Saint86

SAA now playing and scoring against Lyon... But ofc, not good enough for saints this season or next season, and absolutely not worth keeping hold off for just a little bit longer as his value increased.. 🤦

https://archive.ph/fugYs

Would love Ralph back as i'm sure he'd get us sorted, but sadly there is no chance he would ever come back. Reality is that he's a quality manger who is now onto a good thing in Germany. Also, why would he even come back? Our owners have been appalling since they came in, undermined him on the coaching and player front, and frankly much of our fanbase treated him pretty poorly as well over that final season. If we want Ralph back, then Rohl is likely as close as we'll get - but what is truly bizarre is that SR have already done a great job of getting rid of Ralph, his style, and utterly changing our general player profiles/types - only to be seemingly going back on it all with Rohl? 😂

For comparison, the Newcastle tickets were £8 for adults, £2 for concessions. Ours were £10 and £4. Both Newcastle and Sunderland are significantly bigger sides than Portsmouth (both in the mens' and womens' game), and there is certainly more of a feel good factor about football at both Sunderland and Newcastle than at saints right now. But yes, i agree, it does put the attendance figures for the "south coast derby" (as the club billed it) into perspective.

If we kept most of them, then the squad would be even better than last season's squad... who came 4th in what is widely regarded as one of the toughest championship seasons in recent years. We barely even saw the likes of ABK, sulemana, Onuachu etc., last season, so selling them wouldn't even impact on squad comparisons.

Anyone that doesn't understand Dibbling is a top top talent in the making really doesn't know much about football 😅. He started the season as an 18year old with no senior football under his belt - and he immediatley had some of the world's top defenders either scared to close him down or he was going around them for fun - Gvardiol didn't know what to do with him when we played Man City away ffs!! And he isn't just a speed player, he's about skill and power - neither are going to be leaving him for most of his career and in fact will only get better - he's already got great feet and can bully fully grown men physically at 18/19 - he carries the ball with ease, shows no fear at all, and is already contributing end product in what is quite literally one of the shittest top flight teams english football has ever seen. The kid is absolute class - I can't imagine what he'll be like once he's physically matured and has had a few more years learning how to use his bod. If we could somehow convince him to stay, sign a new deal, and have a new team built around him it would be the best business saints have done since they signed VVD. Its extremely unlikely sadly, but then a year playing week in week out and dominating the championship (which he certainly would bar injury) wouldn't be a bad thing for him - it did wonders for players like Lallana and Grealish. For certain players it lets them hone their own style and develop a lot of confidence which they can carry into the next stages of their career. And Grealish might also be a good example that moving to a big club isn't all its cracked up to be. Hope he stays, but if we sell him for less than £50M and a sell on clause it would be bad business.

Pretty sure a Martin Saints team would have beaten that Wolves side (based on what i saw at least...)

Only managed to tune in once it was already 2-0, but that portion of the game seemed much better? Was the first 60min or so absolute gash i'm guessing? Wolves are a very poor side - probably the most likely team in the league to get relegated next season.

Nope, and that is a concern for us as fans I think. Sports republic probably see it as par for the course though 😂

I don't disagree on the "maybes and what ifs", but it doesn't change the fact that he wouldn't adapt when we absolutely had to - he was determined to put his reputation and style above the club's survival, and that is what fundamentally did it for me. He also tried to be best mates with the players which isn't going to cut it at this level. He was a nice enough guy who did what he had to do last year (and gave us a great day out and fond memories), but his time was up in the prem in the end. Its a shame he wouldn't adapt and try to keep it tight at times - would have kept the fanbase on board and then maybe we would have seen him next season in the champ.

Unless you want the worst points total in premier league history, i should think the answer is obvious surely?

This is a must win game - easiest remaining match on paper at least.

So to surmise, he dared to say something that threatened farage... And he gets summarily kicked out of the party and reported to the police? Not looking good for reform as a serious party is it? 😂🤣

We're getting relegated from the premier league. Yes, we need to balance the books!

This video from 37:00 onwards talks about Johannes Spors (albeit from a Newcastle standpoint). Breaks down his career history and transfer record etc at the various clubs. Being the architect at the centre of 777's football operations does concern me - Leave a trail of rather badly performing clubs in his recent wake though...

