Will Still

[Football Special]

12 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

Watching the football league show, some of the League 2 football / goals look better worked out than what we've been served up with. 

Just watched that as well, love the EFL show, some great grounds / away followings in league two 👍🏻 

[Football Special]

14 hours ago, Saint86 said:

Sadly, the recent seasons are absolutely costing the club young fans. 

I feel that, see too many Man City , Arsenal etc at kids school, glory hunting cunts with poor family influences 

[Osvaldorama]

11 minutes ago, Football Special said:

Just watched that as well, love the EFL show, some great grounds / away followings in league two 👍🏻 

We’ll be able to enjoy them in person in a couple more years with these helmets in charge 

[Football Special]

4 hours ago, CB Fry said:

The flipside is we will win some games because we have a significantly better set of players than almost every other team. 

And this will be taken as proof that the manager is "on the right track" etc so will just buy more time. One win in every four or five matches and he stays in role until the January window closes and we're 12th ("only seven points off the play offs")

What a wasted pre season, a wasted window. And we are on the brink of a wasted season.

 

I know we've had this disagreement previously but I question this assertion that we have significantly better players, has last season and this season so far not sunk in yet? They certainly don't look like a cohesive team capable of playing good football , once they've provided some evidence of this superiority I'll start to believe in them 

Agree on wasted pre season. Regardless of the line up Still should have a system drilled into them and a clear plan 

[Football Special]

1 minute ago, Osvaldorama said:

We’ll be able to enjoy them in person in a couple more years with these helmets in charge 

Would be a small consolation but at least something to enjoy, EIEI EIO up to Barrow we will go 

[bugenhagen]

4 hours ago, Hodgey said:

Just saw the highlights - if you can’t deal with diagonal long balls into the box in this league expect trouble, and the half chances we created for Downs - I don’t think he is capable of finishing.

Agree with others - whatever Still is trying to do, is a puzzle as tactically it looks all over the place. He needs to quickly get across a style so fans can see where we are trying to go - think we can be more patient if we see some kind of goal that we are building towards. Liverpool reserves away with no real expectations is a great chance to show us - I want to see his best 11 playing a style he wants - the result isn’t important, the team he picks, performance and style is.

He does need more time though - Christmas is the time to asses.

Finally I wonder how much that South coast derby disrupted both teams as Portsmouth were equally dogshit at home which is actually very unusual for them.

The bigger problem is getting the players to see what he is trying to do. At this rate he looks to be losing them as well.

[Lord Duckhunter]

4 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

This is exactly what people wanted though? Adaptability. No silly philosophy.

Ridiculous statement. Yes, we wanted someone to adapt to various tactical situations & not be wedded to one system come what may. Teams that play differently at different times, are still coached in the system they’re playing. They still look like they’ve worked on it during the week. It’s not one or the other, it’s not Martin’s ridiculous stubborness or a free for all. Watch Big Sam’s bit in the Martin thread. He changed tactics depending on who they were playing, they worked on it all week and were coached. We look like a pub team, like Weasley tells them where they’re playing & they just go out and play as the want. 

[Fabrice29]

5 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Ridiculous statement. Yes, we wanted someone to adapt to various tactical situations & not be wedded to one system come what may. Teams that play differently at different times, are still coached in the system they’re playing. They still look like they’ve worked on it during the week. It’s not one or the other, it’s not Martin’s ridiculous stubborness or a free for all. Watch Big Sam’s bit in the Martin thread. He changed tactics depending on who they were playing, they worked on it all week and were coached. We look like a pub team, like Weasley tells them where they’re playing & they just go out and play as the want. 

I think quite a lot of fans of clubs Allardyce managed, especially towards the end would tell you his teams looked like a pub team and not coached when they lost. I don’t think Allardyce is the pin up you think he is.

