Saint86

Has very little to do with Semmens. Not sure why fan's keep trotting this out. Has been abundantly clear that Rasmus has had absolute control over all decisions. Reality is that Ralph and Semmens were doing a good job keeping the club stable and slowing turning it around despite no owner investment.

As with the others that have all left the club this year, I suspect he doesn't fit within Mr "not getting too involved" Ankerson's vision for the club going forwards.

I don't know about that. BFS is all about the numbers of football. Wasn't he one of the early pioneers and worked out where to position attacking/defensive players for set pieces etc based on percentage ball drops and chance opportunities etc.

I can't see that protesting is going to achieve anything at this point tbh. It isn't so much the board, as the ownership... and in particular Mr "i won't get involved" rasmus ankerson. Reality is under Semmens and Ralph were stable despite no owner input for years. SR have come in, and in one year of decision making, they've totally changed the coaching setup, ended our attacking press style of play, dismantled the scouting set up, lost a load of important academy staff, sacked ralph and hired jones (entirely on rasmus seemingly based on the fans forum), and then lamped us with the players best mate in selles. Its clear that all of that is under Rasmus' decision making, and its clear as well that Semmens has disagreed with parts of it (particularly jones) but has no power to disagree with Rasmus. But, SR / Solak himself have ultimately been committed and put a lot of money into the club -and in reality have put in more than i think saints fans ever reasonably hoped to see. Protesting that is not constructive ultimately? Especially as if they did actually walk away / lose interest, the club itself would be left servicing the debt accrued on player contracts, transfer spend, agents fees, and manager costs whcih have been accrued under their short tenureship - we should all actually be quite happy that SR remain committed. And we surely can all see the issue is Ramus? and we just have to hope that Rasmus takes a step back from the decision making process in the summer. To give him some benefit of the doubt, i think shields leaving has forced him to get more involved this year... but clearly he has been out of his depth. Going foreword (whether he is made to, or through his own personal choice) he has to step back. We cannot continue to have him involved in important decisions at club level. Semmens was doing a reasonable job previously (albeit with limited resources), and we can only hope that Wilcox knows what he is about. Huge rebuild on the cards this summer and it really is last chance saloon to make something out of the investment made to date. Players like Lavia, Bazunu, ABK, Sulemana, Edozie, Alcaraz remain very promising youngsters and they are on long contracts. A good year in the championship will ultimately do them a lot of good as players and as a team, and immediate promotion back to the top flight will mitigate the financial impact (alongside a few key sales and parachute payments)... But if we stay down in the championship everything will be undone sadly.

You've got the wrong "but" here Weston... the "but" you're after is "Rasmus"... 😭 For me, we need to go out a get a statement manager for the level, someone with a clear and effective style of play, preferably attacking. If we can attract someone like Potter, Gallardo, Knutson etc then it would be superb... but equally i think its a reach. But who knows, stranger things have happened - and there has been so much churn in the premier league this season that there may not actually be many top level jobs available come the summer.

Today was the last reasonable chance of survival. You're looking for absolute miracles now.

I'll have what you're having... in what world do you expect this board to make anything but further fuck ups this summer?

Something very very rotten at the club at the moment. Some players seemingly not committed enough to even play, punch ups at the training ground, new signings benched, no fight from the players at all, and managers being picked on player power... And atop it all, the biggest clown i think i've ever seen hold the reigns at saints in Rasmus Ankerson. Its going to be a very very very long way back from this.

That's it i'm afriad.

Problem is, i am certain Rasmus Ankerson is incapable of finding someone of the required ability next season. Every single decision he has made has been horrific.

Get ready for us to not play in the air to him...

With availability as it is. I would like to see Sulemana and Dyjenpo/Edozie on the wings. Should cause problems. Then have Alcaraz playing through the middle and running in and around Tall Paul, who should be fucking used as an actual aerial target man ffs. Have JWP supporting and dopping off the right winger/CAM to whip crosses in etc and get men in and around the box. You would also like to think that a combination of Djenpo/Edozie and sulemana is going to win a lot of free kicks - or if defenders are scared to tackle, win us a lot of territory. Sadly i fear it will be more of this pass pass pass bollocks between bazuni, the back 4, and JWP. The concept of actually running with the ball and taking territory has been utterly coached out of the players lately. But that is exactly the kind of attacking bravery that we need right now. Passing in front of teams is like letting them lounge around on the beach with a cocktail in their hands for this level. No threat at all.

I don't think it will be - likely Mara again. What we'll probably do is play it in the air to Mara, then bring Tall Paul on and play it to his feet...

Well i think we all hope you see a saints win!!!

We still had a good mananger then, and crucially he had a viable focal point to convert the created chances (ings). Two boards have since failed Ralph on the striker situation (although mainly Rasmus as Semmens did at least get broja in), and then half our fanbase was apparently oblivious to the deeper performance metrics and decided to turn on him (after 4 solid years) because he didn't have us fighting for top 10 this season... despite injuries, no attack, and a young inexperienced squad to gel. As anticipated by many, it's been markedly all down hill from there on out 🤣. And we're just reaping what's been sown over a few years now sadly.

Is Che back fit yet? Nothing up top otherwise tbh.

How the fuck are you lot still going on about Brexit... 😨🤣

I cannot see a win this weekend sadly - no matter how badly we need it. And i do think that failure to win this game is probably one of the very last nails in the coffin this year. They're a fairly solid team with a lot of attacking threat. We carry no attacking threat and aren't particularly solid at the back.

TBF i might be being harsh, just rechecked the goal stats and Philips (10) and Crouch (12) did pretty well considering we finished 20th! I guess the overall negativity of that season has impacted my view somewhat.

First of all, i don't want to go all MLG on you, but we were relegated in 2005 not 2004. In 2004 we finished 12th 😋. Secondly, I would actually argue that bazunu now is better than Niemi was by the end of the 04/05 season. Niemi was a total wreck confidence wise by the end of 04/05... That Krap Nottarf game in particular was horrendous. 2003/04 niemi i'd agree, far better. There also isn't much difference in overall striking ability - both are poor for the league imo. Che is a decent hold up man but can't finish. A past it Philips or Camara alongside him would have made a difference though. If anything, the whole thing totally highlights how we've been chronically mismanaged by Rasmus this season. He had a manager that would have had a very good crack at a top 10 finish with even a semblance of the right additions, didn't sign said additions, then sacked the manager, then hired the world's fittest ever manager (far far worse than Ralph), then failed again to sign a striker or cdm cover, then sacked world's fittest manager (albeit that was the right call 😄), then hired a total newbie as manager (also worse than Ralph) And so here we sit having spent £150M on transfers, lord knows what on agents fees, signing on fees, and paying off managers... and we're worse than we started the season with still no striker in sight. That and we've helped our soon to be parent club (Luton) in the Sports Republic group up to 3rd... I'll say one thing, that's a pretty impressive overall feet by SR 🤣

Exactly this.

Been told that part of the reason is when season ticket holders don't turn up and haven't released their seats for resale. The club ultimatley don't care as the seats are paid for, but equally the atmosphere then suffers, particulary for TV games. Not ideal if it continues for the relegation run in. Would imagine that given our form, position, the fact it was on TV, it's Easter, and it's a red hot man City side... Has all played a part in fans not bothering this particular weekend.

He's obviously responsible. But he also basically owns the club so is unlikely to sack himself 🤔

Any team that lines up with DCC and Bednarek at this level is getting thumped sadly.

I reckon it's going to be us and Leicester.... And then whoever is the shittest out of forest and West ham.