HarvSFC

Another example being Kompany, who was named Burnley manager on 14th June, three weeks after the season was completed. On a separate topic, I think we all know that Liam Delap will be our priority striker target again this summer after two pretty awful loans at Stoke and Preston. See if Wilcox has a fascination with Manchester City youth players like Shields did.

Lincoln City bullying Bazunu for their goal the early warning sign, expect to see more of it if we don't get someone more commanding in goal next season.

Money, probably. Ipswich have a 22 year transfer record - Matteo Sereni in 2001 for £4.75m. They don't spend a lot. Made a couple of £1m+ signings last summer and in January with Leif Davis and Nathan Broadhead, but their squad has been built on a tight budget. One thing and it is probably the only thing SR can't be criticised for is their spending, which we know does most of the talking in football. They also have a 26 goal ex-Skate in Conor Chaplin who might do alright here. Edit: Alex Neil made a similar move from Sunderland to Stoke last season after Sunderland's promotion.

Having looked in a bit more, I would be quite supportive of bringing in Kieran McKenna from Ipswich. When he took charge, they were a mess of a club in League One, recycling through three managers a season. Sound familiar? One year in charge and Ipswich have won promotion, would have won the league any other season and still can with one game to go, having only lost four league games all season, scoring 99 and conceding 33. Now, you could say Ipswich is his first job as a manager, he's never managed in the Championship, could the step up be too far for him, like Nathan Jones' was for the Premier League. But, I would say Ipswich and Luton have different pressures. Luton were always the underdog and were always overachieving in their promotion to the Championship and then successful seasons in the Championship. Whereas, McKenna has met the expectations of Ipswich. Ipswich being more similar to Stoke. Additionally, he has worked within the youth team and coaching staff of Tottenham and Manchester United. Working with the egos that Jones never got the grasp of as well as learning off Pochettino and Mourinho, which again Jones was never given the opportunity to do. Then, bringing me onto my next point. Having worked in the youth teams of these clubs, you would imagine McKenna knows how to develop and bring through young talent. Fits the club's ethos and this isn't wholly about Sports Republic's fetish of signing youngsters, but also developing and bringing in our own current talents from the B team, something we've been ignoring in recent years. Lastly from his Wikipedia page, it says this: "Following McKenna’s arrival as Manchester United's under-18s manager, Indy Boonen, who was a teenage player for United at the time, praised McKenna by stating, "He changed everything. The way we trained was how the opponent played on the Saturday. If you played against West Brom, you trained how they are and focused on their weaknesses." A manager who sets up a team to exploit the opposition's weakness. Revolutionary! Just from Thursday night we were all saying and it was known Bournemouth's weakness was in the air. So, we played short corners and our six foot eight striker was nowhere to be seen. Scrap the playbook rubbish. It worked for a bit getting us to the top of the league and then funnily enough, other clubs worked out it's weaknesses and have been beating us ever since, Hasenhuttl remained loyal to it, Jones played his "front footed and aggressive" mess every game and Selles plays Mr. Conservative. It would be nice to set up a team to exploit the oppositions weakness and look comfortable again. This appointment would of course make too much sense. So, scrap all this.

