saint1977

Just like 04/05 then and look how that turned out. Lowe and cronies thought they could ignore the fans but they were pleading for our help post relegation.

Would be 3 great signings but share your realistic take on it

Echoes my thoughts. Has become too isolated and out of touch, clinging onto MP just one example. That said, I wouldn’t want his job if it’s sell to buy for the next few years. I’d probably retire.

Latter sentence is all the takeover was all about. If they somehow survive this year, the drop is inevitable in the next season or two with no fresh investment despite record TV deals. I’ve seen Saints fans use the phrase ‘sold down the river’ and that seems fair in the vacuum of any kind of plans. Administration will be a more dangerous option when we spiral down the leagues this time around.

Partially drawing together what the seemingly more reliable ITKs - Guan, KBSS and LeG - have posted and my own observations of what I’ve seen. Pretty plain that only 3 strikers last season come September 16, one of them injury prone, one of them never the same since a major injury and the other never prolific - was madness and needed opposing or at least some oversight. The sale of Fonte was good business but quite why there wasn’t a succession plan even pre VVD injury is baffling and even the likes of MLG thought Reed had a disastrous window, hence the panic hire if Cacares. Some will shoot that down but the evidence on the pitch of a series of appalling errors is more than circumstantial and the club is clearly in some significant difficulties. The only solution has to be MP gone and Reed banished from first team business. He needs to focus on the academy - that is drier than a river bed in July 1976

Absolutely, let’s have a poll up on this

Les Reed hires two defensive managers and breaks the transfer record at the time for a player who would be the anthesis if what they would want. Les Reed = genius

He could have lobbied for a 4th striker and a Fonte replacement though. Although it was hinted by one of the ITKs that Puel wanted to get rid of Fraser in the summer but Reed refused and inexplicably gave him a new 5 year deal. Reed should have been sacked for that alone. Puel is better off out of that - the fans aren’t so lucky

Our training tops look like Sainsbury’s uniforms but I don’t think they’d want him to stack shelves. Shoppers would never find their items week by week in the store and the layout would a chaotic mess

Believe so but it shouldn’t matter - VVD is astonishlngly unprofessional and the whole saga has certainly affected the club very badly. Can only hope by his leaving that we can get some of the other rotten apples out as well and an influx of several new first team players with the strength, pace and backbone we need lifts morale

Agree, new manager will need to get some backbone in during January, plus some balance and pace for whatever their preferred system is, will mean lots of transfers out which I am not sad about in the slightest. Starting with VVD and Tadic hopefully

Let’s see: Lots of rumours on here in RK final season of unhappiness of his management style and level of control despit top 6 finish Reed’s ‘he’s done alright’ comment at awards dinner which brought astonished laughter Guan and K Billy posts on a new or change of direction Puel appointed but Redmond signed as a feeble Mane replacement well before he arrived The dreadful August window leaving us with a record number of top flight games and 3 strikers. Puel is too intelligent to swallow the Redmond as a striker stuff but must have thought he had little choice January’s dreadful window and the CB cock up DoF tells manager in June to either change style or part company Considering none of us really know who led on the appointments of Adkins and MP, it’s hard to know who to credit there. Reed got the credit for Koenan and wasn’t shy in lapping it up. Much slower in the press on his last 2 failures though yet both partially set to fail by being given unbalanced squads. The last 18 months dramatic slump coincides with the new direction. Perhaps you believe in coincidences - I’m not sure I do

A lot of managers do it, depends on your definition. If you have what you need from your DoF fine but by comment consent Puel didn’t from two dreadful windows by Reed and Wilson. Remind me who got the sack in the summer - Reed or Puel. I rest my case

Very compliant of you - but if he wasn’t getting what he needed off Reed then use the press conferences to say you are short in this area and that area plus using your agent to brief. Being ambitious, that’s what I’d have done. Reed’s increased involvement with the first team has been disasterous

The puppet that wouldn’t stand up to Reed in either last summer’s window leaving with us with Europa League group stages and only 3 strikers. Redmond as a striker. Only if you are a patsy. Puel should have had Reed on toast for the January CB debacle, didn’t see any pressure applied whatsoever

Pellegrino has to go he clearly isn’t the only problem as became clear last term too. Puel and MP have been Reed’s puppets and look where it has got us. Can’t stand VVD or Tadic. JWP is deluded and belongs in the Championship. Fraser like plasterboard. Redmond just spends his time moaning, bottling it or giving ball away, deserved stick today. Davis great servant but horribly past it. Reed to go as well, new experienced manager with VVD dosh, 7 or 8 other out and influx in to try and generate some sense of momentum, effort or interest in staying up

Good on the fans, now some virulent abuse for Les Reed as please

Even you are saying it. Palace game will be like the Branfoot era if Reed doesn’t pull his finger out, appoint new a manager and announce he is stepping back from all first team matters

Watford home game all over again

Yep, that as well

Reluctantly I have to agree with you. Needs to be at least 5 to leave Reed with no choice

Feel really sorry for the fans who have travelled, sacked in the morning is what I would be singing.

Reed has to go as well, or at least concede control of all first team matters to the new manager, who he would report to.

Compeletely agree. If Reed is still being stubborn after another hiding at OT, time to use the Palace game as a protest against them both. No point getting behind these players, they don’t exactly bust a gut

Replica of the first 20 v Hudds until Austin scored against the run of play. Hudds should have been 2-0 up easily. Morale looked dreadful, no effort whatsoever to stop Kane’s goal but only upside is that this will be a few and nowhere for even Reed to hide now. Media will be adding to our voices in insisting MP must go