05 Oct 2018 08:29:23
Bit out of left field, and not too sure if he'd come after being linked with Arsenal, but Mikel Arteta? I'd have thought we're a reasonable start for his career, since a top 6 team seems overly optomistic with no real experience yet. Michael Carrick is another similar guy that comes to mind, but maybe he's a few years as a number 2 away from being ready to manage.

1.) 05 Oct 2018
05 Oct 2018 20:01:49
Interesting shout. He has played quite an important role coaching at City and I understand he was very close to being selected by Arsenal last summer before they bottled it and went for experience. Not sure he showed much though when he was stand-in head coach for their first Champions league game. Would be quite the gamble. But rather someone like him than any of Moyes, Allardyce, Pulis, Bruce etc. At least if we take a gamble it looks the club are trying to shake us out of this slumber.

2.) 06 Oct 2018
06 Oct 2018 15:23:14
Exactly - I think it's a gamble to hire a manager like the ones you named as well, in terms of risking continuing our current stagnation.

Thoughts on Carrick? Hardly receiving the best tutelage under Mourinho right now but he's always had an outstanding football brain and seems destined for management eventually.

3.) 06 Oct 2018
06 Oct 2018 21:16:33
Carrick still feels a little green around the gills to me. Its one thing being an intelligent footballer playing under good managers and with some of the best players in the world, but we're talking now about the right personality to not only have a good football brain but be a motivator and an excellent coach, someone with an eye for current talent and potential and how best to utilise it.

I'm all for gambling but the risk of failure is much higher with someone with such limited experience. I think managers need to show they have the required skillset and its not as simple as hiring someone who was a good footballer, an intelligent footballer or even a good coach. Managers aren't always the best coaches, nor ex-top pros. I appreciate you understand this more than some.

Its just a bit of a catch 22 because how do you find out if a coach or someone with limited experience is capable without giving them a try? I'm just not sure our pool of options should be so broad as to consider everyone, nor should it be so narrow as to focus just on current managers with or without Premier League experience. I'm happy for the club to take a gamble on someone and stand by them and give them time to make a change. But not such a gamble that the chances of success are intangible guess work.

4.) 08 Oct 2018
08 Oct 2018 00:45:38
Hi guys

Another very disapointing performance,5 points from a possible 24 is quite simply pitiful. We have spent £50m over the summer and we are worse than last season, and we thought that impossible. I will be honest I thought MH was a good choice but we are still facing the same issues, we can't score, we can't defend.
There seems to be a real lack of quality manager potential replacements so we jump from the frying pan into the fire. We now have 2 weeks where presumably the management sit down with MH and training staff and acknowledge what is happening is not acceptable, training whatever is not working and we have to totally rethink our current methods. We are so far away from playing modern possession based football, we struggle to string 5 passes together,
to pass out from the back on the floor is an impossible dream, players lacking confidence, also unwilling to take responsibility, we all know that with this squad we should not be in this situation, look at what Eddie Howe has done at bmth, play attractive football, very competitive score goals keep clean sheets, soccer is not complicated so let's see what happens. coyr.

5.) 08 Oct 2018
08 Oct 2018 22:40:30
I've said it before and i'll say it again . I was absolutely shocked to see that MH had none won two PL games in a row since Nov/ Dec 2016!
And that sums up exactly what we are seeing here. MH does not know how to hold on to a lead or come from behind. What is happening here at SFC is a mirror of his previous managerial appointments. He just doesn't know how to win. Winning games is an absolute prerequisite of not just staying in the PL but being succesful within it.
It's not going to get any better . his past record shows that.

Southampton has to be brave now and accept their mistake (again) . It's not like he has a record of achievement; he has a record of non achievement.

So as a few posters have said, get rid of MH and replace by who?
well MR Black Box . wherever/ however you found M Poch . go do it again!
Or . we are heading out of the PL . and if we do survive, it will be a struggle . for the team and the fans.

6.) 08 Oct 2018
08 Oct 2018 22:51:28
Definitely agree VintageSaint. The board should be telling MH and his gang to step up. It's quite embarrassing that we spent that much over summer break and are in the position we are. Coaching staff needs to change but, as you said, there doesn't seem to be any quality replacement unless we go with a fresh manager who may or may not have better luck.

Our players need to sit down with management and be told they need to work better. This isn't Sunday league it's the best league in the world and if they don't change or even put more effort at simple things like passing, then good riddence.