MarkSFC

Its obvious we need a new owner/consortium, I'm curious to know though (particularly from those who are critical of Gao's total lack of investment in the business other than purchasing it) how much each season or up front you think any new owner(s) should / need to put in? Do you want them to invest in order to up the wage limit (which potentially takes the club beyond breakeven, should investment cease) or can better players be acquired without doing this? Can we even if they invest say 50m a year attract the type of players we need to progress ? Should their investment include/focus on the stadium in terms of capacity and facilities and therefore income?

It's a very very crucial next 3 games. A win at Bournemouth hopefully changes the mood and can be backed up with wins against Burnley and WBA and then we are near as damn it safe. Should we lose those 3 then we are under extreme pressure with only 7 games to get probsbly 8 or 9 points. We play Palace H Leicester H Liverpool A Fulham H Leeds H West Ham A in those 7.....Im not confident!!!!! Would you therefore wait until WBA game to change the manager? Win v WBA and lose v Burnley....slightly better. Jeez...who would be a CEO of Saints?!! The decision they face right now and over the next 2 or 3 weeks is huge and balanced on a very thin knife edge. We don't see the mood at Stappewood, we don't see how the players are with the manager. I would be in there Monday/Tuesday if I were Semmens seeing whether the players are still "believing in the manager". If they are. Stick. If not. Twist. Sad times.

It's really interesting because it clearly works very well with decent players (when they are fit). The quandary is perhaps the balance between teaching players this system/style so that they can move through the levels more easily and destroying their confidence with the style/method and internally. We've been exceptionally unlucky with injuries in the first team so tbe B team will of suffered losing players moving up and so too the 18s. I'm not worried we will go down but it's likely the league season finished very flatly. Let's hope somehow we can lift the Cup!!! I'd would give Ralph as long as possible. On tbe assumption we get new owners sooner rather than later we could be lucky enough to afford one or two better players and things change rather quickly. Next season also will not be as squashed not restrictive and obviously with fans so lots will change and lots can change. We just need to get to the psychological necessity of safety for everyone to calm down and let logic set in again😂😂 Im not saying though he is flawless. I do think there's been some strange selections and his substitutions are not the most inspired I've ever seen. I also think he needs to accept that we need to do what we do slightly differently at times. Sometimes we need to move the ball quicker. Sometimes we need to go longer. Sometimes we need to shut up shop. Overall I'm very pleased he is our manager and hope he gets the results to stay here for a long time to come.

Wow!!! Do you think Ings would deliberately play poorly in the months before the Euros, let alone in any case!! You my friend need to get out into the fresh air!!!

I haven't read the latest posts on this thread but I do think that RH should be left to see this season out and this will tell is how good he is when he has a full squad fit. There is so much contributing to this bad run but as bad as this is the start of the season was excellent. What matters is what it looks like after 38 games (and hopefully the FA Cup final😉). What concerns me right now is whether he has the mental energy. It's clearly been very tough time emotionally and I get the impression the bloke is knackered. Mental overload leads to poorer decisions. I also wonder whether he may offer his resignation. Forget the games against Everton and City, anything from then is a bonus, our season rest on the games before Leicester. Win 3 of those and the QF and season is very easy to finish.

My thoughts precisely.

Are we going into administration then? You incessant agenda (against Gao) is more tedius than the pedancy of MLG. Get over yourself mate.

Apparently we are signing Fu Kin Nowaan.

I think you're missing the point. To loan you usually pay a fee anyway. In this case we could pay the same fee but sign King on "permanent terms" for 6 months to get past the maximum loan period. Win win.

Was thinking the same. Reckon Ralph has wanted a left-footed AM and ANM fits the bill perfectly and also provides that LB cover. Must surely be motivated to perform given the Euros in the summer. If we get him on loan, great. If we get him with view to a permanent move....awesome.

So we're not considered a rival?!!! Would be very pleased if we get him.

It would be utterly crazy if not, unless very suddenly we have decided there's someone else in the club who can play LB!!!!

Certainly sounds plausible if a 19 year old who is on the brink of the first team, albeit maybe a year to 18 months if all goes well, "appears" to be throwing his toys out of the pram because one or two other kids have got in ahead of him in a couple of games. Seems pathetic attitude to me. Ego drives achievement and successful people but it also destroys some.

Bertrand will end up in the boardroom environment not on the coaching field by all accounts.

Please explain how that would work...

I wonder whether Ralph isnt actually too bothered either way. He has a history of building teams of young players and perhaps he has highlighted one or two younger players, probably 23-25, (theres been a few names bandied around on here) that he fancies more for the next 2-3 years.

maybe he wants to go / got an offer from abroad, which might be more guaranteed

He won't "develop" under Mourinho. He could however become part of a well oiled machine (just like Saints are) but with more quality overall and so more chance of Europe and trophies.

Considering if we win tonight we play Arsenal twice in 4 days selections will be interesting. Tonight I'd go with this team GK Forster LB Vokins RB Valery or Ramsey CB Stephens CB Tchaptchat CM Diallo CM Chauke LAM Ferry RAM Walcott or Valery ST N'Dundulu ST Long IF we then win its a few more days rest/recovery for some of the main and injured players. Saturday you could go with the strongest team rather than Tuesday as a possible run to the final is probably now more useful than league form as we are obviously safe and unlikely to make Europe and will end up 7th to 10th I predict.

"Doing very little" is a unfair opinion unless you know for a fact this is what he does throughout throughout week at training. If he did "do very little" in training it is very unlikely Ralph would use him at all. Footballers are paid for training and if they do not play sobeit, that's not their fault as such. What I think lots of people forget is that the training pitch and classroom is where the performance on match day comes from. This requires lots of hard work and deliberate practice. This cannot be achieved by "doing very little".

yes

I doubt thats the real number. Despite furlough the accounting period in question is not a normal one and there was more negative impact on income than expenditure. It is not a reflection of the real situation now and so I would think your point is unfounded. No concern over these numbers.

Not really noticed him as dont watch much Championship stuff! How does he compare in styel and ability to KWP as I would assume RH wants a left sided KWP if at all possible, as in high energy, skillfully, good defender and good crosser.

spot on

It is likely that at some point he will be offered a reasonably bigger team BUT given how he works I wonder whether he would get the time he would need to implement his style at a club where trophies are demanded which would be the level. I think we will benefit from him for 2 or 3 more seasons yet and the longer he stays I think the more likely it is that he stays longer.. The dream would be that he is here for a very long time and produces coaches (particualrly for academy) and his successor as well as players.