EFL Championship Minus 4 points (AKA The Rebuild)

[St Chalet]

Been thinking about this the last few days. As a Saints fan of 40+ years it's  a case of how we move on, not that I move on, always has been.

I've tasted relegations, insolvencies, points deductions, Ali Dia and so much more. This has hit a bit harder as it was so preventable.

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory after a season that we should have been top two with the squad we had.

 

So, how do we rebuild?

 

1) Ownership - it has to change, either SR need to change their BS approach to running a club or sell up and let someone else have a bash. Literally if these clowns had bought a goalkeeper and a big lump CF playing in the Champ we would have been 1 or 2.  I's hope for option 2 and they sell up, we are a Prem team with infrastructure at a discount..

2) Leadership - Everyone involved has to go. Parsons, Spoors, Tonda and everyone else who knew, their shit stinks and we need to be clean.

3) Players - Completely let down. We need to hold on to as much of this squad as we can and buy / loan well for those that leave. I suspect THB and Leo will have big offers. Peretz won't be interested. Take the option on Ross Stewart, ditto Larin if we can. We have one last spin of the coin with the parachute payments boosting our income to do this. Build back with our classic mix of solid professionals and exciting academy talent.

4) The Narrative - Own it, we messed up, it was us, we are sorry to our fans, players and the wider community. Then build a siege mentality around ourselves against anyone who doesn;t accept that.

5) The fans - Compensate anyone out of pocket for anything they would have lost on Saturday. The club need to do everything they can to win back trust.

6) Culture - Stop with the we are smarter than you fucking mentality, by all means keep at the bleeding edge of sports science but please don't ditch 100+ years of good old-fashioned football nouse as a result.

It's the hope that kills you. But we've been in worse spots and we've come back stronger. COYS.

[AlexLaw76]

Big personalty of a manager. Not some kid, or ex-data guy, or some clever dude who has everyone scratching their head.

New CEO, new coaches, and in the next few weeks.

[St Chalet]

Agreed, just need an old-fashioned manager who runs the club, knows football and the players respect. Might be out of vogue but would be a step towards getting the fans back onside.

[S-Clarke]

We need adults at all levels.

SR either need to sell, or they need to bring in external investment and some new 'adults' to the table who understand how football works. The problem is, I don't even trust them to get that bit right. So, arguably, the best result is that they sell up and go entirely - but that's easier said than done.

We need to stop with this 'young and will improve' mantra, because it's rubbish and flawed. Everyone needs experience. Experienced coaches, analysts, scouts, directors, players. Sure, you can have young talent in and around it - of course,  but there has to be that balance. We've just gone head first into young and improve, this isn't for footballing purposes - it's for a conveyor belt of talent to fund their group. So, that needs to stop. 

The culture bit you've put is spot on. This 'we are better', 'the Southampton way' stuff needs to stop. We are not better. We are clearly one of the worst run clubs in the entire country. So, be realistic with the approach to slogans and and be honest with the fans on the expectations, we don't want PR and corporate fluff thrown down our throats any longer.

Build a team (directors, coaches, players) from top to bottom with adults, experience and talented young people throughout. You know, just like we had under Koeman, Adkins and Pardew. It's not rocket science, and our continuous desire to reinvent football has ended up breaking us entirely.

Edited Thursday at 20:20 by S-Clarke

[Miltonaggro]

43 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

We need adults at all levels.

SR either need to sell, or they need to bring in external investment and some new 'adults' to the table who understand how football works. The problem is, I don't even trust them to get that bit right. So, arguably, the best result is that they sell up and go entirely - but that's easier said than done.

We need to stop with this 'young and will improve' mantra, because it's rubbish and flawed. Everyone needs experience. Experienced coaches, analysts, scouts, directors, players. Sure, you can have young talent in and around it - of course,  but there has to be that balance. We've just gone head first into young and improve, this isn't for footballing purposes - it's for a conveyor belt of talent to fund their group. So, that needs to stop. 

The culture bit you've put is spot on. This 'we are better', 'the Southampton way' stuff needs to stop. We are not better. We are clearly one of the worst run clubs in the entire country. So, be realistic with the approach to slogans and and be honest with the fans on the expectations, we don't want PR and corporate fluff thrown down our throats any longer.

Build a team (directors, coaches, players) from top to bottom with adults, experience and talented young people throughout. You know, just like we had under Koeman, Adkins and Pardew. It's not rocket science, and our continuous desire to reinvent football has ended up breaking us entirely.

