Will Still Poll - Keep or Replace?

[trousers]

27 minutes ago, maysie said:

I've heard that Still has 5 games to sort it out or he’s gone and we have already spoken to a couple of managers apparently 

Oh, go on then.... "Source?"

🙂

[saints-til-i-die]

I hate the thought of having to make another change so I want to be patient but… my patience has run out after about 3 wins in 30+ matches. Still looks lost to me. Seems out of his depth. God I hope I’m wrong. This is a mess.

[maysie]

9 minutes ago, trousers said:

Oh, go on then.... "Source?"

🙂

Friend of a friend, who knows someone at the club so probably bullshit. My direct friend wouldn't make it up but don't know the other fella.

[trousers]

1 minute ago, maysie said:

Friend of a friend, who knows someone at the club so probably bullshit. My direct friend wouldn't make it up but don't know the other fella.

Cheers 👍🏻

[SaintsfanSwindon]

Needs more time but as others have said we have seen this many times before with managers not up to it and we have left them in place too long before getting rid. Minimum of 5 points in next 3 games or he will be on very thin ice. 

[maysie]

10 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

A mate of mine made a good point today. We got rid of a lot of our proven championship performers from our starting 11 but the replacements have been worse thus far. Smallbone, Aribo, Edozie, Bree have shown they can do a half decent job in this league. I understand why we have replaced them all but I do wonder how sensible a strategy it has been.

That's utter bullshit. 
 

 

 

 

 

i don't believe for one second that you have a 'mate'.

[BARCELONASAINT]

I have hated pretty much every minute of this season so far because we have been so poor and there has hardly been a flicker of light at the end of what seems a very dark tunnel. I look for partnerships on the pitch but i see none at all, just 11 strangers! I appreciate he has only had the new players for a couple of weeks now so i think WS deserves more time BUT no more than 5 league games. If there are not major improvements by then well i'm sorry it's time for him to go.

[HKsaint]

It’s time now. Rohl has been sacked. Russell Martin will also be sacked after the next game he loses. No mercy or sympathy. 

[6ft8saint]

14 hours ago, saintant said:

A single new player tends to take quite a few games before settling and demonstrating his true form. Will Still is trying to juggle introducing 5-6 new guys at the same time and blending them with others who suffered the trauma of last season so no easy task. Add in the fact that he is saddled with a goalkeeper who continues to make schoolboy errors and it is perhaps not surprising that things have yet to click into place. I was initially very angry about yesterday and the Pompey game but maybe there are mitigating circumstances in which case he needs more time and, to be fair, he's never said any different himself.

Why are we making excuses and justifying poor performance of managers and players. The talk is on pain from last season but on half of team are old 

[John B]

8 hours ago, EBS1980 said:

It’s too early. See where we are next international break.

How long until the fans turn on SR though? 

We just need time to rebuild we are not going y#to get anywhere in the short time with this group of players

[Paul_B]

There's no point replacing Still. Although he is shite, the players are also shite as are the coaching staff, the backroom staff, the clowns running the show, all shite! Us fans also need to take a bit of responsibility as we just sit back and accept it. 

A top to bottom clear out job is what is needed to help us in the long term, and this may well happen when we're in League 1.

[Roo1976]

13 hours ago, trousers said:

Sometimes, as a long suffering Saints fan, you get a hunch that a given manager isn't going to succeed. Nothing scientific, nothing logical, nothing rational, nothing tangible... Just a "been there, seen that, got the t-shirt" gut feeling, intuition, call it what you like.... I'm now getting that feeling with Still unfortunately.... Here's hoping I get to join the prestigious "glad my hunch proved to be unfounded" club at the end of the season. 

(But, as I said previously, there's no point in replacing him all the while the recruitment clowns at Sport Republic are still at the helm)

So who's around to put in a significant bid and future investment in the club moving  forward ? remember Sheff Weds? they thought they got a good un, but its all gone horribly wrong now, and it seems very difficult to resolve for them due to terrible miss management. Whilst our club owners have invested in the players,some good some bang average,their/his (Dragon) fault lies in the big decisions being made by the wrong people. I don't know how much money Dragon feels he has to offer the club before he thinks how much longer before we see some  significant return for what im putting in? He needs better informed directions of travel by those who make the bigger pictures a vision. He needs to be firm in what his goal is and not what those who in the know thinks they might be.................Sean Dyche for me, as it was before we got this one, who no one had heard of before, apart from those that think a manager who's reputation was playing a computer game as such was the ideal candidate for a team/club that for several seasons now is failing and wallowing in self pity.

