Return to Staplewood, pre-season games and any other general pre-season chatter.... suppose it makes sense to have a separate home for it. Let's start with this.
Can only hope the megathread doesn't become a negathread. New owners, new impetus, new season and new hope what could possibly go wrong?
It does sound like Selles will lead a lot of training sessions. I'm sure Ralph will have his say as well but it won't be all on him like it was last season.
A few were wondering if the absence of certain players from club socials yesterday meant anything; the likes of Walcott and Arma are both in the actual video so wouldn't read anything into it.
What this board clearly needs is an "I told you so" thread, where every action and decision that doesn't have 100% backing from anyone/everyone linked in any way to Southampton can be criticised, dissected, hung out to dry, and repeated. It won't help, at all, but at least any doom merchants (which doesn't mean you, Jabbo) can have a fast key that allows them to update anything, especially if they can point to previous posts that cast doubts on any otherwise foolproof decision. Or we can continue to add entries to each separate thread. It amounts to the same thing, really.
https://www.southamptonfc.com/news/...-staff-southampton-football-club-30-june-2022 please log in to view this image Southampton Football Club is pleased to confirm its completed first-team backroom staff at the start of the club’s pre-season programme. Carl Martin, who led Saints Under-18s to the Premier League South title last season, moves up to support the senior side, with particular focus on work in possession of the ball. The former Watford youth coach, 35, spent the 2020/21 campaign shadowing manager Ralph Hasenhüttl and his staff to aid his development, with Saints’ youngsters reaping the benefits of that experience last season. Meanwhile, Alex Clapham joins the club from Notts County, having previously held coaching positions in Spain and Sweden, as well as with Sheffield United and Manchester City. The 33-year-old, appointed first-team coach at Meadow Lane last summer, will lead on set-pieces. Martin and Clapham team up with First Team Lead Coach Rubén Sellés, First Team Coach Richard Kitzbichler, Goalkeeping Coach Andrew Sparkes and Head of Sports Science Alek Gross in assisting Hasenhüttl at Staplewood Campus. Pictured at the top of the page (left to right): Alex Clapham, Andrew Sparkes, Rubén Sellés, Ralph Hasenhüttl, Carl Martin, Alek Gross, Richard Kitzbichler.
Carl Martin was responsible for the rollout of Ralph’s “SFC Playbook” to the U18s at the start of last season. There’s been a few writing about how he fostered a really positive environment within that age group with a lot of emphasis on individual development while still having the regimented team roles that we need. A name to keep an eye on for sure. The bloke from County isn’t a name I know but yes please a specialised set piece coach.
Okay Alex Clapham might be my new favourite person in football. https://www.canofootball.com/articles/academy-corner/a-look-inside-the-spanish-coaching-school/ CanoFootball is great on Twitter and this site has loads of his writing about coaching, youth development and football.
On the coaching staff, I like how we have greatly increased specialisation now. The staff have clearly defined roles. I can’t imagine, knowing how he operates tactically, that Ralph could be in any way opposed to any of this. It all feels sensibly joined up. How difficult was it to make changes under Gao? It’s been so stagnant. Also I like that we’re hiring the right people for all this. Proper ****ing dorks who love bloody football.
ive visited that site a few times. great resource. had not made the connection tho with our new coach. looks like a good group and i can feel the immediate impact of new blood from all the way over here! good stuff.
Stagnant is the word, I think. Both with the senior side and with the problems in the Academy, there seemed to be a lack of institutional control from the off-field side of the operation (that stretched back before Gao), and consequently the rot set in. You had people fulfilling roles that really didn't make sense simply because they were there. You allegedly had some operating their own petty fiefdoms at the expense of the club. It might be harsh on some long-standing servants, but the only way to really effect change was to rebuild the club internally from the ground up.