Agreed.  The problem is that Solak and Co. do not seem able to learn from their mistakes, or to comprehend the basics of strategy in terms of English football. Supporters at this club saw through Ankersen's bullshit with a few months of his arrival at the club, but Solak seems oblivious almost four years in (two relegations, tens of millions spent, and bad decision after bad decision).  Clearly, much of the decision making seems to flow from Ankersen's flawed modelling, regardless of the attempts to distance him from SFC - he's the group CEO for goodness sake.  This charlatan and the idiot Parsons is where Solak needs to start.  Maybe then convene a panel of genuine football people with experience of the high level game in England and put together a viable plan to rebuild Southampton.  It's not rocket science, the automatic promotion of Leeds and Burnley last year and Coventry City and Ipswich Town this, shows us that.

[Gloucester Saint]

4 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

Agreed.  The problem is that Solak and Co. do not seem able to learn from their mistakes, or to comprehend the basics of strategy in terms of English football. Supporters at this club saw through Ankersen's bullshit with a few months of his arrival at the club, but Solak seems oblivious almost four years in (two relegations, tens of millions spent, and bad decision after bad decision).  Clearly, much of the decision making seems to flow from Ankersen's flawed modelling, regardless of the attempts to distance him from SFC - he's the group CEO for goodness sake.  This charlatan and the idiot Parsons is where Solak needs to start.  Maybe then convene a panel of genuine football people with experience of the high level game in England and put together a viable plan to rebuild Southampton.  It's not rocket science, the automatic promotion of Leeds and Burnley last year and Coventry City and Ipswich Town this, shows us that.

Yep, Roy Hodgson as senior football consultant. Could also keep an eye on SR for the FA and EFL because they have to be regarded as a Chansiri/Sheff Weds risk.

Pulis on there as well - local, doesn’t want to work FT but a few hours a month would be OK. 

Cortese’s behaviour was erratic but people forget how much of a structure Reed put in place 2009-16 before he ousted Koeman and started believing his own shit around re-inventing football which is where the current disease started. 

The structure needs to return and SR are the bank and trading exchange with SFC as the clear anchor club.

EFL kicked the legs away, now they need to do the other side of their governance role and review SR’s ownership, insisting on all of the above for conditions of ownership and concerns over the professionalism of how a member club is run.

[St Chalet]

As much as a Cockwomble Pulis was, you'd love him if he were on your team.

[sockeye]

Fandab seems raring to go at least.

[saintant]

On 21/05/2026 at 21:18, S-Clarke said:

We need adults at all levels.

SR either need to sell, or they need to bring in external investment and some new 'adults' to the table who understand how football works. The problem is, I don't even trust them to get that bit right. So, arguably, the best result is that they sell up and go entirely - but that's easier said than done.

We need to stop with this 'young and will improve' mantra, because it's rubbish and flawed. Everyone needs experience. Experienced coaches, analysts, scouts, directors, players. Sure, you can have young talent in and around it - of course,  but there has to be that balance. We've just gone head first into young and improve, this isn't for footballing purposes - it's for a conveyor belt of talent to fund their group. So, that needs to stop. 

The culture bit you've put is spot on. This 'we are better', 'the Southampton way' stuff needs to stop. We are not better. We are clearly one of the worst run clubs in the entire country. So, be realistic with the approach to slogans and and be honest with the fans on the expectations, we don't want PR and corporate fluff thrown down our throats any longer.

Build a team (directors, coaches, players) from top to bottom with adults, experience and talented young people throughout. You know, just like we had under Koeman, Adkins and Pardew. It's not rocket science, and our continuous desire to reinvent football has ended up breaking us entirely.

I suspect the SR management team are well aware of their extreme limitations and probably don't want to bring in too many people who know a lot more than they do as they might end up doing themselves out of a cushy well paid job.

[saintant]

On 21/05/2026 at 22:27, Gloucester Saint said:

Yep, Roy Hodgson as senior football consultant. Could also keep an eye on SR for the FA and EFL because they have to be regarded as a Chansiri/Sheff Weds risk.

Pulis on there as well - local, doesn’t want to work FT but a few hours a month would be OK. 

Cortese’s behaviour was erratic but people forget how much of a structure Reed put in place 2009-16 before he ousted Koeman and started believing his own shit around re-inventing football which is where the current disease started. 

The structure needs to return and SR are the bank and trading exchange with SFC as the clear anchor club.

EFL kicked the legs away, now they need to do the other side of their governance role and review SR’s ownership, insisting on all of the above for conditions of ownership and concerns over the professionalism of how a member club is run.

