Saint Fan CaM

More likely he’s the next fire sale item to raise some cash for January.

True, but where does he turn? He is so invested in SR / Ankerson to provide the footballing direction that I’m doubtful there’s a way of him divesting himself and the club from their control, short of selling the club of course.

It’s an interesting one - as a sportsman and public figure I’d say he’s fair game for discussion on a football forum when he didn’t achieve the standards many thought he might reach at Saints. Having said that, I detect a certain level of bitterness in some posts - “he left us therefore he must tainted in some way” - which is not particularly pleasant. Move on - he’s gone and he’s not coming back. Well until his careers nearly over that is - then SR will snap him up! 😉

So you don’t believe players collectively have the ability to disrupt a dressing room? Or that they don’t keep in touch with other players that they’ve connected with at the various clubs they’re employed at? I think you need to drag yourself into the 21st century and try to be less naive.

To be fair that’s not what I said. He wanted high press, fast flowing football, but the players couldn’t or wouldn’t give it to him. In fact is it just coincidence they’ve seemingly gone up against a number of managers and under-performed?

That’s blatantly incorrect. The plan is to extend Eckhert’s interim period to provide additional assessment time and not rush into a wrong appointment. You and I may not like the plan - it’s risky for sure, but if he’s ‘the man’ and achieves 7-9 points over the next three games then it could be a genius and much less expensive move. Rusk is not the same man and had a significantly different set of circumstances to contend with, so the comparison is mute. As I say, Eckhert may reveal himself on Saturday to be a false dawn, but I’d rather he was given the opportunity to shine with little risk, than SR rush into another really shite appointment (the options being touted are largely shite and indicative of how far we’ve fallen).

Do you really think players don’t use their phones to keep in touch?!? Get real - Stephens could have wielded influence if he so wanted.

I’m not sure where the complete dismissal of Eckhert comes from. I’m not saying for one minute he’s definitely the man for the job, but if he takes 9 points from the next three games why would anyone doubt that for whatever reason he’s got what it takes. He may well be the exact fit required to get us firing on all cylinders - who knows? He’s proved he’s a good manager at U-21 level…why not see if he’s matured enough to do it at senior level? One thing’s for certain - if SR had rushed into an appointment they’d have almost certainly got it wrong. I’m chilled about the situation right now…2pm Saturday I might not be quite so relaxed mind! 😉😂

Everything Jones said in that interview was extremely revealing in terms of how much the squad was so broken and disfunctional. I think he did TRY to get the players playing in manner that he wanted - high press and fast flowing etc., but they either couldn’t or wouldn’t. Yes, I don’t doubt his ‘victim type’ personality didn’t help in asserting himself around certain influential players and yes, he lacked Premiership level experience, but it was SR who selected him and handed him a poisoned chalice. He was told that they wanted him for his past experience, but the 1st team had other ideas and my guess is those influences are still, at least in part, still holding court with SR.

Best in what? Looks, beard appeal, after match claptrap, style sense, football tactics, results, passion, ability to coach players…I mean the list goes on and on??? Or is it all of the above? If so, Ralph = 1st, the rest = a drawn 7th.

If Jones has an ounce of sense he will know that a relentless high press will unsettle the team and serve up a calamity goal on a plate. He’ll know that allowing Baz/THB/Stephens/Manning/Downes to fanny around with the ball will not provide a threat atall - neutralise the transition forward in the first half and it’s game over. Let’s not forget where they sit in the table compared to us - any talk of a win is verging on the optimistic. Having said that, if Tonda gets his act together and the squad responds, we can win this. More likely 1-1. Lets get ready to rumble!

You do realise we’re not exactly the most attractive club at the moment right? Terrible owners and group structure, a large squad of seemingly unmanageable players that blow hot and cold depending on whether they can influence the manager or not, a toxic fanbase due to 3 years of mediocrity and failure and performances that are struggling to get the club out of the lower half of the Championship. If we were to appoint Vierra I think we should be very grateful indeed - there’s not too many better qualified candidates.

As a player who has played and managed at the top of World football - he was and still is, hugely respected in the sport. I have no idea how you’ve arrived at the conclusion he’s not commanded respect - you really do show your ignorance sometimes.

If Norwich take Still, whats the betting he’ll do very well with them? Yesterday I posted Viera’s profile in terms of management style and tactical preferences - if ever there was a great match to Spors ambitions and the ability to command respect of players, he’s the man.

Think that’s a flight of fancy and clawing at straws. Not a seed of evidence he’s any good. But if he joins and he’s useless we can just give him the bird.

Patrick Vieira favors a possession-based, attacking style of football that emphasizes pressing high up the pitch and playing out from the back. He commonly uses a 4-3-3 formation and encourages his players to express themselves within a structured system. Key aspects of his managerial style include: Possession-based play: Vieira's teams prioritize keeping the ball and using it methodically to create chances, a stark contrast to his own direct, dynamic style as a player. High Pressing: His teams employ a man-oriented, high press to win the ball back in the opposition's half, with the center-forward leading the press and the touchline used as an "extra defender". Attacking Full-backs and Inverted Wingers: Full-backs are important in providing width, while he typically uses inverted wingers, a common modern tactical approach. Flexibility and Pragmatism: While he has a clear philosophy, he is also a pragmatist. For example, he has shown a willingness to adapt his approach and has won games with low possession percentages when necessary, or switched to a back-three system at times. Man Management: He is known for setting high standards and strict discipline but also values having a personal relationship with his players, aiming to be a "father figure" and fostering a strong team ethic. Vieira's philosophy is rooted in his belief that this approach is the ideal way to play football, though results have varied across his spells at New York City FC, OGC Nice, Crystal Palace, and current club Genoa. Personally I would like to see Vierra get the job with Eckert as his assistant, however SR being SR, I can’t see them having the gonads to get him in (plus as he doesn’t tend to favour 3 at the back, he’s probably not even been considered). He has all the attributes that we’ve been asking for though - whether that would translate into success, who knows?

Has anyone any insight into Vierra’s managerial / tactical style? Is he and his team a realistic for SR to pursue? Could they be plotting a Vierra / Eckhert dream team - that would be quite a talking point!?

Given we’ve had an indication that interviews have taken place and at least one of those was somewhat positive, it seems incredibly unlikely that a decision would be postponed until Eckhert loses a game. Unless of course the truth lies somewhere in between - perhaps the intention was always to give Eckert more time in post until after the international break, giving Spors plenty of time to go through an extensive interview process. With the interim regime getting results, what’s the point of rushing an appointment?

Well if GON is gone, that leaves…mmm.

Younes Ebnoutalib looks a good prospect and much better than Downs, however a couple of issues - the opposition looked poor in comparison to most Championship sides and perhaps most importantly, did you notice how the players passed to each other in front of goal - we don’t do that too much.

Got a feeling it’s a straight race between Eckert, O’Neill or some complete unknown that has slipped completely under the radar. Probably O’Neill…he can handle a spreadsheet and has some fancy videos too that must have blown Wankerson’s mind.

If you can get past the two of them, the town and area around the town where their property is is really stunning.

Any animal can fly - fact. The problem in most cases is the inability to harness aerodynamics and therefore the landings tend to be somewhat traumatic. 😉

Tell him that if he files a lawsuit we’ll send Andrew Mountbatten over to testify.