[Turkish]

8 hours ago, Football Special said:

I know we've had this disagreement previously but I question this assertion that we have significantly better players, has last season and this season so far not sunk in yet? They certainly don't look like a cohesive team capable of playing good football , once they've provided some evidence of this superiority I'll start to believe in them 

Agree on wasted pre season. Regardless of the line up Still should have a system drilled into them and a clear plan 

Of the team that started yesterday 6 were part of the squad that got promoted last time, admittedly Charles didn’t feature much he but he’s coming off the back of a great championship season. fellows are Azaz were considered top championship players in their postion, Roslev has played almost 100 premier league games and has also got promoted out of this league.  The other two one is a highly rated German U21 player and the other is Damien Downs. 
 

on the bench we had a host of experienced champship players 3 of which were in our promotion team, 2 new signings. Archer is proven championship striker. Then we had Aribo, Edozie and our new singing Quarsie who didn’t even make the squad. 
 

to say we don’t have the players is utter nonsense. 

[AlexLaw76]

10 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Of the team that started yesterday 6 were part of the squad that got promoted last time, admittedly Charles didn’t feature much he but he’s coming off the back of a great championship season. fellows are Azaz were considered top championship players in their postion, Roslev has played almost 100 premier league games and has also got promoted out of this league.  The other two one is a highly rated German U21 player and the other is Damien Downs. 
 

on the bench we had a host of experienced champship players 3 of which were in our promotion team, 2 new signings. Archer is proven championship striker. Then we had Aribo, Edozie and our new singing Quarsie who didn’t even make the squad. 
 

to say we don’t have the players is utter nonsense. 

Absolutely. Some people chat as if we have no chance, and other teams are made up of modern day Zidanes and Maldinis.

Hull beat us having spent £300k in the summer. Pompey bossed us for much of the game having spent roughly the same as we spent on Quarshie alone.

About 20 sides would absolutely cream themselves if they could spend £60m in one summer for a Championship promotion tilt. £60m to go alongside many players who have already won promotion out of the this league 2 years ago.

 

[LiberalCommunist]

Just need a pound land Poch. But they are seemingly like rocking horse shit when you search all the wrong places. 

[CB Fry]

18 hours ago, Football Special said:

I know we've had this disagreement previously but I question this assertion that we have significantly better players, has last season and this season so far not sunk in yet? They certainly don't look like a cohesive team capable of playing good football , once they've provided some evidence of this superiority I'll start to believe in them 

 

I don't understand what last season got to do with us being able to compete with Bristol City, QPR, Hull, Watford, Swansea and Portsmouth.

This season we have spent a fortune on established Championship players, while retaining many that are proven at this level. Players not even in the squad would get in many of our opponents first elevens.

I think building a "cohesive team capable of playing good football" is on the manager, which is what this thread is about. He's got the resources to do that at this level.

[Football Special]

9 hours ago, Turkish said:

Of the team that started yesterday 6 were part of the squad that got promoted last time, admittedly Charles didn’t feature much he but he’s coming off the back of a great championship season. fellows are Azaz were considered top championship players in their postion, Roslev has played almost 100 premier league games and has also got promoted out of this league.  The other two one is a highly rated German U21 player and the other is Damien Downs. 
 

on the bench we had a host of experienced champship players 3 of which were in our promotion team, 2 new signings. Archer is proven championship striker. Then we had Aribo, Edozie and our new singing Quarsie who didn’t even make the squad. 
 

to say we don’t have the players is utter nonsense. 

So are you saying you think this is a good team then mate? And it's the managers fault? 

Weve spent lots of money compared to Championship teams, but have we built a team? Core still looks poor - in my opinion 

The 6 players you mentioned weren't exactly our best from the promotion year, GK who was worst in the league, CB in Stephens who missed quite a bit of the season, I don't recall Manning contributing much in 23/24. , Ryan Fraser doing well but highlights failure to strengthen that he's one of our key players 

[egg]

16 minutes ago, Football Special said:

So are you saying you think this is a good team then mate? And it's the managers fault? 