[Lighthouse]

57 minutes ago, Paul_B said:

There's no point replacing Still. Although he is shite, the players are also shite as are the coaching staff, the backroom staff, the clowns running the show, all shite! Us fans also need to take a bit of responsibility as we just sit back and accept it. 

A top to bottom clear out job is what is needed to help us in the long term, and this may well happen when we're in League 1.

We’ve just got rid of 21 players and the manager. If you don’t consider that a clear out, I don’t know what is. The squad is decent, easily as good if not better than it was two years ago, Still just needs to do his job.

[Pamplemousse]

I thought after the Norwich game we'd turn the corner. May not be a bad thing that we've got 4 games in the next two weeks. Just need a decent performance and a result from somewhere.

The Middlesbrough game does feel a bit like the Leeds game two seasons ago.

Edited Monday at 09:10 by Pamplemousse

[saintant]

9 hours ago, 6ft8saint said:

Why are we making excuses and justifying poor performance of managers and players. The talk is on pain from last season but on half of team are old 

Not excuses just pointing out genuine facts. How many players settle in at new clubs from their first game? Answer, very few and most take a number of games to get up to speed - we have 5-6 new players Will Still is trying to integrate into new systems. I'm not saying he'll definitely get it right but he needs to be given a reasonable amount of time.

[leesaint88]

On 21/09/2025 at 10:00, Lighthouse said:

To be talking about sacking anyone after six games, after the massive upheaval in players we’ve had is absolutely silly. It’s frustrating but Still needs time to get what is a superb collection of individuals playing as a team. If we sack him now, the new guy would just be having the same problems.

Just for reference, this was our start to the season after building a new team in 2009, which is very much in line with two years ago, when it also seemed to click in early October.

Was at the Swindon game and still maintain it was the worst performance I've ever seen from a Saints team.

It'll click, but I think he needs to be settled with the back three/four and also get lucky with one of Archer/Armstrong/Downs/Stewart finding form.

[leesaint88]

44 minutes ago, Pamplemousse said:

I thought after the Norwich game we'd turn the corner. May not be a bad thing that we've got 4 games in the next two weeks. Just need a decent performance and a result from somewhere.

The Middlesbrough game does feel a bit like the Leeds game two seasons ago.

Very much so. Could certainly change things...

[Verbal]

On 21/09/2025 at 09:11, trousers said:

This ☝🏻

The 'replace' option needs to be split into two...

- Replace with someone of the same ilk (i.e. what Sport Republic would do)

- Replace with someone with the required experience and necessary gravitas (i.e. what Sport Republic wouldn't do)

In other words, there's little point voting for 'Replace' given we'd end up in the same boat under Sport Republic. 

We need a change of ownership. Pure and simple. 

I'd have also voted for "replace" if the options were:

Replace with someone good

Replace with someone bad

[S-Clarke]

1 hour ago, Lighthouse said:

easily as good if not better than it was two years ago, Still just needs to do his job.

I still don't buy this. We're way weaker than we were last time out in the Champ.

Stu Armstrong, Che Adams, Bednarek, KWP, Charly, Sulemana (yes, he was crap for us but better than anything we have now sadly) They were levels above anyone we can field now. And add in an undamaged Downes and THB, and Brooks etc after January we're in a different ballpark quality wise.

We've bought in Fellows, Azaz etc who are good players at this level - but they're not proven PL players like the core of our team had last time at this level. We now genuinely look like a Championship side full of Championship players in my eyes.

We also had the benefit of being able to start the season with JWP, Tella. Tella in particular contributed to a couple of our early wins against Sheff U and Plymouth.

[Andy Hill]

We are already playing catch up so losing to Boro on Saturday would surely be the end.

[saintant]

10 minutes ago, Andy Hill said:

We are already playing catch up so losing to Boro on Saturday would surely be the end.

We don't have to get promoted this season and it would probably be a blessing in disguise if we don't. The Premier league is great but you need to be ready for it. Maybe a 2-3 year plan to build a side and get there is a better bet for us - I'm not desperate to get back there immediately after last season's embarrassing debacle. Be careful what you wish for. Still may or may not prove to be a good manager for us but he should be given at least another 10 games and this clamour for an instant return to the big league isn't helping.

[tdmickey3]

2 minutes ago, saintant said:

We don't have to get promoted this season and it would probably be a blessing in disguise if we don't. The Premier league is great but you need to be ready for it. Maybe a 2-3 year plan to build a side and get there is a better bet for us - I'm not desperate to get back there immediately after last season's embarrassing debacle. Be careful what you wish for. Still may or may not prove to be a good manager for us but he should be given at least another 10 games and this clamour for an instant return to the big league isn't helping.

