what did WGS leave us with?

[OldNick]

I was talking to another fan yesterday and we started talking about the heady days of WGS and post the cup final.I think a lot of WGS and loved his quips and getting the best out of ordinary players.We said about the money not being invested and then recalled that WGS bought McCann for 1.75m. We then tried to recall who else he bought that left us a decent squad.

I can't think who else he brought to the club who turned out any good.Now of course RL/board may have something to do with that, but the real star players of the successful-relegation season were purchased before and after his tenure.ie Crouch, BT, Killer. Sorry I forgot Niemi.

We were left with Telfers and McCanns.

Iam not blaming WGS it is just something that occured when his name and the last good years came up in conversation.

[Thedelldays]

what is the point in this thread....?

 

WGS is a legend in my eyes..I could not care less who he got...what he did for saints on the pitch I will forever be thankful...not his mfault no one else could work with the players he got..

 

but to try and asnwer your questions..

 

phillips - good player

Niemi - enough said

killer - wow

anders - good

 

got the best out of wayne bridge, beattie and somehow marsden

[AndyNorthernSaints]

I was talking to another fan yesterday and we started talking about the heady days of WGS and post the cup final.I think a lot of WGS and loved his quips and getting the best out of ordinary players.We said about the money not being invested and then recalled that WGS bought McCann for 1.75m. We then tried to recall who else he bought that left us a decent squad.

I can't think who else he brought to the club who turned out any good.Now of course RL/board may have something to do with that, but the real star players of the successful-relegation season were purchased before and after his tenure.ie Crouch, BT, Killer. Sorry I forgot Niemi.

We were left with Telfers and McCanns.

Iam not blaming WGS it is just something that occured when his name and the last good years came up in conversation.

He bought McCant as a cheap option after not being allowed to get Malbranque and Boa Morte from Fulham to strengthen side after cup final.

He also got the side fit and motivated.

Players who i remember him signing;

Niemi - best keeper i've seen for Saints.

Phillips- quality striker

Williams - good stop gap defender/squad player

Telfer - underated full back in best saints side for decades and probably still fitter than all present team.

Higgy - has proved he is premier league defender.

Prutton - diassapointed after and now struggling to get in Leeds side. Clapped fans though.

Cranie - loan or buy from Celtic not very good.

Ormerod - not sure if WGS buy? but Beattie's best striking partner and very underated player at time IMO.

[Micky]

Got the best out of average players - thats what good managers do though.

[saint1977]

I was talking to another fan yesterday and we started talking about the heady days of WGS and post the cup final.I think a lot of WGS and loved his quips and getting the best out of ordinary players.We said about the money not being invested and then recalled that WGS bought McCann for 1.75m. We then tried to recall who else he bought that left us a decent squad.

I can't think who else he brought to the club who turned out any good.Now of course RL/board may have something to do with that, but the real star players of the successful-relegation season were purchased before and after his tenure.ie Crouch, BT, Killer. Sorry I forgot Niemi.

We were left with Telfers and McCanns.

Iam not blaming WGS it is just something that occured when his name and the last good years came up in conversation.

 

First of all WGS is my favourite Saints manager behind LM but I will answer your question Nick.

 

He did sign some crud in summer 2003 - Kenton, McCann (a long-term target) and Phillips who was OK but attitude stank. Trouble is, the club had this daft policy of signing players in May/June as they had to pay them over that summer which meant that the better bargains had already been snapped up. Phillips was signed in August and had only had a patchy pre-season so we didn't see the best of him until the second-half of the season although I always thought he wanted to go to Boro anyway. WGS had one hand tied behind his back at a time when the club really should have kicked on and we went for bulk over quality.

 

I think that 2003 was a watershed. At that point, I thought Lowe was doing a good job and was happy for him to stay on but I wish he'd bought out the senile Askham, Richards, Hunt, Wiseman and co and brought in some proper investors in their places on the board to really take the club the extra mile which at that time we all believed it could take. SFC was very marketable and even if WGS had still left, we would have been able to attract a manager of equal charisma and profile. Sadly, sticking with the old guard that Secure Retirement apart had put nothing in, started the slide.

Edited 23 January, 2009 by saint1977

[Thedelldays]

Got the best out of average players - thats what good managers do though.

indeed...

 

like i said, WGS is a legend in my eyes...I know that comment gets thrown around but what he did for us on the pitch I will never forget...

