VectisSaint

Will that be this holiday or the next one?

Early doors? This has been going on for about 2 weeks or so. Our succession planning is always much lauded, if so we should have had a list of candidates before this all kicked off, and hopefully the top 2 or 3 sounded out and now down to our top target, who should be in place in the next day or so. Then again,not everyone is sucked in by the bull****. I guess we'll see. Sky report just now sounds like we are in no hurry which makes me think it could be a week or so at least before we know anything. Still think de Boer is the right fit, unless Ivan Golac's arrival in the City tomorrow is to finalise his deal

The way he played tonight agreed. The problem is that he doesn't (always) play like that for us. Thought he was excellent tonight.

Ivan Golac has tweeted that he will be coming to Southampton on Wednesday to celebrate his birthday. Maybe that's just a ruse and he is actually coming to be presented as our new manager.

I have been speculating for a while that Erwin and/or Jan have more to do with this saga than credited so far. Ronald was clearly under pressure around New Year and it seems Club were seriously considering getting rid. His results before Christmas had been OK, but performances poor (Man U, Bournemouth & Leicester at home) and then the awful run of results (not forgetting the Arsenal win of course). Young players were not getting a look in. Ronald looked like a manager who really did not have an answer. Eventually after those 10 games things changed dramatically, and we then went on a brilliant run until the end of the season. Something happened (and it wasn't just Forster coming back). Did Erwin and Jan (who would have been impacted as well if Ron had gone) persuade Ronald to try something different and change his approach? In the end Ronald takes the credit and the changed approach (not just tactics, but also the way we played and the small increase in the use of young players, at least on the bench (witness Olufela Olumola suddenly making an appearance in the matchday squad, albeit unused). This is pure speculation, but it explains why the Club may have wanted to extend Ronald's contract, things changed markedly after the awful period pre/post Christmas and with the new working arrangements with Erwin/Jan possibly more to the fore, and Ronald's stubbornness overcome the extension made a lot of sense. Erwin and Jan, together with Sammy Lee may well have helped smooth over the issues with certain players and youngsters. We "know" Erwin and Jan are not keen to go to Everton, indeed there are suggestions Jan might stay, and all this means that Ronald's departure is not as clear cut as it seemed and maybe why things have not yet been finalised. I know this is only a theory based on some of the stuff we have heard, but something happened in the background to change Saints' view of Ronald. Personally I hope the end result is that Ronald stays, I like him, but saw that he was struggling around mid season and like the Board apparently thought one option for him was to go. At the time I thought he had eventually seen the way forward himself but in retrospect it is possibly more likely that the turnaround was due to a management team effort rather than a eureka moment for RK himself.

Or more often you stick around knowing there will be another one along soon.

Tried to reply earlier but my 3 posts were up: You are making an assumption that the u21 teams will do well and qualify for the later rounds and even make the final. Time will tell of course, but my view is that while one or two may make it out of the group stage, the likelihood is that well organised, Level 3 and L4 teams that are playing competitively together week in/week out will be better than the best u21 teams. I seriously doubt any will make it to the semi-finals, let alone the final. The majority of the L3/L4 teams voted for this one year trial so the majority must see the worth. With emergency loans now outlawed there will not be the opoprtunities for L3/L4 teams to boost their squads with youngsters on loan, and the u21 PL teams need to have somewhere else for them to play competitive matches. I believe that a team in L3/L4 will probably get a bigger home gate and therefore make more money if they are drawn at home to Man U u21s than Accrington Stanley on a midweek night in mid-winter and so financially will be a small boost (agreed that a home game against Saints u21 or Sawnsea u21 might not be as attractive. Also note that similar is being done in Scotland next season, allowing SPL development teams into the Scottish Challenge Cup, as well as in their case some Welsh and NIrish teams. Opening up these lower level competitions actually makes them more interesting for fans and helps to improve the quality of matches. from the point of view of the National teams (which is one of the reasons for this) it does give the possibility of younger players playing some extra competitive matches, the only thing is I would have stipulated that the u21 teams would have to consist of home-nation-trained players, but suspect this won't be the case. As long as it is limited to the same rules as the BPL u21 league it should be more or less OK (allows 3 over-age players). Of course players out on loan will not be allowed either.

T The Football League site says it will be open to Premier League Category 1 U21 sides only (which is odd considering this is the Football League trophy). A lot of the Category 1 Academies are Championship clubs, so presumably these will be discounted. Last season the BPL u21 league had 24 teams of which 16 were PL, including Villa, Newcastle and Norwich. This suggests there are 15 teams that qualify, including Middlesbro. So not clear who the 16th would be, unless one of the PL Clubs that did not have Cat 1 last season will have next. Don't think there is much doubt that Saints would be included. Really don't understand the negativity of this idea.

You don't remember the great Howard Kendall years? Really? Reid, Steven, Gray, then the boy Line-Aker. They were a very good side for 2-3 years.

Photoshop would solve that problem. Quick piccie on his mobile in the Caribbean and voila. I'm sure they could even find a blue and white scarf out there somewhere. It really is getting bloody annoying this delay, not because Everton can't announce but because we either can't move with getting new man in or at least can't announce same. If Les is as good as most think the new man will already be signed, sealed and delivered.

Must have been a Cortese signing, like all the bad signings have been. Oh wait. No loss, never looked up to it, hopefully will allow one of the youngsters to break into the squad assuming we get a new manager who has faith in youth.

Hurrah, I won something, even if I did fat finger a few words in my reply. Really irritates me when people do not have the courtesy to spell the great man's name correctly.

Markus had a dream that people would at least know how he apelled his name. It was part of the initial 5 year plan put togerher with his friend Cortese. Seems like one piece of the plan that failed. :-(

Winning it 4 years on the trot is. Only lost it last season on the last day. Also has lots of European exoerience.

Does he have a brother who can be his assistant though?

I suppose if they keep saying it, eventually they will be right (or wrong). Clearly they have no idea, like everyone else. Sky is running the story that the announcement is imminent, but when the guy from Goodison speaks it is clear he has no knowledge of anything factual at all. Do wish they would get the matter sorted, it is impacting on our plans for next season now. Hopefully Les already has the successor in place and lined up for an announcement as soon as Ron is gone.

Stopped reading when the author said he wants Moyes to replace Ronald. **** me.

3 or 4 actually.

Thank you Mr Wiki. You probably ought to add a link to the Commons Licence for this. :-)

It says hasn't. Completely contradicted by Blackmore.

Orlando Trustfull. Frank's brother Ronald was also inolved at Ajax.

Frank de Boer will be the next Saints manager. Whether that is this summer or next or the one after that remains to be seen.

What exactly has he actually done? (as opposed to allegations). As far as I can see so far he has gone on holiday and returned. He has a year left on his contract which he has always maintained he will see through. He hasn't signed an extension for us, but he has no need to because he already has a contract in place. So I repeat, what exactly has he done? Maybe I am a bit naive and have a belief in people's integrity, but I still expect him to be our manager next season. If not, then it will say much more about the Club than him, since the reason he might move on is as he has said if the Club do not match his ambition (he would not leave for the money, however attractive that might be). I expect within minutes of me posting this, the announcement will be made that he is a Toffee

But he is only 21. Must admit I didn't know Howe had any Pompey connections, but really 2 games in 2 years. Stokes, Channon and Big Ron played for Pompey many more times than that. More conserning is Howe's connections with Redkrapp.