coalman

Meanwhile, in Portugal, Jose Mourinho is unhappy with his Benfuca side. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c07xzzn3j39o

I don't think they're going to cut short Long's loan. In many ways he's the model Sports Republic signing. Brought in to have around the place on the cheap and never play or offer competition. Other clubs must envy our ability to scout and attract squad filler.

I'm torn on this. I haven't seen him put in a good performance in a Saints shirt yet. But then he hasn't put in many performances in a Saints shirt. But then, when he has played he's look more of a liability than the rest of our back line. But then he's been played at right back or in a 3. I don't think we've given him a decent crack in a Saints shirt but, given our central defenders, the bar for standing out is not high. Given he's not getting in the team, better to have him off the books. Another example of Sports Republic's scattergun recruitment after our promotion.

Don't get me wrong I would want my captain to speak up. I also think that Jack's new contract was a clear signal of Still and Spors unsuitability. However, I've also seen that people can change behaviour as a culture changes. Only a small number of people are capable of driving a culture change. Some will actively oppose it it but the majority will happily adapt if they are shown there's a better way. To often extraordinary outcomes. I don't see Jack turning into a different footballer but I do see him as a player that could be valuable for the squad.

In partial defence of Jack, he's been in an environment where this response to adversity has become normalised. That doesn't mean he can't learn new responses in a better environment.

The outcome of the "millions we spend on sports science" and analysts appears to be a team that cannot compete for 90 minutes. And that isn't set up to exploit our opponents.

Except I don't see my username in that list of people you've quoted. I don't believe I've made that point.

Inventing a made up point for people you're disagreeing with doesn't strengthen your own point.

The best time to understand what's gone wrong and learn is while the experience is fresh. We appear to be ignoring this opportunity. There is another game coming up this weekend we should prepare for. Unless people think Doncaster are so easy we can just show up. That's just disrespectful to our opposition. I wouldn't cancel holiday for people. I wouldn't have approved it in the first place because this is a key part of the season. Unless we were in a good place which we were/are not. It is possible to improve our chances in the next game without high intensity training. In fact recovery times improve by doing light work the day after. It is possible to improve as a team while recovering from a busy schedule. We are doing neither.

That's all part of the culture now. Playing the victim in public over how hard you work or unlucky they were. Taking ownership is a form of performative art. If you've been utter shite for most of the last two seasons how about shutting the fuck up and putting the work in rather than gaslighting the fans. The playoff final win is in the increasingly distant past.

Yeah. Going on holiday screams that everything is ok and nothing needs to be learned or change. A lack of professionalism I don't believe that would be tolerated in any other field.

The only downside is the alleged culprits are only part of the problem and are likely to be a scapegoated by the other part(s) to buy time.

After the last four games I'd hope they're at least spending time understanding why we played as we did over the festive period. Even if that's just making them watch the 2nd half against Middlesbrough on repeat. I'd buy that you're unlikely to be doing a bleep test this week. But fucking off somewhere else seems like a continuation of the culture of complacency and failure to take responsibility. If they're in Dubai, two 7-10 hour flights are not going to aid the recovery of tired muscles. Depending on the plane you're either at effectively 1600m altitude or 800m in terms of oxygen levels. In a very dry environment with recycled air.

You're telling me we don't need a Sports Synergy Officer? Get with the century, bro.

New job titles incoming. Chief Disruption Officer. Primary Philosophy Assistant. Football Paradigm Manager.

This is unfair. He has spent at least 4 hours and fifty quid getting his online Professional Football Scouts Assocation level one in Talent Identification level one.

That would be lovely. I can also see him scoring 2 goals in 20 and Saints deciding to build our front line around him.

I think the option to buy is wishful thinking rather than rooted in any possible future. In the same way Juventus were going to pay us £40m for Alcaraz.

Disruption and moonshots are phrases used by people with a high opinion of themselves who think the rules don't apply to them and want to take shortcuts. I remember reading a piece by the guy who built all of Google's infrastructure where he explained that all the stuff that looked like magic from the outside was the net result of relentless incremental improvement and hard work. https://web.archive.org/web/20230922113630/https:/rework.withgoogle.com/blog/the-roofshot-manifesto/

To be fair, I'm really fucking upset most weeks I watch Saints these days.

It's gone straight into the US squad for this summer's world cup.

I could easily believe both that there's a clique of players hungering for Martin and Rasmus is dictating playing style to our manager. We're just that big a basket case right now.

A's hire B's. B's hire C's. C's hire Ben Garner.

This is where the manager churn fucks is over. We get a new manager. The clique raise their game for a couple of weeks and start banging on about the clarity the new guy has brought in. Then they go back to their old ways secure in the knowledge the manager will take the fall. Then someone new comes in, opts for his experienced pros and the cycle begins a new. This would be bad enough but when the new manager has no real power to make changes you're doubly screwed.

Because his hands get cold.