Saint Fan CaM

My yardstick for success starts with the actual managerial appointment. Get that wrong and all bets are off, so it’s crucial a manager with significant PL level experience is acquired. Also will be hugely important in reconnecting with the fanbase. Assuming the above is sorted then its… 1. Get the squad tangibly fitter asap, although clearly we’ll only likely see this in performances in games - e.g. not conceding late in games. 2. Get shot of as much deadwood in the squad as possible in January - e.g. BBD, Sulemana etc. Resist the calls to sell Dibling/KWP/THB. 3. Obtain more points than Derby’s total. We don’t need that kind of stat hanging around like a bad smell forever (which it probably would). Beyond that winning enough games to put the scarers on the other teams around us might actually see a miracle - i.e. it would be great to go into a game thinking we might actually have a chance of some points. 4. Ensure the tactical approach to PL games is tangibly better than the debacle we’ve witnessed with Martin. Forget what might be appropriate for the Championship - what matters is repairing the confidence of the current squad in the PL and that means setting the 1st team up in the best possible manner starting with selecting our best 11 players playing in their natural positions. Then ensuring there are clear instructions on how to transition from defence into midfield and beyond without giving away the ball cheaply in our half. Take the shackles off our creative players so we move forward with pace 90% of the time. Don’t ever rely on a 1-0 lead to win a game…be ruthless. Thats what I’ll be looking for - yes, we’re almost certainly relegated, but I want to see our team LOOK LIKE they’re fighting for a place in Europe.

I would love to see SR call his bluff and manage to persuade Jose to come in for the remainder of the season. He’s stated he wants a lower league team with potential - that’s us. No more messing around Dragan - you want to play with the big boys, go make a statement appointment rather than another risky hipster one.

Think Rohl is the best we’re realistically going to be looking at. Yes he’s just another mid-table Championship manager, but one with a much better history and experience than the last two chancers. He also knows the club inside out, which come to think of it might be a reason he turns us down!

Potter reported as front runner now? I wouldn’t mind that at all, but seems highly unlikely.

Rusk surely has to try something a bit different, but there’s very little time for him to make a mark on how the team is setup and performs. As others have said I’d play TP up top with Dibling, Archer and Arma just behind him. Aribo or Lallana and Downes as DM’s. Then a back four of KWP, THB, ABK or Wood and Taylor. Whatever, Liverpools B team will be way too much for us.

If it’s to be Rohl (not a bad choice) then it’s likely to be a long term contract so there’s commitment to build going forwards. Trouble is I’m not sure that’s the type of deal the club needs right now while the scar tissue still lingers.

On a more serious note, I’m sure I saw him in the ‘dugout’ this evening. Spy?

Let’s hope like Russ, he’s not a cereal loser! 🤣

The scar tissue will be with the squad for sometime to come. 5-0 Liverpool despite a brave showing…

Always a difficult decision to reconcile - on the one hand you want/wish/hope that he could turn it around but on the other, the performances and the results were just atrocious…really, really shit. So ultimately I’m glad he’s gone - I didn’t like the manner I which we played…the team didn’t look like a cohesive, well coached side. He used players in the wrong positions…he used his substandard mates who didn’t deserve to be in the team. I could go on. With regards to the next manager - I’ll be surprised if SR/SFC make an appointment that makes sense. It will be one that is left-field and we’ll be wondering “who is this” and “what next”, although that’s not to say it’ll be a disaster. One things for sure, it’s a massive opportunity to really re-set everything including supporter confidence. Whoever it is, they’ll be managing a Championship club next season…we’re done.

Thing is watching your local team is a captive market if you’re an avid supporter - even if the results are poor as they are now, it’s possibly your main social outlet and/or hobby. Plus there is a lot more football tourism nowadays - much more than the Dell days - what with the student population in Southampton, who don’t need to be supporters of Liverpool or Utd etc…they just like a day out to see plucky Saints get roundely thrashed by another team with lots of goals. SFC delivers.

Absolutely and that’s the essence of Russball - high risk, no reward. It’s as clear as day that he doesn’t have the coaching skill to know how to get his team at peak fitness, set up his team to allow consistent partnerships to form and crucially, coach a four man defence to hold when appropriate and utilise a defensive midfield pairing. The main reason behind his inability to setup his team is his blind obsession with utilising his mates Manning and Stephens in a back five, rather than playing the strongest players in their best positions to ensure a balanced side. Russ seems to think an extra man in defence will stop goals and bringing on 2-3 strikers on at 70+ minutes when we’re 2-0 down will get us enough goals to win a game (which never seems to work strangely). The guy is an absolute liability in this league and is just sowing the seeds of a prolonged period of Championship mediocrity (or worse). What I detest the most though is the football for much of the game is boring despite us having some decent players and there’s so little hope that we might actually get some points. If we total 10 points by the end of the season I’ll be shocked.

That’s exactly what I’m predicting unless something changes - I.e. a new manager.

Has he gone yet?

In my experience managerial control freaks are essentially workplace bullies, particularly when they like to be ‘best mates’ with hugs. Then, when a mistake is made that plays right into their hands because it’s an excuse to control and manipulate even further. It’s demoralising and non-empowering. It’s not clever or brave. Ask any forward thinking modern successful manager how to get the best from staff and the answer will be good coaching followed by clear objective setting and empowerment to do the best job possible. Iterative learning happens because individuals know instinctively when they’ve not performed - not because their pseudo-Dad tells them they’ve not followed his rules.

The lad is worth upwards of £50m plus sell-on. Anything less will demonstrate once again the incompetence of the SFC Board / SR.

On the 1st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me - a thumping loss nil to three. On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me - 60% possession and a thumping loss nil to three. On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me - brave passing backwards, 60% possession and a thumping loss nil to three. On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me - Capt’n Jack shoehorned, brave passing backwards, 60% possession and a thumping loss nil to three. On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me - five sold Diblings. Capt’n Jack shoehorned, brave passing backwards, 60% possession and a thumping loss nil to three. ☺️😎 (Feel free to embellish!)

Best yet…would love to hear this bellowing out from the Northam or better still the entire stadium with the lyrics displayed on the big screens!

Rafa? To Saints? 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣……no wait….🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂😏

It’s absurdly obvious that Russ is not getting the sack anytime soon. With the results and performances delivered to date, with no indication of future improvement, it’s amazing he’s still in place. He’ll be taking us down and I suspect SR want that shit to stick to him as much as it will the club. As for the game, we’d struggle to beat Spurs when firing on all cylinders - now, a convincing defeat is inevitable. 0-4…if we’re lucky.

Villa didn’t play long?!? Their one goal started from a long ball…put pressure on a defence in disarray and it won them 3 points. Other examples are to be found. Also, our press is not effective. The team are so scared of being caught upfield with lack of pace, we don’t press hard as a unit and so it’s easy for the opposing team to find route out. You could say a ‘soft’ press, with 2-3 forwards running about aimlessly trying largely unsuccessfully to cut out passing lines. One reason why Russ claiming the players are brave is so ridiculous.

Complete waste of time for the club, the players, the supporters. It’s all Russ, Russ, Russ. Just put the twat out to gardening leave and give it to Lallana.

Another brilliant block by Woods - perfect positioning.

Kamara chops down Aribo - no card.

Wood did brilliantly there. Fair play to the lad.