Ralph Krueger on the clubs season, trying to keep Mark Hughes and future of Les Reed

How did Leicester keep Mahrez?

Salary figures aren't the most reliable online and vary place to place, but word has it Mahrez is on £100k/wk which is more than Mane @ Liverpool. If true, that's how.

Salary figures aren't the most reliable online and vary place to place, but word has it Mahrez is on £100k/wk which is more than Mane @ Liverpool. If true, that's how.

About the same as Forster then

About the same as Forster then

£70k - https://sillyseason.com/salary/southampton-fc-players-salaries-79200/

£90k - http://www.football365.com/news/which-player-earns-the-most-at-every-pl-club

£55k before his last extension https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/599698/Southampton-weekly-wages-Manolo-Gabbiadini-Martin-Caceres-sportgalleries

£70k seems about right. I don't see how he could actually be our highest earner, and he wouldn't have gotten that big a jump from £55k/wk after such a poor season.

You could argue that it failed because we changed the type of player we targeted to replace the stars. We used to go after guys playing regularly and being top players in whatever team/league they were in, to almost exclusively going after players who spent a lot of time benched. It's no surprise they didn't shine here.

Its a good point.

Tadic, Pelle, VVD, Victor and Mane all stand out players in the teams they played in. Did well for us.

Guido, Lemina, Redmond, Hoj and Gabbi all squad players. Mostly disappointing.

Its not an exact science though Bertrand and Romeu where both squad players but have generally done a decent job for us. Boufal was a star in his team and been utterly dreadful for us.

Its a good point.

 

Tadic, Pelle, VVD, Victor and Mane all stand out players in the teams they played in. Did well for us.

 

Guido, Lemina, Redmond, Hoj and Gabbi all squad players. Mostly disappointing.

 

Its not an exact science though Bertrand and Romeu where both squad players but have generally done a decent job for us. Boufal was a star in his team and been utterly dreadful for us.

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Agreed. It's almost as if the quality of the coaching makes a difference...

 

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Some utter morons on this forum were actually ecstatic, at the time, at Long and all the other shiiite getting those contract extensions. Everybody should have kicked up a fuss, cos I could see what was going to happen.

A squad of journeymen that nobody wants on long contracts, possibly/probably in the Championship. Well done Les and Professor Stanley Unwin. I also think that Reed etc didn't have relegation clauses in the new contracts and were cr*pping themselves in the new year.

Still let's not make a fuss and completely trust them to do it right on the third summer of trying, eh? Ooh look I can't see another Ostrich cos of all this sand over my eyes.

"I am getting a new season ticket cos I am a Saints fan and don't care about the rubbish way the club is run". COYR. I am also a Saints fan and I am angry at the club's incompetence and angry at the huge amount of complacency shown.

I have told the club, yesterday that Reed should be sacked , why can't you?

Reed is the only DOF ever that has been named on MOTD. Nuff said. Il Duce!

Is this true? It seems speculative to me. Surely the system will always be imperfect. There have always been bargains that come out of nowhere and there always will be.

 

It wasn't really even that difficult to find out about Mane. He scored 31 goals in 63 games for Salzburg. Anyone could get hold of those stats at the touch of a button, and surely most clubs did.

 

What we identified is that he had the potential to step up to the Premier League, which is the hard part. Its about judgement rather than knowing a player exists, which is why Paul Mitchell is so sought after.

 

And we were willing to take a punt which a bigger club wouldn't. How many of the top four clubs would have put up with his poor form which had everyone on here up in arms? But it was necessary for his development.

This

We signed Redmond and Boufal in the same summer we sold Mane. Didn't go great.

Well technically one was a replacement for Juanmi. Question is whether we would have been worse off with just one of those players. Arguably yes, though difficult to say how much given Boufal's minimal contribution.

Not sure about that. That seems a sure fire way to end up with an over inflated squad with no stand out quality ala 2005.

 

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Not necessarily. It depends what type of player you're targeting: remember we've been after young players with potential and plenty of upside, not loads of journeymen as we did in 2005.

