If you'd watched the forum (I presume you didn't?) you'd not have seen someone putting on a professional front. You'd have seen a fallible person who is undeniably deeply invested in the club.
First home game of the season usually has a special atmosphere but I worry Saturday will be one of the most toxic in years... particularly if we don't go into half time with a lead.
Don’t bite Lincs. Nothing wrong in what you said. From the snippets I’ve read, Ralph does sound really nice & genuine. However, the last 13(?) games don’t lie & Sat for whatever reasons (excuses) continued the same. We’ve got some good youngsters in who look to have potential but the next month or so is going to be really difficult and that includes ins/outs & performances.
Ralph's a good bloke and most Saints fans I know want it to work out for him but there are glaring problems with the squad that still haven't been resolved even after spending £50m and not losing any of our big guns. I believe that things will not get better until the defence question gets resolved, we just cannot sustain haemorrhaging goals at the rate that we are and it is affecting Ralph's tactics in a negative way as we don't have the forwards to implement the high press which was the reason for any good spells we have had under him and of which he built his reputation on. Only adding one 20 year old CB who apparently is 6th choice if Saturday's match is anything to go by is not enough and we desperately need to bring in someone that will immediately improve central defence.
I don't think anyone disagrees. I got to probably 60/40 for Ralph out after the weekend, but the forum has pushed me back to 60/40 Ralph in for the time being. Now that may be naive, but I feel like there was some logic and sense being spoken, so I'm willing to give him more time to implement the ideas with the new squad.
I thought they were pretty open about the spending not being a solution in and of itself. I think all of us knew that these young guys wouldnt come in and make immediate impacts but it sounds like there will be more of a bedding in period while they get up to speed with 4222 high pressing football. I didnt think there was anythig easier about the 352 system but there must be or we havent worked it out fully yet. Ralph seems to think it will work if they execute the plan aggressively. Have to wait and see.
Im the same, the nugget that stood out to me was how he failed to find a way to get the squad out of the slump. He still has to do that even with new coaches and new players. Belief is fragile, if he cant get it to solidify I think he will admit its time to give someone else a go. World Cup window still for me.
You don’t get any premier league points for being a nice bloke unfortunately. Also puel was rightly hounded out as his football was ****ing ****e and he threw away the cups in what was our only ever chance in Europe & a massive Wembley final with ****e line ups. I will never forgive him
Yes LTL, it is naive of you! As l have said before... not sure how many times now - he needs to be backed for the first 2 months. Personally, l thought he did okay tonight, he displayed his passion and has bought into buy youth policy; for me, all positives, but the Che thing l did not get and I thought he was a little light at other times. Looked very defensive also, maybe that is understandable.
One of only 3 post war managers to take us to a major cup final though and we could've easily won on the day with a competent lino. I agree about the European campaign though. I'd love to read your views on Pellegrino and Hughes!...
I don't want it to be scripted or easy, but I wish they'd pre-approve the questions of all the pointless questions I thought would come up, JWP's testimonial was not one of them.
What was wrong with his Wembley line-up? Seemed to be fine and what most were expecting? Be'er Sheva at home though...
I also think the dull football was overstated too. Scored 4 goals in back to back away games as I remember, one for the stattos but I'd wager he's our only manager to achieve that in the top flight.
His sacking was unquestionably one of the worst decisions we have made in the last 10 years. I look back now and although I was opposed I cant believe I wasn't more outraged. We should have been in uproar and if we knew what the next 5 years would be, we all would have been. Deluded by previous success and bored by a lack of charisma and passion in the media.
We played some dire football under Puel and finished only a handful of points above 17th. It was pretty understandable that he went and a case shouldn’t be made for him simply due to some even more dire subsequent managerial appointments.
I haven't watched the forum yet, will catch up tomorrow. But from what I'm reading here the headlines seem to be: Those who were pro-Ralph are still pro-Ralph. He's full of passion for the club and he answered the difficult questions as genuinely and honestly as anyone could hope for. Semmens was great as usual. Those who were on the fence are still fairly on the fence. Ralph did a reasonable job of answering the questions. Semmens skirted a few awkward issues but overall said what's expected of him. Those who want Ralph out found his answers to be simply talking around the issues and not addressing any of the questions they really wanted answered. Semmens did little to reassure anyone. Ralph talks a good game but the results don't lie, he must still go. So basically those who are somewhere in the middle found it an interesting forum. Those who are strongly for or against Ralph found it to be exactly what they were looking for to continue to write their preferred narrative. And we could all continue bickering along until we either see a quality signing or a quality performance (place your bets which one comes along first)
Imagine calling an away performance “sh*t” because you concede 3 goals, only to go and concede 4 in both of the next two away games. A question needed to be asked about the CB situation. “Why are our previously competent CBs performing so erratically? Are they under specific instructions to dive in to challenges rather than jockeying? If so, why do we persist with this when it is clearly not working?”
