| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? 16:57 - Mar 15 with 5880 views | felly1 |
Russell Martin.. For not having a plan B?
Injuries... Flynn Downs, KWP, Fraser etc?
Poor performers in the team?
Recruitment?
Shoehorning?
Leeds and Leicester simply better than our team /squad. |  | | |  |
| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 10:34 - Mar 18 with 1345 views | saintwizzler |
| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 10:28 - Mar 18 by GRIM |
Agreed, Ralph had had enough & was wanting out ,
Why would anyone in their right mind
walk away when there's still a couple of years left on their contract.
He manipulated the sacking & has enjoyed a stress free period on full pay.
Managers & players (& agents) have got it absolutely made.
I've said it so many times the incentive is to fail. [Post edited 18 Mar 10:43]
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Spot on. |  |
| We thought that we had the answers,
It was the questions we had wrong. |
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| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 10:45 - Mar 18 with 1336 views | saints__fan__73 |
Martin's fault. He's underachieving giving the quality of our squad at this level.
The playing style he's imposing is hindering our chances.
It's interesting to watch City play and even they sometimes just clear the ball up field when under pressure. Our players act as if they will be fined 2 weeks wages if they ever do this. |  |
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| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 11:48 - Mar 18 with 1296 views | PatfromPoole |
| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 10:45 - Mar 18 by saints__fan__73 |
Martin's fault. He's underachieving giving the quality of our squad at this level.
The playing style he's imposing is hindering our chances.
It's interesting to watch City play and even they sometimes just clear the ball up field when under pressure. Our players act as if they will be fined 2 weeks wages if they ever do this. |
Leicester play in a very similar way.
Though they have the outlet of Mavadidi's pace as a Plan B.
We have Fast Kid, but he sadly can't control the ball. Otherwise, I would be very tempted to play him up front at Ipswich away and Leicester away against their slow defences. |  |
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| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 12:30 - Mar 18 with 1278 views | GRIM |
| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 10:45 - Mar 18 by saints__fan__73 |
Martin's fault. He's underachieving giving the quality of our squad at this level.
The playing style he's imposing is hindering our chances.
It's interesting to watch City play and even they sometimes just clear the ball up field when under pressure. Our players act as if they will be fined 2 weeks wages if they ever do this. |
Perhaps our squad is not quite as good as we all think it is.
Yes there's lots of technically decent players in our squad but most of them end up on the bench each week.
But we lack the necessary spine in the side.
Every side needs to build their side around a) Goalkeeper
b) Dominant Ctr Back
c) Ball winning, disciplined Defensive midfielder.
d) Prolific Goal scorer at ctr forward.
OK with JB & HWB @ ctr back were OK.
When FD is playing were OK in midfield.
But , we are lacking in the Goalkeeping & Ctr forward positions.
I know some quite rightly will argue that
AA fits the bill at ctr forward because we cannot knock his goal return but I still think he is poor in his decision making & ball retention.
As for Baz in Goal he has let us down particularly being beaten far too often with shots from outside the box, he's not big enough or dominant enough.
We do generally lack the size & physicality required in this lge. We get intimidated and bullied quite regularly.
We lack a leader, a on the pitch.
Neither JS or AA are leaders.
But the Managers insistence/ persistence in playing tippy tippy from the back is our biggest problem.
But at least we've enjoyed watching us win & entertain this season, we hadn't had that for a few seasons in Premier lge so it's not all bad. | | | |
| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 12:46 - Mar 18 with 1264 views | grumpy |
| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 12:30 - Mar 18 by GRIM |
Perhaps our squad is not quite as good as we all think it is.
Yes there's lots of technically decent players in our squad but most of them end up on the bench each week.
But we lack the necessary spine in the side.
Every side needs to build their side around a) Goalkeeper
b) Dominant Ctr Back
c) Ball winning, disciplined Defensive midfielder.
d) Prolific Goal scorer at ctr forward.
OK with JB & HWB @ ctr back were OK.
When FD is playing were OK in midfield.
But , we are lacking in the Goalkeeping & Ctr forward positions.
I know some quite rightly will argue that
AA fits the bill at ctr forward because we cannot knock his goal return but I still think he is poor in his decision making & ball retention.
As for Baz in Goal he has let us down particularly being beaten far too often with shots from outside the box, he's not big enough or dominant enough.
We do generally lack the size & physicality required in this lge. We get intimidated and bullied quite regularly.
We lack a leader, a on the pitch.
Neither JS or AA are leaders.
But the Managers insistence/ persistence in playing tippy tippy from the back is our biggest problem.
But at least we've enjoyed watching us win & entertain this season, we hadn't had that for a few seasons in Premier lge so it's not all bad. |
Absolutely agree with this. |  | | |
| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 13:03 - Mar 18 with 1252 views | GRIM |
| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 12:46 - Mar 18 by grumpy |
Absolutely agree with this. |
Glad somebody does Grumps. | | | |
| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 14:31 - Mar 19 with 1159 views | saint901 |
For me the blame for even getting into the playoffs, and ignoring what might happen there, lies with the ownership and those who set the football strategy.
A secondary cause is the manager and the players.
A club going to the Champ from the PL needs to take a cold hard look at their team and finances and decide if getting back to the PL is a necessary thing, something good to have but not necessary, or a longer term rebuilding exercise. In my view we have fallen between these objectives in our recruitment of manager and players.
