Daft Kerplunk

Not a great deal in that. Everything is rosy in the St Mary’s savannah.

And absolutely no benefit to the football team whatsoever

The commercial department is a bit of a joke. From one shit show to another whether it’s kit being late/or bad quality, getting a drink at a game, large numbers of opposition fans in the home areas, £500 hospitality tickets that don’t sell out (no surprise, the team has still been shit), sponsorships that fall through or don’t pay…and on to the next mistakes.

Gakpo probably won’t be signing then ⚽️

Apart from those that went to extra time. Almost as long though 😅

I would imagine the 2 week break was already planned and couldn’t be changed by the new manager, and if he had, players would have been upset so no point doing that. As for the trip to Miami being canned, this lot should be sent on army training in Finland instead to build up some toughness 🤣

MLTs chip over Schmeichel v Man Utd was special for the execution and audacity.

If anyone is old enough to remember Alan Hansen’s famous line about not being able to win with kids, this might come up as justification for the current approach of the club. The only problem is that that team’s average age was almost 27 and also contained seasoned pros such as Schmeichel, Parker, Irwin, Bruce, Pallister, Cantona, McClair, Giggs, Keane, Cole and so on. Even Beckham had spent time out on loan at Preston. Some senior pros would really help our kids develop and strengthen the team to stay in the league.

Seems to be a couple of assumptions based on old owners/the summer’s business: Assumption 1. We won’t sign anyone very experienced. This could be true as most players we sign are primarily for sell on value but perhaps there’s finally a recognition that young talent needs a more experienced (doesn’t have to mean that old) helping hand on the pitch. Plus resale on any players, as well as value of the club might be diminished if we go down and players haven’t got to the point where they show the level that allows for big transfer fees. Assumption 2. Most of the money was spent in the last window and we don’t have that much. This is an unknown but if rumours are true that Semmens cocked up in the summer and didn’t sign players SR had approved, we could also assume that the money is still there for us to sign some stronger players. As always, the proof will be in the actions the club takes.

Ralph’s worst characteristic was man management and Nathan seems like he will be the complete opposite. His tactical approach and style of football will be seen soon enough. I just hope the board didn’t either too long in keeping Ralph and we can survive what will be a very hard season for this young team, especially if we don’t sign a couple of strong players over the winter. Perhaps SR now realise they need to take the bill by the horns and crack on with things instead of letting the old guard delay too long.

I don’t like hearing the rugby ‘recycle/recycled’ word when the football term is keeping possession. Using the word recycle anywhere near football isn’t a hipster thing, it’s a shitster thing.

That’s a return to their old badge design. If not it’s bloody close.

In a time when Elon Must spent billions to buy Twitter and is the process of royally fucking it up, this idea that wealthy people make good decisions isn’t always true.

Seeing as Liverpool are having a rubbish (by their standards) season, and NJ wouldn’t have had enough time to work with the players, it’s an open door for Liverpool to get the win they need.

Good luck and welcome Nathan, hopefully you’ll galvanise the team, get them excited about playing attacking football and given the freedom to do so in a well set up way. Hoping the board/SR/whomever is in charge also back you by providing the attacking players and goal scorers we still need. Adam Blackmore, Jo Tessem and the fella from the Athletic were all commenting yesterday on Radio Solent that we will have an English manager so hopefully they’ll soon understand that being Welsh is not being English 🤣

I’m not sure you can take much sensible commentary from people who arrive that early for a football match and aren’t club employees

The World Cup break offers SR a chance to get rid of Semmens and his other cronies on the board, review footballing operations and put some decent people in who aren’t talking like we should be grateful we are in the Premier League!

I’m unsure on this choice as there are good qualities, some odd media performances and some worrying comments about style of football, which I don’t know about as I’ve not seen Luton or Stoke play when he’s been in charge. Thankfully we don’t have any real stars at the club so the ego management might be easier for him and they might like his more energetic style and it being less about him that it was with Ralph. For all Ralph’s nice guy to the fans appearances, he was apparently very difficult to like behind the scenes. As for the question about whether I trust the ahem ‘professionals’ running the club? Absolutely not. Serenely confident media appearances and interviews don’t dress up the fact that we’ve been in an unnecessary decline for years with some bad decision making and dithering that’s cost us, let alone the utterly dreadful defeatist rhetoric. SRs biggest piece of work is now to also get rid of the rubbish ruining (not a typo) the show even though it was Semmens et so that got to choose the ownership that kept them in their managerial positions. They are not the right stewards for this club.

I’ll wish this fella all the best but there’s more than a touch of Branfoot and Sturrock about him, in that it all feels a little like a step backward from an opportunity to move forward. Funnily enough, those two appointment moments led to continued decline. Semmens and Co are the new Guy Askham and Rupert Lowe. Arrogant, up themselves and assured of their own brilliance. Buckle up, and fingers crossed it does work out. We still need an attacking player and a centre forward.

Loved his enthusiasm at first and he galvanised the fans after Hughes’ disinterested reign.

Nathan Jones? He’s been gone too long.

100% Some of the insipid chat coming from the club (including Ralph) has been so unlike what you need to be in sport that it’s almost unbelievable. There is a rot at the club that’ starts with the leadership. From the football, to the closing of block 1. SR need to act and make some big changes, and quickly.

We are tied in with the global economy and Brexit has made the British economy weaker and that has a wider impact so yes you are right. No Brexit dividend for Saints as that was the same year Ronald left and we’ve been unambitious and either poorly performing or largely boring to watch since. Yay.

Seeing how Liverpool are having a shocker of a season, I wonder if Ralph would cry if we beat them again 🤣

We still had coaches there in previous eras whilst Les, Martin and Matt Hale were in charge. But they left or were got rid of in favour of yes men. Some top people left but lower down the ladder (the coaches who work directly with the players and influence them more than a leadership spreadsheet) coaches still carried on. I know you’re a fan of the Saints as much as I am, and I’m sure you’d agree that excuses aren’t helping something that was supposed to have improved 10-14 years+ ago. I just want it to be high quality again like it should be.