I don't see a team who can fight with their backs to the wall too many light weights and a manager that doesn't motivate and organise. When you see him on the line he looks frustrated and angry. I'm not sure what they are not doing that he expects because I see don't see any development. They clearly are not going to get rid so I don't think things are going to get better soon. You just can feel the progress that we have made starting to slide

I think we are in a situation now where no one is playing to their ability and so signings are not going to get out out of this. This is the moment where management and leadership are key to turnaround our form. So for me the question is do we think RK has the ability to get this group and shake them out of this dip and regroup to start working together? When you see them confidence is clearly low and the slightest thing that goes against us seems to be magnified and they just seem to crumble. I'm not sure on Ron. I really like him as a bloke and the fact he is open and straight. Has he got the ability to get us going...well I guess we will find out. The thing that worries me most is that when things are going wrong on the pitch he rarely is on the line changing and talking to players to make the outcome different. Here's hoping, but wouldn't put faith that anybody coming in is going to turnaround the team confidence

Roy worked with my dad in the docks and had many great days out with the crowd as a kid. sad news RIP Roy

Selling players give us one off benefit. Keeping and getting higher in the league gives us continual higher benefit. Keep and we are better off every year. We must get over this sell off mentality. The more we do this the better we become the more people will want to stop. We have to create this it will not just happen one day.

What were you saying?

Ron even

Not sure we have changed our philosophy so standing still may be an outcome of recruitment and that the continued changes are having an effect. Things that concern me are:- not being able to keep Toby and add players like VVD, squad body language doesn't seem quite the same this year, leaders on the pitch and I know this will not be popular but we are starting to see what Poch is doing at Spurs and think we miss this too...much as I believe Rin is great guy

What did he do? Serious question.

How tadic plays week in and week out God only knows. We let puncheon go for him..... What a good decision that was. He loves himself

Thank F there are some bad sides in this league....anybody who don't think we are in a fight needs to get real. I wonder what will happen if we get I a a bad run. We lack passion and commitment

I would prefer to let him go and take the money. He has no place with us now. Feel it's different to Morgan situation as he gave a lot more to us over time. I hate this disloyalty and yes I know all the reasons why this happens but still wrankles with me.

Quote Originally Posted by saint michael View Post I agree but I'm saying sooner or later this tactic is likely to catch up with us. Forming a strong team and strong team culture is not easy to maintain when you change as often as we are. Last year was exceptional but we still retained a lot of the group that had got us into the prem. This core group is now getting less. We should not expect to be able to do this every year The core group you describe as getting us to the Premier League has decreased significantly in number, but that has been with another large group of better players who got us to 8th and 7th. Quote. Do you still believe this? You know who you are

Yes UCk off glory hunters lets get back to a real competition where if we play well we have chance of winning league

UCk him let him go. I've got to the point where I don't give a flying UCk that they want o go. Seriously when I think about when I first started supporting saints in the sixties Paine and davies and McGrath giving their all week in week out I just can't relate saints to this lot now

1 win in 9 now I don't see any quick fixes here. Long hard season ahead I feel

Ŵe obviously rate Feyenoord for development why don't we form an arrangement with them and let our youngsters go s a group so that they could get used to playing together in competitive games

I think that is 1 win in the last 8 league games now. So when we took out the core of the team with injuries last season think we saw a glimpse of this.