Gloucester Saint

Educated at world top Unis. Get your facts straight boy. Don’t wind our fans up like you are always are on here or you’ll get a reaction. If you can’t handle that, and you can’t, wind your neck in about our fans. Try a lower league club where there’s no expectation, you’ll prefer it.

Get these club PR people off our site

In huge danger again, back to where he was pre-Boro. Had to win today, next game has to be a heavy victory and immaculate display. For a manager on the brink, his Pellegrino tactics and holding on for a 1-0 v Rotherham were astonishing. Go, go now. You have no legitimacy from our fanbase.

Phillips I can vaguely understand off the bench although he’s not played enough football to start. But Henderson is now playing in the equivalent of the former NASL, there’s no way the Saudi league is consistently as competitive as the MLS theses days. And he was declining fast for Liverpool, Klopp knew it as well. JWP is one of the most consistent PL midfielders at the moment from whatever angle you look at it from. And if Southgate insists on picking Maguire as a two-up to supporters and press, at least give the slap head some quality deliveries to attack going forward.

Or in a nutshell: ’This is what the Tory Party exists as a vehicle to enable’. By the way, plenty of it in the other parties too (plenty under New Labour) and further back in the 60s and 70s both parties were caught in John Poulsen’s corrupt web but it’s a byproduct not the core reason for the party’s existence which only has a thin mask of xenophobia and anti-wokery (whatever the fuck that means) these days. At least in the 1980s there was some intent for the majority of people to prosper even the policies didn’t often work out like that.

I’ll let Ben Rooney, his former colleague at the DT, define it. Not doing work, or very difficult to get him to do work that he doesn’t want to do. https://www.thedailybeast.com/boris-johnson-is-lazy-and-will-be-a-terrible-prime-minister-say-his-ex-colleagues Fired for fabrication and not researching his article properly. Tick. The cabinet minister quoted there about not or rarely reading his briefings (really lazy) tallies with Alan Duncan’s book. He’s supposed to be quite convivial and forgives quickly, so that was probably part of the charm but he’s not in the Thatcher, Blair, Brown, Cameron (allegedly Boris referred to him as a ‘girly swot’), May levels of productivity.

Quite, and the warm up was a two-up to Braverman and her Monday Club style speech yesterday. Braverman was going for the most rabid Sun/Mail readers yesterday, with a core of Tory members who are political refugees themselves from UKIP and the also defunct BNP. Sunak was aiming at the middle class more technocratic part of the membership, or what remains (no pun intended) of it, knowing the far right haven’t got anywhere else to go before the GE. The smoke-free item is appealing to the same group and floating voters, certainly not to the Lee Anderson/Braverman/Rees-Mogg group and Farage is a prolific smoker, so that may have been a two-up at him hanging around like a stale trail of cigarette smoke. Post Sunak and Hunt, they really are going to be as unelectable as Labour were in the era of Militant Tendancy and nuclear disarmament. I don’t think Braverman will get the leader job, Tim Montgomerie is right, if Farage gets a safe-ish seat, he will sweep the members because he’s so similar to the rump that’s left from the 1m plus it used to be. But I think she’ll wreck them from the inside like Benn did with Labour without the realities of power (not that it really has much impact on her craziness) to vaguely ground her in reality. Farage himself has had to say about the Tories in the last 15 years, not much of it pleasant. He’s cozying up this week via the ERG but he could bite them again next week. The one nation section might be joining the Lib Dem’s (and will be welcomed). Truss will be around but spending most of her time in various think-tanks with shady funding spouting garbage. The membership know she has shot her bolt with the public and no amount of tub-thumping by the Mail or Allisder Heath wanking into a sock would make an impact. I can see 2-3 years of carnage in opposition until they are miles behind what will be a Labour-led administration fighting a rough legacy and a Kinnock/Cameron moderniser (but one with some backbone) will need to perform a repair job for a few years with a new pool of people with the odd old hand around eg Gove, Davis (if he’s not retired).

The problem Sunak and Hunt have as the two leading adults in government is that the Tory strategists are obsessed with the culture war stuff where Bannon visited the HoC and spoke with Rees Mogg et al. Hunt is resisting on the idiotic calls from Truss and her little group of fantasists for sweeping tax cuts because he’s had a proper cabinet career including a long time at the DoH. He knows all too well the social care and other issues we have and that rolling a dice crossing your fingers for six or bust won’t solve them via trickle down economics. Truss and Sinclair really ought to emigrate to the US and work for one of the think-tanks GM reads. Take Simon Clarke with them as well, it’s hard enough living in Middlesbrough as it is. They will never accept the public desire for a Westernised health system so I don’t think this country is for them. Sunak has gotten stuck on HS2 extension though and it’s a dangerous issue for him. I honestly don’t know how those two can function in a government with children like Braverman, Badenoch, Grant Schapps/whoever he is this week, Jenryck, Coffey and any other pillocks escaping my memory. Gove counts as an adult although somewhat damaged. And in a party with Truss, Redwood, Lee Anderson owned by GB News, Rees-Mogg, Chope, Patel, Grayling, Keegan (her AC Delco story was full of holes), Halfron, and loads I’ve forgotten on the ERG side of fanatics.

