| News Comment | Southampton At Fulham The Verdict at 14:34:10
Despite having completed almost half the season, I'm still hopeful that we haven't yet realised and identified all our players with the quality and aptitude for the Premier League. Too much time has been wasted on the likes of Stephens, Smallbone and Armstrong. Hopefully the new manager can find in our squad stronger choices with maybe Onachu and Bella-Kotchap just two examples. to start us off. I can only re-iterate what I believe is the massive damage RM has been allowed to inflict on our Premier League prospects, and like others here, wish Ivan 'all the best'- he has some task to perform!! |
| News Comment | Southampton V Fulham The Preview at 13:18:12
Fair point highfield - but do we honestly think that our new manager has actually seen any of our players in action in order to judge them and be aware of their relative strengths? And the masses that make up the non playing section of our largzly anonymous squad - will he have a clue where the extra potential lies? Ross Stewart was to be the striker we needed - can the new manager do anything about that, Sports Republic have managed to create such a mess that even if the talent is actually there that it will be months before the new Boss can get to grips with the real situation at St Marys - and we dont have 'months' if we are still looking to stay in the Premier League. The one consolation Martin has gone!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| News Comment | Southampton Said To Be Close To Agreement For Russell Martin Replacement at 13:48:00
Good luck to the guy. He's never been outside of Italy so presumably he knows the Premier League clubs well. How on earth can he select a team when he hasn't ever watched any of our massive squad? We need results to improve quickly so maybe he will just play by numbers? you have to admire SpĂ´rts Republic - they certainly know how to inspire confidence!! |
| News Comment | Southampton Said To Be Close To Agreement For Russell Martin Replacement at 11:02:18
Sports Republic have had weeks or even months to prepare for this decision. If they hadn't wasted so much time on Russell Martin we could have acquired a half decent replacement. I'm sure the players will be really excited to learn thechoice of manager - Dibling in particular. I guess the truth is nobody wanted the Saints job - it pains me to say it but can you blame them! |
| News Comment | Southampton V Liverpool The Carabao Cup Verdict at 11:55:06
"So a night when pride has been restored," I wouldn't go that far! Perhaps things took a step in the right direction. We were playing a Liverpool side devoid of many of their star players and the first half we were very poor indeed.. Liverpool made more changes in the second half and at least we took advantage of this situation and put in a good fight. Nick is suggesting that we might just win the next three matches and at least the players selected should be free to play to their strengths. I for one just don't see the quality there and although things may see a temporary improvement, it is clear we are going to lose Dibling, and the Championship is the most appropriate place for our current squad of players. |
| News Comment | Southampton V Liverpool The Carabao Cup Preview at 09:23:08
Well lets hope we are not 1-0 down within the first 60 seconds! My concern for the Liverpool match is the defence and the little effective protection they get from our midfield. The new manager needs to decide on his best defensive set up and let the players get used to playing together. Every match its been something different which must have been so confusing for the players. If indeed we do have some Premier league quality players then what better chance for them to prove it and start earning those inflated salaries and purchase prices. |
| News Comment | Southampton Linked With Ex Danish National Team Manager at 08:05:41
Surely Sports Republic have had weeks and weeks to plan for a replacement for Martin? The only logical answer is Graham Potter although I'm not sure what even he could do with the mostly Championship standard squad that we have! As Colburn suggests there is at least time to restore some pride and learn the habit once again of performing well and winning matches. I would imagine Potter knows our squad better than any other of the candidates which must surely rule out any chance of recruiting help from abroad? But this is Sports Republic. |
| News Comment | The First Bookies Favourite Has Emerged For Southampton Manager at 17:40:48
To be honest I would feel sorry for any one of the contenders as our new manager. The squad is so large and Martin's favourites so divorced from most other people's choices (which would include many disillusioned expensive signings) that it will take an eternity to sort out the mess. All a new manager can do is abandon Rusball, choose experienced defenders and reinvent the theory that in order to score goals you need to have more than one player in the box! The players need to clear thier minds of Martin's nonsense and play with energy and to their strengths. God knows what difference this will all make but oh what a relief to see the back of Martin - that fact alone must be worth a few points at least! |