Weve spent lots of money compared to Championship teams, but have we built a team? Core still looks poor - in my opinion 

The 6 players you mentioned weren't exactly our best from the promotion year, GK who was worst in the league, CB in Stephens who missed quite a bit of the season, I don't recall Manning contributing much in 23/24. , Ryan Fraser doing well but highlights failure to strengthen that he's one of our key players 

I can't believe anyone is arguing that our squad isn't capable of being turned into a very good team at this level. 

To answer your first question, yes, it's the managers fault that we're not maximising our potential. Sure, he's stuck with Baz, and doesn't have a battering ram CF at his disposal, but Still's job is to make a team out of what he's got. 

Decent ingredients, poor chef. 

[Sheaf Saint]

I've just watched the highlights of the Pompey v Sheff Weds game on Saturday.

Wednesday, despite being an absolute clusterfuck of a club with barely enough senior players to make up a matchday squad, play much better attacking football than we do. It's fucking embarrassing how poorly Still has got this expensively assembled squad performing.

[Patrick Bateman]

1 hour ago, Football Special said:

So are you saying you think this is a good team then mate? And it's the managers fault? 

Weve spent lots of money compared to Championship teams, but have we built a team? Core still looks poor - in my opinion 

The 6 players you mentioned weren't exactly our best from the promotion year, GK who was worst in the league, CB in Stephens who missed quite a bit of the season, I don't recall Manning contributing much in 23/24. , Ryan Fraser doing well but highlights failure to strengthen that he's one of our key players 

This team should easily be good enough, especially with the money spent, it's criminal how poor they look as a unit now.  I'm laying the blame firmly on the management and coaching team.  They had a whole summer to prepare and yes there were a load of new players at the end, but before they arrived the team didn't look overly cohesive and like they had a solid plan. 

I want to see how it goes against Liverpool and 'Boro though before getting my final nail ready. I don't expect a win against Liverpool, but I just want to see more of a plan, damage limitation is fine. But against 'Boro I want to see a dominant home team, looking like they know what the fuck they are doing and winning. 

[gammon cheeks]

Not sure really ...Keeps picking Stephens , Bazunu , Frazer  ...all basically shit !  Maybe a bit of a puppet manager ...time will tell i suppose .

[Turkish]

2 hours ago, Football Special said:

So are you saying you think this is a good team then mate? And it's the managers fault? 

Weve spent lots of money compared to Championship teams, but have we built a team? Core still looks poor - in my opinion 

The 6 players you mentioned weren't exactly our best from the promotion year, GK who was worst in the league, CB in Stephens who missed quite a bit of the season, I don't recall Manning contributing much in 23/24. , Ryan Fraser doing well but highlights failure to strengthen that he's one of our key players 

It should be a good team but it isn't. 

THB has played for England and won promotion twice, he looks like a pub player right now. Manning despite the weird dislike of him player 37 games last time round and was one of out better players in the Premier league. Edwards and Charles are off the back of a great season out on loan, Armstrong, Archer are proven top championship goalscorers., Frazer is a good player at this level. Azaz, Fellows were top players in the championship. As individuals most of them get into pretty much every other team in this league. As a team they look utter shit right now.

[S-Clarke]

2 hours ago, gammon cheeks said:

Not sure really ...Keeps picking Stephens , Bazunu , Frazer  ...all basically shit !  Maybe a bit of a puppet manager ...time will tell i suppose .

Fraser has been our best player so far this season IMO.

But that's probably why we're where we are in the table, as harsh as that sounds.

[Charlie Wayman]

Odds are 6-4 this morning, he is way out in front

https://www.sportscasting.com/uk/news/championship-sack-race-odds-2025-2026/

[Whitey Grandad]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

It should be a good team but it isn't. 

THB has played for England and won promotion twice, he looks like a pub player right now. Manning despite the weird dislike of him player 37 games last time round and was one of out better players in the Premier league. Edwards and Charles are off the back of a great season out on loan, Armstrong, Archer are proven top championship goalscorers., Frazer is a good player at this level. Azaz, Fellows were top players in the championship. As individuals most of them get into pretty much every other team in this league. As a team they look utter shit right now.