 

for a while, we had a packed sms week in week out..we had a side with character, that fought till the end..sure we were no world beaters but WGS made sure the players gave their all and knew there would be trouble if they did not...the fans and players had a superb connection with the manager...

 

I miss him here and his team....and it was certainly his team

[warsash saint]

I tend to think that most fans look at WGS tenure at St Mary's with rose tinted glasses.

 

Don't get me wrong I think he was our best manager since Bally & will always thank him for the Fa Cup run & europe but I remember at his time of leaving, we were absolutley shocking....will always remember a home against Leicester as one of the worst games I have ever witnessed with Neil McCant getting so much abuse.

[Thedelldays]

rose tinted glasses..?

 

ffs he was superb for us..he had players like marsden playing at level no one thought would be possible for him..

 

he also gave us one of the meanest defences in the league and one year we only lost two home games...man U and Liverpool...

 

sure when he left it was all a bit strange and mccann was awful...but that does not take away from everything else he did for us...

 

I would love just a drop of that attitude and commitment from the players now as it was back circa 2002...

 

if that is looking through rose tinted glasses then so be it..

[norwaysaint]

I think we're all ****ing in the same bucket here aren't we?

[david in sweden]

I was talking to another fan yesterday and we started talking about the heady days of WGS and post the cup final.I think a lot of WGS and loved his quips and getting the best out of ordinary players.We said about the money not being invested and then recalled that WGS bought McCann for 1.75m. We then tried to recall who else he bought that left us a decent squad.

I can't think who else he brought to the club who turned out any good.Now of course RL/board may have something to do with that, but the real star players of the successful-relegation season were purchased before and after his tenure.ie Crouch, BT, Killer. Sorry I forgot Niemi.

We were left with Telfers and McCanns.

Iam not blaming WGS it is just something that occured when his name and the last good years came up in conversation.

 

 

This is the LAST "good " side we can really make GOOD comparisons with ..like McMenemy's 1984 side and the earlier promotion side. I think the real problem was that for various reasons that 2003 Cup Final team had " peaked " as a squad.

Some key positional changes were needed and Gordon wasn't there to make them.

The procession of his short term successors didn't know the squad and made short term (mostly) poor changes.

 

BT, Niemi, Svensson, Mazza and Bridge were on top of their game and really good. Lundekvam (earlier an impeccable player together with Svensson) had his life's nightmare game against Theirry Henry (who wouldn't ?) and it took a whole year for this very likeable guy to get some real confidence back again, but we had no reliable replacement meantime.

 

As for the rest; both Telfer and Ormerod - tireless and brave - were never really upto the top standard. Neither Anders Svenson or Matt Oakley, two very different midfielders, proved they could do much better - in other sides that used their qualities properly - and Chris Baird (our MOM in Cup Final) for many people (supposedly Doddsy replacement,) didn't get a real chance again for another two seasons. He would have been even better had he been allowed to start the next season instead of rotting in the Reserves.

 

YES hindsight is great but managers with vision are few and we 'ain't seen too many of late. Despite the terrible run of results, for me the jury is still out on JP.

 

What kind of side MIGHT we have in the second part of the season - if we could sign another ageing Ballie, or Case or Rodrigues (to help the young lads) before the end of the month, Rupert ?

Edited 23 January, 2009 by david in sweden

[Doctoroncall]

indeed...

 

like i said, WGS is a legend in my eyes...I know that comment gets thrown around but what he did for us on the pitch I will never forget...

 

for a while, we had a packed sms week in week out..we had a side with character, that fought till the end..sure we were no world beaters but WGS made sure the players gave their all and knew there would be trouble if they did not...the fans and players had a superb connection with the manager...

 

I miss him here and his team....and it was certainly his team

 

Amen to that.

 

Concentrated on the basics to give the team a chance of competing and winning, unlike now.

[up and away]

what is the point in this thread....?

 

WGS is a legend in my eyes..I could not care less who he got...what he did for saints on the pitch I will forever be thankful...not his mfault no one else could work with the players he got..

 

but to try and asnwer your questions..

 

phillips - good player

Niemi - enough said

killer - wow

anders - good

 

got the best out of wayne bridge, beattie and somehow marsden

 

WGS and HOddle were the best managers we had in recent times, But I would put more faith in Jack of the beanstalk than these two over purchases.

