Holmes_and_Watson

Very possibly happens at the switchover. At the moment we become a Championship club, and can nip off to nab our new manager. 🙂

I can't say much about the quality, as I've pretty much watched our games. However, it has been good to see Forest and Villa push for CL places. Both have significant investment. At the same time, Man Utd, Tottenham falling away gives hope that within the 17, there can be gradual shifts. A few seasons without CL money will start to make a difference. Yes, it does look harder to come up and stay up. However, SR's approach hobbled us, Leicester imploded from within, and it was Ipswich's second promotion in a row. Hopefully, more stable clubs can make a better go of it in seasons to come.

I've moved on, really...

So, hypothetically, SR would have no involvement in any of the decision making? 🙂 Well...

Oh c'mon. What could a vastly experienced PL manager and the manager of one of Europe's biggest clubs possibly have to teach SR and their hipster picks?

SR history would suggest that we break the spending rules by burning through another 3 managers & staff, and bringing in another 30 non PL capable players. On that basis, no. 🙂

MLG is one of those people who manages to be wrong and look stupid, whether he's committing to an opinion or not. I was rather hoping we were having a break from it, after the recent nonsense. Still came across very well. Good communication, presentation and depth. He's very aware of the message he's getting across and the presentation reinforces their training. None of it's there for show, or to needlessly complicate. But that's not as important as transferring that into results. So another plus, for me, is that he's now had multiple seasons in a top 5 league. That's with a plus of it being with 2 clubs, which is another checklist tick. My preference is to have someone who can help shape the club, to challenge Spors and SR, and to drive us to PL sustainability. For me, that's not yet Still. Even if we do look back at his glittering career later on and know we missed out a bit. It's a bit about the here and now needs to reshape things across the board. That said, the moment whoever gets announced gets full support.

Good grief. Last second drama there.

Abu!

Just looking at the last side we had that managed to stay in the PL. That was 15th in 2021/22. While we didn't play the system at the time, and managers have changed, a 4-2-3-1, with the regular starters, would look something like:- Forster (19 Apps) - (Although mainly back up, played for Tottenham in the Champions league in 22/23, and has 7 league starts this season for them.) Livramento (25/3 Apps) - (In a Champions League spot with Newcastle) Walker Peters (29/3 Apps) - About to leave on a free transfer. Bednarek (30/1 Apps) - Still here, and despite being sent out on loan under Ralph, and SR buying plenty of other CBs, is now our best defender. Salisu (33/1 Apps) - (In a Champions League spot with Monaco) Romeu (34/2 Apps) - (Was playing European football for Barcelona in 23/24. Still a regular in La Liga for Girona.) Ward Prowse (36 Apps) - (Was playing European football for West Ham in 23/24) Armstrong, A (17/6 Apps) - Great in the Championship, but unable to produce in a PL Saints team. Armstrong, S (15/10 Apps) (With Sheff Wed since 01/25, following his spell with the Vancouver Whitecaps. Hair still awesome) Tella (10/4 Apps) - (In a Champions League spot with Leverkusen, a competition he's played in 24/25 too) Adams (23/7 Apps) (Torino's top scorer in Serie A in 24/25. They are midtable in Serie A) In the squad we also had:- Perraud (18/2 Apps) - (In a Europa League spot with Real Betis, and played Euro Conference for them regularly in 24/25) Elyounoussi (23/7) - (Regular in Champions and UEFA Conference with Copenhagen) Redmond (20/7 Apps) - (Qualified for Europe with Besiktas in 22/23. Not so great a spell with Burnley since.) Broja - (21/11) - only on loan with us. That was the side, that had seen very little investment for seasons, that Sport Republic had to reinforce to support Ralph. Of the current team, rooted to the bottom of the PL, following SR's investment:- Ramsdale would be an upgrade on Forster. Fernandes would be competing with Stu for a place. All that investment for 1 upgrade to a veteran player and someone who would be getting lots of minutes when Stu wasn't starting. Quite a grim assessment on how far SR, and their recruitment genius, haven't taken us. Livramento, Romeu, Ward Prowse, Tella and Adams would walk back into the side. Salisu showed he was better in the PL than anyone who followed him here, and would get my nod in the first 11 pretty easily). You could argue we did bring in Lavia, if only to sell him as quickly as we could, as we went down. Now on 14 league starts and 1 UEFA conference app for Chelsea this season following injury who currently in a Champions League spot. But we'd have needed someone else, with his injuries and we went down with him. He'd get in now, because Romeu is towards the end of his career, he's fit and has developed as he looked very capable of doing. Alcaraz was moved swiftly on by Martin, like Perraud, but now a regular on loan starter, with a PL side that isn't being relegated. As we look to get promoted next season, it's currently with Ramsdale and Fernandes who would get into that side. Bednarek and AA still there, because we've simply not been able to recruit anyone better, despite all that investment. And we seem to have tried lots of SR options.