Some of these signings will work out; some inevitably won't. That's why businesses adopt a safety-in-numbers portfolio approach to high-risk, high-reward investments. I suggest anyone who believes you can repeatedly replace proven players with young prospects on a 1:1 basis has been hoodwinked by the club's hype and horse****.

If you don't like the alternative, as Verlaine1979 points out, then I suggest that our business model really isn't for you and you'd prefer another approach to player recruitment -e.g. sprinkling the side with older, more experienced players with more pedigree, ideally in the PL.

The summer transfer window will be an immediate litmus test of whether we've learnt any lessons in this respect.

The major fault with our 'stepping stone' policy is that we only replace 1 to 1 when we sell a star. For it to work you have to sell 1 and replace with 2 (even if one of those two is just taking the opportunity to bring in a young prospect in another position), otherwise all it takes is one Nathan Redmond and your entire economic model breaks at the first hurdle.

But you can only name a squad of 25 players so if you sell a couple and replace them with 4 new ones how do you fit them all into the squad? Also we have often replaced one big sale with two new players. Lallana leaving brought us Tadic and Mane. When Mane left we brought in Boufal and Redmond. You're right that if you replace a quality player with someone who doesn't perform then the team suffers but that's an inherrant risk in the strategy which can't be emilinated completely.

But you can only name a squad of 25 players so if you sell a couple and replace them with 4 new ones how do you fit them all into the squad? Also we have often replaced one big sale with two new players. Lallana leaving brought us Tadic and Mane. When Mane left we brought in Boufal and Redmond. You're right that if you replace a quality player with someone who doesn't perform then the team suffers but that's an inherrant risk in the strategy which can't be emilinated completely.

We also lost Juanmi and Pelle that summer (yes some will bleat about Austin being Pelle's replacement). It's debatable whether Lallana brought us Tadic or Mane: with Jrod's injury, Gaston's flop, the departure of Punch, we were already playing catch up and addressing old weaknesses in the squad. Remember we finished the 2013/14 season with only two attackers: Lambert and Lallana. That's why Sam Gallagher, of all people, was thrown into the mix and Jack Cork was actually played in the hole (Everton, h). If you think we did buy two new players with the Lallana money, then that's tentative proof of the approach's success.

Well technically one was a replacement for Juanmi. Question is whether we would have been worse off with just one of those players. Arguably yes, though difficult to say how much given Boufal's minimal contribution.

In fairness, the orginal point specifically referenced 2-for-1 when we sell a "star". If Juanmi falls in that category then basically you're saying we go 2-for-1 every time we sell anyone which I don't think is particularly wise.

Personally we should be trying to replace a star with one excellent replacement - following a 2-for-1 strategy risks quantity over quality behaviours. Boufal, at £17m quid is as much as we should have spent on a Mane replacement, buying two Boufals at that price clearly we weren't ever going to do. Nor should we.

Boufal not working out is an execution issue, not a strategy issue, especially as Boufal even fitted the ideal profile of being a regular in his previous team.

Mane was not the finished article when he started at Saints , as I remember he was noted for the sliced shot that went for a throw in or the complete air shot ! He developed into a fast unpredictable player who could score or assist . I think it was Poch who told the players that the club's ambitions were being reigned in due to lack of money so they should move if they wanted success (based on no facts ) plus the other England players whispering in their ears (Lallana etc) . I don't think any club has had to replace so many top players apart from relegated clubs.

Mane was obviously top class from day 1. Only a few ignoramuses thought otherwise.

In fairness, the orginal point specifically referenced 2-for-1 when we sell a "star". If Juanmi falls in that category then basically you're saying we go 2-for-1 every time we sell anyone which I don't think is particularly wise.

 

Personally we should be trying to replace a star with one excellent replacement - following a 2-for-1 strategy risks quantity over quality behaviours. Boufal, at £17m quid is as much as we should have spent on a Mane replacement, buying two Boufals at that price clearly we weren't ever going to do. Nor should we.

 

Boufal not working out is an execution issue, not a strategy issue, especially as Boufal even fitted the ideal profile of being a regular in his previous team.