We have a set of good players but we don't have a team.

[Saint NL]

 

These guys sum it up pretty well.

First 7 or 8 mins is purely Saints talk. The rest is about the Championship in general.

[saintant]

3 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

 

These guys sum it up pretty well.

First 7 or 8 mins is purely Saints talk. The rest is about the Championship in general.

Can't be arsed to listen to the views of two Hull City fans for 58 minutes so I'll swerve this.

[Turkish]

Of all the available managers out there then Sean Dyche is the obvious candidate. Big character, experienced and will build a team. We wont get him though as that's far too sensible. it'll be some think outside the box, young hipster who fits the data profile. 

[Football Special]

23 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

We have a set of good players but we don't have a team.

And we don't even have good players in key positions 

I think some fans will have a reality check eventually having started the season with high hopes 

[Football Special]

26 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

Odds are 6-4 this morning, he is way out in front

https://www.sportscasting.com/uk/news/championship-sack-race-odds-2025-2026/

I don't tend to bet on such things, is there already a market for our next manager? 

[Football Special]

7 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Of all the available managers out there then Sean Dyche is the obvious candidate. Big character, experienced and will build a team. We wont get him though as that's far too sensible. it'll be some think outside the box, young hipster who fits the data profile. 

You're right, really is no point changing manager whilst it's the same people making the appointment for replacement,  data data data and no actual proper football people making decisions 

[danjosaint]

Look where data has gotten Sheff Utd 

[S-Clarke]

49 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Of all the available managers out there then Sean Dyche is the obvious candidate. Big character, experienced and will build a team. We wont get him though as that's far too sensible. it'll be some think outside the box, young hipster who fits the data profile. 

It will probably be that young guy out in the MLS - Eric Ramsay I think? That's who we'd switch to if we got rid of Still, which is another reason why I think dumping him wouldn't actually achieve anything.

I just don't trust SR, it feels safer to give Still a chance to mould a side here.

[malcolm waldron]

58 minutes ago, danjosaint said:

Look where data has gotten Sheff Utd 

Are you American?  If so then fair enough....

[Andrew Watson]

Like you say Turkish, Sean Dyche is/was far too sensible a call. He needed to be appointed as soon as RH  departed,but who did we get in bloody Nathan Jones.

[saintant]

23 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

It will probably be that young guy out in the MLS - Eric Ramsay I think? That's who we'd switch to if we got rid of Still, which is another reason why I think dumping him wouldn't actually achieve anything.

I just don't trust SR, it feels safer to give Still a chance to mould a side here.

He's ex Man Utd and currently the head coach at Minnesota Utd so would probably fit the bill for the SR hipsters.

[S-Clarke]

2 minutes ago, saintant said:

He's ex Man Utd and currently the head coach at Minnesota Utd so would probably fit the bill for the SR hipsters.

He was heavily linked in the summer, so safe to assume he's on some sort of Rasmus 'list'.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

31 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I just don't trust SR, it feels safer to give Still a chance to mould a side here.

Still came here with a reasonable reputation so people were prepared to set how he went. To start he said he was playing five at the back because we didn't have any wingers so we accepted his reasoning. There were minor grumblings after the first few games but nothing untoward, but he lost a lot of goodwill with the Pompey game. People are analysing him a lot more and the team definitely looks disjointed. I also don't like him throwing three subs on at once which further disjoints the team.

Yes we need to give Still a chance to mould a team. He has quality players. I want (and presumably most of us want) to see more attacking intent and forward movement. What's Edozie playing like at the moment? He could run at players. 

[saintant]

1 minute ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

Still came here with a reasonable reputation so people were prepared to set how he went. To start he said he was playing five at the back because we didn't have any wingers so we accepted his reasoning. There were minor grumblings after the first few games but nothing untoward, but he lost a lot of goodwill with the Pompey game. People are analysing him a lot more and the team definitely looks disjointed. I also don't like him throwing three subs on at once which further disjoints the team.

