All the teams and staff had their combined Xmas do last Thursday at the stadium…. Kept strangely quiet… almost like it’s not a good look having a party whilst the men’s coach might as well be Stevie Wonders guide dog….
In the NHS I was contracted to work a 37 hour week, but if a machine broke down I would stay as long as necessary to fix it. I believe the board, Russell and the entire squad should stay at Staplewood permanently until someone has worked out how to fix what is wrong.
We have an appalling record against Spurs, back in the 30s Saints lost 2-5, 0-5, 0-8, 0-4, 0-5 in successive away matches against them, when I read that (many years ago) it gave me an instant disliking to the team, not the fans, players or people who worked for them, but just as opponents. It has not really improved much in my lifetime, so winning any games against them is great and unusual in my book. So bearing that in mind if Russ can conjure up a 2-0 defeat with two stupid mistakes at the back he can keep his job. I'm going away for a while tomorrow, they say it's a nice quiet place and people look after you....
I don’t think it’s as bad as a lot people do. We haven’t been miles off getting a result but as I’ve said before, when you are bemoaning luck then you’re not good enough. There are worse owners out there, there are worse managers and he will be better for this - and getting sacked - provided he sees it for what it is - failure thru arrogance. if he could make the adaptations and be flexible he would be good but he isn’t.
I can’t see any evidence to the contrary. Yes we spent on THB, Ramsdale, Fernandez but these are players who we will sell on for a profit/no loss. Dibling is an asset to be sold. KWP will leave on a free. Ugo and cornet are loans. Wood and Edward’s are ones for the future, could be sold for profit. Archer, sugawara and Taylor are probably not on high salaries and have relegation clauses. They have factored in relegation and have ensured it won’t be a big financial hit for SR.
Taking a step back though, isn't that good management and makes good business sense? Have a contingency plan that will ensure they don't go under, whilst trying to make us competitive?
There’s a difference between between a contingency plan and accepting that the worst will happen and doing nothing about it.
For all the perceived closeness of RM with the players it’s clear, to me, that the only message he has got across to the players is to keep the ball at all costs. In recent weeks he has said that Downes maybe should have put the ball into touch against Liverpool and that THB should have cleared the ball v Aston Villa but the fact that both players were intent on trying to play their way out of trouble shows that they don’t feel empowered to take a safety first approach. This is a failure of the manager. Even the teams at the top of the table hit the ball into row Z if they are under pressure or disorganised, which seems to be our default position. Similarly the lack of goal attempts/chances. I think his comment at the weekend was (paraphrasing) that he was at a loss to explain no shots on goal. If he can’t figure out why we are so inept at creating chances then that too shows that he isn’t up to the task and it’s another nail in his coffin.
This bit is more damning given that he says the way we play out from the back (aka pissing about at the back) creates more chances.
The fact that all 4 goalkeepers have had decent game time under RM and that every one of them made the same mistakes that led to the same goals. That’s all the proof I need to see that this all lies on RM and his style.
Yeah, that suicidal pass from the GK to a player central to try and beat an oppo's press has led to so many chances and goals against us and like you say all four keepers have played them. It must be a direct instruction to try and create chances by beating the press but it's such a low percentage tactic and a very costly one for us so far this season.
Just like Martin, I’m far too stubborn to change anything, for that reason he still gets until the next international break
Seen a couple of differing reports today. One saying that the board are to remain patient with Bozo and will give him the run of fixtures over the Xmas period. Another report from the North East saying that SR are getting annoyed with his unwillingness to adapt the style of play and that Rafa Benitez has been sounded out for the job? He wants to come back to the premier league and realises that it will be with a team at the lower end. Would you take Benitez? I would https://www.newcastleworld.com/spor...t-newcastle-uniteds-struggling-rivals-4903987