This is as much about the business model (and thus long-term financial health) of the club as much as it is about the first XI. As has been pointed out earlier, we've been playing catch up in terms of attacking recruits in midfield for years, so perhaps best to leave that to one side for a moment.

As far I can tell, we're pretty much the only club trying to pursue this strategy that doesn't spread a wider net when recruiting replacement talent. Look at how many young players Dortmund have brought in over the past two years as a result of selling Dembele, Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan. Same for Napoli, Atletico and others who've managed to maintain their status while getting picked over by bigger clubs. There's always the option to loan out if the squad gets too large (and make a very healthy profit as Chelsea have shown selling successful loanees). Going 1 for 1 risks both the footballing quality and the financial prospects of the club at the same time.

The alternative is Nathan Redmond. Unfair to pick on him I know, but he illustrates that we've now got a squad that's only really worth about as much as we paid for it (accepting inflation). This represents a significant failure of our economic model.

Mane was obviously top class from day 1. Only a few ignoramuses thought otherwise.

https://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?52647-Mane&p=2107813#post2107813

quite a few I'd say. I think it is fair to say he took some time to settle. I remember a few times seeing him falling over his feet, hitting shots at the crowd / corner flags, first touches that cannoned 20 yards away etc.

https://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?52647-Mane&p=2107813#post2107813

 

quite a few I'd say. I think it is fair to say he took some time to settle. I remember a few times seeing him falling over his feet, hitting shots at the crowd / corner flags, first touches that cannoned 20 yards away etc.

This one is by far the most stupid amongst some stiff competition

Quote Originally Posted by yellow&blue View Post

Carlton Palmer was a far better player.....

https://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?52647-Mane&p=2107813#post2107813

 

quite a few I'd say. I think it is fair to say he took some time to settle. I remember a few times seeing him falling over his feet, hitting shots at the crowd / corner flags, first touches that cannoned 20 yards away etc.

A lot of egg on a lot of faces.

Yes Mane was crap in some of his first few matches, but he had a good record from his previous club. It was obviously too soon to write him off.

Carrillo on the other hand has been crap in his first few matches and was also crap for his previous club. I think it's already clear he is crap.

A lot of egg on a lot of faces.

 

Yes Mane was crap in some of his first few matches, but he had a good record from his previous club. It was obviously too soon to write him off.

 

Carrillo on the other hand has been crap in his first few matches and was also crap for his previous club. I think it's already clear he is crap.

£19M of turd. Or at best £19M of average.

#blackbox

The black box is the biggest myth going, that you can use stats and computer algorithms to make the perfect transfer policy.

Yes its good to have detailed data on players, psychological profiling and the like, and some clubs are obviously weak in that respect (West Ham spring to mind). But ultimately scouting is an art not a science, otherwise the biggest clubs would sign the best players from day one and that would be that. You have to decide what to do with the data once you have it.

Who knew that Rickie Lambert and Jamie Vardy would go on to become top Premier League players when they were plugging away in the lower leagues? Mo Salah had a good season for Roma last year, but who predicted he would have the season he had this year? Or on the flipside, who knew that Fernando Torres would go from being one of the best strikers in the world to not barely being able to score at all for Chelsea.

This is as much about the business model (and thus long-term financial health) of the club as much as it is about the first XI. As has been pointed out earlier, we've been playing catch up in terms of attacking recruits in midfield for years, so perhaps best to leave that to one side for a moment.

 

As far I can tell, we're pretty much the only club trying to pursue this strategy that doesn't spread a wider net when recruiting replacement talent. Look at how many young players Dortmund have brought in over the past two years as a result of selling Dembele, Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan. Same for Napoli, Atletico and others who've managed to maintain their status while getting picked over by bigger clubs. There's always the option to loan out if the squad gets too large (and make a very healthy profit as Chelsea have shown selling successful loanees). Going 1 for 1 risks both the footballing quality and the financial prospects of the club at the same time.

 

The alternative is Nathan Redmond. Unfair to pick on him I know, but he illustrates that we've now got a squad that's only really worth about as much as we paid for it (accepting inflation). This represents a significant failure of our economic model.

