Southampton paying the price for transfer failings and divided team - The Times

[Pamplemousse]

Very interesting read. At least there aren't any release clauses and there are wage drops, so the club aren't as incompetent as we first thought. If we do go down, I don't think there will be the mass exodus everyone predicts.

[saintsmike25]

Too many of the club's foreign recruits believe their own hype that they will be the next Mane/VVD - so simply have treated Southampton like the stepping stone it is. If the club goes down they don't care, they're confident they'll get a move. However those who have been at the club and have perhaps peaked, but are proud to wear the shirt (Long/Davis and some of the younger players Stephens/JWP/Forster/Romeu/Yoshida) are most definately fed up of the likes of Lemina/Boufal/Cedric/Hoedt. I imagine Holjberg is in an awkward position because you can't question his commitment but he's also one who knows he'll be picked up come relegation.

 

If you look at the big money signings recently

 

Hoedt

Lemina

Boufal

Carillo

 

All four have been awful with attitude problems, or simply inept (Carillo/Hoedt) - we could have done a Burnley and spent that money on hard-working talented youngsters plying their trade in the championship. But too much focus on the black box and the turnover of managers and departures has left our team without a spine and flimsy, the sale of Jose Fonte was probably the nail in the coffin, he was the last true leader that i'd say Saints through and through, naturally what should have happened is Yoshida takes on captaincy, but he's been treated shoddily and played second fiddle to Hoedt who has frankly been terrible.

 

All in all, the shambles on the pitch and in the dressing room reflects what is likely to be going on behind the scenes, a rudderless ship that is sinking without anyone taking responsibility. The players are blaming each other, Hughes inherits a mess while Les Reed/Ralph and the new owners shy away and don't admit they made huge mistakes, starting with the sacking of Puel.

 

The fans don't deserve what has happened but those at the club in positions of power have reaped what they've sowed, and no doubt the challenge of rebuilding will be a tough one, but i hope it starts with home-grown talent and a real overhaul of the playing squad.

[larry12]

And nobody saw it coming.....

 

I did 2 years ago !

[trousers]

Say what you like. I called it at the time and all the other times it didn't happen

 

Fixed it for you

[Wes Tender]

Bizarre that Pellegrino objected to how robust the British players were in training. Just shows how completely out of his depth he was managing in the Premier League.

 

Yes, it is bizarre, especially as he was a Liverpool player once. Didn't they train robustly when he was there? It isn't as if he came here with no experience of the division at all.

[Dalek2003]

Fixed it for you

 

A poor attempt at re-writing history. But, I suppose that is the next step in an attempt to denigrate the accuracy of my assertions and predictions.

[Mr Saints]

Yes, it is bizarre, especially as he was a Liverpool player once. Didn't they train robustly when he was there? It isn't as if he came here with no experience of the division at all.

 

I think we can mainly put it down to him being completely and utterly clueless.

[angelman]

The problem comes down to an ineffective manager. The manager is their to manage the players - allowing cliques to form that are at each other is just rank poor management.

 

Some may see the sacking of Puel as the problem, but I think that we can all agree that his replacement was an ever bigger problem. Maybe the real problem was appointing Puel in the first place. But whatever, that is in the past.

[doddisalegend]

The problem comes down to an ineffective manager. The manager is their to manage the players - allowing cliques to form that are at each other is just rank poor management.

 

 

 

Some may see the sacking of Puel as the problem, but I think that we can all agree that his replacement was an ever bigger problem. Maybe the real problem was appointing Puel in the first place. But whatever, that is in the past.

 

 

It's to simplistic to just make it all about the managers. We are in the position we are in today due to a combination of issues that have accumulated into a perfect **** storm of which poor manager recruitment is just one element.

[DT]

The more I hear about Boufal the more I despise him. What a terrible buy he has been. Good for Hughes for banning him. Hope that might be an integrating move

[DT]

Too many of the club's foreign recruits believe their own hype that they will be the next Mane/VVD - so simply have treated Southampton like the stepping stone it is. If the club goes down they don't care, they're confident they'll get a move. However those who have been at the club and have perhaps peaked, but are proud to wear the shirt (Long/Davis and some of the younger players Stephens/JWP/Forster/Romeu/Yoshida) are most definately fed up of the likes of Lemina/Boufal/Cedric/Hoedt. I imagine Holjberg is in an awkward position because you can't question his commitment but he's also one who knows he'll be picked up come relegation.

 

If you look at the big money signings recently

 

Hoedt

Lemina

Boufal

Carillo

 

All four have been awful with attitude problems, or simply inept (Carillo/Hoedt) - we could have done a Burnley and spent that money on hard-working talented youngsters plying their trade in the championship. But too much focus on the black box and the turnover of managers and departures has left our team without a spine and flimsy, the sale of Jose Fonte was probably the nail in the coffin, he was the last true leader that i'd say Saints through and through, naturally what should have happened is Yoshida takes on captaincy, but he's been treated shoddily and played second fiddle to Hoedt who has frankly been terrible.

 

All in all, the shambles on the pitch and in the dressing room reflects what is likely to be going on behind the scenes, a rudderless ship that is sinking without anyone taking responsibility. The players are blaming each other, Hughes inherits a mess while Les Reed/Ralph and the new owners shy away and don't admit they made huge mistakes, starting with the sacking of Puel.

 

The fans don't deserve what has happened but those at the club in positions of power have reaped what they've sowed, and no doubt the challenge of rebuilding will be a tough one, but i hope it starts with home-grown talent and a real overhaul of the playing squad.

 

I reckon Les used it as a bargaining chip. Come to us and play for a bit and you can get your move to Liverpool. Amazing he's still at the club

[sadoldgit]

A poor attempt at re-writing history. But, I suppose that is the next step in an attempt to denigrate the accuracy of my assertions and predictions.

 

Seriously Mystic Meg, give it a rest.

[trousers]

A poor attempt at re-writing history. But, I suppose that is the next step in an attempt to denigrate the accuracy of my assertions and predictions.