Will Still

[AlexLaw76]

26 minutes ago, bangkoksaint said:

Assuming Rusk has left I wish him well. He was handed a poison chalice but he didn’t cover himself in glory and at times was a bit gutless when we literally had nothing to lose 

Agree. Thought he came across extremely naive and a bit of a pillock

[Saint86]

Coaching shake up looks good. Some good pedigree and a mix of backgrounds in amongst it.

Interested to see what difference changing the goalkeeping coach has. Feel a bit for Rusky, dropped in the shitter and above his level really, but he's a nice guy with a pretty dry sense of gallows humour -  guessing he didn't want to step back down and felt it was time for something new. Anyone know any more to it than that?

Edited 4 hours ago by Saint86

[iansums]

29 minutes ago, skintsaint said:

They can just pop on here to find all that out. Money saved there not replacing him.

MLG will be getting a hard-on

[Saint Garrett]

34 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

ffs! have corrected that!

I know what you mean about the wingers and brooks - but Edozie is another year older with regular footy under his belt, and we should have one of Dibbling/fernandes to supplement the side. We do need to strengthen in the attacking mid / winger section regardless, but i think we'll be about the same with only 1 of those 2 leaving.

Difficult one to justify IMO. (and tbh not really worth the conversation until another 6 weeks has past)

2 seasons ago we had:
Aribo, Smallbone, Downes, Charles, S Armstrong, Rothwell, Fraser, Alcaraz
A Armstrong, Brooks, Sulemana, Edozie, Mara, Adams, Stewart

It's arguably better than what we had last season apart from Fernandes. Has Dibling done more than Arma, Fraser, Brooks or Edozie would have done last season? 

Clearly we are after a physical and pacey no9, to lead the line which I think is absolutely necessary.  Highly likely Aribo, Armstrong, Fraser, Sulemana, Dibling, Fernandes, Onuachu, all leave, leaving us with a starting place of: 

Smallbone, Downes, Charles
Robinson, Edozie, Matsuki?, 
Stewart, Archer, Juan? Brereton-Diaz?

For me we need atleast 4 signings in those areas, probably 5. I'm guessing some of Matsuki, Juan, Diaz also won't be here next season.

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

All this sounds positive - a clear out of the football dept top to bottom was needed and that’s what’s been delivered, with only Lallana (a late addition) remaining. Whether the new team works is obviously yet to be determined, however I don’t think we could have asked for a more decisive number of changes and the Championship is the best place for a new Management team to cut its proverbial teeth. Next job - get the squad sorted. I’m starting to get mildly excited to see where we go from here….roll on pre-season.

Strange that Lallana remains, inexperienced, but a good playing record. Someone at the club clearly rates him. 

[Saint Fan CaM]

2 minutes ago, Badger said:

Strange that Lallana remains, inexperienced, but a good playing record. Someone at the club clearly rates him. 

I think his admirers go back a long way to before his return to Saints - even Klopp reportedly gushed that he acted more like an assistant coach than player. I think he’ll act as a very good ‘bridge’ between Still and the players, plus I reckon he’s had very good prior exposure to the style of play Still expects.