gio1saints

FWIW : my analysis of forum performance from a body language pov. Trollope : 10/10 At ease in front of people. Was eloquent, smiling or neutral obviously open posture. Honest no eye fidgeting face covering blushing or tics etc. No disingenuous contradictory stuff going on while he talks - just straight footballers talk. His direct advice to players “don’t wait to give the supporters reason to support you” - and to us supporters vice versa was a brilliant line. So he has motivational abilities. His relaxed demeanour but close attention to what’s said and going on throughout forum was very evident. He scanned room often- he’s trained to be observant - good sign that is for a coach/ people manager. Conclude : This guy is a real find. Parsons : 7/10 . noticeably red faced & quite touchy. Felt he looked under pressure throughout not fooled by any disguise. He did a stock FD spiel so it’s also clear he does not want to reveal anything financially of any note- most of all anything negative. Like all Financial Directors basically. Relatively Unskilled at hiding he’s got a lot going on & appearing relaxed - but he’s a ££ guy not a performer so did not expect that. I suspect he is not too difficult to trigger and put on tilt. Hope I’m wrong but his comportment shouted :I’m stressed. Conclude : He’s under strong pressure , and not just from fan forum questions - that means from upstairs. Spors : 5/10 . For answering in not first language I give some latitude - but for someone who emphasised improving intra-club communication as a priority I felt his own communication and listening skills in particular were not especially impressive. His CV I like but in person his body language and general delivery was at a lower level than I was hoped for. He was very red faced - probably sunburn rather than stress but either are not clever or coping signals. Looked noticeably uptight and -to me- a bit nervous Conclude : The heat is on. Stand and deliver time for Mr Spors. Most important to me is Trollope is a good guy and will be very valuable to our promotion campaign.

Compared to most neurotypicals, probably, maybe I appear mad. 😇. As for did he take a pay cut- I’ve no idea I just threw out a wild guess as to how it might have happened. PS. My sister just sent me a vid of my questioning Spors and describing the team, the management and the management of the management as inadequate and incompetent. Oh dear I’m outed. People will now recognise me as the “ inadequate “ bloke from the telly. Might have to grow a beard or something. 🤣

I thought Spors gave a good answer to the Stephens question but why it needed be 3 not 2or 1 could not be asked as you only allowed one go. Not being privy to what he is actually going to be paid I’m going to take a wild guess and suggest the three years was a quid pro quo for a lower weekly basic. Sound like something we might do? Spors made the call. Parsons and the Board supported it. Funnily enough the absence of any comment on if Will Still wanted it may be telling.

…and see what happened when similarly important lynchpin Wilcox left us and was not replaced quickly..

Great memory! That second question they wouldn’t let me put in a follow up for but the crowd agreed with the sentiments ie Managerial oversight failure and what specifically is in place now to ensure does not recur. I think that Spors is a good recruit because Wilcox leaving and his non / too late replacement was one of the biggest mistakes ever made. Cost us relegation imo.

Had a little chat with Trolls.. Ges been v impressed with Bragg and Sesay in particular Of the youngsters.

Yes it’s a first. They won the right to do that in a raffle.

Too late🤣

Johannesburg makes the ultimate call who we buy. That’s been made clear. It’s a committee but he is prints inter pares it seems

No Will Still. Personal issues. Paul Trollope instead.

Here in good time. Just got time to brush up my question on the beer temperatures at half time. #critical

Rudoni is valued as at least £10M. Fits our profile for sure. Coventry will probably want north of £15m for him. Especially from us. Think they paid £5m only last summer. Given the above I imagine Saints offer was something like £8m-£9m plus promotion bonuses. And with this story and the Fellowes one doesn’t it look for all the world like we are trying to get the Tyler replacement in and cheaply BEFORE the world knows we just trousered £40m+ for him and we start getting quoted Tyler Dibling inflated prices? If he remains fit, plays (well) and we go in with c £12m plus up to £3m from sone promotion clauses we might get a deal..

Is that really question you’d like asked yourself because you don’t know the answer? I’m going tonight but wonder if that’s a useful question. I’m sure they would say they are working on it and that’s that. For a question asked to be worthwhile has to be one in which they cannot trot out a standard approved answer without even having to think. They are not going to reveal “state secrets “ - they are not going to reveal who is leaving they are not going to say what the most they will spend is on a player they will not commit to a final points tally or position or even formation or playing style unless it’s the generic “ attacking and pressing” answer. Shouting at them for last years failures will only make you look stupid. Criticising SR for last year - fine- but it’s not a question it’s just a rant. Im considering the following though re SR : Preamble: “Last year the club was unprepared and uncompetitive in every footballing way possible” Actual question : What specific management and player performance evaluation measures have you installed to ensure that will not recur - or if it does it’s identified quicker and appropriate action taken. Follow up : My view is that as much as it was Russell Martins team it was obvious that the support and advice he received was inadequate or incompetent or both. There’s been changes but what truthfully have the Board learned?

Go to main sfc app log in and look in your purchases. Yeah I know it should be on the ticketing app but it’s not. Use that screen to get in.

I think Sesay and hope possibly Sanda will play this season - certainly cup games - but depending on injuries and suspensions league games also. Sesay has done very well in preseason and he may be a surprise starter v Wrexham if Flynn is not quite ready. I’m delighted we have two 18 year olds that able to play. If Will and Joe and Mateus leave ( all possibles) certainly in short term Sesay is going to get minutes and I hope he does- and thrives. It’s not inconceivable that Sanda is tried as a DCM also.