Yes we need to give Still a chance to mould a team. He has quality players. I want (and presumably most of us want) to see more attacking intent and forward movement. What's Edozie playing like at the moment? He could run at players. 

We also have to give the new signings time to settle in and find their feet. Most players take a number of games at a new club before settling and showing what they can do.

[Colinjb]

34 minutes ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

Still came here with a reasonable reputation so people were prepared to set how he went. To start he said he was playing five at the back because we didn't have any wingers so we accepted his reasoning. There were minor grumblings after the first few games but nothing untoward, but he lost a lot of goodwill with the Pompey game. People are analysing him a lot more and the team definitely looks disjointed. I also don't like him throwing three subs on at once which further disjoints the team.

Yes we need to give Still a chance to mould a team. He has quality players. I want (and presumably most of us want) to see more attacking intent and forward movement. What's Edozie playing like at the moment? He could run at players. 

I would settle for a defence that looks competent as a starting point. I'm sick of us getting basic bloody things wrong.

[tdmickey3]

51 minutes ago, saintant said:

We also have to give the new signings time to settle in and find their feet. Most players take a number of games at a new club before settling and showing what they can do.

Fair comment I guess, but our biggest issue is 3 players who were already here are terrible..... Bazunu, Stephens and THB

[S-Clarke]

40 minutes ago, Colinjb said:

I would settle for a defence that looks competent as a starting point. I'm sick of us getting basic bloody things wrong.

I guess as long as we continue with Stephens and Bazunu as part of that back 4, nothing will change no matter who changes around them.

[Verbal]

2 hours ago, malcolm waldron said:

Are you American?  If so then fair enough....

It's a pretty old English word.

Soz (which isn't).

[malcolm waldron]

53 minutes ago, Verbal said:

It's a pretty old English word.

Soz (which isn't).

But not used now is it?  Anyways, back to football matters.  Will he play 3 or 5 in defense tomorrow? 😉

[Tommy Mulgrew]

Like almost everyone else on here, I am so far totally underwhelmed with Will Still and the performances he has delivered on the pitch.  But our disappointing efforts are not due to just one man; the players have been terrible and to lay the blame for most of the goals we have conceded purely on the manager is wrong.  Also, the staff responsible for coaching the team and improving its performance comprise six men, see below.
 

WTF are the other five doing both between games and during games?  I can see no evidence of any analysis, coaching or improvement from one game to another.  Indeed, the performance at Hull was even worse than in previous weeks.  And, during the game, do we see any signs at all of the other five staff recognising our shortcomings and trying to rectify them?  I certainly do not; I cannot even remember more than one of them being involved in pitchside discussions, let alone giving Still advice.  Lallana, Lemaitre, Martin Martinez and Trollope should all be capable of seeing our problems and suggesting solutions.  For what else are they employed?  From what I can see, about a hundred or so posters on here could do a better job than our coaching staff.  All five of them, not merely  the manager, should get several rockets up their arses.

I was tempted to start a new thread for discussion about the coaching staff but put this post here nevertheless.  Still needs help and at the moment he does not seem to be getting it from those who are supposed to help him.

 

 

• WILL

  STILL

  FIRST TEAM MANAGER

  

  
• PAUL

  TROLLOPE

  ASSISTANT MANAGER

  

  
• ADAM

  LALLANA

  FIRST TEAM COACH

  

  
• CARL

  MARTIN

  FIRST TEAM COACH

  

  
• RUBÉN

  MARTÍNEZ

  GOALKEEPING COACH

  

  
• CLÉMENT

  LEMAITRE

  FIRST TEAM ANALYST

  

  

 

[Gloucester Saint]

5 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

We have a set of good players but we don't have a team.

That’s a direct consequence of neglecting the spine of the team for several years to prioritise bullshit player trades to make money/loan to Goztepe.

