Simple really.....he knows what it is not about but can only speculates to what it is. He has asked me not to publish or discuss that part of the speculation because it is just that speculation.
Unfortunately the club is now at a significant watershed/crossroads. If we want to go down the original academy based approach, we will always be a selling club just aiming for top half. The reason being that new TV deal has moved premier league on and to compete teams will have to buy international quality players throughout their squads - an academy is unlikely to churn out 11 international standard players within the required time frame. Alternatively you blend academy with transfers and fit more into the model of most top four chasing sides. This will undoubtedly have an effect on our academy. To be honest, I do not really know what I want - my heart says academy because I love the way home grown talent is brought through. However, I know this may well provide the club with a glass ceiling of achievement and mean cups will be our main target for success.
If there is a sticking point, it would have to be about something that both parties care strongly about....the only thing I can see falling into that category is integration of Academy players...it's our prime selling point to the club but could smack of interference to Ron. The only other personal thing is employment of his brother....but can't see the club considering that as worth arguing about with Ron.
Reinforcing the speculation I know - but tend to go along with others regarding the Academy being an issue. He has shown reticence to use the Academy and if you think about what he achieved with limited resources with Feyenoord; he left because he could not break the glass ceiling for the league title because of those limitations. He probably does not want to find himself in the same position once again. Again subjective, but with 2-3 more quality players in the squad at the start of this season and we could have been seriously knocking on the door for Champions League Football this time around. He might feel that unless the club invest and let him do what he believes is necessary, he has another Feyenoord scenario on hands by the end of next season.
I still think it's to do with Ron not utilizing the academy enough ... heard a few things on here and elsewhere around January that backs it up.
I see no reason why the two cannot go hand in hand. If we had made the Europa group stages this season then I have no doubt Reed would have featured in more matches and probably a few others. More matches will give the academy lads more opportunities to play. But if we're to be able to qualify consistently for European football we need a strong 22/23 man senior squad. I have no idea on what goes on behind the scenes, but if there was a big divide between the two on this issue then that would mean the board insisting that Ron replaces Wanyama/Pelle in the squad with Reed/Gallagher (as an example) I really don't see that kind of divide between Ron and Les
Exactly this. It's not about choosing between a strong first team and bringing thtough Academy players, we simply have to do both.
If the stumbling block is about the academy - and one can only assume that it's a matter of the club dictating a certain number of graduates moving into the first team if it is - then it isn't an argument Ronald's going to win. We've just lavished millions on the academy, have one of the strongest reputations in world football in this area and have almost certainly made more money from ours than any other team. I do hope we can strike a mutually agreeable balance here.
If a player is good enough, he will get from the Academy to the first team...look at those who already have. It is harder now because we are a better side, but perhaps the club is concerned not so much about the top players we bring in (we need those) but about those that turn out to be mere fillers. However, that must come down more to Les than RK...Ron said as much when questioned about us bringing in more players next season. It's about giving youngsters a chance and he was quite derogatory about the Academy players earlier in the season. This has all been aggravated by the fact that we lost a few Academy players over the last two years....this has shown up the paucity of talent coming through at the moment. I do think Harrison Reed should have had more chances at the beginning of the season.
I can only assume this is from a training perspective. If the board felt so strongly about academy playing time then why would they have sanctioned the signings of Romeu/Juanmi/Martina/Austin? Buying these players and not utilising them would be even worst than not utilising academy players from a monetary perspective.
If (and a big if) this was a problem, it could be easily got over. Ron promises to do better with Academy lads but no timetable set. Unless we have a super duper manager lined up, I can't see the board being too intransigent.
If Koeman says he will honour his contract and do his very best, then the club have to support him. If the club get rid of him, they / we will be a laughing stock, but, more importantly after the Mp saga, which manager will ever trust us? Imho that won't happen though.
After the MP saga? If we choose to get rid of a manager in the last year of his contract, who doesn't want to sign a new one, that is up to us. It is nothing about trust, why would some one not trust us because we wanted to bring in a more commited longer term manager? There is nothing wrong with that.
It may be the length of the contract that is the sticking point. Ron said he is used to one year extension, but he understands the club wants to have some certainty. He is happy to finish his contract, may be willing to extend by one year, but may not be willing to tie himself for longer (bearing in mind his sense of integrity with contracts). He has his doubts and I don't think it reflects on the club, but more on the fact that no one knows what will happen round the corner. I don't expect any 5 year deals, but a 3 year one would be great.
We will have to agree to disagree . I think RK should see his contract through , and we should honour it as well . we will have an entire year to sort out a replacement . My point about MP is that if , as soon as he knew he wasn't staying , he had told the board , it would have been better for us .
So, in a nutshell, we're all just guessing what happens next and why. In the meantime, we know we can trust the board to have the best interests of the club at heart. And I reckon we know we can trust in Ron's personal integrity. So whatever will be will be.
As much as I have enjoyed watching the academy produce decent players, over the years, I'm growing accustomed to having a bench full of international footballers. We need players to come off the bench, that will make a difference, and if our current batch of youngsters aren't considered good enough, by RK, then I would hope the board would accept that and support him. Who knows, the "issue" may be something totally unrelated to the academy.
I'm coming round to the idea that it is the length of contract that is the sticking point...and a compromise can be reached on that.
I agree with what you say. If an Academy player is good enough to get into this improved Saints team, he will. But they're obviously not quite good enough. Saints will undoubtedly have training and match stats on this. I don't think they leave anything to chance these days, if they can cover it. As regards Harry Reed. He was good enough to get into the side of last season, when there were injuries to VW, MS, during fixture congestion during the winter. But Morgan eventually departed and was replaced by Clasie and Romeu. Clearly, Harry isn't as good as either of them yet, but he is only 21. He's got plenty of time. What is Ronald supposed to do, put out a weaker side than he's perfectly capable of doing, even with a measure of squad rotation, based on fitness and performance stats.? Ron has said many times that he believes in young players. But they have to be good enough.
I'm not interpreting anything. Ron has said after the last game, we'll talk. I think it's safe to assume he meant a day or two after. He also said it might well be a very quick talk. He also said he was happy. So I can't really see that there's anything there for people to be concerned about. For me, there's no sticking point with Ron and Les because they haven't even got around to talking about details yet.
