Midfield_General

Defensive mistakes leading to a goal: one. Shots on target: zero. Another superb half of football under this dickhead.

I'm feeling about it the way one might feel about an impending colonic irrigation appointment. Not expecting to enjoy it in any way, but morbidly curious to see just how awful what gets produced will be.

Yep, been one of the few who has actually been consistently decent, and also one of the few who can actually play the "system"* reasonably effectively, receiving the ball in tight spaces and playing on the half-turn. So let's drop him. (* By which I mean "guaranteed defeat process")

Opposing managers coming out with these identikit statements each week before we obligingly let them beat us without breaking sweat is just another part of the running joke that he has turned us into this season. That's what really hurts to be honest. I can take losing football matches every week, but he's turned us into a fucking punchline, and I can't forgive him for that.

—Martin on his style of play, 2021.[76] Bearing in mind he only had significant playing spells for Wycombe, Peterborough, Norwich and Scotland, presumably he can only be talking about Norwich as this team who were dominant with the ball? They were relegated twice while he was playing for them, much of which was as captain. So that’s apparently the experience he ‘loved’. He’s a loser. It’s baked into his DNA.

Martin saying that he's spoken to PGMOL and Webb has apologised and said that the disallowed goal against Brighton should have stood. Is that two apologies we've had now - didn't we also get one for the penalty not given against Leicester? If so, then that's PGMOL admitting that they've cost us between 3-6 points so far, depending on how you think the Leicester game would have panned out if we'd been given (and scored) the penalty. Absolute jokers.

I haven’t been keeping up but I was surprised to see the Middle East being brought up in a thread about Russell Martin. I know he’s made a few questionable decisions but it seems a bit harsh to blame him for the situation in Gaza.

Matt Bianco would also like a word

Yep, guarantee that Taylor had the balls to tell him it was bullshit and has now been ostracised to the bomb squad, even though we need him available.

Exactly how I feel now. Who gives a fuck, it's clearly completely pointless. We'll do the same things, make the same mistakes, lose again, and then I'll have to hear that smug, gaslighting twat wave it away after the game as though he's somehow not responsible for making us a complete laughing stock. We're basically relegated already - which before the end of November is quite an achievement - so it's not about going down anymore, it's just about pride and at least having a go at looking like a credible Premier League football team capable of winning the odd match. But if no-one at the club cares enough to change anything about that situation and actually give us a chance of at least saving a bit of face, why should I care either.

Precisely. Not only is he a completely useless tactician, but he’s a fucking shit judge of a player too.

Shall we talk about how outstanding Paul Onuachu was up until his injury? Some fantastic close control, holding the ball up and playing out of tight spaces, and generally bringing a freshness and unpredictability to our play, making things happen in a way that was the complete antithesis to the usual hyper-predictable snail football.

'Done well' = lost against Newcastle, lost against City, lost against Arsenal, lost against Liverpool, for a grand total of zero points. Not having a go at you, just says a lot about how far our expectations have been allowed to sink under this bunch of losers.

Absolutely spot on.

It’s an interesting question. Putting aside the idea of him being in a position to drop us because he got a better offer (which seems extremely unlikely), if we sacked him tomorrow, what would his next job be? I can’t see any other Prem club who had just sacked a manager thinking he’s the answer. It would be back to a Championship club with promotion aspirations, surely? Maybe one with a currently decent manager at that level who might get poached and need replacing. A Middlesbrough, West Brom or Blackburn. Basically where he was when he left Swansea, with an additional positive on his CV of having achieved a promotion to the PL, but that being counteracted by an additional negative of having been shown to be completely out of his depth when he got there.

And peak Messi

New piece from Jonathan Wilson in the Guardian: Southampton are doomed but it’s clear why Russell Martin will not change ’Few managers are idealists but the truth for the man in charge at St Mary’s is that his players aren’t good enough to stay up.’ ‘The routine has become familiar. Southampton play their goal-kicks short. They pass the ball neatly. They have a lot of possession; 56.6% – only three teams in the Premier League are averaging more. They don’t take their chances – no side have hit a lower percentage of shots on target this season. Somebody makes a mistake – perhaps one of their players, perhaps the referee – they concede and the game is lost. Their manager, Russell Martin, looking ruggedly masculine but in touch with his feelings, then speaks sadly and patiently about his belief in playing football the right way. Then everybody else weighs in.’ https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2024/nov/23/southampton-are-doomed-but-its-clear-why-russell-martin-will-not-change

"According to a report from Football Insider" Clickbait

Melchett Martin's top secret pre-match briefing at Staplewood: "Here's the list of personnel cleared to know how we're going to play against Liverpool: You and me Gilly, obviously. Arne Slot, Arne Slot's wife, all Arne Slot's wife’s friends, their families, their families' servants, their families' servants' tennis partners, and some chap I bumped into outside Anfield the other day called Bernard."

From today’s Guardian: “Trying to find hope for Russell Martin’s side going into this fixture is tricky. At Wolves they failed to have a shot on target despite having 72% possession and they will not dominate the ball in the same manner on Sunday. Southampton’s style is about passing and patient buildup and it is unlikely Martin will ever change, even if the club’s Premier League status and his employment are at risk. All teams need an element of surprise, whether they are first or last, in order to keep opponents guessing, but Southampton’s predictability is their downfall and explains why they are bottom. Reacting when something is not working is a sign of a good coach.”

Is it fair to say that Steve Wigley is generally regarded as the worst top flight manager we've had? Because Russ needs to get five points from his next three games (Liverpool (H), Brighton (A), Chelsea (H)) just to equal Wigley's managerial record of 9 points from 14 Premier League matches.

----------- Pahars --------------- Mane ----- Le Tiss ---- Rod Wallace ------- Case ---- Ekelund ----- Bale --- VVD --- Alderweireld -- Clyne ----------- Niemi ----------- That side would have a shot at top 4, I reckon. Can't bring myself to pick the bad XI, there are just too many options. But Chris Woods would be in goal.

Desperate to catch Amazon's eye so he can be the star of the next All Or Nothing / Mission to Burnley

I know someone who would disagree... So much for “the table never lies“ – data unravels football’s biggest lie of all. Ankersen, a 33-year-old Dane with a trim beard and hair pulled into a small ponytail, seems relaxed. “There’s a concept in football that the table never lies,” says Ankersen, whose own playing career was ended by a knee injury in his teens. “Well, that’s the biggest lie in football. Your league position is not the best metric to evaluate success.” https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/sport/2017/02/so-much-table-never-lies-data-unravels-footballs-biggest-lie-all

Rasmus conducting Rusty's appraisal: