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01 Oct 2024 09:35:04
Well, last night was a total embarrassment.
The rest of the Premier League must be laughing at us and calculating that 2 matches against Southampton this season will probably yield 6 points. I will be watching our away games at Arsenal and Man City from behind the sofa.
Hopefully RM will be sacked before November but he will be ok. In his world he is doing a great job.
Actually he is ruining our club and not helping a generally honest but uninspiring bunch of players.
He didn`t recognise the team last night. Well, if you play 2 of our brightest young talents out of position at the top of the team and 2 doubtful loanees out wide what can you expect? Over £65M worth of forwards on the bench.
Maybe I am a dinosaur but what is wrong with playing a wide player who can cross a ball/a tall centre forward/quick small striker alongside. OK Le Tissier/Beattie/Pahars not available but Dibling / Onachu / Armstrong are.
Oh and perhaps most important of all stop fiddling around at the back. Pleased to see Ramsdale is looking to play longer balls - just needs a centre forward to aim at.
Something has to change pretty quick otherwise we will make history as the worst PL team ever.
27 Apr 2024 19:02:14
I think Lesleee was assuming that we would beat Stoke this afternoon.
It is easy to be wise after the event but in view of our form over the last week that was not a given.
I think all we learnt from this afternoon is that we can`t rely on fringe players.
Brookes, Mara, Sulemana, Bree and Charles do not inspire confidence. Edozie and Fraser were almost OK today but rarely any end product.
It will take a miracle to win the playoffs and as I said previously, it is more likely that justice will be done and the top 3 all go up this year.
A season of missed opportunity (and clear cut chances).
We can wave goodbye to Downes, TBH and KWP.
Adams and Stu would be advised to get one last payday elsewhere.
I fear for next season as a result of how things have unfolded since Bristol City stood up to us.
1.) 27 Apr 2024 19:31:37
The reality is we are more likely to be involved in a relegation battle next season than a promotion battle.
When the players return to their parent clubs and others leave, we will have the look and feel of a League 1 outfit.
There is no leadership on the pitch, no bravery and no guile. Our possession based football is pointless and next season every other team will know how to set up against us.
We had a golden opportunity this season and unless there’s a miraculous turnaround, we’ve blown it.
To hear Right Moron claiming he’s tired and his mum is worried about him is incredulous. It’s totally embarrassing and if the board don’t take the logical step of sacking him, then shame on them.
Almost past caring now - how bad is that?
2.) 27 Apr 2024 22:40:48
Millertime .
Have you noticed that when something goes wrong, RM posts something that’s takes the attention towards himself .
the 0-5 loss . it’s all my fault I should have played stephens .
blah blah .
maybe his mum could phone him up and tell him to stop blagging . to stop the rhetoric nonsense.
I found it bizarre that in his whole playing career, not a single team paid a single penny for him .
umpteen loan’s etc ., god was he that irritating that they all wanted shot of him .
Google it .is RM the only player in history to never command a single transfer fee .
Well I’d pay 1p to send him to the school of ‘overinflated egos’!
The reality is (and I’ve posted it before) that there are many players who have not been allowed to play their natural game, have had their natural game quenched.
I would love to see some of our attacking players under a different manager .
I don’t think another manager would have loaned out Alcaraz, wouldn’t have given big paul a chance, would have loaned out Perraud (even worse! #^^€ $$€%% to give manning a starting place! )
Jones was ‘rather strange’ . but RM is deluded …
How can you think 60%+ possession against Leicester is good, while losing 5-0 while not registering a single shot on goal .
Stoke . half the possession, more shots, 3x the shots on target …
Even Billy bloggs managing the local pub team would think… I need to change this .
As per Ed001’s post earlier . imagine saints players allowed to do what they like!
I end my usual rants with the words of the weekend commentator .
I’ve seen more forward passes than a game of rugby!
I am expecting RM to be sacked when we don’t win promotion …
He will say, ‘but we had 69% possession, how can you sack me ., ‘
23 Apr 2024 22:00:29
Well that was embarrassing
The gulf between us and Leicester was immense.
9-0 again looked a possibility at one point.
67% possession. Not a shot at goal.
RM looked like a rabbit in headlights.
What is the point of Brookes? Does Edozie ever do anything when brought on?
Hardly good preparation for the playoffs.
Surely whoever finishes third will deservedly go up this year.
It is going to be grim next season.
1.) 24 Apr 2024 11:47:26
67% possession, 721 passes to Leicesters 361 and not a shot on target …
You can analyse as much as you like, But that is it in a nutshell. And as for Russell Martin to say that we were competing in the game… We had a good one minute spell after halftime, Other than that, I enjoyed watching Leicester play!
