Badger

Perhaps they don’t have “lecky meters” to raid in Madrid either.

Agreed, not strong enough or quick enough to make an impact. I was going to say Smalllbone has age on his side, but on looking him up realised he is 22, by which time you would have expected a bit more. Tella is another one who is seen as a 'youngster' but again is 22.

Fair to say the Champions League means diddly squat to me (although hope Real win tomorrow). For us I'd say the FA Cup is a bit of a holy grail, even the League Cup as a second option. At least for now we can delight in the fact that Klippity has not experienced the joy and glory of the JPT (although don't be surprised if their U21's or U18's win it in the future).

A resounding Foxtrot Oscar to signing Winks or any deal involving his club. We probably got away with one when we signed KWP although the bastards had already fleeced us by underpaying on Hojberg. (Although the deals were independent of each other - before those with attention to finer detail reminds us) Agreed on all accounts. If Semmens enters into a handshake with the North London Yobbos (as Rupert called them) he really needs to check if his Rolex is still on his wrist afterwards.

Just how reliable is Saints Extra ? Most of those rumours might have been lifted off of here.

Set up, or personnel involved ?

Good clip. But forget about the player can we sign their shirt design ?

That's some good research and a few interesting names there, thanks for that. Maric certainly looks an interesting one and quite young as well. I thought about Zsolt Low earlier, and mentioned in an earlier post whether we'd use the opportunity to bring in an eventual successor to Ralph. A lot depends on his and other options long term career ambitions I suppose. If Low wants to remain an Assistant then he'd probably prefer staying at Chelsea, but if he (or say Rohl, or Maric) want the step up to take over the reins somewhere then Saints might offer a route for them.(Leaving aside Rohl is unlikely to leave the national team until after the WC). Ankersen took Frank to Brentford as backroom staff so he has a track record of promoting from within. The downside of this though is that some good No2's in England don't make it when given the top job, Brian Kidd, Don Howe (going back a few years), and to some extent Steve McLaren even (lets not go back to Gray and Wigley though). Could be an exciting appointment, but FFS get it right Saints.

Michael Henke is a name from the past, linked with the Saints job during the Rupert Lowe years. I think it was before we were relegated, may have been after WGS even.

Yet most people were dismissive of Rupert Lowe and his looking to attention to detail at the time. I accept that trying to fund it (SCW for example) after relegation was poorly timed but the idea of it was also ridiculed. Seems we've moved on.

Have thought similar but more about the possibility of the long term successor if they accept RH's likely retirement as speculated rather than after 12 games or so. Brentford/Ankerson appointed Frank as an Assistant Head Coach for a couple of years before he took over so there might be some longer term planning involved here.

Just wait until tomorrow when the club announce Les Reed is coming back to give Ralph the benefit of his knowledge as First Team Coach.

This was one of Rupert's lasting strategies so that if a manager walked out the staff were likely to remain in position for some form of continuity. Also why Moyes turned us down in 2001 when he was at Preston.

Wasn't Ralph rumoured to be against changes and losing part of the coaching team ?

Obviously he doesn't expect to be elevated to first team duties then. Perhaps Semmens will give him 100 lines on the first day back, I must learn the difference between there and their.

Top marks for the user name !

No it doesn't. But could sour the relationship.

I was there and notice a diesel spillage. Some bloke putting cones around it. Wondered what Dennis Rofe was up to these days.

I did think the GK coach might also be vulnerable.

Right decision but a shame that Kelvin's time with the club ends this way. But as others have said he was promoted out of his depth in being elevated to First Team Coach and that is where some of the fault lies. Hope he continues in the game. (Sods Law his son moves on to another Academy and turns out to be a star in the making).

Might explain it. Reminds me of the old saying that a 'camel is a horse designed by a committee'.

Despite those two, every GK we've had seems to go backwards on joining. Out of interest who is the fitness coach ? From performances it seems we haven't really had one since Koeman .

.. he's not The Messiah..

Designed and manufactured by crochet ?

By a Google currency converter that's £34m that might be poured into Levski for team improvement and the stadium. From a purely football (Saints) perspective a club in Holland or Croatia would have ben more attractive with the quality of players churned out there. Could be argued Bulgaria is a less tapped market I suppose.