Sport Republic

[Weston Super Saint]

13 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

 

So that's 'almost' €12m per year, or 'almost' one Damion Downs.

At least SR are consistent in their money squandering.

[lambtiss]

 ... And no brain apparently  ..

[lambtiss]

[Miltonaggro]

13 hours ago, Toadhall Saint said:

Is there any link to dragan from/to Milan mandric? 

it's all coming together:

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Weston Super Saint said:

So that's 'almost' €12m per year, or 'almost' one Damion Downs.

At least SR are consistent in their money squandering.

Solak is getting absolutely rinsed by Rasmus Ankerson and all of his lower league hangers on. The level of disrespect also towards two of the three clubs in their group is unbelievable.

But unlike Valenciennes supporters who have some backbone, our lot will clap like performing seals after an insipid 3-0 defeat at Stoke. 

[Willo of Whiteley]

41 minutes ago, lambtiss said:

Another multi-club model benefit, @Matthew Le God?

As Bubbles Devere says “Champagne all round!”

 

[Miltonaggro]

I thought when Still was sacked it was the last chance saloon in terms of Ankerson's influence.  At that point he would be forced to climb down, show some ambition and deference and appoint a person in the mould of previously successful Saints managers, the likes of Carrick, Solskaer, Viera, having bypassed the likes of Cooper in the summer.  But the ego failed him again, it always does with genuine narcissists.  But there is perhaps one remaining last chance for our club - that Solak is giving this charlatan the final coils on the rope that will hang him, prior to a clearout and full reset / rebuild in the summer.  I think Solak is friendly with some serious ex-football people via the golf course, certainly Souness and Stankovic, so maybe undertake some objective consultancy on the current debacle and way forward in the meantime.  It seems incredible that a self-made man worth around £1.5 billion has not yet intervened, but people at that level in complex organisations and unfamiliar fields always like to defer expertise and responsibility.  Things seem to have gone very quiet, and we will know in a few days if the taps have been turned off for this skip-fire of a season.  Early summer is likely to be a Solak putsch, or a serious attempt to sell.  On balance I would probably go for the former, just to see what the current owner is actually made of.    

[Danbert]

10 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

You can see why I left Southampton relatively early in my adulthood - and it’s not gotten any better since. If you’re an ambitious professional, you aren’t hanging around unless you want to land planes or sell cruises. 🚢 

SR mirror the city’s chronic lack of ambition and drive. Cricket is the thing I miss, got to go to Edgbaston for decent cricket domestically and internationally here, whereas I used to love watching Hants and England at the Rose Bowl. Hampshire CCC leave Saints and Pompey for dust ambition-wise.

Gloucester a thriving entrepreneurial hub is it? 

[coalman]

4 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

I thought when Still was sacked it was the last chance saloon in terms of Ankerson's influence.  At that point he would be forced to climb down, show some ambition and deference and appoint a person in the mould of previously successful Saints managers, the likes of Carrick, Solskaer, Viera, having bypassed the likes of Cooper in the summer.  But the ego failed him again, it always does with genuine narcissists.  But there is perhaps one remaining last chance for our club - that Solak is giving this charlatan the final coils on the rope that will hang him, prior to a clearout and full reset / rebuild in the summer.  I think Solak is friendly with some serious ex-football people via the golf course, certainly Souness and Stankovic, so maybe undertake some objective consultancy on the current debacle and way forward in the meantime.  It seems incredible that a self-made man worth around £1.5 billion has not yet intervened, but people at that level in complex organisations and unfamiliar fields always like to defer expertise and responsibility.  Things seem to have gone very quiet, and we will know in a few days if the taps have been turned off for this skip-fire of a season.  Early summer is likely to be a Solak putsch, or a serious attempt to sell.  On balance I would probably go for the former, just to see what the current owner is actually made of.    

It presupposes that he sees it as being a problem. While Rasmus has a conveyor belt of convenient scapegoats to revolve into the manager position and "data" to show his approach is "working" he may think everything is ok and it's part of the long term project. Without anyone with the ability to question the misuse of data and data based approach he's going to struggle to see why it's nonsense.

[Badger]

15 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

 

 

14 hours ago, benali-shorts said:

More fool Dragan for letting them waste and disrespect his money. He needs to get a grip. 

Yet again you wonder, how did Dragan make such a success in his business, if he allows a situation where those at the top act recklessly ? 
 

