Sign Russell Martin and stick with him

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
You would think but cheap rarely knows any limits ... perhaps one of Andy Pandy's hang-ups was that the Club wanted to let some of his team go.
 

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
Turns out that we haven't even made an official approach for Martin. Can someone please explain to me exactly what Julian Winter is for? He's known for yonks that Cooper would be leaving yet seems to have done sweet bugger all in finding his replacement. This smacks to me of either a monumental fuckup or a deliberate ploy to claim that we tried our 'best' but couldn't get who we wanted.

This opens the way for a 'forced' last minute appointment which means that we'll be employing the cheapest on offer irrespective of ability or experience. Step forward Alan Tate for pity's sake. We're being set up (again), folks and the club thinks we're stupid enough to fall for it!! They have absolutely no respect for us fans and treating us like the imbeciles we know THEM to be.

How else can they justify Cameron Toshack now being a rank outsider with odds of 22/1? We know he'd love the job; we know he was on the shortlist when Cooper blagged his way to the job, so how on earth has he fallen so low in the pecking order? His track record of success with the 'Unders' is proven; the players he helped produce with Gary Richards is a matter of fact, yet he is being ignored. Is he too forthright for owners who don't like to hear some home truths? I say again, roll on the Trust litigation, I can't wait to see these arseholes squirm.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Are they trying to see if Tate can handle the job?

If it's true that they haven't made an approach for Martin. If no person of interest was at the Greenie game. If no person of interest is at the Liberty tomorrow or been seen loitering around Fairwood. Then the only conclusion is that they see Tate as the next guy.

Either that or we are that disrespected in the trade that they can't even get agents to return phone calls.

We are all assuming that Toshack "wants" the job, but does he? Perhaps he left not just because he was shunned for Andy Pandy, but because he could see that the rot had set in and that the only good place to be was anywhere else. Perhaps neither the Club has contacted Toshack, nor Toshack has contacted the Club.

Those at the game tomorrow, scan the directors box, see if anyone is there other than the customary scum and hangers on.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player

Looks like we have woken up and are now making an approach to Martin.

However, don't get excited yet ... per the report, it could be doomed before it starts ...
Martin is believed to be open to the idea of taking the Swansea job but he would like the opportunity to strengthen the squad.

That would likely have to be in the form of loans and free transfers given how little money the club's owners made available to Cooper.
 

CroJack

Key Player
"Martin is believed to be open to the idea of taking the Swansea job but he would like the opportunity to strengthen the squad."

God, how much I miss Guidolin. Can you remember his "I like my squad". Never moaned about anything, always optimistic with a smile on his face. Why don't these clowns who run the club make a phone call to Guido, say sorry for what has happened and hire him. He loves the club.
 

CroJack

Key Player
As for strenghtening the squad we don't need much. One more attacking midfielder and that's it. Have faith in the players you have, implement your superior style of football, and we'll be ok.
 

CroJack

Key Player
It seems we have signed Russell Martin.
As expected, the fan base is divided. What I could read on social media it's 50% (against) - 50% (for). The former ones are the Monkists, and the latter ones those who want our legacy back.

Personally, I am excited with this appointment because it's a good start and it gives me hope that we'll be playing some good passing football. But, good passing football is not enough, and our legacy have to be improved. I think Martinez, Rodgers, Laudrup, and Potter's football can and should be improved, so it embraces all elements of the modern top football. Ideally, a combo of Pep's passing and creativity together with Klopp's relentless gegenpressing and running.

The players who are not able to have a higher passing accuracy than 80% shouldn't be playing for us.

The players who don't want to move into the empty spaces on the pitch to receive a pass shouldn't be playing for us.

The players who are not able to run enough, so we can apply gegenpressing, shouldn't be playing for us.

I will be the first one to criticise Russell Martin if we start playing a boring version of passing football. Possession and passing means nothing if you create nothing.
 
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ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
It seems we have signed Russell Martin.
As expected, the fan base is divided. What I could read on social media it's 50% - 50%. The former ones are Monkists, and the latter ones those who want our legacy back.
Personally, I am excited with this appointment because it's a good start and it gives me a hope that we'll be playing some good passing football. But, good passing football is not enough and our legacy have to be improved. I think Martinez, Rodgers, Laudrup, and Potter's football can and should be improved, so it embraces all elements of the modern top football. Ideally, a combo of Pep's passing and creativity together with Klopp's relentless gegenpressing and running.

