Holmes_and_Watson

Do they still begrudge the George Burley appointment? The Scottish side has plenty of Norwich and ex-Saints players that he'd know well. They once played a striker less formation too. Despite recent results, Clarke would have to resign, having taken them to tournaments.

Yes, RM is going to stand or fall based on the principles of his system. If nothing else, we'll be spared a Jones scenario where he says that up to that point, it's not really been his team. RM knows that this is a season to keep the upward trajectory of his career going. His approach is his selling point (he's not changing it), he's considered up and coming and is getting media exposure in the most covered league in the world. With a point on the board, and the tenure a lot of managers get I'm not surprised he's trying to get mentioned elsewhere. His contract with us should see him fine financially, but he's ambitious beyond us. If we're looking for a successor, then he will be looking to see what opportunities are out there too. The recent England/ Man Utd rumblings were windows of opportunity. If not for those jobs, then possibly for the vacancies created by those being filled. We'll see how long SR are willing to stick with it. For all the left field stuff, they've gone through plenty of managers and playing styles already, getting found out along the way

The Beeb have just asked George Carey if God has told him he's in the right as a supporter of assisted dying.

Hot

Reminds me of a number of years, particularly summers, as a kid. I played with a pretty large group of kids, a lot of whom were friends of my older brother. We lived next to a park, where we could set the size of our pitch, and play loads of small sided games. Lots of fun games with small groups, or individuals, against a single 'keeper. If not with a group, also lucky to live within parental supervision of large walls where you could chalk out zones for points or accuracy. Hour after hour doing that, alone, with a brother or pal. As a smaller kid already, plus playing with older kids, and in those games, you really develop a lot of close ball control, and with both feet. Also a lot of awareness, anticipation and self preservation ahead of challenges. As we played every night, along with cricket, every night reinforced all those skills. You'd also learn from others and develop edges to your game. Every skill set up as a game to make it fun.

I agree with much of this. The smearing of Republican supporters as thick and racist simply increases the divide and the entrenched position of anyone who finds themselves disagreeing with a Democrat position. It's simply not true. Everything is broad strokes. I know Democrat supporters who disagree with various things as I know Republican voters who do. There's plenty of range on both sides away from the hysteria, just as there is here. The Democratic party has not learned how to connect with a broader support based since Clinton's loss. They've broadly kept up the same approach, while polarising others. Harris has brought energy and the ability to complete a sentence into the Democratic campaign. But she's managed to fall between a continuity and change position. Welded to Biden, trying to show a difference while conscious not to undermine anything at all. Not to mention her own changing positions, and Stuck as a VP where that position has all the importance of a Christmas bauble. Having to be shoehorned into everything Biden was involved in, to give her some weight. Like a lot of politicians, they are utterly let down by their teams, while not being strong enough to dictate otherwise. Trump's ego, for all the flaws, prevents that. His own team have a fight to keep him anywhere on the rails. Considering Trump changes his view depending on who was last in the room with a compliment, and whose quotes and actions are often ridiculous, it's more than Harris that's the issue though. From the Americans I speak to, there's a fair number who will simply vote the way they've always done. For those more undecided ones, who have or might go with Trump, some points have been:- As horrid as he might be, and unlikely as it is to teally change, his is the party who agrees that the system is broken. A lot of them know it's a bit of a trap, but think the current one is too. That a focus on US industry, through tariffs or threat of same, is the way to give hope and jobs to a lot of people. They know that this also brings problems, but better than the alternative. I remember Clinton trotting out a bespoke SME future for her economy, that's still going on. Trump has been the one is perceived by his support as wanting the US to really flex it's economic muscle. For people looking for jobs, industry and hope, that's a big draw. That people are willing to go past Trump's racist, sexist, lunatic comments, shows just how big a draw that is. Sure, immigration, culture issues, abortion etc are all issues getting lots of headlines. But there are others, and categorising either side as thick, is not the way forward. Either side would be miles ahead had they reached out more to capture their opponent's voters. Harris coming in, with a chance to set a new path was a missed opportunity. Should Trump win, there's no shortage of dodgy people waiting in the wings to further their own agendas. The Democrats thought they were outraged at their last loss. This time, there's more structure waiting in those Republican wings. Should Harris win, it's more of the same dodgy folk looking to further their own agendas. If they can't support a broader economic based, it's going to become more desperate for those left behind.

Someone on radio 5 linking the deaths of the 6 hostages in Sep as a shield for him, killed when they had to move on quickly. Beeb quick to point out that this hasn't been verified.

