I've gotten to a point in my life where most of my enjoyment from football is from the craft, beauty, skill, drama and entertainment it affords. When I was a couple of years younger literally all I cared about was that saints won but that's changed for me. I still love the club and love the connection to the city I grew up in - and days like wembley will live forever in the memory - but saints losing never ruins my day anymore. The last half of this season I've often watched spurs or other top exciting teams over saints games - just because they are so entertaining - this probably makes me less of a fan in most peoples books but I don't really care tbh. So for these reasons I wouldn't mind Puel going purely because I've found many of the games I've watched this season dull as dishwater (admittedly I haven't watched every one). On a purely pragmatic basis I'd say he's done pretty well in difficult circumstances but selfishly I'd like to see some more entertaining football and I'd be prepared for a dip in results to see that happen.
Indeed, and yet they still manage to put 2 and 2 together and make 5. Has soured my enjoyment this season more than anything else, home support has been appalling. At this point few sentences make me want to choke someone more than 'I paid my money and I can support my team how I want' etc... Sure, you're totally right, you can support them however you want, I just don't know why you're choosing to 'support' them like a ****ing idiot. I've doubted a lot of things about Puel's management during his tenure, but if he is done with then his grave wasn't just dug for him, the nails on his coffin were hammered in too. And then cement was poured on top.
As a caveat though booing and hurling abuse at players/managers is infantile. While I can deal with saints loosing, I'll sing and shout and encourage while at the game, just all part of the fun. People getting so angry is just a bit pathetic really, it's only a bloomin game afterall!
No coincidence that the most enjoyable days for me this season have been away from St Mary's. Good days out with 2-3,000 people who have made a bit of an effort and actually want to be there to support the team (mostly!), not have to endure the miserable moaning that has been building at home. A tremendous number of the most depressed ones don't even seem to acknowledge the existence of away games and take failings in the home games as a personal insult. Do they not realise the atmosphere contributes to it? Its been making me nervous, never mind the players!! The football's not been up to the level of past seasons granted but perhaps a work in progress, not the end of the world? European trips, cup final, finishing 8th, that night at Anfield - not a bad old year and could have been worse! I'm told my refusal to not declare everything s**t all the time apparently makes me a Happy Clapper. Fair enough. Oh and since when did we become a fire drill club? The huffy evacuation of the stands when a goal goes against us is a bloody joke. Have a grand summer everyone - here we go again!
The away supporters have been superb, as always, fair play to them all for backing the team unconditionally this season...
The away supporters have also been watching a relatively successful team. Home supporters have been watching a side battling relegation.
I said yesterday I'm going to try and do more aways next year. Everton, Newcastle, Burnley hopefully Hudders and maybe some more. Much more enjoyable match day experience.
Should add I'm not just talking about booing etc. there, the general PL matchday atmosphere is so sterile and ****e. At the United game I had someone behind me who was videoing almost the entire game... he looked sheepish and stopped when I said he may as well have stayed at home and watched it on sky... I mean ffs
I said this last week Ian. People are grasping at straws in this "Brexit is to blame for everything" era. Totally agree Pochetino being Argentinian would have had the same effect and Koeman being the very person who professionally fouled Platt, Didn;t get sent off, didn't get the penalty and then scored the free kick later in the game would have got it too. People are just grasping for any reason to blame Brexit for everything.
Whereas I see these remarks as definitely about his nationality. It may be the football which has annoyed people but the remarks are nothing to do with football. How is froggy land not offensive?
People have always said this sort of thing. It isn't about his nationality as people so desperately want to make it. It is simply a "Go home" message and if the manager had been from Liverpoool it would have bee "F*** off back to Scouseland you c***" You can quite rightly complain about these sort of comments being stupid but the desperation to link any reference to a nationality or even different locality is getting silly. Froggy Land is not the best thing to say but that does not mean that person does not like France or is picking on Claude because he is French nor because he is a foreigner. You will hear supporters telling players to F*** off back to Geordie Land or F*** off taffy all the time. Stupid comments they may be but there is no concious hatred of the referenced locality.
Reading about the abuse that he's received from some fans I'm going to do the total opposite and write him a thank you letter. It's the least he deserves.
I didn't say there was hatred (a bit of a strong word) behind the words just that they were about his nationality in my opinion. Who else would you say them to but a french person?
But there obviously is. Why does anyone need to reference the nationality of any player/manger when complaining about them in anyway? You referenced the word "taffy" when describing someone who is Welsh, which, is used as an insult in the way that you said it. You've just reiterated what most posters have said about people being xenophobic...
People don't hate him because he is French - that much is blindingly obvious. The people saying these things are most likely a bit thick and can't think of an insult or reasoning as to why he should leave and therefore resort to xenophobic comments as a method of insulting the man. If he had got us top 6 and played amazing football you wouldn't hear anything about him being French because nobody really cares. It's just because they don't like him and they're thick that they say such things. Doesn't make it right, but that is certainly why.