| News Comment | Southampton V Tottenham Hotspur The Verdict at 10:04:05
I am still puzzled as to why many of Martin's squad spoke out in favour of their manager and his style of play. Did they honestly believe they could achieve success playing the Martin way? Or were they just protecting their inflated positions in a squad order that was already far too large and full of overpriced and overhyped players.. It is insane that our football club continues to pay ridiculous wages to so-called footballers that rarely play for us or have never achieved anything at St Marys. In preference to our expensive purchases Martin went for his favourites like Stephens, Armstrong, Smallbone and Manning . Reliable and faithful to their manager but clearly not to the playing quality needed to survive in the Premier League. Martin's arrogance and determination to prove himself the second coming of Pep Guardiola was all that mattered. We are left with a confused assortment of would be footballers who's careers with Saints have been sacrificed for the sake of Martin's ego. What chance has an incoming manager of unravelling the unparalleled mess left behind by Martin and SR with our players selected by different coaches, for different reasons,and to play different styles? |
| News Comment | Southampton FC Sack Russell Martin at 08:27:39
Apart from the stubborn arrogance of Russell Martin, the most frightening happening from last night was the performance of individual players hand picked by Martin to win matches in the Premier League. If those were our BEST eleven players on the pitch last night then heaven help ANY new manager. Embarrassing and totally pathetic. |
| News Comment | Russell Martin Suggests That Agent Is The Problem In Dibling Contact Talks at 11:43:18
Tyler Dibling has a real future - as did Chivers and Channon; Martin Chivers a standout performer at a very early age! . Why would Dibling want to restrict his development by playing for a tippy tappy manager who has his team firmly rooted bottom of the Premier League and Championship fodder for next season. This is part of the price you pay for having SR and the clown Martin. |
| News Comment | Southampton Planning To Keep Faith With Russell Martin But Why ! at 11:34:29
Sorry Stmichael but thats only part of our story. I dont remember too many fans demanding the removal of Poch or Koeman for example. Managers come and go and thats life - even the Chelsea's of this world play the same game. The only thing misguided at St Marys at the moment is Sports Republic and their choice of manager. If you honestly belief that we were promoted only BECAUSE of Martin's contribution then you are the one who is misguided. There are many clubs you call 'small time' that are doing far better than us. , You talk of embarrassment! How can you be anything other than embarrassed about our performance under the stobborn Martin this season? Bournemough and Brighton have already left us far behind as the pride of the south coast. , You will soon see us in the same league as a fast improving Portmouth side and we will sadly soon trail them too. So lets let it all happen the Stmichael way - do nothing and retreat to becoming a mid table Russell Martin Championship side with all our promising players leaving for better opportunities! Surely that wont be to the "detriment" of the Club?!!!! |
| News Comment | Southampton Planning To Keep Faith With Russell Martin But Why ! at 10:53:38
"So what will change in these next 5 games, will Russell Martin suddenly change his tactics ?" Of course he wont change, and with one or two good players back in his side we could expect to earn or fluke a few points to encourage SR to believe that the Martin Miracle is underway.. Up to now the fan base has done nothing at the games to encourage SR to believe that all is not well. 3000 still attend away games and St Marys will always be full.. There is little or no sign of any protest except on the bulletin boards. Tottenham are our next opponents and have had a bad run of results recently so there's a fair chance that they will bounce back against us. However we will surely pick up a few points over the Christmas period and apparently the bulk of our fans will be satisfied with that. ; Nothing short of a massive and decisive demonstration against Martin. will prompt any action from the Board. It doesn't look as if any protests will be forthcoming to worry anhybody- so we deserve what we get - SR and Russell Martin. |
| News Comment | Southampton At Aston Villa The Verdict at 17:15:12
We managed a grand total of ZERO shots on target in the entire match. Presumably Lumley's kick clearance which our much respected manager blamed for the goal that we gave away, was also responsible for having nobody on the pitch prepared to take a shot at goal in case the same respected manager insisted that they should pass and pass and walk the ball into the goal. If Martin is not sacked Monday then surely its time the fans protested in such a way that SR are left with no option but to get rid of him. It may be too late to save our position in the Premier League, but at least we can enjoy going to matches again, watch some proper football and maybe, just maybe realise that some of the lads Martin despises because they dont suit his style, might not be so bad as the current manager thinks! |