 

Phillilps - never delivered during his time with us and took a long time to even find his feet.

Killer - was Coopers signing.

Niemi - was not even WSG's preference

I thought Williams was WSG's best signing, followed by Telfer. Telfer was a donkey, but for the price and what he contributed I cannot complain.

Then look at all the bad signings and his record is very poor on the transfer front, nearly as bad as Hoddle. That said all managers have good and bad points and like you I still have so much regard for what WSG did for us. But looking back things had gone stale for WSG way before he left, we went on a terrible run of just picking up draws now and again in his last months of tenure. I firmly believe the rot had set in months before WSG had left, whether that was down to him knowing he was off or other factors, but it was evident.

[OldNick]

I dont wish to seem critical of him, because if he was still here we would still be PL, but I was trying to rack my brains who he brought to the club and when the few names I could recall they werent that good.

Killer Iam certain was bought pre WGS and of course as WGS said in his book it was RL who bought Niemi as he wasnt sure.

[The Majestic Channon]

what is the point in this thread....?

 

WGS is a legend in my eyes..I could not care less who he got...what he did for saints on the pitch I will forever be thankful...not his mfault no one else could work with the players he got..

 

but to try and asnwer your questions..

 

phillips - good player

Niemi - enough said

killer - wow

anders - good

 

got the best out of wayne bridge, beattie and somehow marsden

 

Anders svensson was stuart gray's signing, never adapted to english football imo.

 

As for WGS , that's something that lowelife actually got right, though not keeping him was his worst **** up yet.

[OldNick]

rose tinted glasses..?

 

ffs he was superb for us..he had players like marsden playing at level no one thought would be possible for him..

 

he also gave us one of the meanest defences in the league and one year we only lost two home games...man U and Liverpool...

 

sure when he left it was all a bit strange and mccann was awful...but that does not take away from everything else he did for us...

 

I would love just a drop of that attitude and commitment from the players now as it was back circa 2002...

 

if that is looking through rose tinted glasses then so be it..

agree with that but when you se what squad we were left with it was mediocre. Especially as we were the early victims of Ambramovic stealing Bridge away which was the catalyst of our spiral down IMO

[AndyNorthernSaints]

WGS and HOddle were the best managers we had in recent times, But I would put more faith in Jack of the beanstalk than these two over purchases.

 

Phillilps - never delivered during his time with us and took a long time to even find his feet.

.

Phillips didn't take long to find the net after coming on as 2nd half sub on debut away at Leicester.

[david in sweden]

agree with that but when you se what squad we were left with it was mediocre. Especially as we were the early victims of Ambramovic stealing Bridge away which was the catalyst of our spiral down IMO

 

Yes Nick ,

that was only the start... not forgetting the loss of BOTH Anders Svensson AND Matt Oakley - (if only we'd kept one of them). Mazza got too old. Michael Svensson's later injury was catastrophic as was Marian Pahars demise.

We never found a good winger after Fernanades went, and never found a replacement of Beattie's calibre after he left.

 

It's not just a case of giving someone else a vacant shirt number -is it ?

[Rebel]

we never really recoverd from selling Bridge and not rebuilding our left side

 

Marsden on the left of midfield without Bridge at leftback was simply not going to work

 

Le Saux was a reserve at best long past his sell by date

 

Van Damme was a £2.5 million gamble that didn't work

 

Perhaps Van Damme and left back and Le Saux at Left midfield might have worked if they'd ever been fit enough at the same time

 

McCann was a last resort as we couldn't or wouldn't buy Malbranque and/or De Pedro

 

Phillips was a last resort - and he didn't really want to come to Saints anway - plus he was too similar to Beattie in position if not in playing style - both wanted to be the main man so it never worked!

 

We also needed a right sided midfielder with a bit more end product than Fernandes who seemed to have reached a plateau!

 

would we have taken the next step forward if we'd spent the Bridge money on Konchesky, Van Damme and De Pedro, used Le Saux as a reserve and pushed the boat out for Malbranque - possibly - and in my opinion probably

[Thedelldays]

WGS and HOddle were the best managers we had in recent times, But I would put more faith in Jack of the beanstalk than these two over purchases.

 

Phillilps - never delivered during his time with us and took a long time to even find his feet.

Killer - was Coopers signing.

