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 yesterday at 22:27 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 

[Saint_clark]

Looking through the list of managers out of work it made me chuckle how every few names there's an ex-Saints manager from the last few years. 

Someone that did stand out immediately as a possibility was Thomas Frank, especially with his connections to Ankersen (I know) at Brentford. 

Another name that stood out but I know people will scoff at this, was Gareth Southgate. For me he would bring a respectability, a calmness and a togetherness that we need.

 

However, both of those are likely to be out of our reach now due to our damaged reputation. 

[benjii]

New GK

Bree- New CB - Wood/stevo - Man/Wel

---------Bragg--Downes/New------

Matski/Fellows-Azaz-Leo

Stewart/Larin/NEW

= HMS piss the league.

 

 

[Saint86]

8 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

Looking through the list of managers out of work it made me chuckle how every few names there's an ex-Saints manager from the last few years. 

Someone that did stand out immediately as a possibility was Thomas Frank, especially with his connections to Ankersen (I know) at Brentford. 

Another name that stood out but I know people will scoff at this, was Gareth Southgate. For me he would bring a respectability, a calmness and a togetherness that we need.

 

However, both of those are likely to be out of our reach now due to our damaged reputation. 

Southgate is probably the perfect opposite of tonda, son in law choir boy off the pitch, tactically inept on it, and a bottler to boot. No thanks.

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

8 minutes ago, benjii said:

New GK

Bree- New CB - Wood/stevo - Man/Wel

---------Bragg--Downes/New------

Matski/Fellows-Azaz-Leo

Stewart/Larin/NEW

= HMS piss the league.

 

 

My concern is that Bree and Stewart may want to get out of this shitfest, hopefully money talks and they stay.

Quarshie, may be needed and hopefully he would have improved a bit. 

[St Chalet]

I think we have a one year option on Stewart.

[sadoldgit]

On 21/05/2026 at 21:06, St Chalet said:

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.

“Fat” Sam Allardyce?

 

(Too soon?)

[benjii]

If Hull can go up this season, we can go up next season.

[sockeye]

Things to look forward to next season:

- We have an obscene amount of money for this division

- Some top players will unexpectedly stay

- Get to play Pompey again

- Get to play Boro again

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, sockeye said:

Things to look forward to next season:

- We have an obscene amount of money for this division

- Some top players will unexpectedly stay

- Get to play Pompey again

- Get to play Boro again

West Ham have £160m in outstanding transfer fees. Wolves are a mess and Burnley might have a worse season than last time.

Dragan has to go for it as far as PSR allows. Brum and Wrexham will be strong. 

[benjii]

3 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

West Ham have £160m in outstanding transfer fees. Wolves are a mess and Burnley might have a worse season than last time.

Dragan has to go for it as far as PSR allows. Brum and Wrexham will be strong. 

And Norwich, probably. I would see them as the likely best of the current crop.

[LGTL]

As much as it pains me, I hope Spurs survive tomorrow. They’d win this league comfortably. 

First part of the redemption is complete. Now we move forward. 

[Gloucester Saint]

Right, Hull have some their job and stopped Boro and Gibson in their tracks.

SR - over to you now to mend relations with our fanbase. I’d suggest spending up to last penny of PSR limits, a big name manager and the best loans in the division with the ambition of 100 points might be a basic starting point.

[St Chalet]

We have 4x derbies next year now to focus on.

[St Chalet]

The second half of our season proved that with an experienced core supplemented by emerging players who will use us a stepping stone we can have another square go next year. Lets be honest if we'd have bought an average keeper, a lump of a striker and gone with 4-4-2 from the off we'd have likely been 1st or 2nd with the players we had.

If you look at the 'stars' who will be transfer targets for other clubs they either have decent contracts or in the case of Leo a substantial release clause.

If the club want to win the fans back they should sort the contracts of Bree and Stewart quickly and if we do have an option to buy that wasn't promotion contingent on Larin, exercise it. Sort the goalkeeper, doubt it will be Peretz now but it can't be Bazunu.

[AlexLaw76]

Well, Pompey and Boro games are going to be tasty, all 4 will be on Telly no doubt.

 

[RedArmy]

Leeds won the league the year after spygate. 
 

Granted they kept their manager but still…

[Turkish]

tbh it’s weirdly it’s worked out pretty well for me. I wanted us to make the play offs, win the final and not go up. The only thing we didn’t do was win the final. Can’t have it all but nearly did. 

[RedArmy]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

tbh it’s weirdly it’s worked out pretty well for me. I wanted us to make the play offs, win the final and not go up. The only thing we didn’t do was win the final. Can’t have it all but nearly did. 

Me too. 
 

Bring on the skates twice again next season. Hopefully they sack off the bubble. 

[Turkish]

Just now, RedArmy said:

Me too. 
 

Bring on the skates twice again next season. Hopefully they sack off the bubble. 

With the added bonus that we’ve sacked off this inoffensive Southampton tag. I’d rather it wasn’t for being dickheads but quite enjoy everyone thinking we’re cunts.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

All this sack everyone stuff is ridiculous. We had a good season except for this one stupid thing. Keep as much as possible in place and go again, proving to everyone that the spying barely made a difference

[RedArmy]

4 minutes ago, Turkish said:

With the added bonus that we’ve sacked off this inoffensive Southampton tag. I’d rather it wasn’t for being dickheads but quite enjoy everyone thinking we’re cunts.

Yeah us against the world. 4 lively fixtures and the most exciting league to be apart of. 
 

Without knowing our manager and squad, what’s not to like. 

[Saint Fan CaM]

FFS - we’ve paid a huge price collectively for whatever you conceive that we’ve done. There does not need to be any further self-beating. Assuming Tonda is not banned by the FA and the players rally round, keep him…come out fighting.

[WinglessWonder]

3 hours ago, benjii said:

If Hull can go up this season, we can go up next season.

Spoiler alert, they can't 🤣

[WinglessWonder]

Well, I guess we know what our opening fixture is on the Friday night in August. 

The only question is whether it will be at SMS or the Riverside... 😁

[Dr Who?]

Not to many always for me next season

Boro, Burnley, Wolves, Derby, Birmingham, Sheffield United, Preston, Stoke, Blackburn, WBA and Bolton or Stockport. If they are on suitable days at suitable times. 

Out of that lot only Sheffield United is a new ground. For the boy 5. 

Then there will be the token home game when visiting family, either in the Summer, Christmas or Easter. 

Will also be fitting in a couple of new grounds around the priority fixtures above with Cambridge United. Blackpool & Barnsley.