The only thing Liz Truss will be making grow is Allister Heath’s tadger in the DT. As for the civil servants, the only reason they have so many is a mix of Covid and Brexit. Latter of which was entirely a Tory creation. Easiest deal ever my arse, thick twats. So not even real cuts.

What a total lowlife. Fortunately his fellow supporters have given a better picture by raising a large sum for end of life care in the North East. Whether he was off his head on cocaine at the time is neither nor there. 31 is plenty old enough to know better. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12582117/Man-charged-public-order-offence-picture-six-year-old-cancer-victim-Bradley-Lowery-held-Sunderland-match.html

We all enjoyed yesterday’s game but before cupping your ear to the forum, let’s see six points against Stoke and Rotherham. Then there might be some justification. The league table is still unacceptable for the resources he has available and the Sky pundits were very clear about this yesterday. Let’s hope for more displays like yesterday and quiet satisfaction/praise from the fanbase and forum.

I didn’t know what Fox was responding to so did a little research https://voxpoliticalonline.com/2023/09/27/if-you-dont-know-why-laurence-fox-ranted-about-ava-santina-you-need-to-see-this/ Then some context further back https://metro.co.uk/2023/09/28/ava-evans-hits-back-gb-news-commentator-19569480/ Evans’s comments were fine until the last sentence about the rise in men’s mental health being used as a political weapon to beat women with which was wide of the mark, having volunteered on projects to help young men with their mental health. Up until then she makes good points that mental health for all categories needs more focus and investment. The public feedback about that final comment prior to Fox had made her re-think a bit. The other Oakeshott-Tomlinson-Evans debate being referred to is covered in the second link which Tomlinson is using on GB News as whataboutery. Evans could be better in how she expresses herself but there is some very deliberate and cynical misinterpretation from Tomlinson there which his co-presenter shoots down with ease. Fox and Wootton have no excuses and some of the whataboutery is pathetic from certain GB presenters. She’s left wing - just admit that’s your beef rather than attach misinformation to what she said in order to justify incel and hatred-filled personal attacks. Wootton you’d have thought would have kept a lower profile with the Russell Brand to make the disturbing sex allegations surrounding him recede. Now GB and Mail online have finally been forced to apply some seriously overdue editorial control to someone who is unfit to be on air. The final conclusion I draw is that it’s another clear reason never to watch Talk TV or GB News. Two nasty, tacky little channels for adults who can’t digest/think objectively about the news of the day. And look, on top Calvin Robinson’s ban, another one of of their infamous presenters with an IQ of 5 makes a similar mistake https://www.thenational.scot/news/23825123.lee-anderson-calls-carol-vorderman-plastic-gb-news-criticism/

Far better, fell off a bit for a 15 minute spell second half but otherwise big improvement. Better for being less predictable in the play, Sully and Stu excellent, KWP class, Alcaraz did valuable work pulling Cooper out of position, destabilising their midfield. Smallbone very good goal, bit more bite in his play and hopefully builds on that. AA buzzed around like a wasp and took goal very well, bit unfortunate the second deemed an OG. THB and JB at CB much better pairing and few issues with Piroe. Downes still recovering his full strength but like Smallbone, more bite. Could have done a bit better on their goal. One good stop from Baz, great distribution, not heaps to do but tidy. Bit more proactive off his line but a work in progress. Manning forward nicely, the more pragmatic system offered him more protection and he looked more comfortable.

Fuck sake, get Shea Charles on for either Smallbone or Alcaraz, solidify it a bit. Wilcox might need to get an instruction down to the bench if Martin has frozen up.

Line up slightly better but looks like a real ricket again preferring Smallbone to Shea Charles. If the latter was playing, I might actually think there was a prospect of competing. What’s is Martin’s problem with Shea Charles?