07 Oct 2023 22:19:58
Another reality check!
So after a reasonably sound performance at Stoke (hardly brilliant as RM stated), we mess up again and don`t get an easy 3 points today.
Good start but, as so often, the longer the game goes on the more we lose the initiative. All this possession football is supposed to tire the opposition out but they still looked full of running to me.
First substitutions added very little and inevitable mistake at back is punished. Waste of time (again) bringing on those game changers Mara and Aribo,
Shame we could not swap goalkeepers with Rotherham and as many are saying Manning HAS to go. Give Bree a chance and switch KWP as I suspect a 19 year old Larios if ever fit is not going to solve LB problem. Crying shame Perraud not kept.
Quarter of the season gone. we are 9 points above the bottom 3. we are 11 points behind the top 2.
If we can`t beat Rotherham we will need to look down the table rather than up. Difficult away games coming after international break.
St Michael's banter posts with other poster's replies to St Michael's banter posts
08 Nov 2025 20:08:39
Well how pleasant to see 2 wins.
Not brilliant but a little bit of application and luck helped.
Hopefully SR won`t get carried away and appoint Tonda.
Let`s face it, strange decision to change goalkeepers and with 2-1 half time score today surely Joe Aribo should have come on rather than a debutant (albeit he did ok - bit risky with our ability to ship goals.
Take your time SR and make the right appointment for a change and no matter what it costs find a decent No 9 in January.
1.) 08 Nov 2025 20:50:05
I agree, I've said it before, don't dismiss the managerial bounce affect.
There's a chance tonda will come good, but he has to be assessed on the next few games and possibly any influence he has towards January signings if he's still doing the job by then.
The danger we have is if we win a few games with him it has potential to turn into another Selles situation.
Board need to be actively looking for the right man, of the right man is tonda, fine, but don't just give him the job because a few results go his way.
Whoever it is has to be the man to build something, a team/vision/identity that leads us on for the next few years.
2.) 09 Nov 2025 02:00:46
The WHEEL HAS BEGUN TO TURN (thank goodness) .With respect to future Managers’, as we are in such a precarious position right now as many others. have indicated would be a tad early to consider to do (despite his good work to date) .Assuming that Lampard, Robins and Rosenior have backheeled us maybe the potential appointment of Gary O’Neil could have ramifications with some supporters concerned about his previous Pompey links.With the current favoured pool of Candidates diminishing rather quickly and ( barring the capture of an ELITE COACH from ABROAD) I believe the safest pair of hands would easily be MICHAEL CARRICK followed by 3C’somigos CORBERAN, COOPER and CARSLEY all of whom could step up and hold their own in the PREMIER LEAGUE should we be afforded that opportunity. KOM,
02 Nov 2025 09:50:19
Yesterday was another new low.
Talk all week was about fighting back/improved finishing/stop giving soft goals away.
Well that worked didn`t it?
Passive back 5 at home. Azaz can`t control a ball. Fellows predictably dribbles into traffic. Did Downes touch the ball?
Bad recruitment. Bad tactics. It`s got to change. Another short term policy is needed.
We are in a relegation battle and it`s time for an old fashioned pragmatic Manager and some players in January who have some experience. We are expecting too much of promising youngsters who need to be used more sparingly.
Still hasn`t had `enough time to fix things`, but yesterday showed again we are going backwards. Act now SR!
1.) 02 Nov 2025 17:27:05
Rumour I have heard is that spors is actually the one selecting the team, Still can only do tactics with what he has been told to play. I really hope it’s not true, but might explain our recent recruitment and management style/ decisions. At this point some honesty from the board in what they are actually doing to improve this is vital.
2.) 03 Nov 2025 10:24:27
Found an interesting old quote from a Les Reed interview during the Koeman/Puel era, in regards to managers.
Reed said: "If they go after 80 days, fingers need to be pointed at the people who recruit."
I think that alone shows the current shambles of the ownership, how many short-term managers have we had under SR, Constantly buying players to fit a managers style who is sacked within 15 games.
Another quote from Reed:
"Every candidate to replace Ronald was in the system a year before and had a 45- or 50-page document, with a profile. The interview criteria were four pages long. Claude went through three interviews to get the job."
I wonder if this sort of extensive research goes into the current recruitment process.
25 Oct 2025 20:54:01
I first commented on this website a couple of years ago when I felt after nearly 60 years of supporting the Saints that things had never been so bad but today was a new low.