#scartissue 🙂 Hopefully, we'll get over it.

With the SR salute before every game....

Credit to the Rapid Reaction Marketing Force, waiting to lauch, like Thunderbirds, on the back of fleeting moments of good cheer this season. 🙂

Perhaps with someone they've worked with... Meet the new management team! Lydon: Right lads. Remember: Anger is an energy. anger is an energy. May the pitch rise with you. May the pitch rise with you. Now, get out there and don't open up for the other team!

Saints still having something to play for despite the relegation. A very different table of achievement. 🙂 "on for"? We're in it! 🙂

Oh, when will genuine human posters take a stand ...Bzzt...Whirr...AND JOIN THEIR FELLOW PUNY FLESHLINGS IN GIVING AN OVATION TO THE MASTERY OF AI...click...bzzzt... Only then will we free ourselves from it's threat!

My accurate summary of your latest embarrassing failure is there for all to see.

While some are deceased, that's still no reason that can't be the core of SR's championship squad, and reflected in the badge. 🙂

Just bringing these to where the discussion began, to avoid derailing a different thread. In response to suggestions for a ship, that could be on the badge ( because the original post in this sequence said that it should have been a ship on the badge), did you suggest The Mayflower? - Yes, you did. When it was pointed out the generally accepted links the Mayflower has with other areas, did you persist in claiming it was really Southampton? - Yes, you did. Despite being reminded of this again, and the ship already appearing on the badges of other clubs, did you try to justify it further by suddenly being a font of knowledge on 1620 repair times? - Yes, you did. Did you try to connect the faith of the Pilgrims with St Mary's, only for that to be pointed out to you being exactly the organised religion they were trying to get away from, at which point you dropped it sharpish? - Yes you did. It's there, above, for anyone to see. Well, you've been caught twice recently for editing your posts after responses/reactions and pretending you hadn't. Not to mention all the previous times. So, who knows how long your originals will be there. Baffling why you persist with your approach in so many threads. Completely unnecessary, and you haven't looked anything other than embarrassing in any of them.

So you were just disagreeing with a point that no one had made in posts, you felt the need to quote. Thanks for confirming.

I'm stuck between a heart and a laughing emoji. Have you a preference? 🙂 Excellent.

I'm not seeing any reference in the first two posts regarding Still's experience. Could you explain where you're seeing that MLG?

Well it's MLG. So that's hardly going to stop him. Don't let it's ties with Plymouth, or it's appearance or their badge and Boston's make you prejudge. Don't let MLG's quickly discredited attempt at linking the Pilgrims with St Mary's dissuade you. You might not have read his post regarding 1620 ship repair times, that makes the Mayflower ours. All on the crest thread, if you find there's nothing else on the planet worth doing, and you want a chuckle. On the manager front, either Rohl, Still or any number of up and coming managers may prove to be decent. SR's record of picking any of them is zero for their PL goal. I'd prefer a steadier, more experienced manager. Because someone has to be strong enough to tell SR what's needed, and work with Spors, rather than following what SR happen to believe a master plan is.

He had a massive smile after that clearance, as he was aware that he could have thumped it into his own net. But he got there, and saved us conceding.