Saint Fan CaM

Understand the frustration, but that’s contradictory to what many on here are saying in that skill is secondary and effort is everything (or similar). TP at least looks like he’s trying his hardest - whether he is at optimum fitness might be a question, but I’d say he’s at least trying to use whatever he’s got in the tank. Not sure you can say the same of Aribo and others mind.

Is it a ‘busy’ window for other clubs? Not sure it is - at present anyway. It will almost certainly get busier towards the end of the window as the January sales kick in and idiots like Rasmus start getting itchy trigger fingers.

Please don’t. If the cameras manage to capture it my TV may suffer some abuse. 😉😂

Good post - another who recognises it’s not just about moving heads in and out - we need a step change in quality regarding fitness and skill, especially in the DM and striker areas. Quantity over quality has for years been a blind spot it seems and it stems from poor management such as Lowe and now SR/Rasmus. We really turned a corner when Cortese/Markus came in and that continued right through to the time of Pelle/Mane/Tadic/Van Dyke etc. After that the scouting and recruitment turned to rat shit. Ralph tried to sort it out, but ultimately failed due to very poor backing. And here we are, paying the cost.

Maybe, maybe not, but do you really think SR have the track record to suggest they will opt for a manager with some form of pedigree? Or will Rasmus press for a hipster type with promise as previously? Under the circumstances of a demoralised decimated squad, I think Lallana might not be the worst of options!

I’ve got it on good authority that we’re going to give Swansea every bit of support to ease us out of the competition so we can concentrate on our Premiership survival fight. We’re so kind hearted like that. One might say Saintsy. 😉

I’m convinced the SR strategy was designed to utilise a manager who would get the best out of lower cost players - unfortunately there was a series of managers that didn’t make the grade and the squad eventually ended bloated with mediocrity. With the original plan failed SR about turned and appointed Juric hoping there was enough in the bloated squad for him to work some magic, but leaving Juric enough time to figure out where the gaps in competency were. His reaction after the Brentford debacle suggests he’s probably thinking there’s not a lot to be optimistic about and I reckon there will be some scratching of heads and furrowed brows during tomorrow’s meeting. As I’ve suggested before, either the meeting will sanction a parting of the ways with dross and a significant spend on new better players suited to a high press, pacey attack minded team OR panic will take-over and we’ll see the first tranche of a fire-sale of our ‘better’ players. I’m not a gambling man, but if I was, I’d lay money on the latter such is the incompetence of this Board/SR. Juric will consequently not stay beyond the end of the season and we’ll be plunged into even greater levels of shitness during the summer with Lallana (the new Wigley?) taking over the reigns. God help us.

Well it could be argued that the abysmal recruitment exhibited over the last few seasons on many, has wasted the funds we could have spent on a couple of real gems. Somebody needs to take the spade away from SR/Rasmus etc. - the pit of despair they’ve dug for the club is now looking so deep we may never get out.

That may well have been the plan, but of course the quality of those players both in terms of fitness and skill was woefully inadequate. Plus contracts had been previous signed that meant we entered the EPL with a squad of players barely good enough to get promoted, let alone be successful in the EPL.

He’s a youth loanee in a broken squad expected to deploy experience he’s not gained. He’s a player that should be on the bench to learn from seasoned pro’s used to playing at the top level of the sport, coming on in the last 10 minutes to see out a game or to replace an injured player. Expectations of the lad have been hugely distorted thanks to a massively flawed SR strategy and this is borne out of the results seen before and after he started games. Plus he’s no worse than most other players currently being wheeled out. Plus he’ll be brilliant in the Championship.😉

The thing about the players we have/keep and any players we bring in, whether trying to stay in the EPL or plan for the Championship, they MUST be able to play in Juric’s style - i.e. high press, have pace with the ball and an ability to score lots of goals. Recruiting with any thought of retaining a possession based style will be disastrous once again. This will require a complete root and branch re-think…it’s going to be a massive undertaking and it will mean another huge injection of money (and/or loss of player value to off-load deadwood). Not sure Dragan will sign-off on that.

Difficult to get excited about this in the slightest. The morale and belief across the team must be rock bottom - so much so that another loss is almost inevitable. 1-2 Swansea.

I don’t think RM brought all of the shitshow to the club - I reckon there has been a deliberate strategy to play a keep-ball system to ENABLE lower quality/cost players to be purchased. Russball was required by design therefore and that was fine for the Championship, but not so good for the EPL. And now we have a new Manager asking sub-standard players to raise their game, which clearly they can’t…they’re not good enough. To be fair they’re not ‘bad’ players - they’re just woefully short on fitness and technical skill to compete at EPL level. SR’s strategy has totally failed and it could be argued that the writing was on the wall by only achieving fourth at season end, but no lessons were learned. Unless 5-6 new top level starters are purchased in this coming window, we shall continue to see shockingly poor performances. That’s not going to happen, so be prepared for months more of the shitshow. The only light at the end of the tunnel is the Championship, but that will require a complete re-think again in the summer as team morale will be even further shot to bits. I feel really sorry for Juric - he’s put his career on the line thinking he can make an impact, but in truth the season was gone the minute the summer ‘24 window closed.

He’ll be off to our sister club I guess given his age?

Have not seen anything yet to change my mind that we’re not only headed for relegation, but we’ll not win or draw enough games to beat Derby’s record. Yes, IR has helped but I reckon that’s more about what the team are NOT doing (dicking about at the back), rather than what has changed to improve performances and specifically how to score goals. Brentford are (shockingly) an all round better club and have a better, more effective squad of players, marshalled by a good manager. 0-2 Brentford

Unless you’re Russell Martin and keep doing the same things despite poor performance. Then all bets are off!

So much wrong with the club. It needs a relegation to sort it out probably. Let’s not try to suggest it was RM or the players only…it’s multi-faceted. 1. Russball no good for our squad and probably useless in the EPL full-stop. This was an easy one to sort out, but it happened too late. 2. Too many players of sub-standard quality and/or fitness. 3. Persistence in playing 5 at the back when we don’t have the skill and/fitness in midfield or in attack to allow it. 4. Losing mentality is now so embedded in the squads mindset, it’s difficult for any Manager to eradicate it. 5. Squad is big but bloated with mediocrity at best. Honestly can’t see where or how we’re going to pick up points unless there’s a groundbreaking January transfer window (hint: there won’t be). Think we’re destined to break Derby’s record sadly.

There’s no understanding of how to lay off a ball to get a shot off outside the pen area. It’s always trying to go around the outside.

Manning and Lallana on - let’s settle for a 2-1 loss shall we? 🤔😞

Our free kicks and corners are…well, shit.

Bedders needs to come off for ABK. Ah, Bedders is Capt! Plus we’ve used all subs?

Palace players just falling over like fairies.

3-1 incoming.

Saintsplayer lost coverage. 😞

Fernandez gets a booking and so misses the next game. Not a foul. Other end. Ref does it again.