The clamour to get promoted has come from the club

[saintant]

2 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

The clamour to get promoted has come from the club

Well of course they will make promotion their aim but I just think the rush to get back to PL at all costs is misplaced. I understand all the stuff about parachute payments and the risk of becoming a club that stagnates in the Championship over time but we are in total reset mode and need time to build something sustainable. 

[Football Special]

18 minutes ago, saintant said:

We don't have to get promoted this season and it would probably be a blessing in disguise if we don't. The Premier league is great but you need to be ready for it. Maybe a 2-3 year plan to build a side and get there is a better bet for us - I'm not desperate to get back there immediately after last season's embarrassing debacle. Be careful what you wish for. Still may or may not prove to be a good manager for us but he should be given at least another 10 games and this clamour for an instant return to the big league isn't helping.

Sunderland already nearly have as many points as we got all season, need to stop making excuses for the loser mentality allowed within the club, I'm sure Sports Republic would love it if we all just put last year's embarrassment down to the Premier League being so tough poor Martin and the boys never had a chance. Should be aiming to get back there and give it a proper go 

[Mr X]

On 21/09/2025 at 09:04, Sheaf Saint said:

He may well go on to become a decent manager one day, given his age and the fact that he has time on his side.

But it's starting to become obvious that he is the wrong man for us at this moment in time. Yet another in a long line of failed SR experiments.

I don't think we can afford to give him any more time if we're serious about mounting a promotion challenge this season. It might well 'click' for him at some point. But by the time it does it will be far too late for us to salvage the season.

The only problem with getting rid now is that I have absolutely zero confidence in the ability of anyone within SR to identify the right replacement. 

Can we even afford to pay off yet another manager surely we are stuck with him at least for this season? 

[Mr X]

Think the main problem is yet again SR went with a manager who might have future potential rather than someone experienced in this league that could hit the ground running.... We are going to get two more humiliations with the scousers and borogh.... Can't see him getting the team to recover from that it could get toxic quickly 

[wild-saint]

On 21/09/2025 at 10:36, east-stand-nic said:

Unpopular opinion I suspect but for me, he is going to get sacked sooner or later and for me it is crystal clear he is out of his depth tactically. If we wait for another 4 or 5 games, we will be literally no better off. He has to go now. SR need to accept they got it wrong again, listen and hire someone with proven Championship experience. Bookmarked for 4 or 5 games time. 

 Bearing in mind we have pretty much half a new team playing in the last 2 games at which point did it become crystal clear? 

[Tamesaint]

46 minutes ago, Mr X said:

Can we even afford to pay off yet another manager surely we are stuck with him at least for this season? 

 

47 minutes ago, Mr X said:

Can we even afford to pay off yet another manager surely we are stuck with him at least for this season? 

At our current rate of managerial attrition if we sack Still we will be spending more on ex managers than on the first team! 😁😁😁

[east-stand-nic]

19 minutes ago, wild-saint said:

 Bearing in mind we have pretty much half a new team playing in the last 2 games at which point did it become crystal clear? 

The minute I (and many others) saw that this manager has no game plan, no tactical plan, not organised team ways. It is clear that he does not have a specific way of playing. He gives literally no coaching from the sidelines. New players have bugger all to do with it. They should be able to slot in to any team, just as most others have at other clubs within the first 6 games. All this bedding in nonsense is just that, nonsense. 

Edited Monday at 12:38 by east-stand-nic

[saintant]

1 minute ago, east-stand-nic said:

The minute I (and many others) saw that this manager has no game plan, no tactical plan, not organised team ways. It is clear that he does not have a specific way of playing. He gives literally no coaching from the sidelines. New players have bugger all to do with it. They should be able to slot in to any team, just as moat others have at other clubs within the first 6 games. 

But the new players haven't yet appeared in anything like 6 games which is the point some are making.

[east-stand-nic]

4 minutes ago, saintant said:

But the new players haven't yet appeared in anything like 6 games which is the point some are making.

It won't make any difference because, as I have just said again, there is no team tactics or set up for them to fit into. And have you not noticed in recent years not one player has improved three game with us. We are doing something very wrong somewhere with coaching. We take players who are proven at other clubs and with us they look clueless. Just saying what I see. 

