Try and catch Sky's Sunday Supplement piece of Puel this morning (and in particular Jonathan Northcroft's contribution). It was actually very reasoned and thought out, which did surprise me.
I do find it interesting that my dad, who has been going to Saints games since the 1960s, has Puel down as only the second ever Saints manager who he is wanting to leave. Branfoot was the other one. Asking for managers to go is very, very unlike my dad.
He actually made that exact point - something along the lines of "Southampton don't get much attention as a club being outside the big six, so to simply look at their league position and cup run is to look at things far too simplistically. Ultimately, the Saints fans watch the football far more than we do"
Not sure if mentioned so far on here, but there seems to be from some people am underlying thread against Puel of essentially not liking him because he's French. That worries me a great deal.....
As I said to Beddytare, if Branfoot had got us to 8th place and a cup final we might remember him more fondly. The only person I ever wanted to leave Southampton was Rupert Lowe.
So sad and so moronic.... I don't get to many games now and there is part of me with the romantic boyhood notion that people who attend the games are largely in it to support the team through thick and thin.... it seems that may well have changed. I now fear having to explain a lot of the things said to my young children were I to take them.... If he goes, I'll be frustrated at time wasted by the board and frustrated they didn't back him till too late . We've a hell of a lot to be thankful for as Saints fans, seems an ever more vocal minority not only forget that... but forget that and make it a matter of race. Disgusting.
Those very same "fans" would be singing songs for puel if he stayed and did well next season (not likely i know). They could at least show puel some respect,he did get us to a cup final after all.some fans make me want to puke. Im hoping puel knows that not all our fans are complete thundercunts
I suspected as much but was reticent to post that idea on here. It's post Brexit England i'm afraid, we are retreating back to our little island status like the past 40 years progress of understanding and accepting other cultures never happened.
Some of the attacking play I have seen from our lads this season has been breathtaking. Every bit as good as the big boys who have finished above us. We have been particularly unlucky loosing key players at key points in the season and of course we were going to struggle replacing Mane and Pelle and coping with an unexpected change in manager and style. We have missed 3 penalties which may well have cost us vital points and yet we have finished 8th in the Premier League with only the very best teams above us. For a change we go into the summer with a decent manager who isn't using the Club as a stepping stone to one of the "glamour" clubs ................... AND YET THERE ARE SAINTS "FANS" OUT THERE WHO ARE DUMB ENOUGH TO WANT PUEL OUT. Even worse, some of them are STUPID ENOUGH TO BOO HIM. Do these idiots not realise what kind of negative effect this has has on the players? Yes you morons the same players whose names you chant week in week out. The same players that Puel has mentored and brought on during a very difficult season in which he could easily have said "Never mind lads just park the bus out there for every game and lets try and avoid relegation". Instead of congratulating our manager on a very respectable finish in a tough season there seems to be a vocal minority who are desperate to scapegoat him for their own deluded aspirations. Given our players sales and injuries WE WERE NEVER GOING TO FINISH TOP SIX THIS SEASON. Grow up lads and get behind your Team, INCLUDING THE MANAGER.
The Sun newspaper should take full responsibility for the rise of UKIP, and the steady growth of anti-EU sentiments that started way back in the 80s, sentiments that were gradually taken on board by the Mail and the utterly despicable Express, which is the most appalling piece of filth that is currently published.
I think we should be happy with the results this season and I am. The problem is I have been bored to watch the team for the first time in forever. Even under Koeman we went on huge runs of low scoring games, the difference is we managed to win 1-0. Its the smallest of margins between Koeman and Puel to be honest. Koeman had us playing very defensive possession football conceding no goals and garnering the 2nd best defensive record in Europe at one point. We would then squeak a goal and win 1-0. Puel hasn't had that rub and he hasnt had the squad at the back thanks to Fonte. Still, what's the point? Its been a dull season with a couple of highlights. A manager and squad who haven't been right for each other and the fault lies with the board last year selling all the goal scorers and not replacing them. I dont blame the manager and wish him well on his next appointment when he goes.
Claude is a gentleman, I only wish we treated him as such. However, I've become disillusioned, like many, at the lack of imagination over the past few months. Tough one - I'd give him another year provided he hasn't lost the dressing room
The players need to knuckle down and think of the club rather than themselves. It says something when our best performer in the last few games has been a kid with a handful of games under his belt. It sickens me to see the way modern football is, when good men can be thrown under a bus by people with a selfish agenda.
