Will Still

[BarberSaint]

2 hours ago, sfc4prem said:

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.

 

 

The misspelling was boviously deliberat.

[Badger]

On 21/09/2025 at 15:47, Lord Duckhunter said:

 We look like a pub team, like Weasley tells them where they’re playing & they just go out and play as the want. 

Glad he’s been ‘christened’ .

I wondered how long it would take, and what it would be. 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

3 hours ago, Tommy Mulgrew said:

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.

This is a really good point. You've got a relatively junior manager who hasn't managed teams in English leagues so he needs support and advice from the other coaching staff. What are they doing to earn their salt?

I remember times when a manager would bring his coaching staff with him and then the coaching staff are all singing on the same proverbial page. Cloughie had Taylor, Ferguson had Phelan, Martin O'Neill had Robertson & Keane.....Ralph had Rohl. Do managers still bring their 2ic's and teams with them? Clubs don't like it because it's easier to replace an individual rather than a team of people and perhaps this is why a manager's tenure is so limited nowadays.

[Badger]

4 minutes ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

This is a really good point. You've got a relatively junior manager who hasn't managed teams in English leagues so he needs support and advice from the other coaching staff. What are they doing to earn their salt?

I remember times when a manager would bring his coaching staff with him and then the coaching staff are all singing on the same proverbial page. Cloughie had Taylor, Ferguson had Phelan, Martin O'Neill had Robertson & Keane.....Ralph had Rohl. Do managers still bring their 2ic's and teams with them? Clubs don't like it because it's easier to replace an individual rather than a team of people and perhaps this is why a manager's tenure is so limited nowadays.

Most managers (or head coaches as often now termed) tend to bring an assistant and possibly backroom team with them. Lego had about three or four. Ralph seemed an exception, not replacing Rohl after he left.
 

Agree with the point though that we seem a bit light in terms of the coaching staff around Still. 

 

[Saint Fan CaM]

3 hours ago, Badger said:

Most managers (or head coaches as often now termed) tend to bring an assistant and possibly backroom team with them. Lego had about three or four. Ralph seemed an exception, not replacing Rohl after he left.
 

Agree with the point though that we seem a bit light in terms of the coaching staff around Still. 

 

Nah, that can’t be it - Still has Cap’t Jack to provide all the necessary support he needs. Plus Lallana. 😉🤔😂

[pimpin4rizeal]

Think the most disappointing thing with stilll he was made out to be super analytical tactical genius yet here we are with most of his game plan being get it into the mixer for strikers that don’t suit that kind of service. He talks well in the pressers but not seeing much in games .. anyone that rates baz is also a red flag

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

Yes he looked a little flustered in the post game interview. Yes he doesn't give the smarmy answers that came out of the mouth of RM. But yesterday reaffirmed my view that we have a genuine manager who is learning the ropes and starting to get a handle on what's needed from our team.

AA (if you're going to play him) was in the right position yesterday. There was more intent and purpose in the passing. The tempo was, at times, a lot quicker, with (dare I say it) some one touch passes. 

Who does Still play in central defence? Unfortunately, think his hands are tied with Jack Stephens but Wood must surely get a start against Middlesbro. 

[S-Clarke]

3 hours ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

Yes he looked a little flustered in the post game interview. Yes he doesn't give the smarmy answers that came out of the mouth of RM. But yesterday reaffirmed my view that we have a genuine manager who is learning the ropes and starting to get a handle on what's needed from our team.

AA (if you're going to play him) was in the right position yesterday. There was more intent and purpose in the passing. The tempo was, at times, a lot quicker, with (dare I say it) some one touch passes. 

Who does Still play in central defence? Unfortunately, think his hands are tied with Jack Stephens but Wood must surely get a start against Middlesbro. 

Not sure learning the ropes is totally fair, more a case of learning the squad and players he has and how he gets the best out of them here.

I know people rewind to pre-season saying that's when a manager does this, which is fair in most cases...but we had such a churn post pre-season, so since around Mid-Aug we've kind of had to reset again and he's got another load of new players to adapt.

The point I usually start seriously questioning managers is when they start seeing a different game to me, that's when they're waffling and flapping around with their answers (so brave, so proud, front footedness, I've ignored my principles etc etc - all that shit). But Still is still seeing the same game as me and he's calling out what we're seeing, not trying to cover it up or smarm his way out or have on-camera mental breakdowns like previous managers did.

I notice people are saying it's a negative that he's so moody and not very positive, but if you step back he's actually mirroring exactly what we're feeling like to. He's as frustrated as the rest of us because he knows what's needed.

Edited 11 hours ago by S-Clarke

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

7 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Not sure learning the ropes is totally fair, more a case of learning the squad and players he has and how he gets the best out of them here.

I know people rewind to pre-season saying that's when a manager does this, which is fair in most cases...but we had such a churn post pre-season, so since around Mid-Aug we've kind of had to reset again and he's got another load of new players to adapt.

The point I usually start seriously questioning managers is when they start seeing a different game to me, that's when they're waffling and flapping around with their answers (so brave, so proud, front footedness, I've ignored my principles etc etc - all that shit). But Still is still seeing the same game as me and he's calling out what we're seeing, not trying to cover it up or smarm his way out or have on-camera mental breakdowns like previous managers did.

I notice people are saying it's a negative that he's so moody and not very positive, but if you step back he's actually mirroring exactly what we're feeling like to. He's as frustrated as the rest of us because he knows what's needed.

Agree with all of this. Last time I felt an affinity with a manager, someone who I felt cared about the club, was Ralph Hassenhutl. Will Still is sending the same signals that he doesn't just care about his career, he wants his team and his club to succeed.  Think we have a genuine person here. 

[Willo of Whiteley]

My concern is you have to pick people based on merit, who’s trained well, who’s not made errors etc etc.

Not because they’re captain, or they’re the latest signing, on they’re on high wages etc 

[Maggie May]

I’m going to put it out there. The performance against Liverpool was the best we’ve played in years. 

[AlexLaw76]

1 hour ago, Maggie May said:

I’m going to put it out there. The performance against Liverpool was the best we’ve played in years. 

You ok hun?

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

1 hour ago, Maggie May said:

I’m going to put it out there. The performance against Liverpool was the best we’ve played in about a year. 

Maybe.

Edited 52 minutes ago by TheAlehouseBrawlers

[sockeye]

2 hours ago, Maggie May said:

I’m going to put it out there. The performance against Liverpool was the best we’ve played in years. 

Yeah, it has been some time since we actually put up a fight against Liverpool tbf …