Lets see if the Leeds version has any impact: "The Leeds United Supporters Advisory Board have released the following statement after their 4-1 defeat to Bournemouth: "After the result and performance of the team today, the Leeds United Supporters Advisory Board (SAB) would like to place on record its lack of faith in the current management team at the club. "The SAB have been supportive of many decisions this year and will always work with the club to improve the way the club connects with its supporters and communities, so it is only right that we also address the current performances and the situation we are now faced with. "Leeds United fans have, and will always, support our club through its ‘ups and downs’, but with four games left this situation is no longer sustainable. "The narrow escape from relegation last season should have been the catalyst for a season of growth but this season has now turned into a humiliating disaster. "The appointment of Jesse Marsch, a style of play so different from that of Marcelo Bielsa, the sacking of Marcsh after the transfer window had closed, the hiring of a of a fifth-choice manager, the purchase of a £35m striker who has played hardly any minutes in a relegation dogfight, the costly and embarrassing mistakes made in the Jean Kevin Augustin case… there have been far too many questionable decisions and people must be made accountable. "The players must also take responsibility for their abject performances and lack of professional pride since half time against Crystal Palace. To pull on that famous white shirt is something that us fans can only dream of, yet it seems that some of the squad don’t have the fight for this battle. "We are therefore asking for immediate changes to be made to the first team coach and to those responsible for the recruitment of the managers and players who have been brought in over the last 14 months. "We would like to place on record our thanks and gratitude to the many staff, at both Thorp Arch and Elland Road, who worked tirelessly to make Leeds United a club that all of those who support it can be proud of. "The Supporters Advisory Board are due to meet with the club this coming week and hope that they are able to respond to this statement before the meeting takes place." Can pretty much replace Leeds with Southampton, just our frozen out striker cost a bit less than £35m. They get to have dialogue with their club. We get told to be grateful for fans forums where Semmens and Ankersen dismiss everything, say they know best, spout some nonsense about the women's team and call it a night.

Been saying it for months, play the inconsistent, yet unpredictable attackers and they will create at least a couple of chances a match, rather than the three consistently shit and predictable attackers (Walcott, Elyounoussi and A. Armstrong). Shame it's taken so long to work out.

Played for Liverpool.

7 of the 15 signings not in the matchday squad at this stage of the season. 3 of 5 of the January signings missing. Terrific business.

They tried to run before they could walk. After purchasing Southampton, they then went out and purchased Goztepe soon after and were linked with the purchase of a number of other clubs, I particularly recall one from France. However, they needed to put all their resources into establishing their supposed "anchor club" before looking to branch out elsewhere. We're copying the Man City group model and despite their unlimited wealth, they didn't start branching out until 2013, following their 2008 takeover. 5 years, an FA Cup and a Premier League title before they started expanding to other clubs. But, given what we've learned of Rasmus Ankersen in the last year and his ego, you can tell why he's moving at 2000mph. He has that crappy little book and believes everything he touches turns to gold. He believed he cracked life and cracked football in particular. He spent a lot of Solak's money with little care, know how, or diligence, because he believed his own hype and believed he could not make any mistakes. The Premier League ended up being an entirely different level to what he expected, hopefully it's humbled him a bit, although I doubt it. We spent approximately £140m across 13 players over both windows. We could've spent £28m on five individuals for the problem positions - Goalkeeper, centre-back, centre-midfield, number 10 and striker and we'd have looked a much better team while spending the same money. But, again, Rasmus thought he knew it all and a £12m kid from Man City was going to sort all our goalkeeping issues, while splashing the rest of the money on squad fillers, only striking some gold in Lavia and ABK. The worrying thing is, that given all the mistakes and wrong personnel Ankersen has appointed this season, there's nothing to say that Jason Wilcox won't be completely out of his depth here either.

After creating a one man shortlist which consisted of Jesse Marsch and nobody else, we've somehow managed to employ someone worse than Nathan Jones and title them as manager. At least Jones gave us the City win and never played that team again. Our two wins under Selles were scrappy and can't remember us putting in a good performance under him. Managing us to a loss against League Two Grimsby being the particular highlight. There were already alarm bells regarding him following the draw against League One Sheffield Wednesday in his one game in November. He's the players best mate, which you can tell in his interviews when he refuses to give any truths and just gives wishy washy answers saying we're going to keep fighting when we've been down and out of fight for months.

I can tell you what Bournemouth didn't do tonight, pass it around their centre-backs and goalkeeper, which we did right up until the 95th minute. They were direct and cut through our midfield and defence on numerous occasions. We got schooled by Bournemouth and Gary O'Neil. Selles just isn't cut out for management. Been here all season and still doesn't know our best eleven. Every line-up it's like one previously frozen out player is being selected via a tombola. Absolutely no consistency in the selections, other than they're consistently shite. Aribo, Caleta-Car and A. Armstrong all in recent weeks coming in and out of the team having not played for weeks. Who's it going to be against Newcastle? Bringing Lyanco on for JWP was a particular masterstroke. Gave up the midfield. The only positive is that Selles won't be here next season. Think that's the last time I'll be using my ST this season. Be back next season when it's hopefully a bit better, but this football is miserable. Edit: Forgot McCarthy also started tonight, to add to the tombola selections.

