And he needs to have a feed into who goes and most definitely who comes in. He's had an impossible job and I'm impressed by how he conducts himself, just needs someone who knows where the net is!
Ah good we are back to disagreeing again normal service has resumed . I get where you are coming from but I would like to see what he can achieve with his own team. I agree a clear out is required but how huge depends on which of the better players we have want leave or stay.
I’m still undecided on him. We are certainly a lot more structured than we were under Jones, it looks like there is a plan on the pitch and the players look like they know what they are doing and Selles isn’t to blame for the lack of a goal scoring edge. That said negative approach in the West Ham game is a bit of a mark against him and the Leeds result was poor. 8 games left to prove himself really, if we get close to survival then I don’t mind him sticking around if there isn’t a more suitable candidate is available, but if we just quietly bow out then I think it’s fresh start time.
I just think that we have had 3 managers in the last 4 months. A bit of stability is needed after the turmoil, even if we go down. I just worry about the knee jerk reactions on here. We’d be on our 12 manager by now if we listened to some. Any one who spends £180m on a club plus the extras isn’t going to on purpose screw us. I’m frankly bored by the ranting and knee jerks on here. We are where we are…we can’t change it. Of course, we can be and all are upset by it all, but the ranting and the intensity of it all is very tiresome to me. Yep I don’t need to read it I know. Maybe that is the answer. Edit. To the Ralphouters I always said be careful what you wish for. I say it again. Unless some of you enjoy the ranting and this place is your release from life.
Again, it wasn't Ralph Out that was the problem. We're all (pretty much) oin agreement he was done, spent and needed to go. For his own sanity. The problem was in the hiring of that useless Welsh prick as his replacement, squandering a mini preseason, a transfer window and leaving him in charge for our "easiest" run of games that has ****ed us. Ralph would still have had us better off had he stayed, no question, but the decision to sack him isn't the problem as such. SR may have spent some money, but has it been spent wisely? As you say, they're not deliberately sabotaging us but their decision making and judgement is, quite frankly, poor based on the evidence of this season. Nothing we can do now, except to embrace the championship and hope they've learned their lessons, improve their judgement, implement proper footballing people and back off a little bit. I'm not convinced at all this will happen, but we shall see. As for Selles, no doubt he's an improvement on Jones (it's not difficult, my neighbours dead cat would have been) but depends whose available in the summer. Would Potter be interested? Bin Selles off if so, but certainly we should be shopping around first.
My main issue with Ruben is his team selection, I decided that Mo El will never be the creative 10 that we need a long time ago and Theo turns in a dangerous performance once in a blue moon now. We have bought attacking options in (at some expense) so why not try them from the start of a match?, Tall Paul with JWP feeding him in the air needs to be looked at IMO and I think that it could be a useful weapon and we are pretty toothless as it stands. I think that the way that Bree has been treated shows that Ruben never respected NJ and he almost wants to make a point of not playing his signings. I feel that Bree could be a more natural RB than AMN if he insists on starting KWP on the left (an old Ralph tactic).
Whilst he's clearly an improvement on NJ (who wouldn't be?) He's already shown us his team, his tactics, his formation. The championship is going to be much harder than what we're facing at the moment. He's shown that come the big matches he's not up to it. And let's not forget he has been a part of the decision making process the whole god awful season. It's a let go with thanks from me
Me too. Let Wilcox have a proper crack at making it his own by hiring his own manager and his own head of recruitment. Relegation should be a time for a fresh start, not limping on with remnants of the past just because a deeply underwhelming squad thought they were a good person. Selles seems like a nice bloke but I’m far from convinced he has the answers or is the man for a Championship campaign.
A couple of weeks ago we were all waxing lyrical about Selles. The fact remains that unless our recruitment improves beyond measure, we will struggle no matter who the manager is and what league we’re in.
First couple of games he really galvanised the team, but since then I am sad to say it but he just seems to be devoid of ideas or tactics to really improve things. He’s trying to play Ralphball but without the high press and intensity. No idea why he’s sticking with Ely. No idea why he hates Edozie who was one of our most promising/positive players. No idea why he’s not giving our new striker a chance to prove himself. Ultimately the rot had set in long before he arrived, so I don’t blame him at all. However I do think we need a big name championship manager next season to have a fresh start and really go for it.
I understand (I think) why he's not giving Edozie or Paul a chance. And it links back to your first paragraph: Selles is clearly prioritising players who he thinks will work best with "Ralphball". Now I very much disagree with doing that. It's laughable to think that it might just magically start to work again. But I do think that's the reasoning behind it. I just hope that when I'm sitting in my seat at SMS next season, I'll be watching Edozie ripping it up on the left wing, a decent manager in our dugout, and Ely absolutely nowhere to be seen.
Well id imagine Smallbone will be JWP’s replacement, with £40 odd million coming our way. Out of interest what do we realistically think about his value? And I believe we could get £15m + for Tella.
I have to say that I would be worried about SR making another poor decision if they decide to replace Selles. There is a lot of sense in Selles selections as he is effectively chosing those players he believes can do a job of keeping us in the Premier League. I am disappointed that Elynoussi gets singled out for abuse as he clearly has a function in this squad. With regards to the fringe players, I just feel that Selles does not trust them in a relegation battle but am sure that it different approach will be taken on the Championship. Selles has a lot of potential but he is learning. I would much sooner persist with him the Jesse Marsch who has not turned down Leicester as well as Saints. It is depressing to think that he has been on Saints' radar for so long. There is no way that we will get Graham Potter to become manager and think that he is more likely to end up at a club like West Ham. I agree with the comments about Nathan Jones entirely and Selles looks a safe pair of hands in comparison. The fact that SR had tracked, appointed and stuck with Jones when things had clearly become a sh/tstorm worries me with manager appointments. I would not be surprised if they binned Selles whereas SR need to look amongst themselves to see why things have gone so wrong since they have been in charge. It is not Selles who needs to be replaced but the idiots he reports to. SR had a vision which seemed both visionary and credible when they came in yet the reality is that they cannot get the big decisions right. Who is to say that they would not appoint another Nathan Jones 2?
Ralph ball failed. The exact tactics we are using now got sussed out leading us to be the worst team in the league. So we now are trying the same thing again. At least he played Lavia, JWP and Alcaraz all at the same time. That’s some progress at least. In answer to Ian above, Ely gets singled out for abuse because he is absolutely stealing a living. One of the worse players I’ve ever seen for us and I include league one in that. I don’t think he’d have even made the bench under Pardew. He’s horrific.
Yeah, that’s still possible. I’ve accepted that relegation is almost inevitable, but a great escape isn’t off the cards completely yet.
Elynoussi is not great but I feel he works hard even if he does not get much in the way of goals. I thought he played well in the first half against City and looked good with Alcaraz. There was an interview with Selles a few weeks back in which he explained why he was being selected. Whilst I would not try to present him as one of our better players, I don;t see that he has been any worse than say Stuart Armstrong this season. The problem with Saints this campaign is a lack of goals and too many senior players not putting in decent performances week in, week out. Player of the Season will be interesting!
