VectisSaint

However good he is, he needs help, a good assistant. We are currently 3 staff down on where we were, may be we don't need 3, but there has to be some assistance for a rookie manager. If assistance doesn't come in then it is likely SR are still looking for a new manager.

It was suggested by Le Tissier. I think that's why it has arisen. I don't think anyone seriously thinks he would be a good manager (for Saints) but maybe he could add something to the coaching team, Selles certainly needs some assistance, since Jones sacking we have gone from 7 coaching staff to 4 (I assume Carl Martin, Andrew Sparkes and Alex Gross are still on board). Have to assume that at least 2 of those 3 carried out worthwhile (if unsuccessful) duties.

What is Garry Monk doing these days? I know he wasn't too successful in his latter stints but hell he has some experience and Saints connection, he could also bring Beattie with him as he was often part of his backup team. Monk, Selles and Beattie might not be such a bad shout, nothing really to lose.

I doubt any of this, why wouldn't his severance terms have been explicitly defined in his contract? No one would enter into a contract without terms and conditions being set out (neither side). Doubt he would be entitled to full amount of his contract either.

Really don't understand much of this. First point though is Crocker has not gone, he is still here until the end of the season. Second, he didn't come from an Amateur set up, he joined from England having previously been at Saints. I don't believe there is a club problem with Academies, it is a problem throughout English professional football, especially at the Premier League level. There is very little prospect of an Academy player getting into a PL team nowadays. Only the very very best make it. The best young players (the one likely to make it) are hoovered up by Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal etc, regardless of their original club. Then when they find they are not getting a pathway at an elite club they are farmed out to lesser clubs, then blocking the pathway for the best of those at the lesser club academies. Those young players that don't make it all too often are then lost to football, because they have lead a pandered existence and don't see that a career at a lower league/conference club is still a worthwhile course to follow. I don't know the answer, but do think there is some merit in introducing B teams into the main league structure in this country (I know its unpopular), as they do in Spain and Germany. There are far too many decent footballers kicking around, wasting their time and careers in Academy football.

I can't see how anyone can judge Sellers as a manager after 6 months as a coach to Ralph and Tom Jones. I don:y think he is the right man to manage is this season but I don't think he should be thrown on the scrap heap based on what has happened this term. I think the way forward is to bring James Beattie and Marianne Spacey in as a triumvirate with Ruben.

Selles joined last Summer, 7 months.

Jones sacked. Brief enough. Not much else to add really.

Perhaps we should promote from within, Marianne Spacey seems to know how to grind out results, at least in the Championship. Other thought was perhaps we should go for Lampard, Uncle 'Arry could come and help him out and bring the boy Jamie along too. Poch would never come back, and certainly not while KL is still around (she is still around isn't she?). Gerrard is off to Leeds, and would jump ship the minute Klopp leaves Liverpool. I honestly have no clue who we could get, but it is worrying that the same people and process who recruited Jones will be looking for his replacement. Did they have other names lower on their list than Jones? Who says they can't do any worse. The bloke from Havant & Waterlooville might be worth a shout.

Mr O G Bednarek. I understand that was his 5th OG.

But Jesus was our full back, so not really expected.

6 blocked shots, which are really shots on target, except they're cleared by defender rather than keeper See Forster is doing his best at Spurs, bet they wish they could have Gazza back.

Drew 2-2 with lowly Sunderland this afternoon. Still top, but now only 2 points above Leeds who have a game in hand. Seems to me they would have done well to have had a few first team players in the team today 😉

It would obviously have been far better to have come out and say exactly what the team is going to do to counter Wolves this week, that would have been really cool. Then we would all have been absolutely clear (if we aren't already) that he is a knob.

I thought one of the most interesting points that came out of this was that they are alleged to have downplayed the amount paid to their manager by using their multi-club structure to effectively employ him at another club. I hope SR take note and don't try any underhand means like this. SR do seem to see Man City as a role model and a source of good staff. Whilst it would be nice if Jones was actually employed by Goztepe, it might not do us any good in the long run.

We didn't. You cannot recall from a season long loan without the agreement of the loanee club and the player. From what I understand neither Burnley or Tella wanted him to leave Burnley, so nothing we could do. Tella would have been a mug to come back, playing in a successful team, doing well with a manager and club that appreciates him. I seriously doubt we will ever see him in a Saints shirt again.

Not exactly "typical Saints" then.

Read today that Ralph is going to Hoffenheim.

You mean the Laws (actually Directives) agreed by the EU when the UK was a leading member that often formulated those Directives, and were voted on by the democratically elected European Parliament. If "triggering people" is the "best thing about Brexit" that illustrates nicely what benefits Brexit has brought about. We wouldn't be having any problems with work visas for our new players if it wasn't for Brexit (just to get this back on topic).

They probably paid Michael Gove to help, he's good with fast tracking.

To be honest what that collage shows is that with a very few notable exceptions (Shilts, Niemi, Flowers, Jones, Martin) we have been consistent since the late 60s in having average at best goalkeepers (I am trying my best to be polite).

With 9? first team players in the u21 category, this means we now have 32 players in the first team squad, though that does include Lancashire and Vokins. Going to be quite a clear out in the Summer, whether we stay up or not, I would imagine. Pathway to the first team for our Academy players is currently blocked big time.

Thought McCoist was alright last night to be fair. Said a lot of good things about Saints (probably more than I would have). He's not going to have a love in with the Magpies is he, being a former Mackem. Think the mocking of Shearer for wearing a black & white scarf is nonsense as well, he's a fucking Geordie through and through, what do people expect, he probably hasn't even got a light blue scarf (unless its a faded Blackburn one).

Didn't know where he was meant to be playing? That is the same as saying he didn't know what he was doing, he was awful, nowhere to be seen when Newcastle had some of their (many) attacks down their left, Lyanco left completely exposed (because of Lyanco's lack of pace), passes that he made were wayward. But as i said, it was his debut so will give him the benefit of the doubt based on his much improved second half when he had less defensive duties. Overall last night our passing was abysmal, we make so many problems for ourselves by not being able to find a team mate with a simple pass. Salisu was one of the poorest. I actually think we didn't play too badly overall, but Newcastle were just overpowering in the first 20 minutes or so

Really, thought he was absolutely awful first half, looked completely out of his depth. Was much better in the second half when he was going forward more, but still his end product was woeful (at times). Still it was his debut so needs time, and will now get that if KWP's hamstring is as bad as it looked, proves that getting another FB in was necessary.