27 points after 32 games, the Allardyce season. They finished with 39. But, they were also 18th with their 27 points. They were competing with Villa, who had 16 points after 32 matches and Newcastle who had 25. A lot has been said about the low quality of this season, but everyone's picking up points. There's usually a Villa, Norwich every other year, Sheffield United, or Huddersfield who barely break the early 20s. Norwich and Watford only got 22 and 23 points last season after a full 38. The season, before Sheffield United, West Brom and Fulham all got relegated with 23, 26 and 28. The season we turn to crap is the season you need to break 30 to stay up, of course.

Not Saints, but Caicedo at Brighton is continuing to look very impressive. Harry Kane for Spurs when he wanted out a couple of summers back.

Not for me. Doesn’t really seem to have the heart for football when on the pitch, too casual. In the Football League a bit of fight is needed, and is probably down to why he had such a shocker on the pitch against League Two Grimsby. When we were last down, we had two grafters who weren’t the best technically in Richardson and Butterfield. I haven’t really seen anything of him that makes me think stick him on the wage bill and sign him permanently. Before us he had an Everton/West Ham singing written all over him.

This is my view. You have to be an extreme talent to go straight from the academy into the Premier League and not look out of place. Only Shaw, Livramento and Lavia have really managed it here in recent years and we signed two of those from other elite clubs. Shaw has reached the top, Lavia is a full Belgium international and is going to the top, while Livramento has been pushed back through injury. Can add Jankewitz to your list. A player raved about in the academy, came out and said he wanted first team football. Got the first team football, was sent off within the first couple of minutes and now at 21 and two years later he is being loaned out to the Swiss second division. Nobody actually knows how good Doyle/Ballard are, bar the coaches. They get good numbers in youth football and the highlights are really all we get to see of them. Professional mens football is just a big leap from the level they're playing at, when watching those highlights. Think blooding them in next season when we're a level lower will be the best for them, like we saw with Lallana.

Please hit 10.

Replacing Ings with Adam Armstrong and replacing Vestergaard with Lyanco was prior to Sports Republic and when Semmens made the majority of the decisions. Handing out new contracts to McCarthy and Stephens and signing up Walcott permanently was also under Semmens. So, he isn’t totally blameless and he’s a big reason as to why we have such a bloated squad of shite. The rot was setting in before Sports Republic, they just spread it faster. He’s also just as condescending to fans as much as anyone else currently at the club is and has helped to create the divide between the fans and the club that currently exists.

Best mates with Fraser Forster, who left Southampton, got a pay rise, got to play in the Champions League and got back into the England squad. I don't think he'll be telling Ward-Prowse many negatives regarding leaving the club. While the Beckham record is still within his sights. I just can't see him turning down a move this summer, although I also didn't think he'd sign the new contract a couple of years back. If he does leave, then fine. A good player, has a top class attribute, which doesn't assist too well with open play. But, like with everyone who leaves this summer we've lost far better players in the past and I think it's time to move on from Ward-Prowse being the main man at the club. We need a reset all over. A new corner taker would be nice for a start.

He’s offside as much as Papa Waigo was.

