Badger

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.

Perhaps he's just lived up to their expectations. I had doubts about this appointment, he had less track record than Jones among other things. But I'm not calling for his head (yet), Saints appointed him and are stuck with him. Sacking him we're becoming like Watford. Can't see those responsible admitting another failure either. Ridiculous thing is, we might even sack him before the compensation is agreed with Swansea. (How much do we say they owe us?)

You weren't alone in expressing reservations on this one DMan. I find it incredible that a bloke with a ST at Swansea can see this glaring problem with RM's games, but the football intelligentsia who make up our 'experts' can't.

Your post struck a chord with me, especially after the near 17 hour day for Sunderland, which was fine except for the feeble and gutless 90 minutes... then a 1am return after Leicester ... all worth it of course. But we return because we've got years 'invested' in the club, and hope for something better. I recall a mate saying years ago after a defeat, it's days like these that make the wins even sweeter...

Christ on a bike, don’t think Holly Willoughby would know how to address our supporters at the moment after the shitshows and clusterfucks of the last 18months or so, now topped off with the last three matches. Are we okay ?? - fuck off. Unbelievable what we’ve become, slow, predictable , boring, but remaining relatively toothless up front. Players out of position, starting Aribo, then RM’s interviews, using last seasons failings as an excuse to hide behind .. Special mentions in the roll of dishonour, go to Charles (being played out of position admittedly) for his contribution to goals conceded v Leicester and Tuesday night, Holgate, who descended to a new level of shit at Sunderland (so much so RM doesn’t trust him when we have a CB injury crisis), Manning, in what sort of parallel universe might he have been best LB in the Championship?)and Smallbone (again apparently not being played in his best position) but who - one or two nice touches aside - is often ineffective to the point of looking a downgrade on Elyonoussi. (Could that even be possible?). The Leicester fourth goal captured our downfall to some degree, attempts at pretty footwork trying to look clever, and pass it about, but giving the bastard thing away for them to go unopposed to the other end of the field and score. Can only hope for better on Saturday, but not holding my breath.

Thought it was quite a good atmosphere there on Friday. Fair play to those involved in getting it going.

It’s in the DNA ..

That really would be a cherry on the Clusterfuck Cake