Niemi - was not even WSG's preference

I thought Williams was WSG's best signing, followed by Telfer. Telfer was a donkey, but for the price and what he contributed I cannot complain.

Then look at all the bad signings and his record is very poor on the transfer front, nearly as bad as Hoddle. That said all managers have good and bad points and like you I still have so much regard for what WSG did for us. But looking back things had gone stale for WSG way before he left, we went on a terrible run of just picking up draws now and again in his last months of tenure. I firmly believe the rot had set in months before WSG had left, whether that was down to him knowing he was off or other factors, but it was evident.

 

you cant say it was coopers signing and cherry pick what is good and bad...ffs

phillips scored in his first game and played quite well..

i remember a lot of occaisions SMS signing "super kev"...he was a good player

[Andy_Porter]

you cant say it was coopers signing and cherry pick what is good and bad...ffs

phillips scored in his first game and played quite well..

i remember a lot of occaisions SMS signing "super kev"...he was a good player

 

It's unbelievable. How can Southampton fans be so critical of WGS, ridiculous considering how far we've fallen since then.

 

I'd give my right arm for WGS to be picking out our players atm, some of the **** we've brought in recently has been embarassing. Other than Andrew Davies I really can't think of any good signings for ages.

[Sheff Saint]

I think this is all unfair.

 

WGS wasn't given a budget to sign superstars. Even Fergie makes mistakes in the transfer market. What WGS did was, as been mentioned, is get the best out of average players, he knew how to build a 'team.' It really isn't a negative reflection on him if subsequent managers couldn't use the same sqaud to do the same. If anything it shows how good his achievements were.

[Window Cleaner]

I was talking to another fan yesterday and we started talking about the heady days of WGS and post the cup final.I think a lot of WGS and loved his quips and getting the best out of ordinary players.We said about the money not being invested and then recalled that WGS bought McCann for 1.75m. We then tried to recall who else he bought that left us a decent squad.

I can't think who else he brought to the club who turned out any good.Now of course RL/board may have something to do with that, but the real star players of the successful-relegation season were purchased before and after his tenure.ie Crouch, BT, Killer. Sorry I forgot Niemi.

We were left with Telfers and McCanns.

Iam not blaming WGS it is just something that occured when his name and the last good years came up in conversation.

 

 

He left us with a one trick pony that could only play one way-his way.

[chocco boxo]

some decent memories which now seem so long ago.

[saintjay77]

I would take WGS over anyone we have had since he left but kind of see where the OP has gone.

 

Thing that WGS gave us that none other has been able to replicate is a team that works hard for its results. Some of the players were not world beaters but they played above themselves consistantly through hard work and effort that only WGS get out of them.

 

As has already been said not all his signings were his but without blaming him, rupes or anyone else as a club we failed to ship out the dead wood far too many times and we got left with a large squad of average players and no WGS to get them playing above themselves. We basically got found out as managers since can only make good players play good and poor players play poor.

[saintjay77]

Also I dont think anyone got the best out of anders as he was never played in his best position. For sweden I think he looked awsome playing in the hole so would probably suit our team more now than then. he was no winger thats for sure.

[SaintRobbie]

WGS left as he was being left with players who were not good enough for the Premiership. He warned us the December before he left, when the team of mediocres were on the top of the league. He was warning Lowe that mediocre players were not going to stay at the top and I think he decided then he was off as the future was not going to be good.

 

As soon as WGS therefore lost his optimism as Lowe paid dividends to shareholders and allocated him peanuts to spend in Premier League terms it broke his will IMHO. I think WGS then used his knee op and wife promises as a smoke screen. He knew then Lowe was killing the club.

 

That's why WGS left us with so many mediocre players. He left us as he had nothing but mediocre players and was unlikely to get anything other than mediocre players under Lowe.

 

I don't blame him.

 

Love that quote from one of the posters on this forum a few months ago who saw WGS on holiday and asked him to come back to be met with a reply of 'with Rupert still there? You must be joking!' ... or words to that effect.

[alpine_saint]

what is the point in this thread....?

 

WGS is a legend in my eyes..I could not care less who he got...what he did for saints on the pitch I will forever be thankful...not his mfault no one else could work with the players he got..

 

but to try and asnwer your questions..

 

phillips - good player

Niemi - enough said

killer - wow

anders - good

 

got the best out of wayne bridge, beattie and somehow marsden

 

I, too am wondering about the ulterior motive behind this thread...