[CamSaint]

6 minutes ago, Tamesaint said:

At our current rate of managerial attrition if we sack Still we will be spending more on ex managers than on the first team!

It would be interesting to know what the Ts&Cs were in the previous managers' contracts. All those who have been sacked by SR (Ralph, Jones, Martin & Juric) are currently employed at other clubs; Selles was released as his contract was up & Rusk was only ever an interim appointment. So I wonder whether we are still paying anyone off? Of course would have to pay Still off if he was sacked.......

[S-Clarke]

1 minute ago, east-stand-nic said:

It won't make any difference because, as I have just said again, there is no team tactics or set up for them to fit into. And have you not noticed in recent years not one player has improved three game with us. We are doing something very wrong somewhere with coaching. We take players who are proven at other clubs and with us they look clueless. Just saying what I see. 

I think it's hard to say right now. It looks non-cohesive and disjointed because we have a load of new players at once, so nothing quite looks joined up at the moment.

It's never as simple as buying the best players from everywhere and making a team, it takes time. They've got to understand each others strengths, weaknesses and all of that. Because of the turnover I think it's been hard to pin point a style or approach at the moment, I'd even say that during pre-season it was hard as we were working with players who were probably not going to be here in a few weeks.

The next month or two is where the action needs to backup the talk, this is the period of time where I think we will start to see the fruits and why I think ditching a manager at this point is an incredibly short sighted move.

If we get to the end of November and into December and we are 20th/21st, then I'll start joining the queue of people asking WTF is going on.

[east-stand-nic]

1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

I think it's hard to say right now. It looks non-cohesive and disjointed because we have a load of new players at once, so nothing quite looks joined up at the moment.

It's never as simple as buying the best players from everywhere and making a team, it takes time. They've got to understand each others strengths, weaknesses and all of that. Because of the turnover I think it's been hard to pin point a style or approach at the moment, I'd even say that during pre-season it was hard as we were working with players who were probably not going to be here in a few weeks.

The next month or two is where the action needs to backup the talk, this is the period of time where I think we will start to see the fruits and why I think ditching a manager at this point is an incredibly short sighted move.

If we get to the end of November and into December and we are 20th/21st, then I'll start joining the queue of people asking WTF is going on.

Yea I know this. But if you study the game plan and tactics, what are they? What is his style and plan? We don't look disjointed because we have new players. We looked the same before all those new signings came in against Wrexham. I cannot see what his tactics and plan are. I suspect the players cannot either. As I said before...let's bookmark this and see what happens in a couple of weeks or so. I hope to hell I am wrong but my head says I am not. I think he simply has no definitive plan. 

[saintant]

8 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I think it's hard to say right now. It looks non-cohesive and disjointed because we have a load of new players at once, so nothing quite looks joined up at the moment.

It's never as simple as buying the best players from everywhere and making a team, it takes time. They've got to understand each others strengths, weaknesses and all of that. Because of the turnover I think it's been hard to pin point a style or approach at the moment, I'd even say that during pre-season it was hard as we were working with players who were probably not going to be here in a few weeks.

The next month or two is where the action needs to backup the talk, this is the period of time where I think we will start to see the fruits and why I think ditching a manager at this point is an incredibly short sighted move.

If we get to the end of November and into December and we are 20th/21st, then I'll start joining the queue of people asking WTF is going on.

This is my take as well. Will Still has to be given time to work with the new players and integrate them into a formation that works. If after perhaps a maximum of 10 more games he hasn't done that then fair enough it will be time to look for a replacement.

[Paul_B]

3 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

We’ve just got rid of 21 players and the manager. If you don’t consider that a clear out, I don’t know what is. The squad is decent, easily as good if not better than it was two years ago, Still just needs to do his job.

Most of which shouldn't have been here in the first place but were unfortunately here due to the ineptitude of the idiots running us.

[Kenilworthy59]

1 hour ago, saintant said:

We don't have to get promoted this season and it would probably be a blessing in disguise if we don't. The Premier league is great but you need to be ready for it. Maybe a 2-3 year plan to build a side and get there is a better bet for us - I'm not desperate to get back there immediately after last season's embarrassing debacle. Be careful what you wish for. Still may or may not prove to be a good manager for us but he should be given at least another 10 games and this clamour for an instant return to the big league isn't helping.

The idea of building a team over a couple of seasons sounds ideal. But I am not sure it is possible to do that now, because players like Fellows and Azaz have not come here to finish mid-table. So come the summer we could be losing our best players and rebuilding again.

