Saint Gifford

He’s the next England Manager after the euros. He probably would have taken a few jobs by now. I guess there is some financial benefit from Chelsea by not jumping into something else at the moment.

I get what you are saying and yes some players find themselves at a level they shouldn’t be at. However seeing both my boys going through the football pathway, my eldest didn’t get to academy level , my youngest did at 6 years old. Right place, right time, right grass roots manager, right scout at the right time. Yes some players make a lot of mistakes and probably should be dropped down a league or two. But there are a hell of a lot of players that should be playing at a much higher level than they are. Only my opinion, but for the most part I do stand up for players and what it takes to get a professional contract. The sacrifice the hard work the commitment, the disappointment the feeling of being cast aside and starting again when a coach or manager thinks they know better is really hard to watch. I agree there are so many pre Madonna’s out there, and I’ve not picked up on your post particularly, I’m sorry that I just happen to use yours, I’ve been meaning to mention this for a long time. To make it at League level you have to have an abundance of ability, and a lot and I mean a lot of luck. It’s unfortunate that when you land with a crap manager or coach that can define your career at that time. Maybe I’m too one sided towards the players but as Michael Calvin said amongst others. To make playing in the Prem is a one in 0.001% chance. Yes players need to take a hell of a lot of responsibility as they are the ones that ultimately cross the white line. But they are only taking direction from the bloke in the hot seat and the half dozen seats next to him. This is down to 100% the management / coaches and football directors and not the players in my humble opinion.

I’m pretty sure it’s only 20% and I stand to be corrected. But I would love to know what Katrina / family think of all of this. Of course her 20% wouldn’t give her much if any of a say. But just assuming she / family are the second largest shareholder of the club, I would like to think she / family would have an interest in what’s going on.

Swansea must be having a drink on us

And RM is a former defender???? Jeeezzz. Warnock before someone else tempts him to get us out of this mess.

Oh dear, Ange Posta or any other great Man Manager he is not. I know we are only at the end of September, and it would be fantastic if he could turn this around for him the club and for us the fans. I just can’t help feeling this is only going one way again. Even my 17 year old lad that plays step 5 says he would find it difficult to play for our last 3 managers. Thats step 5 and he’s a Gashead for f!&k sake. What are we doing, as I said I would love today to be a turning point. Not being glass half empty but I just can’t see it.

Father Christmas, Jesus Christ, Harry Potter, Wizard of OZ, ET, Sponge Bob. Don’t mind which, all are probably on the list…………………………..

Neil Warnock is leaving Huddersfield in the press. Strange I know. But with our squad jezzz he would get them playing and promotion that the bookies wouldn’t ignore. He could pop home during the week. Just a thought.

Joey Barton

Wishing you and your family all the very best Whitey x

RM tbf that is a football lesson on the hour. You may prove everyone wrong with a miracle 30 mins, look forward to it

Never been in the RM camp tbf. but just isnt the experiment we… ……… oh hang on haven’t I done this already

I said on this thread a while back. This will be a benchmark game for us. Now we know.

Never been in the RM camp tbf. Nothing to do the bloke, he absolutely had to take the job, why wouldn’t you take the Saints hot seat. I just cannot understand why we haven’t learnt our lesson with allowing “Maverick” managers to dictate and keep changing the style of play. Jeezzz it reminds me of grass roots kids football. These are professional football players that understand how to kick a ball, no wonder they don’t know if they are coming or going. We just seem to be lurching from one managerial style to another in a campaign that unless we get a sniff of promotion, we could end up in this league for a long time. Tottenham seem to have landed on their feet with a great man Manager with a few changes to their squad. We just need to find our right man Manager who ever that might be, and not another experiment.

Which why we should be hoping that RM’s knowledge of the league can help us

Benchmark game this one. Will in many ways tell us the story for the rest of the season

I think you have missed my point. Perhaps me not communicating my understanding in the right way for you. It’s our identity, DNA what ever you want to call it, that imo is missing. Nothing to do with yesterdays result. We can carry on employing managers that have the latest blueprint of how to play the game, employ players, back room staff ect ect, spend loads and then let the next guy come in. Again forgive my tone but we will end up like countless professional clubs with a confused agenda. Yes I think Dragan has got an involvement now, and about time I might add. I won’t go on about 4 managers and a relegation in the time SR has been in control. I genuinely would like your comments on how going from Ralph to NJ, RS and now RM has any consistency in playing style, player recruitment approach to what we as a club should be trying to achieve. Call me a Dinosaur, but I’m trying to make the point that we do not have the luxury of players and a pedigree that can allow a free thinking Pep or Klopp type managers to do what they want. My opinion and happy to be shot down, but we have to have standards and a way that the club wants to play and any manager or player that walks through the door has to tow that line. I glad that it appears that the powers to be are trying. No it’s not one game I’ve followed the Saints long enough to feel the pain and joy.

I’d love to know who in the club are interviewing these managers, what brief they have set and what they are looking for in terms of matching that brief. Seems to me we are just listening to a load of Boll&£”s and flipping a coin. That is a big worry if the people at the top don’t know what Southampton FC should look like.

Everton are probably thinking that’s the one of a few things they have got right last couple of seasons. Beto v Adams

There are hundreds of players out there that have been spat out by the academy system plying there trade where ever they can. Why would you take on this baggage, because he played with decent players on billard tables. There are players out there at non league level without the crap at 16 17 18 years old.

Both are absolutely right. Players develop at different times. Our academy used to be the benchmark. Not so sure these days unfortunately.

I am on the fence here. I’ve said half tongue in cheek on here before about the vast amounts of money coming into the club and the plan. Every wealthy billionaire always has an exit strategy, which is why they are so wealthy. As a supporter, a bit more transparency would go a long way. As with every club, these guys are only the owners temporarily. Tbf, a couple of comments about balancing the books are probably spot on. I know we aren’t Prem anymore, but 10 million on a Swansea defender ( I don’t know the guy never seen him play). Because the manager knows him. I do wonder if we have a bigger network of targets other than a Championship manager raiding his old club for a player or two. Seems a bit League one and League two for me. (dare I say a repeat of the NJ fiasco) I get budgets, but come on there are a few more players from clubs on a global scale that we must have been keeping tabs on over the last few years that we can develop or go straight in. We must be better than to go with the total blind faith of a bloke from Luton and Swansea. Call me cynical, I know.

I can’t get to St Mary’s as much as I would like. My 17 year old lad plays Toolstation football at 3 on a Saturday. I have to be honest and say I’m really enjoying my football again without the bullshit money and histrionics that surround so called top level football.

Al whatever would have paid 1. Billion 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Fair play to JWP , seems to be enjoying his football with some decent players in and around him. West Ham were pretty crap in the prem last season, so for me just proves the point that we were absolute litter.