We're pretty much the only club that doesn't sign multiple players to replace when we sell one? Pretty much the only obe? Really?

Also, bonus points for saying we should be just like multiple league winning, CL regulars, European elite Atletico Madrid and Dortmond. Yeah, why aren't we like them.

And as previously said Redmond came in alongside Boufal as two options to replace Mane so bad example.

Also, he's a young player we signed in the expectation he would grow and increase in value - last year he made the England squad. It's nonsense to suggest we signed him to be average and not grow in value.

And if he turns out to be not good enough, surely that's an occupational hazard of "casting the net"?

Or is your point thay we sign lots of replacements and cast the net wide etc etc but also they all have to turn out brilliant without fail?

As usual with the pontificating around this topic it really just boils down to whinging about why can't all the players we sign be good every time.

https://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?52647-Mane&p=2107813#post2107813

 

quite a few I'd say. I think it is fair to say he took some time to settle. I remember a few times seeing him falling over his feet, hitting shots at the crowd / corner flags, first touches that cannoned 20 yards away etc.

you are talking about Shane Long surely

We're pretty much the only club that doesn't sign multiple players to replace when we sell one? Pretty much the only obe? Really?

 

Also, bonus points for saying we should be just like multiple league winning, CL regulars, European elite Atletico Madrid and Dortmond. Yeah, why aren't we like them.

 

And as previously said Redmond came in alongside Boufal as two options to replace Mane so bad example.

 

Also, he's a young player we signed in the expectation he would grow and increase in value - last year he made the England squad. It's nonsense to suggest we signed him to be average and not grow in value.

 

And if he turns out to be not good enough, surely that's an occupational hazard of "casting the net"?

 

Or is your point thay we sign lots of replacements and cast the net wide etc etc but also they all have to turn out brilliant without fail?

 

As usual with the pontificating around this topic it really just boils down to whinging about why can't all the players we sign be good every time.

Congratulations on your night superhuman achievement of not understanding a single word I wrote. Possibly not even the conjunctions.

Congratulations on your night superhuman achievement of not understanding a single word I wrote. Possibly not even the conjunctions.

Fair enough. What do you want us to do?

Reading krueger’s Interview on the echo website is pretty depressing.

Unless you care about football in China doesn’t seem Saints have any ambition left beyond staying on premier league gravy train.

Congratulations on your night superhuman achievement of not understanding a single word I wrote. Possibly not even the conjunctions.

CB Fry seems to just exist in world of his own, totally out of touch with other human beings, all of whom he preceives as his enemies. His discovery of the internet has at least enabled him to express all of the pent-up frustration he feels about his isolation so we should cut him some slack.

CB Fry seems to just exist in world of his own, totally out of touch with other human beings, all of whom he preceives as his enemies. His discovery of the internet has at least enabled him to express all of the pent-up frustration he feels about his isolation so we should cut him some slack.

Sounds like he is a Cyberman.

Reading krueger’s Interview on the echo website is pretty depressing.

Unless you care about football in China doesn’t seem Saints have any ambition left beyond staying on premier league gravy train.

Or you could say they were being realistic .

The club has won virtually **** all in the last sixty years and this will no doubt continue for the next sixty years .

How people thought the Club was going to challenge for CL qualification is beyond me but shows how lots are gullible.

If we develop outstanding players through the academy or through the transfer system they are not going to stay at SFC and I don't blame them

CB Fry seems to just exist in world of his own, totally out of touch with other human beings, all of whom he preceives as his enemies.

His discovery of the internet has at least enabled him to express all of the pent-up frustration he feels about his isolation so we should cut him some slack.

You can include me and a couple of others, whom I won't name, in this as well

The club has won virtually **** all in the last sixty years and this will no doubt continue for the next sixty years .

 

How people thought the Club was going to challenge for CL qualification is beyond me but shows how lots are gullible.