As well as being incompetent, time after time. 
 

Staggering. 

[Badger]

26 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

I thought when Still was sacked it was the last chance saloon in terms of Ankerson's influence….  Early summer is likely to be a Solak putsch, or a serious attempt to sell.  On balance I would probably go for the former, just to see what the current owner is actually made of.    

Don’t disagree with you but:

Was Still an Ankerson or Spors selection?  In truth we don’t know. Has RA’s style to it, but Spors will take the blame.

Solak putsch. Wasn’t that meant to be last year and summer? RA being sidelined to Goztepe etc. 

[tdmickey3]

15 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

 

Dumb, dumb and dummer.

Spectacular incompetence 

Dragan, are you as stupid as these grinning clowns are making you look

[sfc4prem]

59 minutes ago, Danbert said:

Gloucester a thriving entrepreneurial hub is it? 

That wharf has some serious economic output. Phwoar.

[Willo of Whiteley]

I’d love to hear from anyone who still backs Sport Republic, the ones running the clown show and their multi club model.

Anyone?

[Miltonaggro]

42 minutes ago, Badger said:

Don’t disagree with you but:

Was Still an Ankerson or Spors selection?  In truth we don’t know. Has RA’s style to it, but Spors will take the blame.

Solak putsch. Wasn’t that meant to be last year and summer? RA being sidelined to Goztepe etc. 

My view is that Ankerson has been overseeing all appointments on the football side at director / coach level since the sacking of Hassenhutl. Of course there have been lots of percieved lines in the sand given how badly we have been run. The point now is whether Solak has had enough. 

[Miltonaggro]

1 hour ago, coalman said:

It presupposes that he sees it as being a problem. While Rasmus has a conveyor belt of convenient scapegoats to revolve into the manager position and "data" to show his approach is "working" he may think everything is ok and it's part of the long term project. Without anyone with the ability to question the misuse of data and data based approach he's going to struggle to see why it's nonsense.

He may, he may not. Fuck knows. That’s the point at this point. 

[Doctoroncall]

1 hour ago, coalman said:

It presupposes that he sees it as being a problem. While Rasmus has a conveyor belt of convenient scapegoats to revolve into the manager position and "data" to show his approach is "working" he may think everything is ok and it's part of the long term project. Without anyone with the ability to question the misuse of data and data based approach he's going to struggle to see why it's nonsense.

It certainly seems that SR decision makers have no clue how to turn things round as it stands, only to knock down what is there regardless of value and start from a clean state ie, break everything.  
The worrying part is the French club has shown how low things can go (has it bottomed out yet). What a complete shambles. 

[Wade Garrett]

1 hour ago, Miltonaggro said:

I thought when Still was sacked it was the last chance saloon in terms of Ankerson's influence.  At that point he would be forced to climb down, show some ambition and deference and appoint a person in the mould of previously successful Saints managers, the likes of Carrick, Solskaer, Viera, having bypassed the likes of Cooper in the summer.  But the ego failed him again, it always does with genuine narcissists.  But there is perhaps one remaining last chance for our club - that Solak is giving this charlatan the final coils on the rope that will hang him, prior to a clearout and full reset / rebuild in the summer.  I think Solak is friendly with some serious ex-football people via the golf course, certainly Souness and Stankovic, so maybe undertake some objective consultancy on the current debacle and way forward in the meantime.  It seems incredible that a self-made man worth around £1.5 billion has not yet intervened, but people at that level in complex organisations and unfamiliar fields always like to defer expertise and responsibility.  Things seem to have gone very quiet, and we will know in a few days if the taps have been turned off for this skip-fire of a season.  Early summer is likely to be a Solak putsch, or a serious attempt to sell.  On balance I would probably go for the former, just to see what the current owner is actually made of.    

He’s been advised by them already and chooses to go with Wankersen’s bullshit approach.

Dragan can fuck off as far as I’m concerned.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

2 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Dragan can fuck off as far as I’m concerned.

Total agree. He's no better than the other twats involved

[AlexLaw76]

59 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I’d love to hear from anyone who still backs Sport Republic, the ones running the clown show and their multi club model.

Anyone?

@manji

Mate, thoughts?

[Eagle778]

Be careful with Romain Molina, he often creates something out of nothing or grossely exagerates things. Wouldn’t take this seriously unless also reported by trusted sources.