I still remember the banner over the lower East ‘Mr Blobby in, Branfoot out!’ The games where it got a bit more tasty was Oldham home (big protest outside), Sheffield Utd (in the rain) and Leeds home. No pitch invasions or tennis balls but it was a majority of supporters, overwhelming majority. Still the odd person on the Milton saying ‘who are you going to replace him with?’ as per now with Martin. Remember one away game at Wimbledon/Selhurst where the keepers and full backs were just lumping it forward and us singing ‘we love football, we hate Branfoot’. The two things that did for him in the end as far as the board were concerned was the 9000 gate v Ipswich, or that’s what it was recorded as, it was almost certainly less in the ground, and the horrific money lost on Dixon/Speedie/Hurlock’s contract. Also, I’m ITK on this, but Dimplex only stepped up as last minute shirt sponsor to help the club because all of the other options wouldn’t stump up until Branfoot left because they didn’t want the association with the protests. The board didn’t want to give in to the fans. As mostly the case over the years, the board was 100% wrong, huge improvement under Bally and Lawrie. Dimplex did get their just reward though by MLT scoring his most iconic goals and some of the best in PL history wearing their logo.

They often lose by a cricket score so seems appropriate. Although that’s unfair to Hampshire CCC who actually win things and where there’s some purpose to their existence.

Even then it would be a limp Smallbone style leg disturbing said granny’s blanket and at worst, knocking over a flask of lukewarm tea. I agree it’s a weird comment. I thought from the block 1 closure and Kingsland padded seats kicking out of scores of STHs that the board didn’t like passionate supporters? Unless they wear away colours. Such a weak, spineless, losers mentality from the club. It’s fuck all compared to what the Leeds players hear from the Revie end at times, or generations of West Ham players from the Chicken Run before they moved. Millwall players would all have stage fright on that basis. More excuses. Keep it tight, work harder, get fitter, Poch double training sessions if the other 23 teams are better than you, stop the crosses and long range efforts coming in better, attack and defend as unit, screen the back four. Not difficult and no philosophies required but the club cannot do it, even at a lower level than last year with the third most expensive squad. It doesn’t make me want to return to SMS for the foreseeable, I know that much. I have far nicer things to do than spend 2 hours in the car getting to Southampton, another 45 minutes stuck in the most stupid road layout in Europe, 90 minutes of more stationary traffic this time on the pitch with a 0-4 defeat, an hour to get out again and 2 hours more back. Did it for Pards, Nigel’s, Poch’s, Ronald’s teams, even Puel’s, as at least they gave it their all. Not doing it now and the club can call me and everyone else on here a negative Nelly if they want. But it’s their business and it’s the football equivalent of Wilko PLC or Carillion (as opposed to Carrillo who was as big a disaster). Sort it out, don’t hide behind folk being a corporate coward and stop blaming hard working people paying to watch your bullshit failures. Admit you’ve let the club and city down since 2017 and fucking own the solutions, starting with bringing in a first team manager who can install the EFL basics outlined above. I don’t want to see pages of context from the ex-Dyson bloke, I want to see the team being far harder to beat and competing properly. Tackles, headers, blocks, organisation and communication, attack and shoot like you mean it. Do the above, and you will get us back onside.

What’s he trying to reclaim? The 1950s? Laurence Fox and Beverley Turner should date - they’d be perfect for each other.

This is the thing, the injury time goals covered over the cracks but Sunderland was a deserved 5-0, Leicester Bazanu kept it to 4 but should have been 7, Ipswich hit the woodwork and missed two total sitters so that should have been 4-0, and Boro missed a number of 3 on 2s and even a 4 on 1 at only 2-1. To not even be competing is dreadful and the club is going to sink into League two or worse in the next 3-4 years if someone doesn’t come in, take charge and get football basics in place. Philosophy can follow when the back four is screened, CMs can tackle, full backs have shape and the team defends and attacks as a unit. None of which we’ve seen for over 18 months.

An advisory aspect, which would be what it was, may help the owners and SR understand better what works in the division/context the club is in at given time. Rasmus should know but clearly didn’t. A philosophy-driven Director like him has probably appointed a philosophy-driven manager and it’s a fucking disaster. Wilcox’s quotes but Martin has Rasmus’s thumbprints all over it. A recruitment process needs to flush out why Swansea and MK leaked like a sieve. That’s a tactical and training ground question. Wilcox and ultimately Dragan are making the calls because the latter signs the cheques. Wilcox chairs it. The ex-manager doesn’t have to be ex-Saints, could be somebody who likes offering advice and being involved in the industry but doesn’t want to go down the pundit route. The advice phase doesn’t have be long-term but until the club has stabilised and there’s some depth of experience hired at the top of it and Rasmus’s nose kept out. The managers come across as increasingly bewildered and lost because there’s seemingly a lack of options to bounce things off - RH, NJ, Pellegrino, Selles and now Martin. Some of them looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown frankly, especially Pellegrino, Jones and now Martin. We’ve had six years of wholly appalling decision-making bar a couple of transfers making money, this is Hotel Inspector territory because the business is failing badly with no clear way out other than signing more 19 year olds from City/Chelsea because that’s what they did with Tino and Lavia. We’ve already wasted the first season of parachute payments on more left field experiments. The board structure at the club isn’t working because it should have stopped Jones, Martin (if the recruitment had drilled down into the goals against) and we might have avoid signing a window full of lightweights in the Championship with some expertise on board. The club hierarchy has been so complacent that I’m sure they think it’s all bad luck and the fans should sing OWTS more and it’s all OK. I don’t want the club to run like this either by the way, any more than I wanted it in administration in 2009. But it’s won what, 5 league games all year? It’s supporting the football equivalent of Wilko PLC the way it’s going.

