Next manager discussion (poll reset 21/05/2016)

[gaino92]

Zat is the biggest football hipster the world has ever seen!!

I for one welcome our new massive headed overlord. In some ways welcome home Ronald

 

[Ashtonian]

You're describing..er...Steven Naismith?

Aye but he was only ever used as an option when rom was injured or played on the left and told to wander about.

I mean playing a naismith when the game calls for it over a rom. Out of all our attackers, how many times since the 90s even have we ever played a different striker for a different team?

 

[hillstreetblue]

Pienaar, Gibson, Osman, Hibbert, Howard, McGeady, Kone possibly all leaving.....we need a lot of players!!

Agree that we shouldn't prioritise quantity over quality but we still need a deep enough squad and all of those players will need to be replaced even if they're not first teamers

Not really, how many of them actually played last year or had any impact. Coming in/back we have Garbutt, Dowell, Pennington, Galloway, Browning, Holgate to name a but a few. We certainly need numbers thats for sure but most of those listed had little to no impact on the first team last year anyway.

 

[Nymzee]

It's not about that mate.

We have promising players like Davies and Dowell coming through and that's brilliant, but Koeman's main job is to get the young players that are already in our team (Stones, Barkley, Del, Rom (probably 2 of these will go, I know)), to perform to the best of their abilities.

Well yes, obvious statement there mate. His job is to get the whole squad to play to the best of their ability regardless of age.

My concern is whether the very transparent pathway to the first team under Martinez might become murky and undo the great work been done the last couple of years. We're getting close to being a good team with lots of our own players, let's not let a new manager ruin that. Who doesn't want to see local lads playing for our team?

 

[sageyefc]

If you could bring 2 soton players with him lids..??
Foster and Long for me. Both be very decent signings.

Nah

 

[BlueToff]

How many 90 minutes did those lot get all season though? The kids can play the minutes they used up last season easily. Still need some squad players but not tons.

Yeh spot on.

A new goalkeeper is a must, obviously.

Depending on whether Stones goes, a new centre back. If not I do think we're well stocked what with Browning returning from injury and Holgate set for another season of development. Also got Galloway, and we've got Garbutt to come back from his loan.

Probably do need another centre mid, as Gibson will almost certainly be gone. Think Pienaar will leave, but could see Osman getting a player/coach role for a year, unless he drops down to the Champ and joins Stubbs at Rotherham (which would certainly make sense for all parties).

McGeady will be off, and I think we'll get a playmaker (Ziyech is supposedly a big target of Koeman's and the Saints fans seem to think he'd have been their first target of the summer).

Then, depending on Rom leaving, we either need one new striker as back up, or two.

That's the bare bones of what is needed. Don't think they'll be too many signings. Probably 8/9 out, 6/7 in.

 

[ToffeeDoug]

Pienaar, Gibson, Osman, Hibbert, Howard, McGeady, Kone possibly all leaving.....we need a lot of players!!

Agree that we shouldnt prioritise quantity over quality but we still need a deep enough squad and all of those players will need to be replaced even if theyre not first teamers

We could comfortably lose up to 8 players (I'm adding Niasse there and before worrying about Lukaku and Stones) but that doesn't mean we need 8 new players (I know you aren't saying that). How many of those added much to the first team match day squad on a regular basis and whom we couldn't do without?

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Nah

fonte and forster

 

[Saint Domingo]

On the Saints forum a fair few were whinging about his way of dealing with the youth players. Aside from Targett (only had Bertrand so necessity) and Harrison Reed I don't remember seeing any of their promising academy. Granted lots were out on loan.

I hope he keep Unsworth/Royle around and he gives the kids chances otherwise I'll be very disappointed. If they're better than some of the players in our squad now they need minutes regardless of their age.

Ultimately a lot of those kids just weren't good enough. Think they all thought they just had loads of Bales Walcotts and Chamberlains in the academy. The likes of Targett Reed Ward Prowse and a few others have just not been at the same level. Top managers want to win. If youth players are good enough they will get a chance, but if they are not then managers should not be compelled to play them.

 

[BlueToff]

Well yes, obvious statement there mate. His job is to get the whole squad to play to the best of their ability regardless of age.

My concern is whether the very transparent pathway to the first team under Martinez might become murky and undo the great work been done the last couple of years. We're getting close to being a good team with lots of our own players, let's not let a new manager ruin that. Who doesn't want to see local lads playing for our team?

No I don't think it will be undone.

That's what the DoF is going to be about, whoever comes in will set the policy throughout the club, and the manager will identify targets and when/how to utilise youth.

We've got a good balance at the moment.

 

[sageyefc]

fonte and forster

Clasie and mane. Fonte is sound though

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Yeh spot on.

A new goalkeeper is a must, obviously.

Depending on whether Stones goes, a new centre back. If not I do think we're well stocked what with Browning returning from injury and Holgate set for another season of development. Also got Galloway, and we've got Garbutt to come back from his loan.

Probably do need another centre mid, as Gibson will almost certainly be gone. Think Pienaar will leave, but could see Osman getting a player/coach role for a year, unless he drops down to the Champ and joins Stubbs at Rotherham (which would certainly make sense for all parties).

McGeady will be off, and I think we'll get a playmaker (Ziyech is supposedly a big target of Koeman's and the Saints fans seem to think he'd have been their first target of the summer).

Then, depending on Rom leaving, we either need one new striker as back up, or two.

That's the bare bones of what is needed. Don't think they'll be too many signings. Probably 8/9 out, 6/7 in.

our young prospects, centre backs and full backs are only going to improve vastly under koeman. he will be able to instill defensive discipline into them.

 

[Danny Ve Dito]

Forster & a toss-up between Ward-Prowse, Mane and Tadic

where did u get this three sided coin u speak of!!

 

[BlueToff]

Ultimately a lot of those kids just weren't good enough. Think they all thought they just had loads of Bales Walcotts and Chamberlains in the academy. The likes of Targett Reed Ward Prowse and a few others have just not been at the same level. Top managers want to win. If youth players are good enough they will get a chance, but if they are not then managers should not be compelled to play them.

All of those have played made. Ward-Prowse is pretty much a guaranteed starter for them

 

[Robbyfaux]

Personally, if this all goes through, I would really like to see Koeman bring Graziano Pelle with him. From what I've seen he's great in the air and I think would thrive off Deulofeou's whipped crosses. Would replace a few of Rom's goals if he leaves.
Am I right in thinking Koeman brought him with him when he joined Saints?