If only people could learn how to be antagonising rather than abusive, we'd be back to normal #availableforcoaching
Do we need a special thread where fans can spread tittle and tattle all day long? Ah, a gossip column for unsubstantiated and often unfounded rumours.
First team coaches seem to stay as long as many players. Our last two left when better offers came along. Puel's style has been at best pragmatic, certainly cautious and largely boring. He has been hampered by injuries to senior players. The season, with the notable exception of a trip to Wembley, has offered very little entertainment. It is interesting that we have failed to sell out Arsenal, and likely Manure. It seems to me that the purpose of the transfer market is about trying to upgrade. Why should it be any different with coaches? It's also reasonable to argue that for a club our size 8th could be seen as success. It's also not so long ago I was at Norwich watching Saints get beaten with Mane dropped and Wanyama sent off and the general feeling was that Saints were in trouble and should look over their shoulders. Since then both are seen as cornerstones in top four clubs and the coach has not taken Everton to where he took Saints. A bit of a ramble but if Saints think they can upgrade they will.
Saints think they can upgrade they will. -------------------- translates to; if saints think they can upgrade without massive outlay, they may roll the dice. Not sure if I'd be happy about that. Surely this season has weathered the storm. His next 12 months will have fewer hurdles & more stability. Less risk. There's better out there, but don't be fooled, there's a lot worse.
True but you could have said the same about the change from Adkins to Poch and that turned out well. I dunno, I just find it hard to get too bothered any more. We have a bunch of players leave every summer and managers go regularly as well and yet somehow this is going to be a summer of even greater change (or at least speculation about change). There's so much rumour and speculation swirling around the club right now (owner, manager, the "usual" player upheaval) that there's no point trying to say what should happen or guess what will happen.
My impression of the reason why Saints picked Claude over say someone like Pellegrini was that they were looking for stability, a manager with a track record for improving and using academy players, who has experience in European football and was likely to stay for a while rather than a big name that was looking at Saints as a stepping stone to a bigger team. Like our last two managers. (I know you can argue that Everton aren't bigger). That's why I am surprised that there is any speculation about his future, Puel certainly isn't giving the impression that He is on borrowed time. The only reason I see him going is for personal reasons or a new Owner wants a big name Charlie for bragging rights.
That is an assumption that I don;t think carries weight. If we have learnt anything in the past few years is that it is much more likely an instance of "black box power."
I seem to remember that a lack of continuity with managers was what brought about our demise under Lowe. As much as I enjoyed Division 1 and 2 I don't want to go back again. When you think that Manchester City are standing by their guy who with far greater resources hasn't really achieved much more than Claude I am surprised that this debate is even taking place.
For me the key point. Being realistic I see few better options out there and I can only assume if Puel goes it will be personal stuff. Maybe we should start a charm offensive on his wife. I would be really p*ssed off if Puel went three weeks before the season start regardless of who replaces him.
I used to belong to the Twinning Association, sadly long demised, in which our village was twinned with a similar sized place in Mayenne, just south of Normandy. When the French couple we hosted came to stay with us they enjoyed the countryside but hated the food. Everything. The only thing they were mildly impressed by was Stilton cheese, which they thought was nearly as nice as Roquefort. When we were on group outings with the French contingent we heard similar views on the food expressed by other people, so it wasn't just our couple being fussy. This was in stark contrast to a German teacher who stayed with us for a month on an exchange trip, and who loved English food, especially pizza (what colour do I use for irony?) If Claude's wife is unsettled I would bet money on food being at the heart of it. Unless you have lived or travelled in France you have no idea how important good quality food is to the majority of French people.
