A new narrative on Sports Republic?

[NewYorkSaint]

No doubt they've deserved a lot of the hostility expressed by the fanbase these past couple years.  They took some big risks - for example gambling on untested young managers who offered analytically smart strategies, and pushing a multi-club strategy that would have been cool if it had worked, but... it didn't.   Not to mention a kind of panicked recklessness in some of the player purchases, resulting in a bloated, unmanageable squad. 

And yet, I wonder if history will judge them a little differently. It's not like they've learned nothing from their mistakes. The appointment of Johannes Spors looks inspired at this point. The squad has trimmed and supplemented with genuinely spectacular talent (Scienza, Azaz, Peretz), and that strategy of backing untested, but super-smart young managers? Well, that too is looking pretty different now. 

They never pulled the purse strings tight shut. They've always retained their belief in Southampton's potential... and if things transpire the way they might in the rest of this season, that faith could finally get rewarded with a longer return to the big leagues.

So far all the plaudits for the current amazingness are going to Eckert and the players... But SR undoubtedly contributed.  Anyone willing to join me in giving them a tentative thumbs up? 

 

[trousers]

I'm happy to give them praise when they get stuff right and flack when they get stuff wrong... There's been plenty of both during their tenure...

[Zorba]

A broken clock and all that.

Too early to tell whether they’ve just got lucky with Spors and Eckert, we’ll have to wait and see what happens when they both get poached.

[hypochondriac]

19 minutes ago, trousers said:

I'm happy to give them praise when they get stuff right and flack when they get stuff wrong... There's been plenty of both during their tenure...

Yep. They deserve big credit for getting Spors and then letting him do things his way. They can say all sorts of guff and they have done. What matters is results and performances and on that score they have finally got it right after Will Still and the signings this year have largely been decent.

[Patrick Bateman]

19 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Yep. They deserve big credit for getting Spors and then letting him do things his way. They can say all sorts of guff and they have done. What matters is results and performances and on that score they have finally got it right after Will Still and the signings this year have largely been decent.

Agree. They are still on a PIP with me. They need to keep every single good player, get Eckert tied down on a long contract and seriously back this current team. If we don't go up, they need to pull out everything to secure the same players and coaching team, who should be good enough to get promoted automatically next season. 

[SambaMaverick]

The goal, which they clearly set out, was to get promoted. It's been a great turnaround with some good moves from SR/Sports, but it was mostly undoing their own missteps.

The job isn't done, but I'm sure they'll get their plaudits if it gets done.

[Saint_clark]

2 hours ago, SambaMaverick said:

The goal, which they clearly set out, was to get promoted. It's been a great turnaround with some good moves from SR/Sports, but it was mostly undoing their own missteps.

The job isn't done, but I'm sure they'll get their plaudits if it gets done.

Their goal at the end of 5 years was to be in the Prem as stated by Russell Martin after promotion, and we're in year 3 of that plan now. Part of me hopes we don't go up through the playoffs this year, as if we can keep this side together for one more year I reckon we'll finally win a league.

[St. Ciervo]

It depends on what they can keep together and add this summer. This site will melt down if Baz is a projected starter at any point.

[Doctoroncall]

If you’re talking about SR then the abject failure of Valenciennes counts against them but Goztepe is a plus with promotion, just outside the Euro places this season. Saints worst points relegation is also a big failure. 
 

Only seen one positive player intra-transfer from the group - Matsuki, plenty of negatives. 

[Tamesaint]

5 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

Agree. They are still on a PIP with me. They need to keep every single good player, get Eckert tied down on a long contract and seriously back this current team. If we don't go up, they need to pull out everything to secure the same players and coaching team, who should be good enough to get promoted automatically next season. 

Let's wait until 1 September and decide then. If there is no FA cup, we are still in the Championship and our squad has been picked apart by the vultures then there will be little praise from me.