With due respect, FLT. This isn't good enough. You're not supposed to be doing something you enjoy, FFS. Ooops, sorry. For a moment I may have confused you with a Tory MP. Exasperation shared. How was your yogurt this morning? Just got to mine in time - BBD of tomorrow.
In all honesty, there will be some players that are pissed off Ronald has gone, some that will be disappointed and some that will be utterly delighted. The one thing that will happen is, barring a miracle, they will ALL wait and see who we bring in before becoming, in paper terms "unsettled". As somebody mentioned before, they play football with their mates, and as yet none of their mates have left. If we bring in a manager of some repute and calibre (and I have no doubt in my mind that we will) the vast majority will be excited to see what's to come. Players only really get 'unsettled' when a - they're not playing, b - they think they're not getting paid enough or c - the club are doing badly. None of those are particularly relevant right now.
We've all known for a week and most pubs probably do as well. But there must be some casual-drinking casual-internetting fans who will be getting some shock news today.
Seeing as Ron is as good as gone, I'd like to go into full bitch mode: 1) Some of the football we played on him was among the worst I've seen since we've been back in the Prem, in terms of entertainment. It was so utterly uninspiring, it put me off going to 2) Our Europa League campaign was a complete disaster and I blame that firmly on Ron, for not having the team playing anything resembling football. It was more like Aussie Rules football just punting it up to Pelle and hoping for the best. It was an embarrassing show for the club, when it was supposed to be something special. 3) As happy as I am with a 6th place finish, it could have been so, so much better if Ron managed our November/December period properly - 1st season I can understand him adjusting to the Christmas period and underestimating it. This season we should have been prepared and picked up more than 3 points in 24 (or whatever it was) - if Ron was as good as Everton seem to think he is, we would have finished top 4 this season. 4) The obsession with playing Pelle, hopefully he signs for Everton. **** off now Ron.
*Nods* As I've said from the start, we make managers and players look good (with the notable exception of Poch, who just is good).
Yeah, let's go with that I do agree in part. Ron was a long way short of perfect....which is why I am amazed that Everton paid silly money for him. He suited us (with support from Les) and we had all had high hopes for next season. However, it is possible that he would have been found out next season. I think he meant to diss Saints when he worried about how we could go on improving, but he was perhaps doubting himself. A team like ours could really go somewhere with the right manager...RK just bottled it.
Agree with Gucci. I think our squad is easily a top 8 squad, and considering last season's fallen giants, then it's probably a top 6 squad. So exactly what bloody magic did Koeman achieve? A few good signings, but those selected by the black box were better. No bloody cup runs to shout about, while teams like Watford, Stoke and Palace are reaching semi-finals etc.
That's exactly why there's not the sense of teeth-grinding and hair-pulling that there was when Poch left. Everyone's reaction seems to be centred on disappointment at Ron's dishonourable behaviour, rather than the premise that we've lost a great manager.
Sacrilege I know, but to take a quote from Brendan Rogers and apply in a different context - 'Ronald Koeman could have achieved Champions League Football, but obviously his agenda has changed'.
Yeah good point about the cup runs, 6-1 at home to Liverpool was genuinely the worst performance I've ever seen from a Saints team, and losing in the 3rd round at home to Palace was shocking too. I hope Koeman loses 6-1 at home to Liverpool as Everton manager, that would be a wonderful dose of karma.
Or to us... We've had a few big games in which we've not turned up in in the last couple of years. Hope that's not a continuing trend.
I was horrified to lose Poch because we played such exciting football. We didn't get the results we could have hoped for, but, as real football fans, we loved watching the beautiful game. I was also scared that we'd end up with ordinary managers in the future, but then we got Koeman. The football wasn't as brilliant, but he was a steady hand on the tiller and a manager we thought we could be proud of. Then we had a great run in 2016, qualified for the group stages of the Europa, and all looked sunny. Unlike when MP left, I'm not scared....I have faith in the way our club is run and we have sufficient funds to get good players....and as we all know, SOUTHAMPTON MAKE THEM LOOK GOOD. I am just amazed that that hasn't been picked up by the media....leavers have very mixed careers subsequently.
MLT was talking about that fairly recently, and pointedly said that Sir Rickie of Lambert regretted ever having left us. Which makes me feel a bit sad.
Of all the leavers, Rickie was the one I wanted to succeed the most. Lovely, lovely man and a Saints' hero. I said at the time that I felt like we had sold a faithful Labrador to a dog fight organiser.
In a strange way, perhaps it was best he went when he did though, so his legacy is left untainted. There's no doubt he was on the downward trajectory at the time, and it would have been sad to have him relegated to becoming a (very) bit-part player and perhaps becoming unhappy as a result.
I always wonder if just having a short time at his boyhood club was worth it to him or whether he would rather have not gone and failed (though he scarcely had a chance). I hope he is proud to have been a Liverpool player (even though that is beyond our comprehension ).
If the opportunity to leave had never come about, I saw him as going on the same path as SKD - but if he'd turned down the option to move I think you're right, he'd be kicking himself & saying 'what if' forever.
I'm absolutely sure he is. His regret will undoubtedly be from a playing/professional standpoint rather than emotionally.
Seems as if people are reaching the stage similar to when a girl/guy has broken up with you and at first you are really cut up about it all. Then a few weeks later you remember all their flaws and convince yourself you never needed them. Let's just hope we don't find somebody else and end up missing our ex!
Maybe, but what an influence to have around as a striking coach. With all his experiences and the way he turned his career from journeyman to top striker his presence could have been invaluable.
