He has done a bad job in the 4 games he has managed us (ignore Lpool) but I don't think he is a dick head. I'm guessing you are referring to him saying he was surprised by the booing? I get how he feels. If he had come in and done this from the start of the season, there is absolutely no way he would be getting treated like this. Absolutely no chance. He is clearly being partially judged because of where we are in the league table (not down to him) and the failings of SR to improve our squad (not down to him). Do I think he has been crap? Yes, absolutely awful. But he isn't a dickhead (well he might be, I've not met him), he is just likely out of his depth. Our anger should be directed towards SR moreso than Jones.
I don't know Andrew Tate, but I can discern that he's a dick. I don't know Meghan Markle, but I studied psychology to masters level, specialising in cluster B personality disorders, and can discern that she lands slap bang into the middle of those, and that therefore she would be very difficult to like in reality. Not saying that Nathan Jones is like either of those two, but I am saying there are signs with which one can make a pretty damn good assessment. Let's call it, I dunno, data.
I know you're being "hilariously" sarcastic there, but I have no issue pointing out that I don't like how he refers to *his* team in the third person, how he so easily abdicates responsibility, how he is unable to hold eye contact in interviews. I presume you've never taken a dislike to anybody you've never met then?
I’ve been burnt in the past for disliking people, then meeting said person and having to eat humble pie. I just think including a self proclaimed misogynist in a post about Jones was a bit of a leap.
My apologies, sorry, I'm feeling a bit sensitive today (bloody football). Look, I'm not saying the guy is a dickhead, and yes, we've all absolutely been burnt by initially disliking someone and then meeting them and seeing how very wrong we've got it. What I am saying, being more rational about it, is that there are certain things that he does and says that get my heckles up. We all have unconscious biases with people - maybe he reminds me of someone I didn't like in the past, who knows. But he's damaging something that's precious to us, and that's a really bad start point.
Much of the above is certainly true. As much as I was in despair and full of white hot anger after the game last night, I’m still trying to give Jones the benefit of the doubt although he is testing me.
Does it sound dramatic to say he needs to be gone by the next PL game for us to stand any chance of survival? Because I think that’s the case. I mean he’s blown the most critical period already, but there is still some time to salvage enough points to give us a remote fighting chance. I am 99.999999999% sure we lose to Palace and City in the cups next week, so at P7 W1 L6 (with the only win against Lincoln, which was also a poor performance) there must be a possibility.
Coaching is a funny business, especially in pro sport, especially in a sport like football. Confidence is such an important factor in performance at this level as the automations that you learn through practice go out the window and then you are thinking about every action and decision as you perform them. This adds split seconds into the process and leads to highly increased error rates. I am not definding Mr Jones here, but he has inherited a very tough job with Saints. A group of players all with low confidence, but ability (certain results and previous consistent periods say there are good players there). This means coaching them into a successful group has a lot to do with luck initially, something to kick start the confidence. The 'big' coaches often get a bounce here because their track records inspire the confidence - if Rafa Benitez tells you that you can play, you believe him! The biggest thing that worries me about Nathan Jones is in the interviews pre and just post appointment where he would describe his players as willing to die for him. The worry here is that he is staking success on motivation and not confidence, tactics etc. The next worry is that he says he wants to play front footed, but the data suggests the team is either not taking that on board, has mixed signals or it's just not getting communicated. I posted before Ralph went about coaches needing time to affect change and this is true, but lots of things about the coaching style of the new regime is concerning. Unlike others, I don't have concerns about Rasmus. He is a very talented football man and a colleague who has worked with him says great things. I will say that the data that Saints work with is not good enough and nor is the data science behind it. To be fair though, only Liverpool and maybe Man City have a vague clue anyway, the rest use questionable methods on garbage data (though this is a very different issue).
I refuse to believe that over the course of a season this squad can’t pick up some points. Yes the squad is poor, but how often do lower league teams dick over PL teams in the cup? With decent management and motivation we should pick up some draws and occasional wins.
It was also only this season that we comfortably beat Chelsea whilst playing really good football, we were energetic, pressed well, closed down well and passed and moved and scored 2 whole goals! Both from open play. Can't really believe it's the same team.
It has been interesting reading the comments of former professionals today concerning Nathan Jones and in particular his comments post-match last night. I see Hal Robson-Kanu has added to previous remarks by the likes of Ian Wright and you sense that quite a few commentators are criticising Jones' ability. The issues raised in here last night are generally being echoed by former professionals. Whilst I am not a big fan of Jo Tessu's stuttering Radio Solent co-commentary, it is evident that he is clearly of a view that NJ is inept whilst never quite coming out with the obvious conclusion that the Welshman needs to be binned. I think Dave Merrington's views would be interesting although I feel he would certainly not sit on the fence. I agree with Shandy's assessment , especially if Jones' makes similar remarks to the press should we lose again. As I said last night, it is really untypical for Saints fans not to give a new manager a chance. We always assume that a coach will take time to click and there is usually a degree of patience amongst us. I cannot see us winning the next three games but, more tellingly, I think the ticket sales for the Man City math will have a bigger bearing on whether SR press the termination button. To me, Jones seems like a wrong 'un and I cannot see him having the nous to turn the team around even if I conceded he has been dealt a poor hand. You do wonder if there is an "awkward" culture amongst the playing staff yet Nathan Jones seems a really unlikely figure to command respect from anyone. I think he will be gone before February. Even Branfoot was cut more slack by Saints supporters.
I'm not too bothered about the two cups games, and hence whether or not Jones is in the dugout for those matches isn't any sort of issue for me. But the Everton game in nine days time... Well that's nine days to get to work behind the scenes and sound out who is interested. I understand why some people would want Dyche. But I'm not keen. As an alternative to Jones, yes absolutely. But that's a pretty low bar to be comparing against. I know that Everton became a defensive shambles under him - which is somewhat off-putting - but could Roberto Martinez be an option? Possession-based manager, who knows the PL, and seems to achieve better results when coaching "lesser" players. Kept Wigan on multiple occasions (including one year where they looked dead and buried after a horror run of results...sounds familiar) - albeit did then eventually take them down!
I would say part of the thought behind Dyche is we now have one eye on the Championship where he has a phenomenal record. It’s trying to balance our current needs and potential future needs.
Amazed that the name of Sean Dyche is coming up in this discussion. Not sure he would be positive enoguh and, if he secured safety, sure as eggs are eggs, the fans would want him out the following season because of his style of football. I am far from convinced that he would be a "good fit" and certainly not typical of the "Southampton Way. " I would have gone for someone like Benitz who would have captured the imagination of the fans and got the stadium buzzing. Just think we need someone with a bit of stardust about them and the sqaud would perk up. There needs to be an inquisition as to why we felt that Nathan Jones was a good solution. The whole SR set up probably needs to be put under the spotlight as I don;t really se that it is working. Shades of former Southampton suitors SISA at Coventry, I feel.
