I like Ralph, and I would imagine that most folk on here like Ralph. He was dealt a ****ty hand by Gao and has had to work without much money to change the team to what he would like it to be. For those who feel it's time for Ralph to leave then let us not consign to the dustbin the fact that he had Southampton FC sitting at the top of the Premier League not so long ago, and also presided over the two most horrendous defeats our club has ever experienced. I'll be sad to see him go because he is such a nice guy and so likeable, but the results are dreadful, and are we sensing that some of the players are on a go slow? Maybe they are and if that is the case then Ralph should step down. I find it incredibly sad that one of the nicest guys we have had as a manager ends up as not being able to fulfill the promises he arrived with. I for one will remember Ralph as one of the good guys and even though we are now almost where we were in the league when he arrived, it's been fun having him here. Fingers crossed we don't end up with some faceless twat as a replacement, or end up on a manager merry go round for the next few years. If it is the end, then I think we are better having had him here than not. All the very best to you Ralph.
I’m a strange duck (as you know). I am always loyal to every manager we have...always seeing the good stuff and forgiving the bad. Luckily I will love the next manager just as much...so win, win.
I'll happily take a faceless twat, if he knows how to organise a defence and get us playing attractive football again.
This is exactly why I rate Ralph and why we should be sticking with him for longer. Spending less than every side in the league for 4 seasons and staying in the same spot is a huge achievement! If you don't invest these days you are going backwards, unless you have a very good manager who keeps you up against the odds. Fair enough, judge him this season and if he keeps this form up until the world cup then it would make sense to sack him. But prior to this season he has done a very good job for us.
Not a choice I would like to be seen made and probably an unpopular one with many other Saints fans too but I know from speaking to two former scouts who had worked for southampton and were present at a Toton v Winchester match that Chris Wilder was extremely well considered within the club. This was before Ralph's time and priot to the point when Sheffield Utd were promoted but they both suggested that Wilder had been monitored by the club..
Yes, is a real shame, and I think he will be snapped up when he's back on the market, and do well for someone. Is not a case of he's a bad manager, but a case of it's really difficult to reverse the rot, once you've lost some players and not getting the results. Too difficult to come back from, and it needs refreshing. He does need ten games or so with this squad, but at the same time, you have to do better than we've done against teams like Wolves and Aston Villa within those ten games. You in general only need to score a single goal in those games to get something. Hopefully he'll go out in a blaze of glory as we batter Man City.
Agree with this. Ralph’s tactics were great when he arrived, but his style of play requires 100% commitment from the players. He doesn’t have that now, so the tactics aren’t working. At this level you simply can't keep giving someone ten more games because there's too much at risk. Would be interesting to see Ralph at another club, but as he plans to retire soon, it might not appeal to him.
Interesting to see those names linked with us. Not really sure why Marsch would leave Leeds for us as he is doing okay there and they are a similar level to us. If that is true then maybe SR are a bit more serious and ambitious than they let on as I would only guess he would move if promised investment and a very handsome pay rise.
True, all in all I can't see him being a realistic target which suggests the article is just paper crap. That said, the pressure is undoubtedly building.