That includes going into administration before thankfully Marcus saved us.
Sports Republic have subsequently totally ruined us to a far greater degree than losing our stars repeatedly to Liverpool and Man Utd did a few years back.
Appalling player and manager recruitment over recent years has led to where we are today. What a week of disappointment that now sees us 20th in the Championship.
Taking chances on young inexperienced players has not worked. Same policy with Managers has been disastrous.
Only the boy Still knows why he is hasn`t been regularly playing the established championship players bought this year or why he `did not need` another striker. Not world beaters but we never got close to replacing Ings/Adams, a fatal mistake.
Wonder how Will would explain taking off Leo and bringing on Jack today. Clearly out of his depth.
Time for him and Spors to go off to Juventus (haha) and maybe, just maybe for SR to bring back Ralph. Almost 3 years to the day since he was sacked, could he save us from League 1?
St Michael
COYR
1.) 25 Oct 2025 22:42:01
I suspect Ralph wouldn’t come back even if asked. Carrick maybe?
04 Dec 2024 22:20:19
What a shambles and an utter embarrassment. What do Fraser and Stephens have over RM that gets them in the first XI
SR wake up. RM must go NOW. He still shows no signs of adapting. What is the point of bringing on BBD and Sulemana? Game changers - I think not. Our squad has no depth at all.
KWP/Aribo/Fernandes the only players who turned up.
Stephens has disgraced our club. we are a laughing stock and a replacement Manager will now be very hard to find as we are already back in the championship.
A new low tonight. Could have easily been double figure loss.
1.) 05 Dec 2024 01:43:00
So i was wrong we let in 5, this was quite simply appalling, RM obviously has no idea. We could be the worst ever team in the Premiership.if they let him continue it is an absolute disgrace.Just prepare to come back in 26.I cannot watch them it is too painful that we have sunk this low.
25 Nov 2024 10:33:03
Well interesting team selection yesterday. Glad to see tall Paul and hope for more direct play. Can`t understand Fraser at full back ahead of 3 established full backs. Best we could hope for was not to be embarrassed and perhaps that was achieved.
So RM does not think that playing out from the back/giving the ball away/conceding a goal encapsulates our season? MoTD2 quote.
How delusional can somebody be? This has officially happened EIGHT times and probably another 16 that we have got away with.
I know I am old and was brought up on `if you lose the ball, lose it a long way up the pitch` but RM must adapt his tactics.
Don`t think there is a Manager who could save us now so the owners need to learn from past mistakes and get serious. They must :-
1) order RM to change style and condemn him to stay and suffer as we are. If no change, sack him due to gross subordination!
2) clear out several sub standard players in January and buy experienced premiership players in the autumn of their careers. Won`t be easy to get them here but money talks - Ramsdale a good example.
This is all about building a team strong enough to compete in the championship which seems to be the pinnacle of Sport`s Republic`s ambitions.
All so depressing.
St Michael has no Rumour Replies
03 Mar 2024 15:24:53
Option 2 for me.
Looking at it another way. 11 games to play. 6 Wins/2 Draws/3 Defeats would mean 20 more points and 90 overall. Probably not enough for automatic promotion.
Only thing that is going to change that is stop conceding so many goals (open door at LB) and hitting the net not the woodwork.
Oh and the little matter of not actually suffering the 3 defeats (Away at Ipswich/Leicester/Leeds) .
Those 3 games will surely decide the final placings this season.
27 Dec 2023 10:05:30
Well. Last posted after the Coventry game and was still not entirely happy.
I go away. Miss 3 games. What has happened?
Brilliant results. Goal difference improves by 10. Even Mara scores.
Top 2 not so far away.
Well done Saints. Feeling much more positive suddenly for 2024
COYR
14 Dec 2023 17:29:04
south_hants_rich, teejaysaint, 2408, millertime and others in agreement.
We can`t all be wrong and are basically voicing the opinions of many, many proper Saints Fans. It is unlikely this season is going to end well and next summer will again probably be chaos.
St Michael
23 Sep 2023 21:35:27
Agree. RM is clearly deluded and stubborn.
Definition of madness - keep on doing the same thing but expect a different outcome. He has to go next international break. Graham Potter please come here not Everton?
Would love to see us in training. Surely Martin must have seen AA/Fraser and Sulemana running at Bernard Manning and fellow comedians. Oh sorry forgot Manning wouldn`t be anywhere near the LB berth. And probably the forwards would not trouble Baz with a shot on target. It`s only opposition forwards who continually trouble him with goalbound efforts.