[JohnnyFartPants]

I, too am wondering about the ulterior motive behind this thread...

 

Don't be so dramatic FFS.

[OldNick]

I, too am wondering about the ulterior motive behind this thread...

well Im a PR plant and so there must be an ulterior motive mustn't there.Lol

[OldNick]

you cant say it was coopers signing and cherry pick what is good and bad...ffs

phillips scored in his first game and played quite well..

i remember a lot of occaisions SMS signing "super kev"...he was a good player

I think you will find he was bought just before WGS came to us and so that is why he said it was a Cooper signing.

Phillips was a classy player and I cant fathem why he didnt settle.His wife did of course

[Window Cleaner]

Also I dont think anyone got the best out of anders as he was never played in his best position. For sweden I think he looked awsome playing in the hole so would probably suit our team more now than then. he was no winger thats for sure.

 

It doesn't matter about position, WGS didn't want him playing his natural flair game, he gave him a public bollocking for a harmless backheel flick. WGS had no time for flair or individualism, he wanted effort and graft, even if it meant he was getting only 75% of the true ability out of the playersat his disposal. He wanted nothing to do with either Delgado or Chala, he played Delgado because Lowe asked him to I suppose, Chala never even got a f*cking chance. Same as the two south americans he had at Coventry.

 

Don't forget WGS buggered off the same as Hoddle, different methods to be sure, but neither saw out his contract and Hoddle had a far better win ratio. WGS was OK, nothing special won 39 out of 110.

Edited 23 January, 2009 by Window Cleaner

[Thedelldays]

Don't forget WGS buggered off the same as Hoddle, different methods to be sure, but neither saw out his contract and Hoddle had a far better win ratio. WGS was OK, nothing special won 39 out of 110.

 

 

lol

 

 

he also buggered off the same as lawrie mac....hell even sir alex will bugger off at some point...

 

shocker..

[VectisSaint]

What WGS gave us was one of the fittest teams in the PL, and a team that was built around small units of 2 players that complemented each other and helped to make a cohesive whole. Since WGS left we have never had a team of fit players.

 

WGS was average in the transfer market, but one has to remember that all his transfers had the hand of Lowe in them, so who knows what he would have done with a proper chairman working with him. Even though we know now that Niemi wasn't WGS's choice, who is to say that his choice (can't recall the name of the keeper from Croatia I think) wouldn't have turned out even better, after all Niemi's career never really fully recovered after his injury in the Cup Final. However, in my mind WGS is up there with the best, I would give my right arm to have him back now.

[saint1977]

It doesn't matter about position, WGS didn't want him playing his natural flair game, he gave him a public bollocking for a harmless backheel flick. WGS had no time for flair or individualism, he wanted effort and graft, even if it meant he was getting only 75% of the true ability out of the playersat his disposal. He wanted nothing to do with either Delgado or Chala, he played Delgado because Lowe asked him to I suppose, Chala never even got a f*cking chance. Same as the two south americans he had at Coventry.

 

Don't forget WGS buggered off the same as Hoddle, different methods to be sure, but neither saw out his contract and Hoddle had a far better win ratio. WGS was OK, nothing special won 39 out of 110.

 

Not having a pop WC but many of my favourite times as a Saints fan since LM's first spell as a kid were under WGS - Chelsea away winning 4-2, Arsenal home 3-2, Beatts hat-trick V Fulham (on a really windy Sunday), Fulham away with Niemi hitting the bar and then there was the FA Cup, not least that 4-0 demolition of Hoddle's Spurs which has to go down as one of the finest ever Saints performances, let alone on live Saturday night TV. Then we got him the sack with a 3-1 home defeat the next season! I can also remember wins over Man U and an entertaining 3-2 win over Charlton.

[Torbay Saint]

I think you will find he was bought just before WGS came to us and so that is why he said it was a Cooper signing.

Phillips was a classy player and I cant fathem why he didnt settle.His wife did of course

 

That is wrong! Richards was sold and we brought in Paul Williams in 2001, when WGS arrived. Killer was singed in 2002 and therefore was a WGS signing. As for the issue of whether he was a Cooper signing or not, does that mean Ronaldo was not a Ferguson signing assuming a scout found him?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Svensson

[yorkiesaint]

WGS gave us a defensive team that was totally dependent on killer.