[stfrancisofbenali]

19 minutes ago, east-stand-nic said:

Yea I know this. But if you study the game plan and tactics, what are they? What is his style and plan? We don't look disjointed because we have new players. We looked the same before all those new signings came in against Wrexham. I cannot see what his tactics and plan are. I suspect the players cannot either. As I said before...let's bookmark this and see what happens in a couple of weeks or so. I hope to hell I am wrong but my head says I am not. I think he simply has no definitive plan. 

It does appear that Still is searching for a clear identity/plan and the players are therefore unsure of their jobs. Looking on the bright side, Azaz and Fellows were two of the leading assist creators in the league last season. Charles was in the Champ team of the season. Downes (F), Archer, Fraser, Armstrong and THB are all proven at the top end of this division so he has the tools at his disposal...but we have to remain patient.

[gio1saints]

47 minutes ago, east-stand-nic said:

Yea I know this. But if you study the game plan and tactics, what are they? What is his style and plan? We don't look disjointed because we have new players. We looked the same before all those new signings came in against Wrexham. I cannot see what his tactics and plan are. I suspect the players cannot either. As I said before...let's bookmark this and see what happens in a couple of weeks or so. I hope to hell I am wrong but my head says I am not. I think he simply has no definitive plan. 

Accurate observation. But what you are also saying is that he has not nailed his colours to any particular tactic or style of play. He has said from outset he will be Mr. Pragmatic. That sounds great when you win, but clueless  and value-less when you lose. 

After the paroxysms many experienced on this forum and on the terraces watching Saints under RM he’d be forgiven for avoiding the elephant trap of saying he wants to play this or that tactic or style of football. 
 

Being ideologically fixated is bang out of favour right now. Being flexible is the new cool thing. But losing is always unfashionable and frankly there’s not long left before SR do their own tactic of sack the Manager. If he gets to Xmas with decent points he is safe - but if we are still shit and void of ideas he will be out before the presents are unwrapped I reckon. 
 

I really wish not. I really wish he was given the time. But this is football and a bad run means the sack - not patience and support like perhaps in the old days. The “old days” when you could name the starting eleven from memory and players and managers did not change every season or even half or quarter season. It’s crap really. You barely get the time to know there name and there’s a new one. Ffs I wish they’d just slow down. 

Edited Monday at 13:42 by gio1saints

[Lighthouse]

3 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

I still don't buy this. We're way weaker than we were last time out in the Champ.

Stu Armstrong, Che Adams, Bednarek, KWP, Charly, Sulemana (yes, he was crap for us but better than anything we have now sadly) They were levels above anyone we can field now. And add in an undamaged Downes and THB, and Brooks etc after January we're in a different ballpark quality wise.

We've bought in Fellows, Azaz etc who are good players at this level - but they're not proven PL players like the core of our team had last time at this level. We now genuinely look like a Championship side full of Championship players in my eyes.

We also had the benefit of being able to start the season with JWP, Tella. Tella in particular contributed to a couple of our early wins against Sheff U and Plymouth.

If you’re going to try and claim Sully, who has done f**k all at any point in his Saints career, is a better option than two of the Championship’s highest rated talents in Fellows and Azaz then I’m not sure what you’ve been drinking. What do you mean an ‘undamaged Downes and THB’? They haven’t been whacked with a wrench. I’d also take Dibling and Fernandes over JWP and Tella, any day, not that it counts for much,

The fact that Edozie, Aribo and Smallbone, who were all regulars in our promotion team, can’t get a game now should tell you something about the players we’ve got now.

KWP is a better than Roeslev, that’s about the only place I’d say we have a downgrade. The rest is as good or better.

[spyinthesky]

Just a thought about the suggestion of a change in Manager.

When Lawrie McMenemy took over from Ted Bates, Saints were in a relatively healthy position in the First Division.

Results were poor and we ended up being relegated but Lawrie kept his job and the club went onto to much better days.

Those in power generally pick up the spirit of players better than us supporters.

If team spirit is at a low ebb and the players dont respond to the Manager that's when a change becomes necessary.

[bugenhagen]

18 minutes ago, gio1saints said:

I really wish not. I really wish he was given the time. But this is football and a bad run means the sack - not patience and support like perhaps in the old days. The “old days” when you could name the starting eleven from memory and players and managers did not change every season or even half or quarter season. It’s crap really. You barely get the time to know there name and there’s a new one. Ffs I wish they’d just slow down. 

Look on the bright side, you have had more than enough time to learn the names Bazunu and Stephens, and they are here to stay 😉

[Holmes_and_Watson]

3 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

I still don't buy this. We're way weaker than we were last time out in the Champ.

