VectisSaint

Crocker's article is a fairly damning indictment of how the club was run after Poch (and by implication Cortese). The idea of the academy teams playing the same style as the first team to hep progression was put in place by Poch, but it seems the bullshit of Krueger and the machinations of Les Reed undid all of the good intentions and work. For all of Ronald Koeman's good managerial skilss once he broke free of the Reed shackles, he never had the long term future of Saints in mind and didn't have much faith in the Academy. Mind you, the same could happen again if/when Ralph leaves, unless strategic plans are put in place to replace him, its all very well getting the young players to play in the style of the first team and to be able to fit in, but if the first team philosophy changes, as one day it will then they are stuck again.

Can't see that happening under the Crocker regime, unless we consider he won't ever make it. Loans are supposedly (in general) a thing of the past.

Walcott also back in training (and setting up a nice assist for Adams), albeit with some sort of protective glove on his left hand.

Sad to hear, remember seeing him play a few times, and of course he was famously beaten by Shilts in the 5-1 Leicester defeat (I didn't see that game in the flesh). RIP Campbell.

Or more to the point, here is a list of saints players not getting a look in at the moment. No insight as to why any one of these players might go out on loan, just idle speculation based on a list and (lack of) appearances. The Sam McQueen one is absurd, given that he is not even back in full training yet. Also unlikely that both Forster and Latham will go on loan. There's a long way to go this season, and the players listed will get chances at some point when injuries and suspensions set in. We actually have a very small squad at the moment.

Not really, he was excellent in the Project Restart games at the end of last season. He always was but did go through a dip in form last year, and got replaced by Hojbjerg as a result. Oriol was always the better player, PEH flattered to deceive. As they say class is permanent, form is temporary.

He is out of contract next Summer, so no transfer fee.

Weren't we linked with him years ago, perhaps before he joined the Mancs? Where did it all go wrong for him, lost his way completely. Not sure he is right for us, but if Ralph thinks otherwise so be it.

To be fair, Walcott did say in the post match interview that his pass to Adams was a touch overhit, but doesn't take away from the fact that he was instrumental in winning the ball back and making the pass to Adams that resulted in the goal. Made a lot of other good runs and passes, was unlucky with his shot that didn't quite curl enough to go in and should have won a penalty. I think you are being harsh, especially when he played much of the game with a broken hand and was clearly in a fair bit of discomfort as a result.

No, they had already qualified.

Good result, but in the end completely meaningless in terms of the competition. It was a "dead rubber".

Guess that depends on whether he actually joined up with the squad or not. Was he sent home by England or did he withdraw before he headed from St George's? Haven't seen that detailed anywhere.

I was thinking more Julius Caesar than Wuthering Heights. The semaphore flags might get confused with the Linos, though they don't use their flags much these days. The Aldis Lamp has the added advantage of dazzling the opponents. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsZEeBqZsmQM&psig=AOvVaw2Jt93kSY_Lw3Pv-2mJiT9f&ust=1605130160799000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCKCVm_r1-OwCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAI

Can we not just get an Aldis Lamp?

You sort of wonder whether he actually watched us play at all. I didn't have too much of a problem with the article, it was on the whole quite positive, until I read about Theo "it was a delight to watch him — back playing on the wing where he was born to play". Now I watched the match, and I got the impression that Walcott was playing through the middle behind Che, getting into the red zone as Ralph likes to call it, I don't recall him playing on the wing, unless he is referring to when KWP and Him stole the ball back from their defender to set up Adams' goal. It was in fact the first game where Walcott didn't play on the wing, but this tit thought otherwise, unless I am mistaken, and terminology these days means wingers are those who play through the middle.

Rohl did not come back after the end of the season (2019), was not involved in pre-season, true there may have only been 2 league games missed, but that is hardly the point. Rohl signed for Bayern on 6th August but that was weeks after his no-show for pre-season.

Don't think there's a test for Mink Covid, that's the problem.

He did say that he thought he had broken it in the post match interview last night, but didn't really seem to know how it happened. They strapped two fingers some time after the first goal, they added a bandage/strapping presumably at half-time. I missed him getting the fingers strapped, he must have been off the pitch for some time getting that done.

Was that before or after he played 90 for the Bs today? Not much of a "knock" if he played a full game less than 24 hours later.

Do you really think Gao made the decisions to hire and keep Ralph? The only involvement Gao has is to rubber stamp the suggestions presented to him by the Directors.

Only if you believe we are merely customers. We aren't customers, we are supporters. I haven't been a customer for about 3 years now, I still continue to be a supporter, as I have for the last 54 years. It is clearly our business, not as you say. Doesn't mean we should learn any more, but to say it is "none of our business" is just dumb. If you had said we should mind our own business I would tend to agree with you, but you didn't.

Rubbish. He is part of the product, professional footballers are not straightforward employees, and we are supporters, not simply customers, a professional football club is not the same as Tesco's. Of course it is our business. I'm not saying all of the personal details should be openly made public, but to deny it is our business is simply effing gross stupidity. Its a difficult situation but some sort of explanation is certainly owing, or at least an acknowledgement that there is an issue, just as a holding position. Sadly this Club, in the guise of its current and recent ownership, has a history of keeping the supporters in the dark, ask about Sam McQueen (at least until last week).

Of course it is our business, it is almost the definition of being our business. Doesn't mean they should blurt it out everywhere, but some sort of holding statement with some well though out weasel words would do a lot for cutomer confidence and customer relations.

We didn't start very well this season.

Actually there aren't. International Break, so actually this is about as good timing as it could be.