Badger

Due diligence and all that ....

Or a loan with an option to buy. In which case he'll be back here next summer.

Kevin Keegan was kept off the radar. No rumours, just an announcement.

They didn’t turn out to be, but Sven was considered one of the best coaches in Europe at the time of his appointment and a bit of a coup to get him. Cappello not so much, and McLaren was only mentioned tongue in cheek. From the names mentioned in the press and BBC Gossip column today ( Potter, Howe, and worse still in the Guardian, Gerrrard and Lampard) prepare for disappointment as we won’t be getting the outstanding coach you want.

Don’t you think we need ‘transforming’ for ‘also rand’ to tournament winners , or is that simply going to evolve on its own in time ? Accept the wealth held by the FA but that has previously brought us Sven, Cappello and of course Steve McLaren. During which time we won fuck all.

If you look at their track record of appointments I don’t share the confidence that a new managerial appointment will transform us.

A name ? Dont disagree with your second paragraph. I thought at HT Spain were there for the taking. Trouble is the international team job isn’t a particularly popular role with all the grief that goes with it

Hope no one from the Spanish FA is going to plant a kiss on any of their players

Nothing new. The problem isn’t simply Southgate, there’s something fundamentally wrong with our football if you consider what other footballing nations (that we like to compare ourselves with) have achieved in the last 50 years. There don’t seem too many stand out candidates for the national team job

For who to take over ?

This is the biggest disappointment. Having got back into it, we seemed to sit back and let Spain regroup.

Being watched and then having a bid submitted are two different things. Maybe clubs want to see how he steps up in a higher league before committing. Although too early to go overboard about the signing, I’m reasonably optimistic on this one, and agree with someone saying he could become quite a cult hero. Also await the return of the bloke nearby being able to comment about ‘the jap’s’ playing well/shit or whatever

Is that a pearl of wisdom?

Not ‘yeah, definitely…’ Clearly a lot to learn but a good start.

One of the great images of our recent history. The other that reminds me of more turbulent times and the takeover talk, is the image of Barry the Briefcase

And referring to the half time team talk by ‘Lego Head’

Get to work on your open letter

No subs then either, so no tweaking the shape bollocks to interrupt the match

He’s coming for you,he’s coming for you, you paella eating bastards , Sir Francis Drake is coming for you …

Christ on a bike , what shade of pink!! If you’d have asked a Saints fan under the East Stand at The Dell in the days of the Dockers Enclosure (1970’s and before) , “what shade of pink shirt would you like to see Saints play in” , you’d have probably ended up with a smack in the mouth. So we’ve moved on from that obviously, just hope it’s not the high vis pink as shown.

I’m also pleased to see some GK links (apart from Steele who seems a more expensive for the EPL version of Lumley). Maik Taylor was very unlucky to be displaced at Saints and could have been our GK for a few years but for Dave Jones wanting to bring Paul Jones from Stockport with him. (Paul Jones who in his prime would also be an upgrade on Bazunu).

Here’s another write up. https://www.leftbackfootball.com/home/2022/11/18/kuryu-matsuki-fc-tokyos-prodigious-box-to-box-midfielder Certainly has potential. Although the European leagues are going to be a lot more physical than what’s he used to he’ll need to develop his strength along the way. WGS was highly complimentary about the dedication of the Japanese players he had at Celtic and Japan have shown themselves to have some good players at World Cups. I’m hoping we get some Yoshida style service and commitment from Matsuki, Sugarawa, and the other youngster.

Would never have thought (in the 70's or 80's) that The Archies, Sugar Sugar, would have been something to consider singing on the terraces !. For pure nostalgia, had a look on Youtube for it being played on TOTP or similar. From 1969. Strange and sad to think that all the slim little Doris's in mini-skirts then, are now possibly grannies, with tits down to their knees. Or dead. Aneka - Japanese Boy, another contender from the backlog.

This contradicts the earlier suggestion that it would be a return to conventional stripes (which I think had been leaked or picked up by one of the local Echo journalists).

Or that have run in the wash.