The usual bunch, with Mark Chapman. No real insight, as I don't think they stray past the the surface of anything. Normally it's as deep as "Winning is good. Defeat is a crisis.Where will England play Trent?"

They really were. Martin actually got an extra bit.

Despite what fans of the club see week on week, the perception of commentators and the visibility those opinions give managers seems to count far more than it should. Just another reason for RM to double down on his "philosophy".

Just mentioned him on 5 live, along with Potter and Howe. And as I type "Russell Martin playing the right way" and are indicating that it's the players letting him down. "But they've decided to not choose an English manager."

I said "freebies". That has no bearing on those trying to drag my idol Taylor Swift into sordid politics. 🙂

I care about the freebies as a matter of integrity (yeah, I know. But I do) I can care about that alongside caring about health, the economy, taxation. Labour looked like they were taking a good run up to governance. This week we've had the investment conference (regardless when deals were done) and inflation has fallen below where the Conservatives were trying to get it to. Workers rights were last week. Infighting may be getting quietly stamped out with the leaks and turf wars being dealt with by new faces. I've not heard the Transport secretary commenting on P&O since last week. Perhaps the cabinet are taking some lessons on when they have to act collectively, unless they want punted to the back benches or out of the party. I like a party with some dissenting views. But that's not the cabinet. We've had new strike announcements (something they are prone to being hoisted on, due to their paymasters) and a budget, that both parties played down before the election. So, lots of challenges to come. For all their sneering about other media sources, there's not a newspaper or broadcaster you can read without a pinch of salt (or a sack load.)

We've still got a few of the players from a previous change in Bree, TP and ABK from before then. Considering at least one player said that they had to relearn a number of their football instincts to get the best out of RM's system, and how we see it working, it's safe to conclude that they would adapt to other, more traditional, systems. Whether that would be enough to keep us up is unknown. Another left field, system at all costs manager might take more time to settle in. An average, yet traditional, manager may find we're much of a muchness with the others and not staying up anyway. It's been a lot of managers since any of our players got to express themselves.

I hope that whoever they look at, they also look for comments from former players/ coaches, if not the fan base. Jones really struggled with coaching PL level players. Whether they had dropped to the championship or in the PL. I don't know whether that was lack of confidence or experience at that level playing/ coaching under someone. But it was well enough known from his previous club. Rasmus, of course, took that as a learning experience. And, I'm sure Nathan wanted another shot at it. Sadly, it wasn't something that had been resolved.

The longer they leave it, the wider they will have to cast that net as the odds increase on us staying up. If they are asking after some candidates now, then I guess Martin is on borrowed time. Just needs one of them to say yes. Sometimes, having the actual vacancy focuses the minds of applicants. But that, or an even less qualified catetaker (Lallana?) could sink our season too.

Jenrick asked about the property scandal. He claims he acted completely above board. It was pulled because they didn't want a hint of impropriety. And Labour agreed to build it 4 years later, so the dodging tax bit must have been fine. And if you believe that, I've a property in...oh, hang on it's not clear where he was living during lockdown

What do you mean "one of"? 🙂

Taking the party forwards...to the 1850s.

Pickford might not get his place back, as TAA will be there next.

I don't know the criteria, and without an axe to grind, he was first minister of Scotland. I reckon the RAF are taking him to prevent Swinney and Sturgeon staging a Weekend At Bernie's, pretending he's alive and clearing them of all their crookedness.

"This story may contain nuts. This warning certainly is."

Lovely work and cracking pass to give Pike a chance. Saints doing well, but a really nice one touch move right up the park from Portsmouth nearly gave them a good chance.

Le Tissier puts away a penalty "as cool as you like" Yeah, it's Maya Le Tissier for Man Utd, but still makes me smile. 🙂

Listening to an Athletic podcast on the promoted clubs. For us, nothing that hasn't been commented upon. They say that it either needs a change in the approach or a change in the manager to keep us up. They point out Martin's criticisms of his team, then that he tacks on a sentence where he takes responsibility for it. They link that with a bit of self preservation on Martin's part as he points out to suitors what he wants to do with better players. Tactically, they say that the system is an extreme version of systems already in place in the PL. They point out that others lessen it to provide pacier attacks. Stats wise they say we're comfortably ahead in passes in our own third, bringing with it the most errors, while offering a lot less in our opponents third, and penalty area. Edit: They also talked about recruitment, with Leicester willing to bring in experience with little sell on, while we look to bring in those we can develop longer term.