Here's all the mistakes: 1. Sacking the coaching staff, but keeping the manager. Initially seen as a positive, but getting rid of a long-term manager's coaches and then forcing the likes of Selles upon him was only going to go one way. Our coaches have been lacking since the Koeman era, when he brought and moulded his own team following Pochettino. So, it should've been, sack Hasenhuttl and the coaches and then bring in a new manager, who can bring his own team with him. Alongside this, while Selles was initially seen to be a good coaching addition given his CV and reputation, we also promoted Carl Martin from within, something which was a big reason as to why we needed new coaches in the first place and Alex Clapham joined from Notts County. Don't know why we were taking non-league coaches, again seemed to cheap out on the last two, even though Clapham soon shot off. 2. Signing Bazunu and making him our undisputed number one. A goalkeeper who had only played League of Ireland and League One football prior to this season. This was at a time when Bernd Leno went to newly promoted Fulham, Dean Henderson went to newly promoted Forest and Neto went to newly promoted Bournemouth... All three goalkeepers who've had good seasons and would have came to us if we weren't obsessed with academy players. We did actually sign a 26-year-old goalkeeper on the same day as Bazunu. Lis, who pips Larios to the most pointless signing of last summer. 3. Signing Joe Aribo. Who scouted this guy? We were a high pressing Premier League team prior to this season and unlike in Scotland you have to be able to run at the very least to play in the Premier League. He was the most unsuited player to what we had been in the previous seasons. I commented when he signed that he was clumsy, even in the SPL and never looked in full control but he did score a good goal in pre-season and I was looking forward to being proven wrong. Nope. Frozen out before today and based on today's performance he will be frozen out again. Commented that he doesn't really care if he plays or not in an interview anyway, which sums up the squad. 4. Sekou Mara. I really hope he's the 2023 Morgan Schneiderlin. Young, French, signed when we should have prioritised his fee in other areas, but has shown small glimpses of something. Hopefully, like Schneiderlin a drop down a level does him the world of good. Although, again, he needs to put more work in on the pitch. But, yeah, that fee we spent on him could have gone towards signing an actual proper striker. 5. 2023 summer transfer deadline day. We went into panic mode seemingly. Brought in Caleta-Car, Edozie, Larios and Maitland-Niles. Four crap signings. Caleta-Car, Edozie and Larios have all been frozen out. One for being hot headed, the other for being too attacking, which goes against the current manager's ethos and Larios, I imagine because he looked like a 10 year old against adults. Makes Cedric look like Goliath. While, Maitland-Niles just doesn't seem to have the heart for football. Poor in the centre of midfield and poor at right-back, why we have to keep shoe horning him in, only the manager knows. On the same day we let Oriol Romeu leave. A fan favourite and no replacement, leaving us with JWP, Lavia and Diallo as our only centre midfield options. We also neglected to address the one position we needed a player in after Broja and Long left. A STRIKER. It then gets a bit catastrophic after here: 6. Appointing Nathan Jones as Hasenhuttl's successor. This was at a time when Aston Villa and Wolves, who were sat with us in the table appointed Unai Emery and Julen Lopetegui. Managers with Arsenal, PSG, Spain and Real Madrid on their CV. BUT, we went with a man who had failed to manage Stoke City and only had success at Luton on his CV. A man with no top flight experience in his playing or managerial career. Who joined with him? Chris Cohen and Alan Sheehan. Again two more with no top flight experience. He had no one with any real footballing pedigree to consult with, like he did at Luton with Mick Harford and Paul Hart. Two crap manager's, but they are football people, which is something we lack here. 7. Signing Mislav Orsic. He's doing wonders for me on Football Manager, which must be what attracted Ankersen to him. Joined with a good CV, World Cup goals and a few good Europa League goals against Premier League opposition. However, he was given 6 minutes of Premier League football, a couple of cup games and a B team game and I doubt we'll ever see him on the pitch for us again. 8. Not recalling Nathan Tella. I don't count sending him out on loan as a mistake, as I think we all accepted it was the best move for him at this stage of his career. So, he goes and scores 8 goals in 19 starts from out wide prior to January. Fantastic. Just what we need is a goal scoring attacker and Tella's looking like the easy option to recall. Nope, too obvious. 9. Recalling Jan Bednarek. Someone who wasn't impressing on their loan, unlike Tella. I bet Villa couldn't believe their luck. Rebranded as "Janny B" and the heroic leader we were missing. Had a disastrous first few games back, but he hasn't done anything too disastrous since. He's just not much good either. Always said I'd rather have Jack Stephens in a relegation dog fight than the Poland international, who shirked his club duties last season and has been a shirker his whole Saints career. Again, could have recalled Stephens, who is now helping Bournemouth stay up, but no. 10. To round off the January 2023 catastrophe, we signed Paul Onuachu and Kamaldeen Sulemana for big fees. Onuachu not quite Carrillo, because he was actually scoring for his previous club. But we've since found out we spent around £18m on a 6'7" striker who cannot jump and can only last around an hour before blowing up. FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE. Again, makes you wonder what our scouting team is being paid for, but he is doing very well for me on Football Manager, so again thank you Rasmus. Then with Sulemana. I posted when he joined that we needed goals, so why we spent such a large fee on a Rennes squad player with 5 Ligue 1 goals to his name, I didn't know. Turns out he wasn't the answer. 11. Keeping Nathan Jones in a job until it became near fatal for the club's league position. The man lost 7/8 league matches. There were already question marks when he was appointed and then losing all those games, especially the Forest home game on January 4th confirmed that he was out his depth. However, we were told at the fans forum by the condescending Semmens and Ankersen to trust the process, despite every Saints fan stating that he needed to go. The next game we lost 2-1 against 10 men Wolves after being a goal up, and hey, what do you know, turns out we were right, so Jones got the sack. 12. Going the caretaker route. Marsch turned us down, that's okay we must have a big shortlist of alternatives. WRONG. Selles appointed until the end of the season. Since then Chelsea, Leicester and Crystal Palace sacked their manager's, while Leeds appointed Gracia, who unsurprisingly took 3 points off us. Did they name their assistant as the man to take over? No, they brought somebody else in, proving there are options out there. We're a Premier League club and given our position there wasn't much for a manager to lose. If we got relegated, but put up a fight then their reputation would remain intact. If we survived, they'd have been hailed a hero. Instead, we've got the player's best mate on the touchline and therefore standards have dropped massively. We play without a striker, we drop anyone who shows any attacking ability - Alcaraz scores, out he goes, Djenepo gets an assist, no thank you, Edozie takes players on and wins free-kicks for our most dangerous weapon, no we'd rather see Elyounoussi pass it to the opposition. Selles makes Mark Hughes look like Guardiola considering Hughes actually got a song and some fight out of the squad before he was given a three-year deal. So yeah, what joys we've had! Feel free to add any more. I guess Shields could've been mentioned.