[BarberSaint]

4 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Solak is getting absolutely rinsed by Rasmus Ankerson and all of his lower league hangers on. The level of disrespect also towards two of the three clubs in their group is unbelievable.

But unlike Valenciennes supporters who have some backbone, our lot will clap like performing seals after an insipid 3-0 defeat at Stoke. 

I can't understand why all of you think Solak is some poor soul with a kind heart and too much money who doesn't know anything and is just being taken for a ride. If anything, putting others in the firing line is his way of creating a distraction for idiots who can't see past the first line.

 

Look at how he's structured the companies: he's made sure he's in charge of what matters. And I suspect he can "find" financing easy enough; it seems to be the norm these days.

[Gloucester Saint]

5 hours ago, Danbert said:

Gloucester a thriving entrepreneurial hub is it? 

Cheltenham nearby is but you don’t have to work there to live near there either. Southampton does have the train into Waterloo

To be clear, I still have fondness for the city of birth, it’s just a bit more focused these days in terms of work options to certain sectors/industries than it was growing up. Hopefully that’s less offensive. 

Edited Saturday at 15:15 by Gloucester Saint

[Give it to Ron]

You have to love this SR model just hope we get sell on fees

Edited 13 hours ago by Give it to Ron

[SaintNewForest]

18 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

You have to love this SR model just hope we get sell on fees

 

Must be one of the famous multi-club benefits that we see no part of. 

[sfc4prem]

Sport Republic. A brand that seems exponentially ironic. I feel we are a little bit like a once-proud Soviet satellite state, perhaps Poland, being drained of resources that are being diverted to the 'mother' country.

Izmir is a far bigger city than Southampton. With time I see the Sport Republic claim that it is the bigger club as something they want to solidify.

Go Goztepe... 

[coalman]

1 hour ago, Give it to Ron said:

You have to love this SR model just hope we get sell on fees

Rasmus: "look how profitable I've made Goztepe since I became president"

[Mboto Gorge]

6:25 mins in - Rasmus smiling and laughing as he states that Goztepe are a bigger club than saints. 
Yeah, A club with almost 50 years in the top league in the world, is smaller than a 2 bit Turkish  club who no one would’ve even heard of here, if they weren’t part of the this woeful multi club model we’ve had to endure. Try getting through that without feeling sick . It’s no wonder deals are being done which are seemingly intended to be for goztepes benefit, before ours

Edited 11 hours ago by Mboto Gorge

[Disco Stu]

On 31/01/2026 at 09:23, Miltonaggro said:

I thought when Still was sacked it was the last chance saloon in terms of Ankerson's influence.  At that point he would be forced to climb down, show some ambition and deference and appoint a person in the mould of previously successful Saints managers, the likes of Carrick, Solskaer, Viera, having bypassed the likes of Cooper in the summer.  But the ego failed him again, it always does with genuine narcissists.  But there is perhaps one remaining last chance for our club - that Solak is giving this charlatan the final coils on the rope that will hang him, prior to a clearout and full reset / rebuild in the summer.  I think Solak is friendly with some serious ex-football people via the golf course, certainly Souness and Stankovic, so maybe undertake some objective consultancy on the current debacle and way forward in the meantime.  It seems incredible that a self-made man worth around £1.5 billion has not yet intervened, but people at that level in complex organisations and unfamiliar fields always like to defer expertise and responsibility.  Things seem to have gone very quiet, and we will know in a few days if the taps have been turned off for this skip-fire of a season.  Early summer is likely to be a Solak putsch, or a serious attempt to sell.  On balance I would probably go for the former, just to see what the current owner is actually made of.    

Solak is a moron. If you're putting your faith in him to oust Ankerson, you're going to be disappointed.

[coalman]

23 minutes ago, Mboto Gorge said:

6:25 mins in - Rasmus smiling and laughing as he states that Goztepe are a bigger club than saints. 
Yeah, A club with almost 50 years in the top league in the world, is smaller than a 2 bit Turkish  club who no one would’ve even heard of here, if they weren’t part of the this woeful multi club model we’ve had to endure. Try getting through that without feeling sick . It’s no wonder deals are being done which are seemingly intended to be for goztepes benefit, before ours

And there's the answer to today's question - how could I despise Rasmus more?

[S-Clarke]

2 hours ago, Give it to Ron said:

You have to love this SR model just hope we get sell on fees

This is the SR model to a tee. In the SR mantra, this will go down as a huge, huge success in scouting, player trading and group movement. They don't care for the individual clubs per say, it's all about the group. To them, that will be a £20m profit into the group - they just used us to move him around to start with. This will justify the entire model sadly.