Look out for their nephew Melton at Leicester

What I find ironic is that Ryan Fraser was exactly that player at AFCB - Bellamy-like without the excesses. Why has he turned into a church mouse since joining SFC? Has to be the environment and culture is just so far off being competitive let alone winning. We will probably be told we’re lucky to be in the Championship next.

The board structure simply isn’t functioning at SFC, you can see that from what will be 5 managers in 10 months shortly which tells us there’s a lack of rigour in the selection process eg Russell your teams have conceded far too many goals to win promotion, how will amend your approach to resolve that or, very costly duplicate mistakes in the transfer market eg Carrillo/Onachu. Or indeed wrongly extending the keeper’s contract Forster/McCarthy creating a further millstone around the club’s neck. We’ve also seen one good transfer eg Tino turn into a whole strategy which is bonkers. Yes, Ankerson was at Brentford and they have been successful but where did his role start and Giles’s stop? Because I’m getting the sense he was the ideas man and Giles the doer, because Ankerson’s ideas at SFC have been a disaster one and all. All clubs make mistakes but we are seeing severe repeat ones like the examples above. Add in the appalling handling of supporter relations eg block 1, £99 Kingsland seats, and not hard to see why with the debacle on the pitch since 2017 especially at home games, why getting back to the OP’s point why the fanbase is very alienated and really the blaming that comes from the club and small minority of dickheads on here is deluded. Responding to your point, a steering group to the main board would be a critical friend to stop the club’s lurching from one crisis to another to add scrutiny from an industry perspective and challenge Rasmus et al in practical terms. SFC as an underperforming club at first team level is a very different prospect for Wilcox to Academy Director at City. The quotes at the time seem to indicate Martin was a Wilcox hire but there seems to be some doubt on that now. The best option would be no Rasmus, but he’s heavily invested in SR so not an option. SR aren’t going to sack themselves and the club ain’t an attractive purchase right now without being transformed successfully if they are going to make money. You will shoot the idea down I expect but something needs to happen to break the cycle of very poor decisions and lack of rigour. What I’m thinking is recently retired people - recently retired ex-managers, ex-players eg Steven Davis if his ACL finishes him off, ex-senior media. Not to discuss trivia like which beer is on the concourse but major decision-making and strategy. They’ve sacked Semmens, they are about to sack a fourth manager, they sacked the back room staff for RH, they’ve turned over most of the players, Crocker’s left. And it is still getting worse. We all thought the squad would still be enough to beat the bottom sides and finish say 15th but Saturday blew that theory. None of us has any faith they will appoint the strong character of a WGS, RK mould of Championship equivalent needed to turn the environment around and challenge these senior people on the bonkers ideas, and we can see Martin struggling in public just like we saw with Jones, Selles, Pellegrino and RH in the last few months. There’s just not the peer environment to bounce ideas off and support. If you don’t like my steering group idea, fair enough, but something is deeply wrong in the organisational fabric.

The issue has been for many years that there has only been one ‘football person’ which was Les Reed, Crocker and now Wilcox. Plus Semmens and Ankerson are classic examples of people appearing knowledgeable and working to a philosophy but not backing it up. That’s OK when you have an alpha manager like Ronald, Poch, or strong-minded (Nigel, Pards) to an extent earlier RH that’s ok. But when you’re appointing risky candidates - Martin, Jones, Pellegrino, Selles, all worse than Branfoot (and I was around then too) - it leaves them very isolated and the Saints come with a lot of scrutiny and an ownership group with no depth of industry experience really to fall back on, which is why the fans have heard a lot of management speak and theories. What the club needs to fill the void is a football governance board with former managers and players who the manager and club can draw upon until SR learns the industry. They won’t do it as they genuinely think they’re unique and they’ve cracked it. Reality is they’re deluded.