| News Comment | Russell Martin Turns On The Fans And Players at 12:14:25
Well spoken Nick. Presumably the fans were also responsible for the fact that we managed ZERO shots on target all game If we do in fact possess a few decent players, other than the two or three obvious stars, this rigid tippy tappy system will never give them a chance to demonstrate any ability or creativity that they may just have.. Martin's reaction to Lumleys kick up field is proof, as if we needed it, that the players are scared stiff to use their own nitiative or risk crossing the manager. The man is obsessed with his own self-importance and should NEVER be in charge of a Southampton team ever again. With Martin gone - who knows we might even discover some hidden gems amongst our playing staff! |
| News Comment | Enough Is Enough ! Russell Martin Has To Adapt Or Go ! at 12:56:54
"But we have been watching a team that has no leadership, it is being forced to play a possession football game to a level that it is not capable of and that has lead to countless mistakes where possession has been easily conceded and goals given away that really should have been avoided." Nick All this is very true but the time for this stubborn prat to go was weeks ago because he will NEVER never change and at St Marys he will NEvER never have the quality playere he would need to make his system work. Of course it was always likely that we would lose to Chelsea with three of our key players missing but for Martin to suggest that we had six 'brilliant' players on the night borders on soccer insanity. To persist, as he will try to do, with Stephens as our responsible leader only confirms that this fool of a manager is way out of his depth. Apparently we play some brilliant football at times and Martin has acquired a small but significant number of admirers amongst the Premier League managers and some football journalists and ex-players. Even more amazing to me is the lack of vocal protest from our fans perhaps giving both directors and Manager the impression that many are still behind Sports republic and support keeping Martin on as manager. Martin is not wholly responsible for this utter mess. But his tactics will rarely favourably affect the outcome of a football match; his chosen Captain clearly illustrates his clueless appreciation of what is required on the pitch; whilst his team selections shoehorning his favourites into positions that simply demand the impossible.. , What more does he have to do to warrant an immediate exit from St Marys? |
| News Comment | Southampton At Brighton The Verdict at 11:08:26
The incredible fact remains that despite our feeble points total from 13 matches, there are still 5 other teams struggling, in poor form and well within catching range. In the first half the players continued along the Martin suicidal tippy tappy path making us look easy pickings for a heavy defeat. In the second half tactics changed somewhat and we made progress forward much quicker. Sadly I expect the manager to return to the possession football just as soon as the opportunity occurs. My second grouse is that Martin still hasn't made use of some potentially effective players who dont naturally suit his style of play. Martin likes to praise them all, apply ridiculous and childish nicknames , and the revert back to his few favourites at the expense of some potentially better talent confined to the bench or maybe not even that close! With a handful of football managers and commentators singing his praise, and a point here and a point there, Martin has no need to change. A convincing defeat against Chelsea will surprise nobody with so many absent players to offer in his defence. Like it or not, we are stuck with Martin, and I fear that the opportuniy to replace him may well have passed. |
| News Comment | Southampton At Brighton The Verdict at 10:56:35
The incredible fact remains that despite our feeble points total from 13 matches, there are still 5 other teams struggling, in poor form and well within catching range. In the first half the players continued along the Martin suicidal tippy tappy path making us look easy pickings for a heavy defeat. In the second half tactics changed somewhat and we made progress forward much quicker. Sa |
| News Comment | Southampton At Brighton The Verdict at 10:56:34
The incredible fact remains that despite our feeble points total from 13 matches, there are still 5 other teams struggling, in poor form and well within catching range. In the first half the players continued along the Martin suicidal tippy tappy path making us look easy pickings for a heavy defeat. In the second half tactics changed somewhat and we made progress forward much quicker. Sa |
Please log in to use all the site's facilities | | JoeEgg
|
Site ScoresForum Votes: | 7 | Comment Votes: | 1015 | Prediction League: | 0 | TOTAL: | 1022 |
|