Ralph sacked as Saints manager

If we got significant financial backing then I’d assume many would want Ralph to have at least one (summer) window without the restraints he has currently been working under

In an ideal world such a takeover would happen pre Christmas but I’d still want to give him a summer window. Notably one where the wage bill is also eased by booting Long and Forster

 

Totally agree with this. We can judge him much more fairly if we give him the financial resources even of Palace (revitalised under Patrick Viera, and having a great season....on the same points as us). Right now I honestly think he's doing a good job with what he's had to play with.

 

I’d agree Leeds may have a similar squad but they have some markedly better individual players. Maybe not enough to say a better first team overall. The goalkeeper, Phillips and Raphinha. Raphinha is significantly better than ever player in a number 10 role we have

Don’t Leeds have a circa 25m player in Rodrigo playing out of position

I am intrigued as to what your combined Newcastle and Southampton team would be. Probably Dubravka. Definitely ASM (again like Raphinha markedly better than any AM we have). Wilson I’d consider a toss up. Defenders ? Not sure I’d have any of their. Central midfield - no again.

 

Dubravka, ASM, Wilson would go straight in. Willock quite possibly for me, along with Almiron. Schar and Lascelles would be behind Salisu, but toss-up between them and Bednarek. Manquillo behind Livramento, but not by a mile. Adams vs Joelinton isn't a given either.

 

Funny how narratives work isn’t it ? Revitalised . Having a great season. Great win against Man City

Southampton : poor season. Underperforming. Throwing away results.

Same points.

It pays to be a former top player starting as a manager and doing at least an adequate job. Helps even more if you were given a relatively clean slate to build a squad and money to invest right from the start of the window so you could beat clubs who needed to sell first to signings. (I suggest if Vestergaard had gone on day 1 we would have been in for both the central defenders they signed)

 

Willock has been awful this season. But seems to be playing out of position

Adams vs Joelinton is a given. Especially if you are putting together a squad / side and they have to be paid their existing contracts

Adams offers far far more than Joelinton and certainly would if playing with ASM

 

This, this, this.

 

In fairness I've not seen them enough to judge. But the point being, I don't believe their squad is a million miles from ours in terms of outright quality. Let's see how Eddie "far better than Ralph" Howe gets on.

 

I wonder what would happen with Dubravka. As it seems like Newcastle are desperate for a new goalkeeper almost as priority one

which doesn’t make sense to me. Hasn’t he got some amazing stats for points saved. I am sure I read they would have been dead and buried in each of the last two seasons without him.

 

Yeah you can tell from the table that most of the teams are much of a muchness. There is just a malaise at Newcastle it seems

might be lifted due to investment

but isn’t that narrative false as well? Haven’t they spend far far more than us over the past few years

from looking at the squads what does seem unforgivable is that ASM and Raphinha seem to have come in for very similar fees to Djenepo and Ely. We are clearly bad at scouting for that position. But those players naturally seem a gamble

 

Yes, but we’re targeting those players because they suit our coach who prefers to work with younger, up and coming players. It has to be joined up. Benítez wanted a forward he’d worked with before and was older. Our recruitment was a joined up thought. It wouldn’t work if, say Mourinho was our manager. Because those aren’t players who fit his profile.

 

The 3 recent 1-0 wins have taken the heat off of Ralph to a degree but there is a natural disappointment that we couldn't see the games out from a winning position in the last 2 although home draws against Leicester and Brighton are hardly a disaster.

 

Ralph might well be oñe of the longest serving PL.managers in their current position after Klopp, Guardiola and maybe Rodgers. Strange that after 3 years the itchy feet brigade gets really active. As I only follow the game vía the BBC website and this board, I cannot comment on the situatión save to say that three years is quite a length of time these days. It is quite likely that Ralph will want to move on to.pastures new, soon, maybe he will be poached.

 

I’m kind of on the fence on this one, I like Ralph a lot but something just isn’t working.

I find it strange that some are so closed minded to the idea of replacing him. If we had a striker who wasn’t scoring or a keeper leaking goals we would look to bring in replacements in January.

 

Because there is NOBODY better of course

 

what makes you think Ralph is at his peak?

 

ive watched a lot of Leeds. They aren’t anywhere near as good as us individually, I would take Raphina and that’s it. Even Romeu for me is better than Philips and that’s the only other close call.

 

a) No one has been closed minded
b) No one has said there is nobody better.

Read the thread.

 

There are absolutely better managers than Ralph in the world. Are any of them remotely likely to join Southampton given our state? They are not.

 

That wouldn’t fit the narrative…