Dr. Kucho

Michael Owen recons he’s the best free kick taker ever. Shay Given completely disagrees.

Eljero Elia has today announced his retirement from professional football. Elia was loaned from Werder Bremen in the 2015 season under Ronald Koeman. He scored a brace against Newcastle (his only goals for us).

Wonder what Dragan has to say to Rasmus this morning ( if they have a meeting). Payed Luton millions so we could get Jones, hands him a 3,5 year contract, presumably on PL wages and sacks him after 3 months. That makes it around 39 months left on his contract. Besides that he’s also still paying Ralph. Whoever comes in next, Rasmus is under huge pressure to get this one right. That makes me think he might play it safe and go for a manager with experience in the PL with a decent track record.

Quite the opposite going from a manager who sings hymns to a metalhead screaming death and destruction. Let’s hope his managerial skills are the opposite too.

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Slot was never going to leave Feyenoord during this season. He has them top of the league with a way smaller budget than Ajax and PSV. I wouldn’t gamble now and would go for an experienced manager who knows the Premier League and a relegation fight. Not the right time for a untested manager.

If we lose he’ll blame the fans, the players, the kitmen, the pitch, the groundsman, the stadium, the tea lady, the away fans, Ralph, the position of the sun, the former Ted Bates statue etc. If we win it’s due to Nathan Jones himself being one of the greatest managers in Europe and an absolute tactical genius who can perform under the toughest of conditions.

This is going to be one of those days where I have loads of work to do, but will be spending all my time on here and Twitter waiting for the announcement that Jones has been sacked.

Rasmus and Semmens should have been on the phone all night to agents and potential managers. No time for faffing about. Sack him now and let Selles take charge. He couldn’t possibly, even if he tried, do worse then this clown.

Just a thought, maybe this interview could give SR a reason to sack Jones without making it look like they made a mistake by hiring him. SR could say, after the post match interview mr Jones did with the BBC that his position became untenable. “Mr Jones damaged the relationship and trust between him and the players of SFC that together with Mr Jones we, the board, have mutually agreed it’s best to part ways. SFC would like to thank Mr Jones bla bla bla wishes well bla bla bla” Just wishing we sack him sooner or later.

Sadly you were almost right. I am guessing his sacking will be announced around page 86.

I like the work Will Still is doing at Reims and what he has done in the Belgium league. The Dutch media cover quite a bit of the Belgium league and they have been raving about Still. However with our league position I think its to early for him. For now I would appoint a caretaker manager till the end of the season with the sole task to keep us up and install some confidence. Someone who knows the league like Benitez. Then in the summer go searching for a manager with a clear vision, known for improving players and getting the best out of them. Would like to see someone like Slot (Feyenoord) or Valverde (Bilbao).

I wonder if they watched the Fulham game before deciding to sign him.

This line up makes absolutely no sense. No Perraud after Saturday, no DCC, no Edozie. Unless these players have fitness issues, this is a very strange line up. Would have gone for, Bazunu Walker-Peters - DCC- Salisu - Perraud Alcaraz - Lavia/Diallo Edozie - JWP - A.Armstrong Adams

Anderlecht defender and former Saints superstar Wesley Hoedt is being linked to Watford. Hoedt left us on a free transfer, but we did negotiate a sell on clause. Might see a little extra money coming our way.

Ralph Krueger? He talk loads but say nothing.

He’s known in Holland for having a shit attitude. Last Dutch player with a poor attitude wasn’t a real succes (although he himself thinks he was one of the best defenders in Europe).

Here we go again

Charlie Setford Ajax youth goalkeeper born in the Netherlands to a Dutch father from Andover.

Why Ankersen hired Jones? Because he thinks he’s some kind of genius/guru after being successful at Brentford and that he has developed some kind of vision that could make any club successful. Fact is he is failing spectacularly with poor recruitment and communication. To get to the start, was he right in sacking Ralph? I would say yes, Ralph did well but the past year was poor and seemed like he had run out of ideas. A new coaching staff did seem like the best option. First he should have identified what kind of players we have and which coach suited the players and club best, obviously not someone who likes to play hoofball, a tactic that has been ditched by most clubs since more foreign coaches took over and introduced more tactical ways of playing. Then secondly the recruitment last summer. No striker and loads of cheap players hoping there’s some talent that we can flog for good money in the future. It wasn’t looking for players that would suit our style of play, just cheap youth players for positions we didn’t need players. Now we have got to the point that many summer signings sit on the bench and the players deemed not good enough are starting the games. Conclusion, Ankersen, Semmens and who else is pulling the strings have fucked up big time. Now is the moment for Dragan to step in and make some changes before he loses his investment and we become the next Sunderland and till recently Leeds, Forest, Vila etc. Spending years in the Championship trying to get out of it.

Biting his nails because of what he sees on the pitch and has no ideas, or biting his nails because he knows he’s getting the sack in the morning 🙏🏼

Just painted a door in the garage and thought I’ll come indoors to warm up and watch the Saints. Think I’ll go back and watch the paint dry. Do hope the poor fans in the stadium let SR, Rasmus, Semmens and Jones know what the think of this crap.

Not having played at top level doesn’t make you a bad manager, Van Gaal, Nagelsmann, Mourinho and Tuchel all didn’t have a spectacular football career. However have been good managers. That said, after 6 weeks of training I expected more last Saturday. Don’t mind losing, but you want to see improvement and that a certain tactic is being implemented. When Pochettino arrived we lost to Man Utd in our second game, but we could all see a change of play and remember most getting excited by what we saw on the pitch. Let’s hope we see improvements soon, but I have my doubts and don’t think Jones is the right man for the job, sadly.

Our downfall is not having a clear plan and strategy. We seem to sign players who are available on the cheap instead of players who suit the style we want to play (whatever that might be). Mara, Caleta-Car, Liss, Aribo etc. All players signed who don’t improve the squad and challenge others to up their game. I am nearing the point that I would like to have Les and Ross back at the club.

I would bring on Rasford for Henderson and have Foden play behind Kane with Rashford taking up Foden’s position.