Under SR i absolutely agree with you. But I think you do a slight disservice to Semmens/Ralph's partnership with this (once they'd got their act together) - they had very limited resources and were always shopping in the bargain basement. Despite that they managed to dig out some good deals with the likes of KWP, Tino, Stu, and Lavia in particularly coming to mind. The Ings and Broja loans were also good use of the loan market. Before them we had the period of spaffing the club's future up the wall... (i'm not going to check back on staffing at the time, but i think these fall well within the Les Reed, Kruger, Wilson period). The likes of Carillo, Hoedt, Lemina, Boufal, Vestergard to name a few very notable fuck ups (taking us back to the 16/17 and 17/18 seasons - sadly within the 8-9 year period your discussing and hamstringing the club right when we had a chance of really establishing ourselves as a top 10 side. Edit - Urgh, i've just reminded of the dire football under the likes of Puel and Hughes. How we went from knocking on the door of the champions league under koeman to that level of shitness, all whilst spending previously unheard of fortunes, is just criminal. Potentially as bad as anything SR have delivered performance wise, and thats saying something!! Smashing villa and sunderland, heck even the 4 goals vs arsenal, comfortably beating chelsea at the bridge, the united game, pelle, mane, tadic etc... Someone please take me back 😰😭

I think the biggest error they've physically made remains sacking ralph. Jones was a dire appointment after the fact, and selles had no chance (and I don't have any ill will towards him). You can add to that the undermining of the coaching set up over the preceeding summer, and ripping up the scouting (and to a lesser extent the academy) setup as well. The January window, when paired with the carnage of the on field and behind the scenes setups, was just the icing on the cake. I always felt like they came in like these footballing hipsters thinking they were the dogs bollocks and could reinvent football. Clearly they couldn't and knew a lot less than they thought they knew. Since then though rasmus has had his wings clipped and kraft is gone. And as has been said above, they have consistently put money into the club and worked and communicated with the fans. I think there are signs that they (perhaps just soak) are learning on the football front as well. All in all, I think that this season will prove to be the Low point of their ownership. Or at least I bloody hope so. Saying that, that optimism puts a a lot of relatively blind faith in spors being good. I don't think there is much point getting toxic towards them - not whilst they are investing and whilst trying to implement positive change at least.

Eh? I wanted Charles recalled previously because at the time relegation wasn't assured, Lesley had also been rubbish up to that point, and I thought Charles could do a job for us. I was disappointed he was briefly in line to be sold in january as well (given we could certainly do a job for us in the champ). Equally I don't have an issue with him staying there, playing regularly, and avoiding this car crash. Curious as to which part of that you disagree with. If I recall, I think you were a huge ralph out advocate at one point - but either way, how do you feel about his #2 potentially coming back in? The situation with downes and Martin is entirely different as well... He absolutely was one of Martin's golden boys, wanted out once Martin went, and had a sulk and refused to play. Would be a weird take to not be pissed off with his attitude 🤔

With the news that Rohl seems to be incoming, i wonder what it will mean for the team in the championship next year. I haven't really been following them in detail this season - i.e. typical formation and key players? Does anyone have much insight on them? I know Ralph played the 4-2-2-2 high press, are Wednesday in a similar muold? Do we think its likely we'll see Charles and Downes (if he sticks around) as our 2 CMs/CDMs?

The most damning thing about this chelsea result is that i watched every minute of both 9-0 losses... I turned the chelsea game off when the 2nd went in.

Now that was absolutely unforgiveable by Flynn Downes. Just shocking.

Mate, put the agenda aside. Smallbone can't be goalside of him without playing him onside. Its on Suga for being yards off it positionally and not pushing up straight away.

Not really, thats all on the defender that didn't step up and played them all onside... Unless you think we should be trying to play an offside line by being goalside of the otherwise offside attacker... 🫠

Nah, no where near those levels. Love and light 😂

That sounds like a great way to damage your gears... Normally you go across (left or right) and then down (or up) to get into reverse 😬. Love and light 😘