Ricey

Promoted to Chairman. I don’t think it’ll change much for us.

Nope.

Unless what I’ve seen is wrong, highly doubt we’ll get maroon. Could be wrong though.

That’s the problem. Could wear it against Cov possibly and then whenever we randomly wear an away kit against non-blue teams.

Home: Gold is back. Away: Lovely, not sure when we’d wear it.

Yellow.

When you consider how much cheaper season tickets are compared to normal match tickets, plus the fact that if you give up your season ticket you go to the bottom of the priority list, then I think losing over 10% in one summer is actually quite a strong message.

He sneers at anything new or modern at any opportunity, in the same way Allardyce did towards the end of his career. Watch his Stick to Football interview and it’s really clear that he doesn’t really believe in data, analytics or any new tactical trends. He’s entrenched in the old ways. He’s another one that we did a talk with when I worked on FM and a lot of questions were about data, recruitment, how he worked with Directors of Football etc. Most questions were answered quite dismissively, as if he knew those things were unavoidable nowadays but he didn’t believe in them. They were a hindrance to him. When we have a state of the art training ground and fruitful academy, we need someone that believes in that. We need someone that’s innovative in their thinking, in the same way Pearson was all those years a go.

A good chunk of our fanbase will welcome Dyche, but it means the following things: 1) Another wild swing in style of play, for which our current squad is not well suited to. 2) Little opportunities for Academy players. 3) A steer away from modern, innovative techniques for recruitment, analysis and training. 4) Further protection of Rudkin’s role.

Ok, “…surely ANY journalist knows the meaning of the word “latter”.

It would make more sense, but surely a prominent journalist knows the meaning of the word “latter”.

Style aside, this is the crux of it for me. I don’t buy that “he’ll get us promoted”. It probably guards against a totally calamitous season, but he took over a Southampton team that had been an established Premier League side for 11 years, in a world where the gulf between the PL and Championship is as big as it’s ever been, and he finished 4th. I’d say that’s a slight underachievement? In the Premier League he then masterminded one of the most pathetic showings in the leagues history. His reputation is inflated because he chooses style over results. Image over tangible progression. For the clubs who are still stuck in the past and desperate to replicate Pep and Man City, he is a dream. For everyone else, a nightmare awaits.

Are there any videos of the chants yesterday?

Sounds about right. At one point we seemed to be keen on replicating the Red Bull model, now it’s City Group. Copying the bigger boys homework always works out well.

It is, especially without a new man in charge that everyone can get behind. A squandered chance for a fresh start, new foundations that can support us for the next five plus years, in favour of more of the same. More short term-ism, more predictable decisions.

…but we aspire to be and we aspire to stay in it.

There is a world of managers out there and we go for yet another Southampton cast off. A man with a deeply dull, frustrating style of play that is proven to fail miserably in the Premier League.

He will be a disaster here, no matter how well the players take to him. He’s already too unpopular. A poster boy for King Power’s incompetence and refusal to learn any lessons. He’ll be determined to prove everyone wrong, but his style is just too unpalatable for so many. His style is slower and less direct than even Enzo’s, plus it feels like in the last 12 months the tide has really turned within this country against possession football. He’s a really bad fit.

You mean they put up a photo that wasn’t of Michael Golding? I don’t believe you.

A classless and rudderless football club.

No, but I'm sure Martin said in his interview with Lineker that it's important he goes to club next who will be receptive to his style of play. He is probably totally unaware of the flak Puel, Maresca and to a certain degree Rodgers took for playing slow, death-by-passing football.

Still, it gives the fans the chance to make themselves heard on Sunday.

Here's an idea, why not bin Ruud as soon as you realised he wasn't going to be here next season and then avoid this weird "out of respect" wasting of weeks.

Still, good news about the chocolate oranges…

One crumb of hope is that the Mail article wasn't by Tom Collomosse, who usually has the inside on us.