Match Day Thread Will Still's useless XI* v Preston North End, 1st November, 3pm

Firstly it wasn't almost everyone saying it, it was me and I think it was fair and the last game of the ten was at Blackburn.
Now "almost everyone" can see that it's just not working. We need to see progress on the pitch but it is getting worse.
It took Martin about 5 games to find his team and stick with it but Still is nowhere near it.
We have a very good squad for the Championship and he is not making the best use of it and they are not functioning as a team because the balance is all wrong.
I think that Still is probably a good bloke but he is not what we need right now, we need a change before the confidence is completely shot and the season is wasted.

 

I think all the talk about tactics, formations and preferred ways of playing misses the point tbh.

Choose any formation and any football philosophy you want, but to make it work you need 10 outfield players who are willing to pass, move, run into space, look up, work for each other, communicate with each other, take collective responsibility etc. The basic stuff, in other words, which should be a given for any professional at any level.

 

This 100%. I said at HT our problems run so much deeper than simply the formation and you've nailed it, we don't do any of those things you've mentioned.

 

If the players aren't performing for him then that is another reason to get someone else in as it won't improve for Still.

 

Sadly I don’t think this squad would change if we bought in Klopp, Pep, Mourinho etc, as SR have invested in a bunch of egotistical self over rated dossers, which was highlighted at the end of yesterday with the supreme THB running straight down the tunnel followed by Nathan Beckenbauer - Wood using his sign language skills towards the ungrateful highly entertained fans.

 

https://x.com/alexcomber_/status/1984778069283127366?s=46

38 seconds, Nathan wood having a go at the Northam mid-game as well.
I personally don’t want to ever see him play for us again, though I understand that view is probably the minority.

 

THB can get to ****. One of the most overrated, egotistical players we have. How he got an England cap gives hope to us all. Genuinely one of my most hated players nowadays.

As for straight down the tunnel. ****ing coward, face the ****ing music like the rest of them

 

I don’t disagree really, Still has had his chance and it’s hard to see things improving under him. So get someone else in, depending on who I’d available, but don’t expect miracles from whoever it is because despite some obvious talent, with one or two exceptions this squad is mentally very weak.

 

Ask yourself why this group aren't playing for the manager? They seem to have had success at their previous clubs, or even under previous managers at Saints, so why have they all suddenly turned into pricks that can't be bothered and don't care?

They are being led by someone that clearly doesn't know what he is doing at this level and is one of the least charismatic and motivational people I have ever seen speak.

If you got a new manager at work who constantly set you up to fail and clearly had no idea what they were doing, what would your motivation be like? Yes, they should be putting in 100% effort because they are paid x,y,z, but humans don't work like that.

 

I love this. It shows the players are starting to feel uncomfortable with the crowd

 

THB and Downes are a huge part of the attitude problem in the squad. I'm convinced of it.

 

For me, this post hits the proverbial nail right on the head. Absolutely spot on.

 

Suddenly? I didn't see lots of effort last season either.

I think the culture of the club is completely broken and it's by no means simply a Will Still problem.

 

Attitude maybe, but for those that seem to think THB is just crap... he is one of the most capped England u21 players ever, was brilliant at Burnley and won promotion with them. Was brilliant at Saints and won promotion with us.

But that was all a fluke and he is actually terrible, and has been all along? Seriously?

I agree his attitude is probably crap, he can't handle being in the trenches and needs someone to put an arm round him... but that's the modern player unfortunately.

In the right environment and under the right manager pretty much all of our squad is very good at this level. But it seems pretty obvious that we are miles off that.

 

Crap recruitment of recruitment, manager, coaches and players then. Never agreed with Linc's up to now but we're stuffed

 

Yeah I don't think he's terrible ability wise (and haven't said so) albeit I also don't think he's good as many of us once thought.

But also you can't just dismiss the attitude/mental strength aspect. It makes up a huge part of sport and how effective athletes are. In individual sports even more so but even in football if you're mentally weak as piss you won't get very far.

 

I don't disagree, but the fact he has been very good in several different teams in the past shows he isn't so mentally weak that he can't be a very good player. He probably just needs to the right environment. A system which plays to his strengths and a good man manager perhaps - Kompany & Martin are both similar in those ways. I dont know what/how Still is trying to do at the moment and he seems an awful coach in terms of man management and personality.

 

Don't necessarily disagree with that, but if he's gonna chuck it in when the going gets tough then his potential upside isn't worth it imo. He's not such a good player that it justifies his piss poor attitude.

And if you have too many players who will chuck it in when the going gets tough then you end up where we are now.

 

I think that the 'Going home with Adam and Jo' podcast is the best assessment i have heard regarding the current predicament.

For me, i feel there are 4 issues they raised which were spot on:-

1. Still has lost confidence in himself.

2. No obvious leaders on the pitch and no leaders within the hierachy. Not convinced that there is much faith in SR within the club in the broader context. I.e. poor management within the club at all levels including appointments and recruitment. There are also insufficient older players in the squad.

3. Just seems that there are cultural problems in the club / constant changes with anyone who is half decent in the management moving on.

4. Little chance of home developed players breaking into the squad and being moved on. Players like Ballard being replaced by Downs. We no longer develop our own players.


As the podcast implied, SR do not understand what kind of team and manager you need in the Championship.

I cannot see SR turning this around as they do not have the knowledge or ability to do so.

 

If we ****ed off THB, Downes and Stephens in January, I'd not lose a wink of sleep.