We did not commit to a quick return by keeping our better players and buying quality. Instead we allowed quality to leave and replaced them with lesser players.
That was either the management dictating to the manager or the manager not being strong.
We found ourselves on a record breaking run (too many draws?) almost by accident as teams around us had bad patches. We have also had some fortunate refereeing decisions this term and scored a lot of 90+ minute goals. You can argue that teams make their own luck but for me, luck has certainly played a part in where we are now.
My disappointment with the manager continues. He took far too long to get "his" system in place and persisted with it for way too long when it was obvious that tippy tappy in our box was costing us a goal every other game. It's all very well playing like a PL side but we're in the Champ and need to play like a Champ side.
The manager still does not know his best side and his continued experiments with players like Mara and Manning and others (I'd put Smallbone into this group as well but I know that many here think he is good). do not make for a settled team. An unsettled team has less confidence in each other and the chosen tactics.
The manager has also failed to put that belief into the players that that can get promoted. I watched Leeds and Ipswich games this weekend and their players gave everything (OK Ipswich had an easy task but they could have easily stopped at 3). I don't see that with us. I don't see that player on the pitch driving on and pushing his team mates to do better. Instead I see the players look to the bench for ideas and inspiration.
I've said all season that RM is a few percent short of what we need and that few percent will be important if we are in the playoffs. If we play WBA who think "we've nothing to lose by going for it" I cannot see us having the spine to resist.
So if I were the management back in June 2023, would I have recruited RM? No.
If I wanted to go straight back, I would have gone for a manager with PL experience (Potter?)
If I wanted to have a chance but build for the future I might have gone for RM but not otherwise. | | | |
| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 15:52 - Mar 19 with 1087 views | GRIM |
| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 14:31 - Mar 19 by saint901 |
For me the blame for even getting into the playoffs, and ignoring what might happen there, lies with the ownership and those who set the football strategy.
A secondary cause is the manager and the players.
A club going to the Champ from the PL needs to take a cold hard look at their team and finances and decide if getting back to the PL is a necessary thing, something good to have but not necessary, or a longer term rebuilding exercise. In my view we have fallen between these objectives in our recruitment of manager and players.
We did not commit to a quick return by keeping our better players and buying quality. Instead we allowed quality to leave and replaced them with lesser players.
That was either the management dictating to the manager or the manager not being strong.
We found ourselves on a record breaking run (too many draws?) almost by accident as teams around us had bad patches. We have also had some fortunate refereeing decisions this term and scored a lot of 90+ minute goals. You can argue that teams make their own luck but for me, luck has certainly played a part in where we are now.
My disappointment with the manager continues. He took far too long to get "his" system in place and persisted with it for way too long when it was obvious that tippy tappy in our box was costing us a goal every other game. It's all very well playing like a PL side but we're in the Champ and need to play like a Champ side.
The manager still does not know his best side and his continued experiments with players like Mara and Manning and others (I'd put Smallbone into this group as well but I know that many here think he is good). do not make for a settled team. An unsettled team has less confidence in each other and the chosen tactics.
The manager has also failed to put that belief into the players that that can get promoted. I watched Leeds and Ipswich games this weekend and their players gave everything (OK Ipswich had an easy task but they could have easily stopped at 3). I don't see that with us. I don't see that player on the pitch driving on and pushing his team mates to do better. Instead I see the players look to the bench for ideas and inspiration.
I've said all season that RM is a few percent short of what we need and that few percent will be important if we are in the playoffs. If we play WBA who think "we've nothing to lose by going for it" I cannot see us having the spine to resist.
So if I were the management back in June 2023, would I have recruited RM? No.
If I wanted to go straight back, I would have gone for a manager with PL experience (Potter?)
If I wanted to have a chance but build for the future I might have gone for RM but not otherwise. |
You're right we've had our share of good luck this season.
There's an old adage in football saying that you get "Lucky Managers".
RM comes into that category he's got away with selections / substitutions & decisions that have been more luck than judgement.
But most of all he was very lucky to get this job, he certainly didn't have a record or pedigree to take us forward.
But ride your luck RM because you're going to need it.
As for Potter, yes I agree would have been good but there's no way we could afford him.
RM was a cheap option as we're most of our players.
But the club can only work within it's budget. (ask Everton & Notts Forest). | | | |
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| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 03:14 - Mar 20 with 987 views | TimSaint |
| If we end up in the Playoffs and blow it, Who's at fault? on 17:41 - Mar 15 by felly1 |
For me it will be recruitment.
We've brought in some decent players, particularly the loanees.
My issues are Charles, Mara and Baz cost over 30 million and only Baz is properly decent in some games but is too young, inconsistent and small?
The other two also have had their moments but at this level they should really shine.. The issue is they are perhaps too young to handle the pressure.
Ross Stewart.. Feel sorry for him but the club knew his track record with injuries.
Manning. He gets alot of stick, he's defensively suspect but he cost us zilch... But we should have brought in a better player and Manning should be the back up if Perraud clearly wasn't wanted or wanted to be here.
Larios was another likely expensive gamble that's not working out. |
We signed Larios for £6m, in the summer of 2022, so he was a Ralph signing.
In his time with us, he has amassed a whopping 5 appearances - none of which have been this season, so it's a little unfair to include him in your blame for this season's failings !! :-) |  |
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