Saint Fan CaM

How do you know that they were told NOT to do that, but then did it anyway because they didn’t want to take responsibility on the ball?

A very insightful post. As it happens I don’t think there is any single one cause for the decline in performances, but ‘player power’ and dressing room cliques probably contribute. There are players in and around the first team who operated under the shield of RM and his possession based slow football - they are being found out by the new managers coming in and they probably don’t like it. Still really was on a hiding to nothing and nowhere near strong enough to sort out the cultural, performance, fitness and mentality issues that the squad has endured and I would suggest even new players have been sadly tainted such is the influence of the old brigade.

OK that tells me Carrick is another Martin, Still etc apologist…not for me, however it wouldn’t surprise me if SR would think this guy is just the chap to continue with the big group system experiment. 🙄

Yeah feel the same - my pleasure in seeing a player of Romeu’s stature back at the club is tempered significantly by SR’s demonstrable ability to ultimately fuck things up, thereby negating any positive step forwards. Brace yourself chaps - I have a feeling tomorrow night will see the return of some ‘old’ favourites and a lot of aimless possession.

I’m sticking to my prediction that we’ll lose this. QPR are an OK side and our interim come permanent Manager will not have enough time to start turning things around, even if he has the know-how (which I very much doubt). Think the best we might see is a bit more cohesion and fight.

Welcome back Ori - invaluable experience so let’s hope he’s able to stay fit.

Vierra would top my list followed shortly by Carrick, although that’s based purely on gravitas and not on much knowledge of how he approaches tactics. What I want to see is evidence of the exorcism of Russball/SR-ball or whatever it is. I also want to see the acid influence of players like Jack Stephens wiped out - I think certain players have much to do with the demise of the culture at the club.

Nothing wrong with Martin. His football is as boring as shit however. No, no and thrice no. Thanks.

I get the interim bit - he’s doing well with the U-21’s. SR keeping him on is definitely an SR thing, but also characteristically really next level fucking stupid. Remember Wigley? It’s that all over again. Promoting someone doing well at a lower level in the club in the vain hope he’s the second coming. It broke Wigley and I predict it’ll break this guy if he’s given the job permanently.

Is this real and confirmed that Romeu is coming back? Absolutely brilliant if so…he’ll tutor Charles and Jander very well.

If it’s Martin - well, it’s a joke isn’t it? But the noises seem to suggest he’s in the running FFS.

So out with Still and in with a bloke who SR think can do a job under their system because he’s had some success at U-21 level. Trollope and Lallana still employed. Fuck me they're not going to learn are they? What’s the betting we’ll see the same back 5 and/or the same turgid passing around at the back and slow transitional play football? Very little confidence that SR will be able to get this or any other recruitment decision completed successfully.

Understand your point, however the culture in the club between players and coaches must be at an all time low and the lad has been a part of that for more than one season. I can’t see him being too far from the coaching action given he sits on the bench every game (not that I’ve noticed very much interaction between the coaches during a game anyway). For me the least messy scenario is for a clean sweep.

Why leave Lallana in place - he’s part of the coaching malaise that has spectacularly failed to motivate the team? If there’s going to be a clear out then do a proper job and allow the new incumbent to bring his own people. It’s unlikely anything will change positively with a new Manager anyway (it’s THAT broken), however not getting the next coaching team appointments right will see us down for certain.

I get it - we’re all pissed - but let’s get some perspective here. But he’s not ‘just fucking shit’ - he’s actually had some success at a very respectable level in World football. However, what he is NOT, is a man capable of repairing the significant damage done by successive poor player and coaching recruitment decisions by SR and delivering any semblance of success in a horribly flawed system. In Trollope he has a proven failure of a coach alongside him and in Lallana a quiet novice that couldn’t punch his way out of a wet paper bag. That managerial team experiment has shown itself to be wholly incapable of the HUGE task it faced and the club need to act decisively to make that right with haste. Unfortunately it’s SR, so nobody is expecting action for a while yet if atall.

Maybe but the two things are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Like I said, it’s not always black and white even if you need it to be to understand why we’re plummeting downwards. And if it’s just Still, why are the same things happening manager after manager after manager?

I’m not sure I would characterise our current position as riding high - somewhat the opposite in relation to expectations! Given his changed financial circumstances he’s probably realising that he’s not going to have the money to mount a sustained push to get us out of the Championship and he’s more likely to get a buyer in L1. Maybe. 😉

Don’t be an idiot - it’s not ‘made up nonsense’ - it’s honest supporters reflecting on a Manager saying one thing and his team doing something else. And if Spors has given him the tools to play ‘his’ system, wtf does he keep doing something different? And it’s not just Still - the style of play is endemic across the SR group of clubs and at all levels. Lastly, it may not be as simple as Spors telling Still to play in a certain way…Still could have signed up to the tactical ideas instilled by the group. Try to open your mind a bit - not everything is black and white.

More of the same. 2-1 QPR, although I’m being optimistic that we might actually score a goal.

My fear is that if Still is sacked the SR idiots will appoint the Trollope/Lallana dream team and that’ll seal relegation. Trollope’s got pedigree in relegations and will do a great job easing us down. Come to think of it, I wonder if it’s Solak’s wish to relegate the club - he probably wants out now his business interests are ‘compromised’ and a drop to league one might attract a buyer. Nah, surely not? 😏🤔

If you’re not supporting or at least following the club you supposedly have allegiance to what’s the point? Have a rest - give yourself a break, but don’t expect to receive a positive response to a post like yours from a forum dedicated to the support of one particular club! Back in the days of Lowe I actually ramped up my interest in Saints and bought my first ST. That ‘investment’ paid off over the coming years as we rose through the leagues again. At no point did I consider switching allegiance and nor should you.

Next season in league one there’ll be some on here wishing we still had Still managing a team that includes Downs, Manning and Wood! 😉

Feel for him, but he’s way out of his depth both in terms of not knowing how to get a decent performance out of the team and perhaps most importantly, how to tell SR that he’s going to coach and play the way he wants, as opposed to the Group’s principles/strategy. I don’t think he’s being strong-armed as such to play in the way we’ve been witnessing - I think he actually agreed to the strategy when signing up to the club. I don’t think there’s any other explanation for the persistence of a system that has in general not worked.

Interesting to look back on this comment based on my observation very early in the game that we were not able to get out of our half, despite PNE being able to press us high up and actually keep possession. It was clear VERY early on to me that 5 at the back was not going to allow us to pass the ball forwards easily through midfield - and as predicted PNE kept up a high press most of game. Now why can an old bloke in the stands see from the first 5 minutes that tactically we had been sussed already, but the coaching staff who get paid a decent wage just act like statues not realise and act asap? Seems to me the club is sleep-walking into another relegation. Lastly, a message to Wankerson. It IS fucking broken, so what next you utter clown?

Not sure what else to say that has not already been said. In a nutshell, Still has to be replaced with a strong experienced Manager who has the balls to tell SR to stick their ‘group system’ or whatever it is up where the Sun don’t shine. Otherwise, sacking Still will mean nothing because we’ll be playing the same turgid shite football that we’ve seen under 4 successive managers and coaching set-ups. Then there’s the topic of striker - I’d get Antonio and/or Bamford in on short term contracts…they honestly could not be any worse than Downs (who is pathetically poor). Other than that, I don’t give a shit anymore. The whole fucking club can implode for all I care in its current form.