[OldNick]

I think this is all unfair.

 

WGS wasn't given a budget to sign superstars. Even Fergie makes mistakes in the transfer market. What WGS did was, as been mentioned, is get the best out of average players, he knew how to build a 'team.' It really isn't a negative reflection on him if subsequent managers couldn't use the same sqaud to do the same. If anything it shows how good his achievements were.

Whats unfair? I and all on here I suspect would jump at the chance to have WGS back. It was just during convesation that it occured to us how thin in qua;lity the squad was and that WGS did leave a few duffers

[Colinjb]

WGS gave us a defensive team that was totally dependent on killer.

 

Nothing wrong with building a team around your best players, its called being a good manager.

[alpine_saint]

Whats unfair? I and all on here I suspect would jump at the chance to have WGS back. It was just during convesation that it occured to us how thin in qua;lity the squad was and that WGS did leave a few duffers

 

Well, you are strangely persistent considering this is just an issue of mild curiosity for you...

[Window Cleaner]

Not having a pop WC but many of my favourite times as a Saints fan since LM's first spell as a kid were under WGS - Chelsea away winning 4-2, Arsenal home 3-2, Beatts hat-trick V Fulham (on a really windy Sunday), Fulham away with Niemi hitting the bar and then there was the FA Cup, not least that 4-0 demolition of Hoddle's Spurs which has to go down as one of the finest ever Saints performances, let alone on live Saturday night TV. Then we got him the sack with a 3-1 home defeat the next season! I can also remember wins over Man U and an entertaining 3-2 win over Charlton.

 

 

 

Yes of course we got some fine results, when James Beattie hit a hot streak

because Fab was setting him up time and time again. However when they went off the boil,driving convictions not helping, then so did we. I know they both moved on, can't remember if it was before or after WGS left.One thing I would remark on the WGS era though is the **** poor number of young players

from the academy making their way into the first team. Could be that I'm totally wrong on that, Bridge I know but it would seem that virtually everybody else was bought in, though as I say I could be completely wrong about that.Baird did well in the Cup Final, after that nothing.

[Torbay Saint]

Whats unfair? I and all on here I suspect would jump at the chance to have WGS back. It was just during convesation that it occured to us how thin in qua;lity the squad was and that WGS did leave a few duffers

 

As does every manager....Hoddle signed Uwe Rosler! I think in terms of transfer dealings David Jones was fairly astutue for us. signed Dean Richards for free and we (he was not here) sold him for over £8mill; he put Bridge to left back and we sold him for over £7mill; and he signed Beattie for whom we sold for over £6mill.

[hamster]

How about a united fanbase then? Priceless IMO

[Window Cleaner]

Well, you are strangely persistent considering this is just an issue of mild curiosity for you...

 

I'd rather have Hoddle though.

[Thedelldays]

Yes of course we got some fine results, when James Beattie hit a hot streak

because Fab was setting him up time and time again. However when they went off the boil,driving convictions not helping, then so did we. I know they both moved on, can't remember if it was before or after WGS left.One thing I would remark on the WGS era though is the **** poor number of young players

from the academy making their way into the first team. Could be that I'm totally wrong on that, Bridge I know but it would seem that virtually everybody else was bought in, though as I say I could be completely wrong about that.Baird did well in the Cup Final, after that nothing.

 

 

the **** poor young players was not WGS fault..I remember him saying that for years before his arrival that saints youth set up was pretty non existant..

 

I remember him saying that we signed an very exciting kid from swindon and that HE looked at him himself...

 

never guess who that was...he is an england star now at 19

[saint1977]

Yes of course we got some fine results, when James Beattie hit a hot streak

because Fab was setting him up time and time again. However when they went off the boil,driving convictions not helping, then so did we. I know they both moved on, can't remember if it was before or after WGS left.One thing I would remark on the WGS era though is the **** poor number of young players

from the academy making their way into the first team. Could be that I'm totally wrong on that, Bridge I know but it would seem that virtually everybody else was bought in, though as I say I could be completely wrong about that.Baird did well in the Cup Final, after that nothing.

