Holmes_and_Watson

Armstrong and Occam in swap deal shocker! 🙂

I was going to say I'd like to go to that shop, but maybe a different aisle. But I'd have ended up coming out with those players too. Even knowing how it turned out, I'd go into that shop and probably still come out with them. 🙂

Tripped across something on Reed and Wilson today:- Towards the end of the book Football Hackers, the author is summing up. He talks about the crises that often formed part of data revolutions in clubs, resulting in the rise of your Klopps, and, in fincanially stricken clubs, opening the doors for the likes of Matthew Benham. There's a bit on Southampton under the opening sentence "But it is easy to be led astray from successful paths..." On Saints, some of the big data analysts "are impressed by their managerial strategy." The analysts told the author that "When we visted them, Sporting Director Les Reed had a folder on his desk which read 'Champions League Ready' - it was their strategy for the year 2020. That was in 2015. They were planning 5 years ahead." The author continues "But things didn't go according to plan in Southampton, Their coaching appointments stopped working out, some of their transfers backfired and when Les Reed was sacked in November 2018, the Champions League was a mere afterthought for a Saints team battling relegation." When I read it, I was reminded of all the other offices that had appeared as backdrops in the book, as the author visted various coaches. Some had big TVs on the wall, lots had a laptop, with one combining it with binders of notes. One had his personality profile on the wall as all the players had theirs done, and one had a nice view of their stadium. But all of it was day to day stuff of what they were working on, rather than a shiny binder selling a future. But perhaps it was wasn't a boast that Reed just liked to have on his desk when he knew visitors would be arriving. Perhaps he shared some of what was in it with the analysts, and my first thought was a harsh one. I've not checked to see if analysts careers have nose dived, as a result of flicking through it. (cheap shot, but couldn't resist, and to be fair the binder was there in Koeman's tenure.) On Wilson, the radio had someone from Rangers commercial side on, following their Euro progression. He mentioned "Ross" and "football transformation" in the same sentence. They seem really pleased with the work being done by him.

Or taking a flying lunge at the manager's door.

I'd imagine a fair bit of the glossy spin on this approach will be to sell it to parents of kids. Even as we groan at the new names for old terms. Seeing that there will be a defined development path with performance indicators, will remove some of that randomness of hoping their kid's talent rises above the others in a wider group. Of course, clubs worth their salt will be guiding individuals anyway. Lots of this should be old hat. But this systemises it, removes gaps where/ if the academy wasn't performing this way. One pitfall is that this new approach isn't flexible to change, and becomes outdated, with the regime unwilling to change, resulting in many of the same issues as before. But the people there should know that.

Hate to necro a thread since I'm not long here, but.... David Connonlly is doing co-commentary tonight. Before the game, the Harry Kane stroy came up, along with gentleman's agreements. Connolly said he had such an agreement with Saints. That a new contract was on the table for him, as he dealt with his dying mother and he needn't worry about it. Then he had an (other) knee injury and that agreement vanished. Instead he was released.

Barcelona wonderkid joins Saints! Xavi Jr stated that, although the Hoof it up to the Big Man approach of The Gaffer was reknowned, it was the work under Sgt Major Shouty that he was looking forward to most. I was watching clips of old England and Scotland qualification runs at the Euros and, despite lots of nostalgia for the times, things look good for the current squad.

In the old days:- Game Coach: Normal training Individual Development Coach: Staying on after training to practice a few things, like free kicks. 🙂 Done well, and there's no reason to think it won't be, there are loads of positives in having developing players shown individual care, attention and defined goals, in progressing all their skills. Not only will it make them feel far better supported, it will develop standards that should see even those who don't make it here have careers in the game and show prospective talents that their development lies here.

Can't really have asked for a more positive set of young signings. Arguably, it sort of fills in the gaps that were supposed to be filled by our own Academy (assuming everything had gone really well there). Hopefully it will be a case of all of them stepping naturally up into first team football, from clubs where their pathway was blocked, rather than being thrown into the deep end. And that they'll be the core of a Premier team, rather than something with echoes of the Lowe era. Focus on the half full glass...focus on the half full glass...they are insane signings...insane...

Well, that would improve the goalkeeping, but would we still need some extra depth up front? 🙂 I picked up FM21 on the eve of the Euros. I'd read that there wouldn't be much transfer activity due to Covid. Then Real Madrid came in for McCarthy. I just stared at the screen, wondering just how much influence MLG has managed to get there over the years. Then I bit their virtual arms off.

Saints are wary of older payment methods after they got stung from the Britannia Player Club, forgetting to tick the "no thanks" box at the front of the catalogue, and ending up paying full price for Carlillo.

Seeing Tino in the starting line up, certainly shows players at other clubs there's a clear pathway into first team premier league football. Looking forward to seeing how this line up gets on.

A good season for me would be 14th. Anything above that and I think we're punching above our weight. It seems every season I set my sights a little lower, as the resources of other clubs gets that bit bigger. I thought 12th would have made for a good season last time out (without predicting the great form, followed by the dreadful run). The loss of experienced premier league starters is another worry. But then, I was even more concerned when Shaw/Lovren/Lambert left. That was years ago and we survived just fine.