Let's go for the 3 in the Uber Eats advert - Pullis, Big Sam and Pardew. They've obviously got nothing better to do 🙂

[saintant]

On 21/05/2026 at 22:17, Miltonaggro said:

Agreed.  The problem is that Solak and Co. do not seem able to learn from their mistakes, or to comprehend the basics of strategy in terms of English football. Supporters at this club saw through Ankersen's bullshit with a few months of his arrival at the club, but Solak seems oblivious almost four years in (two relegations, tens of millions spent, and bad decision after bad decision).  Clearly, much of the decision making seems to flow from Ankersen's flawed modelling, regardless of the attempts to distance him from SFC - he's the group CEO for goodness sake.  This charlatan and the idiot Parsons is where Solak needs to start.  Maybe then convene a panel of genuine football people with experience of the high level game in England and put together a viable plan to rebuild Southampton.  It's not rocket science, the automatic promotion of Leeds and Burnley last year and Coventry City and Ipswich Town this, shows us that.

If this latest debacle doesn't make the penny drop then I fear nothing ever will.

[Turkish]

Back to basics 

a manager who knows how to get out the championship 

players who know the championship 

use the loan market well

lose the arrogance 

Stop the bullshitting

announce the five pledges 

[macca155]

Totally agree we need experience in key positions . However without a thriving youth set up we really would be screwed. Look back the transfer fees that kept us going these past few years. Just find a sensible balance.

Crucially they need a name as manager. Plenty around and despite our current woes they'll fancy their chances. Dyche, O'Neil, Solskjar, Parker, maybe even good old Ralph

Players come and go, we've all seen it many times. Edozie sensibly sees an opportunity, as will Bragg, and Okunola. Get some experience in and they'll prosper.

For me the scandalous treatment of the fans and entitled behaviour, needs to be addressed. I still don't think they get it, but they will when season ticket holders switch to memberships.

[SouSaint]

A lot of pressure to get promoted next year. The financial picture if we find ourselves in the Football League without parachute payments is grim as fuck. 

SR about to serve up another shitstorm, no doubt about that. 

[Golactico]

For my money, the manager who fits the bill is Sean Dyche. I suggested him to replace Jones and people scoffed at the suggestion, but people need to get real. In the circumstances we currently find ourselves in, Dyche would probably be punching above our weight, if anything.

[Turkish]

8 minutes ago, Golactico said:

For my money, the manager who fits the bill is Sean Dyche. I suggested him to replace Jones and people scoffed at the suggestion, but people need to get real. In the circumstances we currently find ourselves in, Dyche would probably be punching above our weight, if anything.

We have done a lot worse *checks notes* every single other SR manager so is be happy with him but he’d think he could do better

 

[Thripp87]

15 minutes ago, Golactico said:

For my money, the manager who fits the bill is Sean Dyche. I suggested him to replace Jones and people scoffed at the suggestion, but people need to get real. In the circumstances we currently find ourselves in, Dyche would probably be punching above our weight, if anything.

Dyche was available when we sacked Ralph. If we had got him in then we would have never suffered the first relegation. Let alone the 12 point disaster.

Edited 7 hours ago by Thripp87

[Forester]

As the dust settles, we need quickly to move into next season thinking.  Given I am expecting lengthy ban from FA, Eckert isn’t a credible choice.  We will need to start well and quickly erase the four point deduction.  So a manager capable of quickly turning things around is a must.  Parker, Frank, Dyche or Cooper all fit the bill in my view.

We do have assets that we can sell without decimating the squad in my opinion.  The following would probably raise £75 million

Ramsdale, Bazanu,  Sugawara, THB, Charles and Brereton-Diaz.

 

That should be enough if we work well on incomings (which to be fair we have generally since Spors has been involved).  I believe Stewart has a one year extension we can trigger, both Bree and Edozie are out of contract and would be worth two year deals without paying a transfer fee.  I don’t know if the options on Perez and Larin were conditional on being promoted?

So we could enter next season with starting lineup something like:

Peretz, Bree, Wood, Stephens, Manning, Downes, Jander, Azaz, Scienza, Matsuki, Stewart.  Subs new goalkeeper, Welington, Quarshie, Bragg, Edozie, Fellows, Robinson, Larin, Archer

I suspect a few more will go, but equally we will bring in some new blood.  We will need to sign another centre back and central midfielder for a start.  But that should be more than good enough for top eight, and hopefully better than that, but still bringing in good money.

[benjii]

It doesn't need to be complicated.**

Experienced and/or "big name" manager.

Prioritise GK, CB and CM signings. Keep Larin, if possible.

We'll raise 60m for THB and Jander so no need to sell much more than that unless we get stellar offers for others.

 

** unless players manage to terminate their contracts, in which case it does need to be complicated