Stephens at centre back for nearly a decade. Bednarek eight years. Romeu never replaced. Adams and Ings not replaced. Lots of projects but no-one they’ve signed I’ve ever thought ‘that position is sorted now for at least a couple of years’.

If members of the spine do well and move to top 6 PL clubs for double the fee, hey fair enough. We can say if we replace them properly that we are back on track as a club.

But we will never be without a capable GK-2 CBs-DMC-MC-Central striker for the league we’re in, where we are lacking in two of those departments which pulls the other bits of the spine down with them.

[danjosaint]

Is that not 1 of the issues, Trollope went down with Luton, What in real terms does Lallana bring, wasn't Martin promoted up from within the youth teams . Not sure on analyst, unless he's the one posters memtion he was at Barclays 

[sfc4prem]

1 hour ago, malcolm waldron said:

But not used now is it?  Anyways, back to football matters.  Will he play 3 or 5 in defense tomorrow? 😉

Excuse me. I'm somewhat ecstatic to tell you that 'defense' is Americanised English.

I'll have you know that it is preferable to use 'defence' when speaking the King's English.

[SWLondon Saint]

Yeah sorry, I don't buy this 'not a great bunch of players' stuff either. This is definitely a top 2 level squad and if we don't get there that's on the manager. Look at Boro - Edwards came in after Carrick got the boot, they sold one of their best players to us - no problem. Mind you, everyone on here would have been up in arms if we had gone for Edwards...

I do think he should be given more time but he's overdue a 'statement' type performance. Carry on like this another 5 or 6 games and realistically he's probably gone. 

[saintant]

4 hours ago, tdmickey3 said:

Fair comment I guess, but our biggest issue is 3 players who were already here are terrible..... Bazunu, Stephens and THB

Agree and all 3 need to spend a period on the bench to let others have a go in their place.

[SWLondon Saint]

4 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

I guess as long as we continue with Stephens and Bazunu as part of that back 4, nothing will change no matter who changes around them.

One thing I think we underestimate is just how bad a season Stephens and THB had last year. At least the last time we got relegated, we'd still had games where we looked like a PL team, Ralph would've had them fit at the start of the season, we were competitive, probably everyone came back wanting to bounce back. But last season we really were complete rubbish, not prepared enough and I think they've gotten used to losing. They need some time out.

 

[Toussaint]

Still is not wrong talking about bravery, unfortunately for him Martin corrupted the meaning of the word to justify his own shortcomings. He is also correct in referring to the ptsd from last season, it is relevant.

But, given both those statements are true, In my view, then why did the club think that Still was the man to take us forward? No English experience, never played at any level and is younger or around the same age as some of our senior players? Surely, given the circumstances, the need was to appoint somebody of greater experience and gravitas to galvanise the players and fans and restore confidence? 
 

[SWLondon Saint]

23 minutes ago, Toussaint said:

Still is not wrong talking about bravery, unfortunately for him Martin corrupted the meaning of the word to justify his own shortcomings. He is also correct in referring to the ptsd from last season, it is relevant.

But, given both those statements are true, In my view, then why did the club think that Still was the man to take us forward? No English experience, never played at any level and is younger or around the same age as some of our senior players? Surely, given the circumstances, the need was to appoint somebody of greater experience and gravitas to galvanise the players and fans and restore confidence? 
 

I'm a bit worried about that too - he talked about Cap'n Jack being a great guy to have around and his experience of the club - sure, but unfortunately he is one of those who mostly has been crap in his entire time and badly needs a kick in the arse or spell on the bench to up his game. Chris Wilder actually summed it up very well, he said the bottom line is always 'Can you do it out there on the pitch on Saturdays?' - applies to the players and manager.

[Verbal]

3 hours ago, malcolm waldron said:

But not used now is it?  Anyways, back to football matters.  Will he play 3 or 5 in defense tomorrow? 😉

It literally just was - hence your post. He'll play a 10 in defence, which Saintsweb autocorrect tells me should be spelt defense.