 

If we develop outstanding players through the academy or through the transfer system they are not going to stay at SFC and I don't blame them

I disagree with you on that point, the facts are, we have 'challenged' for CL qualification in recent seasons. We'll never sustain it because, as you say, if we've got outstanding players, bigger clubs will continually come along and easily take them off of us. We have an excellent set-up to replace these departures but as we've seen since 2016, it won't always work out and a middling-sized club like SFC can quickly find themselves in trouble. It's cyclical, hopefully you bounce back before falling too far. The best thing to do is not set your expectations too unrealistically high, enjoy those high moments while there and accept there will always be highs and lows. Or find something else to do on a match day.

I disagree with you on that point, the facts are, we have 'challenged' for CL qualification in recent seasons. We'll never sustain it because, as you say, if we've got outstanding players, bigger clubs will continually come along and easily take them off of us. We have an excellent set-up to replace these departures but as we've seen since 2016, it won't always work out and a middling-sized club like SFC can quickly find themselves in trouble. It's cyclical, hopefully you bounce back before falling too far. The best thing to do is not set your expectations too unrealistically high, enjoy those high moments while there and accept there will always be highs and lows. Or find something else to do on a match day.

Yes I agree but not sure we actually challenged for a CL place we may have been in a CL place but unlike Leicester and I believe fell away.

I have been supporting Saints since 1959 so my expectations since then have been easily met seen great player like Paine Ball Keegan MLT VVD Chivers Davies Osgood etc so I am really happy have supported the team and will continue to support them in good times and bad.

As you say it is Cyclical I have friends who are Nottm Forest Aston Villa Spurs and Ipswich fans who had some really good glory days and just look at them now.

Or you could say they were being realistic .

 

The club has won virtually **** all in the last sixty years and this will no doubt continue for the next sixty years .

 

How people thought the Club was going to challenge for CL qualification is beyond me but shows how lots are gullible.

 

If we develop outstanding players through the academy or through the transfer system they are not going to stay at SFC and I don't blame them

I want the club to be aiming high at the very least to get into europe which is something we've done twice in recent history.

Krueger wants to take us back to the days when not being in a relegation battle was the sole ambition & that's rotten imo.

I accept exceptional players won't stay long term but we'll be compensated hansomly when they do.

So you don't want us to spread the net and recruit more players more widely like Dortmund and Atletico Madrid, and you don't want us to loan out our spare players like Chelsea do.

 

Fair enough. What do you want us to do?

The key phrases in my post were as follows: "This is as much about the business model... as it is about the first XI" & "the only club trying to pursue this strategy". Read it again without ignoring them and you'll have the answers you seek.

I want the club to be aiming high at the very least to get into europe which is something we've done twice in recent history.

Krueger wants to take us back to the days when not being in a relegation battle was the sole ambition & that's rotten imo.

I accept exceptional players won't stay long term but we'll be compensated hansomly when they do.

Ok but don't whinge when we don't do well.

The PL is the most competitive league in the World most clubs including SFC no doubt want to do as well as possible but to think every year we will be around 7th place is delusional sometimes we will sometimes we wont .

I think you need to reduce your expectations but that does not mean we will not get into Europe sometime in the future but if we do we need some excellent players and getting them to come to SFC is very hard.

People complain about our recruitment strategy but I don't know of any talented player who has said he wanted to come to Southampton who we have not signed.

We sign good players but not very good/excellent players because we don't have the revenue to support that.

You just get the feeling, almost since Cortese left that management targets have been financial and commercial growth only.

Doing well on the pitch seems to have become 3 or 4th priority for the owners and management

The key phrases in my post were as follows: "This is as much about the business model... as it is about the first XI" & "the only club trying to pursue this strategy". Read it again without ignoring them and you'll have the answers you seek.

Here we are then. I've removed all the references to Dortmund, Atletico and Chelsea as you don't want us to be anything like them after all. Weird you wasted those sentences on them.

Anyway, here it is.

This is as much about the business model (and thus long-term financial health) of the club as much as it is about the first XI. As has been pointed out earlier, we've been playing catch up in terms of attacking recruits in midfield for years, so perhaps best to leave that to one side for a moment.