 

Our results were also better from November 2001-May 2002 when WGS's fitness drive and work on the training ground kicked in and got the club out of the mess appointing Gray had left us in (2nd bottom with a unfit and demotivated squad). Beattie actually went on his scoring streak AFTER his drink-drive conviction and whilst Fab was very creative, Marsden and Bridge also provided Beattie with ammunition from the left as well. As for the academy, that had been barren for many years due to Askham's appalling Chairmanship where the club rotted and MLT saved him - plus Secure Retirement clearing Guy's careless overdraft and WGS stated it was barren when he joined in 2001. Bridge only came through because Jones tried him at LB when Beresford did his knee and before that you have Oakley (that was about a 4 year gap) and then quite a number of years to MLT, Shearer, Kenna, Rod Wallace and that famous group.

 

If you want the best transfer dealer - that's Dave Jones with Richards on a Bosman free, Kachloul on a free, Pahars, Beattie for £1m (Dave's son had been in Blackburn's youth team with him), Tessem for not very much - the list goes on. He's also bought wonderfully at Cardiff. Dave's reading of a football match were nowhere as good as Hoddle or WGS which has been why he's never quite kicked on to join one of the big PL clubs but if you combined the attributes, you would have a manager that would never join SFC in the first place!

[OldNick]

Our results were also better from November 2001-May 2002 when WGS's fitness drive and work on the training ground kicked in and got the club out of the mess appointing Gray had left us in (2nd bottom with a unfit and demotivated squad). Beattie actually went on his scoring streak AFTER his drink-drive conviction and whilst Fab was very creative, Marsden and Bridge also provided Beattie with ammunition from the left as well. As for the academy, that had been barren for many years due to Askham's appalling Chairmanship where the club rotted and MLT saved him - plus Secure Retirement clearing Guy's careless overdraft and WGS stated it was barren when he joined in 2001. Bridge only came through because Jones tried him at LB when Beresford did his knee and before that you have Oakley (that was about a 4 year gap) and then quite a number of years to MLT, Shearer, Kenna, Rod Wallace and that famous group.

 

If you want the best transfer dealer - that's Dave Jones with Richards on a Bosman free, Kachloul on a free, Pahars, Beattie for £1m (Dave's son had been in Blackburn's youth team with him), Tessem for not very much - the list goes on. He's also bought wonderfully at Cardiff. Dave's reading of a football match were nowhere as good as Hoddle or WGS which has been why he's never quite kicked on to join one of the big PL clubs but if you combined the attributes, you would have a manager that would never join SFC in the first place!

WGS has a wonderful gift of motivating players as well as him getting sides fit.

I didnt like many of his signings especially in his latter days with us.I still would haqve him back like a shot.

Jones is probably the best judge of a footballer we have had for a log time and Hoddle had the benifit twice of organising the squads he left

[OldNick]

Well, you are strangely persistent considering this is just an issue of mild curiosity for you...

well I would wouldnt I being a PR plant

[yorkiesaint]

Nothing wrong with building a team around your best players, its called being a good manager.

 

Agree, unfortunately there was a lack of defensive players to justify the plural.

[a1ex2001]

Blaming Strachan for the lack of youth is stupid, we hadn't had anything much from our accademy in years at that point with Oakley and Bridge being the exceptions. We had a few others who looked good briefly Basham I seem to remember scoring a couple of crackers, Kevin Gibbens looked like he might go on to better things and Monk looked like he might make a decent centre half however they all failed to make the grade here or anywhere else fo that matter. Before that you're going back several years to Shearer the Wallace brothers, benali and dodd.

 

WGS was a legend and made us proud to be saints all that has followed has been an epic calamity that makes me loath to wear the shirt.

[Window Cleaner]

Blaming Strachan for the lack of youth is stupid, we hadn't had anything much from our accademy in years at that point with Oakley and Bridge being the exceptions. We had a few others who looked good briefly Basham I seem to remember scoring a couple of crackers, Kevin Gibbens looked like he might go on to better things and Monk looked like he might make a decent centre half however they all failed to make the grade here or anywhere else fo that matter. Before that you're going back several years to Shearer the Wallace brothers, benali and dodd.

 

WGS was a legend and made us proud to be saints all that has followed has been an epic calamity that makes me loath to wear the shirt.

 

 

Is Gary Monk not doing a decent job at Swansea?? Is

Scott McDonald not playing for Strachan himself at Celtic, Brian Howard, he's dump right?. Now I've not enough temporal knowledge to say whether Strachan let those lads go or not but they were here, they aren't now.