The Official Southampton FC Thread
Discussion
CanningTown said:
So what did Puel do wrong? 8th and a cup final isn't too bad especially after losing Mane etc.
Top ten and a final ? Offer that at the start of the season and most Saints fans would have bitten your arm off.However, finishing 8th was very flattering - 46 points would normally see a club finish in 12th-14th position.
The rumours of considerable player unrest at the management style were (and remain) rife - that's been a concern for a while.
And, other than the final and one or two other games, the football on display was truly dismal. It's no fun sitting through 19 home games where we've set up solely not to lose.
The icing on the cake for me was at home to Stoke on the last game of the season. 8th place still to play for, we go one down to a Crouch header and Puel immediately takes off a striker and brings on a DM.
I'm sure he's a nice guy and I do feel for him, but he wasn't a good fit at St Marys.
I think most Saints fans just had the feeling that if he was given another season, we'd be fighting relegation. It took me a while to switch to the 'out' camp, as I was all for giving him 1-2 seasons. He had a season, he did as well as any fan would have taken at the beginning of the season, if asked, but as others have said; 8th was flattering. There were only 6 points between 8th and 17th, and 15 points between 8th and 7th! And the number of points achieved was poor, as were many of the performances and the number of goals scored at home.
I believe that the best manager we've had in recent years was Poch. I think Koeman was flattered by a well-run club and a decent squad was put together for him, but he did better with the bulk of it than Puel did. I actually think Adkins would have achieved what Puel did, aside from one or two decent results against the team who seem to want to be us. If someone equal to Koeman (and there are many) had come in when Puel did, I think we'd have carried on with the kind of form we had in previous seasons, even without Mane and Pelle, even with some less-than-adequate recruitments.
I like Puel as a bloke, I feel for him, but it just didn't work. I do think he'd be excellent at a team fighting relegation in the prem though. He probably could have kept Sunderland up, but when you need to start attacking and fighting for enough points to challenge for Europe, he's just too conservative.
Let's see what happens. At least we know it won't be Raneri or Monk
I believe that the best manager we've had in recent years was Poch. I think Koeman was flattered by a well-run club and a decent squad was put together for him, but he did better with the bulk of it than Puel did. I actually think Adkins would have achieved what Puel did, aside from one or two decent results against the team who seem to want to be us. If someone equal to Koeman (and there are many) had come in when Puel did, I think we'd have carried on with the kind of form we had in previous seasons, even without Mane and Pelle, even with some less-than-adequate recruitments.
I like Puel as a bloke, I feel for him, but it just didn't work. I do think he'd be excellent at a team fighting relegation in the prem though. He probably could have kept Sunderland up, but when you need to start attacking and fighting for enough points to challenge for Europe, he's just too conservative.
Let's see what happens. At least we know it won't be Raneri or Monk
I guess it's easy for us non saints fan to say he was doing ok but it's not us that pay their hard earned to watch them every week
I think there were a lot of saints fans not happy with the turgid defensive play & lack of ambition of going closer to the oppo's goal.
Man utd are said to be very interested in Puel though.
Ki3r said:
That's four managers in three years, any wonder they can't keep their best players.Ructions said:
That's four managers in three years, any wonder they can't keep their best players.
Saints did not really want Pochard or Koeman to leave but money in one case and the lure of regular top 4 in another made them go. We'd love to keep our players and managers but sadly for us, money talks. Be nice if some other clubs could develop talent like the Saints
SSN said:
VAN DIJK, SOARES TO STAY’
Sky sources understand Southampton will not sell any of their top players this summer after reassuring new manager Mauricio Pellegrino that the likes of Virgil Van Dijk and Cedric Soares would remain at the club.
Van Dijk has been linked with a move to Liverpool, while Soares is rumoured to be attracting the interest of Tottenham and even Barcelona.
However, SSNHQ also understands that Spurs have two top targets should Kyle Walker – a target for Man City - leave the club and Soares is not one of them.
One is believed to be Porto’s Ricardo Pereira.
Very good news if true, but I think I'll put the bubbly on ice until the transfer window slams shut.Sky sources understand Southampton will not sell any of their top players this summer after reassuring new manager Mauricio Pellegrino that the likes of Virgil Van Dijk and Cedric Soares would remain at the club.
Van Dijk has been linked with a move to Liverpool, while Soares is rumoured to be attracting the interest of Tottenham and even Barcelona.
However, SSNHQ also understands that Spurs have two top targets should Kyle Walker – a target for Man City - leave the club and Soares is not one of them.
One is believed to be Porto’s Ricardo Pereira.
and more..
SSN said:
Executive director Les Reed told Sky Sports News HQ: "None of those players are for sale. I can't make it any plainer than that and that's the way we mean to go forward.
"We built this squad over some time and think we have a strong squad. We will fine-tune it but, other than that, we are looking forward to a very competitive season next year and we plan to go forward on that basis.
"There may be players that go on the basis it is the right thing for them and the club at that given time, but we don't expect that to be wholesale and this is simply doing sound business in the transfer window.
"We track players over years and when the new manager comes in like Mauricio, we take him through that process. He'd done his homework on our squad and we don't believe we need to turn over players every year just to freshen things up.
"We've got a strong squad now and it would be about adding players bringing more value and power. It's not broken so there is no need to bring in players just because of fashion or to get people excited in the transfer market."
Call me an old cynic but we've heard all this before, Les."We built this squad over some time and think we have a strong squad. We will fine-tune it but, other than that, we are looking forward to a very competitive season next year and we plan to go forward on that basis.
"There may be players that go on the basis it is the right thing for them and the club at that given time, but we don't expect that to be wholesale and this is simply doing sound business in the transfer window.
"We track players over years and when the new manager comes in like Mauricio, we take him through that process. He'd done his homework on our squad and we don't believe we need to turn over players every year just to freshen things up.
"We've got a strong squad now and it would be about adding players bringing more value and power. It's not broken so there is no need to bring in players just because of fashion or to get people excited in the transfer market."
Edited by SS2. on Wednesday 28th June 11:58
The jiffle king said:
Polish defender looks like a potentially good signing.
I'd love to believe that VVD will stay, but money talks and I sadly think he will go and probably Soares. If they were not going, they would announce their loyalty on twitter/other social media
VVD will defo goI'd love to believe that VVD will stay, but money talks and I sadly think he will go and probably Soares. If they were not going, they would announce their loyalty on twitter/other social media
JROD gone
Cedric probably going
Come on chaps.
Why would Freddie and Sir Les both say that we do not need to sell our top players and that this summer we will not be selling our top players ?
For the club then to do the opposite !!
It would make both of them a laughing stock as well as our club.
In the instance of VvD he will be worth £50 mill+ next season as well as this.
As for players showing their loyalty to clubs, that is a joke. All players these days are just mercenary scum, happy to move on to who is paying the largest filthy lucre !
Lets face it most of us will still be here when players have gone, managers and owners have had enough.
Premier league or Conference I will always be a Saints fan. Players and owners are people that form part of the journey.
Forget the individuals get behind SFC.
Why would Freddie and Sir Les both say that we do not need to sell our top players and that this summer we will not be selling our top players ?
For the club then to do the opposite !!
It would make both of them a laughing stock as well as our club.
In the instance of VvD he will be worth £50 mill+ next season as well as this.
As for players showing their loyalty to clubs, that is a joke. All players these days are just mercenary scum, happy to move on to who is paying the largest filthy lucre !
Lets face it most of us will still be here when players have gone, managers and owners have had enough.
Premier league or Conference I will always be a Saints fan. Players and owners are people that form part of the journey.
Forget the individuals get behind SFC.
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