I am just about still a Ralph-In, but the squad will have to show fight in the last games for me to keep to that. I don't mean win, although that would be good, but show some grit, not surrender. As for summer recruitment - given that Ralph is still in the job, we will need a shake up of the backroom staff as others have said. I expect a net spend of £40-50M but as others have said I am not sure it will be given. We definitely need a CB, may be 2 - we need one who is a leader. We need a Broja replacement, and a back up Striker as a Long replacement. We will be keeping Che and Adam I suspect. We need a Romeu replacement with Diallo as backup. We need to keep JWP Outs: Djenepo/Bedders/Foster/Cabellero (One of Smallbone/Diallo and one of Mo El/Redmond/Tella)
Okay, had a few days to think about this and ingest the really good Saints podcast etc. Here's what I think. I think that Ralph (as will be the case with a lot of managers) is a little bit of a control freak. That's all well and good, but we've given him a little too much of a fiefdom to be healthy - the playbook, the same way of playing through the age groups - that's all fine, as long as there's someone or something keeping a check on it. Rather sounds like there isn't The fact that our coaching staff is essentially a bunch of goalkeepers, none of whom have actual coaching experience outside of coaching keepers, is a massive concern, and a huge oversight. I suspect it's how Ralph likes it, because he likes this sense of complete control, but it's doing us no favours as a club or team. He also likes to very much control what the players do at any given time - hence the obsession with automatisms - and the fact that when it doesn't work, our players are seemingly completely incapable of actually doing anything different, or thinking for themselves. Now, I think in essence he's a very good coach. But he needs to move away from this model of overarching control, and bring in support staff around him that actually offer something other than an easy ride. I mean, I know Kelvin is a club legend, but then so is Le Tiss, and you wouldn't want him anywhere near a training ground. Have a clear out of the coaching staff and bring in some experienced, clever, inventive coaches around Ralph. He also needs to give the players a bit more autonomy, a bit less automatism. He needs to trust them, not his 'system' absolutely. I do think we have a pretty weak squad, but I do also think that it doesn't help that he's got his stubborn stake in the ground about how we play. Basically, the whole Ralphampton needs to be dialled down, he needs to accept that he needs some more input from those around him. If he isn't willing to do that, then perhaps it is best that he goes. It takes a big man to admit that you may be wrong, and a bigger man to relinquish some control. I hope he can do the latter, and then I think we might be in for a relatively successful period for the club.
I would like a net spend of 40-50 but I doubt that will happen. Is Romeu off then? We won’t replace Long and Broja, I expect one striker if Broja leaves. We won’t buy 2 CB’s, one at a push. There will be some movement but I think the new owner will want some stability and I don’t expect wholesale changes.
I had a weird dream last night and it involved John Terry as an assistant. Don't know why I dreamt about the Saints and I don't know why John Terry was anywhere in my thoughts. Worrying as I can be mystic.
I mean, that would actually be a start... I'm mainly worried that (probably subconsciously) he has surrounded himself with weaker people. He needs someone smart and tough alongside him. Terry is at least the latter!
Getting rid of Smallbone, Diallo and Tella is madness. They are all so young, and Smallbone (and to a lesser extent Tella), has had a serious string of injuries to overcome. He needs a season on loan in the Championship, to build up strength and confidence. getting rid will save us little money anyway, since he's an academy boy. Tella is coming along nicely. Diallo has been disappointing, but I can't see that we will recoup much for him. Maybe 4-5m. Might as well work to improve him, since we won't get much of a replacement for that fee.
Have to be honest, I don’t see the potential that others do in Tella. He’s like a worse version of young Walcott to me, in that he’s quick, energetic, and can’t shoot. That’s about it, and he’s 23 in a month’s time. It’s not like he’s an 18 year old raw talent.
Young Walcott was pretty bloody good, but I know what you mean. However, I think ditching players who come through the academy at 22 is too early. We are a Premier League team, so first-team chances for academy players are tough to come by. I think this hinders their development. They tend to be late-bloomers. We sold Targett at 23 because he just didn't look good enough, now he's a very competent Prem full back. certainly on par with Perraud. We let go Harry Reed at 25 and he's now one of Fulham's best players, and (imo) would be far more useful to us than Diallo has been. A season in the Championship could be huge for Tella and Smallbone. And like I say, we don't exactly save much on wages by letting them go.
Oh I do agree that a season on loan in the championship would be the way to go for him. I'm just not going to be too concerned if he did fall foul of a major clearout.
Young Walcott sounds like a character in a period drama. There aren't many 16 year old prodigies we've produced a few, hoping young Dibling will be the next. Tella may come through players do develope at different rates. Smallbone and Ballard also possibilities for the future also suiting the homegrown philosophy
Interesting, is that what’s coming out of the club? Certainly does seem odd that we have 3 coaches who are all keepers.
While it does seem strange and coincidental that we have 3 coaches that were keepers that doesn't necessarily preclude them from being able to do the job. Nigel Adkins was a goalie (as well as famously being a physio!) and there are several cases of managers that never even played the game professionally, Wenger, Hodgson, Houllier, Rangnick, Naggelsmann among others. It would be good to have a relatively high profile name to come in though and I have often said that i'd love to see Jose Fonte back here one day in some capacity as he is a winner and he's done his badges.
Just to add to this - as much as we're styling ourselves as the place to be for up and coming young talent on the pitch, I would be keen to see us do the same for up and coming young coaching talent too... Think that could be a very smart move - uncovering the new Jesse Marsch, Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann types.
Behave! Although, hang on ... are you sure about the blue? My own nerves won't be settled until one of the three 'candidates' can no longer get 40 points!
Alot of chat on this thread today is about the transfers we need, or who should go, but the underlying problem is that this squad does not seem to want to play for Ralph. Now l am reading that Ralph has done a very poor job on his selection of coaching staff and all will be solved if he stops micro-managing and possibly hired some decent coaches (which is what all managers do when they join a new team is sort out their own coaches). To quote dear Nigel and his bus; it seems Ralph is off alone on his own bus and the players are still at the bus stop! How to you reconcile keeping a manager who seems to have lost the trust of the playing squad and he happily seems to be running a one-man show because he does not seem to recognise an integrated coaching structure to develop the squad? Honesty, l get more bemused by the day and, frankly, all this talk of buying 4, 5 or 6 players and spending ten of millions when there is a fundamental problem with the infrastructure in the coaching/management of the team will not resolve this underlying issue.