 

As far I can tell, we're pretty much the only club trying to pursue this strategy that doesn't spread a wider net when recruiting replacement talent.

Let's look at it again, nice and slow...

"We're pretty much the only club club trying to pursue this strategy that doesn't spread a wider net when recruiting replacement talent"

Nope. Still utter, utter horsesh it.

And just so you understand my conjunctions and sh it, let's be really clear here. Southampton Football Club are not "pretty much the only club" to do anything in relation to transfer business. We're not unique on any measure. We're not singular compared to any other Premier League, Championship or major European club. There's nothing we do, on player recruiting, retention, coaching, scouting, contracts, buying, loaning or how we pose the unveiling pictures on the website, that we would be "pretty much the only club" doing it. .

So soz and that but how about get some perspective.

Here we are then. I've removed all the references to Dortmund, Atletico and Chelsea as you don't want us to be anything like them after all. Weird you wasted those sentences on them.

 

Anyway, here it is.

 

 

 

Let's look at it again, nice and slow...

 

"We're pretty much the only club club trying to pursue this strategy that doesn't spread a wider net when recruiting replacement talent"

 

Nope. Still utter, utter horsesh it.

 

And just so you understand my conjunctions and sh it, let's be really clear here. Southampton Football Club are not "pretty much the only club" to do anything in relation to transfer business. We're not unique on any measure. We're not singular compared to any other Premier League, Championship or major European club. There's nothing we do, on player recruiting, retention, coaching, scouting, contracts, buying, loaning or how we pose the unveiling pictures on the website, that we would be "pretty much the only club" doing it. .

 

So soz and that but how about get some perspective.[/QU

You can include me and a couple of others, whom I won't name, in this as well

You can always put him on ignore.

Here we are then. I've removed all the references to Dortmund, Atletico and Chelsea as you don't want us to be anything like them after all. Weird you wasted those sentences on them.

 

Anyway, here it is.

 

 

 

Let's look at it again, nice and slow...

 

"We're pretty much the only club club trying to pursue this strategy that doesn't spread a wider net when recruiting replacement talent"

 

Nope. Still utter, utter horsesh it.

 

And just so you understand my conjunctions and sh it, let's be really clear here. Southampton Football Club are not "pretty much the only club" to do anything in relation to transfer business. We're not unique on any measure. We're not singular compared to any other Premier League, Championship or major European club. There's nothing we do, on player recruiting, retention, coaching, scouting, contracts, buying, loaning or how we pose the unveiling pictures on the website, that we would be "pretty much the only club" doing it. .

 

So soz and that but how about get some perspective.

You big head tosser. Reed is the problem, bighead tosser, repeat Reed is the problem to make Saints completely different. He is Il duce. No other club has an ignorant pig ignorant dictator for a DOF. Futt the shuck for one effing minute you big head.

You big head tosser. Reed is the problem, bighead tosser, repeat Reed is the problem to make Saints completely different. He is Il duce. No other club has an ignorant pig ignorant dictator for a DOF. Futt the shuck for one effing minute you big head.

Can people stop quoting the one person I've ever felt the need to put in ignore please

You big head tosser. Reed is the problem, bighead tosser, repeat Reed is the problem to make Saints completely different. He is Il duce. No other club has an ignorant pig ignorant dictator for a DOF. Futt the shuck for one effing minute you big head.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

Ahh the season of infighting, oh how I’ve missed you.

You big head tosser. Reed is the problem, bighead tosser, repeat Reed is the problem to make Saints completely different. He is Il duce. No other club has an ignorant pig ignorant dictator for a DOF. Futt the shuck for one effing minute you big head.

Personally on the strength of this post I say keep up the good work CB

Here we are then. I've removed all the references to Dortmund, Atletico and Chelsea as you don't want us to be anything like them after all. Weird you wasted those sentences on them.

 

Anyway, here it is.

 

 

 

Let's look at it again, nice and slow...

 

"We're pretty much the only club club trying to pursue this strategy that doesn't spread a wider net when recruiting replacement talent"

 

Nope. Still utter, utter horsesh it.

