Ralph sacked as Saints manager

I know the site is nuts but I have just typed Hassenhuttl into Twitter and seen :

- Suggestions that Ragnick’s role in the appointment of the next Man United manager will see him go there

- An Arsenal fan saying they should replace Arteta with him before Man United snap him up

- Someone suggesting he go back to RB Leipzig who have just sacked their manager

I mean it would save us compensation pay offs. But also make this thread look rather daft.

And no I don’t believe he will go to any of the three and am aware Twitter is full of loons - but it is still interesting.

 

On a discussion forum ? Surely not !

 

Supposed credible 'journo' on twitter who I know nothing about is saying Ralph has been terminated and will be announced tomorrow following growing fan setiment. 95% in on here will make for an interesting announcement if it proves to be the case.

 

If it is true it isn’t going to be to do with fan sentiment. It would be connected to the Alex McCarthy thing in the post match interview

Saints appeared on the front page of the BBC today and was one of the highest sports stories - and it wasn’t a positive one

 

I don't think people have to suggest an option if they want a manager out tbh. The club should always be looking at future manager prospects regardless of the current one's prospects and the fans aren't going to be privy to such information.

I doubt any more than 5% of Saints fans had even heard of Ralph pre the Hughes sacking for example.

 

Should have got 3 points comfortably at St. James Park too. It's not so much dropping points that frustrates me, after all it usually happens to at least one side in any given game. But it's the fact that there are so few occasions when we are the team that turns a result round and picks up points from a losing position. That would seem to suggest that Ralph keeps getting out-thought by the opposition managers. Or that our all-out pressing only works for 45 minutes before it absolutely shatters our players. Seems to be a combination of both.

 

Yeah, I just don't know but its certainly nuanced.

We press high and hard but it doesn't look ridiculously intense to me, certainly less than Leeds for example. We should be able to sustain it after the break for at least the next 15-20 but often don't. We are outstanding at the beginning of a game in creating turnovers and controlling the ball under pressure with one touch football. In the second halves that seems to disappear. I don't get it.

We should be putting these games to bed but aren't clinical enough, that's issue number one. Broja yesterday had 2 chances and Che had one inside 5 minutes. No goals, that's the same each week. Its a bit bad luck and a bit bad play.

Our game is high press, quick counter attack based which is effective in an open game but useless against a packed defence. In compact areas our play is pass, pass, pass, hold, pass, dribble, pass back, pass further back, pass to goalie and start over.

What we are not doing is effective pass and move and I can't recall the last time - if ever- I saw a third man goal from us (that's where 2 players exchange passes and a third player makes a run off the ball). Liverpool and city do this so well and we don't, ever, which means we need players that can win 1v1 and players that can shoot from distance and we have little of either. This is the No1 area for me Ralph needs to work on with his team 'automatisms'.

I don't think Ralph is getting 'out thought' myself but he and some players are not very good at adapting to changes. Our play is pretty clear now to any manager who wants to watch videos. Its the way we don't react as a team. When they go down to 10 or 9, when they move a player to counter our right side. We don't have a visionary on the pitch who can see the game. This could be a side effect of automatisms, coaching out the ability to think and react independently but I'm just reaching there.

Waffle, waffle waffle. Just my thoughts.

 

But I didn’t shoot the deputy

 

Yeah some good points you make.

It's just all eerily repetitive of how things went last season. I remember being 4-0 up away to Villa and almost capitulating. It's been Ralph's Achilles heel for so long. The second half of last season we looked so burned out, which doesn't make sense, seeing as - like you say - other teams that press don't seem to have the same problem. I wonder if Ralph's training regime plays a role. He wanted a bigger squad this season and he has it. But is he using it to its fullest? We need to be rotating more and utilising the bench more, because if we pick up injuries like we did last season we are f*cked. We had 29 points by Christmas last season, and only scraped 14 in the second half. The idea of going through that again terrifies me.

And it's all the more frustrating because we play so bloody well when we are on it, and it's so close to being a great tactic. If only we could get two goals instead of the one, when we are dominating. Not even all the time. Just half the time. We'd be on 20+ points already.

 

You’re clutching at straws here.

 

No, I think you’re spot on with that, and that’d definitely an ‘area of learning’ with Ralph. I hadn’t really thought about the third runner plays of City/Liverpool, but you’re quite right.

 

Right, fine. Maybe just try it, really doesn’t worry me either way.

 

You know what would make a potential investor walk away right now? Sacking the manager. I don’t believe it for a second.

 

I would've expected this question if we were nearer the bottom 3 and not on the back of 2 draws against top 10 teams but yes, Ralph is not unsackable and if there is a point where we are in danger of relegation in the latter part of the season i'd expect the poll results to be a lot closer.

It's nice to see so many Saints members voting, just wish a few more would air their views on here a bit more.

 

Unless the investor wants their own manager in charge

 

Just voted out, in my opinion he has been here three years and the second half problem had always been there, teams suss out what we are doing first half then make subtle changes that take over control and Ralph is never able to get it back.
Also playing the formation with two tens does not work as we do not have the players for it, only Stuey is that type of player, the managers job for me is to pick a formation to get the best out of the squad not shoehorn the players into his preferred formation.

 

Yes, true. But said investor would need to have bought the club to make that change. You’re not going to sack your manager on a promise.

 

Not sure I agree on this, but fair enough. Man City, West Ham, Villa and United all made second half changes, and didn’t manage to impact us (and Ralph also made changes to counter them there). Tella and Redmond are capable in those positions (as is Stu). It’s strikers that tend to be missing the real chances more than tens (though they have missed a share, granted).

For me it’s the quality of player rather than the system that is causing us to struggle. I’ll give you that Ralph is still a bit too passive with subs though.

 

For the first time this is his team. I would want to give him this season and next before judging him.

Saints are a work in progress at the moment. 7 players who started on Saturday have the potential to improve. Player mistakes against Norwich, Leicester and Brighton cost us 7 points and we would have been 5th and Hasenhuettl would be a genius.

If we are no better or worse next then I think I would start thinking he should go

 

A very different interpretation of an excellent song.