Non-Saints Games - 24/25

[East Kent Saint]

Went forward apparently 😅 

[Midfield_General]

On 14/06/2025 at 20:52, CB Fry said:

I see Brentford are set to appoint Keith Wigley, sorry Keith Gray, no sorry Keith Andrews as manager replacing Thomas Frank, promoted from within.

Of course because it's them and not us it will work out just fucking fine.

This does look like it's happening:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3w48p7n014o

That is one hell of a risk that surely they don't need to take. Loads of decent managers would love to have a shot at that job. 

 

[sockeye]

11 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

This does look like it's happening:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3w48p7n014o

That is one hell of a risk that surely they don't need to take. Loads of decent managers would love to have a shot at that job. 

 

Not sure if they were prepared for Frank to leave. To be frank (lol), it would be great to see them go down. For the health of the league if anything.

[AlexLaw76]

1 hour ago, Midfield_General said:

This does look like it's happening:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3w48p7n014o

That is one hell of a risk that surely they don't need to take. Loads of decent managers would love to have a shot at that job. 

 

what a very weird appointment

[danjosaint]

1 hour ago, Midfield_General said:

This does look like it's happening:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3w48p7n014o

That is one hell of a risk that surely they don't need to take. Loads of decent managers would love to have a shot at that job. 

 

Quite funny listening to Martin o Neil on talksport , he's obviously got beef with Andrews from his Ireland days and didn't hold back 

[Midfield_General]

4 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

what a very weird appointment

The argument seems to be that Frank was an internal appointment who no-one had heard of at the time, and he worked out, so they must know what they’re doing. 

But surely they’re well enough off now that they don’t need to roll the dice on a low-cost, high-risk gamble. Very odd. 

[AlexLaw76]

8 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

The argument seems to be that Frank was an internal appointment who no-one had heard of at the time, and he worked out, so they must know what they’re doing. 

But surely they’re well enough off now that they don’t need to roll the dice on a low-cost, high-risk gamble. Very odd. 

sounds very much like a 'trust the process' appointment

Doubt he will last beyond Easter

[HarvSFC]

This was the season to go up. Bournemouth have already lost two of their best players, as well as Kepa. Semenyo and the other centre-back are also linked with moves away.

Brentford lost Flekken, replaced with Kelleher, who has just one more cap for Republic of Ireland than Gavin Bazunu, despite being three years older. We've been burned plenty of times by these squad goalkeepers at top clubs. Lost Frank and are replacing with Keith Andrews and Mbuemo is also on his way out.

Wolves have lost Cunha.

Plenty of question marks over these clubs this summer now. We went up into a fairly stable league. Not that we'd have done much more with Martin as manager anyway.

[Midfield_General]

37 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

sounds very much like a 'trust the process' appointment

Doubt he will last beyond Easter

Big Ange in before the Christmas decorations are taken down 

[S-Clarke]

3 hours ago, Midfield_General said:

This does look like it's happening:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3w48p7n014o

That is one hell of a risk that surely they don't need to take. Loads of decent managers would love to have a shot at that job. 

 

It is a very odd move, like you say there would have been tons of higher level managers up for that job.

They should have taken this as an opportunity to move forward, a bit like Brighton did when they lost Potter (they got Di Zerbi), but this seems destined to fail from the outset to me.

After becoming an established PL club and pushing for European football, it feels like they've just tried to be extra clever here when they had the opportunity to sustain what they had, or even further it.

They'll be relegated within the next 2 years.

[AlexLaw76]

1 hour ago, S-Clarke said:

It is a very odd move, like you say there would have been tons of higher level managers up for that job.

They should have taken this as an opportunity to move forward, a bit like Brighton did when they lost Potter (they got Di Zerbi), but this seems destined to fail from the outset to me.

After becoming an established PL club and pushing for European football, it feels like they've just tried to be extra clever here when they had the opportunity to sustain what they had, or even further it.

They'll be relegated within the next 2 years.

Seems like us appointing Wigley or Stuart Gray

Edited Monday at 19:30 by AlexLaw76

[Gloucester Saint]

6 hours ago, Midfield_General said:

This does look like it's happening:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3w48p7n014o

That is one hell of a risk that surely they don't need to take. Loads of decent managers would love to have a shot at that job. 