 

And just so you understand my conjunctions and sh it, let's be really clear here. Southampton Football Club are not "pretty much the only club" to do anything in relation to transfer business. We're not unique on any measure. We're not singular compared to any other Premier League, Championship or major European club. There's nothing we do, on player recruiting, retention, coaching, scouting, contracts, buying, loaning or how we pose the unveiling pictures on the website, that we would be "pretty much the only club" doing it. .

 

So soz and that but how about get some perspective.

Ah, so you really aren't terribly good at reading. You should just announce that up front - it would make communicating with you much simpler.

Removing any confusing context from my original statement, what I said was 'we must be the only team pursuing strategy X who don't do Y'. In other words, far from portraying us as unique, my entire argument is predicated on the notion that there are other clubs doing the same thing we're doing, but doing it better.

Everything else you said seems to be tedious blather, so let's leave it at that.

Ah, so you really aren't terribly good at reading. You should just announce that up front - it would make communicating with you much simpler.

 

Removing any confusing context from my original statement, what I said was 'we must be the only team pursuing strategy X who don't do Y'. In other words, far from portraying us as unique, my entire argument is predicated on the notion that there are other clubs doing the same thing we're doing, but doing it better.

 

Everything else you said seems to be tedious blather, so let's leave it at that.

So in summary we are not unique but, err, we are unique in a particular unique subset of clubs doing the same thing (strategy X) but better than/slightly differently to us (we, alongside those other clubs do strategy X but only we do execution Y, all the others do X/X because they are better than us).

Which, by extension means we are unique among all clubs because no one else does X/Y because we are "pretty much the only club" doing it.

You can get your head around that, can't you?

And, to confirm, the subset if clubs that you have bundled us in with, and complaining do things better than us are Atletico Madrid, Burussia Dortmond and Chelsea.

So you keep saying and saying we are unique and I'll keep saying we are not unique.

Yeah, you ain't none too bright.

You just get the feeling, almost since Cortese left that management targets have been financial and commercial growth only.

 

Doing well on the pitch seems to have become 3 or 4th priority for the owners and management

So you missed the four top ten finishes, europa cup x 2, league cup final, FA Cup Semi final

All clotese knew about was spending other peoples money and relying on other staff to do the actual grafting, esp his pr consultant to make him lood good for gullible fans.

Some good points made in this DE letter

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/16237616.READER_LETTER__Here_are_six_reasons_Ralph_Krueger_needs_to_go/

So in summary we are not unique but, err, we are unique in a particular unique subset of clubs doing the same thing (strategy X) but better than/slightly differently to us (we, alongside those other clubs do strategy X but only we do execution Y, all the others do X/X because they are better than us).

 

Which, by extension means we are unique among all clubs because no one else does X/Y because we are "pretty much the only club" doing it.

 

You can get your head around that, can't you?

 

And, to confirm, the subset if clubs that you have bundled us in with, and complaining do things better than us are Atletico Madrid, Burussia Dortmond and Chelsea.

 

So you keep saying and saying we are unique and I'll keep saying we are not unique.

 

Yeah, you ain't none too bright.

Me: "Lots of clubs are pursuing this approach, but we're the only one called Southampton."

CBF: "Lies! There's nothing unique about us!"

Me: "Lots of clubs are pursuing this approach, but we're the only one called Southampton."

 

CBF: "Lies! There's nothing unique about us!"

Toodle pip.

He's far from clueless. Not many Chairman will come out at the end of the season and admit to making mistakes etc. For once its a good interview. Feel a bit sorry for him really, when everything was roses in the garden it was Reed who couldn't wait to get in front the cameras. When its gone all to **** Ralph has to step up to the microphone !

What this daily echo reader said! The sooner Kruger goes the better IMHO.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/16237616.READER_LETTER__Here_are_six_reasons_Ralph_Krueger_needs_to_go/

So you missed the four top ten finishes, europa cup x 2, league cup final, FA Cup Semi final

 

All clotese knew about was spending other peoples money and relying on other staff to do the actual grafting, esp his pr consultant to make him lood good for gullible fans.