We're just a pawn. We're not a football club anymore in any meaningful way.

[Mboto Gorge]

1 minute ago, coalman said:

And there's the answer to today's question - how could I despise Rasmus more?

He’s openly and brazenly insulting the entire history and credibility of our club here. This is a club that has won the most famous club trophy in the world, been in the top 6 of the biggest league in the world several times in its history - and we have this hipster charlatan laughing while claiming that some absolutely nothing club in fucking Turkey is in fact a bigger club than us with a higher ceiling. What an absolute cunt this guy is

[Mboto Gorge]

5 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

This is the SR model to a tee. In the SR mantra, this will go down as a huge, huge success in scouting, player trading and group movement. They don't care for the individual clubs per say, it's all about the group. To them, that will be a £20m profit into the group - they just used us to move him around to start with. This will justify the entire model sadly.

We're just a pawn. We're not a football club anymore in any meaningful way.

Precisely - and we aren’t even seen as the most important club in the model either, we are secondary to Goztepe and as such a feeder club for them, in essence. Absolutely insulting and it’s no wonder they appear to be fine with our demise so far 

Edited 11 hours ago by Mboto Gorge

[Dman]

9 minutes ago, Mboto Gorge said:

Precisely - and we aren’t even seen as the most important club in the model either, we are secondary to Goztepe and as such a feeder club for them, in essence. Absolutely insulting and it’s no wonder they appear to be fine with our demise so far 

I mean, that's clearly not true is it. 

[Matthew Le God]

12 minutes ago, Mboto Gorge said:

Precisely - and we aren’t even seen as the most important club in the model either, we are secondary to Goztepe and as such a feeder club for them, in essence. Absolutely insulting and it’s no wonder they appear to be fine with our demise so far 

This is nonsense. Even it wasn't obvious that we are the keystone club, Dragan Solak has also said it in interview.

[S-Clarke]

4 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

This is nonsense. Even it wasn't obvious that we are the keystone club, Dragan Solak has also said it in interview.

Someone needs to give Dragan's trusted football advisor, Rasmus, that memo then.

[Matthew Le God]

8 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Someone needs to give Dragan's trusted football advisor, Rasmus, that memo then.

Rasmus said it because he was sat in front of Turkish media and Goztepe fans. He doesn't want to upset them. He knows Saints are have a significantly bigger income, match going fanbase, better infrastructure, academy etc etc than Goztepe. Saints are the keystone club in the group as the owner Dragan Solak has stated publicly.

Edited 10 hours ago by Matthew Le God

[Mr Saints]

6 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Rasmus said it because he was sat in front of Turkish media and Goztepe fans. He doesn't want to upset them. He knows Saints are have a significantly bigger income, match going fanbase, better infrastructure, academy etc etc than Goztepe. Saints are the keystone club in the group as the owner Dragan Solak has stated publicly.

If any of Goztepe’s firm are reading… We are SR’s keystone club in the group, you’ll never sing that

[Mboto Gorge]

15 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

This is nonsense. Even it wasn't obvious that we are the keystone club, Dragan Solak has also said it in interview.

So you’re ok with what Rasmus is saying are you? Open your eyes , we are being used to help Goztepe become a bigger club . The systematic failure at this club under their watch is coinciding with their clear priority of goztepe excelling as the flagship club of the group. He’s even said it in the video and you’re still calling it nonsense, The evidence is clear surely.

You think the fact we’ve sunk to new depths under this ownership , has nothing to do with the fact that we aren’t their priority with regards football results?

[tdmickey3]

2 minutes ago, Mr Saints said:

If any of Goztepe’s firm are reading… We are SR’s keystone club in the group, you’ll never sing that

We are more keystone cops

[Toussaint]

21 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

This is nonsense. Even it wasn't obvious that we are the keystone club, Dragan Solak has also said it in interview.

Must be true then.

[Mboto Gorge]

14 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Rasmus said it because he was sat in front of Turkish media and Goztepe fans. He doesn't want to upset them. He knows Saints are have a significantly bigger income, match going fanbase, better infrastructure, academy etc etc than Goztepe. Saints are the keystone club in the group as the owner Dragan Solak has stated publicly.