Indeed. Lambert was 27, Fonte 26, Hammond 26, Chaplow 25, Richardson 27, Guly 28, Sharp 25, Fox 25 and Hooiveld 28 when all signed. We had Davis in goal, who was 33 when we started our rise back up and brought in older senior pros in Butterfield, Jaidi, Connolly and Murty, who contributed to the playing side and weren't just "they're good to have around the dressing room" blokes also. They helped guide and mature the youth of Schneiderlin, Lallana and Chamberlain. Who'd have thought that signing players in their prime would bring success. Semmens and the others have done a Les Reed/Wilson arrogance show on us. Reed recycled the squad and manager once with a number of good transfers and even made us better. So, he believed he had cracked football and could do it again and again. He couldn't. It was a one summer thing. He said we always had a replacement ready to go, we didn't. Semmens/the recruitment team saw the success of Livramento last summer, who was relatively cheap for the Premier League. So, again, they thought they had found an untapped market and tried to create a team of Livramento's. Amazingly, didn't work, while we also made some panic signings of more experienced players for good measure.

No intensity, no urgency, no quality. The story of the season really. Keep the ball at the back, lose the ball, let the opposition break on us. We played like an end of season mid-table dead rubber match today. Only we’re bottom of the league, have been since Boxing Day and should be fighting for our lives.

That's a poor imitation of MLG. Hajto joined in the summer of 2005. It was the next January 2006 transfer window that his contract was cancelled with us and he joined Derby. Kosowski joined in the 2005 summer window on a season long loan, didn't cost £400k, wasn't a part of the play-off side, which came after the next summer. The next summer we signed Skacel, Pele, Davis, Idiakez, Viafara, Wright-Phillips, Makin, Licka and Sarmiento. Again, not wholly successful and quite a few duds.

What I find strange regarding Bazunu was how he built up a reputation for his distribution, but it's by a long way the worse part of his game.

We're going to play in the Sky Bet Championship, anyway...