You really believe the manager is 100% of the problem? (No, I know that's not exactly what you said). But have a look at that squad. There's not enough quality, not enough goals, not enough leadership. There is not one player who could honestly expect to go to a top 6 club and be anything more than a benchwarmer. If the club decide to roll the dice and get someone else to take charge (though "ffs who?" would be a fair question), then I'd be okay with that. Not delighted, but okay. But I think you're expecting miracles if you are expecting a 100% turnaround in fortunes as a result.
Who will be brave enough to follow your threads? The bar has been set. The sooner we get a new thread and forget about this one the better.
I actually do believe the manager is 100% the problem right now. If we had got in a different manager earlier we would be better off. I fully believe it. There is stacks of quality in the squad. We have areas of weakness but if we had different players we would still have mope and be in the same spot. The guy hasn't changed a damn thing all season. Every game is exactly the same. We need wins and there is very little chance of him getting them. He has really ****ed up this team. Longer term there are other issues within and around us and people need to go and questions must be answered. Right now, this is all MP2.
You are of course correct in what you're saying that football is unimportant and trivial in the grand scheme of things but it's not really a fair or logical comparison really is it? It's like saying that people shouldn't get upset or stressed when say their car breaks down or something because there's millions of people around the world who don't have a home or access to clean water etc. It's all relative surely? I have found that the older I've got and particularly after my son was born that I don't let it affect me as much or let it ruin my weekend as you realise what's truly important. I still surprise myself sometimes at just how much it means to me though. That sinking gut feeling and disappointment after a bad result or on the other hand the adrenaline and ecstasy that accompanies a great result/moment which is among the best natural highs around and utterly unexplainable to those who don't have an emotional connection to a team. It obviously isn't that important when you look at the big picture but it's an emotional game and that (for me at least) is one of the big appeals of football and what keeps you hooked. And I'll tell you another thing too, the day I stop caring is the day I'll stop going. Without doubt.
I really don't have the energy anymore to keep criticising MP2, mainly because nothing changes and I've grown accustom to this, but also because its really not his fault. As Gandalf said "A fool, but an honest fool he remains". The players shoulder most of the blame. NONE would grace a top 6 squad, and having Pep in charge now wouldn't change that fact. as Archers said, the team MASSIVELY lacks any leadership. Fonte isn't doing to well in China right now, but Christ I'd have him back in a heartbeat.
He isn't 100% of the problem, but I think a better football manager will bring out the leaders and bring out the best from the team.
Well said mate. As I said earlier despite things being a bit **** at the moment and people are understandably disheartened and pissed off about todays performance/result but if that genuinely means that you can't get excited for a winnable FA Cup quarter final then I really don't know why you bother with Saints and football in general. Sorry but I find it completely baffling.
Am I looking forward to travelling up to Wigan as much I was this morning? No. But that's because of the mood I'm in as a result of today. There's not a single part of me regretting about buying the ticket, or thinking of not bothering. We're 90 minutes away from Wembley. The memory of Anfield last season will never leave me. Wigan might not be Liverpool, and a Wembley SF might not a Wembley Final, but it's still a game to get to Wembley. I'm still up for it. Bring it on. And I'm still a Saints fan. No result is ever going to stop me being a Saints fan, and hoping that we can win our next game. That said, I'd enjoy the drive up a lot more if we had a different manager in charge! (A new guy would be immediately given two massive games to write their name in Saints history. As well as, one would imagine, a whopping great bonus written into their contract if they kept us up. For a job that they could walk away from again in two months time, with no real blame attached to them if we went down, that sounds pretty attractive to me.)
I’m knackered. I’ve just got back after a long day and a lot of driving ( and I only did it from Northampton) I’m not going to comment. I don’t need to. I’ll have a cuppa tea with the wife and then go to bed. Today was awful. Positive spin? I liked the red shorts and socks with the red backed shirt. Oh and I sat next to a nice couple during the game; @davecg69 ’s friends
Am I foolish to keep checking to see if he's been sacked? There's been many opportunities to do it, this is basically the last chance to make that change. Sadly I don't think we'll roll that dice.
No, I'm the same. I really thought we'd do it tonight. Alas... (Not that I would personally want him or rate him, but the thought of going to the London Stadium with Bilic in our dugout does give a warm feeling.)
Positive spin is.........we haven't got a league game until after the international break and will have Charlie boy back......and yes we will win
Plus we could have Ronaldo (the fat Brazilian version) up front right now, but with the slow build up and complete lack of support for the striker in this system, it wouldn’t make a jot of difference. We have decent players being made to look bloody awful. He’s not 100% of the problem, no, but he’s a very, very large part of it, and 100% the reason we may be relegated with this squad.
The “but with who” question is a nonsense too. There’s plenty of people out there who would do a better job. I’d even take Hoddle on a short term contract right now.
100% agree that we have to care about the result- I can’t remember watching a game where I didn’t want one team to win rather than the other. But I have never hated our own team-manager-board. I care, but I never feel rage. I am frequently disappointed, certainly over the last 2 seasons, but it’s my experience that the folk who get angry were pretty much the same when we went through lean times in previous seasons. Different situations, same loathing.
I like the red shorts too when we've worn them in the past, not so keen on the red back though. How was atmosphere today? Did it turn a bit nasty or did people stop caring and just start party time with gallows humour etc?