He doesn’t want to upset them? The Salford manager doesn’t want to upset them either but he doesn’t go saying they’re a bigger club than Man City before their fa cup game does he? Rasmus had no need to say that unless he believes that is the aim. Their fans must be incredibly entitled if they’re likely to get upset if Rasmus isn’t telling them they’re a bigger club than Southampton. 

Edited 10 hours ago by Mboto Gorge

[Mboto Gorge]

27 minutes ago, Dman said:

I mean, that's clearly not true is it. 

Show me the evidence which points to the fact we are seen as the main football Club in the group

[saintant]

1 hour ago, Mboto Gorge said:

6:25 mins in - Rasmus smiling and laughing as he states that Goztepe are a bigger club than saints. 
Yeah, A club with almost 50 years in the top league in the world, is smaller than a 2 bit Turkish  club who no one would’ve even heard of here, if they weren’t part of the this woeful multi club model we’ve had to endure. Try getting through that without feeling sick . It’s no wonder deals are being done which are seemingly intended to be for goztepes benefit, before ours

He's more of an idiot than I thought.

[coalman]

12 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Rasmus said it because he was sat in front of Turkish media and Goztepe fans. He doesn't want to upset them. He knows Saints are have a significantly bigger income, match going fanbase, better infrastructure, academy etc etc than Goztepe. Saints are the keystone club in the group as the owner Dragan Solak has stated publicly.

And yet Goztepe seem to be benefiting mightily from the multi club model under Rasmus' presidency. Us, not so much.

I'd rather look at what people do rather than what they say. Sure Rasmus doesn't want to upset the Goztepe fans. But he's also done a great job funneling players from Saints to them. He may see them as a better option for getting to the Champions League than Southampton. They're currently sat 4th in the Super Lig with the champions and runners up going to qualification so they've got a shot at qualifying for European competition next year. Us, on the other hand....

[saintant]

17 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Rasmus said it because he was sat in front of Turkish media and Goztepe fans. He doesn't want to upset them. He knows Saints are have a significantly bigger income, match going fanbase, better infrastructure, academy etc etc than Goztepe. Saints are the keystone club in the group as the owner Dragan Solak has stated publicly.

Sums up this charlatan then. Weak man who can only say what he thinks people listening to him want to hear because he wants them to like him.

[Mboto Gorge]

1 minute ago, coalman said:

And yet Goztepe seem to be benefiting mightily from the multi club model under Rasmus' presidency. Us, not so much.

I'd rather look at what people do rather than what they say. Sure Rasmus doesn't want to upset the Goztepe fans. But he's also done a great job funneling players from Saints to them. He may see them as a better option for getting to the Champions League than Southampton. They're currently sat 4th in the Super Lig with the champions and runners up going to qualification so they've got a shot at qualifying for European competition next year. Us, on the other hand....

Yeah but ignore all the facts that clearly point to what Rasmus said actually being his intention. Let’s bury our heads in the sand and assume we are still the flagship club despite all of this. It’ll all work out. Im Not sure if some of our fans are thick, naive, or just don’t want to believe that we are being used as a pawn to further another clubs aspirations for Rasmus to be seen as a hero. After all, he’s basically in charge of Goztepe, surely for his own ego it makes sense for him to prioritise them over us now. We all know how egotistical it is- he will want to be seen as someone who’s catapulted them to stardom as his name is all over them. 

[stfrancisofbenali]

19 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Rasmus said it because he was sat in front of Turkish media and Goztepe fans. He doesn't want to upset them. He knows Saints are have a significantly bigger income, match going fanbase, better infrastructure, academy etc etc than Goztepe. Saints are the keystone club in the group as the owner Dragan Solak has stated publicly.

Agreed. They all know that Saints have by far and away the greater earning potential which is the key factor for them. It is a boneheaded and idiotic thing to say though even if he is trying to appease the Turkish audience and suggests he isn't the smartest or most diplomatic operator.

[Dman]

32 minutes ago, Mboto Gorge said:

Show me the evidence which points to the fact we are seen as the main football Club in the group

The fact the bloke who is funding the group out his own pocket, has personally stepped in to run us, is pretty strong evidence of that. 

[Miltonaggro]

1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

Solak is a moron. If you're putting your faith in him to oust Ankerson, you're going to be disappointed.

Not putting my faith on anyone on the Board, merely musing.  It would be impossible for Cirque de Cunts to disappoint me any more than they have done already.