Sheaf Saint

I can't get my head round it. In what twisted version of reality a back 3 including Bednarek and AMN a good idea? It's like he's trying to get sacked.

Bet365 and BBC showing we've not had any shots on target yet. Does Perraud's (admittedly poor) effort not count then?

It's OK. He had his one good performance for the season last week against Liverpool.

2-1 West Ham now. Or is it going to be disallowed?

Yeah Wednesday is an obvious one for me, seeing as I live in Sheffield. If United were to choke and miss out on promotion that would be even better. Rotherham is nice and local but they are in the relegation mix and might drop out. Hull is a good trip. Good memories of going there on a cold Tuesday night and Jos Hooiveld scoring the winner for us. Never been to Preston. Sunderland is a good excuse to visit some friends in Newcastle. And Coventry back at the Ricoh would be good too.

Yep, I'm completely with you on this. I was cautiously optimistic that he could prove to be a success, and I thought starting a 'Jones Out' thread immediately after the Brighton game was premature to say the least. But that Forest debacle, and his subsequent insistence that we actually played well (it was up there with the very worst Saints performances I have ever seen), tipped me over the edge. We had that wonder week where we all dared to dream that we might have actually turned a corner, but he learned nothing from it and regressed back to the same turgid shite we had been subjected to prior to the Palace game (and let's be honest - we didn't play well in that game either and got very lucky with Guaita having a day to forget). That is more than enough evidence for me that he just isn't up to the challenge, and his general demeanour and beligerence are just the icing on the cake really. He's not only incompetent, he's a seriously unlikeable, narcissistic bullshitter along with it. Not a good combination at all. I will rejoice the day when he is no longer associated with the club, and I hope that day comes sooner rather than later.

From a perspective of progressing in the cup, Grimsby of course. However, a visit from Luton could be very entertaining. If NJ hasn't been sent packing before then, it will be interesting to see the dynamic between him and the Hatters fans. He also promised that we would see what a Nathan Jones team looks like in a few weeks, so perhaps getting to watch Luton at SMS was what he was alluding to.

"Jones did get another triumph over Leeds a few days later, winning on penalties at Elland Road in the Carabao Cup on a night I remember him arguing with his defenders while leading 2-0 — they were having none of him — kicking bottles, leaning back with his hands clasping his buttocks and screaming, and calling Leeds fans behind the dugout ‘wankers’. That result kept him in a job long enough to put six more defeats on Stoke City’s season before they got rid." This is what I fear most happening on Saturday. A fluke win against Wolves and we'll be stuck with him a while longer.

Having supported Saints since the late 80s, I have heard / read this sentiment many times over the years, but have never before been able to bring myself to actually want us to lose in order to catalyse a much-needed change. However, I think I'm there this time. As much as three points would be very welcome on Saturday, the consequences of it don't bear thinking about. Getting to watch that beligerent little bell-end say "I told you so" in his post-match interview will probably leave me needing to visit Currys to get a new TV, having put something blunt and heavy through the screen. I just don't see it happening anyway. Wolves have improved since they changed managers, and they always manage to take points off us anyway by being organised defensively and difficult / impossible to play through. There's nothing about our current setup that gives me the slightest hope that is going to change this weekend.

Maybe you and @The Cat should take this to PM.

It's not really betting against your team though, is it.

Any chance you could merge these threads BTW?

Oh well, if there are no decent options available by the time we've sacked him then we can always hire an up and coming manager from the Championship. What could possibly go wrong?

And yet we were playing some good stuff early in the season, got a couple of very well deserved wins (from behind against Chelsea and Leicester), and generally looked OK for the most part. He even had Che scoring fairly regularly. It just all went to shit when Lavia got injured and we had literally nobody capable of playing what is probably the most important role in Ralph's system. It's no coincidence that our collapses in form in the previous two seasons also happened when Romeu got injured. Given what we know now, if I had been asked to make a binary choice in November between keeping Ralph or replacing him with Jones, it's a no-brainer.

They wouldn't need to resolve the legal stuff first. I know PL football isn't the real world, but in any other industry the first thing to do if you suspect someone of gross misconduct is to suspend them pending a disciplinary hearing. In this case, all we would need to do is relieve him of his duties and let Selles take charge while we figured out the legal ramifications. If we have grounds for dismissal due to gross misconduct then we could avoid having to pay up his contract, but if no then so be it. Either way, he needs to be removed before he tarnishes the reputation of the club/board even further, because he absolutely will if he stays.

That's exactly how the club media team announcement video should be... Prowsey walking into the changing rooms at Staplewood and finding Ralph in the shower 🤣

Honestly - and I know I'm going to take some flak for this - I would approach Ralph and see if he wants to come back. He's had some time off to get some much-needed R&R, he knows the club and the squad, and has shown that he is capable of getting streaks of good form out of them in the past. I know things had started to go wrong, but a break can do wonders for a person and I genuinely don't believe we would currently be bottom of the league if we hadn't sacked him.

FWIW, I don't think there has been non-stop hate bullying and insults. There have been a few snide comments online questioning his pedigree, his ethnicity and religious beliefs, but aside from a couple of chants about the quality of the football, the fans at games have been very patient so far, despite the pathetic performances he has served up. Unfortunately there is always a degree of malignancy online, mostly on Twitter, but also on here to a much lesser extent. It's disappointing, of course, but that's the world we live in now and if a premier League manager isn't thick-skinned enough to tune that out then he has no business being a premier league manager. What I do see here in this post, though, is yet another example of refusal to accept responsibility. To blame 'the fans' (as if we are all just one homogenous entity) when the vast majority of us are paying customers who are entitled to voice our opinions and criticisms, is typical of the NJ mentality of blaming everyone but himself. We haven't broken and destroyed him. As soon as he set foot in the door it was obvious he was a prickly, disturbed man with a nervous disposition who claims to thrive on that kind of adrenaline, but who clearly can't control his emotions. He blatantly needs to get some help with that, and I hope he recognises that and seeks out the right support, but this is a situation entirely of his own making IMO. Blaming the fans is a cop out.

In any other circumstances, I would never believe that anyone who has climbed the ranks to become a PL manager could be capable of such childish pettiness. Not even Ian Holloway, as much of an abrasive prick as he could be. But it genuinely would not surprise me with Mad Nate. The guy is unhinged and not on this planet. If SR genuinely cannot see that he needs to be removed immediately before he causes any more damage to this club, then any hope I still had that they might actually be able to take us forward will finally evaporate.

Welcome back Bearsy. Your profound wisdom in these matters is always welcome 🙏

I would be interested to hear the reasoning from the 10 people who have so far voted no, although I can perhaps understand their reluctance to discuss it openly. Seriously, what can you possibly see in him that convinces you things will improve and he's worth keeping around?

Was hoping to wake up to news that he has been relieved of his duties, but alas not. Being a Saints fan these days is just a constant cycle of disappointment isn't it.