Stu Armstrong, Che Adams, Bednarek, KWP, Charly, Sulemana (yes, he was crap for us but better than anything we have now sadly) They were levels above anyone we can field now. And add in an undamaged Downes and THB, and Brooks etc after January we're in a different ballpark quality wise.

We've bought in Fellows, Azaz etc who are good players at this level - but they're not proven PL players like the core of our team had last time at this level. We now genuinely look like a Championship side full of Championship players in my eyes.

We also had the benefit of being able to start the season with JWP, Tella. Tella in particular contributed to a couple of our early wins against Sheff U and Plymouth.

 

2 hours ago, Football Special said:

Sunderland already nearly have as many points as we got all season, need to stop making excuses for the loser mentality allowed within the club, I'm sure Sports Republic would love it if we all just put last year's embarrassment down to the Premier League being so tough poor Martin and the boys never had a chance. Should be aiming to get back there and give it a proper go 

These, with bells on.

We are weaker than we were in our last promotion. SR's recruitment policies on players and staff have weakened us window after window.

We went into that PL season with a weaker team than the one that got relegated, persevering with a system that was out of it's depth from the first game. We went down because we were incompetent, never mind the other teams.

[Miltonaggro]

I know that we were in for Rohl prior to appointing Juric, and that there was an agreement to revisit at the end of the season, so you have to assume that Spors had a big hand in the decision to appoint Will Still.  My first reaction was negative, but on looking at his solid if not spectacular record at Lens and the amount of interest elsewhere managed to convince myself he was worth a chance.

The thing that has worried me since is that ever since appointment the bloke has looked like a rabbit in the headlights, very little presence or confidence, whether it's on club media, press conferences, or the videos of training.  I get that it's a big job for a 32 year old without any playing pedigree or managerial experience in the English leagues, but it's also a job that needs someone who can enthuse, galvanise and build confidence.  I like the bloke and it's a great story, but I hope that the posts above mentioning that he has a limited number of games to click is correct.  You have to admire Sheffield United in this regard, as soon as it's clear that the experiment hasn't worked they opt for surety in this league.  If we do pull the trigger on Still in the coming weeks we need to do the same - Rohl or Carrick the most obvious replacements. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, spyinthesky said:

Results were poor and we ended up being relegated but Lawrie kept his job and the club went onto to much better days.

Yeah, but Laurie had pedigree & had done a couple of decent jobs in this country. He also didn’t learn his trade playing Subbuteo with his brothers. He was a leader of men, and more importantly, wasn’t ginger. 

Edited Monday at 15:23 by Lord Duckhunter

[OldNick]

17 hours ago, maysie said:

Friend of a friend, who knows someone at the club so probably bullshit. My direct friend wouldn't make it up but don't know the other fella.

Probably the same bloke who put in the Echo that the Skates were staying in hotels in Southampton and were going to cause mayhem in the pubs during the game lol

[OldNick]

4 hours ago, Andy Hill said:

We are already playing catch up so losing to Boro on Saturday would surely be the end.

Frankly do you really wnat to go up with this squad? to me they wouldnt get 5 points next season.

[OldNick]

3 hours ago, Football Special said:

Sunderland already nearly have as many points as we got all season, need to stop making excuses for the loser mentality allowed within the club, I'm sure Sports Republic would love it if we all just put last year's embarrassment down to the Premier League being so tough poor Martin and the boys never had a chance. Should be aiming to get back there and give it a proper go 

Sunderland did not have their hands tied withthe PSR we have had from the previous seasons spending. They have basically bought a whole new team of strong athletic, mobile and determined players. Their profile of player is nothing like the ones we chase, they are not looking to spin for a profit on player sales like the focus is on us with buying

[OldNick]

25 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Yeah, but Laurie had pedigree & had done a couple of decent jobs in this country. He also didn’t learn his trade playing Subbuteo with his brothers. He was a leader of men, and more importantly, wasn’t ginger. 

And they way LM started you would have called him a thick Geordie and marching up and down as a guardsman. Social media was unheard of then, the clubs board were strong and resisted untold pressure and kept him, the rest is history

[AlexLaw76]

8 minutes ago, OldNick said:

Sunderland did not have their hands tied withthe PSR we have had from the previous seasons spending. They have basically bought a whole new team of strong athletic, mobile and determined players. Their profile of player is nothing like the ones we chase, they are not looking to spin for a profit on player sales like the focus is on us with buying

We spent a fair whack last summer