Everton apparently enquiring to Nan City about a season long loan for Grealish. That’s got to be an alternative to Tyler not as well as. Letting the news out might / more than likely is, a negotiation ploy to encourage Saints to agree a deal. That’s my take on it anyway. IF so - it shows what kind of high level performers Tyler is being compared to. And why his fee set so high.

He is still under contract to Barca until 2026 but is into final year and they are happy for him to go- one way or another. Been linked with another spell at Girona but also Real Oviedo. Via Grok. And he caught up with the squad when we were in Spain recently. He’s fit and capable and would be an excellent squad player - especially if we are playing a double six - ( Shea and Flynn or Shea and Sesay or add Will Smallbone if you must) which is his best position as a more defensively minded midfield enforcer. Given the number of games and injuries and suspensions likely to that #6 position he’d certainly be getting some games in and with his experience ( and steel) be really developmental to most of the squad id say. I vote yes please.

In theory the transfer window also encourages football clubs to think more strategically. Planning ahead is important in any business - and football IS a business. That approach was not very well understood or considered relevant to many professional football teams way back then - when chairmen and owners were usually locals who supported the club & the community in general. A socio-economic phenomenon of its time. It has grandfathered since then and today it’s big business run by often international organisations. These want reliability, consistency and plan-ability more than anything else. Planning for profit. Window is good for that. Sone people, myself included, argue that this artificially imposed buying and selling deadline now harms poorer clubs and by consequence harms grass roots football ~ more than it supports it. And needs upgrading/improvement. Footballers are human beings- not something you can optimally assemble on a production line in time for the next deadline for delivery. This system breeds inefficiency accordingly. Inevitably the prime ambition of a lower league club - let’s say Scunthorpe is not to win matches but to unearth a 17year star. That’s not what we want lower league football to be ALL about surely? Will a Scunthorpe ever rise to the EPL under the current rules? No. Or very very unlikely. Anything that improves competitiveness and the ability of lower league clubs to ascend is a good thing. I don’t think the current transfer window does that any more- if it ever did. And no I do not offer an alternative just pointing out current system needs improvement.

The Will Still comments on Gavin are NOT a glowing endorsement. They’re the kind of comment you would make if you did not want to say anything bad but do not have much on the upside. Because they are NOT a glowing endorsement either Will Still does not do glowing endorsements ( he does- see Sesay) or he is of the school if you not got anything good to say say nothing(much). Referencing recent matches as “ proof” does not fool anyone either. Gav made maybe 3 saves let 3 in was it? It’s not proof it’s a figleaf to enable us to suspend disbelief until he finally sorts out this goalie position. Seems to me Still plays his cards close to his chest , is potentially effing ruthless and his heart is most definitely not on his sleeve. It’s in his head. Good. Gav will start Wrexham but will Gav still start by windows end if he lets in a bad one or two ? Because most pundits would agree Johannesson is certainly >or better than GB.

Interesting if Will starts any of those. I really liked the shape we finished the Brighton match with. IF that’s going to be our default shape (3cb’s plus 2wing backs plus 2 sixes,) then the only improvement I can see is in changing the front three around - because all the others seem effective in those roles. A front two with a new recruit #10 is something they may have in mind ..

My best team so far plays 3CB with two aggressively attacking wingbacks a double six, our new striker, our best old striker and our boy wonder: Bazunu Ronnie. Stephens. Quarshie. Sugawara. Welington Sesay. Charles Armstrong Downs Robinson Subs : Alex, Wood, Manning, Bree, Fraser, Archer, Stewart, & any two not tactically or genuinely injured/ being protected. If starts I’m putting ££ on Sugawara / Downs to score!

Thank you @Holmes_and_Watson- I think my ( some consider pompous and self indulgent - others more kindly simply foolish) impulse to help others has its origin, like so many, in early formative years. Partly that - and partly an ever-on acute awareness of my neurodiversity and its manifestation by being very willing to spend time considering the alternates to the “status quo” position. Quite often that’s seen me espousing unpopular minority views and positions here. Some might say being a saints fan is the perfect example of supporting an unpopular minority view - but the irony of other saints fans roasting a fellow supporter for same is quite probably lost on most!

I think it’s the context - not many teams have a shiny new EPL stadium to fill and justify by winning matches this year. Everton do. They will fill the stadium but will they win matches? They couldn’t beat us at SMS last year so a big stadium filled with disgruntled supporters “ starved” of winning and of star quality players may not be pleasant. Having a couple new box office players - like Tyler- is at least some way to moderating the downsides. Albeit v expensive way.

Everton would love a new Rooney/box office star. I guess they see Tyler may be that. He may just as easily be Tottenham’s new Paul Gascoigne…

I don’t think this thread is much about him anymore. It’s about the pain and shame many supporters felt last season. Currently personified in him. The anger can reside long after initial cause has passed. Today, this, (and the match day thread ) are an easily accessible meeting place for people to release / manage that anger ( or disgust/sense of betrayal/ hatred ) It is probably doing a good job. It’s not a technical critique thread as much as an emotional outlet thread for Martin-sufferers. Martin= is still anger & shame for some, and those are very real and hurtful emotions even if he is long gone. And people like me, instead of attempting to deny the validity of those emotions by “ arguing” that he was not as bad as people make out, should really take a slice of humble pie and understand that is not the way to deal with iT. Denying the validity of people’s anger does nothing but further grievance and dig upset deeper. If posting on this thread makes people better able to cope then, wether it’s the invective aimed at Russell, the emoji derision or the ❤️backslapping of anger filled posts - or whatever it is - if it helps Saints fans reconcile to the present then as long as it’s legal - go ahead! 😇