Dark Munster

We could do worse. Good shout. Always liked Nasty Nige, and I think he could be the perfect bastard for us. Plus he did superbly setting up Leicester for that incredible season (especially in the sports science department).

He is nowhere near a Puel mark 2, which is an insult to a decent manager. He is a Br*nf**t, Wigley, Gray, mark 2 (take your pick).

I thought from the thread title that this was going to be your farewell post.

It does appear that player power is now a major problem. I think it was the main reason Claude was forced out. Maybe the players want a nice pal like Eric Black in charge (competence be damned). We need a seasoned manager who wont take any shit from them. And Black and Watson out.

It's stronger than the one last year that finished 8th and outplayed Utd in a cup final. Anyway, we need an experienced manager who commands the players' respect and wont take shit from any of them (loathe him or hate him, Koeman had that). And also someone who will immediately bring in his own replacements for Black and Watson.

I think you'll find it would be Spurs and their scouts who are mainly responsible for that. I can think of many ways to describe someone who walks out on us a year or so into his contract to take up a job with Spurs, but "top bloke" is certainly not one of them. Anyone who wins La Liga ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona (at their Messi peak) is a world class manager. If the tosspot MP does that I'll call him world class.

You mean in response to the same verbatim crud about Puel.

Steady on. Not if they're the manager of Spurs (or P*mp*y).

Indeed. I'll never forgive him for selling Mane, Pelle, and Big Vic. And for getting Austin and VVD injured. And turning Fonte's head and selling him in January when we were already short at the back.

I don't know about 90%, but yes a significant number wanted him gone. I think word on the street it was a number of unhappy players who were the main reason he was sacked (with maybe the fans being the straw on the camel's back).

Apparently that wasn't good enough last season.

Yes indeed. Plus VVD and Austin injured. Plus the extra Thursday games every other week. Plus (as someone has just reminded me) having to deal with a toxic Fonte for half a season.

0 games in and it was clear we needed some attacking talent. Well, to everyone except Les "One Transfer Window Too Late" Reed.

Indeed. Mane, Pelle and Big Vic became invisible when Claude took over, as were Austin and VVD for half the season. And he didn't get the best out Gabbi until half the season had already passed.

Yeah, that's the silver lining. We're crap at home.

Let us know what you think a couple of months from now.

His crime was he didn't get the best out of the players he didn't have.

We've regularly been at the top of the physioroom charts, so I don't think your glasses are pessimistically tinted. Saints' physiotherapists need to go. Along with Dave Watson. And Eric Black, of course.

I'm not sure about that. It's looking like it will be a big ask for them to be able to survive at this high a level. It'll probably be better for them if they slip back into L2, where they belong.

So Souness tries to blame Terry Cooper. Bloody cheek, as allegedly it was Cooper who more or less took over near the end of the season to save us from the relegation that we were hurtling to under that incompetent arsehole Sourpuss.

Poch is a decent manager, but is nothing more than that until he wins some serious trophies. And even if he does manage that in the future, he'll always be a twat.

For big clubs, yes. Spurs are a big club, and currently have a superb squad (I feel dirty saying that), led by Kane (who Poch was reluctant to play when he was first there). So being in the top 4 is hardly a managerial miracle (unlike Leicester's unbelievable season ... incidentally denying that "brilliant" manager Poch yet another trophy).

And apparently it's also easy to forget he had Mane next to him that season.