The players who are not able to have a higher passing accuracy than 80% shouldn't be playing for us.

The players who don't want to move into the empty spaces on the pitch to receive a pass shouldn't be playing for us.

The players who are not able to run enough, so we can apply gegenpressing, shouldn't be playing for us.

I will be the first one to criticise Russell Martin if we start playing a boring version of passing football. Possession and passing means nothing if you create nothing.
It seems those against him are saying that his team passes just for the sake of it, building their stats by pointless possession at the back; that they fail to do it where it counts in the opponents third thereby lacking penetration and goals. Much the same as opponents of Rodgers used to say in fact. I can't comment on this as I've seen very little of the Dons in action. BUT, even if it's true, perhaps it's because of the limited ability of the players he has to work with.

It is to be hoped that our better quality players will respond more readily to his ideas particularly as passing football is so much a part of our identity despite recent failures to take advantage of it. If Martin does as he says, which is to practise it over and over, relentlessly and without letup, until every player in the squad can do it in his sleep, then the future bodes well for us.

When pundits praised us during our halcyon days, they used to point out that what we were doing took years to perfect, so I'm not expecting an instant miraculous transition from the dire stuff we've been playing the past couple of seasons. But so long as we make real progress, I for one am prepared to be patient until we get it right. Martin will need time to get his ideas across and develop our passing game. I'm happy to give him that but, in the meantime, I also want to see a marked improvement in the pace and urgency of our game. Looking forward to seeing how this works out. Good luck, Russell, get us playing good football again and you'll enjoy the backing of our appreciative fans.
 

Jackflash

Midfield General
Staff member
Great news, onward and upward, also Tate not a contender any more, did we not learn any lessons from employing Monk. another Championship has been defender who thinks he has all the answers, Laudrup had them both weighed up and replaced them in his team, but paid dearly for it.
 

CroJack

Key Player
I also want to see a marked improvement in the pace and urgency of our game.
Me too. :)


It seems those against him are saying that his team passes just for the sake of it, building their stats by pointless possession at the back; that they fail to do it where it counts in the opponents third thereby lacking penetration and goals.
Here is what Russell says.

Our style of play gets us to the box three times more than the opposition, double the amount of touches in the opposition box.

It seems to me they dominated the opposition but their strikers let them down. The latter can be fixed.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Exciting ... finally a path forward appears out of the fog.

If I remember correctly .... Martinez arrived in February. HJ made the bold move to remove Jackett and appoint Martinez.

It was mid/late October of the following season when it all clicked. From that point forward we dominated L1, started winning, kept winning, and ran away with the title. Scotland, Bodde, Pratley, Britton et al getting the job done. Loanee Anderson contributing out on the wing ... our one true winger ... and the Spanish contingent finding their feet.

Martin has a job on his hands. If a comparison dare be made ... he is working on Swanselona 2.0. He has better raw materials than Martinez inherited from Jackett, in better shape technically. They are going to need to be much fitter to properly play the style that @CroJack proffered. Some like Bennett will struggle; others like Grimes, Fulton, Roberts and our U23 graduates who already have the schooling should be able to rise to the occasion. We have Benda in goal and he is going to love this appointment.

It's going to take Martin two international breaks to sort the wheat from the chaff and get those that can to deliver consistently and put those who can't into the stands. I expect Martin to sus-out the deficits and bring in loanees by the end of August; from there it's going to be blending the ingredients into a finished product.

Who will be his coaching team? Tate is going to stick around ... let's hope he will get with the program instead of being one of the back-stabbing SOBs that did a number on Sousa and Laudrup.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Just viewed the video, Martin is bringing in 3 coaches from MK Dons (sorry for them, tough loss), so Tate is going to be one of that team. Let's hope the dynamics works without friction.
 

Jackflash

Midfield General
Staff member
Almost forgotten what a decent manager sounded like. No b/s , learned more in 16 minutes than 16 months with Cooper.
The guy sounds 100% genuine, knows what the club needs. very direct in his answering, Yes I like him.
Unlike Cooper who when asked a difficult question his reply would be "Well, like I said before Blah Blah Blah."
 
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