 

It stinks of what Lowe tried to do in 2001 with Stuart Gray, WGS dug him out of a hole, clearly wanted rid of Sturrock summer of 2004, after the Blackburn win replaced him with Steve Wigley. Shorthand ‘promoted teams are rubbish, we won’t go down, let’s have a cheap manager for a cheap little season, do the minimum on buying players, sell a couple of key players and go again next season with our powder dry’.

History shows what actually happened and Leeds in particular will be licking their lips, possibly Burnley if they can find a striker or two. Brentford have pretty much relegated themselves, surprised at Matthew Benham as I had him down as more Tony Bloom than Rupert Lowe.

Edited Monday at 20:55 by Gloucester Saint

[trousers]

3 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

It is a very odd move, like you say there would have been tons of higher level managers up for that job.

They should have taken this as an opportunity to move forward, a bit like Brighton did when they lost Potter (they got Di Zerbi), but this seems destined to fail from the outset to me.

After becoming an established PL club and pushing for European football, it feels like they've just tried to be extra clever here when they had the opportunity to sustain what they had, or even further it.

They'll be relegated within the next 2 years.

"If it ain't broke...." 

Maybe Rasmus left some of his DNA on the boardroom table...

[Saint86]

14 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

It stinks of what Lowe tried to do in 2001 with Stuart Gray, WGS dug him out of a hole, clearly wanted rid of Sturrock summer of 2004, after the Blackburn win replaced him with Steve Wigley. Shorthand ‘promoted teams are rubbish, we won’t go down, let’s have a cheap manager for a cheap little season, do the minimum on buying players, sell a couple of key players and go again next season with our powder dry’.

History shows what actually happened and Leeds in particular will be licking their lips, possibly Burnley if they can find a striker or two. Brentford have pretty much relegated themselves, surprised at Matthew Benham as I had him down as more Tony Bloom than Rupert Lowe.

I think its more a case of Brentford really are trying to create a culture of promoting from within (i think this will be the 3rd time now for the manager position). Its a very bold, very risky, and (possibly/probably) a very naive approach to take in football - its a ruthless dog eat dog business, and brentford are very much a long way from the top of the tree with respect to salary offerings and pedigree.

They still have a very good squad relative to the promoted sides, a wedge of cash coming their way from Mbeuno, and the same recruitment team re player acquisitions. I sadly think its an extremely big ask for any of those promoted sides to be able to close the gap and compete, and whilst i get people saying Brentford, i just don't think they'll be that bad even under the worst case - maybe if the board/manager also unsettle the entire squad as we did with SR in that first season - but again, promoting from within will at least give them stability.

It needs a full blown implosion from one of the 17, and one of the 3 to have a great window and season. Some people are saying Bournemouth are in trouble, but their recruitment was absolutely superb last couple of years - they've turned a very tidy profit on those players and will go again. Okay, they've lost 4 (is it?) of that back 5 - but bournemouth weren't about there defence? That doesn't strike me as a fatal blow i've got to be honest. And provided they don't try to reinvent the wheel and have proven people making those decisions they'll be fine imo. Wolves are the other one that may struggle, but £70M for Cunha gives them a fortune to play with - thats half the likely entire spend of a promoted championship side, with only one player to replace... PSR has stacked the rules so far against the promoted sides these days that its pretty grim watching on. I fully expect Sunderland to be worse than us this season... I think Farke will get backed, fail (because tactically he isn't good enough to keep them up) and be sacked around Christmas/January time), and i think Burnley will struggle to get the goals into the side to stay competitive, even if they do keep themselves in games.

Edited yesterday at 11:16 by Saint86

[Saint86]

On other news, Lyon have been relegated to ligue 2... Wonder if there are any good young players there that Still may know.... Let alone ARG.

Edited 17 hours ago by Saint86

[ant]

23 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

On other news, Lyon have been relegated to ligue 2... Wonder if there are any good young players there that Still may know.... Let alone ARG.

Bring Caleta-Car and Maitland-Niles back to their spiritual homes. ❤️

[AlexLaw76]

She has no financial interest in him!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14844925/Lamine-Yamal-Fans-Fati-Vazques.html