Badger

Blighted. Bring back the White Witch. Joking aside, she'd probably be as effective as some of the coaching team.

Or more recently Swansea. We’ve quietly gone from trying to emulate one of the best sides in Europe to looking at a mid-table Championship club for inspiration. ThanksRasmusyoucunt#

Not sure on the American bit ?

How many GK coaches do we employ ? Another area of concern over several seasons.

The Loch Ness Delgado might turn out to be a more apt name.

This seems the case unfortunately. Would it have been any different if we’d appointed Maresca ? I’ve got my doubts. Like 12 months ago we come back to the issue of recruitment. For example Leicester sign a DM such as Winks who although much derided on here is experienced and fine for the Championship, we bring in a largely unproven Charles from City ( and then play him out of position). Questions over our other recruits remain. Also, whilst not supporting RM and his continual reference to “scar tissue” , he has a point in that the side is mentally weak. Nothing to do with relegation though it has been like that for a couple of years. Why ?

Not sure about Martin and looking to leave Swansea as I had read that relationships with the owners had been strained after the January window. Agree with the rest of your post, but we can only hope Wilcox provides a break from the current SR incompetence and isn’t also part of that given the appointment of RM.

Too much of a common sense manager who’ll work on the training ground to get the team sorted and play in a joined up fashion. He won’t appeal to our board who have to have a “philosophy” and adhere to a blueprint, even when it isn’t working. I’d welcome a solid football manager like him. But can you see him “aligning” with the skinny latte/green tea tossers at our club these days ?

St Sarina it is then

Got too rich for Sandbanks I suppose. Where is ‘Arry having his jam roly-polys now then ?

Bollocks, after all these years an old exam failing of not fully reading the fucking question properly comes back to haunt me. I follow the point of your second question though, but think it’s the other way round, their confidence exceeds their ability (which is what I think you meant).

Good original post taking me back to 76/77. Couple of things which I remember and compare with our current situation: Goalkeeper issues - due to injury (rather than the crap available to him) Lawrie had to bring in GK’s on loan, Colin Boulton and Jim Montgomery. Turner just played in the European matches. Shame we can’t do that now. Striker - signed Ted MacDougall mid or end of September. No bloody transfer window to worry about. In December signed Alan Ball. Wonder if any 31 year old former World Cup winners would drop to the Championship this year (and be affordable). Or would they rather sit on the Chelsea or City bench be paid millions and not play ?

Well done chaps, (and chapesses), we’ve reached P2 without mention of Potter.

Saviour of Forest Green

Some good names thrown about there. Mowbray might have been possible in the summer, rumours even of Sunderland looking elsewhere then. Unlikely now, might want to work with his brother though .., The name Lowe is best not connected with Saints again. Thanks.

Who was the bloke with the hair ? Early-mid 2000’s Think he’d managed some obscure African nation at a WC.

David Platt, always destined to manage Saints. (Rupert’s first choice I seem to recall). And England apparently.

If we’re calling random names in the Saints next manager bingo : can I point out that Danny Rohl is available. As is Wade Elliott by the way.

This remains a mystery to me as well. But I really wonder if the club with its smug self-belief in the acclaimed scouting network didn’t simply say “no, Ralph you just concentrate on the coaching we have a proven scouting system …. Best in the world….. black box …. etc”. I can’t believe that at some point he didn’t put forward names, Orban and Hinteriggger for example as proven CB’s , but was told “no it’s alright we’ve just found some African kid who has played half a season in Spain, he’s a great prospect… “ Unlikely we’ll ever know the truth, but I don’t lay the blame for recruitment at Ralph’s door.

To his credit I’ve yet to hear RM plead that one …

Sad thing is that, as in 2022, we were an attractive proposition for most managers in the summer. Mowbray is another one, solid sort of manager who tries to play it the right way and sorts a team out. In the summer he might have been interested but unlikely now. But Mowbray and Warnock won’t fit or match up (sorry, “align” ) with the spreadsheet operators at SFC despite being well placed to get results.

Yeh, this is a proppa football club, and it needs a proppa manager. Only one man will do: Rasmus and Jason need to get themselves round the table in Sandbanks, and after some of Sandra’s Jam Roly Poly get the deal signed and sorted. (Russell Martin just goes up 100% in Saints fans estimation).

Thanks for posting these snippets, grounds for optimism .. perhaps

Yes, we seem blighted. Perhaps it is time as suggested the other day to bring back Ceridwen Dragonoak Connelly (The White Witch). She can do team selections and tactics as well if asked.

I like your thinking, it has potential. Would have to be a wind powered kettle though.