I mean it’s not how life works anywhere. Things, sadly in instances like this, are rarely linear in that sense (particularly when dealing with people).
Yeah, it absolutely could come out of the blue that a team in Germany comes in for him without anyone expecting it. Football is a domino game, we could’ve spoken to Rohl and he might’ve been open to it. Then Leipzig appoint Glasner and Palace come in for Rohl. Or Wolfsburg sack Hassenhuttl and decide they fancy Rohl. Future planning in recruitment is of course something we should be doing, there is absolutely no guarantee it would work as the moving parts element is ridiculous
I’m sure it’s not, I’m in no way going to pretend I know anything about how to run or recruit for a championship football team. What I do know though is that this club threw in the towel in December and have known since then they are in the championship. Yes football is very fluid and things can change very quickly but during SRs tenure they have proven again and again that they do like to take their time and they will happily do things very very late. My point is that if it comes out that Rohl has rejected it and then it comes out that the board is scrambling for other options then I feel rightfully there should be a bit of ‘well what have you been doing for months’. Same with transfers of players, if we get to two weeks before the championship, we’ve signed no one and got rid of no one then surely questions can be asked?
We don't know at this stage who or how many people they have contacted about the job, it's all speculation at this point.
Sure. In the incredibly unlikely event those things turn out to be true, then yes, of course questions can be asked. I would suggest though, with the small amount of information we have: 1 - Rohl hasn't rejected it, yet. 2 - if he has, or more pertinently if he does in the near future, there's no indication that we're "scrambling for other options" - there may well be (and probably is) a second choice, third choice etc. 3 - if we get to 2 weeks before the Championship begins, and we've signed nobody and nobody has left, I'll put £1000 in to the Saints Foundation.
I can see your point but I think you are hugely down playing the fluidity. If they approached Rohl months ago and he said “yeah sounds good but let’s see what happens” then in mid May he says “sorry other job is available and I’m going there” then what do you want them to do? With players it’s even worse. The only way you can sell players early is to sell them cheap as buying clubs aren’t going to pay what you want early on in a window. It’s why most transfers take ages to complete. So do you want SR to just sell the players on the cheap to get it done early? Buying players the only way you get them early is to over pay (if it’s a player the selling club wants to keep). Do you want SR to overpay to get the player in early? Why do you think the last 2 weeks of transfer windows are usually the busiest for clubs? Because all clubs are disorganised and leave things late or because everyone is posturing for the best deals they can get and only when the deadline is looming to teams feel like they have to get deals done
Don't disagree with that however I'm confused when you say the only way to offload players early is to sell them cheap but the only way to get them in early is to overpay?
If you are actively trying to get rid of players then (imo) the only way to do that is to sell them cheaper than you would. Needs to be a price the buying team is happier to pay early on in the window which logically would be cheaper than you may want. Last time we were relegated JWP, Lavia and Livramento all left late on (I think they were all still here for the first game of the Champ season?) I’m sure we could’ve sold all of them a month earlier for like 10m less than what we ended up getting for them if we really wanted it done early.
How many times have we heard that a player is nailed on to go to a club, then a last minute offer or change of heart, takes them somewhere else. It might be that it affects mangers too. Unless their name is on a contract, they aren’t guaranteed to go anywhere.
Bet365 have slashed the odds on Rohl being the next manager from 4/6 to 4/11, for whatever that's worth.
OK then how about Alan Ball managed Saints after he had managed Pompey. Mick Channon played for Pompey after he left Saints admittedly. To be honest I don't want O'Neil either. Best player we have ever signed from Pompey though was Barry Horne.
O'Neil is a good manager but it'd be a hell of a risk and the fans would struggle to accept him. He'd have to get off to an absolute flyer even if he did would struggle through a bad period. Don't see it being him anyway. Doesn't feel a very Saints appointment.
I tbunk John Mousinho would be a good appointment but Pompey would make this impossible. He could do better than Portsmouth
